not mixed with Faith And that for making the Duty acceptable Faith is necessarily requisite we may clearly see Heb. 11.6 where it is expressly said that without Faith it is impossible to please God And how is it that Abel offers a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain it was nothing sure in Cain's Sacrifice it self that made it be casten nor any thing in Abel's that made it be received or acceptable but Faith in the Messiah to come that was found to be in the one and was a missing in the other Is there not reason then to press this Duty on you and to exhort you not to think this a common and easie thing though the most part think it to be so if we look to the benefites of it to the difficulty of it and to the rarity of it in the World there is no Duty had need more to be press'd than this even that Christ Jesus should get the Burthen of your immortal Souls cast on Him by this Saving Faith I shall therefore in the further prosecution of this First Shew what mainly ye would eshew and avoid as that whereat Folk more ordinarily stumble Secondly What it is we would press you to and on what Grounds For the first I know the deceits and mistakes in Men about the Exercise of Faith are so many that they are moe then can well or easily be reckoned up yet we shall in some generals spoken of before hint at a few of them for so long as ye continue in the same Snares they must be still pointed out to you and endeavours still used to undeceive and extract you out of them and therefore 1. Beware of resting on a Doctrinal Faith which before I called Historical We know it 's hard to convince some that they want Faith yet we would have you to consider that it is not every kind of Faith but Saving Faith that will do your turn it 's the want of that which the Prophet complains of And therefore to open this a little ye would consider That there may be really such a Faith as is an assent to the truth of the Word in a natural Man yea in a Reprobate but that Faith will never unite to Christ nor be waited with the Pardon of Sin First I do not say that every one that is in the visible Church hath this Doctrinal Faith to believe a Heaven and a Hell that the Scripture is the Word of God and that all that believe in Christ shall get Pardon of Sin and Life the carriage alace of many testifies that they have not this much whatever fleeting notions they may have of these things or whatever esteem they may seem to put on the Gospel and whatever profession they may make that they believe the truth of it yet in their deeds they deny it for if there were a fixedness in the Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel in Men they durst not for their Souls live as they do Neither yet Secondly Do we say that all they that have this Doctrinal Faith of the Gospel or somewhat of it do believe every passage in it alike but often as they please them they believe them Hence many believe what the Word speaks of Mercy and of Pardon of Sin and will not question that but what it speaks of Holiness and of the severity of God's reckoning with Men for Sin they do not so credit that part of the Word it 's true where the Faith of the one is the Faith of the other will some way be but because the one agrees better with their Corruption than the other therefore the one is not so so received as the other and it 's very frequent with such to be found diminishing from one place and adding to another of the Word of God Nor Thirdly Do we say that all Men do in a like and equal degree believe the truâ—h of the Word there is in some more Knowledge in some less in some moe Convictions in some fewer and though we preach to you all yet there are some that believe not this to be God's Ordinance albeit there are many who will not be saved that takes this Word to be the Word of God and believe what is the meaning of it because the Word it self says it is so And the reason of this is 1. Because there is nothing that is not Saving but a Natural Man may hâ—ve it now this Doctrinal Faith is not Saving and so a Natural Man may have it yea the Devils believe and tremble and James does not dispute with these to whom he writes on this account that they believe not thus but tells them that Historical Faith was not enough and we think a man in Nature may have a great perswasion of the truth of the Word of God and that what it says will come to pass and yet still continue but a Natural Man A second Reason is Because the Scripture speaks so often of many sorts of Faith that are not Saving as Exod. 14. at the close it 's said the People believed the Lord and Psal 106.12 then they believed His Word and sang His praise and John 2.23 many believed on Christ to whom He did not commit himself there was Faith in them which His Signs and Miracles extorted from them which was not Saving and Matth. 13. two or three such acts of Faith are spoken of in the Parable of the Sower that were not Saving however sound they might be in their own kind and 1 Cor. 13. we have such a Faith spoken of as a Man dare not deny the truth of the Word though he should bring his Body to be burnt by his avouching of the same A third Reason is Because as much credit may be given to the Word as is given to any other History that is creditably believed and it 's on this ground that we believe there was such Men as Cesar Pompey Wallace c. and it being certain that there may be impressions on the Consciences of Hearers that this is God's Word backed with some common work of the Spirit and that it is generally received to be the Word of God in the part of the World we live in what wonder is it that Folk believe thus and drink in this Historical or Doctrinal Faith of the Word so as they may even dare to suffer to Death for it and yet in the mean time they may want Saving Faith the Devils being as sure as any Natural Man is that God is true and that His Word will be performed and therefore they say to Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time the Paâ—gs of a Natural Conscience in Men will assure them of a Judgment coming though they tremble to think on it And therefore ere we proceed further take a word of Use from this and it may let you see the great and very general mistake of the most part of the Hearers of the Gospel in resting on this Doctrinal Faith If ye tell them that
God which should come into the world The 5th place is that of John 20.28 where when Christ bids Thomas reach hither his hand and put it into his side his glory shines so full in his face that he cryes out My Lord and my God and his faith is summed up and compended in that The last place that we shall name is that of Acts 8.37 and it s the Eunuchs confession I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God which is the sum of his faith The 4th and last way of confirmation of this great truth is drawen from the worship which is due unto him and hath been given unto him He is the object of Faith John 14.11 ye believe in God believe also in me He is the object of Prayer Acts 7.59 They stoned Stephen calling upon God saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit and frequently else-where in Scripture he is prayed unto though these two are not too curiously to be separated Use 1. The first Use serves to strengthen your Faith in this that our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for sinners and is made offer of to them in the Gospel is God equal with the Father and so he is to be closed with and rested on as the brightness of the Fathers glory the reason why we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this is not small for its a most necessary thing and without the faith of it all the work of our salvation will hang louse neither can we have any claim to Eternal Life and therefore we desire you particularly who are ignorant Hearers and who have the name of Christ often in your mouths and yet know not what he is to know remember and believe that he that is the son of Mary is also the eternal son of God being God before he was incarnate and before the World was made and the Maker of all that was made Use 2. The second Use serves to let you know That though it be a most necessary thing to be confirmed in the faith of this Truth that Christ is God yet it 's a greater difficulty to believe and be perswaded of it then the most part take it to be many sad proofs whereof we have in Folks words and moe in their practice Flesh and blood saith Christ Matth. 16. hath not revealed this unto thee It 's a wonder whence many Folks faith comes who never found any the least difficulty in this and it 's a wonder that so few are through in the faith of it so that if they were called and put to it they durst not swear that he is God yea if we would look in a little further we would find that the faith of this is but scarce amongst us not to speak of the gross ignorance of many who will say when asked that he is not equal with the Father or that he was made God and other such like expressions will they have that are abominable to be once named amongst Christians Folks through their ignorance falling into damnable Heresies on the matter and yet not knowing that they do so As if our blessed Lord were a made god and not the same God with the Father For the proving of him to be God proves him to be the same God there being but one God Ye would consider for convincing you that it is thus with many of you 1. The little fear that is in men and women of the Majesty of Christ as God they durst not walk with so little fear of him if they believed indeed that he were God What made the Jews with the Scribes and Pharisees to spit upon him and despise him But because they wanted the Faith of his Godhead And have not ye the same nature in you Ye live in a place where the Faith of Christs Godhead is professed and is not questioned but your practice sayes to beholders that ye believe it not because ye fear him not 2. That your souls do so little welcome the offer of the Gospel that tells that ye believe him not to be God 3. That ye do not place your happiness in Believing on him and in the way of holiness ye say in effect wherefore serves Christ ye care not for him Hence it is that so many live contentedly without him and are not sollicitous about the enjoying of him 4. Even in Believers there is much unbelief of this truth which is sadly evidenced by this that they do not so bless themselves in him and that they do not so reckon themselves to have come well to and to be made up in him as David doth Psal 16. Where he saith and holily glorieth The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place c. And by the frequent discouragement that is incident to Believers as if Christ had not the guiding of them and of what concerns them or could not guide all well enough for their good If he were believed to be God it would quash temptations banish discouragement comfort under crosses sweeten every condition induce to holiness restrain from sin And in a word it cannot be told what is in the bosome of this one truth when solidly believed For what can possibly be wanting to the Believer in him that is God He hath the fulness of the Godhead to supply what ever they want and sustains the relation of a Husband to the Believer to make it forth-coming And he is furnished with suitable qualifications to make the application thereof What then could be wanting if this were thorowly believed that he is God Let me say it to you the Faith of this would provoke to more holiness and to study more the power then the profession of Religion and would help to live a more comfortable life in every condition SERMON XXX ISAIAH LIII VIII Vers 8. He was taken from prison and from judgement and who shall declare his generation For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken THese words are a proof of that which we discoursed in the Lecture concerning Christs wonderful love to his pâ—ople Then which no man hath greater that a man should lay down his life for his friend But he hath commedned his love to us in that while we were yet enemies he died for us This is the great commendation of Christ's love and what will he refuse to his people who in his love hath come this length to them In the former part of this verse we shew that there was a hint given of Christ's Exaltation of the Exaltation and Glory of the Mediator following on the back of his lowest sufferings An ineffable and inexpressible Glory which the Prophet rather passeth with a sort of non-plussing silence then insisteth in the declaration of it Who shall declare his generation We come now to the last part of the words For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken They are added
I will have Payment of you or else ye must Die they brought the Sacrifice to the Priest to please God Typically with an Eye to Christ Typifyed thereby Even so for Sinners to make use of Christ's Sufferings is in the thorow Conviction of Sin and of deserved Wrath to flie unto Jesus Christ and to put Him in their Room being Content and Desirous that He be their Cautioner and undertake for them and Satisfie for their Debt yea puting Him Actually to it to pay their Debt So that they have no other Answer to any Challenge for Sin but this the Cautioner that I have betaken my self to and put in my Room will pay this Debt and answer for it The 2. Act of Faith is this when they have betaken themselves to Him and to His Sacrifice they Acquiâ—sce in and Rest upon it alone for obtaining of the Sentence of Absolution which was also implyed in the People their laying their Hands by the Priest on the Head of the Sacrifice For as it implyed their acknowledging that they could not Please nor Satisfie Goâ— of themselves nor by any other Way or Mean so it Implyed that according to God's Covenant they expected His Absolving of them because of that Sacrifice and that though they were Desperat by themselves to Satisfie yet that they had Faith in God's Covenant that the Sacrifice they Offered would Typically Satisfie Him Even so the Believer draws the Conclusion from Christ's Sacrifice according to the Terms of the Covenant that He hath Absolution and rests on and acquiesces in it and this is called Trusting or Confiding in Christ when not only he casteth himself on Him but hath Confidence that the Bill which He hath drawn on him will be Answered by Him which is founded on the Covenant In which it 's said of all that come unto me I will put none away As it is John 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wayes cast out and Zach. 13. There is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness On which ground Believers expect the benefit of Washing on their performing of the Condition of the Covenant And when David Psal 51.7 Prayes purge me wash me It holds out the Act of Faith drawing the Bill on Christ And when he sayes I shall be clean and white as snow It holds out his Confident Resting on and acquiescing in Christ for Cleansing And this is the reason why some expresse â—aith by cleaving to Christ others by confident resting on him or by assurance and there may be a Truth in both because the one looks on Faith according to the first Act of cleaving to Him And the other takes up Faith according to the other Act of assured resting on him or confiding in him and on or in His Sacrifice offered up once for all In a Word to make Use of this once Offering for Sin is so to make Use of Him as to put Him in our Room and our selves some way in His Room Nâ—t to dare to Compt and Reckon with Justice nay not to dare as it were to Compt with Christ but leaving Christ in the stour to speak so and running away from Reckoning with Justice to hide our selves under Him who can count to the utmost Farthing Even as when God commanded Abraham to offer up his Son Isaac and and when he was lifting his hand to slay him there came a Voice from Heaven Abraham hold thy hand and a Ram is provided â—nd Isaac is loosed and taken down from off the Altar and the Ram is put in his stead and place So there is here a changing of Rooms with Christ according to that sweetest Word 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we who had no Righteousnesse might be made the righteousness of God in him 3. If it be so very difficult and yet so absolutly necessary to make Use of Christ and especially in His Offering up of Himself for the Sin of His People there is ground here for Warning and Advertisement to walk tenderly in this Matter that this Sacrifice be not flighted that this One Offering be not Neglected as we would not have Sin lying at our Door And here we shall point at three sorts of Persons who may be counted slighters and neglecters of this Offering The 1. Sort are these who think to make their Peace with God without minding the necessity of the interveening of any thing betwixt Him and them and these go on severall Grounds or are of several Sorts 1. Some are utterly carelesse how their Peace be made or whether it be made or not they hope for it and think to come at it but cannot give an account whether they will come at it or not and they are careless to know the way 2. Others go upon their presumption They think God loves them because they love themselves and though they know they have Sin yet they think God will not be so ill as to Reckon with them They think they are sure that God loves them but they cannot give a ground for it 3. Others think God is mercifull and therefore they conclude that they will be Pardoned They cannot conceive God to be like Man in His Mercy but to be far beyond Him as indeed He is infinitely in some respect and therefore because when Man is mercifull he sometime seeks no Satisfaction So neither will God think they Not considering that though God be merciful That yet He will not shew mercie to the prejudice of His Justice but will needs have it Satisfied Such think on the Matter at least that they would have gotten mercy though Christ had never died It is true if God had not been mercifull never a Sinner had gotten mercy yet that is not the ground of His shewing mercy Otherwayes all the World might expect mercy For He is and ever was Gracious and mercifull in Himself and therefore there must be some other Ground and Way for obtaining of Pardon else it cannot be expected because of the alone Simple and Abstract consideration of His Mercy And yet many will needs expect it on this Ground without respect to the Mediators Purchase A 2. Sort are they that take a Legall way for making of their Peace with God Not as if they thought to appear before God without Sin and Holy as the Covenant of Works requireth but if they Sin they will make a mends and it 's either something Negative that they have not done or something Positive that they have done or some Internal Qualification that they rest upon 1. Something Negative they have not been so ill as other Folks and if they go to Hell they think few will go to Heaven They have done wrong to none and if they were about to Die they think and it may be say that they will leave a good Name behind them on the account of their harmless Walk like that Pharisee they can say Lord I thank thee
will O! my God By which will saith the Apostle we are sanctified And had there not been such a Will His Sufferings had not been usefull to us 3. Consider the Offer that is made in the Gospel to Sinners which is the object of our Faith For the Covenant of Redemption is not the Ground and Object of our Faith though it clears the Ground and Reason of our Faith but it 's Gods Offer in the Gospel according to that place Mark 16.15 16. Go ye and preach the gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved He warrands them to go and make it known to all to whom they shall Preach that there is Remission of Sinâ— to be had through Faith in Christ and this is a Ground to Faith when God makes offer of Christ's Satisfaction in the Gospel on condition that we believe and accept of Him When we by Faith close with the offer it gives us as it were an Assignation to Christs Purchase The Gospel sayes as Paul doth Acts 13.38 Be it known to you that through this man is preached to you remission of sins and by him all that believe are Justified And Faith consents to that as giving God credit and accordingly closes with and rests upon it as the ground of it's Plea before God So that when the Question comes to be asked What have ye to Answer the Law and to pay your Debt with Faith or the believing Sinners Answers I have nothing of my own but there is a Satisfaction in Christ according to the Covenant of Redemption which is holden out and made offer of to me in the Gospel and is given and allowed to me for defence against what the Law or Justice can say And I betake me to that And this is the native and kindly Act of Faith in Justification when it makes use of this Defence and Trusts to it alone This is even it that Paul hath Philip. 3.9 compared with v. 8. I count all things loss that I may win Christ and be found in him That when it shall be asked Paul where art thou I may have it to say I am here Lord even in Christ and in His Righteousness this is the ground of his Plea having given up with his own Righteousnesse as to his Justification before God and he will have no other defence but that 4. Consider the end of all these to wit of Christ's Sufferings of the Covenant of Redemption and of the Offer of the Gospel It 's the Praise of the Glory of His Grace that God may make it known that He is Gracious and freely Gracious without respect to any thing in in the Sinner This End is not only set out in these two peaces put together one is Rom. 3.26 To declare I say his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus That he might be Just That is one that will fulfill His threatnings and therefore He hath provided One to Satisfie His Justice and One that is Faithfull in keeping His Promises and therefore He is the Justifier of them that believe in Jesus The other place is Ephes 1.6 Where when the Apostle hath spoken of Election Predestination and Adoption he sets down the end of all to wit To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved And this is a Ground that makes all sure For God cannot fail to Justifie the Sinner that believeth in Christ as He is offered in the Gospel because that is the very end of His Justifying Sinners the Praise of the Glory of Grace which He will not miss but most certainly and infrustrably come by The Uses are 4. in general The 1 whereof is for Information and it 's such a Lesson of Information as without it all the Preaching of the Gospel is to no purpose and the hope of Eternal Life were utterly desperat if such a Doctrine were not in the Gospel that through Faith in Christ a Sinner may be Justified would any know then how they may be Absolved this Answers the Question and tells us that it is through Faith in Christs Righteousness and no other way And if we digestedly believed the former two Doctrines 1. That we must all come before the tribunal of God And 2. That we are all obnoxious to the Curse of God we would think this were a very concerning Question to be put how such a guilty Sinner may be Absolved and Justified And indeed if we be not clear in this point It 's as to any Fruit in vain for us to Preach and for you to hear or to think of coming to Heaven Which is in a Word that a Sinner through resting on Christs Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace may come to be absolved and fred from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never sinned nor been lyable to that Curse For further clearing of this Use Consider 1. What Justification is 2. What we mean by Faith And 3. What are the Causes of this Justification spoken of in the Text. 1. By Justification in this place is not to be understood the making of a Person perfectly holy nor to have Grace infused into him for that is Sanctification But it is to be absolved and declared free in respect of the Guilt of Sin and of the Curse as if a Man had never Sinned As it 's said Ephes 1.6 Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved It 's an Act of Gods free Grace whereby our Sins are pardoned and we accepted as Righteous in His sight c. as our Catechisme hath it as if our Sin had never been 2. When we speak of Faith we mean not a General Historical Faith that Devils or Reprobat Men may have and whereby an assent of the Judgement is given to the Truths of the Word though indeed Justifying Faith doth presuppose that neither by Faith do we mean such a Faith whereby a man doth at the very first believe that he is Pardoned and which puts away all doubting and lifts him in his own conceit to the hight of assurance about the obtaining of the thing It 's the Antinomian presumption to believe at first hand that I am Justified and Pardoned But it 's such a Faith that takes hold of Christs Righteousness made offer of in the Gospel that I may obtain Justification and pardon of Sin through Him According as it 's said Gal. 2.16 We believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ It 's an actuall closing with the offer of Christs Righteousnesse and a submitting to the terms of it for Justification The Souls founding of all it's defence before God on Christs Righteousnesse and Purchase offered to it in the Gospel and resting on it for Life and Salvation As suppose there were a Multitude of Rebels to whom Pardon were by Proclamation offered on condition that at such a time they should
