sin yet it cannot do any hurt at all But saâ— he I thanke God through our Lord Jesus Chriâ—â— who will deliver me from this body of death As much as to say Indeed till a man looke to Christ there is nothing but matter of bitternesse and evill to be seen as the certain fruits of sin and there can be nothing but bitternesse in sin in regard of the evill that is like to follow it But when persons can once looke to Christ the case is altered What doth he thanke God for He thanks God that though naturally a body of death grew up by sin yet there is no prejudice in this kinde can come to him through Christ Now that the Apostle doth plainly mean that he thanks God in that sin could not doe him or others any hurt mark how in his thankfulnesse he expresseth himself in the beginning of the 8. Chapter There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ that walke not after the flâ—sh but after the Spirit There you see the ground of the Apostles thanksgiving namely that now there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ No you will say no condemnation in Hell but yet as there is remainders of sinne in Gods owne people so there will some evill or other fall upon the commission of sin marke what the Apostle speakes of it in the 2. and 4. verâ—â— Would you have the clear minde of the Spirit â—in it There it is held forth The Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death for what the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath freed mee from the Law of sinne and death Here Christ stands for the deliverance of his people from condemnation from eternall wrath say some yea but saith the Apostle wee are delivered from the Law of sin and death what is the Law of sin but what the Law may do to persons for those sins which are committed by them Now what can sin do when it is condemned It is true take a Traytor as he is at liberty hee may do mischief but take him as he is arraigned and condemned and as he is bound and manacled he can doe no hurt Now sinne is condemned to the Believer it can do no hurt at all to him for what hurt can that doe unto a man which is carried into a Land of forgetfulnesse to avoid further prejudice of such persons that are indangered by it When men have been found dangerous unto the State 〈◊〉 hath been a common practice to banish them the Kingdome into a place far remote when they cannot have any opportunity of doing any mischief and when they are banished theâ— are not to returne againe upon paine of death Now beloved our Scape Goat hath carriâ— our sins into a Land of forgetfulnesse Consider further suppose a man be entered into many bonds and they are for great summes It is true while they remaine bonds in force such a man is subject to feare arrests but put the case these bonds are all cancelled that the debt in the Creditors book be blotted out what hurt then can these bonds do unto a man when the seal is torn off and all the writing in the bond is blotted out If a man saw a thousand such bonds in which he were obliged it would affright him no more then if he saw none at all True indeed every sin is a great debt and wee commit sins daily and hourly against the Lord and the torments of Hel is the merit of the least sin in the world for I speake not this to extenuate any sin but to shew the greatnes of Gods Grace and to ease upon good grounds distressed consciences Therefore such as look upon these sins as uncancelled and these debts as true debts it is true so long these sins may work a horror and trembling in persons but for Believers that are the members of Christ they may read fairly all the sins that ever they have committed they may read also the desert of these transgressions which should be executed and inflicted upon them if they were not cancelled and blotted out But marke what the Lord speaks in the 43. of Isaiah I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne name sake and will not remember thy sins Now what prejudice can that do that is blotted out I say every debt of a Believer is a cancelled debt so that the Lord himselfe hath nothing at all to lay to a Believers charge For how can that Scorpion do hurt that hath lost his sting and spent his venome in the sides of Christ and left it there It was Christ that was wounded for the transgressions of his people he was bruised for the iniquities of the faithfull the chastisements of their peace was upon him saith the Holy Ghost in the 53. of Isaiah and the 5. verse What hurt can there be to whom there is peace from God and nothing but peace It is true our sins themselves do not speak peace but Christ bearing the sinne and the wrath that these sins doe deserve his chastisement or the wrath hee sustained speaks peace to every Believer whose transgressions be did beare Therefore beloved be not affraid ye that are Believers and members of Christ for fear of wrath breaking down from heaven upon you for such and such sins which you have committed for they can do you no hurt all your sins together can do you no harme all the sting and poyson of your sins were spent upon the backe of Christ Marke that excellent expression of the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 15.56 57. he tels us there indeed that the sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the Law so that here seems to be a sting in sin even to death it selfe But mark what follows thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ that hath given us the victory What doth he meane even the victory of overcoming of sinne and death that is his true meaning Though naturally sin hath a sting yet there is a victory over this sting Christ is the death of it as he tooke away the sting of it so that the sins of Believers set up to affright them by Satan or his instruments they are but Scare-crows and Bugbears things to fright ignorant children indeed but men of insight and understanding are able to see that they are counterfeit things It is true before men come to see the light of the Gospel of Christ their sins stare in their faces seeming to spit fire at them but just as you shall have children it may be put one of their company into hideous postures and a fearfull and terrible representation causing every one that knowes it not to run from him so sinne
is now offered unto us I have peradventure in the hearing of some present made entrance into these words I have read now unto you I shall give you but a taste of what I have formerly spoken so much as may serve by way of introduction to that in which I mean to spend the remainder of this time The occasion of these words you may see in the former passage of this Chapter At this present instant a great tumult and uproar was raised upon the raising of the righteous Man from the East that is the setting up of Christ Such a noyse there was that God was fain to call for silence vers 1. and for their plea at the latter end of the verse If they have any thing to say against this businesse of setting up of Christ let them bring their strongest reasons saith the Lord. Having thus obtained silence the Lord makes his plea against their tumultuous opposition vers 2. Who is he that hath raised him up and hath given Nations to him and made him to rule over Kings I the Lord did it saith he vers 4. What have you to say to me He shall prosper and he shall prosper with facility and ease he shall go softly he shall never run for fear of being circumvented Hee shall go in a way that his foot hath not trode before he shall go further then he hath gone and what say they to this when God speaks Yet the tumultuous men will not be quiet they lay their heads together as you finde they consult to finde out helpe nay they conspire the Carpenter and the Smith have laid their heads together Now because there is such a combustion when Christ is set up lest the people of the Lord should be possessed with dismayednesse and feare of miscarriage the Lord turnes his speech to these opposed Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed I am thy God Christ when ever he is exalted did doth and will finde great opposition but in spite of all opposition Christs exaltation shall prosper all their opposition shal not hinder nay he wil go softly that the world may see that he is not afraid of all opposition whatsoever First in this Text the Lord is pleased to provide a pillow as for a King for the heads of his people or a staffe for their trembling hand a pillow to support their sinking spirits they are apt to be discouraged it seems the Lord is pleased to take their condition into his hand to speak to the occasion of their trembling and to give out such words that may be a stay that they may stand fast though blustrings grow greater then they are The Textis nothing else but a gracious incouragement or a comfortable support of a sinking spirit The incouragement is in these words Fear not be not dismayed the grounds and arguments by which he would prevaile with them not to fear nor be dismayed are in these words I am with thee I am thy God I will helpe thee I will up hold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The point is this That they that have God for their God need never fear nor be dismayed seeing this their God is with them will helpe them strengthen them and uphold them with the right hand of his righteousnesse Concerning this feare and dismayednesse we spake largely the last time we spake upon this occasion 1. What it is not to be afraid 2. What we are not to be afraid of 3. What the inconveniences of such feare are In brief not to feare is no more but a composednesse and setlednesse of spirit against any evill that commeth Excellent is that expression in the 112. Psalme vers 8. They shall not be afraid of evill tidings What is that Their heart is fixed their heart is established they shall not be removed Here is the expression of a fearlesse heart a heart fixed a heart established a heart not moved You have it likewise excellently set out in Daniel 3. in an example the 16. vers in the story of the three children being sentenced to be cast into the fiery furnace they came before the great King Nebuchadnezzar and hee spake big to them and tells them what they must trust unto if they will not fall down and worship his Gods Mark now how their fearlesnesse and dismayednesse is expressed We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve be will deliver us See what a disposition this fearlesnesse is and then what is the ground of it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter here is a true fearlesnesse if when ever evill comes men can say it matters not we are ready for it And look into the root of it and you shall finde it in their answer our God is able to deliver us that made them so carelesse in so weighty a thing Our God whom wee serve he will deliver us Secondly what it is we should not fear I answer first we should not fear God himself as to do us any hurt fear him with awfull reverence we must A Believer that is the servant and chosen of God need not fear that God will do him any hurt It is God that justifieth therefore it is not God that will harm thee The heart of God is to his people My bowells are troubled for thee saith God to Ephraim Can he hurt them while he is troubled for them Secondly they must not fear their own sins I do not say they ought not to fear to commit sinne but they ought not to feare what hurt their sinnes can doe them seeing they are blotted out If a man have subscribed unto and sealed a hundred Bonds and all these Bonds be quite cancelled and blotted out he need not fear no hurt these Bonds can do him Paul in the 7. of Rom. complaineth indeed of a body of death and the power of sin but in the closure of the Chapter he shews how little he fears any thing that sin could doe Thanks be unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ What doth he thank the Lord for that though his firts were so great yet they could not do him any hurt nor any of Gods people Look into the beginning of the 8. Chapter it is plaine There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh What hurt can this do Now beloved give me leave to tell you if you be Believers and weak in faith I dare bee bold to say nothing cuts the heart so much in respect of fear of evill as the sins you do commit these will be swords to your hearts But if you be
