to have it here the consequence must needs be sure and infallible Upon the whole matter it appears that no tolerable account can be given of Christs Sufferings unless Justice were satisfied and declared therein But to explicate this more distinctly I shall a little consider three things 1. God the great Rector who inflicted those Sufferings on Christ 2. Christ the Patient who bore them 3. The Sufferings in themselves and in their fruits 1. God the righteous Rector who inflicted them was one of infinite Mercy Mercy in men though but finite is sometimes a remora to punishment Joseph being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just that is as the word there must be taken a merciful man would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Mary a publick spectacle of Justice Matth. 1.19 But though God were one of infinite Mercy and that not meerly resident in his Nature but as it were in motion triumphantly going forth in a most compassionate design towards mankind yet he would have Justice satisfied in the Sufferings of his Son To declare I say at this time his righteousness saith the Apostle Rom. 3.26 Observe it was at this time it was then a day of Salvation a Jubilee of Redemption to Mankind yet for all that Justice must have its due and be declared in the Sufferings of Christ But here the Socinians object That infinite Justice and infinite Mercy are opposites and cannot both be together in God or if they were God who cannot act contrary to any thing in his Nature could neither punish because of his Mercy nor yet pardon because of his Justice But I answer Mercy and Justice are not opposites in Man After the Idolatry of Israel in the Molten Calf Moses would in Justice have every one slay his Brother yet in an high excess of Mercy and Charity he would pray Forgive their sin if not blot me out of thy book Exod. 32.27 32. Neither are they opposites in God when he proclaims his Name in those stately Titles The Lord merciful gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin He yet adds in the close of all That he will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34.6 7. Mercy and Justice in God have different objects the Penitents who partake of Mercy are not the objects of Justice the Impenitents who feel Justice are not the objects of Mercy Yet these Attributes are not contrary the one to the other being both Divine Perfections they can no more be contrary the one to the other than the Divine Essence which both of them are can be contrary to it self Cruelty not Justice is opposite to Mercy Injustice not Mercy is opposite to Justice Neither doth God in pardoning or punishing act contrary to any thing in his Nature In pardoning Penitents he acts not against his Justice for that was satisfied in their Sponsor Jesus Christ In punishing Impenitents he acts not against his Mercy for that as the Socinians themselves confess extends not to obstinate sinners neither are they at all capable of it These two Attributes do mutually illustrate one another the Mercy of God is the more Illustrious because when Justice was inexorable it sent his Son to suffer for us The Justice of God is the more glorious in Christs Sufferings because they were inflicted by one whose Mercy was infinite in his nature and in his design towards Men. 2. Christ the Patient who bore those Sufferings may be considered under divers respects each of which shew Justice to be Illustrious in his Sufferings Take him as Man Justice appears in that the penal Sufferings were in the same nature which had sinned The nature of Angels was not assumed the facrifice of Beasts would not serve the turn neither had the same nature with man but that Justice might be exact that the Sufferings might be in the same nature which had sinned the Son of God was made flesh and suffered in it as an expiatory Sacrifice for us Notable is that of the Prophet All their wickedness is in Gilgal there I hated them Hos 9.15 Sin was found in the humane Nature and there it must be punished Take him as the Son of God Justice appears in that so great so dear a person suffered for us David spared Joab because he was a great a potent man in the Army And Absolom because he was a dearly beloved Son In the former he said The Sons of Zerviah are too hard for me and in the latter Deal gently with the young man But though Jesus Christ was very great God and Gods Fellow one who thought it no robbery to be equal with God though he was very dear a Son and an only begotten the Fathers essential Image and eternal joy Yet for all this standing in the room of sinners he must not be spared It was a great Wrath in Henry the Second of France Thuan. l. 20.564 which made him by a passionate throw to smite though but occasionally his own Son then sitting at his feet But oh how great how wonderful was the Justice of God in Christs Sufferings when no greatness no dearness though infinite did obviate or turn away the stroke When he bruised and wounded to death his own Son and that intentionally and on purpose to vindicate the Honour of his Justice and Law In other punishments he falls but upon meer Creatures but here with Reverence be it spoken He falls upon himself the Son of God very God and a dearer or greater person there could