not a Day of Judgement and a reckoning will ever close with Christ and lippen to His Righteousnesse I fear there are but few hearers of the Gospel that come the length of Devils in believing and yet all will needs be counted Christians we would here upon the one hand disclaim the Popish Error that plâ—ceth all the essence of Faith in the understanding which is somewhat strange seing they scarce think Knowledge of the thing to be believed necessary The reason is because they know or at least own nothing more of the concurrence of Faith in Justification then is obedience to a Commandement they think it 's a duty obedience to a Commandment to assent to any Truth therefore they take this general historical Faith to be the only Faith as they take Holinesse to be the only ground of their Peace when they are called to an accompt and thus Faith as a part of their Holinesse comes in but they admit of no particular respect to Faiths taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse as the immediat ground of their Peace Upon the other hand we would seclude the vain Faith of many Professors who some way believe all that 's in the Bible so as they question nothing herein They know no other Faith but this yet if this were Justifying Faith the Devil should have it For they believe and tremble They believe there is a God that Christ is the Son of God that they that believe shall not perish that God is Faithful c. But this Historical Faith is not enough 1. Because as I just now said it may be in Reprobats and Devils 2. Because the Scripture expresly differenceth this sort of Faith from saving Faith many were called Believers to whom Christ would not commit himself as it is John 2.24 For though they believed it to be truth which He spake yet they rested not on Him So in the Parable of the Sower Math. 13. There are three grounds that receive the Seed which imports in two of them at least a kind of Believing but the fourth ground is only good 3. Because this Faith Acts upon every revealed Truth alike and assents to all Passages recorded in the Bible alike as one and to that Paul left his cloak at Troas and the like as it Acts on that this is a faithful saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners and such like But according to the ground formerly given Faith as it Justifies Acts on Christ only and therefore this bare assent to the Truth of the Word cannot be Justifying Faith because it Acts no otherways on Christ then it doth upon other things ye would therefore know a difference in your practice betwixt these two The crediting the truth of a thing and your actual receiving and resting upon that Truth As for Example a man proposeth Marriage to a woman and she believes that he is in earnest and not in scorn yet there is a great difference betwixt that and her actual consenting to marrie him So it is here the man may believe that Christ doth really make offer of Himself to him and yet be far from cordial receiving of Him or take it in the example made use of before suppose that some of the Rebells we spoke of believe the Proclamation to be a Truth yet thinking it hard to be under the bands of Government they do not embrace it If it be Objected here That the Scripture often calls Justifying Faith a believing that Christ is the Son of God which is no more then this assent of the Judgement or Historical Faith For Answer it would be considered of whom the Scripture there speaks 1. It is of Jews for the most part who had the Faith of the Messiah generally among them and no question the Believers of them such as the proselyted Eunuch Martha and Mary had the Faith of the Messiah satisfying Divine Justice and of their Justification through His Satisfaction But the great question of the Jews was whether Jesus the Son of Mary was the Messiah or not and it being revealed and believed that he was the other followed they rested on Him of will to say so as the Messiah 2. Believing of Christ to be the Son of God doth not exclude but include their consenting to the receiving of Christ but it holds forth also their assent to and perswasion of that Truth that was then debated that He was indeed the promised Messiah and the Son of God For the Devils confessed Him to be the Son of God and none will say but there was more in their believing Him to be the Son of God then in the Devils believing it who never believe unto Salvation as they did 3. Consider that as sometimes Knowledge is put for Faith so this assent may be put for Faith where yet more is implyed in it especially considering that Rom. 10. Faith is called Faith of the heart with the heart man believeth Now believing with the heart being an Act of the will these Testimonies setting out Faith to be a believing Christ to be the Son of God must imply a lippening to Him following upon it we are therefore never to look on these places as comprehending a bare assent only but as including also and carrying alongst with it the cordial receiving Him and of resting upon Him For the 3. to wit the receiving Act of Faith which differs from the former as we shew in the examples hinted at before It looks to the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator it accepts of the Terms of the Covenant as they are proposed in the Gospel and consents to the bargain and as God proposes the Righteousnesse of Christ it submits to the same which Paul 1 Tim. 1. calls a saying worthy of all acceptation to be welcomed and believed as such and the Believers mentioned Heb. 11. are said not to have received the promises but to have seen them afar off and to have embraced or saluted them This receiving is no Physical or Natural Act as if we were to receive such a thing by the mouth or bodily hand It 's an Act of Faith in the heart proportioned and suited to this Spiritual Bargain or Marriage proposed in the Covenant of Grace and it 's like a mans consenting to a civil bargain or like a womans consenting to marry a man As when it is said to Sinners ye are naturally dead in Sins and trespasses and under Gods Curse But be it known to you that we preach Remission of Sins to you through the Blood of Christ Faith considers this offer accepts of and welcomes it The 4th and last Act is a resting on him which is still the same Faith but another Act of it Not as if there might be a receiving and not a resting or a resting and not a receiving or as if we were to difference them in respect of time but Faith is said to receive as it respects the Gospel offer of Christ and his Satisfaction and it
sutably affected with them It 's a wonder that God hath sent such a Report to People and in it hath laid Christ so near them that He puts Him home to them and lays Him before them even at their Feet as it were and as great a wonder that when the Lord hath condescended to give such a Saviour and bâ—ought Him so near that all He calleth for is Faith to believe the Report or rather Faith in Him of whom the Report is which is the second thing in the words The second thing then is The Duty that lyes on People to whom the Lord sends the Gospel or this Report concerning Christ and ye may take it in this general That it lyes on all that hear the Gospel to believe the Report that it brings concerning Christ and by Faith to receive Him who is holden out to them in it this is clearly implyed Isaiah and all Ministers are sent to report concerning Him and to bear witness of Him and its the duty of all Hearers to believe it and this is the ground of his and their complaint when People do not believe it By comparing this Text with Rom. 10.16 and John 12.38 we shew that it is saving Faith that is here to be understood I shall take up this Doctrine in three Branches which we will find in the words and which will make way for the Use 1. That a People to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel may warrantably accept of Christ or the offering of Christ in the Gospel is warrand enough to believe on Him otherwise there had been no just ground of expostulation and complaint for not believing for though the complaint will not infer that they had ability to Believe yet it will infer they had a warrand to Believe for the complaint is for the neglect of the Duty they were called to 2. That they to whom Christ is offered in the Gospel are called to Believe it 's their Duty to do it thus Believing in all that hear this Gospel is necessary by necessity of command even as Holiness Repentance c. are 3. That saving Faith is the way and mean by which these that have Christ offered to them in the Gospel come to get a Right to Him and to obtain the Benefites that are reported of to be had from Him thus Believing is necessary as a mids to the end of getting Christ and all that is iâ— Him This is also here implyed in the regrate made of the want of Faith which prejudgeth Men of Christ and of the Benefites of the Gospel We shall shortly put by the first of these which is That all that hear the Gospel preached have Warrand to believe and receive Christ for their eternal Peace and for making up of the breach betwixt God and them this preached Gospel gives you all Warrand to accept of Jesus Christ and ye would not seek after nor call for another I shall first premit two distinctions to clear this and then secondly confirm it As for the first of the two distinctions that serve to clear it We may take up the Gospel more largely and complexly in a Covenant-form holding out Christ and His Benefites on condition of Believing or we may take it up as it holds out a Promise without particular mentioning of a Condition Now when we say that the Gospel commands and warrands all that hear it to accept the Offer we do not mean the last that all that hear the Gospel have Warrand to accept the Promise without a Condition but the first that is that all the Hearers of the Gospel are commanded to accept of Christ offered there is by the preaching of it a Warrand to close with the Report and then to meddle with and take hold of the Promises and the things promised so that it 's the Gospel conditionally proposed that gives warrand to Believe as Believing rests on Christ for obtaining Life in Him The second Distinction is That we would consider Faith as it rests on Christ for obtaining Union with Him and Right to the Promises or as it applyes and makes use of the Benefites to be gotten in and by Christ the Offer of the Gospel gives not to all a Warrand to apply the Benefites to be gotten by Christ instantly but it warrands them to close with Him first and then to apply His Benefites Secondly For confirmation of this Truth That the general preaching of the Gospel is a Warrand for believing and exercising Faith on Jesus Christ for making our Peace with God It 's clear from these Grâ—â—nds 1. From the nature of the Gospel it 's the Word of God as really invitng to do that which it calls for as if God were speaking from Heaven it 's the Word of God and not the word of Man and hath as reall Authority to call for Obedience as if God spake it immediatly from Heaven and the Word of Promise is as really His Word as the Word of Command and therefore to be rested on and improven as well as we are to endeavour obedience to the Command and if we think that God's Testimony is true and if we lay any just weight on these three Witnesses testifying from Heaven and on these other three testifying from Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 then we may rest on Jesus Christ offered in this Gospel and believe that these who rest on Him shall have Life for it is as we said as really God's Word as if He were speaking it audibly from Heaven 2. It may be confirmed from these solemn things the Word and Oath of God whereby He hath mightily confirmed the external Offer of the Gospel even the two immutable things wherein it is impossible for Him to lie that these who are fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before them may have strong Consolation as it is Heb. 6.18 And God having thus said and sworn anent this external Covenant for this very end that the Hearers of the Gospel may know that they who receive Christ offered therein shall have Life it is Warrand sufficient to believe on Him for Life It 's also for this end that He haâ—h put Sealâ— to the Covenant Circumcision and the Passover in the Old and Baptism and the Lords Supper in the New Testament which are extended not only to the Elect but to Professors in the visible Church that every one who is baptized and admitted to the Communion may have confirmation of this that the Offer that God maketh of Life through Christ is a true and real Offer and will be made good to the Persons that shall receive it and so perform the Condition 3. It may be confirmed from the End for which God hath appointed the Word and Ministry in His Church even to make the Offer of Christ and Life through Him John 20.31 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name the Word is both written
tell you that remission of Sins is preached to you through Christ so we command and charge you to believe on Him and receive this Gospel wherein He is offered for the remission of Sins For clearing of this Use and that we may have the more ready access to Application We shall speak a word to these three First To several kinds of true Faith three whereof are noâ— saving or to the ordinary distinctions of Faith Secondly To the Scripture expressions that hold out the nature of saving Faith Thirdly To some differences betwixt this saving Faith and false and counterfite Faith or these acts of true Faith more generally taken which yet are not saving For the first of these When we speak of Faith we shall draw it to these four kinds ordinarily spoken of and shall noâ— alter nor add to the common distinctions of Faith though there may be moe given The first is Historical Faith which may be called true being it whereby we assent to the truth of a thing because of his supposed fidelity that telleth it as when an Author writes a History we give it credit upon report that he was an honest Man that wrot it So Historical Faith is when People hearing the Word preached or read they assent to the truth of it all and do not question but that Christ came to the World that He was God and Man in one Person that He died and rose the third day and ascended to Heaven that they that Believe on Him shall be saved c. and taking the Word to be God's Word they may give to it a higher assent then they give to any Mans word because God is worthy infinitly worthy of more credit than any Man yea then all Men and Angels too There may be I say in this Historical Faith of Divine Truths a higher or greater assent then there is in believing of any Humane History which may be the reason why many mistake Historical Faith and yet it is but of the same kind and a thing which mâ—ny Reprobates have as John 2. at the close it 's said Many believed on him when they saw the miracles which he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them they were brought to believe from the Signs which they saw that He was more than a meer Man and that it was the Word of God which He spoke and yet it was but a Historical Faith yea this Faith may be and is in Devils who are said James 2.9 to believe and tremble there are many who if they believe Christ to be God and Man and the Word to be true think it enough yet James having to do with such tells them that the Devils believe as much as that and more thorowly then many that hâ—ve that Historâ—cal Faith he knows God to be true and One that cannot lie and he finds it to his cost he knows that such as Believe cannot Perish for he cannot get one of them to Hell he knows that there is a time set when Christ will come to judge the World and himself among the rest and therefore he says often to Him torment me not before the time and as the Devil hath this Faith so there are many in Hell that have it too the rich Glutton had it therefore he bids go tell his Brethren that they come not to that place of torment and it s told him they have Moses and the Prophets c. which says that he then felt the truth of many things he would not believe before This I speak that ye may know that this Historical Faith is the first step of Faith but it may be in Hell and so in many in whom saving Faith is not it s really a wonder that Folks that are called Christians should own this to be saving Faith and think they are well come too when they are only come the Devils length in Believing yea there are many that never came his length else they would tremble more The second sort of Faith is the Faith of Miracles which is often spoken of in the New Testament as when the Lord sayeth If ye had saith as a grain of mustard-seed ye should say to this mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and it should be done there was an active Faith to work Miracles and a passiâ—e Faith to receive the particular effect the Mâ—racle did produce some had the Faith of Miracles to heal and others to be healed this is an extraordinary thing and Folks may go to Heaveâ— without it and go to Hell with it though they cannot go to Heaven without Historical Faith hence it 's said Many shall come to me in that day and shall say we have casten out devils in thy Name to whom he will say depart from me ye workers of iniquity And the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.2 If I had all faith and could remove mountains if I want charity it avails me nothing this Faith of Miracles availeth not alone to Salvation because it acts not on Christ holden out in the Promises as a Saviour to save from Sin but on Christ as having power and ability to produce such an Effect which may be where there is no quiting of a Man 's own Righteousness and if there be not Grace in the Person that hath it it is an occasion of Pride We call you then to Historical Faith as necessary though not sufficient but not to this Faith of Miracles it being neither necessary nor sufficient A third sort of Faith is Temporary Faith spoken of Matth. 13. and set out under the Parable of the Seed sowen on stony Ground which soon springs up but withers so some Hearers of the Gospel receive the Word with joy and are affected with it but endure not The difference betwixt this and Historical Faith is that Historical Faith as such consists in the Judgement and reaches not the Affections at best it reaches not the affection of Joy for though the Devils tremble yet they are never glad Temporary Faith reaches the Affections and will make a Man as to tremble at the Threatnings as Felix did so some way to delight himself in the Promises of the Gospel and to smack then as it were from the apprehension of the sweet taste and relish he finds in them It is even here as it were told a whole Man that a Physician is come to Town he is neither up nor down with it but tell it to a sick Man and he is fain from an apprehended possibility of a Cure yet the apprehended possibility of the Cure never sends him to the Physician nor puts him to apply the Cure The fourth sort is Saving Faith which goeth beyond all the rest and brings the sick Man to the Physician and to make use of the Cure there may be some measure of true Saving Faith where there is not much Temporary Faith or moving of the Affections and there may be a considerable measure of Temporary Faith where there is no Saving Faith
they have no Faith they will not by any means take with that they believe there is a Saviour and that He is God and Man and that such as believe on Him shall be saved and on this they rest It 's such as these who think they have believed all their days since ever they had any Knowledge because the Word was always or very long since received in the Place where they lived for the Word of God and they believe it to be so also and know no difference betwixt believing the Word and believing on Christ holden out in it though alace many of you believe not this much for if ye were among the Jews ye might be soon brought to question the truth of the Gospel But though ye had the real Faith of the truth of the Word take not that for Saving Faith for as there is a real Sorrow that is not the Saving Grace of Repentance unto Life so there is a sort of real Faith that hath a real Object and a real being in the Judgement which yet is not a real closing with Christ and so not Saving Faith as suppose a Man pursued by his Enemy should see a strong Castle-door standing open or one in hazard at Sea should see dry Land if he should stand still while the Enemy were pursuing him or abide still in the sinking Vessel the sight of the Castle-door open nor of the dry Land would not save him so it 's not the believing that there is a Saviour come into the World to save Sinners that will save except there be a resting on Him as He is holden out in the Woâ—d of the Gospel Historical Faith is only as it were a looking on the Saviour but Saving Faith grips to Him and rests on Him Historical Faith looks on Christ but acts not on Him closes not with Him and therefore such as have it only and no more sink and perish without getting good of Him We would think it a great matter to get many of you as far on in Believing as the Devil is who believes and trembles the little trembling that is shews that there is but little of this Historical Faith yet as I have often said this is not all ye may have this and yet if ye halt there ye will certainly perish if ye were never so confident to be saved the Apostle doth well distinguish these Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him where these two are presupposed First Believing that God is or hath a Being And secondly Believing that His Promise is sure and sicker that He is Faithful that hath promised and will make His Word good And then thirdly On both these follows a coming to Him as a Rewarder of diligent Seekers of Him The first two take in Historical Faith for to believe that God is is Natural and to believe that God is Faithful in His Promise may be in Natural Men but to come to Him to get the hazard that the Soul is in removed through Jesus Christ is a thing few do attain This then is the first thing we would be aware of not aware to believe the truth of the Word but to be aware of resting on it as Saving Faith it 's not enough to look on Christ and to grant that it is He but the Man must never be satisfied till he get himself rolled on Christ and the weight of his Salvation and Peace laid on Him in His own way The second thing ye would beware of is Some common and quickly transient work on the Affections that may accompany Historical Faith Whether the Affection of Grief or the Affection of Joy be stirred thereby both are unsafe to be rested on when ye can't prove your resting on Christ or where there is no relevant ground to prove it by though ye should tremble as Felix did and be under allaruming convictions of Conscience and fears of your hazard or though ye should be affected with Joy as the Temporary Believer may be and sometimes is what will that profite you it's a great mistake to take some small work on the Affections which at the best is but an effect of Historical Faith for a Saving work of the Spirit Or secondly If it be not an effect of Historical Faith it 's an effect of a challenge of Conscience and smiting of the Heart as in Saul who could say to David Thou art more righteous than I my son David Or thirdly It 's some common work of the Spirit such as was in Simon Magus of whom it is said he believed and who could say pray for me for Folks to conclude on this ground that they are brought out of Nature into a State of Grace is to build upon a Sandy Foundation The Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 7.10 of worldly Sorrow as well as of a godly Sorrow and as there may be a wordly Sorrow so there may be a carnal Joy a piece of fainness to speak so in Prayer or at hearing of a Preaching or at a Communion which is not Saving Faith some hear the Word with Joy Matth. 13. who yet endure not and John Baptist's Hearers rejoyced in his Light for a season even as a sick Man who hearing as we hinted before that a Physician who is skilful and able to cure him is come to Town he grows fain in the contemplation of a Cure of his Disease but here is the stick when the Physician tells the Man that he must be so and so abstemious and keep himself under such a strict Diet he dow not abide that and so all his joy evanishes There is something like this in Tempory Faith where some remote expectation of Salvation will cause a carnal Joy and Fainness but when it comes to this that a Man is called to quite his Lusts or his Estate or in the World to undergo Trouble and Persecution for the Gospel by and by he is offended he thinks to say so a Fowl in his hand is worth two fleeing and therefore when the Storm blows in his Teeth he turns his Back and runs away Especially we will find this to be with Men in Sickness they will have mints and seriousness and sometimes flashes of Sorrow under Convictions or Challenges and sometimes flashes of Joy that will evanish when they come to Health again When we speak of some common work on the Affections we would take in liberty and some warmness of Spirit in Prayer which no question even unrenewed Men may find more at one time than another as when they are in some great hazard or strait they will be more than ordinary serious in that Duty and yet that may be but an effect of Nature This proves a great Stumbling and Neck-break to many that they think they are well enough if now and then they get utterance in Prayer as sometimes they will get words beyond what they expected and when upon reflecting they find that