longer therein The summe and substance of the objection is this Is there so much Grace that where sin hath abounded Grace aboundeth much more then it seems that the more sin a man doth commit the more will the glory of the Grace of God appear in the pardoning of these sins and so I shall glorisie God best when I commit sin most will some say So that the preaching of the abundance of grace where sin hath abounded seems to let men loose to the commission of sin as much as possibly The Apostle answers this with God forbid as if he had said God will never suffer any Believer though never so weak through any such truth reveal'd to break out into any sin because wher sin hath abounded grace hath abounded much more God will never have them to make any such abominable inference from such truths And he also gives the reason why they cannot make such use of the grace of God How shall we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein to the Apostle the inference of the objectors from this argument seems so absurd that he doth appeal to the adversaries themselves how such an inference as this can follow such a Proposition He doth not say positively that they cannot live in sin that are dead to it but he puts the question to them how it can be And whereas some may answer yea they may easily do it No saith the Apostle they that are partakers of this Grace are dead unto sin and how can they live in it when they are dead to it The glorious power of this Grace revealed strikes sinne dead in men or rather strikes men dead to sin Sinne shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle for you are not under the Law but under Grace And as you shall heare by and by the Apostle makes the very Grace of God to have that power in it as to breake the neck of sin in the Believer This is the most certaine truth of the Text and springs directly from it There is a death unto sin where there is a revelation effectually of the Grace of God to persons to whom it doth belong It brings a dart with it to slay sin The law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sin and death and what the law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sent forth his Son in the simili tude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh so that although to reason and sense the preaching of the free Grace of God to men and to publish what the Lord hath done for them for his own sake and that before-hand may seem to be a doctrine that gives liberty to sin and so to be a licentious doctrine yet it seems to the Apostle that there is nothing that doth more establish a restraint from sin then the manifestation hereof In the 11. to the Romans towards the latter end of the Chapter the Apostle tells us that God hath concluded all men under sinne that hee might shew mercy upon all and therefore he falls out into admiration O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes ast finding out Now what follows Having prevealed this unsearchable Grace see how hee begins in the 12. Chapter and 1. verse I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this world but bee transformed by the renewing of your mindes that is I beseech you by the mercies of God that you refraine from sinne What mercy doth he meane Even the mercies of God concerning the freenesse of his Grace manifested before in all the 11. Chapter Now if the Apostle had beene of some mens mindes that the preaching of the free Grace of God were a dangerous doctrine to set men loose to sin he would never have used the mercies of God as an argument to prevail with men to refrain from sin Hee would not have published that which should have been of such dangerous consequence but he would rather have been filent so far would hee have been from revealing of it as an argument to the contrary were the revelation of it the way to bring men to loosenesse and licentiousnesse it had been the wisdome of Paul and the other Apostles to have concealed it which certainly he would have done had it been so But the Apostle was not of that judgement and therfore in 1 Corinth chap. 6. and towards the latter end he draws his argument after the same manner You are not your owne you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are Gods Observe here that the injunction which the Apostle gives the Corinthians is that they should glorifie God in their bodies and spirits and what is the argument by which he would perswade them to it You are bought with a price But will some say it seems I am bought and the price is laid downe for me now I am sure enough I am safe the gates of hell cannot prevail against me I may live as I list for no danger will follow now I may take liberty to sin Now if the Apostle had known that this consequence would justly have followed upon the preaching of this Crace he had dealt very discourteously with the people of God and absurdly by inforcing a conclusion from a ground contrary to it by revealing such a doctrine as this is Therefore surely the Apostle would never have used this expression of being bought with a price if he had knowne that this would follow but contrariwise he knew that there is no way in the world will so much prevaile with Gods people to leave their sins as by telling them before hand that their sins are forgiven them and that they are bought with a price In 2 Titus from the beginning to the 12. v. you shall finde how the Apostle urgeth Titus that hee presse a holy conversation answerable to old men and old women as also to young women and young men and also a conversation suitable to servants and especially he writes concerning them that they should not purloin from their masters but shew all faithfulnesse But what is the argument now by which the Apostle urgeth all these things upon these men See in the 12. and 13. verses and you shall finde that the argument is the same we have now in hand For the Grace of God saith he that brings salvation hath appeared teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world As much as to say The Lord hath made known and revealed his salvation to you and you see it before you Salvation is brought unto you and not your well-doing but the Grace of God is
Apostle saith there expresly To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not I delight in the Law of God in the inner man but in the mean while there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captive to the law of sin out of all which principles observe I beseech you these particulars First the Apostle though he did see he fell through infirmitie yet he cleerly perceived his heart was upright towards God so that he said To will is present with me the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill that I would not doe that do I. Though the Apostle was overtaken yet his heart was towards God still when he did evill his heart said plainly It is not with my consent when he could not do good his heart told him it was for lack of power and not because he did not desire it Now come to persons that walk exactly as the Apostle did they are overtaken with a sin what is there comfort when they do sin though I be overtaken the frame of my heart is right still my heart is sincere towards God my heart is right it is directly contrary to my disposition I do not do that evill I do with a full bent of my spirit and in regard my heart is thus right there is comfort to me though I have sinned Suppose your spirits were in that frame the Apostles was in at that time I ask but this Do you not draw comfort still from the plea of this disposition your spirits do make When you have committed a sin do you not fetch comfort from thence Ask your hearts and they will answer yea we have done so and we may do so I beseech you consider it well when the Apostle had argued the case thus what was the finall conclusion and the sole refuge that he doth flie unto or the plea that he would trust unto for his deliverance and comfort He doth not say in the conclusion I thank God to will is present with me I thank God my heart is in a good frame and temper though I was overtaken I say Paul doth not make use of this plea but he betakes himself to this I thank Gâ—d through Jesus Christ and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and it is the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed mee from the law of sinne and death So that the whole refuge of the Apostle was not any inward disposition as if he could plead out comfort unto himselfe there-from but the plea was without himselfe even in Christ and therefore he gives thanks unto Christ for deliverance So in the 2. Chapter to the Philippians you shall heare the Apostle towards the beginning of the Chapter pleading the same thing there as he did here namely that it is not any righteousnesse that he can reach unto that he dare venture the plea upon or his own comfort upon First he tells us that touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse This was before his conversion you will say It is true but after his conversion he tells us also of a righteousness he had then But beloved doth Paul put out his own righteousnesse to plead for him Doth he expect his comfort or the Answer of Heaven for discharge upon the plea of that righteousnesse of his Nothing last for saith the Apostle there I account all things but losse and dung that I may be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ Surely beloved if the Apostle had reckoned that his righteousness could have had any force in plea he would never have rejected it as dung That man that thinketh he hath strength in an argument will not fling that argument away and not make mention of it for the triall of his cause if he thought there were any power in it But this the Apostle did hee accounted his righteousnesse dung even the righteousnesse of his after he was converted and in that regard he durst not be found in that but only in the righteousnes of God which is by faith in Christ He doth not simply say he would not be found in the righteousness of the Law but exclusively also he would not be found in his own righteousnesse so that he bâ—â—s out his own righteousnesse quite there shall no plea at all go along through his own righteousnesse The righteousness of Christ shall speak for his plea or else he would look for no good issue at all this beloved is the way Let me give one touch by way of application you may easily perceive how mightily people are mistaken and therefore no marvell they do live so uncomfortably no marvell they are in fear of death and thereby in bondage all their life long while they run for the refreshment of their spirits to their own righteousnesse to the plea of their own works and will have their hearts eased upon that righteousnesse that they themselves do whereas nothing gets a gracious discharge from their Father but only Christ and his righteousnesse Therefore beloved how ever it may go with some for a harsh thing to take men off from their own righteousnesse in respect of speaking comfort unto them and to lead them to the righteousnesse of Christ revealed in the Gospel as that from which they may draw all their comfort though this may found harsh to some people that have not been trained up in the way of the grace of God and in the freenesse of it revealed in the Gospel yet I doubt not but in time the Lord will be pleased to reveale to us that running to Christ out of our selves and disclaiming of our owne righteousnesse and seeking of comfort from it that leaving our own actions and all that can be imagined to be in us or can be done by us will be the thing that in the end will establish our hearts and spirits yea and fill them with joy and peace in believeing It remains that we should further confâ—ler one thing that I know startles some persons or at least lays blocks in their way before I can possibly come unto the righteousnesse of Christ it self that makes up the strength of plea with God for poor creatures Object Some will object Though all that we do of our own will not hold plea yet there is a righteousnesse of faith will some say and that pleads with the Father and that gets the discharge of sin from the Father Beloved there is some dispute about this point and I shall not desire to enter into it I shall onely in a few things endeavour to cleer up the truth as cleer as possibly I may that I may goe on Answ I answer in generall so far forth as the righteousness of faith is the righteousness of Christ there is strength in the plea of that
CHRIST ALONE EXALTED In the PERFECTION and ENCOURAGEMENTS of the SAINTS notwithstanding Sins and Trialls Being laid open in severall SERMONS By the late spirituall and faithfull Preacher of the Gospell Tobias Crispe D. D. Volume III. Psal 71.16 I wil go in the strength of the Lord God I wil make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine only Isal 60.1 Arise shine for thy Light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee LONDON Printed by M. S. for Henry Overton and sold at his shop in Popes-head Alley 〈◊〉 To all that live godly in CHRIST JESUS Precious Hearts IT is your honour above many Professors in the world to seale in your sufferings the most refreshing and ennobling truths of Christ Your life which is bid with Christ in God is that spark of glory which hath alwayes attracted the most venemous envies of those men who make the flesh their residence Be confident of this that did you live in your selves you should live more quietly in the world were you lower as Saints you should be higher as Creatures Never expect to build peaceably upon earth while you lay not your foundation in the dust The carnall minde cannot but bee enmity against that which is the Basis of your Principles sutable to that expression of our Saviour Joh. 17.14 The world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world It hath ever been the policy of usuâ—pers to keepe downe those which can justly prove their descent from the royal blood lest they and their ill goâ—â—en glory fall together so those that have â—ndâ—â—â— iâ—vested themselves with the titles of the Saints presently coâ—tend for a râ—om in the seat of the scornful to disparage and destroy those who can cleerly shew their communion with a higher blood than their own where Christ doth most sweetly and clearly râ—ign there the flesh will most presumâ—tuously cruelly tyâ—annize However Sâ—â—â—ts though it be your Fathers pleasure to alâ—ot you the vailey of the shadow of â—eath for your flesh to walke in whilest your condition is in its infancy yet know that your glorious union with the Son of God shall be more than enough in thâ— pate 〈…〉 seâ—â—ure you The world may out run you come first to the top of their glory but suâ—ey 〈◊〉 the end the inheritance will be yours their first shall be lost and your last shall be first Esau out-â—â—â—stles Jacob iâ— the womb and conâ—s first into the world and according to the signification of his name he is a great doer a cunnâ—â—ing hunter he was but Jacob that comes forth last takes the game Esau was the first-born but Jacob goeâ— away possessect of the birth right and blessing also Thus doth your Father deal with you to make your latter end in brightness to out-shine your beginning Neither will your God deny you bread here in the middest of famine Heaven rains Manna in a wildernesse the Rock gives water in the heat of drought Believe it you Gospel-Christians your beloved shal be all to you in the want of all that possession which he hath in you will for ever entitle you A Spring shut up and a Fountain sealed he will be in you an everlasting head for your supply to all expences in all conditions when the moisture of every thing below him shal he exhousted by the creatures which suck all they have from thence even then and so to eternity shall Jesus Christ be to you in the height of his fulnes I know nothing you have that is long-lived but Jesus Christ Earth more grosly carnall and Heaven more reâ—inedly â—crnall shall passe away even the Kingdom of Heaven so far as it is made up of forms and administrations shall wither and die but the Kingdome of God within you shall never be shaken That divine nature which hath swallowed you up shall for ever fatisfie you with variety of contentments Let not therfore