worthy of this advancement it is the use that the Apostle makes Walke worthie of the calling whereunto the Lord hath called you are ye the members of Christ why then behave your selves as the members of Christ are you joyned thou neerly to Christ then carrie your selves as beseemes you let the dog returne to his vomit and the sow to the wallowing in the mire but let the Saints that are knit unto a Saviour walke worthy of that mercie and union and prerogative that God hath vouchsafed unto them it is a shame to see that servants of Christs family and the plants of his vineyard doe walke after the conversation of the world what manner of persons ought wee to bee in all manner of holinesse of conversation we are knit unto Christ and therefore ought to be holy as he is holy pure as he is pure wee ought to doe nothing but that which may beseeme and content a Saviour but ye will say the world will hold up their hands at us and their mouths will bee open against us why God hates the world and ye are redeemed from the world yee are called out of the world therefore live not as if ye were in the world but as God hath called you to live with himselfe in heaven your conversation should be such as if yee were in heaven I would not have a Saint of God tamper with the least distemper or be addicted to any base course but walke exactly before the Lord. Thus wee see a faithfull soule is knit unto Christ now that which followes is this it is so knit that it is made one Spirit The point we named before it is this Doct. 2 The faithfull injoy such a union with our Saviour that they are one Spirit with him The point is difficult and the mysterie great and beyond the reach and roome of that little light I injoy onely wee shall bee desirous with sobrietie and modestie to communicate what shall be most sutable to the minde of God not being unwilling but desirous to heare any advice from another concerning the same the doctrine then is a beleever is so knit to Christ that he becomes one Spirit for the opening whereof because it is a deepe mysterie suffer mee to deale plainly and punctually and that I may expresse my thoughts and communicate what I conceive suffer mee to discover two particulars First the manner how the soule comes to be one Spirit with Christ Secondly the order thereof These two we will labour to cleare so farre as we are able First for the former the manner how the soule◠com 〈…〉 be one Spirit with Christ it is an undeniable principle and confessed by Divines on all parts that the soule comes to be one Spirit by the power of the Spirit on Gods part and by the power of faith on the beleevers part they confesse that the Spirit of God workes upon a beleever and the beleever goes out againe to God by faith but wee have now onely the termes in the generall if we come to the particular examining of these and aske a weake soule how the soule comes to be one Spirt by the Spirit on Gods part and by faith on our part wee are as far to seeke as wee were before and most of the congregation can understand little of it This is our misery we content our selves with termes in the generall and never cracke the shell that wee may see the kernell wee never dive into the truth that wee may see the intent of the Spirit therein therefore for the opening of the point viz. the manner how the soule coms so to be knit to Christ as to be made one Spirit not denying any thing of the former truth but holding thereto wee will open it so far as our light serves us Quest If the question then be how the soule by the spirit on Gods part and faith on the soules part comes to be one spirit Answ That which I intend to speake I will cast into three particulars or three conclusions Conclus 1 The first conclusion is this know that the spirit of God the holy Ghost the third Person in the glorious Trinitie he doth really and inseparably accompany the whole word that is the generall but he doth more specially accompany the pretious promises of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord is in these in a more speciall manner though he be a God every where in regard of his providence yet hee is in a more speciall manner going with and accompanying of his Word and in a more speciall and particular fort hee is in the promises the soule comes to bee one with Christ and to bee knit unto him principally by the promise the law prepares the soule and the promise that calls the soule and knits it unto Christ God hath appointed his Word and specially the promise for the converting of a sinner and therefore the Spirit of God goes therewith and workes thereby and gives a blessing thereunto according as hee in his wisedome thinkes fit for he is a voluntary agent and therefore may use the word as he will and when hee will the Spirit doth alwayes worke in the word but not alwayes after the same manner You make nothing of the Gospell and of the Scripture I tell you the Spirit of the Lord God blessed for ever is there after an extraordinary manner and hardens the hearts of the reprobates and humbles and converts and comforts the soules of his servants and when not when I will or you will but when the Spirit of the Lord will This is that I take to be the best expression of it looke as it was with the brasen Serpent set up in the wildernesse there was an healing vertue inseperably accompanying of that brazen Serpent and it was as possible that hardnes should be separated from the brasse as his healing vertue for whosoever lookt upon it healing vertue did undoubtedly and inseparably goe with it because God had appointed this therefore hee did blesse this and undoubtedly worke by this Just so it is with the good Word of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord though he be God every where yet hee doth blesse this Word especially and goes with it and hath appointed it for the salvation of his servants therefore when the sound comes to the eare and the sense to the minde the Spirit goes with the Word when thou hearest it either to convert thee or to confound thee therefore the text saith ye stiffe necked and hard hearted ye have resisted the Spirit of the Lord they would have pluckt Christ out of Heaven and the Spirit and all Now that this is a case undeniable I prove it thus that word which is able to discover the thoughts of the heart and to raise the dead to life and can comfort a distressed soule and perswade the soule of Gods everlasting favour that word must needs have a supernaturall power goe with it for no created power can doe the former things
the Word tels the deepe things of God the Word saith I am sanctified therefore I am justified therefore called therefore elected the Word reveals these deepe things of God therefore the spirit must needs goe inseparably with it this is an undoubted conclusion Conclus 2 The second is this and I take it to bee somewhat difficult the Spirit of grace the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie working with and accompanying of the promise of grace and salvation it doth therein and thereby leave a supernaturall dint and power and a spirituall and overpowring vertue upon the soule and thereby carries it and brings it unto Christ and there lieth a great weight and observe it The principall and efficient cause in the worke of the soule to bring it to beleeving it is not so much any thing in the soule as a spirituall assisting and moving and working upon the soule by vertue of which working and motion it is moved and carried to the Lord Iesus Christ as thus the spirit let in a power to stirre hope and it is stirred and moved it lets in a power to quicken desire and it goes it lets in a power to kindle love and it flames it lets in a power to perswade the will and it takes and chuses the Spirit moves upon these faculties and by vertue thereof they are moved and carried to the Lord therefore I conceive the maine principall cause of faith is rather an assisting power working upon than any inward principall put into the soule to worke of it selfe but the worke is upon the soule the soule by that power and assistance is conveyed and carried home to Christ observe it I will expresse it in severall passages because here lies the difficulty of the point Then know that the Spirit of God doth in the first stroke of faith as the Spirit of God did upon the waters Gen. 1.2 the text saith there 〈◊〉 confused lumpe and the Spirit moved upon the 〈◊〉 and set upon that confused lumpe fasâ—â—◠〈…〉 the creature out thereof so it is with the Siprit and when I speake of the Spirit I intend the promise too the Spirit in the promise meeting with an humbled soule now abased and staggering and quarrelling with himselfe he is in a confused estate hee knowes not what to make of himselfe nor of his confused condition now the good Spirit of the Lord moves upon the soule and leaves a spirituall dint and supernaturall work upon it and the soule by vertue thereof is carried and fitted and fashioned to goe to Christ this I take to bee the meaning of that place Acts 26 18. Saint Paul was sent to turne men from darknesse to light Now it is a confession amongst all Protestant Divines that the first stroke of the Spirit is upon the soule there is nothing in the soule that can drive sinne from the soule and plucke the soule from sinne but the Spirit works this and the soule takes this blow and by vertue of that Spirit the soule is pulled from corruption and turned from sinne this is a confessed truth that the first stroke in conversion is not from any thing within the soule but it is from the Spirit nay the same stroke doth two things it turnes from darknesse to light the same hand and the same stroke doth both these as for example when you teare one thing from another as you reare it from the other you pull it to your selfe he that puls a bough from a tree as he pulls it from the tree hee pluckes it to himselfe so the same Spirit that workes upon the soule in calling it from sinne it doth worke upon the soule in drawing it to Christ it pulls off hope from the world and makes it expect a Christ it pulls off desire from the world and makes it long for Christ it pulls off love from the world and makes it entertaine a Christ it pulls off the will from the world and makes it chuse a Christ so that one stroke doth both and it is plaine therefore the worke of the Spirit upon the soule must bring it unto Christ The like phrase wee have Iohn 15.19 I have called you out of the world therefore the world hates you so that it is there the same voyce the same spirit that calls a man from sin as that is not the way thou poore sinner the way of pride and idlenesse c. that is not the way to Heaven Now that call as it pulls the soule from sinne so that motion and moving and supernaturall worke that it leaves upon the soule the soule thereby being moved and drawne it is comming to the Lord the soule hath not so much the worke of the Spirit of grane in him as the work of the spirit of grace working upon him to draw him from evill and to turne him to the Lord and by vertue of the same worke hee is drawne from the one and brought to the other this I conceive to be the great difference between the union that Adam had with God and that which the faithfull have Adam had a stocke in his owne hand God made him wise and holy and righteous this was his stocke he had a principle within himselfe either to hang upon God and so to bee sustained or to slide and withdraw himselfe from God he had power either to hold or to let goe he had the staffe in his owne hand he might turne unto God and close with the command if he would or he might depart from God and withdraw himselfe from the assistance which hee lent him as he did but now here is a maine difference in the bringing of the heart home to Christ in this union because the first stroke that drawes the soule and brings the soule to Christ is not from any thing within so much as from the spirit without the hand of Christ it layes hold upon the heart and workes upon the heart and brings him home to himselfe this first stroke is from without wee doe beleeve being framed thereunto and drawne by the Spirit of the Father the everlasting arme of the Lord that appeares in the Gospell hee lets it downe and workes upon the soule and brings the heart to himselfe and so the heart is brought to Christ not from any Principle first in it selfe but by the Spirit that workes upon it when the Word of God comes to the soule the Spirit of God accompanies that Word and puls the earthly minde from earthlinesse and the uncleane heart from his lusts and saith Come out thou poore soule this is the way to a Christ that will pardon thee this is the way to a Christ that will purge thee so that my soule moves but it is because it is moved my will closeth but it is because it is perswaded so that the first stroke of this union is not from my selfe but it comes from Christ the hand of the Spirit layes hold on me and drawes me to him hence in the third place