where there are three sorts of Ground that never bring forth good Fruit and there He speaks not only of the time of His own Personal Ministry but of all times 2. Look to the ordinary and dayly effect or rather consequent of this preached Gospel and it will prove it do not many Perish do not many croud thick in the broad Way that leads to Destruction do not but very few Fruits of Faith appear is there not little lamentably little real Change in the Way and Walk of most to be seen To clear it yet further Go thorow the several Ranks of Persons that in God's account are Unbelievers and lay them by O! there will be exceeding few Believers in Christ found First Then lay by the grosly Prophane that are never so much as civilized Secondly The Ignorant Stupid and Senseless that never have mind they have Souls are never feared for Wrath nor in the least exercised to make their Peace with God Thirdly The Earthly-minded that mind no other thing save the World Fourthly These of a Civil outward Carriage that have some good Works and as they think good Days too and yet come not near Christ to close with Him Fifthly The Hypocrites and that of all sorts both the presuming Hypocrites that will thank God they are better than their Neighbours and yet lippen not to Christ and free Grace through Him but seek to establish their own Righteousness gross as it is and the legal Hypocrites that never denyed their own Righteousness nor submitted to the Righteousness of Christ Lay aside all these I say and we leave it to your own Consciences to judge how few will be found to have Saving Faith and therefore I am perswaded if there be any truth of God delivered to you that this is a truth that though the Gospel be preached to many yet there are but few Hearers of it that do actually Believe in Jesus Christ to the saving of their Souls Use 1. The first Use of it is To beseech you to let this sink deep into your Minds as the Truth of God for these Reasons 1. Because it 's a most useful Truth and if it were believed it would make Folks very watchful over themselves and to tremble for fear lest they be found amongst the multitude that Believe not and put them tâ— secure and sicker their Interest in God and not to rest on a Fashion and Form of Religion without observing what Fruit followeth on the Gospel among the many Evils that undo not a few we think this is not the least that this Truth is never thorowly fixed in them they think there are many Heathens and Turks without the Church and many gross Swearers Drunkards and others such within it that will Perish but none others or at least that they are but very few who among a professing People Perish neither can they be induced to think it 's such a hard matter to get one or a very few that are Believers in a Countrey side so that if Isaiah were now alive to cry Who believes our report each of them would be ready to answer I believe 2. Because for as certain and useful a Truth as this is yet generally it 's not believed Folks cannot think that so few Believe and that Believing is so difficult and rare a thing I would ask you this Question Was it ever a difficulty to any of you to Believe If not what is it that makes Believing so rare what should move the Prophet thus to complain Who hath believed our report I shall shortly give you some Evidences that many of you do not really believe this Truth The first is That so few of you tremble at the Word of God the Historical Faith that the Devils have makes them tremble but ye have not that much this is given as a Property of a suitable Hearer of the Gospel to whom the Lord will look Isa 66.1 2. that he is one who trembles at the Word but the most part of you that hear this Gospel are like these Piâ—lars on which this House stands who are never so much as once moved at the Word ye either take not Faith to be an absolutely necessary thing and that ye cannot but Perish without it or ye think that the Faith ye were Born with will do your turn ye do not Believe that ye are naturally under the power of the Devil and led Captive of him at his will and that without Holiness and a spiritual gracious Frame and stamp on your Heart and Way ye shall never see God what wonder then that ye come not to rest on Christ when the very Letter of the Gospel is not credited A second Evidence is That there is so little preparation made to prevent your eternal Hazard it 's said of Noah Heb. 11. that Noah being warned of God prepared an Ark and this is attributed to his Faith it 's not possible that ye would live so negligently and carelesly if ye believed that the Curse of God were pursuing you and that ye will be brought to reckon for that which ye have done in the Body and that ye will meet with God as an Enemy if this were believed though your Hearts were harder than they are it would make you tremble and put you to other sort of thoughts and seriousness A third Evidence is That there is no Fruit of Faith among many of you for where it is it will not be got altogether smuthered but will kythe and shew it self one way or other and if ye will still assert your Faith I would say to you as James doeth to these to whom he writes Shew me your Faith by your works if ye shall say God knows I answer that ye shall find that to be a Truth that He knows and He will make you know that He does so but alace that poor Shift will not avail you when it comes to the Push O try your Faith then by your Works see what Mortification of Lusts what Repentance from dead Works what grouth in Knowledge what shining of Holiness in your Conversation is attained to many of you as to your very Knowledge are as if ye lived among Heathens many of whom have been as free of Vice and more profitable to others than many of you are and cared as little for the World as many of you do how comes it to pass then that ye have lived as if ye could have Faith and yet have no Fruit ye must either say that Faith is not necessary or that ye may have Faith without Fruit for we are sure your Fruit is not the Fruit of Faith To live honestly as you call it what is that there are many Heathens who have gone beyond you in that we will not say that Moral Honesty is nothing but sure it is not all all the Fruits of meer Moral Honesty are but sour Fruits that will set your Teeth on edge Neither is it your Hearing of the Word only but your Believing and
conjectures about this Matter and the greater their Security be they perswade themselves the more that they have Faith This is as sad as any of the former when they grant all that Folks should make their Calling and Election sure and should endeavour to be sure of their Faith but in the mean time take Peace with the Devil and Peace with their Lusts for Peace with God and a Covenant with Hell and Death for a real Bargain with God This is as true as this Word of God is that there are many that put by all Challenges by this and never suspect their Faith they hope that all shall be well and they must always Believe as if that were the whole Duty of Faith to keep down all Challenges A fourth sort is even of the generation of them that have some thing of God in them who scar in a manner to make all sure and think it is a piece of Humility and of holy and tender walking to maintain Doubâ—ing even as others think it Faith to maâ—â—tain Presumption They are always complaining as if all things were wrong and nothing right in their Case and so foster and cherish Misbelief There is such a thing as this that marreth even serious Souls in their endeavours to make their Calling and Election sure and as long as this is they cannot win to the suitable discovery of this excellent Grace that God calls them to Exercise even Faith in the Lord Jesus Need we make use of Motives to press you to this tryal of your Faith and to this giving of all diligence to make it sure who have especially hitherto neglected it If ye knew any thing of the vexation that Unbelief hath with it and what horrour in Conscience from the sense of distance from God were ye would think it a great matter to be clear in this thing and if it were known and believed how this delusion and unsickerness of Faith destroys the most part of Men in the World even of the visible Church Durst Men ly in their Security as most do without all endeavours to make it sure on good ground that they do indeed Believe Durst they ly still under God's Curse if they thought themselves to be really under it and did not foolishly fancy that it is otherways with them Durst Men treasure up Wrath to themselves if they thought not that the Hope they had were good enough O! but Presumption beguiles and destroys many Souls and particularly this same Presumption of Folks thinking themselves right when they are wrong hath destroyed and doeth destroy and will destroy moe Members of the visible Church then Prophanity Drunkenness Whoredom Theft Desperation or any other of these gross and much abhorred Evils do This is the thing that locks Folk up in their Sin even their Presumption when they say on the matter We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own heart It 's this that makes Men without fear Steal and Lie and commit Adultery c. that they say Is not the Lord among us Is not this the thing that keeps many of you that ye never tremble at the Word of God we have Faith in God say ye we lippen and trust in Him therefore seing Presumption is so rife have ye not need to try your Faith If there were so much counterfeit Money in the Countrey that it were a rare thing to get one good and upright piece of Money ye would think your selves greatly concerned and obliged to try it well lest ye were cheated with base and counterfeit Coyn Is there not need then yea infinitely much more need for them that would be so wise as not to be beguiled about the salvation of their Souls to search and try whether their Faith will abide God's tryal or not Ye will readily move this Question What then are the Characters or Evidences of a solid and sicker Faith that will abide the tryal by which the pretended Faith that is among the Men of this Generation may be examined and put to just tryal I shall first name some direct Scriptures holding out somethings essentially accompanying Faith and then shall add others having more condescending Characters for the more particular differencing of this helping to the decision of this great Question The first Mark whereby ye may try your Faith is The ground and rise of it or that whereby it is begotten and cherished Faith comes saith the Apostle Rom. 10.10 by hearing Doctrinal Faith comes by the preaching of the Gospel and Saving Faith is wrought instrumentally by the same Word of God it being the power of God to salvation it being this Word that is the very ground of our Faith I would ask you where from your Faith comes and what hand the Word of God hath in it There are many that have a sort of Faith not only without but contrary to the Word of God whereby they believe that they will get Heaven while in the mean time the Word of God does directly exclude them Get ye your Faith maintained without ever knowing the necessity of a Promise for that effect Can ye maintain your Peace and not have so much as any foundation in the truth and faithfulness of God to build it upon Love never that Faith that hungers not after the Word that is supposed to be lively without being ever fed by the Word that cannot claim either its rise and original or its growth from the Word I will not say from this or that word in particular or at this or that time read or heard but from the Word of God the Word is the very foundation that Faith builds upon If we look to what either accompanieth or followeth Faith there are some plain Scriptures that will make that clear as Acts 15.9 and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith there was indeed once a great difference between Jews and Gentiles but now when he hath brought both to believe in Christ the difference is removed There is an efficacy in it to circumcise the Heart to purifie it and to banish Lusts out of it for it closes and unites with Christ and so brings him home to dwell in the Heart and where Christ dwells He commands and so whatever opposes Him is banished Faith gives Christ welcome and will give nothing welcome to dwell with Him that 's opposite and displeasing to Him Faith improves Christ for the subduing of its Lusts and mortifying its Corruptions whereas before there might be an fair outside of a Profession and something clean outwardly and much filthiness and rottenness within but when Faith is exercised on Christ it purifies from all filthiness of the Spirit as well as of the Flesh it applys the Promises for that end even to get the inside made clean as well as the outside yea it s main work is to have the inside the Heart purified that being the fountain of all the pollution that defiles the Man and brings
Promises without the including of the effect the giving of the new Heart is not only a perswading to Believe but the actual giving of the new Heart whereof Faith is a special part which Promise is peculiar to the Elect though the offer of it be more large and be further extended and what can that Promise of Gods writing the Law in the Heart be but an effectual inclining of the Heart to the Will of God or inward renovation contradistinguished to the external Ministry that can only hold out His Will in a Book and speak it to the Ear. 3. This may be cleared and confirmed from the nature of the work of Grace which is such a mighty work and so powerful as it is impossible it can be frustrated or disappointed unless we could say that Grace in God or the Grace of God is not so powerful as Corruption in us which were Blasphemy to this purpose the Apostle prayeth in behalf of the Christian Ephesians chap. 1.19 20. that they may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead he speaketh so in this high strain to set out both the exceeding stubbornness of our Nature that needs such a work and the exceeding great power of the Grace of God that worketh irresistably not only in the Conversion of the Elect at first but in all the after-acts of Believing so Eph. 3.7 the same Apostle hath it according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power and Col. 1.29 according to his working which worketh in me mightily The Power that worketh in Believers is Gods omnipotent Power which worketh effectually and mightily and if this Power be exercised in the continuing and promoving of Faith as is said before it must be much more exercised in the begetting of Faith yea and what need is there that He should exercise it if not for this end that where He exerciseth it it may also prevail A 4th ground of Confirmation may be drawen from the Lords great end which He hath before Him in this work and that is the gaining of glory to His Grace and to have the whole work of Conversion attributed to it and if this be His end He must and will prevail by His Grace in throughing the work in order to this end if it were left indifferent to Man to yield oâ— not to yield to God as he pleaseth the whole weight of the work of Conversion should not ly upon Grace Mans Mouth should not be stopped but when that question should be asked who hath made thee to differ and what hast thou O man but what thou hast received he should still have something to boast of and the work of his Conversion should at best be halfed betwixt Grace and his own Free-will this would necessarily follow if Grace did not through the work and so God should miss of His end A 5th ground of Confirmation is taken from the consideration of Gods Decree of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator and of the Power and Wisdom of God in carrying on this work which we put together for brevities cause From all which it will be clear that there is and must be a necessary connexion betwixt the work of Grace on Believers and the Effect and that it is not in the power of Mans Free-will to resist it which indeed is not freedom but bondage 1. Then We say That if we consider the Decree of Election we will find that where Grace is applied Faith and Conversion must follow otherwise if the work of Grace were not effectual to convert Gods Decree should be suspended on the Creatures Free-will and be effectual or not effectual according as it pleased and is that any little matter to make His Decree depend upon and be effectual or not according to Man's pleasure that which sickereth His Decree and makes it infrustrably to take effect is that He hath effectual Means to bring about His Decree 2 If we consider the Covenant of Redemption betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator we will find that upon the one side the Mediator particularly undertaketh for them that are given to Him that He shall loss none of them and upon the other side we have to speak with reverence of the Majesty of God after the manner of Men the Father's Obligation to make such Persons in due time Believers that Christ the Mediator may see of the travel of His Soul and be satisfied according to that Promise made to Him Psal 110.3 In the day of thy power thy people shal be willing and that other Isa 53.11 He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. and accordingly Himself saith John 6.37 All that the Father hath given to me shall come unto me where it is clear that these who are given must necessarily come and He also saith John 10.16 Other sheep have I which are not of this sold them also I must bring and it cannot be supposed without horrour and blasphemy that this determinate solid and sure transaction having all its midses included in it and being as to its end so peremptory shall as to these midses and that end and as to their throughing not be in Gods hand but in the hand of Mans Free-will if it were there O! how unsicker and loose would the bargain and God's design in begetting Faith and in bringing Souls through Grace to Glory be 3. If we consider the Lords Power in beginning and promoving and His Wisdom in carrying on of this work His Power whereby he raiseth the Dead and His Wisdom whereby He leads from Death to Life is it possible to conceive or imagine these to be applied by the Lord in the Conversion of a Sinner but this Doctrine must needs hold that the work of His Grace powerfully applied hath always Faith and Conversion following on it and that the Lord leaveth it not to the option of Elect Souls to believe or not to believe as they please He must not He cannot be frustrate of His end and design but He must bring them to a cordial closure with Christ by Faith in order to their Salvation Use 1. The first Use serves to fix you in the Faith of this great Truth and though we use not neither is it needful to trouble you with long Questions and Debates yet when the like of this Doctrine comes in our way especially in such a time wherein the pure Truths of God and this among the rest are troubled and called in question it is requisite that a word be spoken for your confirmation and establishment and we would hence have you fixed in the Faith of these two 1. Of the impotency of Nature in the beginning or promoving ought of the work of Grace which belongs to
as a reason of the former and the one part of them is a reason of the other he had said before Who can declare his generation Who can sufficiently declare and unfold how gloriously the Mediator is exalted And he gives this for the reason of it For he was cut off out of the land of the living The force of which reason is that he humbled himself therefore God hath highly exalted him as the Apostle reasons Philip. 2.9 So tha this is not added as being posterior to his Exaltation but as a reason shewing the connexion of his Exâ—ltation with his Humiliation And left it should be a stumbling to any that this glorious person suffered death he gives the reason of that also which strengthens the reason of his Exaltation For the transgression of my people was he stricken or as the word is The stroak was on him he suffered not for any wrong in himself but for the sins of his own elect people The first part clearly looks to Christs death which was a Prophesie in Isaiah his time but is now a Historical narr tion to us we having the Gospel as a Commentary on it To be cut off out of the land of the living is to have an end put to the natural life which is ordinarily done by death But cutting off here signifies to be taken away not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary way to be removed by a violent death by the stroak of Justice We may shortly take these two Observes here for the confirmation of two Articles of our Faith Looking on it 1. As a Prophesie we may Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to suffer and die it was Prophesied of him That he should be cut off out of the land of the living And Dan. 9.26 it is plainly and clearly asserted that the Messiah shall be cut off which being compared with the History of the Gospel we have it as a truth â—ulfilled for our Lord Jesus was cut off and as he himself sayes Luke 24. It behoved him to suffer these things and to enter into his gloâ—y Aâ—d supposing the Elect to be sinners and the curse to be added to the Covenant of Works The day thou eats thou shalâ— surely die supposing also the Mediator to have ingaged and undertaken to satisfie Juâ—â—ice and undergo that curse for the Elâ—ct There was a necessity that he should die as it is Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us which curse was evidenâ— in his death for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree 2. Observe That our Lord Jesus behoved to die a violent death and not an ordinary natural one which this expression and that other Dan 9 clearly holds forth And consideriâ—g his sinless nature that was not lyable to death and that he had not these principles of dying in him disposing him to die that we sinful miserable mortals have is us And considering withal that the Lord Jâ—hovah was to speak so pursuing him as siâ—ners Câ—uâ—ioner at the Bar of Justice it was meet yea necâ—ssary that our blessed Lord should not die an ordinary death as men die ordinarily through weakness or sickness on their beds but a violent death Use It serves to be a confirmation of this truth that the Messiah behoved thus to die therefore we say in the Belief He suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried Which shews 1. The reality oâ— his satisfaction and the compleat payment that he made to Justice when he layes down that price which the sinner ought to have laid down 2. It shews the reality of our Lord's sufferings and that they were not imaginary but that as he was a real and true man so his sufferings were most real His soul was separat from his body though the union betwixt both his body and soul and the God-head continued still 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of our faith in this that our Lord Jesus is the Messiah that was Prophesied of and promiâ—ed in whom all the suffâ—rings in his soul and body that were spokâ—n of to go before his death were accomplished and in whom this was also accomplished that he was cut off out of the land of the living So that if we look rightly on the Scriptures our Lords sufferings will be so far from being matter of stumbling that they will rather be a clear convincing and evident proof that Jeâ—us of Nazareth is the true Messiah and that in him all th t was spoken concerning the Messiah is fulfi led and came to pass 4. It 's mâ—tter of great consolation to believers that our Lord Jesus who is now exalted died and so death is spoiled and there needs not be any great fear for them to yoke with it This land of the living is not their rest within a little they must be gone hence Our Lord was cut off from it and that by a shameful death for the behove and sake of others and not for himself and therefore his death cannot but be made forth-coming for them for whom he under-went it and their petty suffâ—rings need not much to vex them Those plainest truths that are most ordinary have in them most of spiritual sap juâ—ce and life to strengthen Faith and to furnish consolation to Believers And were they rightly understood and fed upon by Faith O how lively might they be And were there no more but these two words in thâ— Text. O how much consolation do they yield in lâ—fe and in death Our Lord is gone before Believers and they may be greatly heartned to follow him The last part of or the last thing in the words seem to have some more obscurity in it and therefore we shall insist the more in opening up of the same For the transgression of my people was he stricken These words do not look to the reason why Pilate and the Priests condemned him for they had no thoughts of the sins of Gods people Though Caiaphas stumbled as to himself by guess on a Prophesie of his dying for them but they give a reason why he was cut off out of the land of the living And look to the Court and Tribunal of God's Justice before which he was standing by which he was to be sentenced to death for the transgressions of God's people and also absolved He was thus stricken in respect of God's purpose and design For clearing of the words it may be inquired 1. What is meant here by my people 2. What is it to be stricken or smitten for them For the 1. My people it is a discriminating or differencing thing of some from others And therefore by my people here is not meant 1. All the world or all that ever lived and had a beeing We find not any where in Scripture that these are called my people or God's people but when ever my people is spoken of it is used to rid Marches betwixt his people and
