improvement of it Was Christ sent and did God thus send him what doth this great act of God call for from us I 'le tell you in a few things 1. It calls upon us greatly to admire God Use 1. God to be admired for his sending of Christ O how should all our souls be drawn forth and elevated in the adoring of God for his sending of Christ What rich Mines of Grace have we in these few words God sent his own Son Here 's the greatest thing that ever God did or ever will do 't was much that he should make a World but what 's the making of a World to the sending of a Son The Apostle in the Text seems to ascend step by step and to crowd together variety of great and glorious things that he might the more heighten God's Love and draw up the hearts of Believers to the admiration of it For 1. here is Sending 2. God sending 3. God sending a Son 4. His own Son 5. The sending of this Son in our flesh Yea 6. in the likeness of sinful flesh Yea 7. in that Flesh to offer up himself as a Sacrifice for sin 8. Doing this for this End that sin might be condemned and that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us 9. Doing this too when the Sinners Case was desperate as to the Law is not here maguum in parvo and doth not the Apostle thrust things together heaping one thing upon another that he might the better set off and aggrandize the Love of God There 's enough in any One of them to make you stand and wonder but when you have them conjunct and all set before you in their proper emphasis and import how should you be affected and wrought upon to admire the Grace of God! The truth is take all together and you have here a representation of that Low Mercy Goodness which was too great and bigg for any but a God If you read no further than the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh there man is utterly lost but if you go on to God 's sending of his Son c. there the day of Salvation begins to dawn there 's an effectual remedy for a desperate malady now the case is altered O let the blessed God be therefore for ever magnify'd and adored 2. More particularly The Love of God the Father to be admired this calls upon you to admire the Love of God the Father and alwayes to entertain good thoughts of him they are distinct Heads however let me put them together I would not too curiously divide or distinguish betwixt the Sacred Persons in their several Acts much less would I set them in competition or prefer one before another as if we were more beholden to the One than to the Other As they center in the same common Essence 't is the same Love and the same gracious actings in all but yet they being personally distinct and they having those acts which are proper to them as so distinguished so they have their special and peculiar Love And 't is very good for us to understand what is immediately done by the Father what by the Son what by the Spirit which we must the rather endeavour after because the Scripture usually I do not say alwayes apply's this effect to the First that to the Second and another to the Third Person I am at present only to speak to the acts of the Father wherein he hath display'd that Love which is proper to him which if you please to look into as the Scripture sets them forth you will find your selves under a strong obligation to admire him as personally so considered For 'pray observe who did from all eternity predestinate elect choose you was it not God the Father Predestinating Love is the Father's Love Eph. 1.3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world c. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will After this came Redeeming Love and had the Father no hand in that Love nay had not He the first and the chief hand therein For did not he find out the ransom Job 33.24 I have found a ransom did not he contrive and lay the whole model and platform of Redemption in his eternal purpose and ordination therefore 't is said Isa 53.10 The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand that great Work resolves it self into the Will and pleasure of the Father as the first and principal Cause of it Christ as Mediator is brought in but as subordinate to him as being but the ministerial and executive agent in redemption for 't is but in his hands that the pleasure of the Lord should prosper Who chose sent called Christ to that Work and fitted him for it but the Father as you have heard So also who assisted and strengthened him in it but the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold of which upholding and strengthening Grace by the Father Christ assured himself beforehand as you read Isa 50. 7 9. and it was accordingly made good to him as you read Matth. 4.11 Luke 22.43 Then again who rewarded Christ when he had finished his Work but the Father therefore to him Christ pray'd for this Joh. 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And now Christ hath made the purchase who doth authoritatively collate upon persons the blessings purchased but the Father Rom. 8.33 It is God that justifieth 2 Cor. 5.18 All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ c. Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Who is it that works in Sinners their meetness for heaven but the Father Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Who is it that reveals the great mysteries of the Gospel but the Father Matth. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Who bestows and gives the Spirit but the Father Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth And to shut up this who secures and keeps in a state of grace but the Father Joh. 10.29 My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's band Now Christians may
Grace here they lye open before them Paul in it speaks much of the blessed Spirit and surely he was more than ordinarily * Est Caput aureum inter omnia hujus Epistolae illustrissimum in quo cum de Spirtûs muneribus disserere statuisset Apostolus Spiritus ipse Divinus pleno numine in ejus pectus illapsus videtur cujus ideo suavitate fragrantiâ singulis Verbis redolet charismatibusque diffluit exundat Soto full of this Spirit in the penning of it Blessed be God for every part and parcel of Holy Writ and in special blessed be God for this Eighth Chapter to the Romans O 't is pitty that it is not better understood through the dimness of our light nor better improv'd through the weakness of our Faith May I in my poor endeavours be instrumental but in the least to further these two in any I hope I shall own it as an abundant recompence for all my pains As to the Scope and principal Matter of it 't is Consolatory there 's a vein of heavenly Comfort running through the whole Body of it Of its main Scope with this it begins with this it ends for it begins with No Condemnation v. 1. and ends with No Separation from the Love of God v. 38 39 and all the intermediate parts do exactly correspond with these extreams The truth is the sincere Christian here treads upon nothing but Roses and Violets there 's nothing but Hony to be found in this Hive here 's Balm in every Line for the healing of the wounded Spirit Let such as are in Christ for that 's the foundation of all study weigh digest believe apply what is laid down in this Chapter and let them walk dejectedly if they can The Division of it into its Parts Divines who write upon it commonly divide it into Three Parts The First contains in it excellent supports and comforts for the people of God as burdened under the reliques and remainders of Sin and this reaches from the 1 v. to the 17 The Second contains in it further supports and comforts in reference to the Sufferings Afflictions which here are incident to the Godly this reaches from the 17 v. to the 31 The Third contains in it those high and holy Triumphs which the Apostle in his own person and in the person of all Believers makes over both Sin and Suffering which reaches from the 31 v. to the end In this threefold channel the Comforts of the whole Chapter run this Division of it I shall follow and accordingly divide my ensuing Discourse into Three Parts For the First the supporting and comforting the Saints as burdened under the reliques of sin the Apostle begins with that because he very well knew that sin to such is their greatest burden O nothing lies so sad and heavy upon their Spirits as this It was so with Paul himself as you see Chapt. 7. and it is so too with all that are gracious they having the same Spirit which he had All Pauls afflictions without though they were very many and very sharp see his Catalogue of them 2 Cor. 11.23 c. were nothing to his Corruptions within the former never made him cry out * Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am as the latter did O this Sin went to the heart of him and almost overwhelmed him And so proportionably it is with all who belong to God For this reason therefore when the Apostle would comfort himself and others he first applies his Discourse to that which might give ease as to what was and is most burdensome In order to which he First lays down a notable Faith-supporting and Soul-reviving Proposition The main Proposition then Secondly he amplifies and enlarges upon that Proposition which he doth chiefly with respect to the description of the Subject of it And all that is contain'd in this First Part of the Chapter will fall either under the one or the other of these two Heads The Proposition it self is this There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus c. In which the Illative Therefore shows that the Words are an Inference or Conclusion drawn from what went before Take but that away though we must not so easily part with it and they fall into a Formal Thesis or Categorical Proposition There is no Condemnation c. I will by and by give you the force and strength of the Illation and show what 't is grounded upon but at present we are only to consider the Position it self No Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus O great and blessed words How appositely fully and convincingly doth Paul speak to the thing in hand What a Basis and Foundation doth he here lay for Faith to build upon Is the gracious heart burd'ned under the remainders of Sin what could be spoken more proper more effectual for its relief then to assure it that though there may be much Corruption yet there is no Condemnation No Condemnation to them which are in Christ what a magnificent Conclusion what a Faith-strengthening and heart-chearing consideration is this Here 's Dainties and Cordials at the very first no sooner doth the Apostle launch out but immediately he is in the great deeps of the Grace of God and of the happiness of Believers A great change in Paul By the way I cannot but observe how the case is altered and mended with him View him in the foregoing Chapter there you find him pensive sad cast down under the sense of sin making sad complaints that he * Rom. 7.14 18 15. carnal sold under sin that in him viz. in his Flesh there dwelt no good thing that the good he would he did not the evil he would not that he did many such indictments he there draws up against himself and thus it was with him in that Chapter But now follow him to this here he 's another man he speaks at another rate now you have him rejoycing yea triumphing over sin and all From the depth of sorrow he 's got up to the highest pinacle of divine joy that eye which but just now was fixed upon his own vileness is now fixed upon his great blessedness in and through Christ And indeed usually 't is so with others too after Conviction comes Consolation a deep sense of sin attended with brokenness of heart for it doth commonly usher in the highest peace and comfort to the Soul After the dark night the day dawns when the true Poenitent hath been most abased and cast down then comes exalting and lifting up see Job 22.29 There is in this respect post nubila Phoebus a bright Sun after the thick Cloud or a * Psal 126.5 reaping in joy after a sowing in Tears Penitential sorrow is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysost expresses it the Mother the Precursor of inward joy God will heal where he thus wound * Psal 147.3 he healeth the broken in
reason or proof of the Thing spoken of The Expression as shall be hereafter opened notes that near and intimate union which is betwixt Christ and Believers Now shall there be Condemnation where there is such an Vnion what in Christ and yet under Condemnation those that are so near to Christ here shall they be set at an eternal distance from him hereafter will the head be so severed from his members when Christ is in Heaven shall a part of him lie in Hell O no! a limb of Christ shall not perish Besides upon this union there is interest in all that Christ hath done and suffered he that is in Christ hath a right to all of Christ the Obedience Righteousness Merits Satisfaction the Life Death Resurrection Intercession of Christ all are his who is in Christ It being so how can this person miscarry The Apostle upon this triumphs over Condemnation v. 34 Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us What there is in each of these Heads the Death Resurrection Exaltation Intercession of Christ to secure those who are in him from Condemnation shall in due time if God please be fully made out but that is not now to be done Only for the further confirming of the Truth in hand let me a little descant upon the Question which the Apostle here doth so triumphantly propound Who is he that condemneth He seems to challenge all inferiour Accusers and bid them do their worst he hangs out a Flag of Defiance to all who saith he will attempt or in case they should attempt would be able to carry on such a thing as the condemning of those who are in Christ For God himself who must be spoken of with all reverence he will not for he justifies and he cannot justifie and condemn too his justice is satisfied he hath declared that he hath accepted of Christs satisfaction made in the sinners stead and he will not be satisfied and yet condemn Then to be sure Christ will not for his great design was to prevent and keep off this Condemnation this was the very thing which he had in his eye in his great and most blessed undertaking he 's so far from doing this himself that he will not suffer it to be done by any other Come to sin that shall not for that is pardoned expiated by the blood of Christ that is condemned it self Rom. 8.3 and a condemned thing shall never be a condemning thing The Law cannot for that is fulfilled by the Surety and that is appealed from as not a proper judge and Believers are not under it i. e. as to its vis damnatrix but under Grace Rom. 6.14 The Gospel too will not because its conditions are performed though imperfectly yet sincerely which it accepts of It appears then by this Induction that there is there shall be no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus So much for the Proofs or Grounds of the Truth in hand Observe that I have onely instanced in those which the Text leads me to for divers others might have been produced as Gods eternal electing Love the Covenant of Grace the earnest of the Spirit c. but these I pass by Nothing remains but the Application VSE 1. The misery of all out of Christ And First This proclaims the misery of all who are not in Christ Jesus The Cloud is not so bright towards Israel but 't is as dark towards the Aegyptians the Point is not so full of Comfort to Believers but 't is as full of Terrour to Unbelievers Here 's the very marrow and sweetness of the Gospel for the one and yet withall here 's the bitterest Gall and Wormwood of the Law for the other There 's no Condemnation to them who are in Christ what more sweet but there 's nothing but Condemnation to them who are out of Christ what more dreadful Art thou a Christless graceless unbelieving impenitent person do not deceive thy self this exemption from Condemnation belongs not to thee The Apostle doth not say there is no Condemnation and so break off but that none may flatter themselves and presumptuously apply that to themselves which belongs not to them he puts down the Subject which onely is concerned in the Priviledge Oh! you who are out of Christ know it and be assured of it there is Condemnation to you you are condemned * Joh. 3.18 already in the Sentence of the Law and it will not be long before you be actually solemnly condemned by the Sentence of the Judge so many Unbelievers so many condemned persons And if so is it nothing to you to be condemned what a dreadful word is Condemnation how should we all fear and tremble at the hearing of it All the evils of the present life are a meer nothing meer trifles to this put all afflictions calamities miseries together one Condemnation out-weighs them all Sickness pain poverty sufferings all are light inconsiderable things in comparison of this I cannot but stand and wonder and be filled even with amazement at the woeful stupidity and security of Sinners out of Christ the Condemnation of God hangs over them wherever they are or go they are no better than condemned men and yet how merry jovial unconcerned are they Good God what shall we say to this Amongst us what a sad spectacle is it to see a poor Malefactor that is condemned by man and to be executed within a few days altogether unaffected with his condition he spends that span of time which he hath to live in feasting drinking trimming and dressing of himself and considers not that he is a condemned man and must dye within a day or two Ah Sinners this is your State nay yours is much worse for you are under a far worser Condemnation even the Condemnation of the great God and that too to dye eternally And yet how do you carry it you please the flesh take your fill of sensual pleasures you * Amos 6.5 6. chant to the sound of the Viol drink wine in bowls live a merry life nothing troubles you no though the dreadful Sentence of God be pass'd upon you and is ready to be executed every moment yet all is well in your thoughts what prodigious security is this * Dan. 5.5 6. Belshazzar in his cups and height of mirth when he saw the hand writing upon the wall this made him tremble Sinner thou art at ease sporting thy self in thy worldly delights look but into the Word there 's a dreadful hand-writing against thee there 's Condemnation written over and over in broad and legible characters as thy portion wilt not thou fear Surely 't is sad dancing over the mouth of Hell there 's but a breath betwixt thee and everlasting flames and yet art thou secure is eternal misery a thing to be dallied with or slighted If men were not down-right