your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in Christ you are satisfied that the fulness of all things dwels in God be also â—onvinced that Jesus Christ by his Fathers appointment is made partaker of the same fulnesse For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Now what ever Jesus Christ hath as Mediatour you in your measure enjoy it for it is the great ordinance of God that all the Saints should be sharers and partners with Jesus Christ we are fellow citizens with him and so interessed in the immunities and priviledges of the same Charter with him that as in our first state wee had all which Adam had so also in our second we have all which Christ hath Why then doth palenesse appear in your faces and trembling sit upon your lips as if in the frowns of the creature all your felicity was buried Oh remember you are one spirit with him whose presence is a constant spring in a vision of whose glory your beauty will be alwayes lovely I leave it as my humble request to you thaâ— you would not forget your resting place For the least ignorance of that will make you apprehend every condition full of anxietie this was that which was the bottome of Israels misery Jer. 50.6 They have saith the Text forgotten their resting place Or their place to lye down in as the originall will bear it If you make the creatures or your ordinance priviledges your duties or your own righteousnesse to be your resting places the least disturbance in the pursuit of all or any of these will be very grievous and distracting but if the Spirit helps you to remember him to be your rest who is the rest of God trouble upon any of your enjoyments below himselfe will not have an us comely iâ— fluence upon you To see a man treâ—ting and vexing that whilest hee was riding his journey noises did keep him waking would easily evince our reason to believe that this man had forgotten that his resting place was somewhere else So to see you whilest you were in your travell discontented at that unquietness wherewith you are infested would-bring you under this suspition that you had sergotten your resling place Israel expected beds in the wildernesse when God had appointed Canaan to be their rest his was the ground of all their murmurings against Gods dispensations Oh that the Spirit therefore would alwayes in the middest of sin and miserie lead you to the rocke that is higher than your selves or any thing you esteeme above your selves Many as they create troubles so also create remedies even such which God never sealed many times we sin and then endeavour to make use of sin for a cure we break a command of God and then cal upon some duty or other bâ—low Christ to make up that breach and thus we bring a double pain and vexation upon our selves When a wound is made by a weapon a contrary plaister applied makes it more uncapable of cure then it
him and the doctrine he preached which for that reason amongst others are now come into the world before their ful growth the Author being taken away before he could bring forth all his conceptions in the pursuite of those two subjects which we desire the Reader candidly to accept as the last breathings forth of the Spirit in that precious Saint whilest hee was below But if this stops not the mouth of envie I shall not thinke any cost too great to raise up continue the memory of truths favorites and friends nor esteeme any labour too much whereby I may approve my selfe the friend and servant of Je-Christ Jesus and his Church otherwise then which by Gods grace thou shalt never finde The subject of Christ and servant of his Saints Henry Pinnell A briefe Table of the Heads of these SERMONS SERMON I. VPON Isaiah 41.10 Fear not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I wil help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse p. 1 Wherein are observed First the temper of spirit God aims to reduce them to not to fear page 11 Wherein I. What it is not to fear or be dismayed p. 13 II. What it is we must not feare nor be dismayed at p. 18 1 Not our sins explained and proved p. 19 2 Not the sins of others p. 27 3 Not afflictions or chastisements p. 29 4 Not men p. 31 1 Not their wrath p. 32 2 Not their policie p. 33 3 Not their instruments of cruelty 34 III. What are the fruits or disadvantages by fearfulnesse 1 In respect of God which are that it casts slanders 1 Vpon the power of God p. 40 2 Vpon his faithfulnesse p. 41 3 Vpon his care providence p. 42 4 Vpon his free grace p. 43 5 Vpon the sufferings of Christ p. 44 2 In respect of Gods service 1 By weakening faith p. 45 2 By damping all other religious services as prayer c. p. 45 SERMON II. Secondly the course the Lord takes to reduce them to this temper of spirit as to be free from fear dismayednesse which is by proposing to them the motives in the Text I am thy God c. Where are observed 1 What it is for God to be thy God p. 62 wherein the faithful propriety in God is largely explained in generall 2 What he hath who hath God for his Where his treasure is looked upon p. 72 1 In regard of the quality or worth of it p. 74 2 In regard of the vertue of it p. 75 3 In the universality and variety of the usefulnesse of it p. 76 3 By answering severall Objections is shewed how it is so wel with those that are the Lords by their interest in this treasure notwithstanding some appearances to the contrary beginning p. 78 4 How God doth become their God and upon what terms Answ Freely from Gods own good pleasure in Christ p. 88 5 How God is found or known to be the God of his people Answ 1 By the Spirit of God as the efficient p. 93 2 By faith as the passive instrument laying hold upon the word of grace Subordinately in Prayer and other Ordinances p. 94 SERMON III. VPON 1 John 2.1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world Herein observe 1 First the connexion of these words These things I write that ye sin not where this point is offered Doct. That the knowledge of Propitiation and forgivenesse is the strongest meanes to restrain sin p. 106. This is 1 Proved from p. 106 by Scriptures at large 2 Objections answered from p. 119 to the end SERM. IV. 2 The words themselves wherein four generall heads are considered I. What it is for Christ to be an Advocate and how he doth manage it p. 152 Answ 1 Aduocateship is an office to plead the indemnity of the client in a way of Justice Christ having made satisfaction unto Justice p. 153 SERM. V. 2 He manageth his Advocateship by his intercession or continuall representation of his satisfaction as Alsufficient for us p. 169 c. II. Whos 's cause it is that Christ doth undertake to be an Advocate for Answ 1 For all Believers at all times 173 2 Yea for all the elect in some degree though they be for the present in a state of unbelief p. 175 III. How Christ is gifted or qualified for this office of advocateship p. 181 Answ He is First Christ Secondly Jesus Thirdly The Righteous 1 He is Christ that is anointed which imports 1 That hee is authorized and called to this office p. 182 2 That he is sufficiently gifted thereunto p. 185 2 He is Jesus i.e. Certainly saving those he pleads for p. 187 SERM. VI. 3 Hee is the righteousnesse hence is observed 1 That all the strength of Christs plea consists in his Righteousness p. 197 2 What this Righteousnesse is 1 Negatively Not the righteousnesse of our workes p. 221 2 Not the righteousnesse of faith it 〈◊〉 as acted by us and 〈…〉 in us p. 214 SERM. VII 3 Here â—â—â—â—sonally is shewed that justification in the Court of heaven is before faith p. 225 2 Pâ—sitevely The righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator God and man p. 238 That is 1 His active obedience 239 2 His passive obedience 241 3 There is an accesse of value comming hereunto by the dignity of the person being God as well as man p. 243 SERM. VIII 4 An Objection that faith is said to be our coming to Christ therefore there can be no union before it which is at large answered from p. 258. to the end SERM. IX IV. What it is for Christ to be the Propitiation for the sins of the people p. 288 1 Explained first in its type It is to have him for our Mercy-seate where 1 Where only the incense of our services being offered are acceptable p. 290 2 Where the Scape-goatis prepared that hath carried all our sinnes into a land of forgetfulnesse p. 291 3 Where God returneth all his gracious answers to us p. 291 2 In its own nature being the same with Atonâ—mâ—n or Reconciliation p. 292 to the end SERMON X. UPON Solomoâ—s 〈…〉 â—4 10. Thou art all fair my Lâ—ve and 〈…〉 spot in thee Herein 1 He digressed by way of Apologie to cleer himself 〈…〉 in imputations cast upon him page 322. As 1 The first slander that â—â—e had affirmed that the Righteousnesse of Christ as God-mâ—â— was not sufficient to make a compleat righteousness p. 322 2 That he had denyed Christ by denying faith and repentance p. 325 3 That he should affirme that an elect person might live and die an Whoremonger an Adulterer and in all kind of prophanenesse p. 326 All which hee utterly
indeed of the world never stirs nor moves God because he know well enough how he can blast every attempt yet because he knowes that his people have some flesh remaining still in them the appearance of a tumult and the opposition of the Gospell may peradventure put them into an affright The Lord therefore endeavours to hearten his own people against the frights that they might take in regard of the outward appearance of opposition and this he doth in the words of the Text Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismayed for I am thy God Now lest there should be a mistake to whom the Lord directs this speech for the intent of the Lord may be mistaken in the extent of the people to whom hee speakes and therefore in the 8. and 9. verses the Lord shews to whom he speaks such incouragements But thou Israel art my servant and Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend Object Why some will say It seemes then that in this Text Gods speaking of comfort and encouragement is confined onely unto the people of the Jews that are the children of Jacob and the seede of Abraham and therefore what ever comfort there is in the Text there is little comfort belongs unto us Answ Consider the ninth verse and then it will appear that though God speakes of Jacob Israel and the seed of Abraham yet he doth not speak of the seed according to the flesh but according to the Spirit for in the ninth verse you read the words thus Thou whom I have chosen and taken from the ends of the earth That Jacob then and Israel to whom the Lord speakes these comfortable words is the Jacob and Israel that is called from the ends of the earth Now if you would know what is meant by the ends of the earth the Prophet will tell you in chap. 43. of Isaiah and the 5,6,7 verses Feare not for I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North Give up and to the South Keepe not back bring my Sonnes from farre and my Daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name As much as to say this Israel and Jacob to whom the Lord speaks not to feare is a people gathered from the East and from the North and from the South and from the West now the seed of Jacob naturally considered is not of that extent as to over-spread the World every way however the last clause that it is even every one that is called by his name puts it out of doubt that it extends also to us Gentiles This I note beloved that so we may not only have a guesse that the comfortable language frequently mentioned by the Prophet belongeth unto us as wel as the Jews but that we may see that it is the mind of the Lord that he hath revealed it himself that it doth indeed extend it self unto us for by the way solid comfort wil not be raised upon meer guesses or presumptions taking things for granted without the sense of a good foundation to bear up such comforts All the comfort people have when they runne upon guesses is onely abiding with them so long as there is not administred an occasion of discomfort But all the comforts in the world will vanish that have not some firme foundation when they are struck at and when some tempest beats against them to cast them downe And therefore it is good to bee established in every truth wherein comfort may be received Now from this passage as it hath reference to the coherence I may observe unto you that When ever the Lord Jesus Christ is set up in freshnesse and glory and beauty he doth alwayes meet with strong opposition I say the Lord Christ that righteous Man was never raised up but a storme was raised with him there is an everlasting fighting against the glorious light of Christs Gospel when ever it breakes out You may see the truth of this beloved especially since Christs personall coming at all times no sooner did the Apostles begin to preach Christ as raised from the dead but a madnesse and a fury grew upon those that thought themselves in authority as the Scribes and Pharisees their swords were presently drawn their prisons set open to clap up those that preached Christ Herod killed one imprisoned another intending to kill him too Beloved I need say little of this your owne experience may now be a sufficient witnesse of that which perhaps you feared long before Now is come the time of reformation and purging of the Church the time is come of setting up the Ark and bringing Dagon down you see the fruit of this you see what combustions this hath raised in the world let Christ himself be never so peaceable yet when he comes men will picke a quarrell with him therefore by the way as it is a truth in generall so is it in particular cases too When ever we the Ministers of the Gospel devote our selves only to set up Christ and labour might and maine upon this worke we must expect to have the world about our cares And for you beloved if you dreame of peace and rest in the world if you dreame of finding of friendship and amity and applause with men while you endeavour to set up the Lord Christ you mistake your selves exceedingly You must looke for uproars and tumults and clamours from the world and there will be these continually attending you In the second place from the coherence you may observe As mad and desperate as the world is and the enemies of Christ are in fighting and making opposition against Christ yet no weapons formed in this kinde shall prosper The Lord hath raised him up saith the Text and he shall rule over the Heathen and they shall bee as dust before his sword and as driven stubble before his bow I say this shall come to passe and therefore it is no great matter how majestically the world lookes and how mighty it makes it selfe for beloved if all the World should combine against one person that stands for the cause of Christ rather than Christ should sinke this person should bee able to withstand even the whole World But however let thaâ— person bee borne downe to the ground or over-borne with the World Christ shall never be over-borne Christ shall reign in glory and triumph not onely in Heaven but also in his Church too When all comes to all let them fight never so desperately Christ shall bee the conqueror he shall puriue nay he shall passe onâ— softly hee shall not neede to take any great pains nor toile to maintaine himself thus set up and destroy his enemies hee shall doe iâ— with ease But this is not that I meane neither I come therefore to the Text it selfe The Text is a word of incouragement or a word of heartening held forth to those spirits