the soule with his indignation his heart would sinke but that a little leane starved hope supports him and he sees than Gods will is not yet fully revealed but that he may be saved and he saith this conscience may bee quieted and this soule may be saved and these sins may bee pardoned now despaire is the quite contrary when the soule hath no good in expectation and that which cuts the heart strings of a mans consolation and plucke a mans comforts up by the roots as hee hath nothing for the present so all means and wayes of getting any good are cut off and then he casts off hope and never lookes to God more because he never lookes for mercy from God and then hope goes out and saith Oh when will it once be cannot these sinnes bee pardoned c And at last hee sees there is no way of getting any good and therefore hee never lookes for mercy more but expects hell and damnation and cries out I am damned I am damned This is despaire and this is the nature of it Secondly this despaire is not any part or essentiall property appertaining to the pains of the second death whether we looke at the withdrawing of the sweetnesse of Gods love or whether wee looke at the inflicting of the wrath of God upon the soule this is no part of them for besides that which Divines will observe namely that all punishments are passions and they suffer them but despaire is a worke of the creature and it issues from himselfe and the creature doth it and therefore it cannot properly bee a punishment nor any part of the second death but besides all this which they observe this desperation so opened it is so farre from being any part of the second death as that it is not a consequent which nextly followes from the second death but from the weaknesse and sinfulnesse of the creature Desperation is not any effect flowing immediatly from the wrath of God upon the creature but it proceeds and comes directly and immediatly from the weaknesse and sinfulnes of the creature Imagine that yee saw the Lord Iesus Christ comming in the clouds with thousand thousands of his holy Angels and the thrones were set up and all flesh appeared the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left hand and the Lord Iesus Christ passeth the doome and the sentence against them saying Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire Now when a poore damned creature seeth that the sentence is gone and seeth the good wil of God pass'd upon him and the power of his wrath now to bee exprest to the full against him and he apprehends the will of God now fulfild never to be crost more and the decree of God is now exprest never to bee altered more and hee seeth the gates of hell now sealed upon him and that the Lord hath cast upon him the tombstone of his wrath and that he is buried under the power of the second death and now he seeth the time is gone and the justice of God can never bee satisfied more and this power of the Lords wrath can never be removed Oh the time was that I had the word and the power of into quicken me and to informe me and the Spirit of God to strive with me and then there was some hope but now the decree of God is maâ—e unrevokable and this wrath I shall never beare nor never remove There is now to word no praying no hearing no conference no mercy nor salvation to bee hoped for and so the soule lookes no more for any good because the Lord hath so peremptorily set downe his doâ—me thus the soule breaks under the wrath of God and is not able to satisfie and the wrath of God can never bee removed the fire will ever burne and the worme will ever gnaw and now the soule casts off all hope and this is the meaning of those phrases 2 Pet. 3.7 and in the 6. verse of the Epistle of Iude where speaking of the devils the text saith They are reserved in everlasting chains under darknes to the judgement of the great day the devill is hopelesse he hath no hope of good nor shall never receive any good but our Saviour Christ that was able by the power of his God-head to suffer this wrath of God and to satisfie justice and to support himselfe under this wrath and to come out from it he hath a certaine hope to please God the Father and to have everlasting blisse and happinesse with him there is hope with our Saviour because he can beare and satisfie and come from under this wrath Take a bason of water and cast it upon a few coales of fire and it will put them clean out but throw the same boson full upon a great fire and though it may damp it a little at first yet it cannot quench it but rather increaseth the flame and makes it burne the faster what 's the reason of this that it quenched the little fire and not the great fâ—re it was not firstly and nextly because of the coldnesse and crosnesse of the water to the fire for the same water was as cold upon the great fire and as crosseâ— the nature of the great fire but the little fire was rob weake of it selfe to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was quenched but the great fire was able to beare the coldnesse of the water and therefore it was not quenched so it is here the wrath of God is like this water as David saith All thy waves and billowes have passed over me that is the waves of Gods indignation and the ocean sea of Gods wrath â—hen this fals upon a poore weake sinfull creature that cannot beare this but breakes under this wrath and cannot take off the vengeance of the Lord but sinkes under it this creature despaires of all helpe not because of the wrath of the Lord firstly but because of the weaknesse and the sinfulnesse of the creature that could not beare the wrath of the Lord and hence he despaires and the soule saith alas I am weake and a poore sinne creature and this wrath of the Lord is of an infinite vigour I shall never be able to beare it nor to get from under it therefore I despair and cast away all hope of helpe but the Lord Jesus Christ being perfect God and perfect man having a great flame of holy affections kindled in him by the spirit of the Father this did assist him hereby to beare the wrath of God in his soule and not onely was hee able to beare it but to overcome it and although hee were tossed up and downe in the sea of Gods wrath yet he was not drowned and though hee sipped of the poyson yet he was not poysoned therefore he bore the paines of the second death and overcame them and did not despaire he expected to receive good because he knew he should have good thus our Saviour Iohn 19.30 when
THE SOVLES EXALTATION A TREATISE containing The Soules Vnion with Christ on 1 Cor. 6.17 The Soules Benefit from Vnion with Christ on 1 Cor. 1.30 The Soules Justification on 2 Cor. 5.21 By T. H. ROM 8.30 And whom he called them he also Iustified and whom hee Iustified them he also glorified LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke and are to bee sold at the black Beare in S. Pauls Church-yard 1638. A TABLE OF THE Soules union with CHRIST out of these words 1 COR. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Doctrine 1. EVery true beleever is joyned unto Christ page 3 This knitting of a beleever to Christ consists in three Particulars Particular 1. A true beleever doth gather up all the faculties of his soule and doth imploy them upon Christ p. 5 Partic. 2. The beleever is satisfied with Christ and the riches of his grace ibid. Partic. 3. Is thâ— that the beleever doth binde the heart to the exercising of both these p. 6 The manner of this union doth discover it selfe in three Particulars Partic. 1. It is a reall union though spirituall p. 7 Partic. 2. This union it is a totall union ibid. Partic. 3. This union it is an unseparable union p. 8 Use 1. Information to instruct us of the happy privilege of the poore Saints of God though despised of the world yet they are received into covenant and union with Christ p. 9 Use 2. It is an use of terrour to all opposites against Christ p. 10 Use 3. It is an use of examination and triall from hence may bee knowne whether the soule doth rightly cleave to Christ or whether it doth only dissemble with Christ p. 16 Use 4. It is a ground of comfort for the Saints against all contempt and disgrace against all troubles miseries and persecutions that the world can cast upon them p. 20. Secondly against all temptations of Satan p. 22 Doctrine 2. The faithfull doe enjoy such an union with Christ that they are one Spirit with him p. 25 For the opening of this Doctrine two particulars are to bee discovered Partic. 1. The first Particular is the manner how the soule comes to bee one spirit with Christ p. 25 and this doth consist in three conclusions p. 26 Conclusion 1. The first conclusion is this that the Spirit of God doth really accompany the whole Word but in a more speciall manner he doth accompany the pretious promises of the Gospell p. 27 Conclusion 2. The second conclusion is this that the Spirit of grace doth leave a supernaturall dint and power and a spirituall and overpowring vertue upon the soule and thereby doth bring it unto Christ p. 28 Conclusion 3 The third conclusion is this that the Spirit of grace in the promise working thus upon the heart it causeth the heart to close with it in the promise p. 33 Part. 2. The second particular is the order of this union whether the beleever is knit to the humane nature of Christ first or to the Divine p. 39 Use 1. Instruction to informe us that the sinnes of the faithfull are marvellous hainous in Gods account because of their union p. 45 Use 2. It is an use of triall whereby a man may see what spirit most men of the world are of as their soules close with Christ and receive him so they are p. 49 Use 3 It is a word of exhortation to close with such as Christ himselfe doth close withall p. 52 A TABLE OF THE communion that the Soule hath with Christ from the union with him out of these words 1 COR. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Doctrine 1. THe Doctrine from these words is this that there is a conveyance of all spirituall grace from Christ to all those that beleeve in him p. 63 The Tenure of this conveyance discovereth it selfe in those particulars Partic. 1. The first particular is this that there is fully enough in the Lord Iesus Christ for every faithfull soule p. 66 Partic. 2. As there is enough in Christ to supply all the manes of this Saints so Christ doth supply unto them whatsoever is â—st fit to the need of every poore Saint p. 68. Partic. 3. Is this as the Lord Christ doth communicate what is fit so he doth preserve what he doth bestow and communicate to the beleeving soule p. 73 Partic. 4. Is this the Lord doth not onely preserve what grace he doth give but he quickens the grace he maintaines p. 76 Partic. 5. Is this As he quickneth what he maintaines so he perfects what he quickens p. 77 Partic. 6. Is this the Lord at last doth crowne all the grace he hath perfected p. 79 Use 1. It is a word of lamentation and terrour to every unbeleeving creature under Heaven here they may see the misery of their condition p. 81 Use 2. It is a ground of comfort to all the Saints of God that have interest in all the riches of this goodnesse p. 84 Use 3. It is a word of instruction to teach every Saint to lie downe in the dust that they all might glory in the Lord. p. 91 Use 4. It is an use of exhortation or direction to teach the Saints whither to goe to fetch succour and supply of what ever grace they want Christ is made all in all why then away to the Lord Iesus Christ p. 99 Question But you will say what course or means shall we use to get these things at Christs hands Answer The meanes are two First eye the promise dayly keep it within view p. 104 Secondly you must labour to yeeld to the Soule to the power of the Spirit and to the vertue of grace which is in Christ. p. 109 Now this particular conveyance of grace from Christ it is done two wayes partly by imputing partly by imparting p. 113. and they are both in the Text Christ is made righteousnesse or justice that is he doth justifie a sinner by imputation and Christ is made sanctification and redemption that is hee doth redeeme and sanctifie a sinner by communication ibid. Doctrine God doth justifie a beleeving soule not for what he hath or doth but onely for what Christ hath done for him p. 116 In the opening of the point two things are to be cleered First what it is to justifie Secondly what is mean that God doth not justifie any one for what he hath or doth p. 116 To justifie it is a word of judiciall proceeding when in a legall manner the judge doth pronounce a man free and doth acquit him p. 116 Secondly God doth justifie a poore sinner not for any thing he hath or doth The meaning is this no grace that a man hath no duty that hee can perform for which as the material and formall cause of our justification God doth pronounce any man to bee righteous p. 117 Reason 1. That which in no measure is answerable to Gods justice and