also so to walk even as he walked Many will be saying they are in Christ pretending to Union with him I but do they walk as he walked do they live the Life of Jesus do they conform to his example He that doth not thus do he may say he abides in Christ but he doth but say so 't is not so in truth and reality 3. Take but one place more Joh. 15.2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit As this Text holds forth a twofold Vnion 'twixt Christ and men so it was spoke to but even now I am only now to consider it as it may be improv'd for tryal Some are in Christ but 't is not by real insition but only by external profession and Church-membership which will avail them but little for notwithstanding this they are cast forth as dead branches and gathered and cast into the fire and burnt as you see ver 6. and all this befalls them because they bear no fruit Others are in Christ in a saving and special way which is the thing to be enquired after For the finding out of which let me ask you what fruit doth grow upon you are you so in Christ as to be fruitful then you are in Christ indeed He will have no dead barren branches in him for that would reflect dishonour upon the Root All who are united to him shall bring forth fruit * Joh. 15.5.8 much fruit good fruit fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 fruits of righteousness Phil. 1.11 fruitfulness in every good work Col. 1.10 And if so O how many empty barren professors are declared to be out of Christ by this Evidence Thus I have shown both from the double bond of the Vnion and also from some notable trying Scriptures how you may know whether you be really internally specially in Christ Jesus so as that you may with well-grounded confidence lay hold upon the Non-Condemnation here pronounced to such So much for the first Vse VSE 2. Exhortation to get this Vnion with Christ The Second shall be to exhort you all to endeavour to get into Christ O that you would with the greatest diligence make out after this blessed Union What can be so desirable as it what so worthy of your endeavours as to be one with Christ to have a Soul so nearly so inseperably knit to him what a great thing is this It was exceeding high in Paul's eye * Philip. 3.8 9. who counted all things but loss for Christ c. wherein why that he might be found in Christ i. e. be in him as his Head Root Surety City of Refuge c. for the expression admits of these several illustrations though I think the last is most proper Now did he thus highly esteem and value this being in Christ and shall we slight and make little of it Surely my Brethren 't is better not to be at all then to be and yet not to be in Christ better no Union 'twixt Soul and Body then to have that and yet no Union of the Soul with Christ Here 's No Condemnation but for whom only for them who are in Christ to such there 's no condemnation to others there 's nothing but condemnation as hath been often said doth it not highly concern all therefore to endeavour to be one of them who are in Christ To enforce the Exhortation I 'le give you but one Motive but that will be a very comprehensive and considerable one 'T is this Union with Christ is the foundation of all Good by and from Christ 'T is the fundamental blessing I mean with respect to application there can be no application of what Christ hath purchased without antecedent Vnion with his Person 't is the very basis upon which all is built the leading blessing the inlet to all the grace of the Gospel the ground of all communion and communication Ah Sinner thou canst hope for nothing from Christ unless thou beest in Christ without Christ and without hope go together Eph. 2.12 I say Vnion is the foundation of all Communion So 't is in Nature so 't is in Grace too * 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption mark it 't is first in Christ Jesus and then he is wisdom righteousness c. As it was with Christ in his Manhood first that did participate of the Gratia Vnionis in its being united to the Godhead and then after this all other grace was poured out upon it So 't is with the believing Soul 't is first taken into Union with Christ and then upon that all blessings priviledges benefits are conveyed to it You know the member receives nothing from the head unless it be united to it so 't is with the branches in reference to the root and so here without union with Christ there 's no justification no pardon no reconciliation no adoption no salvation by him for 't is a most certain truth omnis communio fundatur in unione If you be one with Christ and in him all is yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's Here 's a vast propriety and possession but 't is all founded upon Vnion we being Christ's so God is ours the promises are ours heaven is ours life death c. all is ours As the Wife upon the conjugal Vnion hath a right and title to all that her Husband hath so as that she may say Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia a proverbial speech used among the Romans at their Marriages so the Believer being joyned and married to Christ all that Christ is or hath becomes his but without this Union there 's nothing to be expected by him or from him It pleases God to deal altogether with men according to their union and according to the head which bears them now there are two publick Heads to one of which every man and woman in the world doth belong these are the two Adams of whom you read 1 Cor. 15.45 There 's the first Adam and all the unregenerate Seed are united to him as their head and upon their union with this head they derive nothing but guilt and wrath and condemnation Then there 's the second Adam Christ Jesus and all the regenerate Seed are united to him as their head and he by vertue of union also communicates pardon of sin peace with God justification eternal life c. Both of these Adams and publick Heads proceed by the Law and upon the terms of Vnion for * Sicut per peccatum Adami non potuissemus peccatores fieri nisi fuissemus in ejus lu â—bis ita per justitiam Christi non-possâ—mus
14. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish c. they shall bring forth fruit c. O how fruitful should they be who are planted in the Lord himself Saints upon their being One with Christ should be one amongst themselves 9. Such as are one with Christ should be one amongst themselves Saints are under a double Vnion One with Christ and One amongst themselves and the Latter is as real as the Former and purchased by Christ as well as the former for the proof of which read and weigh Eph. 2.14 c. The members in the body natural as they are united to the head so they are also united each to the other and so 't is here O that this Vnion amongst Saints was more conspicuous and evident But with grief of heart be it spoken little is to be seen of that whilst much of that which is opposite to it is every where too apparent what schismes rents divisions are there to be found even amongst them is not this spoken of in Gath are not the great Enemies of Christianity too well acquainted with it Now what a sad thing is this that when they are all one in Christ Jesus as 't is Gal. 3.28 there should yet be such divisions fractions and distances amongst themselves Some Divines make this to be the matter of Christ's prayer Joh. 17. where he pray'd that all Believers might be one as the Father and he were one i. e. that they might be One in Vnity and Concord amongst themselves Which interpretation though the higher Vnion must by no means be excluded is very probable from the Argument with which Christ twice backs his prayer That the world may believe that thou hast sent me It must therefore be some external and visible Vnion of which the world in order to this conviction might take notice which the Saints Mystical Vnion with Christ is not but their Vnion or Unity amongst themselves is And it appears that upon this very prayer of Christ there was a little after great unity and concord amongst the primitive Christians Act. 2.46 And they continuing daily with one accord c. Act. 4.32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul c. just as Christ had prayed And O that the virtue of this prayer might reach us also at this time for surely our divisions are so many and so great our breaches so wide that I think nothing can or will unite us but the alone efficacy of Christ's intercession A stronger motive to Vnity cannot be set before the people of God than that which I am upon they who are so joyn'd to Christ should not be disjoyn'd amongst themselves as they have but one head and are all members of the same body so they should have but * Jer. 32.39 Believers upon this Vnion should know Christ better than others do one heart and one way 10. Are you in Christ You should then be well acquainted with him so as to attain to a considerable degree of the knowledge of him Others who are afar off from him may be ignorant of him but you who are so nigh to him should know him well He told his Disciples that he would * Joh. 14.16 17. pray the Father and he would give them the Comforter c. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This was spoken of the Saints knowledge of the Spirit but it holds true as to the knowledge of Christ himself the world knows him not but Believers know him how doth that come to pass why from this for he dwells in them and is in them and they in him O how should the consideration of this Union excite you to labour after a clearer knowledge of the Lord Jesus Persons we live with we know them fully Christ lives in you and you in him what a shame will it be if you do not so far as your capacity will admit of know him distinctly Surely saith Jacob * Gen. 28.16 the Lord was in this place and I knew it not whoever thou art if thou beest a gracious person surely the Lord is in thee and thou in him and yet thou neither knowest thy Vnion nor the Person to whom thou art united 'Pray let this put you upon the daily diligent studying of Christ that you may arrive at higher knowledge of him * Job 22.21 acquaint your selves with him and do it thoroughly upon the intimateness of the Vnion there should be intimateness of acquaintance Hitherto I have been speaking to such who are in Christ VSE 5. Comfort to them who are in Christ by way of Exhortation I shall now further speak to them by way of Consolation And you that are such O rejoyce and be exceeding glad let your hearts be even filled with joy what abundance of comfort is there wrapt up for you in this your union with Christ 't is a flower out of which all sincere Christians may suck a great deal of Evangelical sweetness For the setting forth of which let me go further than that special-priviledge which the Text holds forth As this speaks the dignity of their Persons 1. Are you in Christ Jesus this speaks the excellency and dignity of your persons How great and honourable must they needs be who are thus nearly united to so glorious a Person as Christ the Mediator the eternal Son of God! * Psal 149.9 this honour have all the Saints 'T is no great matter what the world says or thinks of you Men vilifie you and look upon you as the very scum and filth of the earth so they did long ago to far your betters 1 Cor. 4.13 The precious sons of Zion comparable to fine Gold how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers Lam. 4.2 And 't is no great matter what your outward condition is in the world that may be mean and inglorious enough I say these are things not much to be regarded so long as you are the members of Christ you being so what a glory and greatness must this needs reflect upon you Mark that expression Joh. 17.22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given them what glory doth Christ speak of it follows that they may be one even as we are one this is glory indeed 'T is a great honour to be a member of the Church so the good Emperour Theodosius judged of it who preferr'd his being a member of the Church before his being Emperour of the World but 't is a far greater honour to be a member of Christ 'T is an high expression concerning Israel that they were a people near to God Psal 148.14 You Believers are near to God indeed for you have not only communion with him who is God but union also you are one with the Father and one with the Son you must