Abednigo there was a hot fiery furnace prepared for them seven times hotter than ordinary the King proclaimes that what ever he be that will not fall down and worship his Image should presently be cast into this furnace This was enough to startle a person and make him tremble But how is the temper of the three children expressed there We are not say they carefull to answer thee in this matter These threatnings though very fearfull in the eyes of others seemed but a matter of nothing to them they made a tush at it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Even so people are then free from feare who when evill is comming care not for it a man when he cares not for any thing that assailes him hee rusheth in upon it and although it seeme to threaten unto him some mischief yet he is confident it cannot hurt him So far forth as youâ— can overlook evills drawing on upon you more or lesse not regarding them in respect of any hurt they can doe you so far forth are you free from feare Object You will say none in the world can have such a temper of spirit when dangers are growing especially great and thick upon them Answ No What say you of these three children I speak of men now they were carelesse Object You will say it may be that was an extraordinary case Answ Nay you shall finde that the very ground of the undauntednesse of their spirits was the same which the Lord proposeth in this Text to put us out of feare We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter Why Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us The carelesnesse of their spirits was grounded upon a common principle of the whole Church and upon the same the Lord proposeth to all the rest of his people as well as to them they being confident God was their God neither the greatnesse of the King nor the violence of his threatnings could stir them a jot they were all nothing to God who was their God who was able to deliver them and would deliver them Their confidence in this was that which made them break forth into this bold expression We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter But now let us consider what the people of God should not feare Object What to be affraid of nothing doth not the Lord himselfe commend feare to men Nay is not God himselfe called the fear of Isaac and yet would you make us to believe that we should have no fear Answ I answer there is a threefold feare here is a naturall feare a religious feare and here is a turbulent feare A naturall feare is â—othing else but such an affection as is in men â—y nature that they cannot be freed from such feare was in Christ himselfe without sinne There is a religious and godly feare and that is nothing but an awfull reverence whereby people keepe a fit distance between the gloriouâ— Majesty of God and the meannesse of a creature and it is opposed to saucinesse And theâ— there is a turbulent feare and that is a feare 〈◊〉 disquietnesse now all disquieting feare is thaâ— which the Lord endeavours to take off froâ— his people Well but what are the things you will say we should not bee affraid nor dismayed atâ— Perhaps I shall pitch upon things people are much affraid of and will thinke strange theâ— should not be affraid of them First I must tell you the people of Goâ— his owne people they need not be affraid 〈◊〉 their sins And yet let me not be mistaken 〈◊〉 doe not say we must not be affraid to sinne bâ— they need not be affraid of their sins they thâ— have God for their God there is no sin thâ— ever they commit can possibly doe them anâ— hurt Therefore as their sins cannot huâ— them so there is no cause of feare in their sinâ— they have committed Object Some will be ready to say This 〈◊〉 strange All the evils in the world that comâ— they grow up from the sinfulnesse of men If man be affraid of any thing he should bee aâ—fraid of sin from whence all evils do flow Answ I answer beloved it is true sin natâ—rally is a root bringing forth all manner of evill fruit The wages of sinne is death but yet I say what ever sin in its owne nature brings forth yet the sins of Gods peculiar people they that have God for their owne God their sins can doe them no hurt at all and in that regard there is no cause of feare from any of their sins that ever they have committed Beloved I conceive this may seeme somewhat harsh to some spirits touching the truth of it especially to such as misconceive the drift at which I aim which is not to incourage any one unto sin but to ease the consciences of the distressed I desire you to resolve with your selves this one thing so far forth as the Lord reveals it so far you will sit downe contented with the minde of the Lord revealed to you and I beseech you kicke not against the truth There is not one sin not all the sins together of â—ny one believer that can possibly do that belieâ—er any hurt real hurt I mean and therefore he â—ught not to â—e affraid of them How will that â—e made good you will say I will make it apâ—eare out of the seventh to the Romans from â—he midst of the Chapter to the end you see â—ow the Apostle carries it along especially â—bout the 15. and 19. verses where it is true the â—postle expresseth himself in heavy complaints â—gainst such sins as befall believers The good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill thâ— I would not do that doe I insomuch that in tâ— last verse but one the Apostle with much vehâ— mency puts the question thus O wretâ—hed mâ— that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ— death Some will be ready presently to saâ— here you see plainly is a fear of sin or ought 〈◊〉 be here is a body of death in men to be affraâ— of But give me leave to tell you that thâ— Apostle in this Chapter as I conceive doâ— personate a scrupulous spirit and doth nâ— speak out his owne present case as it was at thâ— time when he speaks it but speaks in the persâ— of another yet a Believer and my reason 〈◊〉 this Because the Apostle in respect of hâ— owne person what was become of sins wâ— already resolved therefore I conceive he doâ— act the part of a troubled spirit that in respeâ— of the multitude and prevalency of corruption was ready to cry out O wretched man who shâ— deliver mee from the body of this death But maâ—â— how the Apostle answers this question whâ—ther it bee his owne case or anothers foâ— will not stand upon that and you shall plainâ— see the Apostle concludes though there 〈◊〉 such marvellous filthinesse and prevalency 〈◊〉
Believers indeed the sword is broken the sting is gone The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law 1 Cor. 15. but thanks be to God saith the Apostle that hath given us the victory over sinne and death so that we may boldly say Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victory If you be the Lords and the Lord be yours if you be Believers you may triumph as the Apostle doth Oh death where is thy sting It is gone nay Oh death saith the Lord in the Prophesie of Hosea I will be thy destruction I beseech you give not care either to Satan or to whatsoever instrument he hath that would possesse you that though Christ dyed for you and hath borne your sins himselfe upon the Crosse or upon the tree as the Apostle Peter expresseth yet those same sins will doe you hurt and prove a mischief and bane to you I say there cannot bee greater despite done nor affront offered unto Christ then to make the Believer conceive that he was not able to beare their sinnes nor the wrath of God sufficiently for them but that they must be wounded notwithstanding all that Christ hath done If Christ be hurt as much as sin can hurt him how can any man be hurt by it for whom Christ suffered If Christ upon the Crosse took the sting out of it and carried it to his own grave how commeth it to have a new sting or did Christ dye in vain If he took away the sting of one sin and not the sting of another there were need of another Christ it seems to take away that sting that is behind and so Christ hath not perfected for ever them that are sanctified I desire you to heare with patience this is the first ground of all your comfort in affliction that sin is gone for then all afflictions in the world cannot discomfort seeing all discomfort ariseth from sin which is the sting of affliction Hereupon the Apostle triumpheth Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who can condemne Contrariwise the soul is in the greatest bitternesse when sin remains and the sting of it is not taken away but when God is reconciled as he is to the faithfull for God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them how then can finne do hurt when it is not to be imputed God doth use to reckon when he doth take payment If God doth not reckon with men he will never smite them with wrath as is the wrath so must be the smart and harm and hurt that person is to sustain in respect of the sins committed Chastise he doth indeed for speciall ends but the sin doth not at all hurt And though the Lord doth afflict that will do you no hurt neither afflictions are the physicke of God to purge and sanctifie the conversation Will a man thinke that is ready to dye of the stone or wind-cholick or stoppage in the fromach if a Physitian comes and gives him a bitter potion that he doth do him any hurt when he knoweth it is to recover his life and save it he knowes he dyes if he heals not the infirmity God useth no physick no chastisement and affliction but it shall worke for good so the Apostie expresseth it in Hebr. 12. No affliction for the present is joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith It bringâ—th forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse what hurt is there in all this But I must go on and come to that which I have more particularly to deliver to you and that is upon the consideration of Gods motives by which he doth attempt to prevail over the spirits of his people not to be afraid or dismayed come what can or may come you know God is best able to perswade God best knows what Rhetorick will take with his own people A man that hath had the breeding of a childe and so comes to observe the temper of it can better tell then any other which way to win him God hath the breeding of his own children nay God goeth further he hath the spirits of his children at his own beck and therefore can best tell which way to work upon their spirits and to beget that in them which he calls for of them The Lord would have them not to be afraid nor dismayed Let the Lord propose his way to bring them to this composednesse and fixednesse of spirit it is but presumption in any creature to conceive there may be better wayes to work upon the spirits of men then that which God prescribes And it is worth your observation to consider that when the Lord puts his people upon a composednesse and fixednesse of spirit he doth not say Fear not for you have fasted for you have prayed for you have forsaken your sins and denied your selves and walked holily with me and therefore because you have done this and that Feare you not The Lord doth not say so here he hath higher Propositions that he proposeth that have more excellent vertue to move his people He saith Feare not I am toy God I will helpe thee and uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The prop for the upholding of spirits against feare when evill cometh it is without a mans selfe in him that is a rock and unchangeable The Lord doth not say You change not therefore you are not consumed you continually proceeded in holines you waver not therefore you are not consumed but I am God and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed I say therefore again If you would have setlednesse of spirit you must go out of your selves and fetch peace of spirit out of God himselfe and I dare be bold to say take all the sweetnesse and comfort of all the world of all the creatures mixed together extract the quintessence of their own excellencies all these together shall never settle a heart nor make it secure and free from fear but only this proposition that God is their God And by the fruit of this principle a poor tottering spirit is under-propped and under-set here with four pillars at every corner one as I may so say I am thy God I am with thee I will helpe thee I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousnesse or rather there is one main principle and three subordinate supporters affixed unto the main principle for sometimes you shall see great weights laid upon some great pillar and for the better securing of that which is laid upon it you shall have some short pillars branching out from the main spread out wide and so upholding This present discourse seems to be such a main principle that is Gods being a God to such a people I am thy God this is the foundation this is the great pillar I am with thee I will