is accomplished by two meanes The first is the union which the soule hath with Christ The second is a conveyance of sap or sweetnesse or a communion with Christ and all the treasures of grace and happinesse that is in him then to make up the growing together of the graft and the stock First the graft is put into the stock Secondly there must bee a communicating of the moisture that is in the stock to the graft and so they grow together otherwayes it growes not at all but withers away now wee are first to describe the nature of the worke in generall and then we will descend to particulars and the severall parts of it now wee will define this union so farre as it concernes our purpose not intâ—enching into particulars It is such a joyning of the faithfull soule in such a meanes to Christ that it becomes one spirit these are not by way of collection to be gathered but they are plainly expressed in the text and two points of doctrine I meane to prosecute the first point is from the first part of the text Doctr. 1 Every true beleever is joyned unto Christs the word in the originall is glued he is glued he is waxed he is firmly and neerly combined and knit to the Lord Jesus Christ The second part of the description is the second point in hand Doctr. 2 He is so joyned unto the Lord that he becomes one spirit as the adulterer and the adulteresse is one flesh so he that beleeves in Christ is so neerly joyned to him that he becomes one spirit so we see the verse offers two doctrines First that a faithfull soule is firmly and neerly knit unto Christ Secondly hee is so knit that he becomes one spirit But first of the first doctrine What ever by way of comparison can be alleaged concerning the neere combination of one thing with another they are all tyed to this knitting of the soule to Christ looke what a friend is to a friend looke what a father is to a childe what a husband to a wife looke what a graft is to a tree and that is neerer than a husband to a wife nay goe yet farther Galat. 2.20 what the soule is to the body the soule is not only knit to the body as one member to another as the hand is knit to the arme and the arme to the shoulder but the soule doth communicate it selfe universally thorow the least part of the body so the Apostle saith Christ is the very soule of a beleever I live yet not I but the Lord Iesus liveth in mee so that looke as the body liveth by the soule the soule closing and communicating and quickning of the same so Christ is in a Christian and speaks in a Christian and enableth a Christian to the performance of that he doth hence the body of the faithfull is called Christ 1 Corin. 12.12 but we will open this a little further in two passages First the carriage of the soule in this closing Secondly the manner how it doth close The carriage wee shall desire to discover in three particulars which may bee expressed in a graft when it is put into the stock and I say therein observe three particulars First there is an exercise of the elements that are in the graft upon the stock and are so farre mingled one with another and doe so farre close one with another that they become one Secondly the graft joynes to the stock and none other Thirdly they doe not onely act thus but are bound one to another and this makes them act answerably to these three particulars There is also an expression of the knitting of the soule to Christ in three particulars First the soule gathers up it selfe and all its spirits its faculties that doth exercise in the worke thereof upon Christ and that makes the soule to grow unto the Lord when the soule turnes the promise into good bloud it doth not only chew the meat but disgest it and it becomes good bloud a true beleever gathers up all the faculties of his soule and imployes them upon Christ hope expects Christ and desire longs for Christ and love and joy imbrace Christ and the will closeth Christ thus the soule settles it selfe upon Christ hoping expecting longing desiring loving embracing looke as it is with a woman that kneads dowgh if there be two parts of it the moulding and the kneading knits them together and makes them one lump so there is the moulding of the soule to the promise hoping and desiring and longing and chusing faith kneads all these together and knits them unto God and drawes the soule to him Secondly the soule is satisfied with Christ and the riches of his grace the beleever doth repose his confidence wholly thereupon Prov. 5.19 that which makes the love of a husband increase towards his wife is this Hee is satisfied with her breasts at all times and then hee comes to bee ravished with her love if a husband hath a loose heart and will not content himselfe with the wife of his youth but hath his back doores and his goings out this makes a breach in matrimoniall affection but when he is satisfied with her brests he is ravished with her love so hope hath an expectation of mercy and is satisfied therewith desire longs for mercy and is satisfied therewith the will closeth Christ and it is fully satisfied with him and if it were to chuse againe it would chuse none but Christ thus suck thou up the consolations in the promise and be satisfied therewith and then thou wilt grow there upon but if you will bee resting here and staying upon the contentments of the world this is weake confidence and drawes the soule from God Thirdly the last thing is the binding of the heart upon both these viz. the keeping of the heart to the exercise of the promise and to bee satisfied with the promise 1 Coloss 23. If yee continue in the faith being grounded and setled so that a man doth stake downe his heart to the promise and holds hope and desire and love and joy and the will unto it it receives all Christ and none but Christ and stayes here and continues here for ever this same covenant that bindes the soule to Christ is that which makes the union betweene Christ and the soule thus we see how the soule carries it selfe in this union The second thing considerable is the manner how it is done and the qualitie of this union and this we will discover in three particulars First it is a reall union but it is spirituall you must not conceive it grosly as if my body were joyned to Christ but there is a reall union which is spirituall there is a union betweene the nature of Christ God and man and a true beleever that which I desire to declare is upon this ground to difference this union from that which Divines are deceived in viz. that it is an union more than it bare notion
the union drawes somewhat neerer so that wee see first there is a holy Ghost in the promise and secondly wee see that the Holy Ghost leaves a supernaturall worke upon the soule and brings it home to Christ Conclus 3 The third conclusion is this the Spirit of grace in the promise working thus upon the heart it causeth the heart to close with it selfe in the promise the Spirit of God by the promise so works upon the soule that it makes the soule close with the promise and with it selfe in the promise and this is to be one Spirit and this I take to bee the meaning of that place Philippians 3.12 Paul saith that he was apprehended of Christ as if he should say I was not so much apprehending as apprehended not so much that he did it but Christ in him and upon him and by him for I told you the worke of the Lord in the worke of conversion is upon us by us to bring us to himselfe The Spirit of the Lord is in heaven and it is in the promise and that Spirit in the promise comes to the soule of a beleever and leaves a spirituall worke upon the soule of a beleever and the soule is moved by vertue of that Spirit to close with that promise and with that Spirit that is in the promise I would expresse my selfe by these two comparisons looke as it is with the moone the naturall Philosopher observes that the ebbing and flowing of the sea is by vertue of the moone she flings her beames into the sea and not being able to exhale as the sunne doth shee leaves them there and goes away and that drawes them and when they grow wet they returne backe againe now the sea ebs and flowes not from any principle in it selfe but by vertue of the moone being moved it goes being drawne it comes the moone casting her beames upon the waters it moves the sea and so drawes it selfe unto it selfe and the sea with it so the heart of a poore creature is like the water unable to move towards heaven but the Spirit of the Lord doth bring in its beames and leaves a supernaturall vertue by them upon the soule and thereby drawes it to it selfe or looke as it is with a claspe and a keeper take a great claspe put it thorow the keeper and being brought thorow it closeth with it selfe so it is with an humble broken heart it is like this keeper the good Spirit of the Lord is like this claspe the Spirit workes upon the soule and leaves a supernaturall vertue upon the soule and goeth with that vertue and puls the soule by the power of it selfe and knits it to its selfe it workes upon the heart in this manner and clasps the humbled sinner and brings him home and holds him to the promise and to it selfe in the promise Now I would contract these three conclusions in the former sermons into three questions to make them so familiar that weake ones which have any spirituall grace may be able to come to aprehend and understand them Quest 1 I aske therefore what is there in the promise of the Gospell or what is there in the Word of God is there nothing but letters and sillables and sentences Answ I answer Yes humane Authours have words and sentences but oh the glorious God the third person of the Trinitie the blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is inseparably present with and accompanying of the promises of God the words are but the shell but the substance is the Spirit of grace how were your hearts comforted in the time of trouble and how were your hearts broken and brought out from your lusts Oh it was the Spirit for man was never able to doe it but Lord thy almighty hand came downe from heaven and broke this heart of mine and if Christ that Lion of the tribe of Judah had not come downe from heaven this lion-like heart of mine would never have yeelded nor come downe this is the answer to