with respect to the Non-condemnation and also to the Being in Christ This Clause is descriptive of the persons who have an interest or share in that which goes before and so 't is an evidence or description either with respect to the No-condemnation or to the being in Christ There is therefore now no condemnation to whom why to them who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Wherever there is an holy conversation in this life there shall be no condemnation in the life to come and so vice versâ Or it refers to the other branch immediately foregoing to them that are in Christ Jesus who are they or how may they be known the Apostle thus characterizeth them they are such who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit An holy spiritual course is an infallible evidence and inseparable concomitant of Vnion with Christ These two may reciprocally be predicated each of the other thus they who are in Christ walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and They who thus walk are in Christ You may take the Words in which of these two references you please but their immediate conjunction seems to carry it for the latter they being link'd and coupled with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that are in Christ Jesus but both may very well be taken in Which way soever we take it certainly there is as to both a restriction and limitation in the Words the Non-condemnation and the Vnion belong onely to those who walk not after the Flesh c. Yea they are conditional as to the priviledge even to them who are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation to such provided or upon this condition that they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and so the * Non est igitur ulla damnatio eis qui sunt in fide Jesu Christi dummodò se exerceant non in his quae propria sunt carnis sed in his quae propria sunt Spiritus Vers Arab. Arabick Version paraphraseth upon them Why the Apostle singles out this Character The Apostle designing to describe such who are freed from condemnation or such who are in Christ he pitches upon that evidence and character which is plain and obvious and not upon that which might have been more dark obscure and hard to be understood He grounds it upon the course of a man's life and conversation and what may better be known than that He does not lay it upon Election or the secret Decree of God and say there is no condemnation to them whom God hath * Eph. 1.4 chosen before the foundation of the world to them whom God hath * Act. 13.48 ordained to eternal life whose names are * Rev. 13.8 written in the book of life though that be a very great truth but because persons possibly herein might not be so well able to judge of themselves therefore he saith there is no condemnation to them who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit This walking is a thing that is manifest and easie to be known I cannot so easily find out my Election for that lies deep and hid as I can my Conversation which in a great measure is expos'd to the view of others much more to my own And whereas the Apostle had been speaking of Vnion with Christ that being a great mystery and men might not so well know how to judge of themselves concerning it therefore he comes to that which would fully and plainly open it to them He saith whoever they be who are in Christ this is the course they take they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit They that can find which upon faithful searching may easily be found that they do not live the carnal and sensual life but the holy and spiritual life though this being in Christ be a great mystery in it self yet this walking will clear it up to them so far as their interest in it is concern'd that they are indeed in Christ What Walking imports Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit 'T is a very usual Metaphor in Scripture to set forth the course of life by walking * Gen. 5.24 Enoch walked with God c. i. e. the course of his life was holy * Gen. 17.1 I am God Allfufficient walk before me and be perfect * Luk. 1.6 Zachary and Elizabeth were righteous walking in all the commandements and ordinances of God blameless with very many such places That which in this Verse is called walking after the flesh in the 12 and 13 Verses 't is called living after the flesh I might in several particulars shew you the aptness of this Metaphor how proper it is to set forth the course of life but I will not stay upon that This branch of the Text leads me to that Second Observation which I raised from the whole Verse at my entrance upon it namely That such who are in Christ and thereby freed from Condemnation 2 Observ this is their property or course they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit In the discussing of which my main work will be to open the twofold Walking here mentioned Yet before I fall upon that let me take notice of Seven or Eight things which lie very plainly before us in the Words Eight things premisâ—d for the clearing up of the Words and of the Observation 1. The Apostle does not say There is therefore now no condemnation to them in whom there is no Flesh or to them who have no Flesh in them but he saith to them who walk not after the Flesh Alas if the Former should be the description and character of justified persons and of such who are in Christ then none would be justified or in Christ there would not be so much as any one person in the world exempted from condemnation or united to Christ for there 's not a man upon the earth I except not * Rom. 3.10 one in whom there is not more or less of this Flesh The very best of Saints in their lower state are not wholly freed from it the most spiritual whilst here below are but mixt imperfect creatures made up partly of Flesh and partly of Spirit so 't is in the natural and so 't is in the moral notion also Paul himself lay under a sad sense of this as you see Rom. 7.14 25 'T is most truly said by (a) Elton upon the Text. One upon the words Perfect sanctification is the rule that is to be laid to the Saints in heaven not to those that are upon the face of the earth And 't is a saying of Bernard Velis nolis intra fines tuos habitabit Jebusaeus the poor burdened Christian whether he will or no shall have the Jebusite the Flesh dwelling in him Men before conversion are entirely Flesh but they are not after conversion entirely Spirit The Apostle here saith There is now
it bringeth forth Sin now Sin must be taken at the first conception as soon as the temptation offers it self and begins to allure and tickle by something that it presents so that the Heart inclines to a closure with it now fall on presently and parlie no longer This brat of Babylon must be dasht in pieces in its very infancy 't is good to kill the Cockatrice in the very egg to quench the fire at the first smotherings of it within or else it will quickly flame forth in the life even to the making the conversation carnal Be very watchful over the initial suggestions of the Flesh and fall upon the timely exercise of mortification upon the first motions of sin say Sathan Flesh * Mat. 16.23 get thee behind me thou art an offence to me But I must not further expatiate upon these things So much for the disuasive part of this Vse against walking after the flesh 2 Branch of the Vse to exhort to Walking after the Spirit I go on to the persuasive part wherein I would most earnestly exhort you to walk after the Spirit I will be but short upon this because that which I have already spoken hath a great tendency to the promoting of it for the truth is whilst I have been disuading you from walking after the Flesh I have in effect been persuading you to walk after the Spirit in beating you off from that I have been drawing you on to this You have heard what it is so to walk what now remains but that you would all endeavour to put it in practise and O that this might be your way and course Let others live as they please let it be your fixed resolution that you will live the holy spiritual heavenly life True there are but few who do thus walk the World is but a great Exchange wherein the Spirits Walk is very thin whilst the Fleshes Walk is full and crowded but 't is better to be with the Few in the way of the Spirit than with the Many in the way of the Flesh And I desire you to lay it to heart have not you your selves too long walked after the flesh is it not high time for you to think of another Course 1 Pet. 4.3 The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine c. When will ye walk in newness of life as the expression is Rom. 6.4 when shall the renewing and the renewed Spirit command govern act guide you in your whole conversation when will you so walk that you your selves and others too may know by the spiritualness of your deportment that you are indeed in Christ Jesus * The exhortation to walking after the Spirit pressed by some Motives Here consider in opposition to what was said of the former walking but three things 1. This is excellent Walking The spiritual life is the excellent life * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. lib. 10. cap. 7. this speaks somewhat more than what is of man there is something divine and supernatural in it To be acted by to live under the conduct and guidance of the blessed Spirit to have affections propensions ends all holy this is truely great This is the Life which is most agreeable to the humane Nature not onely as consider'd in its primitive unstained glory and excellency but as 't is now under its sad ruins and decays O how unbecoming how ill doth a vitious Conversation comport even with that Reason natural Light and those broken excellencies which are yet left in Man Man is not so low but that by complying with sensual Lusts he yet acts below himself nay so far as he puts on the Sinner he puts off the Man where he un-Saints himself he un-Mans himself Sensuality and wickedness carry in them a contradiction to his very Being nothing so well suits with that as a pious religious heavenly course Further the fleshly life is a base sordid life but the spiritual life is a raised noble life So much as the Spirit is above the Flesh the Soul above the Body so much is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist ibid. p. 138. spiritual life above the sensual or carnal life The life which I am urging upon you is the very life of God himself for the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.18 of some mens being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them by which life of God he means in part the holiness of God or that holy life which God lives the holy liver then he not being alienated from Gods holiness lives the life of God he acts in * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Thaeaet conformity though under a vast disproportion to the great God must there not then needs be unspeakable glory and excellency in Spiritual Walking The more one lives the fleshly life the more he resembles the Beast the more one lives the spiritual life the more he resembles God the Creature is not so much debased and depressed by the One but he-is as much advanc'd and dignified by the Other Saints may be censured and misjudged by the world but in truth they come the nearest and are most like to God that they might be judged according to men in the Flesh but live according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 I do but allude to these words for I know in their first and proper sense they point to another thing than that which I cite them for Gods people are judged as if they lived according to men walking in or after the Flesh as others do but 't is not so they walk in or after the Spirit and so live according to God what a great thing is this for poor creatures to live according to God! who would not so live And this too is the Life of the blessed ones in Heaven take the glorified Saints how do they walk not after the Flesh I assure you for they have no such Flesh to walk after they are wholly freed from the sinning and sinful Nature are perfectly renewed and sanctified and accordingly they act All in them or from them is divine and spiritual there 's nothing that they do but what flows from a gracious principle all their thoughts and affections are swallowed up in God their love joy delight are unmixtly spiritual the pleasures of the Flesh are nothing to them they have not the least inclination to the least evil the great thing they mind and rejoyce in is the Glory of God O what an holy spiritual life do the Saints live in heaven Must not the same life then needs be excellent in the Saints here so far forth as they can reach it in their imperfect state Surely none can undervalue or think low of it but onely they who are altogether ignorant of and strangers to it A Child of God would not for a thousand worlds live any other
to God daily for help against it well God will not lay particular failings thus circumstantiated to your charge The Damsel under the Law that was ravished if she cry'd out for help and did not consent to the fact was to be acquitted Deut. 22.25 so you do to God under the assaults of the Flesh and so God will do to you True sin is sin though it hath not full and deliberate consent but God is so gracious that where that is not he will not impute it I have also told you that you must distinguish betwixt (c) Non dicitur vivere secâ—ndum Carnem qui Spiritum ducem sequitur etiamsi aliquando extra viam vestigium ponat Justin lapses into sin and walking in sin thou sometimes fallest by the Flesh but yet thou doest not walk after the Flesh where the fleshly act especially if it be gross is not repeated where the Soul resists it where there is a rising again by repentance deep humiliation for for what is past and all diligent circumspection and stedfast resolation in God's strength for the time to come there 't is but a lapse and not a walking This I hope is your case and if so then what you alledge against your selves will not amount to make you walkers after the Flesh And as to the positive part the walking after the Spirit though you come short as to degrees and are not so rais'd in the spiritual life as you ought yet in such a measure which God accepts you do live it The Spirit is your Principle your Guide spiritual objects have your affections the Heart inclines and bends chiefly to that which is good your great end is to enjoy and glorifie God O be of good comfort this is walking after the Spirit You are imperfect in it yet sincere you aim at more than what you can as yet arrive at God accepts of you and will deal with you as persons really ingrafted into Christ your holy walking discovers your Vnion and your Vnion secures your Non-condemnation What have you to do but to beg of God that he will yet guide you and more and more fix and stablish you in this your spiritual walking He that knows the goodness of your Way knows also the weakness of your Graces O pray much for strengthening Grace that you may stedfastly continue in your holy course to the end Psal 17.5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Psal 119.117 Hold thou me up and I shall be safe and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually So much for the Application of this Point Two things should therein have been further spoken to but now must be omitted namely 1. To vindicate the true Notion of the Spiritual Life against all the false MONASTICK glosses and interpretations which Some do put upon it 2. To answer those usual and common Objections which too many do raise against it But the due handling of these two Heads would take me up some considerable time and they will in the following Verses again offer themselves and I fear I have already been too long upon this Verse therefore at present I shall not meddle with them I have done with the First Verse There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit ROM 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death CHAP. IV. Of the Sinners being made free by the power of the Spirit from the power of Sin and Death Of the Connexion of this Verse with the Former Some bring in the Words by way of Prolepsis The proper import of the Particle For cleared and made good against the Papists In the Words something imply'd something express'd All reduc'd to three Heads A gracious Deliverance the Subject the Author of that deliverance What Sin is here mainly intended How far the being made free from it doth reach Whether it points to the Guilt or Power of Sin What is meant by the Law of Sin Of deliverance from the Law of Sin and Death Paul instances in himself as the Subject of it How that is to be taken Why he speaks in the Singular Number The Law of the Spirit c. opened A Fourfold Exposition of the Words What that is which is in Christ Jesus is it the Life or the Spirit or the Law of the Spirit In the close one Truth briefly handled That the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Life How or in what respects he is so Some short Application made thereof The Connexion of this Verse with the Former THe Apostle having in the former Verse more succinctly laid down that great Truth upon which he designed to build his following discourse he here in this Verse falls upon the amplifying and enlarging of himself about it and all that he says from this Verse to the Seventeenth is but by way of amplification upon what he had more concisely said in the First 'T is obvious at the first view that this Verse doth not onely immediately follow but that in its Matter it is link'd and imbodied with the Former the particle For plainly shows that 't is brought in to prove or to explain something there asserred For the Law of the Spirit c. Now the Apostle having there 1. propounded the happy state of persons in Christ and 2. having describ'd and characteriz'd those persons a Question here doth arise Which of these Two doth he in this Verse design to prove or open I say to prove or open for the Words may come in by way of illustration as well as by way of proof or argumentation For answer to which I see nothing of reason why * Hinc utrumque depender quod Versu praecedenti statuit Prius c. Lud. de Dieâ— both may not be taken in the Words will bear a fair reference both to the One and to the Other too 1. First as to the Priviledge He had said there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus now this being the great prop or pillar of the Believers faith and hope he will therefore fasten it sure he is not satisfied barely to affirm it but hee 'l confirm and make it good and also show how 't is brought about For the Proof of it he first brings this Argument They who are freed from the Law of Sin and Death to them there is no condemnation But such who are in Christ are thus freed from the Law of Sin and Death Ergo c. All the difficulty lying in the Minor Proposition he shewes how this freedom from the Law of Sin and Death is effected and as to that he saith 't is by the Law of the Spirit of Life Which being done in this method in and for Believers they are in no danger of condemnation For the explication of it if you take the Words in that notion the Apostle