Converse with them but also to Hâ—s Doctrine And so sayes that there was no Doctrinal deceit in Him Which is when Men lie of God to Men which is a gross sort of lying and a deceiving of Souls in making them to take that for Truth which is no Truth And in derogating from the Truth and making them take that for Error which is Truth As the Apostle speaks of such that they speak lies in hypocrisie These words There was no deceit in his mouth Look to both especially to the last that is the Doctrinal deceit of corrupt Teaching whereof he was free altogether I say it looks especially to that because he was callumniated traduced and called a deceiver of people That is as if the Prophet had said most untrue of Him There is no deceitful word in all His Doctrine though it was imputed to Him yet he was most free of it Thence Observe That exact Holiness and Blamlessnesse takes in Holiness in a Mans Conversation in respect of practice and soundness in His judgement in respect of Doctrine for if our Lord be a Pattern of Holiness that which was in Him as our Pattern is called for from us even to be pure as He is pure No violence was in his hands He was no Stealer nor Robber nor Oppressor to speak so with reverence And there was no deceit in his mouth The Word and Worship of God was not wronged by Him and He is holden forth for an Example to us in both That which we would say further on this shall be in a word of Use Where we may clear both the Branches of the Doctrine to meet with two exceeding prejudicial Tenets among Men. 1. There are some who if they be not Erronious in their Opinions and Sectaries they think they are well enough and insult over the Infirmities of Poor Folk that fall into these Errors And they will like these spoken of Whore Drink Steal Lie c. And yet lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come unto us Such half and divide Godliness They will not be Papists Puritans nor Sectaries but there is much unholinesse in their Practice much Self-seeking Pride Hypocrisie Formality Deceiving Cousening Falshood And they cover all with this That they are sound as to their Profession though only hearing and not doing professing and not practising But they would consider that Christ sayeth not Blessed are they that hear only but blessed are they that do the will of God O! beware of this great deceit it is a piece of Christs Innocency and Holiness That no violence was in his hands There was no sinfull thing in His practice no sinful word came from His mouth Ye shall never be accounted followers of Christ though ye give your bodies to be burnt for the Truth as it is to be feared few of you would do if your Conversation be not suitable God shall never accept of your Testimony therefore divide not these things which God hath put together Let Holinesse be in your practice otherwayes Papists and Quakers yea the grossest and most abominable Heretickes and ye will be utterly disclaimed 2. The other Branch of the Use is That suppose there were never so much apprehended tendernesse in folks walk though they were much in Duty and though they would quite all they had to the Poor yet if Deceit be in their mouth if they corrupt the Truth and teach others so to do there is a want of the half of Holinesse yea in some respect of the best and chief half of it And the Reason is 1. Because the Image of God consists as much in the Truth as in the Practice nay if Practice be not conform to Truth it is no true Holinesse and where Error is drunken in there is in so far an utter unsuitableness to the Holinesse of Christ as well as where prophanity appears in the conversation For there was no deceit in his mouth 2. Because this Word of God prescrives the Doctrine of Faith to be believed as well as Duties to be performed and the right grounding of Faith is a main if not the main thing wherein the Image of God consists to wit in Knowledge and Error is as inconsistent with Knowledge as Ignorance is yea more in so far as it leaves a contrary impression of untruth on the Soul which is worse then simple Ignorance 3. Because when a Person miscarrieth by turning aside from the Truth to Error he also miscarrieth in his Practice at least in so far The right conceiving of Truth being both the ground of our Faith and the Rule of our Practice As for instance let once the conceit and fancie come in of Folks being above Ordinances no Conscience is thenceforth made of sanctifying the Sabbath or Lords day nor of any other Duty of Worship but Men become almost if not altogether Athiests Yea 4. The incoming of Error begets a sort of presumptuous confidence Therefore Christ sayes He that breaks one of these commandments and teacheth men so to do he shall be called the least in the kingdom of God he not only breaks the Command himself but he seeks to engadge others to do so likewise so that an Error from the Truth is a sin against the â—irst Table and so among the greatest Evils And the teaching and propogating of Error is a sin against the Second Table because it hazards the Soul of our Neighbour whereas violence in the hands hurts only his Person or Estate And 5ly If we look to the rise of Error or whence it comes we will find it to be a Fruit of the Flesh Gal. 5.19 And that which flows from our corruption and is therefore ranked in with Witchcraft Adultery Furnication Idolatry Hatred Variance c. 6. If we look to the Scriptures account of it and of the Propogators of it We will find that 2 Cor. 11.13 They are called false apostles deceitfull workers ministers of satan not common sins transforming themselves into the ministers of Christ and no marvel for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light For their work is to gather in Souls to the Devil to hale them as in a Net to him to be Discâ—ples to him Or 7. If we look to the Effects that follow upon Error and upon the propogation of it we will find them to be dreadful for as it is 2 Pet. 2. 1. They draw upon themselves swift destruction And chap. 3.16 They wrest or pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction In all these respects Error in Judgement is as evil if not worse then prophanenesse in practice And if we look thorow the Churches of Christ we will find that there hath been more palpable havock and destruction of Souls since Antichrist arose by his grosse Errors and damnable Delusions then hath readily been by sin in Practice which Men do not own and avouch as they do these Delusions Think therefore seriously on this whoever would be pure as Christ
their Debt This will be clear if we consider all these Scriptures that make offer of the pardon of Sin for it 's offered not in the condition of Faith in a more general Notion of it but on condition of Faith in him So Rom. 5.22 24 25. The righteousnesse of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believe in his name Where the Faith that hath the Promise of Justification and the priviledge of Adoption annexed to it is called the receiving of Christ and believing on his name It may also be cleared and confirmed by good reason 1. Faith does not Justifie as it 's cosidered in it self as an Act but as it relates to and units with Christ as the meritorious cause of Justification 2. Neither does Faith Justifie as it looks to every Object which the Word holds forth But as it respects Christ offered in the Gospel whom it receiveth because there is no other thing that can bear the Souls weight and burden Therefore he as offered in the Gospel must be the Object of Faith as it 's saving and justifying 3. The terms of the Covenant and Gods offer clears it also For Gods offer of Justification is not on these terms that a Sinner shall believe his Word in the general but that he believe on His Son whom He hath sent and receive Him as these Scriptures cited before to wit John 3.16.18 and Mark 16.16 Shew where the terms are set down whereon God offers Life to Sinners 4. If we could imagine a man to have all Knowledge and all Faith if Faith Act not on Christ as Redeemer Cautioner and Surety for such as come to Him it will not avail us nor be counted to us for Righteousnesse which may also confirm this truth The Uses of this Doctrine are such as serve both to clear the nature of Faith and to direct us in our practice The 1. Use Then serves to clear the Truth as the Papists corrupt many Truths so they corrupt this Truth concerning the nature of Justifying and Saving Faith in these Three 1. In the Object 2. In the Subject 3. In the Act of it As for the Object of this Faith they make it to be every thing that God reveals and sometimes they take in their own Traditions the reason is because they give not Faith a Causality in Justification nor the capacity and place of a thing acting on Christ particularly but take it in as a common Grace or at the best as a Grace that is Radical and gives Life to other Graces but never as taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse which quite overturns the way of Justification through Faith in Him for Faith that layeth not hold on His Righteousnesse cannot Justifie and their making the Object of Faith to be so broad doth enervat both the immediat merit of Christs Righteousnesse and the exercise of Faith on it 1. Then we grant that there is a Historical Faith requisit as to the whole Word of God yet we say that the Faith that Justifies is properly that Faith that singles out the Righteousnesse of Christ and takes hold of it So that it 's not our believing that the World was made that there will be a day of Judgement nor our believing that a Saviour of Sinners is come into the World and hath suffered c. that Justifies but it 's a closing with a receiving of and a resting on that Saviour a singling out of the Promise that makes offer of him as for instance where it 's said If thou believe on the Lord Jesus thou shall be saved and pitching on that and resting on him holden out in the Promise Faith gives the Soul footing here whereas before it's case was very desperat 2. We may clear what we are to look to as the object of Justifying and Saving Faith by our putting in these Three Words or Expressions in the Doctrine to wit Christ Jesus his Righteousnesse holden forth in the promise of Gods free grace in the Gospel and which are needful to be taken in though it be not alwayes necessary that we be explicit ln the uptaking of them 1. There is need of taking in Christs righteousnesse because it 's our defence at the Bar of Gods Justiâ—e even as a Debitor whose Debt the Cautioner hath payed hath that to answer when he is charged for it that his Cautioner hath payed it 2. There is need to take in this Holden forth in Gods promise in the gospel because though Christ be the Object of Justifying Faith and His Righteousnesse be the ground of the Souls defence before God yet Gods Promise must be looked on by Faith for the use making of Christ and His Righteousnesse and as a warrand to rest on Him and to expect Justification through Him and thus Faith hath Christs fulnesse or His full and compleat Satisfaction for Righteousnesse and Gods Faithfulnesse impledged that the Believer shall be accepted through it And it s on this ground that Faith sometimes looks on God as Able sometimes as Faithful Therefore it 's said Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost and Heb. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised whereupon there is a closing with the offer in the Promise and a looking to obtain that which is Promised as if they had a Righteousnesse of their own and this the Apostle calls the law of faith Rom. 3.27 Because to Justification there is beside the payment of the Debt a Law declaring the man to be absolved requisit and the Sinner having Gods offer and Promise that upon his accepting of Christs Righteousnesse he shall be Justified instructs that his Debt is payed by his Cautioner and that therefore he ought to be and is accordingly absolved And though Gods Promise be not so properly a Law yet the Apostle calleth it so and it is a solid defence to the Soul that is fled to Christ Who may thus reason I have no Righteousnesse of my own but Christs Righteousnesse by Proclamation is offered to me in the Gospel and I have heartily received it and closed with it and God is faithfull to make good His Promise to me and this looks to Christ as He is revealed in the Gospel 3. There is need to put in this word The promise of Gods free grace because hereby the Sinner is made to see whence the Promise came and of what nature it is and gives ground to take hold of the Promise and of that which is made offer of in it the Promise is of free Grace therefore it 's alwayes called the Covenant of Grace So Rom.
Isaiah's dayes only but in Christ's days John 12.37 38. and in Paul's days Rom. 10.16 where the same very words in the Text are repeated nay it runs down from the first spreading of the Gospel even to these latter days wherein we live many hear but few receive the Report 3. Consider how many they are that complain it 's not one or two or a few but all the Preachers of the Gospel it 's not Lord who hath believed my Report but who hath believed our Report it's complained of by Isaiah here and in several other places named before it 's complained of by Micah Chap. 7.1 Wo is me for I am as they who have gathered the summer-fruits as the grape gleanings of the vintage there is no cluster to eat the good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men c. it 's complained of by Hosea Chap. 11.7 Though they called them to the most High none at all would exalt him that is none would give Him the glory of His Grace in believing on Him Ah sad word as is that also in Psal 81. the Lord calls Hear O my people and I will testifie to thee open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and what Prophet is there almost if I need say almost but hath one way or other this Complaint that though the Lord streatched out His Hands all day long yet it was to a rebellious and gain-saying People Look forward and see what our Lord says of John Baptist and of Himself Whereto shall I liken this generation it 's like children sitting in the market-places saying one to another we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented that is there is much Preaching of Men endowed with several Gifts but none of them does the People much good John preached with much holy austerity like one Mourning the Son of Man most sweetly like one Piping yet neither the one nor the other prevailed there are some Boanarges sons of Thunder allaruming and thundering Preachers some Barnabasses sons of Consolation sweetly comforting Preachers yet all gain but little on the Hearers our Lord sayeth Mat. 23. O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you this is the ordinary Complaint ye would not A 4th Aggravation is If we consider who they are that meet with this Unbelief and Unfruitfulness in them they preach to if it were poor coldrife Preachers such as we alace in a great measure are or such as the Scribes and the Pharisees were or if it were they who had Learning only and not Piety it were not so great matter to see them meet with Unbelief and Unfruitfulness in their Hearers but it s even these whom the Lord sent and sharpened as Arrows out of His Quiver as this Prophet was it 's even his Preaching that is Fruitless in a great measure and was there ever a more sweet plain powerful and delectable Preacher than Isaiah was that even the very reading of his Preachings may affect the Readers yet is there any that complains more or so much as he doeth in the Chapters before cited it's like ye will think that if Isaiah were Preaching now he would be as a Stone that would not be moved thereby and yet his Preaching got the same return and entertainment that our gets now and Hosea called his Hearers to the most High yet none at all would exalt Him it was their work to streatch out their Hands all the day long but they hardened their Necks and refused to return Jer. 8. and Zech. 7. But 5ly Consider all these are Servants and Preachers under the Old Testament and you may be disposed to think that ye under the Gospel when the Vail is laid by and when Christ Himself their Lord and Master and His Apostles come to Preach the Gospel it should be otherwise yet John the Baptist who was Christ's Harbinger who was a burning and a shining Light a stayed and fixed Man not a Reed shaken with the Wind as many of us much are a Prophet yea more than a Prophet yet when he preached many of his Hearers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7. John comes preaching austerely and they say he hath a Devil and if there was any rejoycing in his Light it was but for a Season and Paul that chosen Vessel how often was he persecuted and he hath the same Complaint in the same words that Isaiah hath here of his Hearers especially the Jews Acts 13.46 and 28.28 and was constrained to tell them that he and his Fellow preachers behoved to quite them and betake themselves to the Gentiles and how doeth he complain of the Corinthians and Galatians and of their being bewitched and suddenly seduced and drawen away from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel by some Self-seeking Lown-Ministers coming with a glancing Countefite among them We shall close this with the consideration of our Lord Jesus who was a none-such Preacher of whom it 's said Matth. 7.29 that He spake with power and not as the Scribes and Luk 4. when he is opening that sweet Text Isa 61.1 23. it 's said They all wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth and the Officers that came to take Him say that never man spake as He spoke and yet this same is His Complaint Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered you and ye would not and John 1.11 it 's said He came to his own and his own received him not Chorazin Bethsaida and Capernaum were lifted up to Heaven by the Lord 's preaching to them in Person and yet woe after woe is denounced against them because they believed not for all His Preaching and Miracles and it 's a wonder if we look thorow the History of the Gospel how many a sweet Preaching He had and with what Weight and Power He spoke and sometimes with Tears and withall backed His Word with Miracles that made His Hearers acknowledge the Finger of God and yet how few were brought to Believe on Him so that He was put to take up this very Complaint of Isaiah here John 12.38 Is it not a wonder when He and His Apostles have preached so much and so long that the Church is so little a Flock and that Believers are so few in number even after His Ascension need we any further proof that the Gospel where it comes gets but little welcome the Carriage of many among our selves is a sad proof of it for we are afraid that many of you do not Believe to this Day though there hath been amongst you much long or many Years and powerful preaching of the Gospel but are still living without Faith and Perishing If this be not enough to clear the Doctrine 1. See how Christ speaks of it Matth. 13. in the Parable of the Sower of the Seed
think we must report can we report any other way then it is with you Shall we or dare we say that such a Man was a fine civil Man and that therefore he will not be reckoned with though he believed not in Christ No no but this must be the report that such a Man and such a kind of Men though Christ was long wooing them would not embrace Him though He invited them to the Wedding yet they would not come nay they mocked and spurned at it they trode the Blood of the Covenant under Foot and counted God a Liar in all His Offers and said by their Practice that they should be happy though they took not this way many of you who would not take it well if we should speak this to you in particular will find it to be a Truth one day And if ye shall say What would we be at The answer is at hand Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved This is the End of the Gospel and the mean of your Happiness it 's the great and the main thing that we call for which if it be not obtained the ground of the Complaint will continue And do you think this any strange hard or uncouth thing that when we bring to you the Offer of Christ in the Gospel we bid you receive it and flee in to Him to hide you from the Wrath to come and yet this is all we seek of you it 's neither your Shame nor your Skaith that we seek but that ye may take with your Sin that ye may judge and condemn your selves that your Mouth may be stopped before God and that ye may flee to Jesus Christ in earnest and close with Him on His own Terms As therefore ye would prevent the greatly aggravated Sin to wit sinning against the Gospel and the Complaint of the Ministers thereof against you and the terrible Vengeance of the Mediator Kiss the Son cast open the everlasting Doors of your Hearts and let the Gospel and Christ the King of Glory have access We pray you stand not in the way of your own Happiness refuse not to do Him that much pleasure and satisfaction for all the travel of His Soul as to give Him your Souls to be saved Now God Himself keep you from this Folly and Soul-destroying madness SERMON X. ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken somewhat these days past to sundry Doctrines from this part of the Verse and particularly of the sad Complaint which Isaiah hath in his own name and in the name of all the Ministers of the Gospel that the savoury Report concerning Jesus Christ is not received and that though Life and Salvation through Him be offered to many yet there are but few scarce here one and there one that do embrace it this is the sad result Lord who hath believed our report Words that being spoken by such a Prophet and so often mentioned in the New-Testament may and should as often as we speak hear or reâ—d them put both Ministers and People to a holy demur and to look what becomes of all our Preaching and Hearing when this was all the Fruit even of Isaiah's Preaching as to the greatest part of his Hearers Ere we leave this part of the Verse it will not be unmeet that we speak a little to these three First To what may be the Causes why when the Gospel is powerfully Preached there are so few Believers Secondly How it comes to pass seeing so few Believe that generally so many think they Believe and so few suspect their own Faith And Thirdly To the necessity that lyes on the Hearers of the Gospel to enquire at and try themselves concerning their Faith and to have some solid Satisfaction in it Although we mention no particular Doctrines now yet considering the Doctrines we spoke to before these things will not be unsuitable to them nor impertinent to you For the first The Causes why so few believe the Gospel we cleared to you already That generally the powerful Preaching of the Gospel hath been with little Fruit so that Isaiah hath this sad Complaint Lord who hath believed our report and our Lord Jesus hath it also on the matter Mat. 11.7 We have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented and in the same express words John 12.38 And when it is so with sweet Isaiah in the Old Testament and with our blessed Lord in the New that spoke with such Power and Authority ye may see there is reason for us to enquire into the Causes why it is that so few Believe In speaking to which 1. We intend not to touch on all the Reasons that may be gathered together of Peoples not profiting under the Gospel but of these that ye have most reason to look to and that are most obstructive of Faith in you 2. Though we might speak of Reasons on the side of them that speak to you for who is sufficient for these things and we shall not deny but we have culpable accession to your Unfruitfulness yet it were not much to your edifying to insist on these 3. Neither will we speak to these soveraign Causes on God's part who in His Holy Justice gives up People to Unfruitfulness when they receive not the Truth in Love Neither 4ly Shall we insist on these Causes that may arise from the Devil who waits on wherever the Word is preached to mar the Fruit of it as we may see Mat. 13.19 the evil Spirits like as many Crows when the Seed of the Word is sowen waiting on to pick it up and ye would know that ye never come to hear the Word but there are as it were Flocks of Devils attending you Hence it is that some are rocked and lulled asleep some have their Minds filled with worldly Thoughts some forget all that they Hear ere they go out of Doors thus it is with many Hearers of this Gospel their Hearts are trode upon as the Way-side by Devils and Foul-Spirits that never a word takes impression on them and though ye may think such expressions uncouth-like and strange yet they are sadly true Satan waited on when Christ preached and sure he will scar no more to do so at our Preaching than he did at His if he stood at Joshua's right Hand to resist him he will no doubt be at ours But we say we will not insist on these But 5ly We shall speak a little to these Causes that are common in you which ye your selves mâ—ght know if ye would observe them and we would exhort you to take notice of them when we tell you of them First Then we offer or rather assert this for a Cause The want of serious minding the great concernment of the work of your Salvation and that this preached Gospel is the Word of the Lord by which ye must be saved Alace
though ye have immortal Souls and though this Word be the mean of your Salvation yet there are Hundreds of you that never lay it to Heart that your Souls are in hazard and that this Word must be it that ye must live by and live upon I appeal to your Consciences if ye think upon this seriously want of this Consideration fosters Security breeds Laziness and makes and keeps you Careless and Carnal I shall instance the want of it in three respects 1. Look how ye are affected towards this Word and your own edification by it before ye come to hear it How few are hungering and thirsting or preparing for benefite by it or preparing to meet with God in it In effect ye come not with a design to profite so that if it were known it would be wondred at wherefore ye come to hear the Word as Christ says of some They came not because they saw the miracles but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled so may we say of you that ye come not to profite by the Word but on some crooked carnal design 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come How many sleep a great part of the Sermon so that it 's a shame to look on the face of our Meetings when in every corner some are Sleeping whose Consciences God will waken ere long and the Timber and Stones of the House will bear witness against them Were you in any other Meeting about ordinary Business there would not be such Sleeping But when ye are Waking what is your Carriage for ye may be Waking and your Heart far away or fast asleep how seldom can ye give account of what is said though your Bodies be present your Hearts are wandering ye are like these spoken of Ezek. 33.31 who sat before the Prophet as God's people but their hearts went after their covetousness how often while ye are sitting here is your Heart away some in their Thoughts running after their Trade some after their Merchandice some after one thing some after another This is one sad instance of it that there are many of you who have had Preaching fourty or fifty Years that can scarce tell one Note of it all and no wonder for ye were not attentive in the Hearing of it 3. Look how ye carry after the Word is heard What unedifying Discourse will ye be engaged in ere ye be well at the Door how carnally and carelesly do many rush unto and go away from hearing of the Word and when ye get a word that meets with your Souls Case do ye go to your Knees with it before God desiring Him to breath on it and to keep it warm or do ye meditate upon it Now put these three together your Carriage before in the time and after your Hearing the Word ye will find that there is just cause to say that the most part that hear this Gospel are not serious what wonder then that it do them no good In the end of that Parable of the Sower Matth. 13. Mark 4. and Luke 8. its said by the Lord Take heed how ye hear for whosoever hath to him shall be given c. If ye improve well your Hearing ye will get yet more but so long as ye take no heed how ye hear ye cannot profite A second Ground or Cause is this That the most part of Hearers never come to look on this Word as the Word of God they come never almost to have a Historical Faith of it it 's said Heb. 11.6 He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that seek Him diligently But when Folk do not really believe that God is what wonder they seek Him not that they fear neither Judgment nor Hell and that they study not Holiness they say in their Hearts they shall have Peace though they walk in the imagination of their own Hearts and that the way to Heaven is not so narrow as Ministers say it is that God will not condemn poor christned Bodies this is the language of many Hearts and of some Mouths Need there any evidences of it be given if ye believed that the way to Heaven is so strait and that Holiness is so extensive could ye possibly with any seriousness reflect on your Heart and Way and not be affrighted But the truth is this Word gets not leave to sink in you as the Word of God therefore sayeth our Lord to His Disciples Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink into your ears There are these things I fear ye do not Believe and let me not be thought to take on me to judge your Consciences when there are so many that profess they know God but in works they deny Him as it is Tit. 1.16 when we see such things in your Carriage we know that there is a principle of Unbelief whence they spring 1. There are many of you that really believe not there is a God or that He is such as His Word reveals Him to be to wit Holy Just Powerful c. else ye durst not live at feed with Him The fool hath said in his heart there is not a God they are corrupt c. your practical Atheism and Prophanity say ye believe not there is a God 2. Ye never believed the ill of your Nature Do ye think as James bespeaks these he writes to chap. 4.5 that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that is in you lusts to envy Ye do not think that your Heart is deceitful and desperatly wicked though we should Preach never so much on this Subject yet ye lay it not to Heart ye take it not to you in particular 3. We are afraid that many of you believe not a Judgment and your particular and personal coming to it nay there are among you who are like to these Mockers spoken of by Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3 4. who say where is the promise of his coming And as there were in Paul's days some thâ—t denied the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. so there are still who do it on the matter at least Ye have the same corrupt Nature We would think that we had prevailed to some purpose if ye were brought really to believe that there is a God Life to come and a Day of Judgment and if ye did so ye would be more serious in Duty and would come more Hungry and Thirsty to the Word 4. The Mean and Mids of Salvation is not believed to wit That the way to Peace with God is Faith in Jesus Christ and that there is no way to Heaven but the way of Holiness If all your thoughts were spoke out it would be found that ye have another mids than Faith and another way than that of Holiness And to make out this we need go no further then to your Practice we are sure many of you live in Prophanity and yet ye have all a hope of Heaven and what says this but