be with us If the Lord should give us those things that we think good we should soon bring an old house over our heads as they say Object But some will be ready to say There are some things that are good for me and I have them not Answ Let them be what you can imagine let others judge so as well as you yet I shall stand to this as I said before and make it good that there is nothing in the world that is truly good for the faithfull that God with-holds from them to whom he hath given himself let it be never so speciall a gift it is not good at that time for that person from whom it is with-held For instance some will be ready to say the thing that I want is this I have a stony and hard heart and fain would I have a heart of flesh I â—â—de I have a dead and wandering spirit in Gods service and fain would I have a setled spirit fain would I have a cheerfull heart and free spirit are not these good for me will you say And yet I seek God for these many times and having Gid they are mine owne it seems because they are in God and he himself is mine How can God be said to be my God and all he is and hath to be mine and I cannot come at these good things which are in him and are so needfull for me I answer First that God in giving himself unto persons gives himself to be communicated unto them at sundry seasons and in divers kindes and measures and yet so that he will be Judge of the fitnesse of the time The question then will be this Is it softnesse or more softnesse of heart you seek for Is it a largenesse or more largenesse of heart you seek I mean this that which you seek and inquire after from God as your God is it something you have nothing of or is it for more of something you have already If you say it is something I have nothing at all of I have a stony heart and I have no softnesse at all in it That is false there can be no seeking of God where there is no softnesse and all hardnesse for the Lord must first soften the heart to seek him But you conceive there is no softnesse at all because the apprehension of that which is wanting swallows up that which is injoyed and the want of that which you have not swallows up that you have Is it more that you would have in respect of measure But you will say Is it not good for me though I have a little softnesse to have more and when I have a little spirituality to have more enlargednesse of spirit then I have Is not this good for me I answer You must distinguish of time God doth not see it better at this instant that thou shouldest have more softnesse of heart then thou hast and this I am bold to affirm if the Lord did himselfe judge it were better thou shouldest be more spirituall at this instant beloved I speake of a person to whom God gives himself he would not detaine nor with-hold it at all from thee Mark it well you shall find that all the spirituality belonging to a Christian is the meer gift of God to him and onely at the disposing of God upon him and without the leave of the creature hee may make whom he will partaker of it and in what measure he thinks meet so that the creature can enjoy no more of spirituality then God will give him so runs the Covenant that you may not think that your spirituality depends upon your selves and the putting forth of your selves for it A new spirit will I put within thee and a new heart will I give thee and I will take away thy stony heart and give thee a heart of flesh and I will write my Law in thy inward parts and I will put my feare into thy heart and I will be their God and they shall be my people and I will remember their sinnes no more here is the conclusion now how shall men come by it must it not be of his own good pleasure and is it not as he hath freely passed the donation of it he gives it and he gives it freely he doth not in this Covenant condition with men in any one particle as a condition to get any thing to our selves Marke the Covenant well where ever it is whether in the 33. of Jeremiah and the 31. verse or in the 36. of Ezekiel or in the 8. to the Hebrews where the Covenant is again and again recited marke it there is not one clause of the Covenant that God will have men doe this and that good God doth not put them upon the bringing of any one thing in all the world to make up the Covenant but all that is required of the person covenanted withall the Lord is bound to make good all those things to that person Now if so be the Lord did see more of these spirituall enlargements requisite for thy use he that hath made such a solemne engagement of himselfe for the performance of all that is to be wrought in thee in the Covenant would not with-hold that at this instant from thee thou knowest not what a corrupt use thou at such a time mightest make of them for some through more abundance of spirituality and spirituall enlargements have abused them to grow more proud and scornfull Paul met with such to whom being puffed up with pride saith he What hast thou that thou hast not received wherefore then boastest thou Beloved your owne experience may witnesse Look into the world you shall finde some persons more eminent in spiritualnesse there is more abundance of pride in those persons As for example you shall finde some more excellent in prayer some more excellent in other gifts what follows The corruption in the heart of man gathers such corrupt in ferences from hence that pride riseth in the heart from such parts that another Saint because he hath a stammering tongue though equally sound hearted with himself yet is not fit for such a ones company God is a wise God he knowes the measure and proportion that is fit for every member of Jesus Christ and that proportion hee doth not with-hold I speake not this with any intent but that people should still rise to as much as can be attained but that people still presse hard to the marke of the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Beloved when we seeke God in his owne way for increase of any good for soul or body let us stand to Gods good pleasure and beloved for incouragement let mee tell you if ever the Lord would have with-held any thing for the sinfulnesse of his creatures he would have with-held the gift of his owne Son but while we were enemies Christ dyed for us would not God spare his owne Son but deliver him up for us all while wee were
enemies seeing the delivering up of his Christ was for the good of his people will he now detaine small things in comparison of him in consideration of weaknesses in us Marke the Apostles words he that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up to death for us how will he not with him give us all things that are good for us as if he had said Thou poore wretch wantest such and such spirituality thou seekest them and thou canst not find them and by and by thou cryest out that such and such sins hinder God that he will not give thee such grace as thou needest and at last thou questionest whether God did give thee Christ or no Nay when thou wert viler then now thou art thy vilenesse then did not hinder but that hee freely gave his Son for thee thy vilenesse much lesse shall hinder thee now to bar from thee those spirituall gifts that God intends to give to thee Here objections start up this is the way to make persons slack duties and to bee carelesse but if we would preach that God will not give till we mend our selves and leave our sins were not this a far better way to put men upon it then thus to preach let me tel you we must not be more wise then God that all that the creature hath might appear to be from the grace of God and so he have the praise of the glory of his owne grace I say again it is no sinfulnesse in the creature shall hinder Gods communicating so much of his Spirit as hee seeth usefull to creatures and he will take order that they shall not take a licentious liberty to go on in sin or neglect seeking God because they know it is not their seeking makes God answer for what they want for it is not your amending nor reforming that gets God to communicate more to you but that he doth it is meerly for his own sake from his meer motion out of his meer compassion the riches of which was purchased by the blood of Christ this is the only spring and fountain that brings forth to you the fulnesse of God in such measure as you have as he is yours so whatsoever in him is fit for you in season he shall cease to be his owne when he ceases to be yours and therefore beloved I shall beseech you that you will not stumble at God himselfe as if he were so humourous and peevish that every little thing not that any sin is in its owne nature little but comparatively every infirmity and failing should make him pull his hands into his bosome and refuse to give his grace the Lord from all eternity determined what to give to every Saint and had every act of every Believer before his eyes so that if they would have been provocations to him to keep his gifts he should never have bestowed any upon him But I must tell you it is the foundation of all our comfort in all our failings in this life that there is nothing that we enjoy from God but what was appointed us before and no sin 〈◊〉 committed but what was from eternity before God and if any sin should have hindered God he would never have set down so fully and graciously what he would do so that if the Lord hath already manifested the greatnesse of his purpose and love by communicating himselfe to you assure your selfe this being established nothing in the world shall hinder the communication of any thing whatsoever that may make for your good Well let us go a little further and counder how God doth become the God of people I must tell you that for lack of cleer distinguishing between these two things how he doth become theirs and how he is to be theirs the confounding of these that are so distinct occasions a great deal of confusion in the minds of men for these two go al for one but you shall see the difference of them and the different principle from whence they flow First how doth God come to bee the God of people You will say this is of great use it is worth the hearing let it cost what it will to have God for my owne but I say there is no more treasure in God to be for our use then it is free to I say the gift of God for our own God is as cheap as it is rich God rever looks the creature should bring any thing that he might procure of God to be his God but we do partake of this mearly and properly from the pleasure of his own will I say there is originally and efficiently no other motive nor nothing concurring to make him our God but only the good pleasure of his owne will he would do and he would do it simply for his own sake and therefore it is so Beloved look but upon the creatures God communicates and gives his Image only to the sons of men Let us make man after our own Image How doth man thus become partaker of the Image of God more then the rest of the creatures You may plainly see there is nothing in man himself nor in any other creature that procures this priviledge to him Man was made but of one common lump with other creatures he was made of the same materials even that Toads and Spiders were Now that which was the cause why man had the Image of God and no other creature the same is the cause why Believers have God given up and God given up to bee their God and the reason of both is from the good pleasure of God It is true there is a propriety of land many times made over unto persons in respect of amiablenes or desert conceived to be in these persons so it is conferred unto them but in Gods conferring himselfe to the sons of men there could not be such motives in these creatures The ground is this if any thing could be a motive to the Lord it must be the most excellent thing the creature hath since the fall their fasting and prayer and mourning and weeping and self-deniall and mortification and cleansing of themselves and amending and the like but it was impossible beloved there should be any motive out of any of all these things for God to communicate himself and to give himselfe over to people for all these performances and what ever else are in man they are but branches that issue from this main root Gods being their God If they be spirituall gifts they issue out of this principle God is our God there is no man that believeth that fasteth that prayeth that mourneth in a truly gracious manner but God is first his God and being his God doth communicate these things to him How can that then be a motive to God to communicate himself to men that is not in man till he hath communicated himselfe And indeed is but the issue of that communion that he hath afforded unto men So then I say it is impossible that