sets down the Way and Manner how this Non condemnation is carried on That is done two ways partly by the Spirit of Christ partly by the Merit of Christ In order to the Sinners Justification and Salvation two things are necessary 1. he must be freed from the tyranny usurpation and dominion of sin 2. he must be freed too from the guilt of Sin and the Justice of God must be satisfied Now saith the Apostle Both of these are accordingly done the Former by the Spirit of Christ which is spoken to in this Second Verse the Latter by the Merit or Satisfactory Obedience of Christ in his own Person which is spoken to in the Third and Fourth Verses Thus the Apostle clears up the way and method of God in the bringing about of the Non-condemnation of Believers and this in the double reference which the Words will bear with respect to the Priviledge 2. Then Secondly they way refer too to the Character or Description who walk not after c. It might be ask'd How doth the truth of this appear viz. that persons in Christ do thus walk or rather How comes it about that Such do arrive at this spiritual course The Apostle answers The Law of the Spirit of Life hath freed Such from the Law of Sin q. d. I have spoken of the holy and heavenly course of Believers and do not wonder at it you may believe me in what I have asserted for the mighty power of the Spirit of God having subdued Sin and broke its strength and dominion in these persons upon this they are brought to holy walking or therefore they do so walk In this reference several * Lex spiritus vitae quae pertinet ad gratiam liberat à lege peccati mortis facit ut non concupiscamus impleamus jussa legis c. August Octoginr Quaest p. 575. t. 4. Verius certius est quod hoc versiculo rationem reddere Apostolus voluerit non illorum verborum nihil nunc damnationis sed cur hanc quasi conditionem illis verbis adjecerit iis qui non secundum carnem ambulant Stapl. Antidot p. 625. The Apostle proves the Spiritual walking à causa procreante quae est Spiritus Sanctus Piscat He gives a reason why the true members of Christ do walk according to the Spirit Deod Expositers carry the Words but this for their Connexion Some Divines make them to be in part Proleptical as if the Apostle foreseeing some Objections which might be made against what he had laid down did here design to prevent and anticipate those Objections For as to both the forementioned Things doubts and discouragements might arise in some who were in Christ They might object thus Blessed Paul thou saist there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ but how can this be what so much Sin and Guilt and yet no Condemnation can we who are nothing but a very mass of Sin be thus safe and secure as to our eternal state O this we scarce know how to believe And again thou speakest of Walking not after the Flesh but after the Spirit alas who do thus walk when we have so much of Flesh in us and that doth so often draw us to carnal acts c. how is this qualification practicable To obviate this double Objection or Discouragement the Apostle brings in these Words in which he renders both the Priviledge and the Property of persons interested in it real and credible viz by their being freed from the Law of Sin and Death through the Law of the Spirit 'T is as if he had said 't is too true that even such who are in Christ will have Sin in them and sin will too often be committed by them yet for all this I say that such shall not be condemned why because they are freed from the Law of Sin and so consequently from the Law of Death Sin I grant is in them but 't is not a Law in them or to them it still keeps its residence in them but its reign its commanding power is gone now where it is not commanding it shall not be condemning So then this notwithstanding the foundation of a Believers Safety and Comfort stands firm and unshaken And for the Other discouragement here is a kind of tacit and implicit Concession that the people of God are Flesh as well as Spirit and that as to some particular acts through infirmity they may follow the guidance and motions of the Flesh but yet they are not under the Law and command of the Flesh why because they are freed from the Law of Sin there is another Law which hath thrust out that Law of Sin viz. the Law of the Spirit Indeed time was when they were at the beck and command of the Flesh when they walked after it but the Law of the Spirit having taken hold of them now for the main they do not they cannot walk after the Flesh The force of the is Particle FOR opened I come more strictly and narrowly to look into the Words For the Law of the Spirit of Life c. 'T is a Scripture that either is dark in it self or else 't is made so by the various and different interpretations put upon it Which before I can well speak to the first word For must be a little considered and the rather because 't is made use of and insisted upon in some matters of Controversie That which unites Verse and Verse divides party and party this little Word is made to bear its part in some sharp Contests and though to us at the first view it may seem but inconsiderable yet 't is not so to the ROMANISTS who in their arguings against PROTESTANTS make no small use of it They tell us that 't is here to be taken * Subscribit causam praedictae liberationis Soto Apostolus hanc libertatem à lege peccati per Spiritum Dei ponit ut causam ejus quod prius dixerat Stapl. Antid p. 625. With many Others causally as containing in it the Ground of Justification that it points to inherent Righteousness as the Cause of the Non-condemnation before spoken of and by this they attempt to prove that the Believer is not justified by the imputed righteousness of Christ but by his own personal inherent righteousness For say they the Apostle having said that there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ he proves it from inherent righteousness as the proper and formal cause of it there is no Condemnation For the Law of the Spirit c. And that the Argument may be the more pressing and concluding to us PROTESTANTS they urge that Calvin and Beza themselves do make this Law of the Spirit of Life to point to grace regeneration inherent righteousness To whom I reply 1. That 't is not safe either for Them or Vs in matters of great moment to lay too great a stress upon little Words which onely joyn Verse and Verse
Jesus is as much as (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumenius Lex Spiritus vitae i. e. gubernatio Spiritus vitalis quem suppeditat Christus non solum admonens nos exemplo mortis suae ad charitatis opera perficienda sed etiam operans illam in cordibus nostris Oecolamp by Christ Jesus the Spirit is given and doth work as a regenerating Spirit or the Spirit of life according to the will and good pleasure of Christ 4. (c) In Christo Jesu quia non datur nisi his qui sunt in Christo Jesu Aquin. As this Spirit is given onely to those who are in Christ Men out of Christ have nothing to do with it his Members are onely its Temples without the Spirit there 's no Vnion and without the Vnion there 's no Spirit As the Member doth not participate of the Animal Spirit but as 't is united to the Head so a man doth not participate of the blessed quickening Spirit of God but as he is united to Christ but these things will be more largely insisted upon when I come to the ninth and tenth Verses Now the Words which I am opening mainly point to this what is it which is in Christ Jesus why 't is the Spirit it self therefore (d) Placet supplementum qui ut referatur ad Spiritum in Graeco subaudiatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi scriptum sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscat So Erasm Some also would have an Article inserted here to make the reference to the Spirit more clear thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Then as to the Third and Last thing the Law of the Spirit that too is in Christ Jesus Thus that mighty power which the Spirit at any time doth exert in the work of Regeneration it is conveyed to a person and doth take hold of him in Christ Jesus that is in and through Christ viz. as this effectual Operation of the Spirit is grounded upon Christ's purchase and is put forth in pursuance of Christ's redeeming love This is a truth which might be largely opened but I fear I have been too long already upon the clearing up of this Branch of the Text And yet I cannot omit to tell you that there 's One reference more which * Quamquam nihil vetat quin illa verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 construantur cum verba sequente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Piscat in Schol. Some do mention as this in Christ Jesus may refer to and be joyned with the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made free Then the Sense would be this 't is by Christ that Saints are made free from Sin and Death whatever spiritual freedome Believers have they owe it all to Christ he hath the great hand in it as the Efficient and meritorious Cause thereof But this I 'le pass by because though it be a thing unquestionably true yet the generally received pointing of the Words will not admit it to be here intended I have now finished the Explicatory part the difficulty of the Words and the different Expositions put upon them all of which may be useful though all are not so pertinent and proper must be my Excuse for my being so redious and prolix upon it Having given you their proper sense and monning I should next draw out those Doctrinal Truths which are contained in them but that I shall not do at present Onely there 's One of them which I shall mention and briefly close with How the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Life 't is this The Holy and Blessed Spirit is the Spirit of Life so he is here expresly stiled the Law of the Spirit of Life Which Words are applied to the Witnesses Rev. 11.11 where 't is said of them that the Spirit of Life from God entred upon them but yet know though 't is the same words yet 't is not the same sense For by the Spirit of Life as applied to the Witnesses nothing is meant but their civil living again in their restunration to their former Power Office Liberties of Service c. but when 't is applied to the Great Spirit of God it carries a quite other and much higher sense in it What 's that why it notes his living in himself and also his being the Cause of Life to the Creature He 's the Spirit of Life 1. Formally 2. Effectively or Causally A few words to each 1. First as to the Formal Notion The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Life as he is a living Spirit as he lives in himself or hath life in himself For as the Father hath life in himself and hath given to the Son to have life in himself Joh 5.26 so the Spirit hath life in himself also And 't is not an ordinary or common life which the Spirit lives but 't is the self same life which the Father and the Son do live he being truly God lives the same increated infinite independent blessed life which the two Other Persons do * Genitivus Hebraico more pro Epitheto ponitur Calvin Est Genitivus Epitheti loco Estius Expositors generally observe that Life when 't is here joyned with the Spirit is not to be taken Substantive but Adjective 't is according to the Hebrew I diome where when two Substantives are put together the Latter of which is in the Genitive Case that is to be rendred as an Adjective or as an Epithete of the Former as the Bread of life is living bread the Water of life is living water the Glory of Grace is glorious Grace c. so here the Spirit of life is the living Spirit Theophylact joyning this Life with the Law going before saith this is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the Law of Life was set in opposition to the Law of Sin and Death but Life is not to be joyned with the Law but with the Spirit himself 2. Secondly the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life Effectively or Causally He is a quickening a life-bestowing or life-working Spirit in the Creature he makes Sinners to live and is the spring of that heavenly and supernatural life which is in the gracious Soul As he hath life in Himself so he communicates it to Others he is not onely a living Spirit but he is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quickening Spirit And this is One of his great acts namely to quicken he 's the Spirit of * 2 Cor. 3.17 liberty and he 's also the Spirit of life he 's a teaching inlightning convincing strengthening comforting purifying Spirit and he 's also an enlivening and quickening Spirit And as the Father and the Son live in themselves and quicken * Joh. 5.21 whom they will so the Holy Ghost too hath life in himself and quickens whom he will as he is said to divide gifts to every one severally even as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 The Spirit is * Oecumen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the
Gen. 25.23 I mean the corrupt nature must be an underling to that which is sanctified if Hagar will be content to live in the house in a state of inferiority well and good that for a time must be submitted to but if she will be presuming to vie with her Mistress for authority and rule and nothing will serve her below that she must then be made to know her self the application is obvious To make the thing unquestionable pray consider what that in special is which is done by God at the converting of a Soul 't is this very thing the dethroning of Sin and Satan and the inthroning of Christ and Grace where God converts he doth in effect say Sin thou must now come down and Christ and Grace shall now ascend the throne When ever the Sinner is regenerated in the first moment of that state Sin is divested of its usurped power and regency and the Kingdom of Christ in and by Grace is set up in him now Christ's kingdom and Sins kingdom are incompatible where he reigns it shall not for he is impatiens consortis but especially he will not have such a base thing as Sin to share with him in the government of the Soul Where Christ comes and takes possession he always abolishes the Law of Sin and instead of that sets up another Law for new Lords will have new Laws and different Lords different Laws Therefore in the work of Conversion God promises to write his Law in the heart Jer. 31.33 But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts now upon the doing of that the Law of Sin is defac'd antiquated and canoell'd for since contrary Laws cannot be together in their full force the former must be abolish'd upon the introduction of the latter Once more in the Text you have the Law of the Spirit of Life brought in in opposition to and in order to the abolition of the Law of Sin which being considered it affords a very weighty argument for the proof of the Truth in hand The Law of the Spirit is the mighty power of the Spirit put forth in the regenerate Soul for the rescuing of it from the power of Sin and the bringing of it under the Rule and Scepter of the Lord Christ now shall this Spirit put forth such a mighty power for this very end and yet Sin continue as high in its Soveraignty as before what advantage then would the Believer have by the Law of the Spirit if the Law of Sin should yet be kept up in him Certainly when this great Spirit shall vouchsafe to exert his great power there must be some great effect produced by it and what can that be but the