the first question Quest 2 What doth the beleever doe aske your owne hearts doe your hearts close and meet with the good Word of the Lord and doe you say Oh it is the good Word of the Lord my heart consented to it and closed with it thus Answ Oh yes saith the soule me thought I was even knit to the Word then I aske againe was thy heart knit to the Word onely and the sillable only and did thy heart close with the sentences only the soule answers No the truth is my eare did receive the sound and my minde the sense but my soule received the Lord Jesus Christ To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 12. the words are but only as the conduit to convey the water of life and the Spirit of grace but they lay hold upon Christ there and that it is so I prove it thus did not you finde your hearts comforted at such a time Oh yes saith the soule me thinks I see the Ministers face still and when he came to such a point and such a passage good Lord mee thought I was in heaven could words and reasons and sentences have done it No surely the Spirit of grace was there and my heart did close with the same the stomack receives not meat as the dish or vessell doth but the stomack doth receive it and is fastned to it and hath the sweetnesse of it and is made one with it Iohn 6.63 The words that I speake they are Spirit and life and this is the excellencie of the Word when all the learned Doctors and Schoolemasters shall have the tongues but shall never humble one soule nor purge nor convert one heart yet the Word and the Spirit in it will doe that which is usefull and helpfull for thee in this kinde the Words that I speake they are Spirit and they are life saith our Saviour so then you see you that are ignorant and weake you say to your selfe how shall I come to be knit to the Lord Jesus Christ seeing hee is in heaven and I am on earth Oh but quiet thy selfe in this he is in a most speciall manner in the preaching of the Word and if thou cleavest to the Word aright then thou cleavest to the Spirit of Christ Quest 3 In the third place I aske how doth the Spirit of man come to close and to be one with the Spirit of Christ in the promise Answ I answer are your owne hearts able to doe this or is nature or your wits or parts able to doe this for you No the good Spirit of the Lord wrought upon and fitted and framed the hearâ— hereunto and put this temper upon it as the workman gives a temper to the knife and another makes iron draw iron and he doth it thus he drawes the magnet or load-stone over the iron and the vertue thereof makes it able to draw iron to it selfe so the soule saith
Alas I doe it not it was the Lord that wrought this heart in mee I have seene the day when I could have beene as well content to heare the Minister preach plainly as to have a knife run to my heart but the Lord wrought my heart to it therefore the Spirit puts that magnet stone of the mercie and grace of Christ upon my heart hee puts this temper upon my heart and makes it able to close with it selfe in the promise in 2 Corin. 5.5 when Paul there had disputed of his desire to lay downe his life for the Gospell and to put his body upon suffering for the Gospels sake he was even weary of the world and would faine have beene gone how gat he this temper why the text saith Now he that hath wrought us for the same thing if God who also hath given us the earnest of his Spirit it is a great while before wee can bee brought to this temper when all the Ministers tongues are even worne to the stumps and the wicked will bee wicked still yet the Lord doth worke it so then you see that the Spirit of God by the promise works upon the soule and leaves a dint upon the heart and so brings the soule by the Spirit to close with it selfe in the promise and hence you may collect two things for your information in this kinde Colect 1 First that the beleever being moved by the stroke of the Spirit of the Father is made able to close with the Father and the Sonne because the Spirit of the Lord doth fasten fit and frame the heart hereunto in this manner and hence it is that the soule can close with the Father and the Sonne too why because the Spirit which proceeds and comes from the Father and the Sonne is able to frame the soule to close with both for the Spirit hath something of the Father and something of the Sonne and therefore is able to make the soule to close with both 1 Iohn 1.3 These things have I written unto you that you may have fellowship with us holy Iohn was a spirituall father unto them and hee writes to them that thereby they might have fellowship with the Saints and he saith Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ why doth he not say our fellowship is with the Father as well as to say our fellowship is with the Father and the Sonne because it is presumed before hand that a man must have fellowship with the Spirit before hee can have fellowship with the Father and the Sonne because it is the Spirit that hath fitted the heart and framed it to close with both Colect 2 Secondly hence it comes to passe that the person of the beleever may bee knit to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ the foot is knit to the head by the continuance of the order of the body and the members thereof as the foot is knit to the leg and the leg to the thigh and the thigh to the body and so to the head this is the meaning of that phrase Iohn 6.56 our Saviour presseth this hard upon the Disciples and saith My flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and in him then they begun to wonder at it and to say How can this be and yet Christ saith what if you see the the Sonne of man carrying the body of his flesh into heaven you will thinke it more hard to eat my flesh then yet you must eat my flesh then too how it is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak they are Spirit and life as if he had said my good Spirit is in the word and promise close you with my Spirit and then you draw my Spirit my flesh and my blood downe into your whole natures the words that I speake they are Spirit and Life that is my Spirit is in the Word of the promise though my body be gone up into heaven therefore close you with my Spirit in the promise and then you close with my flesh spiritually Thus much for the manner of the union Now for the order of this union how this is done and there the question will be this Whether the beleever is knit first to the humane nature of Christ or to the Divine nature Quest. 2 I am not greatly willing to meddle with this point in this popular congregation because there are many wise and orthodox Divines and godly too which are of contrary opinion they confesse both but they differ about the order but that I may bring no prejudice to the judgement of any I will shortly shew you the summe of those arguments Answ which either side hold and will shew to which I doe incline and so leave the point to the judgement of those that heare it to incline to which side they thinke best and thus I shall wrong none at all First some Divines wise holy and orthodox and many too doe goe that way all of them have it from that root they that hold that the soule is knit to the humane nature of Christ first have two reasons for it First say they as the Scripture reveales Christ to us so also our hearts embrace him and close with him but the Scripture reveales the Lord Christ more often and frequently in regard of his Manhood than in regard of his Godhead as in that place The seed of the Woman shall breake the Serpents head and such like therefore the understanding first closeth with this and the heart first receives it the second reason why they hold this is thus much If say they all the great works of our redemption both sanctification and justification and redemption were wrought in the humane nature of Christ and as by a channell conveyed to us by his humane nature then it is reason that the soule should first close with the humane nature but it is so that all the great workes of justification sanctification c. were all accomplished in the humane nature of Christ for as the text saith He died for our sins and triumphed over sin and hell and death therefore say they it is fit that the soule should first close with the humane nature of Christ and this is the life and pith of all their arguments Againe other Divines and they are wise and orthodox they hold this and though all hold the maine substantiall truths of eternall life yet they differ in this they say the beleever is first knit to the Deity and they have also two arguments and the first is this That which is the maine and the proper object of faith to that the soule first lookes and to that the soule is first united for all union comes by operation in this kinde but the Godhead is the first object of faith in beleeving the Godhead and the third person of Trinity they are the first objects of
onely because of mercies bonds and engagements which the beleever hath received but because a man is come so neere to Christ and now to commit sinne and vex him it must needs bee a marvellous provocation to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his good Spirit he that should entertaine a friend into his family or the King into his house or a woman to entertaine a loving husband in matrimony with her all base dealing by any of these a man can hardly brooke it It was one of my own subjects saith the King it was my wife saith the husband and it was my friend as David saith that did eat at my table but now to entertaine a profest enemy or a traytor into the bed-chamber with the King and to lodge them both in one bed this were abominable and so the wife not onely to entertaine a whoremonger into the house but also to lodge him in the same bed this were not to be endured Oh how his blood would rise against it as the King said of Haman Hester 7.8 What will hee force the Queene before my face Now therefore brethren goe home to your owne soules and behaviours in particular dost thou through Gods grace and mercy receive this favour at the hands of God that thou art become one Spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ and wilt thou then receive a company of base lusts and that in the very face and sight of the Lord Iesus Christ and lodge an uncleane spirit with the cleane Spirit of the Lord the holy God cannot endure this nay he will not beare it at the hands of those that belong to the election of grace 1 Sam. 2.17 The sonnes of Ely were great sinners before the Lord saith the text and why because they waited upon the Lord to doe the worke of the Sanctuarie for where the ordinances of the Lord are there is God himselfe therefore Cain in the apprehension hereof said I am cast out from the presence of the Lord that is from the powerfull beautie of the Lord in his ordinances Now because they were the Priests and Leaders and they were greater sinners they would out-brave the Lord with their sinnes and commit them in the sight of God therefore their sin was the greater as in Ezechiel 8.3 The Lord brought the Prophet to behold the abominations of the Elders of Israel he brought him into a secret place and shewed him the image of jealousie which provoked to jealousie they did it in the sight of the Sun to provoke him to anger therefore it is called the image of jealousie as if he had said Let your idols goe to the land of Vrre but will you dare to set up idols in the sight of God to provoke him to jealousie I beseech you apply this to your selves are not wee Priests and the very Spouse of Christ and not onely the outward Sanctuary but the Temple of the Lord it selfe is with us as the Apostle saith Ye are the temples of the living God Now wilt thou set up an idol lust and an idolatrous selfe seeking heart and set it up by the Lord Iesus Christ â— this is a horrible crying sin and it provokes the Lord marvellous fiercely it was the collection which the Apostle made a little before the text in 1 Cor. â— where he saith speaking concerning adultery and fornication he comes with a