Father-virgin is this the Babe whom we look unto as our Jesus is this a Mother as Austin scarce fourteen years of age is this the Father that knew her not until she had brought forth her first-born Son Mat. 1.25 what a strange birth is this Look on the Babe there is no Cradle to rock him no Nurse to Lull him no Linnens to swaddle him scarce a little food to nourish him look on the Mother there 's no Mid-wives help no downy pillows no linnen hangings scarce a little straw where she is brought a-bed look on Joseph the reputed Father he rather begs than gives a blessing poor Carpenter that makes them a Chamber of an Oxe-stall and carves him a Cratch to be his Cradle Mary that sees with her eyes and ponders all in her heart how doth modest shame fac'dness change her colours so often as her imagination works she must bear a Son an Angel tells her the Holy Ghost overshadows her the dayes are accomplished and she is delivered each Circumstance is enough to abash a modest Virgin But who will not wonder a Maid believes a Maid conceives a Maid brings forth and a Maid still remains How might we descant on this Subject but I shall contract my self and reduce all wonders to this word I am the Vine John 15.5 It is a blessed Parable in which under the shadow of a Vine Christ elegantly sets forth himself Christ in many resemblances is a precious Vine but why a Vine rather than a Cedar Oak or some of the strongest tallest trees Many reasons are given as 1. Because of all Trees the Vine is the lowest it grovels as it were on the ground 2. Because of all Trees the Vine is weakest hence they that have Vines have also their Elms to support them and hold them up 3. Because of all Trees the Vine hath the meanest Bark and outside it is of little worth or reputation 4. Because of all Trees Psal 128.3 the Vine is fruitfullest and therefore it is called the Fruitful Vine In every of these respects Christ is called a Vine who by his Incarnation took upon him the lowest condition and made himself by emptying himself of no Reputation but he was the fruitfullest Vine that ever the earth bore Phil. 2.7 and in this respect no Vine nor all the Vines on the Earth were worthy to be compared with him or to be so much as resemblances of him I shall not prosecute the resemblances throughout for so I might pass from his Birth to his Life and from his Life to his Death when the blood of the Grapes was pressed out only for the present wee 'll take a view of this Vine 1. In its Plant. 2. In its Bud. 3. In its Blossom 4. In its Fruit and so an end 1. For the Plant the way of Vines is not to be sowed but planted that thus translated they might better fructifie so our Jesus first sprung from his Father is planted in a Virgins womb God from God coeternal with God but by his Incarnation made that he was not and yet remaining that he was God of his Father and Man of his Mother before all time yet since the beginning Bernard tells us that this Vine sprung of the Vine Ber. de Passione Dom. is God begotten of God the Son of the Father both coeternal and consubstantial with the Father but that he might better fructifie he was planted in the Earth i.e. he was conceived in a Virgins womb There is indeed a resemblance in this in this resemblance we must be careful to observe that communication of properties of which I told you we may truly say that God was planted or conceived but not the Godhead God is a concrete word and signifies the Person of Christ and his Person was planted or conceived not simply as God but in respect of the Manhood united to it and thus he that is infinite was conceived and he that is eternal even he was born the very fulness of all perfection and all the properties of the Divine Essence are by this communication given to the nature of man in the Person of the Son of God no wonder therefore that we say that this Vine the Son of God is planted in Mary I know some would have the Plant more early and therefore they say that Christ was a Vine planted in Adam budded in David and flourished in Mary but I take this but for a flourish all before Mary were but Types now was the Truth now in Mary was Christ planted and not before as in the beginning there was not a Man to Till the Ground but out of the ground the Lord made to grow every Tree and a River went out of Eden to water the Garden so there was no man that tilled this Ground but out of this Ground the Virgin the Lord made to grow this Plant watering it by his Spirit The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee Luke 1.35 and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee Of this conception and of the Holy Ghosts efficiency I believe spake the Prophet when there was such longing after Christ's coming in the flesh Isa 45.8 Drop down ye Heavens from above and let the Sky pour down Righteousness let the Earth open and bring forth Salvation But of this Conception before 2. For the Bud the nature of Vines is to Bud before it Blossom or bring forth its fruit Psal 85.11 so was it said of Christ before he came Truth shall Bud out of the Earth now what was this budding of Truth out of the Earth but Christ born of a Woman What was the Truth saith Irenaeus and Augustine but Christ Iraen l. 3. c. 5. and what the Earth but our flesh and what Truth budding but Christ being born Here let us stay a while surely it is worth the while as the Spouse said in another place to get up early to the Vineyards and to see how the Vine did flourish Cant. 7.12 and how the tender Grape did open In Christs carrying on the great Work of our Salvation before all Worlds we told you of Gods Councils as if he had been reduced to some straits and difficulties by the cross demands of his several Attributes but Wisdom found out a way how to reconcile these differences by propounding a Jesus and in him Mercy and Truth met together Righteousness and Peace kissed each other Psal 85.10 That reconciliation was in the Counsel of God from all Eternity but for the execution of this Counsel it was now in the fulness of time even at this time when Christ was born Now in deed and in truth in execution and performance was the reconciliation of all differences and of this time was the Psalmists Prophecy more especially meant Mercy and Truth shall meet together Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other Psal 85.10 12 and Truth shall bud out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven In