delivering of the poor Captive-Sinner from Sins bondage the destroying of Satans kingdom and the setting up of Christs sweet and gracious Government in the Soul but I spend time in the proving of that which indeed needs not much proof In the application of the Doctrine which I judge will be more useful and necessary I might here take occasion to confute those who misunderstanding this passage being made free from the Law of Sin do from thence infer and argue for the Saints perfection in this Life But having given you all that this freedom contains in it which comes exceeding short of perfection I think I need not I 'm sure I will not speak any thing further for the obviating and refuting of that proud Opinion He that here saith he was made free from the Law of Sin elsewhere saith also * Phil. 3.12 he had not already attained nor was already perfect c. and surely he went as far nay much further than any of our modern Perfectionists God make us sensible of imperfection in this State and ever to be pressing after and waiting for that perfection which only belongs to the future state I might also from hence infer the happiness of such who are truly regenerate and the preciousness excellency advantage of regenerating grace ô how happy are they who are delivered from Sins yoke and how precious is that grace which instates the Soul in such liberty VSE 1. How we may know whether we be made free from the Law of Sin But passing by these things I will in the first place desire you to make diligent search whether you be thus freed from the Law of Sin O Sirs how is it with you what can you say of your selves about this You heard in the former Point that all in the Natural State are under this Law Adam hath entail'd this bondage upon all his posterity had he not flan we had come into the world with the Law of God written in our hearts but now we are born with the Law of Sin written in them are we therefore brought out of the state of Nature In this Point you have heard that they who are Regenerate are made free from it so that if you be not such you are concluded to be yet under the Law of Sin these two do mutually prove each the other if it be the state of unregeneracy 't is the Law of Sin and if it be the Law of Sin 't is the state of unregeneracy Well! it highly concerns you to be most seriously inquisitive about this 'pray therefore bring it down to your selves one by one and ask how is it with me am I under the Law of Sin or am I made free from it some Law or other I must be under for every man in the world is so therefore what is the Law which hath the authority over me is it the Law of Christ the Law of Grace or is it the Law of Sin hath not the sinful Nature in me the dominion of a Law and the efficacy of a Principle is not all that which makes up the Law of Sin to be found in me To help you in this Enquiry I need not say much more than what I have already said do but look back to the explication of Sins being a Law as also to the Answer of that Question How this may be known and there 's enough to direct you in examination and passing judgment upon your selves Yet however a little further to help you herein and also to quicken you to the more serious searching into it let me tell you there are very great and dangerous mistakes in this matter ô how far may Sinners go and how well may they think of themselves and yet for all that be under the Law of Sin men catch at false evidences and lay that stress upon them which they will not bear Let me instance in a few particulars to show how far persons may go and yet not be made free from the Law of Sin or to set forth the weakness of some grounds which men build upon for this How far men may go and yet be under the Law of Sin 1. They
thy fetters love thy dungeon be fond of thy bondage and prefer it before liberty what is this but madness not to be parallel'd what ingratitude is this to thy Saviour what cruelty to thy self as to thee I may well alter Tiberius's ô gentem c. into ô animam ad servitutem natam Further I pray you think of this if Sin rule you will Christ save you you cannot but know the contrary you know that he rules wherever he saves that he will be the Governour Where he is the Saviour that Sins yoke must be taken off and * Matth. 11.29 his yoke taken up or no salvation and yet shall Sin be obey'd and be thy Lord and Sovereign rather than Christ The business comes to a narrow issue let Christ rule thee and hee 'l save the but let Sin command thee and 't will condemn thee the Law of Christ and of the Spirit is the Law of Life but the Law of Sin is the Law of Death but these things have been insisted upon O that this Spirit which frees from the Law of Sin would shew you what there is in the Law of Sin men do not endeavour to get out of it because they are not convinc'd of the evil that is in it did they but know what it is they would choose to dye rather than to live under it And as for you let me ask you how you carry it in other respects you hate the Tyrant without will you love the Tyrant within you groan under the Laws of men when they are a little heavy shall there be no groanings under the far heavier Laws of Sin you will not be called slaves to any will you be content to be indeed slaves to Sin is a barbarous Turk cry'd out of when a Devil and a cursed Nature are never regarded But one Consideration more as God made you at the first you had nothing to do with this Law of Sin no he made you for his own government to be subject to himself his Law was written within you to command and act you in your whole course how then came Sin by this power how did it get up thus into the throne why onely by the first Apostacy from God Adams Fall was Sins Rise its reign commenc'd from mans rebellion 't is a meer upstart and intruder God never design'd this power to it will you now by your liking of it and continuance under it give an after-ratification or approbation of its power It hath depriv'd you of your primitive liberty and will you not endeavour to regain it when Sardis was taken by the Grecians Xerxes commanded that every day when he was at dinner one should cry aloud Sardis is lost Sardis is lost that hereby he might be inminded of what he had lost and stirr'd up to endeavour the regaining of it ô Sirs your Original Liberty is lost Sin hath got it out of your hands this we proclaim in your ears from time to time that you may never be quiet till you have recovered it and yet will you do nothing in order thereunto will you e'ne sit still under this inexpressible loss ô that 's sad All this hath been spoken to set you against Sins dominion to excite you to the most earnest endeavours to be rid of its soveraignty to cause you to fly to the Spirit of Life that you may be made free from the Law of Sin to work holy purposes in you that Sin shall no longer reign over you that you may say with the Church Isa 26.13 O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee onely will we make mention of thy name O that I might prevail with some Soul to say with respect to Sin Ah Lord other Lords have had dominion over me lust pride passion covetuousness sensuality have ruled me just as they pleas'd but I desire it may be so no longer I am resolved now onely to be subject to thy self ô do thou dethrone Sin and inthrone thy self in me let me be brought under universal hearty ready subjection to thy Laws and let not the Law of Sin carry it in me any longer c. One Direction given for the Sinners being freed from Sins power In what ways and by what means a poor enslaved Sinner may be made free from the Law of Sin is a very weighty enquiry and I would hope that some Sinners being convinc'd by what hath been spoken have it in their thoughts For answer to it there 's one Direction only which I shall at present give 't is this Get into the regenerate state regenerate persons are the adequate Subjects of this freedom they and none but they are freed from Sin as a Law Paul so long as he was unconverted was as much under this Law as any person whatsoever but as soon as it pleased God to convert him he was made free from it This deliverance depends upon the state it must be the state of regeneracy till which Sin will keep up its regency and soveraignty in the Soul ô as you have heard when Grace once comes into the heart the kingdom of Sin goes down and the kingdom of Christ goes up therein but never before All your strivings endeavours convictions purposes promises will never make Sins throne to shake and fall till you be renewed and sanctified Therefore pray much for the regenerating Spirit and attend much upon the regenerating Word in order to this great work Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth c. 1 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 't is this Spirit and this Word which must renew and bring about the new birth in you and so deliver you from the power of darkness and translate you into the kingdom of Gods dear Son as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.13 But this will be more properly enlarg'd upon when I shall come to the third Observation therefore here I 'le say no more about it VSE 3. To such who are made free from the Law of Sin first by way of Counsel 3. I will direct my self to those who by the Spirit of Life are made free from the Law of Sin something to them 1. by way of Counsell 2. by way of Comfort By way of Counsel I 'le urge three duties upon them 1. The first is hearty and deep humiliation and this is incumbent upon such partly upon what is past and partly upon what is present Regenerate persons to be deeply humbled though they be made free from the Law of Sin First hath the Lord been so gracious to any of you as to bring you out of the Natural bondage to dethrone and bring down this Sin which did at such a rate domineer over you ô you must be deeply humbled upon your taking a view of what is past
of Sin for though that puts forth a great efficacy in the manner of its working yet it doth not rise to such a pitch or degree of efficacy in what is evil as the Spirit of God doth in what is good Set corrupt Nature never so high yet 't is but a finite thing and so hath but a finite power but the Spirit is an infinite being and in his saving and special workings he puts forth an infinite power and therefore He must work more efficaciously than Sin can do the Law of the Spirit must carry it against and notwithstanding the Law of Sin for though both pass under the same appellation of Laws yet they are Laws of a different kind and nature with respect to their power and efficacy This Law or power of the Spirit is that which I will speak to and for the better opening of the Truth in hand which mainly points thereunto I 'le do two things Two things propounded for the opening of the Observation 1. I 'le speak to the necessity sufficiency efficacy of the power of the Spirit in order to the freeing of men from the power of Sin 2. I 'le shew in what Way or Method the Spirit doth work and exert his power in his rescuing of Souls from Sins power In the First of these Heads three things are put together which must be spoken unto apart The Necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power 1. First of the necessity of the power of the Spirit Concerning which I may confidently affirm that 't is indispensably absolutely necessary for the divesting Sin of its long possessed soveraignty no less a power than the mighty power of this Spirit can bring down Sins power ô it s no easie thing to rescue the poor enslaved captive-soul out of its bonds Omnipotency it self is requisite thereunto that 's the * Luk. 11.21 22. strong man which keeps the palace till Christ through the Spirit which is stronger than it comes upon it and overcomes it Israel had never got out of their bondage under Pharaoh if God himself had not brought them out of it through a mighty hand and by an out-stretched arm as you read Deut. 5.15 and so 't is here Let 's bring it to a particular case take a Sinner who is under the Law of Vnbelief as there are too many such God knows nothing shall ever free this Sinner from the power of his unbelief unless a divine and an almighty power from above be put forth upon him 'till this be done all the Calls Commands Invitations Promises of the Gospel are all weak and ineffectual therefore 't is said to be the faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 and the Apostle pray'd that God would fulfil the work of faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and says the Prophet who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isa 53.1 without the revealing of Gods mighty arm there 's no believing and you read that God in sanctification and the working of Faith doth put forth the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Eph. 1.19 20. what can be spoken higher than this You see the Law of the Spirit is necessary to the freeing of a person from the Law of Vnbelief and is it not so in all other things wherein Sins power shows it self The power of Nature which some do so much magnifie can never conquer the power of Sin alas 't is impar congressus there 's no eaven match betwixt them and besides Natures greatest strength is on Sins side its relicks onely where 't is good are for God against Sin but its full and entire strength as 't is bad are for Sin against God God hath but its shattered sorces as it were but Sin hath its full Body what can enfeebled Nature what will depraved Nature do against Sin Let it be considered if the power of Grace in the Regenerate be so small that by that alone without the concurrence of divine and special assistance from above they can do nothing which Christ affirms Joh. 15.5 no not so much as think a good thought as the Apostle affirms 2 Cor. 3.5 what then can be expected from meer Nature in the Vnregenerate in whom Sin is in its full strength as to the weakning or subduing of it In things of a spiritual nature the Scripture doth not onely deny the act but the power too Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father draw him 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God c. neither can the know them because they are spiritually discerned Jer. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil So in that which I am upon 't is not onely the Sinner doth not free himself from the Law of Sin but of himself without the mighty power of the divine Spirit he cannot so do he that is not strong enough to subdue some one particular Lust how shall he be able to subdue the whole body of Sin in all its united and combined force as he that cannot conquer one single Souldier can much less conquer the whole Army If God leave a man to grapple with Sin meerly by his own strength woe be to him The necessity of the Spirits power to free from Sins power made out in some Particulars That the power of the Spirit is absolutely necessary to free from the power of Sin will be very evident if you consider those several advantages which it hath for the securing and holding up of its power in the Sinner As 1. 't is in possession 2. It hath been so a long time may be twenty forty theescore years to be sure from the time of the Sinners coming into the world for its power and his birth are of the same date now Vsurpers in possession and who have long been so are not so easily conquer'd 3. It s dominion is entire it hath all on its side the whole Soul is for Sin insomuch that when the Spirit of God comes to grapple with it he finds nothing there to side with him or to take his part which argues the necessity of his infinite power When there is a party within a Kingdom ready to fall in with the foreign force that comes to depose the Tyrant he may with more facility be vanquished but if all the people unanimously stick to him then the conquest is the more difficult As Christ once said * Joh. 14.30 the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me so the poor Sinner may say the Sin-subduing Spirit comes but he finds nothing in me to close with him 4. The natural man likes the power of Sin it hath his heart which is worst of all for the securing of its empire he