glrâ— and a gall to the hearts of beleevers saying What shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid that 's carefull Doe you not know that he which coupleth himselfe to an harlot is one body shall I doe thus no the Lord forbid I am neere to Christ let the members of Satan bee made the members of a harlot if they will but you that are the members of Christ will you doe so Consider it wilt thou take the head of Christ and contrive wickednesse with it and wilt thou take the heart of Christ and make it a cage of uncleane lusts and wilt thou take the tongue of Christ and make it speake wickedly and wilt thou take the foot of Christ and make it run to all wickednesse what a fearfull thing is this shall the uncleane spirit be put to the cleane spirit shall the motions of the Devill be here and the motions of the good Spirit of the Lord too the Lord in mercy keepe you off from this Ephes 4.29 Let no filthy communication come out of your mouth why what if there doe If there were no greater sinnes than these I hope I should doe well enough What saith the Apostle A Christian and a lier a Christian and a swearer a Christian and a base vile wretch Oh grieve not the good Spirit of God why because by it yee are sealed up unto the day of redemption the good Spirit of the Lord hath sealed you up unto redemption and knit you unto him and will you rend your selves from him and grieve him if you were not sealed up and if you had none of the Spirit of Christ it were no great matter but now Oh grieve not the holy Spirit if you doe you have no salvation by it away to hell if you will grieve the good Spirit of the Lord if the Lord doe bestow his Spirit upon thee wilt thou then grieve his good Spirit how canst thou or how darest thou doe thus and dishonour the Name of God looke that place Matthew 12.44 When the uncleane spirit returnes againe to his rest hee findeth it empty swept and garnished then hee taketh to himselfe seven other spirits worse than himselfe and they enter in and dwell there the end of that man is worse than the beginning It is well observed by one that pride and idlenesse sweeps the house for the devill a proud heart which stayes it selfe up upon its owne abilities and so growes idle and lazie and secure if it be a Minister or Magistrate this makes cleane worke for the Devill you cannot doe this but you will grieve the good Spirit of the Lord Now looke to this when a man stayes himselfe upon his parts and gifts he doth little good you sweep the house for the Devill whereas a watchfull painfull heart doth wonderfully please God it is a good and a pure meeke and holy Spirit which God accepts of therefore be thou so too now you that are Christians doe not goe away and thinke that you have warrant to be idle and carelesse take heed of such cursed distempers of heart if thou art a Christian thou darest not doe or say as others dare for the sinne of a Christian is abominable in the eyes of God because he is so neerly united to his blessed Spirit this is the first use of the point Vse 2 Againe in the second place here is a word of examination and triall here a man may see of what spirit the most men of the world are You know not of what Spirit you are saith Christ looke how the soule closeth with
and receives those that are most exact in a Christian course if thy heart be estranged from such as doe walke exactly before God either because he hath given them parts and gifts or because he hath made them humble and faithfull if the Spirit of the Lord be in the Saints then the Spirit of malice and of the Devill is in thee Gods Spirit closeth with all the faithfull ones but thy Spirit cannot close with them when they are made one Spirit with Christ wilt thou be of two Spirits with them then either Christ is to bee blamed or else thou art to be condemned for this basenesse of thine either Christ knowes not how to chuse a good Spirit or else thou art a base vilde spirit this is the great sinne of this last age of the world men are lovers of themselves and not lovers of God nor his grace nor Spirit it is admirable to see how every one that is wicked findes favours in the world but only those that are holy and gracious and one spirit with Christ a drunkard is no mans enemie but his owne and with adulterers you can make matches and if they were murtherers or theeves wee have a kinde of lamentation for them but when it comes to a sincere soule their hearts rise up against him with a desperate spleene and they say these are the holy brethren why what are they Oh saith the Father he is quite spoild I had a sonne which I had some hopes of but now he is gone downe the winde and he will never be good for any thing and then saith the drunkard hee was as good a companion as ever lived and had â—s brave jests to make us merrie withall but now he is quite spoild then thy meaning is that when hee had an uncleane spirit thou didst love him but now because he is come to have a neere union with the Lord Jesus Christ therefore thou art estranged from him then cursed be thy wrath for it is fierce and thy rage for it is cruell if the Spirit of God be holy and good to which hee is united then thou art a vilde unholy wretch I hope now you may know what will become of such and such in the townes and places where you live such I meane as are holy and gracious and yet are hated and despised even those poore creatures are glued to the Lord Christ nay they are holy spirited men which the Spirit of God delights in therefore thy spirit is of Sathan that thou doest thus malice him I confesse a godly heart will have his sits and excursions now and then like an unruly colt and may run wildly into sinne this may befall a godly gracious heart but all this while this is poison and the soule of a godly man sees this and is wearie of it and is marvellously burthened with it and saith Oh vilde wretch that I am what would I have and what is he that I cannot love him is it because the good Spirit of the Lord is there â— shall I resist the good Spirit of the Lord and so commit the sinne against the holy Ghost away thou vilde wretched heart I will love him thus the soule labours and strives for that exactnesse and would faine have that goodnesse which hee sees in other it is in this thing as it is in a mans meat he that hath an unwholesome stomack and seeth that the meat is good and knowne not but that he may eat it he will not blame the meat if hee be ill after it but his stomack but there are some that love to bee cating lome wals and such trash as is naught for them for the stomack is vilde within and would have as bad as himselfe so out of the pride of nature and self-confidence these distempers will bee rising in us but a gracious soule is even sick at the heart and weary of his life and he is never well untill he hath gotten a purge but he that hath the disease and is sick of hatred and malice looke how his heart is so is his tongue and as his heart is so is his carriage Oh poore wretched creature what God may doe for him I know not but for the present he hath the spirit of the Devill in him he is no man but a toad that can live of poison and make a meale of it and yet his heart never be affected with it Vse 3 In the third place is man a sociable creature and must he have some to keepe company with him then in the next place be exhorted to close with such as Christ himselfe doth close withall chuse such companions as the good Spirit of the Lord doth meet withall doest thou see a gracious sincere hearted Christian that is one spirit with the Lord love him and let thy heart be one Spirit with him too and not only the rich but the poore too it is that which we have in nature every man desires to have one that is of a faire nature and a loving disposition he is a â—â— man to make a friend of and these things are not discommendable it is strange to see when God hath cut the 〈◊〉 of these wolves how taâ—â— and quiet they are but would you have a man of a good nature indeed for as one saith hee that hath no more than restraining grace is no more than a tame Devill but would you have a friend of a good nature indeed for this is the maine of all then chuse such as are one with Christ and remember that place in 2 Peter 1.4 Wee are partakers of the divine nature he that is one Spirit with Christ he is partaker of the divine nature even the nature of God himselfe the Spirit of God and the Spirit of meeknesse and self-deniall is in him therefore let thy heart be inlarged towards him and joyne thou side with him which is joyned so neerely to the Lord it was the old practice of those in Zach. 8.22 when God shall honour the Jewes and make them glorious in sanctification and holinesse and they shall goe to market and buy and doe all things holily then shall ten men take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew and shall say We will goe with you for wee have heard that God is with you would you not goe with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Yes Oh then get you to the Saints of God and get them to your houses and lay hold upon gracious Christians and say I will live and converse with you for the Spirit of Christ is with you THE SOVLES BENEFIT FROM VNION WITH CHRIST By T. H. LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at the Black Beare in S. Pauls Church-yard 1638. THE SOVLES BENEFIT from Vnion with CHRIST 1 CORIN 1.30 But of him are yee in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption HOw the soule of a sinner should be prepared for our Saviour and
looke up to God from whence it comes looke to those mountaines of mercy that will succour you look up to a Lord Jesus that will supply all your wants that will furnish you with all grace looke onely to him for all for he onely is the Author and giver of all looke as I have observed it there is a foolish conceit that hath beene bred by some curious nice brains that they have perswaded themselves they can make the Philosophers stone the nature of which is to turne all metall into gold which is utterly impossible for the Mines of gold are in the earth and God continueth them by an ordinary course of his providence but all the men upon earth can never make gold by any Art or means in the world To turne the nature of one metall into the nature of another it is a kinde of creation therefore beyond the reach of any man to doe it they may trie and trie and spend their heart blood and all but it is all but lost labour So it is with our foolish blinde deluded hearts and distracted spirits we thinke to make gold and to coine grace out of our owne powers and parts and abilities I tell you you can never doe it while the world stands no no you doe but lose your labour goe to the Mine of gold the Mine of grace goe to the God of all mercy away to the Lord Jesus Christ I say he is made unto us wisedome and hee will informe us hee is made unto us righteousnesse and hee will acquit us hee is made unto us grace goe to him therefore and hee will communicate all grace unto our soules Looke as Iacob said to his sonnes when the famine was sore in the Land of Canaan hee sent his sonnes into Egypt to buy corne that they and their little ones might not famish and marke how hee calls upon them Why stand you here gazing one upon another I doubt not but then they were laying their heads together and plotting and conferring saying the famine is great and the times dangerous and wee are miserable now but oh what will become of us afterwards if these times last now the Lord help us now the Lord bee mercifull to us and deliver us what meanes shall wee use what course were wee best to take In the mean time Iacob calls upon them Why stand you here gazing one upon another away get you downe to Egypt presently and buy us food you will never get provision to sustaine us by plotting and talking one with another you will never get any come to sustaine you by looking and gazing one upon another no no downe to Egypt with all speed there corne is to be had that we and those that belong unto us may