of God to be our God In all the rest of the gifts of God which hee hath so freely bestowed never a gift of Gods Spirit procures any thing of its own our faith hath nothing of its own fasting and prayer have nothing of their owne but as the Lord hath been pleased to make these Ordinances to be passages to convey himself to the sons of men and so they are to bee made use of by the sonnes of men Faith as it apprehendeth the Lord Jesus and other Ordinances as therein true faith is exercised and no â—therwise And indeed beloved this is the load-stone to provoke persons to the use of all Ordinances God hath ranked them together that the Lord hath so much and so often promised through them to convey himselfe You are kept by the power of God through faith saith the Apostle unto salvation As if he should have said The Lord doth convey himself and the manifestation of his owne salvation through our beleeving The Spirit of the Lord passing through the Ministery of the Gospel as the breath of man passeth through a Trumpet the Trumpet is the instrument the breath is the Spirit of the Lord the Trumpet addes nothing to the breath Now know beloved so far as you will attend the Ordinances because God calls out to Ordinances and because you have heard the Lord promise to bestow such things upon you in the Ordinances so far you shall attend the Ordinances according to his pleasure but when you ascend so high that the Ordinance doth get things then you rob the Lord and give more to Ordinances than God hath given now though the Ordinances have no efficiency of their own in that nature I have spoken yet there is good cause for all Gods own people to esteem very highly of Ordinances and to be joyfull of Ordinances and to long much after Ordinances to make much of them For why the Lord hath made his promises to be found of them and to be with them in Ordinances In the day of adversity call thou upon me and I will deliver thee And here by the way know from hence what is the exspectatio of Believers themselves which they ought to have of the Lord for such things when they come to such Ordinances that so when wee attend the Lord in his Ordinances we may find him in them In Ezekiel you shall find there was a constant motion but it was because there was a spirit stirring in the wheels there 's no motion in the heart of man nor ordinances in the world but as the Spirit of the Lord is in them The Lord hath promised to meet with us in these Ordinances or else they would be as dry as any thing in the world Therefore as the poor man lay at the beautifull gate of the Temple not because the gate would relieve him but because it was a place of concourse where honourable men resorted from whom he might have almes So in the Ministery in Fasting and Prayer and all other services there is the gate of the Temple of the Lord there is the place Gâ—d makes usually his concourse and resort there is the place God appoints to give the meeting therefore in expectation from the word of his grace that wee may finde him in Ordinances we do refort to them Now what derogation is there all this while to the Ordinances while wee make them but thus passive The richest treasure in the world may come to a man through the poorest vessell the treasure is never the farther off nor never the worse because the vessell is poor It is no matter of what price the means of conveyance is so that the thing wee desire be conveyed to us by iâ— only wâ— must noâ— give iâ— that which is abovaits due To aâ—câ—ibe the obtaining of these things tâ— Prayer and Ordinances that is to make gods of them if wee think anything shâ— move the Lord but hiâ— bowels in Christ you invert the course of the Gospel The Lord saith I am he that blotteâ— out thy transgressions for my name sake Thaâ— which God dâ—th to mâ—n is done to them foâ— his own sake He will not be so much bound tâ— any creature as to ferch the least motive froâ— the creature to do good to it Look thereforâ— as you would speed waâ—t â—pon the Lord where he saith you shall speed And this shall be encouragement sufficient to wait upon all Ordinances of all sorts where the Lord appoints that he will for his own sake give you a gracious an weâ— and bestow all good things upon you that you stand in need of in Ordinances this is motive sufficient I say to stir you up to attend upon Ordinances and yet not to make gods of them to ascribe that to them which belongs alone to God who doth all ordinarily through Ordinances which is the only way to disappoint you of your hope when you exspect help from them Object But what is all this to fasting will you say Answ This is a day of fasting why do you fast you stand in need of other things If you consider the nature of fasting aright you shall find there is nothing more proper for this day then this thing God to be thy God to keep thee from feare What is the end of fasting but this to get a prop and support from sinking by reason of approaching evills Who knowes whether the Lord will repent and leave a blessing behinde saith Joel when he proclaimed the day of a fast then to finde the Lord with his hands full of blessings is the end of a Fast Now if you will finde the Lord your God you shall finde the utmost that you can in fasting for in him you will finde that which will stay and support you when greatest extremities grow upon you Therefore I have no more to say to you beloved but only to commend this work to the Grace of God and to the power of his Spirit that is able to fasten it upon your spirits for your everlasting comfort SERMON III. 1 John 2. vers 1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world OF all the Prophets Daniel alone had this prerogative to be called The greatly beloved of the Lord you may finde it in the 9th of Daniel And this greatnesse of his indearednesse was expressed in the manifestation of the greatness of the riches of the Gospel unto him in a more singular manner than to others So the Lord doth expresse it by his Angel Thou art greatly beloved of the Lord therefore am I come to tell thee that seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and 〈◊〉 City to finish transgressions and to put an end tâ—â—â—n and to make reconciliation for iniquitty and 〈◊〉 bring in everlasting
of God shall we tell Believers if they sinne they shall come under Gods wrath and except they do such and such good works God will be angry with them and that after he hath so sworn and ingaged himself that he will not be wroth with his people any more Is not this to make God a lier Againe wee doe not only so much as lies in us make God a lier but we offer an insufferable affront unto Jesus Christ and strike at the very heart of the whole office of Christs Mediatorship If wee say that God is wroth with Beleevers for whom Christ died for what end did Christ suffer death I say if this principle bee a truth that God will bee wroth with his people and angry with them then Christ died in vaine For God could have been but wroth hee could have been but angry with his people if Christ had never died And to bring the people of God under wrath and vengeance againe for their sins is to take away all the vertue of the death of Christ and to make it of none effect And how will this principle stand with that in the 53. of Isaiah where it is said that he beheld the travell of his soul and was satisfied Was God satisfied with sufrerings of Christ having the sinnes of men laid upon him and yet is God wroth and angry with Beleevers for those very sins again which before hee acknowledged satisfaction for If so be a man be indebted unto another and the creditor be willing to take a surety for the debt and this surety comes in and payes this debt for the man hee was bound for and hee thereupon gives a generall discharge under hand and seal shal he yet by by after take the debter by the throat and clap him up in Gaol when the surety hath answered for the debt before and after hee hath delivered under hand and seal that he was satisfied and that his book was crost Who but must say it is injustice in the highest degree What justice what equity is in this Beloved Christ became our surety God accepted of him for our debt he clapt up Christ in Gaol as I may so say for the debt God tooke every farthing of Christ that hee could demand of us he is now reconciled unto us he will not now impute our sins to us he hath acknowledged satisfaction it is upon record And now shall he come upon them again with fresh wrath for whom Christ hath done all this Shall hee charge the debt upon them againe He hath forgotten the death of Christ it seems if this be true Therefore know thus much that it is against the death of Christ it is a making of it of none effect it makes the coming of Christ to be in vaine to say that the wrath of God will breake out upon Beleevers if they commit such and such sinnes And for this that I have said If any man can produce one Scripture against it if any man can shew in all the Booke of God that it is any otherwise then I have delivered for my part I shall be of another minde and willingly recant my opinion But I see the Scripture runs wholly in this strain and is so full in nothing as in this that God hath generally discharged the sins of Beleevers Oh then take heed of falling into that error of the Papists that say that God hath taken away the sinne but not the wrath of God due to sinne that he hath forgiven our sins but not the punishment of sin But I beseech you consider that as our sinnes were then upon Christ he was so bruised for our iniquity that by his stripes we are healed and the chastisement of our peace was so upon him that he being chastifed for our sins there is nothing else but peace belongs to us And the chastisement of our peace was so upon him that he beheld the travell of his soule and was satisfied Christ was so chastised as I have often said with the rod of Gods wrath that it was quite worne out and wholly spent it selfe upon him This is apparent in the very tenor of the new Covenant it self It runs altogether upon free Gift and Grace God takes upon himself to do all that shall be in Believers asking and requiring nothing at all of us It is true he saith there shall be the new heart and a new spirit and that there shall bee a new Law written in the inward parts But hee requires it not of the Believer but hee himselfe hath undertaken to doe all and bestow upon the Beleever A new heart will I give thee and a new spirit will I put into thee and I will take away thy stony heart and I will give thee a heart of flesh Hee doth not say you must get you new hearts and new spirits and you must get your stony hearts taken away and you must get you hearts of flesh But I will take the worke in hand and I will see all done my self All runs freely upon Gods undertaking for his people Seeing therefore God doth all things freely of his own accord in us then beloved see how the Grace of God is abused by those that would make men beleeve that the Grace of God depends upon mens doings and performances upon actions in the creature and tell men if they doe it not the wrath of God will follow thereupon This likewise batters down to the ground that way of urging men to holinesse which some men hold forth that if men doe not these and these good workes and leave these and these sins then they must come under the wrath of God and that the wrath of God is but hidden all this while they doe these and these good works but if they faile in any of these then the wrath of God will breake out upon them whereas they ought rather after the example of the Apostle to excite them to these good workes because they are already freed from wrath Certainly this that I have delivered proves this sufficiently that the appearing of the Grace of God doth teach men to doe the will of God effectually the love of God constrains the faithfull and not the feare of wrath But to conclude do not mistake me in the mean while I have no thoughts as if wrath and vengeance were not to be preached and made known even to Believers yea beloved wrath and vengeance is to be made known to them and that as the deserts of sin and as the means to keep men from sin Obj. But now some may say this seems to be against all that you have said before this seems to overthrow all that you have delivered Answ Observe me well do not mistake me You must know that wrath and vengeance must be revealed to Believers and it must bee known to the end to restraine them from sin but not in that way men doe ordinarily think I mean thus Wrath and vengeance is not to be revealed as if
therein Wherein he puts it to the Objectors themselves whether they can make it out how it is possible it should bee so Therefore the Apostle doth make use of it as the strength of his argument to prevaile with people In the 12. to the Romans I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice You see hee makes use of mercy and what mercy is it In the latter part of Chap. 11. he seems to intimate what that mercy is O the depth and the exceeding riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God! Why wherein It follows in that he hath concluded all under sinne that he might have mercy upon all I beseeeh you by these mercies saith he and all other mercies of free Grace present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God not conforming your selves to this world as if hee had said mercy is that which wil prevail with you most of al to present your bodies a living sacrifice and not conform your selves to the world but I must go on to that we have yet to consider I have spent some time in Obiections and Answers but wee cannot now dwell upon them We are to consider now the specialties of the argument the Apostle useth here to prevail with people that they sin not Beloved this very Text is the opening of the fountaine that is set open forâ—â—ne and for uncleannes it is a spring of strong water to revive a fainting swooning spirit it is the prop of a sinking tottering soule to keep it from sinking and perishing In it the Lord Christ is revealed unto us an All-sufficient succour to all his own notwithstanding all their sins that ever they do commit Herein we are to consider 1. The matter of this argument 2. The force and strength of it in reference to the thing the Apostle would argue from hence First concerning the matter of the argument it selfe that is contained in these words If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins The force of it lies in the reference of it to the thing the Apostle calls for wherein we may consider what prevalency this Position hath to keep from sin namely for persons to know that when they doe sin they have an Advocate with the Father We will begin with the matter of the Argument first and in this Proposition there are two things observable First a Supposition Secondly a Provision of indemnity against the mischiefe of the thing supposed The Supposition laid downe is in these words If any man sin or If any man do sin The Provision of indemnity is in these words We have an Advocate with the Father c. In the supposition you may note First the thing supposed and that is Sin Secondly note the time which doth illustrate it hee doth speak of present and future sins Note I say the time whereunto the Apostle doth refer the thing supposed he doth not say If any man hath sinned heretofore in the Pretertense but he speakes of the time present If any man sin that is if any man doe sin there are some things that are spoken of the present time that are in force but onely that very instant in which they are spoken and that in stant being past the thing it selfe is also past But for this exptession If any man doe sinne it is not a transient but a permanet expression The Apostle speakes not only of his time and of the people of his time If any man sin now the words are not to be understood of that very instant onely and exclusively as having reference onely to those that did sin in his time then these words should have been transient But the meaning of the Apostle is that the present of which hee spake should bee a standing present time and the words should be of force for present even as long as the Word of God should remain upon record If any man sin So that the words are