dye Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the world and Death by Sin even so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ver. 17. For if by one mans offence Death reigned by one c. here 's Death and the Law of Death too by Sin it hath got a power over men so as to reign over them Had there been no Sin there had been no Death if man had continued in his sinless and innocent state he might have been * Vide Grot. de Sat. c. 1. p. 18. mortal i. e. under a posse mori he being but a Creature and made up of contrary principles but he had not actually dyed much less had he been under a necessity of dying if he had not sinn'd Death did not come into the world upon Gods meer dominion and Soveraignty or meerly upon the frailty of the humane Nature as Pelagians of old and (a) Mors non erat poena vel effectus transgressionis Adami sed conditionis naturalis consequens Socin de Statu primi hominis Vide Praelect Cap. 1. contra Paccium Cap. 5. Socinians of late assert but as the (b) Calov Soc. Prost p. 250. Hoorn Soc. conf vol. 1 l. 3. c. 4. p. 583 c. Franz Scho Sacr. Disp 1. p. 7. fruit and punnishment of Sin Immortality was a part of (c) Molin Enod Grav Qu. de statu Innoc. Tract 3. p. 62. Gerhard Loc. Com. de Imag c. t. 1. c. 4. p. 199. Zâ—â—em de Imag. c. c. 8. Art 2. Moretâ—n's threefold state of man p. 1. c. 2. p. 35. Gods Image at first imprinted upon man that image being defac'd mortality took place You know in Gods dealing with our first Parents how he back'd his Command or Prohibition with the threatning of death Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye they disobeyed this most equitable Commandment and thereby brought death both upon themselves Gen. 3.19 and also upon all their posterity Besides the guilt of this Sin made over to all mankind by imputation there is mens personal sin habitual and actual which renders them yet more obnoxious unto death and that too not onely to temporal but also to eternal death Rom. 6.21 the end of those things is death v. 23. the wages of sin is death The Apostle in James 1.14.15 treats of the first and last of Sin shows where it begins and where it ends sets down its rise progress and final issue But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death Sin is the issue of Lust and Death is the issue of Sin So that our Apostle here in the Text might upon very good grounds link and couple Sin and Death Where 't is the Law of Sin there 't is the Law of Death 2. Observe that 't is the Law of Sin and the Law of Death which is here coupled together so that where 't is the Law of Sin there and there only 't is the Law of Death When Sin is reigning and commanding then 't is ruining and condemning 't is the power of Sin that exposes to the power of death Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness 'T is true every sin in its own nature deserves death the Scripture knows no such thing as venial sin it being judge all and every sin is mortal indeed as to event the Apostle saith there is a Sin not unto death 1 Joh. 5.17 but as to merit every Sin be it what it will deserves death Yet God is so gracious as that Sin shall not condemn and end in death where it doth not command 'Pray mark it how in the words the Law of the Spirit is join'd with Life and the Law of Sin with Death as where the power of the Spirit is there is Life so where the power of Sin is there is Death I know the Death in the latter Clause doth not carry a direct opposition to the Life in the former for the Life there referring to Grace and Regeneration and not to Glory hereafter the Death which refers to eternal Condemnation and the misery of the future state cannot be look'd upon as directly opposite to that Life yet there is a truth in the Parallel As upon the Law of the Spirit there is Life spiritual and eternal so upon the Law of Sin there is ' Death spiritual and eternal too Further I know there is a great disparity betwixt the Spirits working Life and Sins working Death the Law of the Spirit works Life in the way of proper Efficiency and Causality the Law of Sin works Death only in a final consequential meritorious way yet here also we may speak by way of Parallel as the power of the Spirit works Life in its way so the power of Sin works Death too in its way That which I drive at is very plain if I be so happy as to express my self clearly about it Regenerate persons are made free from the Law of Death 3. Observe that such who are brought under the power of the regenerating Spirit they are made free from the Law of Death This was Paul's happiness here laid down and 't is the same to all that are regenerate the proof of which I need not insist upon for this deliverance undeniably follows from the former they who are made free from the Law of Sin by that Grace are also made free from the Law of Death it being the Law of Sin which subjects the Creature to the Law of Death The power or right of Death stands or falls by the power of Sin so that if the person be freed from the latter as you have heard every regenerate person is it certainly follows in the course and methods of Gods Grace that every such person shall be freed from the former too for the Law of Death is penal or the effect of the Law of Sin now take away the Cause and the Effect ceases Quest How is this to be understood But a little explication will be necessary How may Regenerate Persons be said to be made free from the Law of Death For answer to this Answ you know Death is either temporal or eternal I do not instance in spiritual Death because though 't is very true that the Saints upon the Law of the Spirit are made free from this Death yet I conceive that is not so much intended here the former lies in the separation of the Soul from the Body for a time the latter in the everlasting separation of both Soul and Body from the love and favour and presence of God This separation from God is
Christ now when the time of his humiliation is over and when he appears in all things like himself as the Son of God in his greatest glory The Third Inference that the Work of Redemption was a very great Work 3. Thirdly was Christ God's own Son I infer certainly then the work of Redemption was a very great work for God sent his own Son about it and therefore surely 't was no ordinary or common thing Alwayes the greater the Person is who is imployed in the work the greater is that work 't is thus from the wisdom of a Man much more shall it be thus from the wisdom of a God Kings do not use to send their Sons upon mean and petty services but only upon such as are high and weighty and can it be imagined that ever God would have sent his own Son into the world to redeem Sinners if this had not been a work very high and great in his eye Indeed this makes Redemption to be the greatest work that ever was done by God himself the making of the World was a great thing but God never sent his Son about that that was dispatch'd by a word he did but speak the word and it was done Works of Providence are very great but there 's no sending of a Son about them but when Redemption-work was to come upon the stage in order to that Christ God's own Son must come from heaven and be incarnate and do and die and all was necessary for the accomplishing of that O how great a work was this So much for the First Vse by way of Inference Use 2. For Exhortation 1. Branch of the Exhortation to study Christ as the proper Son of God 2. Secondly was Christ God's own Son let me from hence urge a few things upon you 1. Study Christ much in this relation that you may know him as the proper natural essential Son of God The knowledge of Christ in whatever notion you consider him is very pretious it was so to Paul who * 1 Cor. 2.2 determined not to know any thing save Jesus Christ c. and †Phil. 3.8 who counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus but to know him as he stands in this near relation to God as God's own Son O this is precious knowledge indeed Now Sirs you have heard much of him read much of him but do you know him and know him as the eternal only-begotten Son of God This is that Truth upon which all Religion depends in which you have the very heart and spirit of the Gospel upon which the whole stress of your happiness is laid 't is one of the most fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith and yet will you be ignorant of it You all have some general knowledge of it and you all profess to believe it 't is a part of your Creed but do you distinctly and clearly know alwayes allowing for the mysteriousness of the Object and the dimness of your Facultys how Christ is the Son of God how his Sonship was brought about and wherein it lies that he is God's natural Son begotten by him from all eternity in a most mysterious and admirable manner do you understand any thing about this * Cognoscere quando Filius Dei primùm extiterit utrum ex ipsius Patris essentiâ necne genitus fuerit non est necessarium creditu ad salutem Socin Solut. Scrupul resp ad Scrup. 1. So Episcopius Iust Theol. lib. 4. cap. 34. per totum Some tell us that the knowledge and belief of Christ's Sonship according to the particulars wherein it hath been opened not necessary to Salvation I 'le not engage in this Controversie wherein Some do as much affirm as Others deny but this I say it being so momentous a Truth in it self and the Scriptures speaking so much of it and giving so much light about it 't is of great Concern to all who live under Gospel-revelation to endeavour to know as much of it as the height of the thing and the lowness of their capacities will admit of Directions in the studying of Christ as the Son of God And because I would hope that there are Some here whose thoughts are taken up about it and who desire to arrive at a fuller knowledge of it therefore to such I would commend three things by way of Direction 1. In all your enquiries and searchings into Christ's Sonship especially into the Ground and Mode of it viz. eternal Generation be sure you keep within the bounds of sobriety I mean this take heed that in this deep Mystery you * 1 Cor. 4.6 be not wise above what is written that you do not therein consult your own purblind and carnal reason but Scripture-revelation altogether Pray study it but in so doing do not * Quaero abs te quando vel quomodo Filium putas esse generatum mihi enim impossibile est Generationis scire secretum mens deficit vox silet non mea tantum sed Angelorum supra potestates supra Angelos supra Cherubin supra Seraphin supra omnem sensum est c. Tu ergo ori manum admove scrutari non licet superna mysteria Licet scire quod natus sit non licet discutere quomodo natus sit Illud mihi negare non hoc quaerere metus est Ineffabilis enim est illa Generatio Ambros de Fide Cap. 5. Si Christus dâ—xit senescire de die illâ horâ sed solum Patrem quanto minùs possumus nos scire quomodo genitus sit Filius ex Patre Non debere igitur nos crubescere fateri neminem hunc modum nosse sed solum illum qui genuit eum qui genitus est Iren. lib. 2. cap. 48. Quomodo Deus Pater genuerit Filium nolo discutias nec te curiosiùs inseras in profundi hujus arcanum Cyprian in Symbol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. adv Haeres lib. 2. tom 2. p. 739. The Mystery of Mysteries which corrupt and wanton Reason derides but prudent Faith admires and adores Cheyn Trin-unity p. 190. pry too far into those secrets which God hath lock'd up from you content your selves with what he hath reveal'd in his Word and stay there 'T is both sinful and also dangerous for poor shallow Creatures to venture too far into these depths where if they once lose their bottom the written Word they drown themselves presently there 's no clue but that to guide us in this labyrinth That Christ is the Son of God is very clear that he is the Son of God by eternal Generation is very clear but will you be inquisitive further to know what this Generation is what can your Reason the Scripture being silent about it say of that O go not too far there Humane Reason consider'd as meerly natural is a very incompetent judge of this divine and sublime mystery a mystery to
may put them together and take in both upon this Person and this Faith the Church of God is built and therefore it shall stand fast for ever so that according to this Exposition which is with great strength defended by our PROTESTANT Divines this Sonship of Christ is the foundation-truth And therefore no wonder that in all Ages the Zeal of the Church hath been so much engag'd therein for 't is very well known that in its drawing up of Creeds and Summaries of Faith this one Article viz. Christ's being the Coessential Coeternal only begotten Son of God hath ever been put in witness the Nicene Constantinopolitan Athanasian Creeds because this was judged a thing most necessary to be believed And indeed there is not any one branch of the Christian Faith which the Church hath gain'd more out of the fire after much trouble and opposition than this one Nay this was that very Truth for the owning and asserting of which above any other our blessed Lord lost his life as you may plainly see by the * Joh. 19.7 Mark 14.61 c. Evangelical History And I desire that it may yet further be considered that as God himself began and ended with the witness and declaration of Christ's Sonship for as soon as he entred upon his publick Ministry the Father set him out with this witness * Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son c. and when he had well nigh finished his work and was going off the stage then the Father renew'd his witness again * Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son c So the Devil too he began and ended with the Sonship of Christ for presently after the Father's testimony thereof he took him aside to tempt him and when he had him alone and began the duel with him how did he assault him why * Matth. 4.3 if thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread he comes over it again †Vers 6. if thou be the Son of God cast thy self down c If thou be the Son of God why did Satan harp so much upon this what might his design be in laying his temptation thus I answer it must be for one or for all of these Reasons either that he might by the observing of Christ's behaviour in the contest more fully inform himself whether Christ was indeed the Son of God which was the thing he was deadly afraid of knowing that such a person would be the ruine of his kingdom or that he might see whether he could make Christ to doubt of his Sonship after and notwithstanding the plain testimony of his Father or that he might go as far as ever he could to draw him to the doing of what was evil and so if such a thing had been possible null this his neer relation to God surely there was some special cause why Satan pick'd out this and so much insisted upon it Well! here he began these were the very first words which this cursed Spirit uttered when he dared to assault our Saviour wherein he plainly struck at his Sonship it self though cunningly he made his temptations to point to some wicked inferences which he would have had drawn from Christ's relation rather than directly to the truth of the relation it self And as he began with this so he ended with this for 't was he which speaks a prodigious infatuation in him that he should be so forward in the promoting of that which certainly would end in his ruine who stirr'd up Pilate the High Priest the Body of the Jews against Christ and they through his instigation fell upon Christ and took away his life for what for this very cause because he made himself to be as indeed he was the Son of God By all this you see of what great moment and importance this Truth concerning Christ's Sonship is And to add yet one thing further pray look to that grand Seducer and Enemy of Christ and of the Christian Faith I mean Mahomet of whom we reade that he also set himself to his utmost to oppose and decry the Sonship of Christ He was willing to grant Christ to be a great Prophet but by no means to be the very Son of God this particularly and expresly he principled his Followers against in his ridiculous Alcoran and * Constantèr dic illis Deum unum esse necessarium omnibus incorporeum Qui nec genuit nec est generatus nec habet quenquam sibi similem Azoar 122. Alcor in Bibliandri Edit p. 188. Vide Cribrat Alcorani per Nicol. de Cusa lib. 1. c. 10 11 13 14 c. See Dr. Pearson on the Creed p. 272. he gave them in special this Command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to worship one onely God and to honour Christ as the Word of God but not as the Son of God From all these premises I infer is this such a foundation-Truth and shall not we firmly assent to it hath the Church with such zeal contended for it and shall we yet doubt of it do Heathens Jews Turks so much oppose it and shall not we Christians who have and own Scripture-revelation steadily believe it hath Christ sealed it with his blood and yet shall we stagger about it have we such attestations from God and Man and yet shall there be questionings and reasonings in our Souls against it 1 Joh. 5.9 10. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son But Some will say to what purpose is all this who question 's whether Christ be God's own Son I answer O that there was not too much need of this advice many poor Souls think they do fully and firmly believe it and yet 't is to be feared they do not and the truth is that weakness which is in our Faith of adherence proceeds in part from that weakness that is in our Faith of assent much of that dejectedness which is upon our Spirits under trouble and of those inward sinkings under the sense of guilt comes from one of these two Causes either we do not revive upon our thoughts or else we do not fixedly believe in our hearts that Christ is God's Son and his own Son And as to loose and common Professors if ever Arrianism Old or New should get upon the throne which God forbid I fear the belief of Christ's Godhead and eternal Sonship would soon be laid aside O therefore I would be very earnest with you to get your faith yet more and more strengthned and confirmed about it But though this be very good yet 't is not enough besides the believing of Christ to be the Son of God there must be believing on Christ as the Son