live and not die so it is with the soules of Gods children the poore distressed heart partly through the Devils cunning and subtiltie partly also through our owne ignorance and folly wee stand gazing at our corruptions and it begin to thinke and wonder what will become of us no means prevaile no mercies melt no judgements humble no reproofs awe us the famine growes strong my corruptions fierce and my case heavie that I know not almost what course to take why stand you thus gazing after this fashion what doe you thinke to get grace upon these termes by discouragements and disquieting your selves and vexing your owne hearts thus No no away to Egypt to the promise of life to the Lord Iesus for help and assistance and then you shall have mercy and grace abundantly bestowed upon you and that freely with your money in the mouth of your sacks againe you shall have grace that you need and sufficiently bestowed upon you Looke as it is with Eliah when he was to depart from Elisha and bee taken up into Heaven Elisha craves one thing of him and that was this 1 Kings 2.9 That the Spirit of Elias might he doubled upon Elisha now marke how Eliah answered Thou hast asked a hard thing saith hee neverthelesse if thou canst see mee when I am taken from thee it shall bee granted to thee Now some Interpreters have observed and that very wisely that it was not so much the sight of Elias as the sight of God taking up of Elias that should doe this as if hee had said wouldst thou have a double portion of Gods Spirit vouchsafed unto thee because many miseries are like to come in upon thee great and heavie troubles and sore persecution is approching what course then is to bee taken why see God taking up of Elias that God that tooke up Elias and that God that wrought grace in the heart of Elias see that God and be within the view of that God and thy request shall be granted to thee the collection is faire so I say here if thou wouldst have a double portion of grace doe not goe to prayer onely doe not goe to hearing onely doe not goe to the Sacraments onely and barely but oh see a Christ and looke upon a promise and then thou shalt have a double portion of wisedome to informe thee a double portion of sanctification to cleanse thee a double portion of grace and power and strength against thy corruptions from Christ conveyed and communicated to thy soule and this is the first rule The second rule is this as we must have an eye dayly upon the promise so wee must labour to yeeld the soule to the power of that Spirit and to the vertue of that Grace which is in Christ and would worke upon thee doe not onely eye a Saviour and behold grace in the promise but yeeld thy selfe and give way to the stroke of the promise and to the power of the spirit that by the power thereof thou maist bee inabled to doe what God requires 2 Cor. 3.18 The holy Apostle disputing there how men should bee transformed into the glorious Image of God or as the word is metamorphosed from one degree of glorious grace unto another more holy and more meeke and more patient and more heavenly minded Hee that was cold before should now become more zealous he that was faint hearted before should now become more couragious how is this done even as by the Spirit of the Lord saith the Text as if he had said it is not by your spirits that this must or can be done doe not thinke that you can master your owne corruptions or that you can pull downe the distempers of your owne hearts and get what grace you list no no it is not your spirits can doe this it must bee the Spirit of Christ as by the Spirit of the Lord so the Apostle The phrase of the Prophet David is sweet in his kinde Teach me the way unto thee thy Spirit is good as who should say O Lord my spirit is a naughtie spirit my spirit is a proud spirit my spirit is a prophane spirit my spirit is a weake spirit my spirit is an ignorant and a blind spirit but oh
soule there is but one way every man hath committed sinne must suffer for his sinne the sentence is passed every man that beleeves not is condemned already what would you have now thou faint thorow couldest have a pardon but wouldest thou not have riches or friends the soule saith Alas what is that to me to bee rich and a reprobate honoured and damned let me bee pardoned though impoverished let mee bee justified though debased though I never see good day beside why then labour for a Christ for there is no other way under heaven get a broken heart get a beleeving heart but oh above all get a Christ to justifie thee get a Christ in all to save thee If I could pray like an angell could I heare and remember all the Sermon could I conferre as yet never man spake what is that to mee if I have not a Christ I may goe downe to hell for all that I have or doe looke into your soules and observe your lives and conversations when a man hath prayed and hee findes his minde dull his heart awke and untoward his thoughts wandring and roving why thinke with your selves doe wee condemne our selves for the duties wee doe performe and judge our selves for the services we have discharged and yet doe wee thinke to be acquitted by the Law of God Oh therefore above all intreat the Lord to give thee a Christ that hee may justifie thee here and save thee everlastingly hereafter Phil. 3.8 I count all things drosse and dung in comparison of a Christ Paul was a proud Pharisee learned Paul reverend Paul a man of admirable parts yet saith the Apostle That I thought to bee gaine was losse to mee yea dung and dog smeat in comparison of a Christ yea doubtlesse and I doe count all things losse that is not onely my parts and credit and privileges when I was a Pharisee but the best dutie that ever I did the best service that ever I performed I account all as dung and dogsmeat in the point of justification in respect of the Lord Iesus Christ grace therefore is good and duties are good seeke for all we should doe so performe all we ought to doe so but oh a Christ a Christ a Christ in all above all more than all Thus now I have shewed you the way to the Lord Iesus I have shewed you also how you may come to be implanted into the Lord Iesus and now I leave you in the hands of a Saviour in the bowels of a Redeemer and I think I cannot leave you better the worst is past now you are come hither Rom. 5.9 If you be justified by his death then much more shall you be saved through his righteousnes and merits You whose eyes God hath opened whose hearts God hath humbled and whose soules God hath called home to himselfe you are now in the hands of the Lord goe your way and when you see hell flaming and the devils roaring and the damned yelling and crying out looke backe I say and see this ditch out of which you are escaped looke upon the pit which you were going over you may blesse God and say wee are past that those dayes are gone wee are past from death to life Acts 20.32 when Saint Paul was to goe away from them and for ought hee knew should never see their faces more why yet marke what hee saith to them Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those that are sanctified as who should say God and his Word was the best Commandment he could put them over to as who should say Paul must depart and Paul must be imprisoned and Paul must die so that now he shall bee with you no longer to teach to informe to direct you but the good Word of the Lord endures to comfort for ever to cheere for ever to assist refresh for ever those that are weake and discouraged I put you over therefore to a good Word to an everlasting Word I commend you to a blessed and a living Saviour who will bee with you for ever by the immutable assistance of his blessed Spirit I leave you in the hands of your Saviour that when the head of your Minister haply shall lie full low or death overtake him why yet remember I have put you over to a Saviour Oh love this Word and love this Christ more than all prize this Christ above all and he will preserve you and this I will wish you that you would keep yourselves close to this good Word that will informe you and to this blessed Saviour that will support you from day to day THE SOVLES Iustification 2 COR. 5.22 For he hath made him to be sin for us which knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him FOr our more orderly proceeding herein you may remember that I shewed you before for what a man is not justified Now wee come to handle for what a man is and may bee justified and this I conceive so farre as my light serves mee to bee in the words of the Text for the Apostle having shewed that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and not imputing their sins Now in this Text hee shewes the reason how this comes to passe namely God â—aid their sinnes to Christs charge and made him sinne for us that knew no sinne It s no wonder then though God did not justifie a poore sinner for what hee had and did and though hee did not expect perfect righteousnesse at their hands for Hee hath made him to hee sinne for 〈◊〉 which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him For our more orderly proceeding I will doe two things First I will discover the Doctrine of Iustification in a description Secondly I will open the description Quest. 1 For the first If any man aske me what Iustification is it is this briefly Answer Iustification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever whereby the debt and sinnes of the beleever are charged upon the Lord Iesus Christ and by the merits and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the beleever hee is accounted just and so is acquitted before God as righteous There are foure particulars in the description First it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever Secondly the debt of the beleever is charged upon our Saviour God the Father followes as it were the suit upon the suretie and not upon the debtor both these are in these words of the Text Hee hath made him sinne for us which knew no sinne Thirdly the satisfaction of Christ is put over to the beleever and set upon his score as in these words That wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Fourthly by this means the debt on our sides being laid upon the Lord Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse being applied to us God the Father acquits