not be was the sufferer Further take him as an holy Innocent One Justice which usually hath only to do with sinners will yet appear He was Holiness it self in his Divine Nature He was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners in his Humane yet if he will stand as a Surety for mankind he cannot be excused It is observable in Scripture that penal Sufferings stay not meerly at the offenders door but run over upon those in conjunction with him Achan sinned in the accursed thing and his Sons and Daughters were stoned and buried with fire David sinned in numbring the people and no less than seventy thousand subjects fell by a Pestilence But the Holy Jesus is an instance above all others their Sufferings fell indeed upon Relations yet still upon sinners here they fell upon the Holy One. Justice is illustrious when sinners suffer in conjunction with sinners but how highly doth it act when Innocency it self suffers in conjunction with them I mean as a Sponsor on their behalf But here the Socinians cry out Nibil divinae justitiae magis contrarium est quà m insontem sontis loco puniri Volk de Sat. Quid hoe aliud est quam saevum tyrannum facere Sclicting cont Mels Insignis immanitas atque saevitia potius quà m liberalitas appellanda est Soc. de Servat pars 3. c. 2. That if God should punish the innocent for the guilty Christ for us Sinners he
swallowed up in weakness Let him come down from the Cross and we will believe him Matth. 27.42 as if without a fresh Miracle all his holy Doctrines would vanish into nothing The Jews who were for Signs stumbled and fell in the midst of those glorious Miracles which he wrought among them The Greeks who were for Wisdom saw nothing but foolishness in the midst of the divine Mysteries which he brought down out of his Fathers Bosom A crucified Christ look'd like a spectacle of weakness and folly But here the divine Wisdom appears in that as the Apostle hath it The foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God stronger than men This crucified Christ shall attract a Church out of the corrupt Mass of mankind the foolishness of Preaching shall do it The Plato's or Aristotles of the World shall not be employed in the work no there shall be only Piscatoria simplicitas a few Fishermen shall catch men and draw them home unto God to the effectually called this despised Christ shall be the power and wisdom of God The divine Spirit merited by him shall endue them with a wisdom much higher than that of Nature and Philosophy and cloathe them with a power to make them live above all the hopes and fears of this World Death the last Enemy which had devoured so much humane flesh did not spare that Sacred portion which was assumed into the Son of God but in his death Death it self was swallowed up in Victory It passes indeed upon all men but when it comes to a Believer it lays by its sting and becomes only a passage into life Eternal To conclude In all these Conquests we may see one Contrary brought out of another Life out of Death Power out of Weakness a Blessing out of a Curse and a Victory out of Sufferings which speaks no less than an admirable contrivance therein These appearances of Divine Wisdom naturally teach us humility of mind Humane Reason is indeed in its own Orb an excellent Light but a greater than it the Reason of God himself comes forth to us in supernatural Mysteries to make us sit down at his feet for Instruction Nothing can be more just and purely rational than for our Intellect being finite to be subject to the infinite Truth and being lighted up by God to do homage to its great Original It 's true ever since man tasted of the Tree of Knowledg his Reason hath had a malignant pride in it of a Minister it would be a Lord over our Faith assuming the Magisterial Chair it would fall a-judging Divine Mysteries it would comprehensively span them within it self and what could not be so comprized it would out of enmity cast away as spurious This in the issue hath so far as it hath prevailed desperately overturned all Faith in the act and in the object in the act for to believe a thing because I can comprehend it is not faith in God but trusting in my own heart not a sealing to his Veracity but a subscribing to my own Sagacity Hence the learned Maresius saith of the Socinians That they have manus oculatas hands with eyes in them that only do they believe which they see they will trust God no further than they see him Also in the Object this hath been very subversive to the Gospel In the Pagan Philosophers whose Motto was Soli rationi cedo it cast away Christ crucified as foolishness and the Gospel as an absurd Fable it reflected on Christians as meer Simpletons men of an easie and irrational faith hence that jeer of Cato Stultitia est morte alterius sperare salutem it 's folly to hope for salvation in the death of another In the Socinians whose Rule is Nihil credi potest quod a ratione nequeat capi nothing can be believed which cannot be comprehended by Reason it hath blown up the fundamental Articles of Christianity the sacred Trinity to them is a contradiction the Hypostatical Union an irrational repugnancy the Satisfaction of Christ a contumely to Gods grace and in all this they do but build a Tower a Name to