to the utmost of its capacity having nothing in its several faculties but truth in the Vnderstanding holy conformity in the Will heavenliness in the affections I say represent to your selves in your thoughts such a Soul and then think what an excellent Soul would that be just such a Soul is in Christ Indeed if we consider these constitutive parts of Christ's Manhood as they stand apart and by themselves they are excellent to a very high degree but if we go further and consider them in the Hypostatick Vnion then we are at a mighty loss and cannot conceive what a glory is by that conferr'd upon them As suppose a Pearl was put into a glass of Chrystal that would put a great radiancy upon it but what if the Sun it self could be put into this glass how radiant then would it be So here the Lord Christ having so precious a Soul dwelling in his Flesh even that if there was nothing more must make it very glorious but when the Godhead it self dwells in it how unspeakable must its glory and splendor needs be Leaving the parts let me speak to the whole the whole humane nature in Christ is transcendently excellent If the essential and eternal Son of God will so far condescend as to assume Man's Nature certainly in him the Manhood must have all that dignity glory perfection that ever it was capable of and surely never was the Humane Nature so advanc'd as in Christ If you consider it as 't is in us so it hath its worth and excellency for man is yet a glorious creature though 't is too true by the loss of God's image he hath lost very much of his glory As he was at first created in the state of innocency he was high indeed by the Fall the case is sadly altered the Humane Nature now is exceedingly debas'd and depress'd but yet even in its ruins as 't was with old Carthage it may be seen what once it was much is lost and the best is lost but all is not lost the glory of the Saint is gone but the glory of the Man in a great measure yet remains He is yet as to his natural composition and indowments very excellent the top of the whole creation God's * Vid. Nyssen de Hom. opif. c. 3. p. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euryphamus in Stobae Ser. c1 p. 556. Theophrastus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though God in him would vye with and out-vye all that he had done besides in the whole visible creation See Weems's Portrait p. 60 61. master-piece and highest workmanship endowed with a body curiously wrought with a Soul of divine original excellent in its being and operations And besides this which is general it pleases God in some to restore the Humane Nature in part to what it lost in Adam's fall to advance it again by Grace and Regeneration yea to take it up to heaven to the vision and fruition of himself And now 't is at its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here 's its non-ultra its highest advancement 't is not capable as in us of higher exaltation that what it hath by Grace and Glory This dignity and glory the Humane Nature hath in us but yet as 't is so subjected take it even at its highest elevation it comes infinitely short of the dignity and excellency of the Humane Nature of Christ the reason is because in it there 's all that hath been spoken in an eminent manner and besides which is higher than all the former it is taken into a near conjunction with the Divine Nature How glorious must that Manhood be which subsists in the Godhead and hath no subsistence but in that The nearer the Vnion is with that the greater is the perfection and glory of that which is admitted into that union And hence it is that there is such a fulness of Grace in Christ as Man over and above what is in the best of men that he is * Psal 45.7 anointed with the oyl of gladness above his fellows that his Manhood bears a part in the mediatory Office that 't is to be worshipped with Divine Worship as hath been proved before I say all this belongs to it by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion from which in all things it derives super-excellent Glory And yet I must tell you this Humane Nature as high as 't is is the lowest thing in Christ that which is the highest in us is but the lowest in him Supremum infimi infimum supremi as Man he 's glorious but what is he then as God! What a Person is Christ take him altogether O let him be adored and reverenced by you as Man but especially as he is God-man So much for Information Use 2. Exhortation to several Dutys 2. Secondly was Christ sent in flesh hence ariseth matter of Exhortation to several Duties 1. I would exhort you to give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's incarnation To give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's Incarnation as also firmly to adhere to Christ as sent in flesh Here are two things which Iâ—le speak to apart First see that you give a full and firm assent to the truth of Christ's Incarnation 'T is a thing which the Scripture layes a great stress upon 1 Joh. 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now is it in the world 2 Joh. 7. Many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist It seems the Incarnation of Christ met with early opposition his flesh was no sooner translated to Heaven but 't was deny'd on Earth this Apostle therefore who in his Gospel had been a great asserter of it in his Epistles will be also a zealous defender of it and see how warm he was upon it the denyal of Christ's coming and of his coming in the flesh for there lies the main emphasis he carries as high as Antichristianism and sets no lower a brand upon it Antichristianism doth not only lie in the opposing of Christ in his Offices which is the latter and modern Antichristianism but also in the opposing of him in his Natures as God and Man which was the first and ancient Antichristianism to deny Christ's Manhood and assuming flesh this is down-right Antichristian the very spirit of Antichrist if the Apostle here may be believed Now there 's a twofold denial of this one open express direct the other * Non attendamus ad linguam sed ad facta si enim omnes interrogantur omnes uno ore confitentur Jesum esse Christum quiescat paululum lingua vitam interroga Aug. in Ep. Joh. Tract 3. implicit virtual interpretative the former I hope is very rare the latter I fear is too common he
of our Nature How is that Nature advanced by Christ's assuming of it that which was his abasement was its advancement As a mean family is advanc'd when some person of eminency marry's into it so Christ having match'd into our broken and decay'd Nature what an honour did he thereby reflect upon it God put a great deal of glory upon it in its first creation Christ hath put much more glory upon it in the Hypostatical Vnion The Angelical Nature in some respects is above ours but in others ours is above it the Angels are not so concern'd in the mystical conjunction to Christ as we are their advantages by a Saviour are not so high as ours they are confirmed by Christ in a state of happiness and that 's all but we are confirmed and restored too the great things which are done by Christ as Mediator he doth them in our Nature and the great Honor which is conferr'd upon him refers to him in our Nature 't is the Son of Man who stands on the right hand of God Act. 7.56 Dominion and Glory and the Kingdom is given to the Son of man Dan. 7.13 14. hee 'l judge the world as the Son of man Matth. 25.31 Joh. 5.27 But the main preheminence of the Humane Nature above the Angelical lies in the intimate uniting of it to the divine Nature Heb. 2.16 Verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Man was the creature that was to be redeemed and therefore 't was the Nature of man that shall be assumed can we think of this without great joy Christ himself as Man is above us in all things he must have the preheminence Col. 1.18 but Angels who are of another order in several respects are below us Christ incarnate must needs be very compassionate 6. A Christ incarnate is and must needs be very compassionate This was one great reason why he took our Nature upon him and in that Nature was exercis'd with such sorrows and sufferings that he might the better know how to sympathize with his members in all their sorrows and sufferings Heb. 2.17 18. In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 4.15 We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He that hath felt what others undergo knows the better how to pity them sense and experience further compassion where persons are not made of flint none sympathize so much with those who labour under Gout Stone c. as those who have been afflicted with those pains themselves God told the people of Israel they knew the heart of a stranger seeing they themselves were strangers in the Land of Egypt Exod. 23.9 How then must the bowels of Christ work towards afflicted ones he himself having been afflicted just as they are besides the mercifulness and tenderness of his heart there is also his own former experience which is yet fresh in his memory of their miseries which doth much draw out his compassion to them Pray what are your afflictions let them be what they will Christ underwent the same are you poor so was he are you tempted so was he are you deserted so was he are you burdened under the weight of sin so was he though in a different way do you suffer by men so did he And if there be any infirmities which he did not lie under yet he knows how to pity you for though he did not feel those particular infirmities in kind such as sickness blindness c. yet he had some others which were equivalent to them and so by proportion he knows how to commiserate you so it comes in Heb. 5.2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity 'T is some alleviation to our grief in our troubles when we know we have some who sympathize with us under them O you that fear the Lord know in all your sorrows sufferings troubles whatsoever Christ in heaven hath a fellow-feeling and sympathy with you he suffers no more but he sympathizes still let this be an allay to your grief and a support to your faith There 's ease and relief from this under all troubles of mind 7. Lastly There 's something in this which may give ease and relief under all troubles of mind There 's such a fulness in this Truth for the comfort of Souls that there is scarce any inward trouble or discouragement which gracious persons here are exercised with wherein they may not find considerable relief and satisfaction for conscience from this Incarnation of the Son of God Christ's flesh is precious balm for a wounded Spirit as 't is meat indeed to feed the hungry Soul so 't is balm indeed to heal the wounded Soul 't is an universal catholick Cordial to revive and cheer under all faintings whatever Do I speak to any who are under spiritual darkness O that a Christ in Flesh might be thought of and improv'd by such To instance in the special fears complaints discouragements burdens of troubled Souls and to shew what there is in Christ as incarnate proper for their support and comfort under all would be a vast work I must therefore only hint a few things Are you tempted to entertain hard thoughts of God to question the mercifulness of his Nature his goodness c do you conceive of him in some hideous and frightful manner you greatly mistake God and think very much amiss of him First think of God in Christ and then of Christ in flesh and surely you 'l have other apprehensions A Christ sent in flesh represents God as benign good merciful gracious full of pity tender-hearted as designing nothing but good to repenting sinners did he thus send his own Son and is he not all this after he hath done such a thing can you imagine that he delights in the death of sinners or that he will not be gracious to all who fly to him Are you afraid because of the Justice and Wrath of God pray remember therefore Christ came in flesh that he might satisfie the one and pacifie the other these were the very things which he undertook to accomplish and what he undertook no question but he went through with Doth Sin lie heavy upon your Consciences mark the Text God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh for what end for sin to condemn sin in the flesh sin brought Christ from heaven and he would not return thither again 'till by a Sacrifice offered in his flesh he had fully expiated it Sin it self could not