is this Doctrine Our Saviour Christ never yeelded the least improvement of heart to sinne neither did hee ever commit the least sinne in his life and conversation our Saviour Christ knew no sinne at all by experience this is that which all the types and sacrifices of the old Law did signifie which were all as so many severall testimonies of the holinesse and puritie of the Lord Jesus Christ therefore he was called the Lambe without blemish and it was prophesied of him in Esay 53.9 That he had done no wickednesse neither was deceit found in his mouth and his enemy Pilate said I finde no fault in him at all and our Saviour himselfe saith the Prince of this world commeth and hath nought in mee that is no sinne Iohn 14.30 The arguments are briefly these Reason Looke into the Nature of our Saviour and the Office of our Saviour looke into his Manhood as he was perfect Man for the seed of the woman was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost and was purged and sanctified and the course of originall sinne was stayed and when the body was framed the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ and all the fulnesse of grace was in him then the point must needs bee cleere that there was no evill in him no mutabilitie to incline to any evil nor no power could prevaile with him to draw him to any evill Againe looke into the Office of our Saviour for he that came to be a sacrifice for sinne must needs want sinne or else he could not be a sacrifice for sinne so the point is cleere we come now to the application Vse 1 The first use is a word of exhortation and it ought to provoke all you that are faithfull and are beleevers to conforme your hearts and conversations answerable to the heart and life of Christ did not Christ give the least improvement of heart to any sinne nor practise the least sinne in any measure then goe thou and doe likewise be thou like thy Saviour that thou mayest have some evidence that thou hast a title unto him It is that which the Apostle makes as a speciall collection Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse but bee you followers of God as deare children Ephes 5.1 Christ had no sinne nor fellowship with sinne let his course and practice bee thy copie But some will say what would you have us to bee Saints here on earth â— how can it be that we should know no sin when we have such a body of death hanging upon us yes we may know no sinne though it doe hang about us the Apostle doth not say equall God in holinesse but imitate him and he doth not say follow him fully but even as deare children Now though the childe cannot goe so fast as the father yet he will follow as fast as he can and when hee hath done what he can then he cries to his father to help him and carrie him to the journeyes end and so ought we to doe nay so we will doe if we are true children and not bastards the Father is infinitely full of holinesse Follow God as deare children doe what you can and then â—rie to him to inable you to doe what you cannot doe It was the practice of the Prophet David Psalme 63.1 My soule thirsteth for thee and my heart longeth after thee therefore in the 119. Psalme 4 5. Thou hast commanded to keepe thy Commandements diligently oh that my heart meâ— so directed thaâ— I might doe it as if hee had said I know the Law requireth it and it is my dutie to doe it helpe Lord and take Lord and carry Lord thy poore servant and lead mee into the land of righteousnesse it is an evidence of one that is borne of God 1 Iohn 5.18 Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not and the evill one toucheth him not so if you are such as have Christ Jesus formed in you you will labour to keepe your selves that the wicked one touch you not hee doth not say hee will not entertaine it but he will not keep company with it A man must doe by sinne as wee would do by a man whose coÌ„pany we shun if we would not have acquaintance with him then we carry our selves strangely to him if he call we will not answer if he knocke we will not open we keep our selves close that wee may not change a word with him so it will bee with every one of you that are borne of God you will have nothing to doe with your old pettish lusts and base humours and haunts of spirits and whomsoever it be that hath had dalliance with you heretofore you will avoid the place and presence of them and say I know not those distempers nor the place not occasions of them I will meddle with them no more I will not owne them I have done it too too much already if they come I will not yeeld and if they follow I will flee I have read an old story of a man that was carried away much by a harlot at last the Lord meets him and opened his eyes and humbled his soule and brought him out of his sinfull condition many a day after the harlot met him againe and the man would not looke on her and shee began to seft kindnesse upon him and said I am she you know wee have had much sweet dalliance together Oh but saith he blessed be God I am not I that is I am not the man that I was before so should we though wee are nothing but sinne by nature and know nothing but corruption yet if the old sluggishnesse and stubbornnes of heart and haughtinesse that we have too too much received if they come and say we are the darlings that have had much sweet fellowship and communion with you make them answer and say I am not the man I will have no more to doe with you Let every heart be here incouraged not to regard the base respects of sinne or of the world they will say it is not good to bee too holy and too precise make answer and say I cannot bee too holy Jesus Christ knew no sinne the heart and life of Jesus Christ is that which wee ought to respect and imitate Now I come to the main proposition and that is this that the debt of the sinner is charged upon our Saviour so saith the description and so say the words of the Text conceive here thus much that our Saviour had the debt of a sinner charged upon him partly by imputation and partly by personall performance he did performe the payment personally the debt was by imputation but the payment was by reall and personall performance and as our sinnes and debts were made his by imputation so the payment was his really laid downe and suffered for us Two things I must lay downe before I can open the point First what is meant by sinne Secondly why Christ is said to be made sin First what is meant by sinne Answer
no man can suffer the pains of Hell except he bee in the very place of it against which cavill this truth doth profesly maâ—ch for the time and place are but common circumstances the main substance of it is not in regard of time or place but in regard of the fierce displeasure of God which seizeth upon a creature and the veine of vengeance which is let into his soule if God would be present with a man by his favour though hee were in the place of Hell yet he should bee as it were in Heaven as Esay 30.33 Tophet is prepared of old the burning thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord as a riâ—â—r of brimstone doth kindle it so that wheresoever the streame of the brimstone of Gods wrath seizeth there is Hell againe the place is no part of debt and therefore it is no part of the payment but the paiment of the mony that makes the satisfaction This is that which is spoken concerning Adam Thou shalt die the death hee doth not say thou shalt goe to Hell the wicked goe to Hell because they cannot pay as the debter goes to prison because he cannot pay the debt all that justice requires is this to have payment hee doth not say thou shalt goe to Hell but because the wicked cannot satisfie the justice of God and answer the Law therefore they are imprisoned and cooped up in hell and it may be more plain thus there are many reprobates in this life that have not onely hell in expectation but they have it so far in fruition when the Lord wounds the spirit and the terrours of the Almightie incampe a man and stab him to the very heart and they are in the very beginnings of hell Now because the wicked cannot beare the wrath of God but they would breake under it therefore they must die that they may â—e made immortall and be able to suffer all the wrath of God forever but our Saviour may as well pay the debt in mount Golgotha as in the prison of hell Secondly some paines of hell were endured and may be endured by our Saviour and yet the union of the manhood with the Godhead might still be untouched and no way in the world bee blemished though there were a separation and a withdrawing of the sense of the sweetnesse of the favour of God yet this was not the separation of the union but onely of the loving countenance of the Lord the humane nature saw not nor felt not those gracious smiles which formerly it did yet hee was ever united to the Godhead and ever supported by the Godhead and hee did ever rest upon God this doth cut in sunder the cavils of Bellarmine as it was with Iob he was able to grapple with a great deale of Gods wrath by faith and therefore he saith Though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Gods killing anger and Iobs trusting stood both together in this in the measure of it Now if a poore saint of God can doe it and is able to beare the intimations of Gods wrath then much more Christ being God and Man might doe it and yet trust in him and never bee separated from him in regard of the union of the soule of our Saviour for as it is with the death naturall in the body of our Saviour as the body of our Saviour died and in dying suffered death naturall as an effect of Gods wrath God smote him howsoever the body died the death naturall yet the Godhead was still united to the body of our Saviour in the grave and brought soule and body together againe so that the union with the Godhead is still maintained so it is here the soule of our Saviour might be separated from the sense and sweetnesse of Gods favour and mercy and yet the union betweene the Godhead and the Manhood bee still maintained as God might leave the body to the death naturall so he might leave the soule to a kinde of supernaturall death and the soule might want the sense of the sweetnesse of the favour of God and yet the union not be broken off for why could not our Saviour beare this curse as well as any other part of it and not be blemished this brought punishment upon our Saviour but it puld not away any grace which hee was possest withall observe these three particulars herein First the Godhead in the death of our Saviour was fastned and united inseparably to the manhood and did sustaine and support the manhood Secondly the Godhead did preserve the manhood from corruption and did sustaine and support the Manhood Thirdly the sense and sweetnesse and the feeling operation of Gods mercy and favour unto the soule was restrained from both and the wrath of God seized upon both Thirdly our Saviour suffered paine in his soule as he was our Mediatour in our roome and in our stead and as he had our sinnes imputed to him The Manhood bore the sufferings and the Godhead supported him in the sufferings this conclusion I thought good to adde to meet with a strange dream of Bellarmine and that is this saith he if the Lord Jesus Christ did suffer the wrath of God the Father then the guiltlesse should have beene condemned and the innocent punished and how can God doe this or how can our Saviour suffer this Is not God the Father unjust to punish the just and Christ unwise to suffer as unjust being just I answer it is a silly weake cavill therefore take but these two respects with you and you shall see it will bee plaine for as Christ was in himselfe considered he was guiltlesse and therefore approved of and beloved of the Father but as hee tooke our sinnes and our guilt upon him hee was accounted as a sinner though he was not a sinner and he tooke our sins on him by imputation and therefore no reason but he should suffer them and the punishment of them not in regard of any sinne that hee had or did but because it was imputed to him therefore God the Father condemned him as guiltie so runs the phrase of Scripture Hee suffered for our sinnes and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we were healed he suffered not for any sinnes that he had committed but for the condition of all sinfull nature imputed to him and these divers respects wee doe practise for ordinarily we are bound to love a creature as God made him and then to hate him as hee makes himselfe sinfull the Judge goes to the triall of a Nisi prius and his sonne comes before him in the person of the debter now though the Judge love him as a sonne yet he will condemne him as a suretie the Judge loves and pitties him in one regard but yet hee passeth sentence against him in another regard So it is here with the Lord Jesus Christ when God the Father stands upon the tribunall of justice and was pleased to follow