to bee understood of this present time and all present times that shall bee in the next age that shall succeed If any man sinne now or if any man sin in the next age so that there is to be understood a perpetuity of present time to bee included in this expression If any man do sinne It is of great concernment beloved that you receive this truth unlesse you exclude your selves from the benest of the Advocateship of Christ For if the words were spoken of the present time and intended only for that time wherein they were expressed what should become of us that live so many ages after that time They must therefore be of a perpetuall and permanent being Thirdly note in the supposition the nature of it if any man sinne saith the Apostle this word If here admits of a double construction either the Supposition imports a thing possible but not likely or a thing that may be likely to come to passe or rather a thing that may and will come to passe Either it is a supposition in case a thing is which it may bee will not or a supposition by way of confession and granting of the thing supposed In this place John puts not the word If by way of supposition as if it were onely likely there should bee a sinning and if there were a sinning there were an Advocate but he puts the word here by way of concession as if hee had said there must and will be sinning We Gods own people shall fall into sin it cannot be denied But for refuge when there is such sinnes committed know that there is an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus you have the first part of the Text branched out unto you namely the Apostles Supposition Secondly consider the Provision that the Lord by the Apostle holds forth unto persons that are Beleevers the Members of Christ I say the provision the Lord holds out by the Apostle for their indempnity against these sins that they do or shall commit namely We have an Advocate with the Father In this Provision observe First the office assigned for the making good of such provision The office assigned here is mentioned in these words We have an Advocate with the Father Secondly note in this provision the person to whom this office of Advocateship is given and therein the ability and qualification of this person to this office to manage it effectually in these words Jesus Christ the righteous Thirdly the issue and the event of the execution of this office in these words He is the propitiation for our sins In the office that the Lord sets on foot for the provision of indemnity against sin being committed you may observe in it 1. The office it selfe and that is an Advocateship 2. The propriety of this office or the relation of it to the persons that are the members of Christ The Apostle doth not say
sons of men that they might have discharge from sin he doth make it manifest that all he doth aske of the Father he doth ask according unto justice nay Christ makes it to appear that justice is as much satisfied in discharging of Believere from their sins as it is in the damnation of the Reprobates in hell for their sins Justice 〈◊〉 no more right in their damnation then it hath in the others acquittance and discharge In the damnation of the Reprobates in Hell to satisfie justice there is no more but the wrath of God revealed from Heaven and executed upon them Now for those Believers that are the members of Christ and are discharged by Christ from their sins the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven and poured out upon his Son in their behalf who sustained in respect of the proportion of justce equivalently to all the torments the Repriobates in Hell do sustain So that Christ hath as fully satisfied the justice of God for his elect as it is satisfied in the damned in Hell who suffer in their own persons Surely there had been no need of Christs coming into the world if Believers might have been saved and justice violated without satisfaction But now justice had been violated had not a proportionable recompence been made before the sin had been discharged from off the person committing the same Therefore the Psalmist speake admirably when he saith Mâ—rey and Truth hath met together and Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other This place is appropriated unto Christ shewing that in managing the work of Redemption of the sons of men as he doth exâ—â— Mâ—â—cy so he doth not diminish Justice and Righteousnesse but carries the businesse so that they both of them have their due and both of them have so their due that they agree one with another nay they do imbrace and kisse each other they come to rejoyce and triumph in the satisfaction of each other And therefore it is but an ignorant imagination in the hearts of some men that God will grow more remisse in respect of the sins of his own people that God is not so much offended with the nature of sin after Christ died as before For God hath all the abhorring detesting thoughts of sin in the nature of it since Christ is dead as he had before he died It is altogether as abominable unto him as before it was Christ did not come to make sin lesse filâ—â—â— to the Lord or to make a person where sin is more lovely or lesse hatefull before God but rather declares and sets forth the wrath of God 〈◊〉 sin in the highest degree Where eveâ— thâ— Lord seeth sin and not Christ upon the persâ—n taking away that sin the Lord cannot but hate both the sin and the sinner All the pleasure the 〈◊〉 takes in the sons of men proceeds from a purity Christ put upon them and the taking away of that sinfulnesse from them which otherwise could not but stir up indignation and wrath in the Lord against the perâ—â—ns where he findes it I say this is the ground upon which Christ pleadâ— justice that so it might appear there is no violation of it but the Lord is as well satisfied as if the person transgressing had lain under the wrath deserved in his own person I could wish I were able to speak to you in so sull and clear language that not one dram of this glorious mysterie of this Gospel of Christ might be hid for the comforting and refreshing of your spirits The thing I drive at being that all the people of Christ might know wherein lies their strong consolation not in themselves as if they did not sin nor in themselves as if they could mâ—ke amends for their sins but in him who hath made perfect amends for them and in whom they are accepted with the Father as if they themselves in their own persons had made this amends who hath presented them so compleat in himself unto the Fathers eye that the Lord is pleased to looke upon them as upon his own innocent Son and to take pleasure in them with the same pleasure that he takes in his Beloved And if ever you mean to have your consciences and your consolations established and well grounded concerning the pardon of your sins you must see that Christ hath onely pleaded and doth plead out your acquittance and discharge and this your indemnity even to the sans◠〈◊〉 of justice it self For if justice be not yet 〈◊〉 if the Lord hath yet a plea against your â—ouis if Christ hath not fully answered it but lefâ—â— us plea with God who shall stand up before him Christ being silent to plead for you Gods jurâ—ce comes in and pleads terribly against you and will exact satisfaction of you therefore you must receive this principle if you will be established in consolation that as there is mercy in respect of us who bring nothing in consideration of our sins so there is righteousnesse and justice in forgiving of sin in respect of Christ our Advocate that doth manage his office and makes it known for this very end that in knowledge thereof we might have the stronger consolation SERMON V. 1 John 2. vers 1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins WE have formerly as some of you may remember entered upon these words wherein the Apostle makes the proposall of the Grace of God in Christ the encouragement unto people to forbear sin The first thing we noted therefore from hence was this That the knowledge of an Advocate that becomes a propitiation for sin even for such as do commit sin I say the knowledge of this Grace is so far from opening a gap unto a licentious life that indeed it is the best means and help in the world to keep us from sinning The last day we fell upon the matter of the Argument which the Apostle useth to disswade little children from sin If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Herein we proposed to be considered First what this Advocateship of Christ is and how Christ doth manage this office of Advocateship Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth here plead Thirdly how Christ is gifted and qualified for this office of Advocateship Lastly what the issue of this Advocateship of Christ is proposed in the last words of the Text He is the propitiation for our sins Concerning the first what this office of Advocateship is the summe is briefly this The office of an Advocate is to plead out the cause of a man as it is in justice and right so that the Advocateship of Christ consists in pleading forth the discharge of his people even from the principle of right and justice Whereas it is objected and indeed seems a thing unreconcilable namely that
in generall If any man sin as if he had said there must something be done by Believers that goes beyond the being of sin before they can be excluded from having interest in the Advocateship of Christ Here the Apostle speaks expresly there is an Advocateship of Christ for Believers finning without exception I know it is too frequent among many that more grosse sins then ordinary in a Believeâ— do not only waste the conscience but do also interpose between such a person and Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak else-where For present there is a coâ—â—eit that if a Believer sine more then ordinarily presently there is just câ—use for him to suspect Christ will not sufficiently manage his office for him an least Christ hath not sufficiently managed it already so that there is juâ—t cause of feare But let me tell you to the everlasting consolation of Gods people that there is no sin which a Believer can commit which can exclude him from the benifit of this Advocateship or bring him beyond the bounds of this large grant If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And if it be any man you will say it extends to all men in the world as well as Believers if any man sin Nay there is a restraint in the words and you shall easily see it If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father If any of us that have fellowship with the Father and the Son it is not every one that hath Christ for an Advocate but those that are Believers Those that have right to fellowship with the Father and the Son are only spoken of in this place I speak this to the end that those who 〈…〉 fear of death are subject unto bondage all their lives long â—ay know that Christ is coâ—â—e to deliver them and reveales this truth on purpose to deliver them from the feare of death and bondage by being their Advocate for their sins He is an Advocate he is a propitiation for every sin of his The words run in the generall to the end If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins The Apostle doth not say he is not an Advocate for such and such but for such and such Believers that sin so and so if they commit sin so and so agravated and if their sins rise to such an height there is no propitiation for them But the Apostle speaks in the generall style If any man sin and he is the propitiation for our sins and yet beloved I must be bold to goe a little further in respect of the persons whose cause Christ doth plead and in whose behalf Christ is an Advocate I say it is for all sorts of Believers nay I go further it is for more then present Believers even for some who are not for the present Believers but remaine as yet in a state of unbelief In brief Christ is the Advocate of the cause of euery person in the world for whom he paid the price of redemption whether they be persons already called or persons not yet acquainted with the Grace of God for every Elect person as well unconverted as converted Christ doth equalty in respect of the substance of his plea interpose but when I say he plead as well for the unconverted as for the converted I mean for such unconverted persons as do belong unto the election of Grace and have their portion in the price of his blood Beloved for mine own part I cannot yet conceive any other considerable difference between the plea of Christ for the converted persons and the Elect unconverted but this circumstantiall difference namely that the value of his blood is equally of force to Believers and unbelievers being elected saving that the Belevers have this priviledge that the Lord Christ pleads for the manifestation of this discharge unto this converted person but pleads not for the present manifestation there of unto the unconverted elect person tell such time as he shall be called to the faith and by that faith that thing be made evident which before was hid I say the pardon of sin by the blood of Câ—rist is 〈◊〉 full for the unconverted elect person as fully passed over in grant I mean to that person as to the Believer himself God doth add never a tittle of pardon it self more to him that is a Believer then to that person not yet converted to the faith in regard of the substance of the pardon it self For the cleering of this to you I beseech you note what is the rise or ground-work of the pardon of sin Secondly note when this pardon of sin is compleat with God These two things considered you shal perceive that all the pardon in respect of the substance of it that God passeth over unto men he doth passe it over before their conversion Look I say upon the rise the true rise or originall of the pardon of sin is the gracious grant of God upon the blood of Christ shed This is the onely foundation of pardon I say Gods gracious grant upon the sheding of the blood of Christ there is no pardon appliable to any person in the world but what pardon is to be found in the word of Grace Thou that art a Believer at present thou hast the pardon of thy sins in thy spirit thou art assured of it Where hadst thou this pardon Didst thou not fetch it out of the word of Grace Then as soon as the word of Gods Grace was first published this Grace of the pardon of sin was held forth If thou foundest it not here thou found'st it some where else but tell me where will you have this Grant of God to build upon if you will not have it in the word of Grace You will say the Spirit of God will reveale it unto you It is true indeed but if the Spirit of the Lord doth reveal a grant to you of Grace it is according to his Word The Spirit speaking out of the word oâ— Grace to men speakes no otherwise but according to this word of Grace in men and if that there be a contradiction between the inward voyce and this word of Grace that is enough to give you cause of suspicion yea you may be confident that that voice within you in respect of such contradiction is a false voyce I say that the Lord Christ sends us unto his Word and from the word we take out the pardon of sin we have Now beloved I beseech you consider if all pardon to all the Elect to the end of the world be contained in this word of Grace there is no more pardon then what is written there then it must needs follow that God passed over his act of pardon of sin at that instant when he entred this pardon in the volume of his Book Is there no pardon till thou art converted and called then the pardon of all thy sins are not to be