their own Reason and as a just punishment in the doing of it they fall into confusion and inconsistencies Mar. Hydra Tom. 2.460 Sometimes they make the Law to exact a more perfect obedience than the Gospel Sometimes the Gospel to call for a more accurate righteousness than the Law To evert Satisfaction they lift up Grace but to elevate Free-will they depress it They own a God yet deny his Prescience they say Christ is but a creature yet they worship him Thus that great thing Reason falling from the supreme Truth becomes a forlorn spectacle of vanity In a kind of self-splendor it goes out in the darkness of errour and confusion But now to humble our minds it is of excellent use to consider the divine Wisdom which is so much above us When our Reason stands by sense it hath a noble stature and greatness but as soon as it turns about to infinite Wisdom it perceives a greater Presence than it self and must in all reason confess it self a little spark a very Nothing in comparison It cannot step out into the sphere of Nature but it finds matter of humility being true to it self it can do no less than say that it is everywhere posed and nonplust It is not able rationally to stand under the secrets of Nature much more must it stoop and do reverence before such a Mystery as that is God manifest in the flesh in which the transcendent Mystery amazes us and the unparallel'd Pattern draws us into humility Thither must we come or else turn Infidels and allow Reason for a Deity saying with Seneca Quid aliud voces animam quà m Deum in humano corpore hospitantem What is the rational Soul but God dwelling in flesh a kind of Christ or rather Antichrist This I am sure Christian ears cannot bear But a little more to demonstrate how necessary a thing humility of mind is let us consider Reason in a three-fold state then it will appear that Reason in its Integrity could not find out supernatural Mysteries in its Fall cannot spiritually know them and lastly in the irradiations of Faith cannot comprehend them 1. Reason in its Integrity could not find them out The pure primitive light in Adam could dive into the secrets of Nature but it could not reach such a Mysterie as that of the sacred Trinity which is the fundamental center of Christian Religion He could name the creatures and that significantly to their natures but that Question What is his sons name Prov. 30.4 would have been too hard for him There are say the School-men some obscure Images of the Trinity in the Volume of Nature but they were found out à posteriori and not to be read till after Revelation and how should humane Reason dictate in those things which it could not find out or know any thing from it self when it hath
that the inward affections and motions may in an holy manner answer and correspond to one Divine Attribute or other It calls upon us to have internal purity to indulge no lust no not in a thought to baulk never an holy Duty to love our very Enemies and overcome evil with good These I call super-moral because they are above the Power of Nature Meer Moral Virtues may spring out of the Principles of improved Nature but these do not do so The Philosophers those improvers of Nature and Masters of Morality never arrived at them They were so far from humility and self-denial that Pride was their temper and Self their center Their splendid Virtues did not glance only but directly look at vain-glory They did not sanctifie God in their hearts but set up their own Reason taking it not in its own place as a Minister of God but abstractively from him they turned it into an Idol and sacrificed unto it in their virtuous actions doing them as congruous to Reason but not in respect to God who inspired it or to his Will which was declared in it or to his Glory which was to be promoted by it They would talk of internal purity but were indeed strangers to it Internal corruption was no burden to them Regenerating-grace no desire They dissembled and complied with the outward Idols of the place where they lived and within in the secret of the heart they had their Idols and indulged lusts Socrates had immoral impure corruptions Zeno and Chrysippus allowed unnatural lust Seneca was in-insatiably covetous In the very best of them sensual sins were but swallowed up of spiritual The beauty in their life was but to gratifie the pride in their heart they knew nothing touching love to Enemies Vltion looked like a piece of natural Justice Cicero tells us Justitiae primum munus est ut ne cui noceat nisi lacessitus injuriâ they thought that upon injury they might revenge or if revenge might be forborn they little thought of love to Enemies Nature we see cannot ascend above it self nor produce these Evangelical Virtues the Divine Power and Spirit must do it Hence they are called the virtues of God 1 Pet. 2.9 as being far above the virtues of men and the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 as being produced by a spirit and power much higher than that of Man Without a Divine Power it is not imaginable how such excellent Virtues should ever be found in the heart of poor fallen Creatures 3. It proposes super-mundane Rewards which are no attractives to a carnal heart unless it be elevated unto them by the Power of Grace This plainly