beleagered with sorrowes in every part and I would expresse it thus our Saviour Christ knowing Gods counsell and the hour approaching and the thrones of justice prepared and God as an angry Judge sitting thereon with all the bookes brought forth and all the sinnes of all the world there laid open and God the Father as a Judge saith these are the sinnes of those for whom thou hast undertaken to die and if thou answer not for them they must be damned and there he saw the sinnes of Manasses and David and Peter and Paul appeare before the Lord and withall he saw the glorious attributes of God all comming out against him and mercy pleads I have beene despised and patience pleads and saith I haue beene despised and justice pleads and saith I have beene wronged by these men in the time of their ignorance and therefore mercy and patience and goodnesse and holinesse and long suffering and all these that have beene wronged they all come to the Father for justice and say These have beene opposers of thy grace and spirit and they have wronged us if they be saved Christ must be punished and hee seeth the wrath of the Lord making a breach against him and seizing against him and not onely so but even all the Devils and all the Jewes and Gentiles God lets them all in upon our Saviour now see whether hee had good cause to complaine if hee looked up to God there were all his attributes crying for justice against him and death before his face and the Jewes and the Gentiles Herod and Pilate and all conspired against him to bring in sorrow upon our Saviour therefore hee cries Oh my soule it heavie even to the death my soule is beset with sorrowes the Jewes and the sinnes of all the world will have my life thus he began to be astonied and was faine to gather up all his abilities that hee might fortifie himselfe against those evills This is the sufferings of Christ in the garden and yet I speake under it and if I had the tongues of men and of Angels I could not expresse it for these words are never read of any mortall man but that there is weaknesse in the same onely Christ hath exprest thus much that howsoever misery and wrath was able to overcome a poore creature yet hee bore it and that without sinnes Let these two cavils of the Jesuites bee removed before wee goe any further and the explication before spoken of will answer both Object 1 First say they if Christ in his agonie suffered the wrath of God and if this made him to crie out Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee if this bee so then say they our Saviour must continue in the agonie from the garden till he came upon the crosse but that hee could not doe for hee checks Iudas and reproves Peter not as a man astonished but as a man in his right wits and hee answered Pilate calmly and hee prayed holily and commended himselfe to God the Father and he was not as a man astonished in all this therefore hee was not now in the agonie Answer To this I answer the objection growes upon a false ground for they conceive that because he was in the agonie therefore it must continue untill his being upon the crosse I say no that 's false for our Saviour entred into the agonie as into a combat and he that enters into a combat hath many bouts in it as there are many stormes and tempests but there are some beames of sun-shine betweene them so here there is some interims It is in this case as it is with a man in a burning fever a man hath many intermissions betweene the fits so although our Saviour bore all the whole wrath of God yet he had intermitting fits of it as in Matthew 26.39 42 44 in the 39. verse he prayed and said Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee and he went away againe the second time and prayed saying Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee and hee went againe the third time and prayed yet more earnestly saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me and as it is in Luke â—2 44 Hee entred into the agonie that is into the fit as we use to say of a sicke man now the fit is upon him he prayed once and came againe so one fit was over he prayed yet againe so two fits were over then he prayed yet more earnestly so the the third fit was over here are three bouts which hee had when hee wrestled with the indignation of the Lord. There were three stormes in this tempest and betweene every little storme he had a pleasant gale of ease and refreshing This is the answer to the first objection Object 2 Secondly if the wrath of God seized upon the soule of our Saviour then the cause being the same the effect must needs be the same therefore he must needs be still in the agonie when he was upon the crosse You must know that the sorrowes and sufferings of our Saviour issued onely from these two causes First from the wrath of God comming upon him for our sinnes Secondly our Saviour did willingly according to the agreement made betweene him and the Father put himselfe under the wrath of the Father he laid his head upon the blocke and upon the anvill under the blow of divine Justice Now it is not the wrath of God alone nor the willingnesse of Christ alone but from the wrath of God comming upon him and his willingnesse in submitting to the wrath of God for Justice saith if these bee saved thou must suffer and Christ saith I am contented I will yet so farre as I see fit and may be for my honour this shewes that he did it willingly Therefore hee was a cause by counsell and a voluntary disposer of his owne worke therefore he might either satisfie justice by bearing the whole wrath of God or else he might take a breathing while as he saw fit so that howsoever you frame the objection yet the answer is cleere for when a man hath taken worke to doe by the great hee may goe to his worke or he may leave his worke provided that he doe performe it according to bargaine or a man may speake if he will or else if he will he may keep silence so Christ undertooke to suffer for us but provided when hee would and as he would Matthew 26.37 He began to wax sorrowfull that is hee did it freely hee entred into the combat of Gods displeasure he undertooke it when he would and as much at once as he would provided that hee did pay and suffer all for the curse doth not require that Christ should suffer all at once but onely that he should satisfie the justice of God againe the humane nature of Christ could not so well beare all the wrath of God at once therefore he tooke it at three
hell and condemnation every beleeving soule of you Do not think that God will passe by poore little ones no he will not lose one of you but he will in his appointed time helpe and deliver you therfore be not troubled not dismaied but resolve of this and say I shall bee delivered therefore let my soule be for ever cheared what would you have and what doe you feare Is it your sinnes doe you think that they beare you an old grudge and they will bee clamouring up to heaven against you and complaining of you at the throne of grace doe you feare them so you may justly because of that secret sliding off from the truth Oh saist thou my errand is done in heaven before this time and my sins knocke at heaven gates and say Justice Lord I have taken them in their sinnes and therefore as thou art a God of justice execute justice upon a rebellious soule Now therefore remember that Jesus Christ hath suffered he hath taken thy sinnes upon him and hath suffered the punishments of them 1 Iohn 2.1 Little children sinne not at all It were to be wished that a man might be alwayes humble and poore in spirit and doe all good against the evill done to him and it were to be wished that a man could walke exactly before God but it is not possible so long as we have this body of death it will shew it selfe but if we doe sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the just he is gone to heaven to tell the Father that all is fully answered and he saith Father save all those poore soules whom thou hast given mee I have paid all and answered all for them and therefore Father I will that all that thou hast given mee may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory thus he plead for he doth not plead as we doe but he saith Father I will now if there be any crie against the soule by reason of sinne Christ stops it sinne pleads and Christ pleads and who will prevaile thinke you therefore be not discouraged we have an Advocate with the Father the sinnes of your dreames this last night they have done your errands in heaven before you did awake but let them plead what they can wee have an Advocate with the Father in Heaven and he pleads our cause in heaven and he will prevail in whatsoever he pleads for he will be heard all the pleas of sin shal be fully answered Heb. 12.22 23 24. ye are not come to the mount that might not be touched nor unto burning fire c. But ye are come unto the mount Zion to the citie of the living God and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Iesus Christ the Mediatour of the new Testament and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel what did the blood of Abel speake see that in Gen. 3.9 10. where is Abel thy brother said the Lord and he answered I cannot tell am I my brothers keeper Oh thou wretch saith the Lord the voyce of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the earth for vengeance against thee thus all our sinnes doe speake but there are some sinnes that crie and say Lord this soule is taken to bee a Christian and a Professer and one that hath some grace but Lord against knowledge and conscience and the directions of the Ministers hee hath sinned thus and this therefore good Lord execute judgement upon him but now here is your comfort you poore Saints I confesse these wretched corruptions of your hearts play the backe friends with you many times but we have the blood of Christ that cries for mercy and pardon and refreshing and forgivenesse sinne pleads and saith Lord doe me justice against such a soule but the blood of Christ saith I am abased and humbled and I have answered all Christ shall be heard and if he plead the cause the day is certainly yours and hee pleads without any fees and his blood speaketh on your behalfe and your sinnes shall never be heard against you but what sticks upon your stomackes Object Oh you have heard that the Lord is a just God hee is so hee is holy and blessed and of pure eyes that cannot endure to behold any polluted or uncleane thing and if God be strict to marke what is done amisse who can abide it Oh then say you you have these sinnes and corruptions and God is pure and you are polluted and you have many secret windings and turnings and devices and you say God knowes all the crevices of my heart and sees all the frame of my soule and if the Lord marke what is done amisse nay hee will marke what is done amisse Who then shall be able to stand How shall I be able to answer it especially considering that Satan saith I have sinned and why should I not be cast out as well as others have beene cast out that have sinned Lord execute justice upon them as they have deserved how shall wee helpe ourselves herein yes admirably for then the blood of Christ comes in and that satisfies all Gal. 5.22.23 The fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse temperance faith against such there is no law so it is here there is no law nor no condemnation to beleevers truly penitent for their sins there is no punishment to them nor no wrath to execute judgement upon them because the debt is paid and the Lord is just and cannot and righteous and will not doe it but saith the Devill thou hast sinned and why shalt thou not bee condemned for it but saith justice hold thy tongue Satan for there is no law against them that repent what troubles you now Answer Why the very truth is the thoughts of Hell astonish my heart me thinkes I see a little peep-hole downe into hell and the devils roaring there being reserved in chaines under darknesse untill the judgement of the great day and me thinkes I see the damned flaming and Iudas and all the wicked of the world and they of Sodome and Gomorah there they lie roaring and damnation takes hold upon them and the wrath of God finks them downe to hell Now I have sinned and therefore why should not I be damned and why should not the wrath of God bee executed against mee I answer the death of Christ acquits thee of all and although the wrath of God be of admirable power and force yet you shall bee acquitted by the death of the Lord Jesus Revelations 20. â—â— Blessed and holy is he that hath a part in the first resurrection for on such the second death shall have no power that is wicked men and the ruffians of the world that scorne all commands and despise all the ordinances of God and the lawes of men and neither of them can take place in their hearts they breake all bonds and cast away all commands and the