to God as the injury comes to and what is from the Godhead is Gods own before Secondly therefore some say that there is a satisfying justice properly though there be not a full recompence as in every point to answer the injury done I will but give you a familiar illustration of it that you may not say it is not unknown and an unheard of thing that justice is satisfied although no plenary recompence in the former sense for satisfaction be brought Suppose one man murther another an ordinary case now for a plenary recompence to the injury done he that is slain must be in statu quo prius that is he that is slain must be made alive again and till that person slain be restored to life here is not a compleat recompence made But how is it possible that any man that hath committed murther should make this full and plenary recompence to the person that is injured He cannot restore life to him again and yet for all this although he cannot bring in a full recompence in this way this man may properly satisfie justice For if life answer for life if the murtherer be executed the Law and Justice may truly be said to be satisfied Here then they say that there may be satisfaction of justice and yet not the fulnes of recompence in the strictest sense brought in Justice I say is satisfied in this respect because here is as much brought in by way of recompence as is possible to be had You know beloved you have a Proverb Where there is nothing to be had the King must lose his right when a man payes all that ever he hath he can pay no more he doth satisfie justice In this sense justice is said to be satisfied when the Law of justice is satisfied and so the satisfying of justice doth not necessarily imply the fulness of recompence in the strictest sense according to the injury done How cometh it to passe when a murtherer is executed that upon this execution of the murtherer onely the Law doth esteem this tobe a recompence and justice to be satisfied though it be not a plenary recompence answering the injury that is done but onely as it answers to the Law that is the rule of justice so it is satisfaction Even so say they the justice of God is truly satisfied when the will and pleasure of God is fulfilled whether or no there be a bringing in a full and plenary recompence If the will and pleasure of God be satisfied concerning transgression that satisfaction of the will of God is the satisfaction of the justice of God Now what is the will of God It is this that in the day that man sins man must die either he must doe it in person or he must do it by deputation for among men the satisfaction of the Law is made either in the mans own person that is the debtor or his surety that will pay the debt for him The Law in some cases looks more upon the thing that is brought in to answer to it than it doth upon the person that doth bring the thing in The justice of God looks upon the fulfilling of his will although it be not by the same person that sinned this alters not the nature of 〈◊〉 thing whether I my self pay the debt or anâ— ther for me pay my debt the payment is satâ— factory so in that the will of God hath 〈◊〉 utmost bounds for the satisfying of justiâ— whereas transgression must be recompence with death Now Christ the surety of 〈◊〉 people going under the punishment and 〈◊〉 filling the punishment the Law is satisfied be cause every tittle of the Law is fulfilled anâ— there is nothing in the Law remaines to 〈◊〉 answered But yet thirdly I say further that the satisfaction of Christ is compleat even in thâ— strictest sense although it be granted that the bare sufferings and righteousness of the humane nature cannot effect it without the divine nature and the righteousnesse thereof and whereas it is urged that the righteousness of the divine nature is Gods own already it is granted and that both because it is essentiall unto God and incommunicable unto the creature therefore and also for the reasons alledged before in the objection it cannot be formally either the whole or any part of our righteousnesse yet notwithstanding the divine nature and so the divine righteousness doth so by the Hypostaticall Union fit and furnish Christ to be an All-sufficient Saviour and satisfier that thereby the person of Christ is so glorious that his active and passive obedience is thereby made of infinite worth and â—alue that so he might give satisfaction for â—s compleat perfect and that in the strictest sense making a full reparation and restauration of all things in the behalfe of the elect for whom he undertakes and brings upon them salvation to the uttermost In brief beloved and so to conclude this businesse though there may be some hint given for your better understanding by way of illustration how justice may be satisfied yet the truth is the fullest and most satisfying resolution wherewith persons ought sit down without further dispute is not by argumentation but by divine faith Suppose wee could not sound the bottome of this Principle that Gods justice should be satisfyed yet we may sit down as fully resolved that it is satisfyed though we know not how it should be so in that the Lord reveales to us he is satisfied whose word must be more to us then all the evidences and demonstrations in the world can be by way of Argument that here Christ is said to be the propitiation for our sins that God himself doth acknowledge else-where that he is satisfied What matter is it to me how he is satisfied I mean in respect of resolving me by way of Argument how he should be satisfied his ownâ— Word speaking it and resolving it to us is that with which we should sit down withall without any further dispute If therefore all this while you cannot know how he is satisfied your believing upon the testimony of Godâ— Word that it is so may be as full a satifaction to you yea may be a more full resolution to your spirits then all the arguments and demonstrations in the world can be And so I come in brief to the last clause of the Text namely the issue of this Advocateship of Christ in the behalf of his people when they sin The issue is this He is the propitiation for our sins I say the words containe in them the upshot or the conclusion of the pleading of Christ telling us what this pleading of Christ comes to at the last it comes to this that by this pleading of his Christ becomes the propitiation for our sins The main thing to be considered here that wee may understand aright our portion in this Grace is to know what this propitiation meaneth or what it is for Christ to be a propitiation Beloved there is
all the members of Christ all that Christ hath prevailed for with the Father they are the beloved of the Father and the darlings of his soule and his love ceaseth not nay his love diminisheth not to them when they are under the rod. One word of application and so I shall have done Is it so beloved that Christ is such an Advocate that having such a strength of plea in his righteousnesse he produceth such a good issue as to bring at the last reconciliation In a word then you know what to trust unto for your soules discharge and comfort In many things wee sin all what should uphold your spirits that your sinnes should not sink your soules Here is held out unto you the great Supporter the Righteousnesse of Christ the Righteousnesse of God I will uphold thee with the right hand of thy righteousnesse Isaiah 41. vers 10. feare not be not discouraged and why the close of all is this I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse If you goe any where else for support when sin is committed your sins will sink you and swallow you up nothing can beare you up in respect of the weight of sin but the right hand of his righteousnesse that alone is the thing that must uphold your spirits or nothing at all can doe it O that the Lord would be pleased to work upon your spirits to betake your selves to this support and to fix your spirits upon the fulnesse of support and strength that is in this righteousnesse of his When the Israelites were stung by the fiery Serpents it was not the applying of a plaister could heal them only the brazen Serpent could heal them and nothing but the brazen Serpent Oh look upon the brazen Serpent the Lord Jesus look not upon any other plaister in the world but him to heal your wounded soules stung with the Serpent of your sins though they may serve for other uses yet they have not so much vertue in them as to heale the sting of sin Fix your eyes here cast your selves here rest here let the weight of your souls lean here Hee that believeth shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth shall be established hee that believeth not shall not be established Oh go not to Christ as if there were not enough in him to answer your transgressions that you must carry something else with you to him that may be a help to your discharge if ever discharge from heaven come unto your spirits it is onely the hand of Christ by his Spirit that must bring it down to you and nothing in the world can doe it but that discharge as it is recorded in the Word of Grace in things that come by relation unto men and so are opened unto them How can men be satisfied concerning the thing reported but upon the credit of him that is the reporter thereof to sit down satisfied by faith concerning the truth thereof Let a man tell me never so good news if I doe not believe him my spirit is not satisfied So concerning the discharge from sin beloved you heare it related from heaven Wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins Now there is no way in the world to know that there is such a thing as an Advocate and Propitiation but as it is revealed from heaven The Apostle Iohn hee indeed reveales it here if hee had delivered it meerly as hee is man so it had occasioned suspicion and doubting but as it is the revelation of the Holy Ghost and of Christ himselfe by the Apostle so wee are to stick close unto it and wee shall finde rest unto our soules as wee can credit the report of it therefore as the Lord will work upon your spirits take up your rest where rest is to be found so your souls shall rest you shall lie down and sleep in peace and safety you shall sing and leap for joy and you shall have all peace and joy in believing O that men would keep up the dying language of a Martyr None but Christ none but Christ in matters of faith and stability of spirit in matters of peace of conscience as well as in matters of salvation And so I shall commend this word to the grace of God in respect of the issue thereof upon your spirits SERMON X SOLOMONS SONG 4.10 Thou art all fair my Love and there is no spot in thee THe Gospel of Christ being the great and invaluable treasure of the Church the Helena for which the Church should contend yea the Sanctuary and refuge thereof It hath pleased the Holy Ghost to present and hold forth this Gospel in variety or change of rayment as I may so speak sometimes presenting the Gospel as it were in a cloud more darkly by Visions and dreams when deep sleep was fallen upon Gods people Thus the Lord in former ages frequently held out the Gospel especially in that notable example of Jacob who while he slept had the Gospel preached unto him in the vision of a ladder that reached from earth unto heaven by which the Angels ascended and descended which Ladder was nothing else but Christ by whom alone the sons of men doe mount from the lowest condition of Sin and Misery to the highest condition of Grace and Glory Sometimes the Gospel was brought forth to the Church with a mask upon the face of it I mean in hard Riddles and dark Sentences to exercise the wits of Gods people and thus among other times the Gospel was presented unto Sampson You know the Riddle that was put forth occasioned by a Lion shine by him which being dead there was a stocke of honey in the Lion which represented unto his thoughts the admirable benefit and priviledge of the preaching of the Gospel Out of the eater came meat and out of the strong came sweetnesse It was nothing else but this Jesus Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Judah by death had a stock of honey not only nourishing but sweet to the eater Sometimes again the Gospel was presented though not with so darke masks yet with a vail over the visage and face of it that though some of the beauty of it might be seen yet in respect of the glory of it in an obscure way and thus the Gospel was exhibited unto the Jewes in their types and shadowes and thus the Gospel was held forth in their Sacrifices Temples Tabernacles Altars Mercy-seat and Incense and the like In all of which there was a generall darknesse namely a puting over the face of Moses a vail who in that represented Christ the Mediator as he was to be exhibited unto the people in those times and yet although for royalty and honours sake the Gospel was vailed yet sometimes the Holy Ghost was pleased to lift up the vail for a moment as it were that there might some glance of the beauty of it appeare