never knew all along your life what these things mean'd had need to stand the more in awe and to be affraid when ye come near Death Though it be a sad matter that when we should be Preaching and would fain preach the Doctrine of Faith it should by reason of your Delusion be the great part of our work to be thus digging you out of your Presumption and overturning your carnal and ill-grounded Hope yet we have the greater confidence and the more peace to speak to and insist in these Truths because they ly so near to the great design of the Gospel and to your immortal Souls Salvation and though we were able to preach more plausible and sweet things to you yet if these Doctâ—ines profite you not these would not Sâ—ing therefore they are so profitable we should not weary to speak and ye should not weary to hear them spoken of Would to God ye were seriously â—nd sincerely aiming to be clear and through in the matter of Believing and that ye stood in need and were more capable of more pleasant Truths if so we might have more comforâ—able though we will not say more profitable Doctrines to insist upon to you SERMON XII ISAIAH LIII I Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed WE have spoken at several occasions to this first part of the Verse and before we leave it there is one Use several times hinted at already to which there is good ground to speak it being the design and purpose of these words to hold forth of what great concernment Believing is and of what great difficulty it is and so many being to the ruine of their Souls mistaken about it there is ground to draw this Use of Exhortation from it to wit That then all the Hearers of this Gospel would be exhorted to advert well to this that they make Faith sure in it self and that they make it sure to themselves seing as I said so many are mistaken about it and beguile themselves The more pressingly that the Gospel calls for Faith in Christ and the more weightily the Lord expostulates with the Hearers of the Gospel because of their Unbelief they are doubtless so much the more concerned to receive it in its Offer and also to look well that they content not themselves with guessing at Faith and that they never think that things are well with them except they can give good proof and warrand that they are so and that it is Saving Faith that they have seing there are so many that satisfie themselves as being Believers when yet so few are Believers indâ—ed The sâ—d mistake and disappointment of many should have so much influence upon us as to put us to more watchfulness and to a more narrow tryal of our own state and condition that we may know how it is with us All that we have spoken to the Doctrines of this first part of the Verse may be as so many Motives to stir you up to both these and would to God we could be perswaded to this as the Use of so many Preachings once to admit and take it for granted that it is the Truth of God that there is a necessity an absolute necessity for us to be really rolled and casten over upon Jesus Christ by Faith for attaining of Life through Him Though this be a very common Doctrine and ye would think a very common Use of it yet it is the great thing that God requires in the Gospel and the neglect of it or not receiving His Son the very contest and quarrel that God hath with the Hearers of it and the cause of the ruine of so many Souls that perish under the Gospel We shall therefore propose to you some Considerations that may stir you up to this and briefly answer a Question in each of these two branches of the Use And first For stirring you up to this receiving of Christ by Faith 1. Consider if there be not a standing Quarrel and Contraversie betwixt God and you for Sin and if there be as no doubt there is consider how that Contraversie is to be removed is there any other possible way but by Faith in Christ If we were Preaching to such as had never sinned and were never under the hazard of the. Wrath of God there might possibly be a difficulty to perswade to a receiving of Christ But when ye have all this in your Conscience that there is Sin and a Curse following Sin and that there is no other way for removing that Curse but by Jesus Christ is there not reason to expect that ye should receive this Truth will any of you think to stand and bide it out against God and if not then there is sure a necessity of Believing in Jesus Christ or of lying under the Wrath of God for ever 2. Consider that this Gospel and Word of Salvation is preached to you in particular When we speak of Salvation we do not say that Christ was once preached to the Jews or that in such a far-off Nation there is a door opened for Salvation in the Gospel but we would turn over the words of the Apostle Acts 13.38 to you and say to you in his words Be it known to you therefore men and brethren that through this man to wit Jesus Christ is preached to you remission of sins c. and this brings the Gospel near you even to your door it lays before you the way of access to God by Christ and puts it so closs and home to you that Christ must either have a refusal or a welcome from you The first consideration of your own Sinfulness and Misery might put you to seek after a Saviour though he were at a great distance but this other brings Him to your Heart and Mouth and is it fit think ye to neglect such a fair occasion and will it be wisdom when Salvation follows you and crys after you and Wisdom lifts up its voice in the Streets saying O ye simple ones how long will ye love fooâ—ishness c. to stop your ear or to turn away from Christ and to run upon your destruction Do ye think that this Gospel will be silent always or that your Conscience will be deaf and dumb always There are many Nations that have not the Gospel so near them and it 's hard to know but the day may come when ye would be content to buy an offer of the Gospel at a dearer raâ—e and when there shall not be a Tryster nor a Dâ—ys-man to be had between God and you and these days will then be remembred with horrour which now ye securely slip over 3. Consider what will come of this if ye do not believe the Gospel Know ye not that many perish that hear the Gospel and that upon this same very ground that they did not receive Christ and Salvation through Him offered to them therein and whereof they are now deprived Are there not many this
impossibility that is in us naturally for the exercising of Faith in Christ If Men naturally be dead in Sins and Trespasses if the Mind be blind if the Affections be quite disordered and if the Will be utterly corrupted and perverted then that which converts and changes and renues them must be a real inward peculiar immediate powerful work of the Spirit of God there being no inward seed of the Grace of God in them to be quickened that seed must be communicate to them and sowen in them ere they can believe which can be done by no less nor lower Power then this Power of God's Grace It 's not Oratory as I said nor excellency of Speech that will do it it 's such a work as begers the Man again and actually renews him The second is drawen from God's end in the way of giving Grace comunicating it to some and not to others If God's end in being gracious to sâ—me one and not to others be to commend His Grace solly and to make them alone in Grace common or debt then the work of Grace in Conversion must be peculiar and immediate and wrought by the Power of the Spirit of God leaving nothing to Man's Free-will to diffâ—rence himself from another or on which such an effect should depend But if we look to Scripture we will find that it's God's end in the whole way and conduct of His Grace in Election Redempâ—ion Calling Justification c. to commend His Grace solly and to stop all Mouths and to cut off all ground of boasting in the Creature as it is 2 Cor. 4.7 Who makes thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received now if thou didst receive it why doest thou glory as if thou didst not receive This being certain that if the work of Grace in Conversion were not a distinct inward peculiar real immediate work and did not produce the effect of it self by its own strength and not by vertue of any thing in Man the Man would still be supposed to have had some Power for the work in himself and some way to have differenced himself from another but the Lord hath designed the contrary and therefore the work of Grace in Conversion must be suitable to his design Use 1. The first Use is for the refutation of several Errors and for the confirmation of a great Truth of the Gospel which we profess It serves I say First For the refutation of Errors which in such an Auditory we love not to insist on yet we cannot here the Ground being so clear and the Call so cogent forbear to say somewhat briâ—fly this way and the rather that the Devill hath taken many waâ—s and driven many dâ—signs to weaken the estimaâ—ion of God's Grace among Men and to exalt proud Nature and that there is here a collection and concatenation of these designs and ways against the Truth which this Doctrine holds forth vented by corrupt Men. As 1. They will have nothing to be necessarily applyed for the working of Conversion buâ— the preaching of the Word taking it for granâ—ed that all Men have universal or common Grace which God by His Soveraignty say they was obliged to give else he could not not reasonably require Faith of them and upon this comes in the pleaded for Power of Free-will and Mans ability to turn himself to God others by pleading for this notion of a Light within Men become to be Patrons of proud and petulant corrupt Nature as if there were need of nothing to beget Saving Faith but that common Grace within and Oratory or Swasion of Mouth from without And hence they came to maintain the foulest Errors which have not only been condemned by the Chuâ—ch of God in all Ages bâ—t have even by some Papists been abominated and many of these same Errors are creeping in even in these times wherein we live the design whereof is to tempt Folk to turn loose vain and proud and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness as if they needed not at all to depend on God and His Grace having a sufficient stock within themselves on which they can live well enough And it 's not only the Errors of Papists Pelagians Socinians Arminians or Errors in the Judgment that we have to do with but of such as overturn the very foundation of the work of Man's Salvation and who though pretending to higher notions do yet go beyond all these But if it be true that in the work of Conversion beside the preaching of the Word there is a distinct real inward peculiar immediate efficacious work of the Spirit necessary for bringing about such an effect Then there is no common and universal Grace that all the Hearers of the Gospel have nor is there any Power or Ability in Man to believe of himself otherwise there were no necessity of such a work as this for the converting of a Sinner the Prophet needed not to cry Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed And Christ needed not say No man can come to me except the Father draw him for Men might come without drawing and believe without the revelation of God's Arm But in opposition to that we say and have made it clear that the work of Conversion is brought about by a distinct peculiar powerful real and immediate work of the Spirit on the Heart whereby he not only enlightens the Mind but renews the Will and rectifies the Affections 2. There is another Error that this refutes which seems to be more subtile for some will grant a necessary connexion betwixt the effect and the Grace of God who yet say that it is swasion or perswasion for here we take these for the same so and so trysted to prevail with some that brings about the effect or work of Conversion in them and not in others where that perswasion is not so trysted but this opinion lays not the weight of Conversion on the Arm of the Lord but on some circumstances accompanying the work and leaves still some ground of boasting in the Creature 3. A third Error which this Doctrine refutes is that of some others who will have Grace necessarily to go alongs with the Word in the working of Faith but so as it reacheth not the Will but that the Will necessarily determines it self as if the Will were not corrupt or as if that Corruption that is in the Will were indeed no Corruption as if that Corruption that is in the Will could be any more removed from the Will without the immediate work of the Spirit upon it then Darkness can be removed from the Judgment without the Spirits immediate work on it But seing the Will is the prime seat of Man's perversness while in Nature and the principal part to be renewed It 's a strange thing to say that in the work of Conversion other faculties and powers of the Soul must be renewed and yet that this which comes nearest to
and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Verse 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IN the former Verse the Prophet hath asserted the rarity and scarcity of Believing the Gospel and receiving of Jesus Christ offered therein Who hath believed our report saith he who hath made Christ welcome And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed to whom hath this Gospel been made effectual by the Power of God for the engaging of their Hearts to him In these two Verses he gives a reason as it were of this which runs upon these two 1. The low appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of his outward condition it hath no outward beauty splendor nor greatness to commend it but is attended with much meanness and with many afflictions 2. The itching humour of Men who are taken up with worldly grandour or greatness and glory and make little account of any thing that wants that as if he said it is no wonder that Christ get few to believe on him and that few receive this Gospel for he will not come with much worldly pomp and grandour which the Men of the World greatly affect and are much taken up with To open the words a little we shall first consider the matter of this reason and then the consequence of it or what influence it hath on Mens offending at Christ and continuing in their Unbelief only we shall premit two or three words to both That which we premit first is this That the He that is here spoken of is our Lord Jesus Christ who in the New Testament hath this Text applied to him for albeit there be no He so expressly mentioned in this Chapter before yet in the 13. Verse of the former Chapter to which this relates the He that is spoken of here is called the Lords Servant and it 's said of him that He shall be exalted and extolled and made very high and it is not unusual to speak of Christ singularly by a relative without an antecedent as Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth because Christ to Believers is so singular an one that when ever he is spoken of by way of eminency and excellency as here they cannot mistake him or take an other for him Secondly This want of form and comeliness is not to be understood of any personal defect in our Lords Humane Nature but in respect of and with reference to the tract of his Life and what accompanied his Humiliation to wit That it was low and mean without that external grandour pomp and splendour of outward things which the world esteem to be comliness and beauty 3. Where it is said He shall grow up before him c. It relates to the hearers of the report of the Gospel concerning him or to the man that believes not the report spoken of before And so relates to the words of the first vers Who hath believed our report Which is certainly meant of the man that hears of him and to whom he seems nothing worth because of his mean and low outward condition for if we should apply it to God we cannot see how it will so well infer the scope and be the reason of the unbelief asserted formerly for which end it is brought in here We come now to open the words a little and here we would know that Christs low condition is two wayes set down in these two verses 1. In the 2. vers In respect of his want of the abundance of the things of this world 2. In the 3. vers In respect of the accession of outward crosses and afflictions for not only doth he want credit respect and esteem but he hath contempt despight and reproach Not only wants he great riches but he hath poverty and is in a poor and low condition The first vers expresseth him negatively to be no worldly great man The second vers expresseth him positively to be a mean and despised man 1. Then these words He shall grow up as a plant out of a dry ground are expounded by the words following He hath no form nor comliness For as Shrubs or Scrogs growing up out of dry ground cryn and wither when trees planted in a fat soil are fresh fair and beautiful So shall it be with Christ when he cometh forth saith the Prophet to the eyes of the world he shall as it were be like a Scrab in a Moor edge Our Lord had personal and much divine comliness in him as we may see John 1.14 Where he saith that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth But the comliness here spoken of is that outward state pomp and splendour which great men in the world use to have which Christ wanted This is confirmed by the following words And when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him There is in men naturally a delight and complacency in that which is beautiful to the natural eye But saith he there shall be no such thing seen in Jesus Christ when he cometh and therefore no great wonder that few believe on him And that he saith We it is either according to the phrase used in Scripture to make some hard thing digest and go down the better with the hearers whereof the speaker is not guilty or it is his expressing what is the humour generally in all men naturally as if he had said had even we who are elect and godly no more but carnal eyes we would think no more of Christ then other folk do for we should get no satisfaction to carnal reason The second thing whereby his low condition is set out is in these words He is despised and rejected of men c. Not only shall he want that which carnal hearts and eyes seek and look after but he shall be so very low that men shall set him at nought mock and reject him And what wonder then that he be not believed on A man of sorrows As for the tract of his life it shall be spent in sorrows And acquainted with grief He shall not be a man that shall be a stranger to crosses griefs and heaviness but he shall be familiarly acquainted with them and they with him And we hid as it were our faces from him A consequent of the former As men will not give their countenance to them whom they despise So saith he we shall think shame to see or look at him He shall be the object of mens contempt and scorn and we shall not so much as countenance him He shall be despised and set at nought by Herod and the Roman
sympathy from experience of these temptations vexations and sorrows as they are sinless as is clear from Heb. 2. and 4. at the close He knows what hunger thirst poverty contempt reproach and persecution are He knows what it is to be set upon with the violence of a temptation though there was no sin in him to comply with it 5. See here a most real Saviour since he is a suffering Saviour Why did our Lord become thus low But that he might come under the curse in the several degrees of it for the satisfying of Justice for our sins And see in every piece of Christs suffering a reality of the grace and love of God A reality in the Covenant and bargain of Redemption A reality in Christs satisfying of Justice and performing his ingagement according to the tenor of that transaction And seing there is a reality in this Saviour and in his suffering and satisfying of Divine Justice and in the price that he payed to the full Put not this Saviour again to open shame as the word is Heb. 6.6 Trode not the Son of God under foot neither account the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Do not despite to the Spirit of Grace as it is Heb. 10.29 He hath suffered enough already let him not be a sufferer again O! grieve him not by your unbelief but give him credit by adventuring your souls on him upon his own terms your selves will have the advantage and he the glory This is the pure simple truth of the Gospel Do not only receive it as a truth but receive him that it holds forth and let your hearts close with him and your Faith feed upon him wâ—o becâ—me poor that ye through his poverty migâ—t be made rich Happy they for evermore who are made rich through his poverty and miserable are they and mucâ— more miserable eternally will they be whose practice saith that they think they have another way to be happy then by his sufferings and satisfaction and so disdain and rejâ—ct both him and it SERMON XVIII ISAIAH LIII II III. Vers 2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him Vers 3. He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not IF our hearts were suitably tender the reading of these words knowing of whom they are spoken would some way prick and wound them It 's hard to determine though it may be we should not make the comparison whether there is more grace in our Lords condescendence or more wickedness and perversness in the unkind and evil meeting that he gets from sinners But surely there is much grace on the one side in his coming so low and much wickedness and perversness on the other side For what meets he with even blessed Jesus who is the glory and praise of all his Saints yea the brightness of his Fathers glory He is despised and rejected and we esteemed him not Even when he thus humbled himself and took on our nature and was and is prosecuting the work of our salvation and evidencing his grace in an inconceivable manner These are the two things that are spoken of here 1. His condescending to be a man and a mean man and which is yet more a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Which if we believed and knew really what he were that it was even he by whom all things were created who is the beginning of the Creation of God the first-born of every creature yea he for whom all things were created for whose glory the world and all things in it were made and continue He for whom all things are as their last end and through whom they are preserved in their beeing and governed in their operations and shall be seen to tend to his glory in the close we wold certainly wonder more at this his condescendence And yet alace it is he that is despised and rejected and that we hid as it were our faces from and would not give him our countenance It is he by whom the world was made that is despised and we esteemed him not And this is the second thing in the words which we are now to speak to even the abominably unsuitable meeting that men give to our Lord Jesus who hath so far condescended as to leave some way his Fathers Glory not to receive a Kingdom of this World but to be trode upon in it as a Worm He is despised and rejected and we will not intertain him nor make him welcome when he cometh We esteem him not Only take this advertisement for clearing of the words and for grounding of the Doctrine that this that is spoken of Christs Humiliation and mans stumbling at it is not precisely to be restricted to his Humiliation in his own person only and mens stumbling at that for it is given as the reason of men their stumbling and offending at Christ in all times But it is to be extended to Christ in his Gospel and Ordinances throughout all ages so it comes in as the reason why so few believe on him If ye ask the reason why men do not now believe and receive Christ in the offer of the Gospel Here it is for we esteemed him not for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant He shall be mean and contemptible-like to the men of the world and in an afflicted condition therefore he is not esteemed therefore he is not believed on These two are the main Doctrines to be spoken to here 1. That Jesus Christ who thus condescends and humbles himself for the salvation of lost sinners is not esteemed of but despised and undervalued which is implied in the words When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him and is more clearly holden out in the following words He was despised and we esteemed him not 2. That this undervaluing and little esteeming of Jesus Christ is the great ground of folks unbelief or the reason why men do not believe on him even because they think him not worthy the receiving two very clear truths in the words and in experience though as sad in their consequents As to the 1. which is this that our Lord Jesus Christ is usually and ordinarly exceedingly undervalued and little esteemed of by the men of the world to whom he is offered in the Gospel There are two things implied and supposed here in and about the Doctrine that will clear it and be as two reasons of it 1. That he hath no form nor comeliness and no beauty wherefore he should be desired which holdeth out this that men are ordinarily taken up with and seek after worldly grandour or greatness splendour and beauty that 's it that filleth mens eyes