not the Apostle instance in that rather than in spiritual walking Answ * Etsi fides principalis conditio sit quia tamen interna est c. ideo addit illam externam de quâ nemo gloriari possit nisi se liabere foris demonstret Parâ—us because he is not here so much shewing how Christ's righteousness is imputed as who they are or how they carry it to whom 't is so imputed He that would have Christ's righteousness to be his must believe for that is the proper act in order thereunto but he that would know himself or would manifest to others that he is righteous in Christ's righteousness that must be brought about by the heavenliness of his conversation The Observation which lies plainly before us from these words is this That all such who have Christ's righteousness imputed to them they are not fleshly but spiritual walkers they do not live the carnal and sinful but the holy and the heavenly life Or thus None can warrantably pretend to an interest in Christ's Obedience active or passive but only such who in their course are acted by the Spirit and not by the Flesh But I shall not say any thing upon this Point both because this walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit hath been already fully opened and also because as to the inseparable connexion bewixt this imputation and this conversation I may hereafter have occasion to speak more conveniently to it when I shall have more room for it than here I have I will close all with a brief Survey of the Verses which I have gone over that we may the better understand the Apostle's method in them and also what progress we have made in the thing which he is upon He first layes down his main foundation in this Proposition There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus Vers 1. Then he amplifies himself about this Proposition where 1. He characterises the proper Subject of the priviledge viz. of non-condemnation who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit this only he names in the general Vers 1. and 4 but then Vers 5. he falls upon a more full and particular illustration of it which he continues in several Verses The Second thing he doth about the Proposition is to prove the truth of the Praedicate that there is no condemnation c. And this he doth by these mediums They who are freed by the regenerating Spirit from the power of Sin and by Christ's death and Sacrifice from the guilt of Sin as also who have Christ's full Obedience and Satisfaction of the Law imputed to them to them there is no condemnation But thus it is with all in Christ Jesus by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ they are freed from the Law of sin and death there 's deliverance from the power of Sin God by Christ's being a Sacrifice hath condemned Sin there 's deliverance from the guilt of Sin and the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in them there 's Christ's Obedience imputed to them upon all this it must needs follow that to them there is no condemnation which was the thing to be proved Now these being things of great weight and importance wherein the very vitals and Spirit of the Gospel do lie the due and distinct opening of them with other Truths interwoven in the words hath made this Volume grow to a far greater bigness than what I expected Wherein I have been unnecessarily prolix I humbly begge the Readers pardon but truly in speaking to the Saints exemption from Condemnation the mystical Vnion of Believers with Christ the Spiritual Life the Spirits agency in freeing Souls from the bondage of Sin the Laws inability to justifie and save Christ's Mission eternal Sonship Sacrifice active fulfilling the Law c. I say in these weighty and fundamental points so little understood by the most so much oppugned by Some I thought I could scarce say too much Yet if such who are judicious shall tell me this is a fault I 'le endeavour to mend it in what shall follow wishing that I could as easily mend other faults as that Well! I have begun and having so done I purpose with God's grace and leave to go on till I shall come to the end of this excellent Chapter with this proviso if I may have some encouragement that these past labours may in some measure be useful and profitable without that why should I proceed to trouble others and my self too The good Lord give a blessing to what is done and assist in what is yet further to be done FINIS The Index Directing to the principal Things insisted upon in this Book A. SVch as are in Christ must abide in him Page 73 Of Christ's Active Obedience Vide Obedience Particular Acts do not evidence the State but the general Course Page 92 Of Spiritual Affections Page 109 There is no Condemnation yet much Affliction to Believers Page 7 'T is Antichristianism directly or by Consequence to deny Christ's coming in Flesh Page 422 Of Atonement by Christ Page 498 B. Baptism alone not sufficient to prove Vnion with Christ Page 62 Fleshly Walking contrary to Baptismal Dedication Page 122 Being in Christ opened Page 42 Christ being sent by God that is a great engagement and encouragement also to Sinners to believe on him Page 310 c. How Sin exerts its power in and by the Body Page 183 The miserableness of the Sinners Bondage under Sin opened set forth Page 189 c. The proper and only Cause of Deliverance from Sins Bondage Page 242 c. C. Great Changes in the Godly with respect to their inward Comfort or Sorrow Page 5 The weakness of the Ceremonial-Law Page 262 Of Vnion with Christ Vide Vnion Of Christ's being sent by God the Father Vide Sending Of Christ's Sonship to God Vide Son Of Christ's Incarnation Vide Incarnation Of Christ's being a Sacrifice V. Sacrifice Of Christ's Obedience V. Obedience Christ's praeexistence before he was born of the Virgin proved Page 284. Christ is a Person Page 287 His Personal distinction from his Father proved Page 287 Christ's Godhead proved Page 349 His Manhood Vide Man The excellency of Christ's Priesthood and Sacrifice Page 539 Christ's fitness to be a Redeemer and to be sent by God opened in some particulars Page 299 Communion depends upon Vnion and follows upon it Page 69 84 Communion with God and Communications from him are made credible by Christ's Incarnation Page 444. Christ being Man must be compassionate Page 452 Concupiscence is Sin Page 8 No Condemnation to such as are in Christ Page 7 proved Page 20 Condemnation opened as to Word and Thing Page 17 It refers to Guilt and Punishment Page 18 There 's the Sentence and State of Condemnation Page 19 'T is Virtual or Actual ibid. There is matter of Condemnation in the Best Page 8 Condemnation by Men by Conscience by Satan Page 10 Condemnation under the
and the world was made by him and the world knew him not Eph. 3.9 c. Who created all things by Jesus Christ by him not as an instrument but as a social or coordinate cause Col. 1.16 17 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist Heb. 1.2 By whom also he made the worlds Now could Christ have thus cooperated with the Father in the Creation and yet not have a being before his incarnation which was so long after the Creation Joh. 1.15 John bare witness of him and cryed saying This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me how was Christ before John Baptist if he did then only exist when he was born for in reference to that John Baptist was before Christ he being born before him Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was mark the latter words with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Phil. 2.6 Who being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subsisting existing in the form of God c. Joh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father Joh. 6.62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before in respect of his Divine Nature or as he was the Son of God Do not these Scriptures sufficiently evince that Christ had a Being before he was Incarnate the drawing forth of their full strength and the answering of the several Cavils and Evasions of the Adversaries about them would fill up a Volume the Learned know where and by * See Arnold Catech. Racov Major de Personâ Christi p. 187. c. Hoorneb Socin Conf. Tom. 2. de Christo cap. 1. Calovius Socin Proflig de Filio Dei controv 1. But especially Placei Disput de Argum. quibus efficitur Christum prius fuisse quà m in utero Beatae Virginis secundum carnem conciperetur This is fully and learnedly discoursed of by Dr. Pearson on the Creed Art 2. p. 213. to p. 237. Whom both of these are fully done This Sending of Christ therefore speaks his existence before he assumed flesh he must have an antecedent Being otherwise he would not have been capable of being * Necesse est ut qui mittitur existat priusquam mittatur fatente Enjedino Calov Socin Proflig p. 183. sent And he was first sent and then incarnate his Mission being antecedent to his incarnation though this be dony'd by the †Misit à se per virtutem Spiritus Sancti genitum ex matte suâ natum ad virilem aetatem perductum non adhuc generandum oriturum quod dictu ipso absonum est Scripturae planè dissonum Slichting Enemies with whom we have to do for God sent him that is appointed that he should assume the bumane nature and this is his being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh as a judicious Expositor descants upon the words Of Christ's Personality 2. Secondly this Sending of Christ speaks his Personality He did not only exist before he took flesh but he existed as a Person he had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the notion of a Divine Person consists his manner of subsistence distinct from the subsistence of the Father and of the Holy Ghost but this explication of Christ's being a Person more properly belongs to the next head Here I say Christ was a Person by which I mean he was not a thing quality dispensation or manifestation as some fondly and dangerously speak but he was and is a Person having a proper personal subsistence And he must be so or else he could not be the Subject of this Sending 'T is very true God may be said to send or give that which is but manifestative as he sends his Gospel which yet is not a person but only a manifestation of his Will Grace Love Wisdom c. But now in Christ there is something more than bare sending even that which will amount to the proving of him to be nothing less than a Person For he is sent to be incarnate to take the likeness of sinful flesh upon him now a bare Quality or Manifestation are under an utter incapacity of being thus or doing thus who will be so absurd as to assert such a thing If Christ be sent by God the Father and upon that doth assume flesh then certainly he was a Person for none but a Person could do this had the Apostle only said that God sent Christ the Truth in hand had not been so evident at leastwise from this Text but when he adds he sent him in the likeness of sinful flesh this undeniably proves his personality 3. Thirdly it notes the distinction that is betwixt the Father and Christ Which appears not only as One is the Father and the Other is the Son though that evidently infers a distinction for the same Person in the same respects cannot be Father and Son too cannot beget and be begotten too but also as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan adv Haeres p. 740. See Gerhard Loc. Com. tom 1. cap. 6. p. 263. de personali Filii a Patre S. S. distinctione One sends and the Other is sent The Father and the Son are One in Nature and Essence with respect to which he saith †Joh. 10.30 I and my Father are One yet they are ‖ Una est Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Essentia in quâ non est aliud Pater aliud Filius aliud Spiritus Sanctus quamvis Personaliter sit alius Pater alius Filius alius Spiritus Sanctus Fulgent lib. 1. de Fid. Ecce dico alium esse Patrem alium Filium alium Spiritum Sanctum Male accepit idiotes quisque aut perversus hoc dictum quasi diversitatem sonet ex diversitate separationem pretendat Patris Filii Spiritus Ter tul adv Praâ—eam Of the distinction of the three Divine Persons See Dr. Cheynel of the Trin-unity c. 7. p. 181 c. et 227. to 248. distinct Persons The number and distinction of the Persons in the Trinity is usually taken notice of by Diviâ—â—s from this Scripture The Apostle faith Theophylact had spoken of the Spirit in the former Verse in this he speaks of the Father and of the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tenching the Trinity And saith * Ex his verbis apparet Divinarum Personarum in Sanctâ Triade Numerus Distinctio Pet. Martyr from these words the number and distinction of the Persons in the holy Trinity doth appear Which great Truth is also frequently
held forth in Other places Isa 48.16 Come ye near unto me Christ is the Person here speaking hear ye this I have not spoken in secret from the beginning from the time that it was there am I and now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me a full Old-Testament proof of the distinction of the Persons But 't is most plainly held forth in the New-Testament At the Baptism of Christ there was a * Pater auditur in Voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus dignoscitur in Columbâ— August manifestation of God in the Father Son and Spirit the Spirit descended in the form of a Dove the Father gave the Testimony This is my beloved Son c. Christ was the object of it Christ directed his Apostles to baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which surely he would not have done had there not been a personal distinction betwixt them Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter c. here 's all the Persons as distinct Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me Joh. 12.44 He that believeth on me believeth not on me i. e. on me only but on him that sent me Joh. 5.32 There is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true many such places might be cited but these may suffice Here 's enough in the Text the same Person considered in the same respects cannot both send and be sent too therefore the Father and the Son are distinct Persons True as * Lib. 2. de Trin. c. 5. Vide Lombard lib. 1. Dist 15. Austine observes in some sense Christ might be said to send himself that is consider him Essentially so he did what the Father did so he sent himself but if you consider him Personally so he did not send but was sent upon which He and his Father are distinct So much for these three things which are but imply'd in Christ's Mission I come more closely to the Thing it self and to the Point which lies before us namely That Christ was sent and sent by God the Father The Redemption of lost Man was a blessed work a most glorious-undertaking never was there any like to it or to be parallell'd with it yet our Lord Jesus would not of his own head engage in it or thrust himself upon it no he must first be sent then and not till then did he undertake it And who sent him surely He who onely had Authority to imploy and commissionate him about such a work viz. God the Father God sent his own Són c. where as hath been already hinted God is to be taken in the * Personalitèr sumpto vocabulo quia opponitur Persona mittens Personâ—e misfae Grynaus Ubi ait quòd Deus misit Filium nominationè Dei Patrem intelligit ad quem Filius refertur Soto Personal Notion and as relating to the first Person This sending of Christ and that by the Father are two Points of such unquestionable verity to all who pass under the denomination os Christians that as to them and with Jews and Heathens I will not meddle 't is not necessary to spend the least time in the proving of them Yet even as to them 't is needful that these Truths should be a little opened and explained In order to which I will endeavour 1. To clear up the nature of the Act. 2. To remove a difficulty or answer an Objection about it 3. To give the Grounds and Reasons of it As to the first the Question is What was the Fathers sending of Christ in what respects is he said to be sent and sent by the Father for I shall open both together The Sending of Christ opened To which I answer 1. Negatively in Two things 1. This Sending of Christ was not his ineffable and eternal Generation or Sonship grounded upon that He was sent who was the Son of God but he was not the Son of God as he was sent nor said to be * Non eo ipsâ— quòd de Patre natus est missus dicitur Filius sed eò quod apparuit huic mundo verbum Caro factum est Aug. de Trin. l. 4. c. 10. Duobus modis dicitur mitti Filius praeter illam aeternam genituram quae ineffabilis est secundum quam etiam missus posset dici ut videtur quibuldam sed mcliùs ac veriùs secundum eam dicitur genitus Lomb. Lib. 1. Dist 15. sent as he was the Son of God his Sonship was the result of his Generation not of his Mission These two are very different things for Christ was begotten of the Father from everlasting but he was sent by the Father the sending being taken in its strict and most proper notion in time * Gal. 4. â— When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son c. He was a Son long before he was sent and he was not a Son because he was sent but he was sent because he was a Son 2. Christ's Sending was not any local Secession from his Father Non missus est mutando locum quia in mâ—ndo â—rat Quapropter Pater invisibilis unà cum Filio secum invisibili eundem Filium visiâ—ilem faciendo misisfe eum â—ictus est c. August de Trinit lib. 2. cap. 5. or any local motion from the place where he was to some other place where he was not You must not so conceive of it nor fetch your measures concerning it from your own sending of Persons for there when you send one upon your errand or business he leaves the place where he was and goes to the place where he was not but so it was not with Christ The Father sent him to this lower world yet here he was before the Father sent him from heaven yet as to his Godhead he remained in heaven still He saith indeed * Joh. 16.28 I came forth from the Father yet not so but that he was still with the Father and am come into the world yet not so but that he was there before for he was in the world and the world was made by him Joh. 1.10 again I leave the world and go to the Father he speaks in respect of his bodily presence Look as when Christ ascended he went from earth and yet he was on earth still as to his Spiritual presence for he saith * Mat. 28. ult Lo I am with you unto the end of the world †A quibus Homo abscedebat Deus non recedebat Aug. Tract 78. in Joh. Et abiit hic est rediit nos non dèseruit Idem Tract 50. in Joh. as Man he went from us but as God he is as much with us as ever so when Christ descended he came from heaven and yet he was in heaven still for he tells us ‖ Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up into