appears by comparing the heavenly Rewards and the earthly Man together The Rewards are at a great distance from sense They lye in another world The treasure is in Heaven The recompence is above A red Sea of death is to be passed through before we can come at it The Man to whom the tender is made is earthly carnal living by sense wrapt in the vail of time one like the infirm Woman in the Gospel who is bowed together and can in no wise lift up himself no not to a Heaven of Glory and Blessedness freely offered unto him He hangs in the Clay of one earthly thing or other and by bonds of strong Concupiscence is fastned to this lower world and which is a prodigy in an immortal soul he loves to be so and thinks that it is good being here A little Earth with him is better than Heaven Sensual pleasures out-relish the pure Rivers above O how unfit is such a man to close in with such a reward How much work must be done to make him capable of it The man must be un-earthed and unbound from this lower world The concupiscential strings which tye him thereunto must be cut that his soul may have a free ascent towards Heaven A precious faith must be raised up that this world may appear such as it is a shadow a figure a nothing to make man happy that Heaven with its beatitudes may be realized and presentiated to the mind A Divine Temper must be wrought that he may be able to rent off the Vail of time and take a prospect of Eternity to put by all the World and look into Heaven He must be a pilgrim on Earth living by Faith walking in Holiness every step preparing for and breathing after the heavenly Countrey He must pray work strive wrestle watch wait serve God instantly and all this to be rewarded in another world without such a Temper Heaven will signifie nothing and without a Divine Power such a Temper cannot be had Hence St. Peter tells us That God hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The lively hope which takes hold upon the great Reward is not from the Power of Nature no 't is from a Divine Generation 't is an heavenly touch from Christ risen and sitting at the right hand of Majesty from thence to do Spiritual Miracles as upon Earth he did Corporal Hence St. Paul argues If you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Col. 3.1 The natural man dead in sin cannot seek them only those who are spiritual and risen with Christ can do it It is therefore from the Divine Power and Spirit that men naturally carnal and earthly are made capable of closing with the heavenly and supernal Rewards which are tendred in the Gospel The Power of God being so gloriously revealed how humble should our minds be How should our Reason kneel and bow down before such a Mystery as that God manifest in the flesh There was a pattern of humility in the Condescension of it and withal there was matter of Adoration in the Mystery Presume not O man to measure Divine Mysteries by thy Reason which bears not so much proportion to them as a little shell doth to the great Ocean Remember thy Reason is short and finite The Mysteries are deep and infinite If God could not work above the measure of Man he would cease to be God If Mysteries were not above the line of Reason they would cease to be Mysteries When these are before thee do as an Ancient advises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth thy Faith subject thy intellect to the Supreme Truth captivate thy thoughts to Scripture humbly adore and confess That the Lord doth great things and unsearchable marvelous things without number Job 5.9 This is the way to have knowledg and establishment like the pious Man in Gerson whose certainty in Articles of Faith was not from Reason or Demonstration but from humiliation and illumination a montibus aeternis The Socinians who in intellectual pride do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight against God and supernatural Truths lose themselves and the Mystery together But the humble soul who subjects his Reason to God and his Truth is rooted in Faith and
praeter illum Deum as if there were none in all the World besides himself and God still his Eye is upon God what ever he doth he doth it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto Men Col. 3.23 The great end and center of his actions is God's Glory and under that he designs to do good to Men he would conferre aliquid in publicum casts in something into the common good of Mankind An Holy Magistrate hath the fear of God upon him he judges not for Man but for the Lord he judges righteous Judgment and that as the Rabbins say is a sure sign that the Shecinah the Divine Presence is with him in the judgment An Holy Minister carries with him an Vrim and Thummim Light in his Doctrine and Integrity in his Life He burns in zeal for God and Christ he melts in labours and compassions for the Souls of Men. His Motto is the same with that of Mr. Perkins Verbi Minister es hoc age In a word whatever the Calling be the Holy Man is active faithful bent for the Glory of God still he remembers that he is a Christian Religion hath an influence upon his Calling His particular Calling which is Vocatio ad munus to a course of Life is made subordinate to his general Calling which is Vocatio ad Faedus to