that he should be opp essâ—â— and afflicted and brought as a lamb to the slaughter that he should be numbred amongâ—t the transgressours and that he should die and be buried make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death all which are clearly fulfille in him and the clearing of his Sufferings whereof we spoke before clears this that not only he suffered but that he was brought so low in suffering 2 For the ground of his Sufferings its â—aid to be the sins of his own Elect He bare our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgrâ—ssions and bruised for our iniquities there was no guile found in his mouth the greatest enemies of our Lord could impute nothing to him Pilat was forced to say that he found no fault in him all which shew that it was for the Transgressions of his People that he suffered 3. As for Mens little esteem of him it is also very clear for He was despised and rejected of men we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not the World thought little of him and we that are elect thought but little of him and what is more clear in the Gospel then this where it is told that he was reproached buffeted spitted on despised they criâ—d away with him crucifie him He trusted in God let him deliver him but God hath forsaken him 4. As for the Promises made to him He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands He shâ—ll see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall many be justified c. what mean all these but that he shall die and rise again and have many Converts that God's work shall thrive well in his hand and that he shall have a glorious Kingdom and many Subjects which is caâ—led afterward his having a portion with the great and his dividing of the sooil with the strong All this was accompl shed in Christ when after his Resurrectâ—on many were win and brought in by the Gospel to believe on him and though Jews and eathens concurred and conspired to cuâ— off all Christians yet his Kingdom spread and hath continued these sixteen hundred years and above 5. As for the effects that followed on his Sufferings or the influence they have on the elect People of God as mâ—ny Converts as have been and are in the World as many Witnesses are there that he is the Messiah every converted pardoned and reconciled Soul seals this truth Hence 1 John 5.7 8 it is said There are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit in his efficacy the Water in the sanctifying vertue of it in changing and cleansing his People and the Blood in the satifying and justifying vertue of it and these three agree and concur in one even this one to wit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and then it follows He that believeth hath the witness in himself because he hath gotten Pardon through him and therefore can set to his Seal to this truth and say truly Christ is the Messiah The Use is To exhort you to acquaint your selves with these things that serve to confirm this truth the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Hebrews are much spâ—nt upon it even to hold out and to prove Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah and Saviour of his People If this be not made sure and sicker we have an unstable ground for our Faith and though it be sure in it self yet so long as it is not so to us we want the consolation of it and there is a twofold prejudice that cometh through Folks want of thorow clearness in and assurance of this truth 1. To the generality of Hearers there is this prejudice that they are so careless and little solicitous to rest on him And as it made the Jews to râ—ject him who to this day stumbâ—e at him on this same very ground that they know him not to be the Messiah the Christ of God in whom is accomplished all that was spoken of the Messiah to Christians not being through in it they do not rest on him nor close with him as the true Messiah 2. There is a prejudice also from it to Believers who having only a glimring light of Christs being the Messiah come short of thar consolation that they might hâ—ve if they were through in the Fâ—ith oâ— it there is this great evil among Christians that they study not to be solidly clear and through in this point to that if they were puâ— to reason and debate with a Jew if there were not a witness within themsâ—lves of it the truth of the Faith of many would be exceedingly shaken 2. From this That he never speaks of Christs Sufferings but he makes applicâ—tion of them he carried our Griefs he was wounded for our Transgressions c. Observe That Believers would look on Christs Sufferings as undergone for them and in their rooms and place We cleared before 1. That Christ suffâ—red for some peculiarly and not for all And 2. Thâ—t Believers would endeavour the clearing of their own interest in his Sufferings and that they have a right to them Now we shortly add this 3d. of kin to the former That B lievers and such as are fled to Christ for refuge would look on his Suffâ—rings as come under for them and these same Scriptures which we cited to confirm these will confirm this The reason why we would have you confirmed in this is Because 1 It is only this that will make you suitably thankful it is this which is a notable ground of that Song of Praise Rev. 1.4 To him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. 2. This is a ground of true solid and strong consolation even to be comforted in the applicative Faith of Christs purchase 3. It is the Lords allowance on his People which they should reverently and thankfully make use of even to look on Jesus Christ as wounded pierced and lifted up on the Cross for them and by doing this according to his allowance there is a paved way made for application of all the benefites of his purchase 3. From the scope looking on the words as spoken to remove the scandal of the Cross Observe which may be a reason of the former that folk will never take up Christ rightly in his sufferings except they take him up as suffering for them and in their room This look of Christ leads 1. To take up much of the glory of grace and condescending love to sinners 2. It leads to take up Christs faithfulness that came to the world on sinners errand according to the ancient transaction in the Covenant of Redemption as he is brougbt in
may the sinner apply it Answer Not only because it 's free and freely offered but by gripping to it by Faith as the Prophet doth here It 's not only to apply it simply but to step in and rest upon it in the terms it is made offer of so that as on the one part Jesus Christ became really lyable to suffering and satisfied for our sins when he said Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy will So upon the other part the believing sinner comes to apply the price payed by imbracing the price and acquiescing in the satisfaction and gripping to it as his own and by his being brought to say in Faith Let his wounding be my pardon let his chastisement be my peace and let his stripes be my healing By this means as the Law had a right to Christ for his paying the Elects debt so they by believing get a right to the promise of pardon and healing For if the bargain was ficker on the one side to procure wounding to Christ as if he had been the sinner himself so on the other side the bargain is as sure The Believer is set free and may be as really comforted as if he had a righteousness of his own or had never had sinned Use 2. Therefore there is here wonderful matter of consolation to Believers that what was Justice to Christ is Grace and Mercy to us that which was pain to him is pleasure to us His sorrow our comfort his wounding our pardon his stripes our healing c. Use 3. As ye would not prejudge your selves of these benefites which Christ hath purchased make your peace with God through Christ If your pardon and peace be not obtained this way ye will never get it but ye shall be made to pay your own debt and be lyable to wrath eternally because of inability to pay your debt to the full Therefore step to and make the offer welcome how sinful and undone soever ye be The more sensible ye be ye are the more welcome This is the particular use of the Doctrine O! Let these things sink in your hearts that ye are sinners great sinners under wrath and at feud with God that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners and that there is no way to pardon and peace but by closing with him and saying hold on his satisfaction That ye may be drawn to cast your selves over on this everlasting Covenant for obtaining the benefits that Christ hath purchased 〈◊〉 â—d himself bless what hath been spâ—ken for this end and use SERMON XXIII ISAIAH LIII V Vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed IT were no small progress in Christianity to know and believe the truths that are implyed and contained in this same verse The Lord by the Prophet is giving a little compend of the work of Redemption by his saving of sinners from death through and by the wounding of the Mediator We did a little open the meaning of the words and gave a sum of the Doctrines contained in them at least of some of them which do contribute to this scope The Prophet is here speaking of Christ's sufferings with a respect to the cause of them and the effect that followed them and shews how this was indeed the mistake and blasphemous imputation that we had of and were ready to put on him even to judge him smitten and plagued of God for his own sins whereas God hath another design He was altogether without sin but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities We were at feud with God and he took on him the chastisement of our peace And this is the effect to procure healing to us We shall now speak a word to three Doctrines further beside what we spoke to the last day which are these 1. That there was an eternal design plot and transaction betwixt God and the Mediator as to Christs suffering for the redeeming of elect sinners before he actually suffered This the Prophet speaks of as a thing concluded For the cause of his sufferings was condescended on and the end and fruit of them was determined which implyes an antecedamus transaction betwixt the Father and him for putting him in the room of sinners And by this transaction Justice hath access to exact the payment of this price He interposed and the Father exacts of him the payment of their debt and seeks satisfaction from him for all that he bargained for 2. That this transaction or design concerning the Redemption of elect sinners is in respect of Christs suffering and satisfying of Justice fully and actually performed he undertook to be wounded and bruised and he was accordingly actually wounded and bruised The transaction as to the engagement in it and efficacy of it took place in Isaiah's time and before his time but as to the actual performance of what the Mediator engaged himself to suffer it is spoken of prophetically by him as a thing done because to be done and now it is done and indeed long ago 3. That the satisfying of Justice by the Mediators Sufferings according to his engagement proves as effectual to absolve justifie and heal these even the grossest Sinners that come under this Bargain and Transaction as if they had actually suffered and payed and satisfied their own Debt themselves these Sins are pardoned through his Sufferings their deadly Wounds are healed by his Stripes as if they had never had a wound their Compt is dashed and scored as clean out as if they had never had any Debt they are acquitted and set free as if they had never been guilty These three Doctrines ly very near the life of the Gospel and the Prophet in this Chapter and particularly in this Verse is often on them Our purpose is only shortly to explicate them to you as a short sum and compend of the tract of the Covenant of Redemption The first of them shews the rise of the work of Redemption The second shews the mids by which it is executed The third holds out the effect and consequence and the end of all For the first then There is we say an eternal transaction betwixt God and Jesus Christ the Mediator concerning the Redemption of Sinners his actual redeeming by being wounded and bruised supposeth this for the Son is no more lyable to suffering not to speak of his suitableness then any other of the Persons of the blessed God-head had there not been an antecedent transaction there was no obligation nor ty on him to be wounded and to enter into the room of Sinners as their Cautioner for payment of their Debt if there had not been a prior engagement neither could his wounding and bruising have proven useful or have brought healing to us if this prior engagement had not been And this is it which
undergoing the Curse and Suffering that which the Elect should h ve suffered for It is not the work of a Court to pass a sentence but also to see to the execution of the sentence not only are orders given to the sword to awake and smite but the sword falls on and smites him actually and though from the apprehension of the anger of God as Man and without the sensible and comforting manifestation of his Fathers love and his seemingly forsaking him for a time He prayed Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me yet it will not be and he submits most sweetly to it and not only is the cup put in his hand but the dregs of wrath are as it were wrung out into it and he must needs drink it up all which manifestly kythes in his agony in the garden when he is made to sweat blood and in his complaint if we may so call it My soul is exceeding sorrowful and what shall I say and in these strange words uttered by him on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me all which tell us plainly that not only was he enacted Sureâ—y and had the sentence past on him but that really he satisfied and had the sentence executed on him that in his Soul he was really pierced and wounded and that with far deeper wounds then these were which the Souldiers by the spear and nails made in his Body before the Elects discharge of their Debt could be procured and obtained What it was more particularly that he suffered the following words hold out But here it 's clear that he suffered really and suffered much that not only he undertook to pay but that he was actually pursued and made to lay down to the least Farthing whatever was due to Justice by the Elect And this is the cause why these words are brought in as the reason why he suffered so much even because so many and so great sins with all their aggravations were laid upon him and if his sufferings were not great and undergone for this end to satisfy for the Elects Debt that they might be set free the Prophets scope would not be reached neither would there be a suitable connexion betwixt the latter and the foregoing words As for the 2d To wit some Reasons of the Doctrine we shall shortly give you these three why the Elects sins were laid on Christ and put on his account and why he was made to underly the compleat punishment of them by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption 1. Because it did much contribute to the glory of God for he had designed in his eternal Council that his Grace should be glorified in the salvation of the Elect and that his Justice should also be glorified in punishing of sin either in themselves or in their Cautioner and as free Grace and Mercy must be glorious in saving the Elect and Justice in being satisfied for their sins so it 's to that end that since the Elect cannot pay their own Debt that their Cautioner pay it and pay it fully that the Lord in exacting satisfaction from him in their name may be known to be just 2. This way makes much for the confirmation of the Faith of the believing Elect and for their consolation for the confirmation of their Faith for what can Justice demand that it hath not gotten it is fully satisfied and then for their consolation seing the Father put his own Son to suffer and to so great suffering for them what is it that they may not confidently expect from such a Fountain 3. This serves to hold out the wonderful great obligation of the Elect to God and to the Mediator for the greater their sin was the more he suffered the greater their Debt was the more he payed and they are the more in his common and the greater Debters to him and ought the more to love him and their duty for his sake as it is said of the woman Luk. 7. She loved much for much was forgiven her so this way of paying the Elects Debt calls and strongly pleads and also makes way for much warm and tender love in them to Jesus Christ In the 3d. place We come to the Uses of the Doctrine To which I shall premit this word of desire to you That ye would not look on these things as tasteless or unsavoury for had we not had these precious truths to open up to you we should have had no meetings to this purpose no ground to speak of life to you nor any the least hope or expectation of life And indeed it may be sadly regrated that amongst a multitude of professing People these substantial truths of the Gospel are so wersh and little relishing to the most part which too evidently appears in the unconcerned wearying and gazing posture of some in the slumbering sleeping of others in our publick Assemblies If our hearts were in a right frame half a word to say so to this purpose would be a wakening and allaruming to us However this is a great priviledge in it self Heathens may and do know something of moral duties but it 's a priviledge which we have and they want that the fundamental truths of the Gospel are amongst us and not amongst them The 1. Use serves to let us see the brightness of the Glory of Grace and Truth of Mercy and Justice shining clearly here Can there be any greater mercy and more pure mercy than this that the Lord should be gracious to sinners and to great sinners rhat had turned every one of them to their own way in providing a Mediator and such a Mediator in providing such a help for them and laying that help upon one that is mighty and that he should have done this of his own head so to speak with reverence when the Elect were in their sins and when thâ—re was nothing to be the impulsive or meritorious cause of it And that the Father should have laid this weight of punishment on Christ the Son of his love and pursued him at this rate of holy severity for sinners debt O! what grace and mercy shines here And 2. The spotless Justice of God doth also here wonderfully manifest it self O! How exact is Justice when it will not quite a farthing even to the second Person of the Godhead when he became Man and man's Surety But since he hath put himself in the room of sinners The Lâ—ed maketh all their iniquities to meet on him This is matter of admiration to Men and Angels to consider how Justice and Mercy run in one Channel and shine in one Covenant the one of them not incroaching upon the other Use 2. We may gather from this same insight and clearness in the very great sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ For these things are here put together 1. That he suffered for all the Elect Us all 2. For all the sins of all the Elect and for all the sins of all
I shall first passingly touch upon and then come to these Doctrines that are more directly held forth in the words 1. Then it is implyed that there is a people of God separated from others and chosen by him on whom he intended and purposed before the World was to glorifie his grace The very designation that they get here clears this It 's my people not only of the Jews nor my people only of the Gentiles but my people both of Jews and Gentiles as Christ sayes John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold them I must bring iâ— 2. It is implyed that this Decree of Election is antecedanius to and goes before the Covenant of Redemption in order of Nature it flows not from Christs death as the effect of it but is prior to it for if Christs death be the mean or price as indeed it is Whereby the sins of God's Elect people are satisfied for then the Decree of Election must preceed it Only we would beware to ascribe to God any priority or posteriority in his Decrees in order of time for he is infinite in wisdom and foresight and able to look on all things with one blink of beholding and to decree things infinite in number at once which we cannot conceive of nor comprehend But this we say that considering the order of things the Decree of Election is not a fruit or effect of Christs death but prior to it and Christ's death follows as a mean to make it effectual He is appointed to save the Elect from their sins and from that which their sins deserved For the transgression of my people was he stricken They were God's people by Election before Christ's ingagement to suffer and satisfie for them much more before his actual suffering and so their Election cannot be a fruit and effect of his suffering Use It serves to vindicate this truth from an error and mistake of the Arminians who as they overthrow the design of grace in the salvation of sinners in other steps thereof So do they in this in making Christ's death to preceed Election and Election to follow it But as we hinted before the Decree of Election is Soveraign being an Act of Grace absolutely free the Lord in it having designed some for manifesting the glory of his grace upon them as the end he hath taken in Christs death and other midses for the promoving of it 3. It is implyed here that even the Elect or God's People are considered as sinful in the Covenant of Redemption For the transgression of my people was he stricken They were considered as sinful as well as others when they were bargained for We need not here dispute whether they were considered as sinful in the Decree of Election it not being necessary in this place nor profitable for you but sure in Christ's undertaking for them they are considered as sinful for God sent not Christ neither came he into the world to purchase life and salvation to righteous folks but he was sent and came to lay down his life a ransome for many to wit sinners and therefore it is given as the reason of his Name Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Use 1. It serves to humble the Elect greatly who when ever they come to get grace they get it most freely for they were no better by nature than others whom God past by as is clear Eph. 2.1 We were dead in trespasses and sins and were by nature children of wrath even as others Peter and Paul were by nature children of wrath as well as Judas And David was a child of wrath by nature as well as Saul when this transaction concerning the work of Redemption was agreed upon and concluded betwixt these most responsal Parties 2. It serves also much for the encouragement of a Believer who is sensible of sin and afraid of wrath and in that posture betakes himself to Christ for refuge though his misbelief should make him say with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord yet this consideration may hearten him to draw near that Christ was stricken for sinners for the transgressions of his Elect people yea if tâ—ere had not been sin and if the Covenant of Works had holdâ—n foot there needed not to have been a Saviour and therefore sinners have here a solid ground to lay hold upon for life and salvation And therefore as a 3d. Use of it it is an unsafe assertion beside the curiosity of it that Antinomians maintain which is that though man had never fallen yet Christ would have become Man For we see here that Christs becoming Man and his being stricken flowed from his being Surety for Elect sinners and his being Surety flowed from the Covenant of Redemption concerning Elect sinners To be wise without or beside and above what is written in the Scriptures it 's vanity pride and folly 4. It is implyed here that sin where-ever it is deserves stroaks even the sin of the Elect Yea we may add this to it that not only do the sins of the Elect deserve stroaks in themselves being breaches of God's Law but that there is an actual curse standing against them till it be removed And God's threatning The day thou eats thou shalt surely die infers a necessity of stroaks This we say is clearly implyed here because the Mediator entering himself Surety for the Elects debt behoved to be smitten and when he was so smitten sure sin must deserve much We speak not of an absolute necessity but God having revealed to man his duty and added a threatning that in the day he should eat he should die there is a necessity in respect of God's truth faithfulness and unchangeableness who had spoken the word that stroaks should follow sin for sin cannot be removed till the threatning be satisfied Use This may point out to us that sin is no little nor light thing neither is the obtaining of pardon any easie business whatever men generally think of them There are many sad stroaks that follow sin which will hotly pursue sinners who are not in Christ O! do not then think lightly of sin which is the Fountain of so much misery and woe to the sinner If ye knew how exceedingly bitter wrath and the curse is that foâ—lows sin ye would as soon put your head in the fire as ye would meddle with it If ye believed that word to be true which is in Exod. 34 He will by no means clear the guilty And if ye believed God's faithfulness that is ingaged to make good his threatnings challenges for sin would be more strong and stinging 5. It is implyed here that though the Elects sins deserve wrath and that there must be a satisfaction ere they can be removed that yet the Elect cannot satisfie for themselves For the transgressions of my people was he stricken Christ behoved to be smitten ere their sin could be removed If
the riches of the free grace of God there being a Decree of Election for saving so many and for bringing them to Glory And they being under sin there is another decree and threatning that goes forth for cursing the sinner and these two seeming to be altogether irreconciliable the Question comes in on the one hand how is it possible that a sinner under the curse can be saved And upon the other hand how is it possible that an Elect of God can be damned The wisdome of God looseth the knot Spotless Justice is satisfied by taking hold of and falling on the Cautioner Wonderful Grace and Love vent themselves in pardoning the sinner and in accepting of a ransome for him And manifold wisdome manifests it self in knitting these two together so as none of them can want its effect But all returns to the manifestation of the Glory of Grace in the up-shot It cannot be that the Elect shall be damned Yet here stands the threatning of a just God and his curse ready to be execute but here is the reconciliation The curse is execute on the Mediator whereby God shews himself to be a hater of sin and an avenger of the wrong done to his Justice And the Elect sinner is pardoned whereby God manifesteth the freedome of his grace and his wonderfully condescending love But now we come to a 9th Doctrine which is more directly held forth in the words and it hath two Branches that our Lord Jesus his death and sufferings is a proportionable price and satisfaction laid down for the sins of the Elect and for them only This is in the express words of the Prophet If the Question be asked Wherefore suffered Christ all this He answers he suffered it as a price for transgression If it be asked again for whom or for whose transgression did he suffer He answers not for all Men and Women in the World but for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the stroak was on him for their transgressions The first Branch of the Doctrine is to this purpose that Christs suffering is intended to satisfie for the transgression of Gods elected people and with respect to satisfying for their sins did he suffer And if we take these to be truths that we marked before as implyed in the words this will natively and necessarily follow If he engaged to be Cautioner and Surety for the Elects debt then his laying down his life must be on the same account and for the same end Now when we speak of Christs laying down a price to satisfie for the transgressions of the Elect we mean not only this that his sufferings and death have a value in themselves to satisfie for their sins but that they are so intended by him in undergoing of them and that they are so accepted of God according to his purpose and according to the transaction that past betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator They are not only as Socinians say to be a confirmation of the Doctrine which he preached and to be a rule and example to us of patient suffering and of giving obedience to the death as he did But it 's also and mainly to satisfie the Justice of God for our debt So then this wicked Tenet of the Socinians is exceeding derogatory to the sufferings of Christ and to the matchless love that shined in them yea and even to the whole design of Redemption For if Christs sufferings be not a satisfaction to Justice we are left without all just plea and apology for our selves at Gods Bar and if we have none then that curse looks the wakened sinner full in the face The day thou eats thou shalt surely die And however men in their security may please themselves with such dreams and think that a satisfaction to Justice is not needful yet if the conscience be once wakened it will not be quieted without one And if mens Faith give not credit to Gods threatnings they can have but little or rather no comfort at all in his promises There is therefore a necessity of a satisfaction and if Christs sufferings be not the satisfaction there is not another and so the whole work of Redemption is overturned So then though Christ in his sufferings hath left us a Copy how we should suffer yet that is not the only nor the principal end of them but it is contrived in the Covenant of Redemption and intended by the Medi tor and withall accepted by Jehovah that they should be the meritorious cause of procuring pardon to the Elect and the price of their Redemption This may be further cleared and confirmed 1. From the phrase that is ordinarily made use of in Scripture He suffered for the sins of his people And in the Text For the transgression of my people was he stricken Their sins had a peculiar influence in bringing the stroak on him And what influence I pray could they have but as they procured the stroak to him And if his stroaks were procured by our sins then the desert of them was laid on him and his sufferings behoved to be the curse that we elect sinners should have suffered So when he is called their Cautioner it tells that he undertook their debt and his laying down of his life is the performance and fulfilling of his undertaken Suretyship and Cautionry And considering that their debt was exacted of him and that he was arraigned before Gods Tribunal as their Surety in their room and that this could be for nothing else but to answer for them as being their Cautioner His sufferings behoved to be intended as a satisfaction for their sins For the Elects sins were not the cause why Pilate the people of the Jews and the Scribes and Pharisees pursued him to death but for our sins he was sisted before God's Tribunal and being our Cautioner he was called to reckon for them and they were put upon his account or score 2. It 's clear also from the names that his sufferings get in the Scripture where they are called the price of our Redemption a buying of us a propitiation for our sins that pacified God Rom. 3.25 and 1 John 2.2 A Sacrifice often and Ransome Matth. 20.28 The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many that is for all his Elect people to relieve them from the bondage they were under which plainly shews the respâ—ct that his sufferings had to our sins that they were a propitiation for them to God 3. It 's clear if we consider that Christs death as to its object is for the transgressions of all Gods people of all the Eâ—ect that lived before he suffered whether they died in their infancy or at age and for all that lived or shall live and die after his suffering to the end of the world Now what benefite could redound to them that died ere Christ came in the flesh by his sufferings if it were as Socinians say for his death could not sure be a pattern
rich man nor to the wise man c. God hath not choâ—en many of these as is clear 1 Cor. 1.26 buâ— say to the righteous or holy man it shall be weâ—l with him and is herâ— any thing that should have so much influence on men and take them so much up as how to be well in the close Folk may have a fighting life of it here and may suffer much and be under reproach for a time as Christ was but if thou be holy ere thy Body be laid in the Grave it shall be well with thy Soul And as for all who have chosen the way of Holiness we are allowed to say this to you that it shall be well with you at death and after death at Judgment and even for evermore To them saith the Apostle Rom. 2.9 who by patient continuance in well-doingr seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life O how many great and good things are abiding all the honest-hearted Students of Holiness Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what they are 3ly It 's ground of expostulation with them that neglect and slight Holiness As it will be well with the Righteous or Holy so they shall have a miserable and desperate lot of it who either despise or neglect Holiness Wo to the wicked saith Isaiah 3 1â— it shall be ill with him Some of you may think that ye are rich and honourable are well cloathed fit in fine Houses and have richly covered Tables when poor Bodies are keeped at the door and are destitute of these things and are ready to bless your selves as being well though ye care not for nor seek after Holiness but wo unto you for ye must die and go to the bottomleâ—s Pit and there ye will not get so much as a drop of water to cool your Tongues in these tormenting Flames neither your Riches nor Honours nor Pleasures will hold off the heat and fury of the vengeance of God nor in the â—eâ—st ease you in your exâ—ream pain but as it is Rom. 2.9 Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish four sore words wiâ—l be upon every soul of man that doeth evil O dâ— ye believe this â—'s the truth of God and a very plain truth and we are perswaded none of you will dare downright to deny it Holiness will have a sweet and comfortable close and the neglect of it will have fearful effâ—cts following on it what is the reason then that Holiness is so little thought of aâ—d followed do ye believe that ye will die and think ye ever to come to Judgment or to hear that word Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me naked and ye cloathed me c. O what will become of many of you when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels iâ—flaming fire to render vengeance to all them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel and will say to you Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for when I was hungry ye fed me not c. this is I grant a general truth yet if it be not received we know not what truth will be received and if it were received the practice of Holiness would be more studied there would be less Sin and more Prayer Reading Meditation more seeking after Knowledge and more watchfulness and tenderness in Folks Conversation always in this the Lord shews the connexion that is betwixt Holiness and Hâ—ppiness and hâ—re ye have the copy and pattern of an examplary walk 3ly From this that the holiâ—ess and blamâ—nleâ—eâ—s of Christ here spoken of is marked in him as peculiar to him for it fits him to be a High Priâ—st and proves that only he could be the Priest that â—uited and became us anâ— that no other could do our turn as the Apostle râ—asons Heb 7 26 27 28. For the law maketh men priests that have infirmity but the word of â—he oath which was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore From this I say Obseâ—ve That all men even the most holy except Christ who was both God and Man a e sinful and not one of them sinless while living here on earth and the reâ—son is becâ—uâ—e 〈◊〉 any were sinless then this that is said here would not be peculiar to our Lord Jesus Christ that He diâ— no violence neither was there deceit â—n his mouth This being a singular character of our High Priâ—st that none of his Types could clâ—â—m to it exclusively agreeth to him so as it agreeth to none other The Scripture is full to this purpose in asserting that not only all mâ—n are sinnâ—rs as considered in theiâ— naturâ—l condition but that even Bâ—lieveâ— are sinful in part for the same Apostle John that saiâ—h 1 Epist 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ saith also vers 8. If we say we have no siâ— we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and vers 10. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us and 1 Kings 8.46 and Eccles 7.20 There is no man that doth good and sinneth not plainly insinuating that all have need of an Intercessouâ— We shall not insist in this only from these words compared with the scope making it peculiar to Christ to be without sin and implying that none other are so we would consider the necessity of its being so 1. For differencing and separating of Jesus Christ from all others by putting this dâ—gnity on him of being holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners this is his prerogative and badge of honour above others 2. It 's necessary for this end to demonstrate the need that there is of his offering himself a Sacrifice for sinners and that it was not for himself but for sinners that he offered up himself and that there is a continual necessity of making use of that Sacrifice for if there were not a continuance of sin in part while Believers are out of Heaven there would be no need of this part of Christs office if we were holy and harmless our selves we needed not such an High Priest Use 1. To establish us in the faith of this Truth That among all men there is none that were true men except Christ that is without sin sin is still abiding in them while in this world of none of them all it can be said that they have done no violence neither is there any deceit in their mouth none of them could ever say since Adam fell the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me yea this is a special qualification of Christ Jesus for his Priest-hood that he was without sin and behoved to be so I am not pleading that sinners should take a liberty to sin because there is no perfection to be win at in this life God
is pure would study soundnesse in Judgement as well as tendernesse in Practice And yet how many are readily mistaken in this Who if they meet with some that can speak a few good Words and make pretences to a holy Walk though the Second Command be baffâ—ed and disgraced by them and the Name of God torn And though the Fourth Command be made of none effect or price by them it 's thought but little of all is covered with this that they are good Folks and of a tender walk But Oh! can they be good who abuse that wherein the Name and Image of God are most tenderly concerned and will God account that to be Holinesse aggreeable to His Law that slights depreclars and vilifies the best part of His Law Let me therefore beseech you to take in and to close Error with other sins and to look upon unsoundnesse in the Truths of God as a Fruit of the Flesh and withall to look upon sound knowledge in the Mind and the form of sound words in the Mouth as being a Duty that is called for from you as well as other Duties We the rather take occasion to speak to this because the Devil is seeking to turn Men meer Athiests Gallio's as to the Truths of God to care for none of these things and as to weir out the esteem of Truth so to make People to look upon Error as if there were no hurt by it it 's sad that there is not more scarring at and keeping distance from the company of such if they can but give a parcel of good Words and make shewes of respect to Piety in this lukewarm time there is need to guard against this Temper or rather Distemper and to look well that we half not nor divide the Pattern and Copie which God in his Word hath cast to us and set before us we would studie Purity and Tenderneâ—â—e in our Walk and Growth in sound Knowledge and would walk humbly under the impression of our hazard It 's sad when Folks are ill girded and yet scarcely discern it It seems to be a winnowing time and some are already taken off their feet who thought not some Moneths or Years since to have carried in reference to the Truth as they have done It hath been Gods mercy to this place that he hath hedged us about hitherto at which the Devll hath raged not a little Be humbled and have an eye to Him thâ—t can keep his People and can establish them in the Truth and make them unbleamable in holiness till the coming of the Lord. We come now to the 10. verse and from the first part of it yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief These three things arise clearly 1. That though our Lord Jesus was most innocent in His own Person yet was He put to exceeding sore Tryalls and sharp Sufferings For 1 He was bruised to wit like Corn betwixt the upper and neither Milstones or lâ—ke Grapes in the Wine presse which respects not so much his outward sufferings though great for a bone of him was not broken as His inward Soul-sufferings and the inward pressures of Wrath that were on His Humane Soul 2. He was put to grief was sore straitned and punished and these expressions import so much my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death my soul is sore troubled and what shal I say and my God my God why hast thou forsaken me The particulars of this grief were spoken to before and we shew in what respect He was so humbled and that He was most sinless and wâ—thout any the least carnal mude or passion under these expressions in which the sense of grief vented it self most in Him Only if it be here asked what is the reason why the Prophet doth so much insist in pointing out Christ's Sufferings and the extremity of them that scarce almost is there one Verse but he hath in it some one or other new aggravation of them we conceive the reason of it is 1. Because there is nothing wherein the greatness of the Love of God and the kindlinesse of the Mediators condescending doth appear in this for the more He Suffered the more the Love of God shined and His condescendency kythed the more this being the great instance and demonstrative proof of the Love of God God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son As it is John 3.16 O! manifold and vastly comprehensive So what is unfolded in it Eternity will but suffice fully to unfold and this being the great instance of the Mediators condescendencie and of His commending His Love to sinners That while we were yet enemies he died for us As it is Rom. 5. The Lord loves to have this the subject of our thoughts that we may be led thereby in to the Soul-ravishing and satisfying contemplation of the Love whence it came 2. Because there is not any one thing that lyes nearer or that is readily of greater concern to Believers then to be well acquainted with Christ's Sufferings wherein the Lord would have his People spiritually perqueir and it is of their concernment in a twofold respect 1. As it is the ground of their peace Therefore He is called our Peace and a Propitiation for by being acquâ—inâ—ed with Christ's Sufferings Believers have a solid ground for their Faith whereby they discover access to peace with God to Pardon of sin and Justification the Mediator having undergone these sufferings for this end 2. As it is the ground of their Consolation considering that they have a suffering Mediator that hath payed the Price that was due by them even such an One that knows 〈◊〉 what it was to be bruised with Wrath and is therefor very tender of and compassionat towards Souls that are under challenges and apprehensions of Wrath These are sweet words which we have to this purpose 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an advocat with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins who was content to Suffer and Satisfie for them O! consider then what ye are doing when ye read of His sufferings for the very Marrow of the Gospel and the Life of the Consolation of the People of God lyes here 2. From these words Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief Observe That the Lord Jehovah had the main and principal hand in all the Sufferings of this Innocent Mediator It was not the Jews nor the Scribes and Pharisees nor Pilat but it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief As is clear Act. 4.27 28. Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsell determined before to be done In all that they did they were but doing that which was carved out before in the Eâ—ernal Counsel of God and therefore Peter sayes Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinat
this Satisfaction is allowed Him for His Soul-travel and as it 's Just that they that Labour should partake of their Labour and that the Hirling should have his hire so it 's not only Satisfying to Christ that Sinners get good of Him but it 's Just He having Purchased it at so dear a Rate For the First of these That Our Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted and satisfyed with Sinners making use and getting good of Him If there were no other Scripture to confirm it this same is sufficicient Would ye then know what Christ aims at in His Sufferings what will content and satisfie Him as a Recompence for all His Soul-travel It 's even this To see the of fruit of the travel of his soul To have Sinners getting good of Him and saved by Him and there is nothing but this that will Satisfye Him It were a great matter to have the Faith of this Settled and Rooted in our Hearts if we could rightly take up what He hath Suffered how low He hath condescended to come even to be a Man and a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief To be reproached and mocked to take on Him the Curse and to be in Pain and Soul-travel And then if we could rightly take up what He aimed at and designed in all this and what He accounted to be a recompence to Him for it all even this That when His Gospel is Preached such and such poor Sinners under hazard of Wrath and Challenges for Sin should through closing with Him be brought to answer all their Challenges by this Our Lord Jesus hath satisfied Justice for Sinners and when poor Sinners are under the sense of a hard heart that they should cast their Eye on the same ground for a remedy of that Spiritual Malady and Plague even His Sufferings which have purchased the mollifying of the heart as well as Justification and Pardon of Sin And when a Sinner is disconsolat and dejected because of Sin and Divine Displeasure that He should be Cheered and Comforted in His Sufferings This even this is refreshing and is delightsome to Him We say it were much to get this throughly believed That Sinners are not half so fain to come in under His Sufferings for shelter and refreshing as Our Lord Jesus is to speak with reverence to see them Sheltered Refreshed and Thriving The very mentioning of this ought to be as marrow to the bones But for furder clearing of it we would speak a Word 1. To what this Delight and Satisfaction is 2. To some grounds to confirm the truth of it that Our Lord Jesus is indeed delighted to see poor Sinners coming to Him and getting good of Him For the First of these We did when we was speaking of these Words v. 10. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Shew how it was a delightsome thing to Jehovah And now speaking of it from this 11. v. in reference to the Mediator we shall take it up in these particulars 1. There is in Our Lord Jesus not only a delight in Sinners getting good of Him as it is a thing He calls for and is agreeable to His revealed will and as being required of them as their Duty in which respect it 's acceptable to God and cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him neither 2. Is this delight only in respect of the End of His Sufferings which were undergone to make a way for and to strick open a Door to the Throne of Grace through the Vail which is His Flesh that poor Sinners might come to a Fountain and wash and have access to God through Him Which being the End He had before Him in His Death cannot but be acceptable to God because it was His End in the giving of His Son to Die and so it 's delightsome to the Mediator but also 3dly It is so in these two respects further Sinners coming to Him resting on Him and getting good of Him is His delight 1. In respect of the Honour that is done unto Him when a Sinner believes on Him He counts it the putting of the Crown on His Head As it is Cant. 3 11. see also to this purpose John 5.23 24. And though there could have been a possibility of honouring of God before yet there is no Honouring of the Mediator till Folk make use of His Sufferings by Faith And it is on this ground that Christ complains when He is not made use of and therefore when Sinners give Him credit by committing the saving of their Souls to Him and by making use of His Offices for that End and for His performing in them that wherefore they were appointed it cannot but be acceptable and well-pleasing to Him 2. In respect of that Sympathy that Our Lord Jesus hath with His own Members For though the Mediator be now glorified in H aven yet He hath a humâ—ne Heart and affection still though inconceivably glorious and so a kindly Sympathie with them and is some way affected with both their good and their ill And considering Him thus He hath a delight in the good and well-fare of His People and their being delighted in and satisfied with Him proves a Delight and Satisfaction to Him For the next thing to wit the clearing and confirming of it It might be cleared and confirmed from many Grounds but we shall only touch on some that may make it out most convincingly that it 's most delightsome to Jesus Christ to see Sinners making use of Him and getting good of His Sufferings And this His Delight may be drawn from Eternity and carried on to Eternity 1. In the making of the Covenant of Redemption it was delightsome to Him to enter in it As is clear Psal 40. I delight to do thy will O my God The Bargain was no sooner proposed if we may speak so to that which is Eternal But heartily it was closed with by Him And this is confirmed Prov 8.32 Where the Substantial Wisdom of the Father is brought in saying Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his delight rejoycing in the habitable parts of his earth and my delights were with the Sons â—f men Our Lord Jesus before the World began was delighted in the fore-thought that such a thing was a coming that in such and such parts of the World such and such poor Sinners should be called by His Grace and get the good of His Suffufferings As a Man in a long Journey or Voyage may be delighted in the Forefight of the End of it before He come at it 2. Look foreward to Hâ—s â—xecuting of His Office of Mediator anâ— to His going about the work of Râ—dempâ—â—on and we will find that He does it with delight Therefore John 4. When Hâ— is sitting on the Well side and is weary with Hâ—s Journey and hath neither to eat nor to drink He falleth a Preaching â—o a poor sinfull Woman and when the Disciples would fain have refreshed Him