the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel Thus wee see An Holy Man is like himself at every turn as occasion is one odour of Grace or other is still a breaking forth from him Seventhly In an Holy Life there is not only an exercise of Graces but in that Exercise a growth of them the Holy Man of a Plant comes to be a Tree of Righteousness of a Babe he comes to be a Man in Christ he goes from strength to strength his path is as the shining Light which shines more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 He travels on from Vertue to Vertue to meet the everlasting day He grows in every part of the New Creature till he come to Heaven where Grace is perfected in Glory His Knowledg grows by following on to know the Lord he comes to know more of him by doing of God's Will he comes to understand it better than ever he did the Eye is more open the Heart is more unvailed the Truth is more sealed to the Mind the Understanding is more quick in the Fear of the Lord the Taste and Savour of Divine things is higher than it was before he had at his first Conversion a spiritual Knowledg and Understanding but exercising himself to Godliness he comes by degrees to all Knowledg 1 Cor. 1.5 and to Riches of Vnderstanding Col. 2.2 Notions are enlarged and withal Heavenly things are known per gustum spiritualem by a Spiritual taste of them his Faith grows at first there was but contactus but upon the Exercise of Graces there comes to be complexus fidei the touch of Christ by Faith is advanced into an embrace the recumbency on his Blood and Righteousness is stronger the subjection to his Royal Scepter is more full than it was the reliance on Promises and compliance with Commands are both raised up to an higher pitch than they were before at last Adherence comes to be Assurance His Love grows there comes to be an higher estimate set upon God a closer union with him a greater complacence in him than there was before At last Love becomes a vehement flame Cant. 8.6 Flamma Dei the Flame of God which burns up the earthly Affections and aspires after the full fruition of God in the Holy Heavens Also his Obedience and Patience are upon the increase by much obeying the Intention becomes more pure the Will more free the Obedience more easy and abundant he doth not only do the Work of the Lord but he abounds in it he doth not only bring forth Fruit but much Fruit Joh. 15.8 By patient bearing of Afflictions the Art or Divine Mystery of suffering comes to be understood the Heart is yielded and resigned up to the Divine pleasure he would be what God would have him be he hath not only patience but all patience Col. 1.11 Patience hath not only a Work but a perfect Work Jam. 1.4 Thus in the Holy Man Grace is still a growing Further The Holy Man grows every way he grows inward by exercising himself to Godliness his Vital Principles become more strong his Supernatural Heat is increased his inner Man is strengthened more than ever it was before he hath a Divine vigor to overcome corruptions to repel temptations to live above earthly things to perform Heavenly duties and to endure sufferings He is strengthened in the inner Man Ephes 3.16 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all Power Col. 1.11 to do what is decorous to his spiritual Nature he grows outward he hath not only the fruits of Righteousness but he is filled with them Phil. 1.11 The influences of Grace and supplies of the Spirit make him to bring forth much fruit and that with great variety as occasion serves all the fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance which the Apostle mentions Gal. 5.22 23. break forth from him in their spiritual Glory He is like the Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters Ps 1.3 which hath a fruit for every Season or like Joseph's Fruitful bough by a Well whose Branches run over the Wall Gen. 49.22 There is a redundance and exuberancy of Holy Fruits which shew that he hath a Divine Spirit a Well of living Water in him springing up into all Obedience and good Works He grows upward by conversing in holy things he is un-earthed and unselved he converses more than ever in Heaven the Glory of God is more precious to him his Intention towards it is more pure than it hath been he waits and longs to be in that Blessed Region where God is all in all Every Duty and Good Work looks up more directly than was usual to God the great Center and End of all things He grows downwards I mean in Humility by conversing with God he comes to have a greater Light than ever which discovers the Majesty and purity of God the rectitude and Holiness of the Law the infirmity and reliques of Corruption in the lapsed Nature of Man and this Discovery makes him very humble and vile in his own Eyes even his very lapses and falls serve occasionally to this growth De Corr. Grat. c. 9. Hence St. Austin treating on those words All things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8. adds Etiam si deviant exorbitant hoc ipsum eis faciat proficere in bonum quia humiliores redeunt doctiores Experience tells him that he is nothing and Grace is all Morever the Holy Man never thinks that he hath Grace enough never saith I am perfect or I have attained Inceptio bonae vitae in quovis gradu sine desiderio