laid hold upon by Faith but on condition of our own Works alone For though they pretend that it may be called Christ's Merit because say they He hath procured Grace to work these Works yet in effect their way of Justification is to restore us to that Covenant which Adam had and to ability to keep the same terms though as we said the rise be different 4ly It 's inconsistent with our natural State for it suppons Man before Conversion to have a free-will to good and ability to dispose himself to receive Grace and gives him a hand in turning himself to God as if he were not dead in Sins and Trespasses and so the soveraignity of Grace is bounded and limited to wait on a Man so disposed and so disposing himself 5ly It destroyes the nature of Gods Law as if it were consistent with His holy Law to have such and such Lusts abounding within and did not exact a reckoniâ—g for such branches of it as they call Venial Sins 6ly It overturns the Scripture Doctrine concerning Sin for it makes many Sins to be in effect no Sins 7. It corrupts and destroyes the nature of the Sacraments and makes new Sacraments that God never appointed and gives them power to work that which God nevâ—r gave them as if the very works wrought did confer Grace 8ly It is inconsistent with the Justice of God as if forsooth such poor Triffiles and Toyes as these which they invent were satisfaction enough to his Justice yea as if some men could more then satisfie Justice and could not only merit Heaven to themselves but also help to merit it to others and as if God were bound in proper Justice to the Creature and that not only on the account of this Promise but also if not mainly on the account of Merit of Condignity All these things are involved in this Popish way of Justification and inconsistent with the Truth of the Gospel And we have touched on them to let you see that it is not one Error that is here but a complication of Errors And truely if there be not an abhorrency at Popery because of this gross Error in Justification there is but little ground to expect that Men will keep at suitable distance from it in other things And therefore from what hath been said take a few Directions as your Use of it and if we were tender it might do us good now and then to get a little view of such Errors 1. Then see here the necessity of being more distinct and clear in Gods way of Justification in the way how peace is made betwixt Him and a Sinner when we see how many Errors follow and creep in after one Error and when we consider how Popish Priests and Jesuits are moving and how this same Error which hath so many Errors with it is stealling in ye had much need to be well acquainted with the Truth and to be guarding your selves against Errors especially when some lay so little weight on it that they call it a striving about words which sayeth that there is but little abhorrence of the thing I am apt to think that the most part of them that are called Christians could not well tell how to expose Popery Armenianisme or Antinomianisme if they were tempted to imbrace them or any other Erronious Heresy And when withall we consider how naturally we are inclined to shuffle by the Covenant of Grace and to cleave to the way of Works or to turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works we would try well what we incline to in this point whether in our Judgement or in our Practice least we fall from that which is right in practice at least if not in opinion also I intreat you to study this as a main point of Christian Religion even that ye may know and be clear in your knowledge of the way how God accepts of and justifies a Sinner 2dly Know that this Error of Popery in particular is not of so little concernment as many think it to be It 's a wonder that Men should think differences about matters of Religion to be so light and so little a matter as if it were but the change of outward ceremonies or of Words Hence it comes to passe that there is so little Care and Zeal to prevent the rise and spreading of Errors We shal only commend to you Three things for guarding you in reference to this Error 1. Sist your selves often before the Tribunal of Gods Justice till your hearts be brought under suitable impressions of Gods Holinesse and Justice of the severity and strictnesse of his Law and of the necessity of your answering to it in your own Persons or in the Person of a Cautioner And then consider what will be your defence in such a posture 2dly Carry alwayes alongst with you the impression of your Original Sin and Natural Corruption and of the sinfulness of your Practices This will make you loathsome and abominable in your own eyes and Christ precious and such a Soul will not be in such hazard of putting his own merits in the room of Christ's 3. Think upon that which in Gods offer is presented to you as the way of making your Peace Though ye would study Holinesse in order to that end when ye are so sinful and when Divine Justice is so severe It looks not like the way to Peace But when ye consider Gods offer in this Gospel as it is held forth Act. 13.38 39. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses And the invitation that is given Isa 55. to them that have no money to come and buy freely without money and without price And see God tabliâ—g His call on another ground than your Holinesse and putting in your offer Jesus Christ and His Righteousnesse It 's a raising and rousing up of the Soul to expect Absolution before the Throne of God on a more solid foundation that will bear it's weight We would beware of taking that way of Justification and of making our Peace with God that seems to be most rational like to our corrupt nature for as many say to be sorry for Sin to study to make amends and to do what they dow seems to be the most reasonable way and agrees best with our corrupt nature but that is not it which will do your turn but the way which God hath holden out and that is by His knowledge by Faith in the Righteous Servant 3dly See here how much we are obliged to God for holding out to us the right way to Life If ye look to many Nations abroad the way to Life is holden out to them on this ground even their own inherent Holiness their own Good Works their giving of considerable parts of their Estates their Pennances c. Which
Children who can help you make use of such Means and Persons and that would both help your Knowledge and evidence your Love when sincerely gone about to the Communion of Saints 4. Be about the use of the Means with an eye to God for His blessing on them pray to Him for opened eyes and that He would give you an understanding to know Him There is a stupidity in many of you that makes all that ye hear to go by you and as it were to slyde off you So that if it were known some would wonder how there could be such Ignorance amongst them that frequently hear the Gospel 5. Any light of Knowledge that ye have be tender of it in your practice God ordinarly refuseth to give more where that which He hath given is not used well where Men do not like toretain God in their knowledge or where the truth is detained in unrighteousness it provoketh God to give up to a reprobate mind as the Apostle tells us Rom. 1. If ye continue in my word sayes Christ John 8.31 32. then are ye my disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free And John 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self He that goes conscientiously and constantly about the Duties of Holinesse that he knows For he must make conscience of all else he will thrive in none he shall increase in Knowledge There are also some things that more generally conduce to Knowledge as that Magistrats Ministers Elders Parents Masters of Schools and Masters of Families do their respective Duties 1. Then let me desire you to see to the Education of the youth I mean of the Children of the meanest and worst to bring them up at Schools Iâ—'s sad to consider how many young Ones of Graceless Carelesse and Ignorant Parents are brought up to the Devil it were no great business to help them that cannot entertain them at School O! that we were all willing to contribute for such a work It might help them to know somâ—thing of God or to be civil at least It would also remove the excuse that we frequently meet with from many to wit that they cannot read And if Parents will not be seriously concerned in this themselves God requires us to take some course to bring up their young Ones in the Knowledge of God and truely if this external easie mean be neglected we can expect little of other means if this were minded it might be an ornament to the City and the burden would not be so very great if it were once put to the tryal will ye that are Parents and able be induced to put your Children to the School if ye be not able make it known I know there are some who will drink more in one day sometimes then would keep their Children at the School for many dayes and I suppose that there are but few who can say that it is meer necessity that lets them are there any of you that can say ye would fain bring up your Children at School and ye spake to Magistrats or to Church-session for help and that it was refused you It 's your part to seek for help that are really unable And it lyeth on you to see to it your selves who are able And while ye neither do your selves nor seek help from others ye are utterly in-excusable 2. I would commend to you the necessity of using privat means and that ye would not lay all the weight of your profiting on your being in the Church and on your coming to be Catechised or to hear others Catechised but give diligence in privat to come to Knowledge else it will be long ere ye thrive and profit ye that are in one Family when ye come home from Sermon confer together now and then and be speaking of what ye hear on the Sabbath betwixt Sabbath-dayes and when ye can get any to answer a Doubt or Question to you make use of the opportunity though we could go through you all twice a year in Examination and Catechising it will not do your turn if this be neglected But as ye would be careful to keep your Children at School so ye would be busie in your Families at all Familie Duties This was wont to be the old way of Gods People and it would make hearing of Sermons profitable 3. I would commend to you careful attendance on and conscientious use making of the Ministry of the Word the great ordinary mean of Knowledge and that ye who are most concerned would be thinking of the great conveniency if not necessity of moe Labourers If it were known how numerous a People we are how many hundereds every one who Labours among you hath under his charge how little time we have to go through you all particularly and what abounding Ignorance there is in the greatest part of the People I suppose it would be thought that the charge of any one of us might require two to discharge it suitably which we do not preâ—â—e to spare our own Labour and Pains but to stir you up to a necessary Dutie the effecting of the thing is not impossibly and it is a Work and Dutie well becoming you and worthy of you The Lord Himself perswade you to mind it I shall close up all with a Caveat or two 1. Beware of placing over much Religion in Knowledge or of being puft up with your Knowledge when ye attain to any measure of it 2. Beware of counting meer Knowledge to be Faith but when ye come to know and discern the Object be sure that ye take hold of and rest upon that which the eye of Faith discerns the Land is to say so afar off and within the Vail cast therefore the Anchor of Hope there 3. Beware of thinking that ye meerly of your selves can acquire any sound and saving Knowledge or pumpe it out of your selves we bid you not study the Knowledge of God as ye study other common things There are here requisit Humility Fear Reverence Love to the Truth dependence on God Prayer to Him and acknowledgement of Him Let me again seriously commend this study to you and through it let me commend Christ unto you whom to know is life eternal To Him be praise for ever SERMON LVII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many For he shall bear their iniquities IF any thing should be studied with diligence sure this should be even to be clear how we may come to be at peace with God how we may be Absolved and Justified when we come to reckon before Him It is no curiosity singly and diligently to make inquity here although the unfaithfulness and pride of some unhappy men have made the study of it unpleasant by corrupting and making crooked Gods plain and straight way of making of our peace with Him and of our being Justified
your very hearts open to it without which ye can never expect to be Justified before the Tribunal of God Now let God Himself blesse the same Word to you through Jesus Christ SERMON LVIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities SOme further and more serious apprehensions of our Sin and hazard would make the reading of these Words to be refreshful and welcome to us The stayed thoughts of an Arrestment laid upon us to appear before God's Tribunal and to reckon for our Debt would make us think much of a Cautioner The want whereof make the glad tydings of the Gospel to be tastlesse and without relish This is the great scope of these Words to shew how a Summonded Sinner arraigned at Gods Bar may be Justified and fred from the charge that he is lyable to For sayes the Prophet By his knowledge who is the surity of the Covenant shall many be justâ—fied That which we last left at was this That Faith in Christ receiving and resting on Him is necessary for the attaining of Justification so that in Gods way these are so linked and knit together That never one shall be Justified but a Believer Though there be a Righteousnesse in Christ yet it shall be derived and communicated to none come to Age but to these who by Faith betake themselves to Christ what way the Lord takes with infants Elect Infants I mean is not that which the Prophet aimes to speak of though it be Christs Righteousnesse that is communicated to them as well as it is to them who are at Age yet as to the manner of communicating it God hath His own way which we know not Now that we may learn in speaking to these Truths not only to get some Light for informing of our Judgement but also some help for our practice take two or three Uses ere we proceed any further The 1. Use then is To let you see the absolute necessity of believing in Christ Jesus and that it is as necessary for the attaining of our Justification as Christs dying is For our Justification is an effect flowing from several Causes and the want of any of them will mar it There must necessarly be a concurrance of them all to bring it about And therefore though their be an excellent worth in Christs Righteousnesse yet there is a necessity of Faith to lay hold upon it and to make it ours Gods order in the Covenant bears this out wherein he hath knit the Promise of Pardon of Sin and of Justification to Faith and resting on Christ and there is good reason for it As 1. The Lord will have a Sinner to know what he is obliged to Christ which Faith contributs much unto For Faith stands not in the way of the freedom of Justification but rather commends it for the Lord would have us know that we hold our Life of Him and not to receive Him by Faith is an evidence of highest presumption Therefore it 's said Rom. 4.16 It is by faIth that it might be of grace God hath chosen this way that the freenesse of His Grace in pardoning of Sin may be seen 2. The Lord by this le ts the unbeliever know that the reason of his own ruine is of himself There shall not be one unbeliever found that shall have it to say that the blame lay on God or on Christ because the offer was made to them on condition of receiving it by Faith and they not performing the condition their Guilt is aggreged by their slighting of the offer It 's true that we are not now dealling with them who down-right deny the Truth of this Doctrine but alace what better are they who do in their practice deny it and live senslesly and securely under the Gospel We conceive that there are Three sorts of Persons that have need of a Word to be spoken to them here 1. Such as live carelesly and securely as we just now said as if God required nothing of them at all as they were born they know not how so they live they know not how and when they are pressed to a change of their state and way they make excuses partly from the sinfulnesse of their Nature that they can do nothing partly from the abundant Grace of God that He must do all But it will never excuse you that ye wanted Grace and had a Sinful Nature for whom I pray can ye blame for it ye that make a bachel of His mercy if ye continue to do so shall never get good of it For He hath said that He will Justifie and save none but the Believer There is none other that hath the promise of Pardon it is not made to any thing that is to be brought forth or done by your own strength or by the strength of Nature or of free-will But God hath laid down this order and method and made it known that ye should believe and receive the offer of Christ in the Gospel renunce your own Righteousnesse and betake you to Christ's Righteousnesse otherwayes ye cannot on good ground expect to be Justified 2. Others will set about many things that are good but the Work of believing they can never be brought to mind or own they will make a sort of Conscience of Prayer of keeping the Church of reading the Scriptures c. But to give obedience to the Command of Believing they mind it not they can live and die without it This was the woful and Soul-ruining practice of the Jews of old as we are told Rom. 9. They took much pains to come by Righteousnesse but they attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone when they had gone part of the way as it were and come to the Stone of believing there they fell and brake their necks Hence there are many who promise Heaven to themselves and think that they have done something for it who yet never laid hold on Christ for their Justification but let me tell you that though you could go the greatest length in Holinesse that ever any did since Adams fall it will not avail you if ye neglect Faith in Christ I say not this to disswade you from the Duties of Holinesse God forbid but to divert you from seeking Justifiâ—ation by them study the Duties of Holinesse but seek alwayes by any means to be found in Christ and in His Righteousnesse and not in the Righteousnesse of your Duties as to your Justification It is true none that have any tollerable measure of Knowledge will profâ—sse down right that they lean to holy Duties yet many are so ignorant that they cannot distinguish betwixt Faith and Works and there are not a few who have a hope of Heaven such as it is who nâ—ver knew any thing of the exercise of believing A 3d. Sort are these who because of some
for which cause Faith gets the name of Knowledge here and elsewhere in Scripture the antecedent being put for the consequent For Faith hath alwayes Knowledge with it though Knowledge hath not alwayes Faith 2. That there be an assent to the thing known as when we know that we are Sinners and that it is the Blood of Christ that must cleanse us from Sin we must assent to the truth of these as Christ sayes John 8. If ye believe not Moses his writings how shall ye believe my Words If ye assent not to the truth of that he hath written how can ye believe my speaking both these are in the understanding and if there be no more this makes but Historical Faith 3. When the Soul knows it's a Sinner and under the Curse and that Christ is a Saviour and that there is Salvation to be gotten by such a Mean and that he an able Saviour and hath assented to the truth of these there is a consenting of the heart to that Truth conditionally proposed and made offer of that is to receive Christ as he is offered in the Gospel which in Scripture is called a receiving of Him John 1.12 To as many as received him c. And this is an Act of the Will respecting Christ as offered and a bargain proposed that will make the Soul happy where Faith accepts 4. There is a resting on Christ received as a good bargain which is also an Act of the heart or will called in Scripture a committing our selves to him a leaning on him or rolling our selves on him which we conceive to be the same that Paul hath Philip. 3.9 That I may be found in him When the Soul places it's safety here and lippens to Christs Righteousnesse alone as contradistinguished to it 's own These Two last Acts are properly the essence of Faith as Justifying and they are well holden out in the Catechism where Faith is described to be a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon Christ as he is offered in the Gospel we shall illustrat it in a comparison made use of before to this purpose Suppose there were a number of Rebells that had incurred the Princes displeasure and were guilty of Treason by the Law suppose also the Princes Son or some Courtier hath satisfied for them and procured their Pardon and Peace upon which there comes out a Proclamation that if they will submit and yeeld themselves and lay down their Arms they shall be pardoned and admitted to friendship as if they had never Rebelled These Rebels must know 1. That there is an Act of Favour past and a Proclamation made on such Terms 2. They must have a general Faith and Assent to the thing and that there is no Question but such a thing is done 3. There is a consultation by the understanding with the will if they will admit of and receive it and trust themselves to it And then 4. There is the hearts consenting to accept of the offer of Grace on the Terms of the Proclamation and a resting on it which is a lippening of their Defence to it that if ever they should be called to an accompt they will make use of such an Act of Grace and of the Proclamation for their Defence and safety and lippen to it and to His Faithfulnesse who made the Proclamation believing that He will fulfil His Word and Promise It is just so here in a Sinners acting Faith for Justification We may instance and illustrat it also in the example of the Prodigal wherein we may find something of all this when he had been in the hight of his distraction and madness in his natural condition It 's said He came to himself he knew and believed that there was meat enough in his Fathers house and resolved to go home upon his knowledge follows his resolution and his will consents I will rise and go which supposes his Faith of an offer of meat on condition of his going and then there is that whereon he grounds his Defence I will say father I have sinned I will disclaim all and betake me to thy Grace implyed in the word Father he resolves to table his Defence on this ground and upon this comes home More particularly 1. Knowledge of the Object rested upon is necessary Rom. 10. How can they believe on him of whom they have not heard It is not possible we can believe what we know not And as every other step hath some doctrinal mistake and some practical so hath this The Doctrinal mistake is that Error of Papists unworthy to be refuted They say there is no Knowledge requisit to Faith Yea some of their prime men have said that Faith is rather Ignorance then Knowledge but surely then Faith would not be called Knowledge if it might rather be defined Ignorance but this they maintain to keep the People in Ignorance of the Gospel and it 's the ground of many moe Errors and much Delusion It 's even as a blind man could go well in a slippery place where are many Pits for Knowledge is no lesse necessary to Faith then eyes are to such a man The practical Errors in this are such as we find in many of you who think ye can believe well but ask and put you to it ye cannot tell what many of you are obstinat maintainers of implicit Faith while ye say ye have Faith and yet cannot tell what it is nor whereon it is grounded but we say that Knowledge is so necessary to Faith that if it be not a part of it yet it 's necessarly antecedanious to it and presupposed Therefore if ever ye would be accounted Believers study Knowledge and the Knowledge of Christ Crucified at least so far as to ground your Faith upon It 's sad that so many will maintain the reality of their Faith and yet are grosly Ignorant of the Fundamentaâ—s of Religion Knowledge is the very use of and first step to believing and yet it 's hardly possible to brangle the vain confidence of many whom it 's as impossible to bring to Knowledge 2. There is an Assent requisit to the Object Known which is that we call historical faith and this is to be confirmed in the general Truths contained in the Gospel as that Adam was made according to Gods Image that he fell and brake the Covenant of Works and made himself and all his lyable to Gods Curse That we are by that Covenant under Gods Curse That Christ Jesus the Son of God according to the Covenant of Redemption entered Himself Cautioner for the Elect that He really died and payed their Debt That His purchase is made offer of in the Gospel and that according to the Covenant of Grace there is an real absolution from Sin and an eternal happinesse to be had at the great Day through embracing of Him There must be an assent to the Truth of these things for it is impossible that they who think not themselves Sinners and that mind