these words we find first a meeting of Gods blessed Attributes and secondly this meeting at a birth the birth of Truth at which meeting thirdly was that glorious effect that Righteousness looked down and indeed came down from Heaven I desire a little to invert the words and shall first speak to Christs Birth secondly to the effects of his Birth of Righteousness looking down from Heaven thirdly to the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and effect of all When Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other 1. For his Birth our Vine doth Bud Truth shall Bud out of the Earth i. Christ shall be born upon the Earth or Christ shall be born of a Woman for Truth is Christ Bud is born and the Earth is a Woman 1. Truth is Christ I am the Way and Truth John 1.4 6 said Christ he is the truth of all Types and the truth of all Prophesies and the truth of all promises for in him are all the Promises Yea and Amen 2. Bud is born the Vine budding is the first putting forth of the Grape so Christ being born was Truth budding out of the Earth he then first shewed himself to the World and was first seen like the Vine springing forth above ground 3. The Earth is the Woman Isa 45.8 thus some render that Text Let the Earth bring forth a Saviour look how the Field-flowers spring forth of themselves without any Seed cast in by the hand of Man so the Virgin brings forth Christ It is observable that in the Creation of Adam was laid the Prognosticks of this future birth begin with the first Man Adam and you may see him parallell'd in this second Adam Christ Adam was created of the Virgin-Earth Christ was born of a Virgin-Mother the Earth had no Husbandman yet brought forth without Seed Mary had no Husband yet brought forth without Seed of Man in the Creation God said Let us make Man and now saith the Holy Ghost the Word is made flesh Gen. 1.26 John 1.14 or the Word is Man indeed those were but Types but Christ is the Truth he is the Vine that Buds the Messias born the Angels own him the Star designes him the Prophets foreshew him the Devils confess him his Miracles declare him the Sages seek him and Heaven and Earth Rings with the News that Truth is Budded out of the Earth 2. For the effect of this Birth Righteousness shall look down from Heaven No sooner Christ born but Righteousness looked down from Heaven she cast her eye upon Earth and seeing Truth freshly sprung there she looked and looked again certainly it was a sight to draw all the eyes of Heaven to it It is said of the Angels that they desired to look into these things they looked wishly at them 1 Pet. 1 12â— as if they would look through them no question but Righteousness looked as narrowly and piercingly as the Angels Some observe that the Hebrew word she looked down signifies that she beat out a window so desirous was Righteousness to behold the sight of the Vine Budding of Christ being born that she beats out a Window in Heaven before this time she would not so much as look down towards the Earth Righteousness had no prospect no window open this way she turned away her eyes and clapt to the Casement and would not abide so much as to look on such sinful wretches forlorn sinners as we are her eye was purer than to behold Iniquity she abhorred it and us for it and therefore would not vouchsafe us once to cast off her eye O but now the case is altered no sooner doth our Vine Bud upon the Earth but she is willing to condescend and so willing that she breaks a Window through the Walls of Heaven to look down upon this Bud and nomarvail for what could Righteousness desire to see and satifie her self in that was not to be seen in Jesus Christ He was all righteous there was not the least spot of sin to be found in him his Birth was clean and his Life was holy and his Death was innocent both his Soul and Body were without all sin both his Spirit and his Mouth were without all guile whatsoever satisfaction Righteousness would have she might have it in him lay Judgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Balance and there is nothing in Jesus but Streight for the Line and full Weight for the Balance 3. For the meeting and agreement of all Gods Attributes as the issue and the least effect of this budding Vine the Verse before tells us that Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other This meeting presupposeth a distance before they met for they that meet come from divers coasts Here then are two things considerable first the distance and secondly the meeting But you will say how came this distance Are they not all the Attributes of Gods undivided essence are they not all four in the bosom of God from all eternity I answer Yes they are undivided in themselves but they were divided about us it was Adam's sin and ours in him that first divided Heaven yea the very Attributes of God and in a sort God himself I shall speak to both these that you may first see the Differences and then the Agreement and blessed Harmony of these glorious Attributes 1. The Difference immediately after the Fall the great question which before you heard of in the Decree and Councils of God was actually propounded What should be done with sinful Man in this case we must speak of God after the manner of men and I hope you will give me the liberty that others I suppose warrantably take Come saith God What shall be done with sinful Man He hath violated my Law broken my Command and as much as lies in him unpinn'd the Fabrick of the World spoiled my Glorious Work of Heaven and Earth and Sea and all therein undone himself for ever and ever and ever O what shall be done with this sinful rebellious forlorn unhappy Creature Man Silence being a while in Heaven and all struck into amaze to see the great God of Heaven stirred up in wrath at last Mercy and Peace stand up and they seek with sweet gentle intreaties to pacifie Gods Anger but Righteousness and Truth are on the contrary side and they provoke God Almighty to go on and to manifest himself as he is indeed a consuming Fire a sin-revenging God The Plea is drawn up and reported at large by Bernard Andrews and others 1. Mercy began for out of her readiness to do good she is ever formost her inclination is to pitty or rather she her self is an inclination to pity those that are in misery and if she can but relieve them let them deserve what they will be sure she will relieve them for she looks not to the party what he is nor what he hath done nor what he he
should be offered and administred unto all Men without Exception 4. That certain singular Persons should be saved whom God fore-saw would Repent and Believe and Persevere This way is justly opposed by Others who deny God's Acts in Intention to be in the same order as we see them in Production In order of Material Existing it is granted that Christ is Revealed Promised and Exhibited after Sin and that we Repent Believe Persevere before we are Saved But in order of God's Intention Christ is before Sin and Salvation before Repentance Faith Perseverance The Apostle reckoned the Order in which Things exist thus 1. The World 2. You The Elect. 3. Christ 1 Cor. 3.22 23. 4. God 1 Cor. 3.22 23. But he gives us to understand the Order of Intention thus As First God intends His own Glory then Christ then the Elect then the World Certainly it is an hard thing to marshal the Eternal Immanent Acts of the Divine Understanding or Will into First Second Third Fourth All God's Projects are like Himself Tota simul perfecta possessio sui who is a whole and perfect Possession of Himself together and at once so as in Him considered there is no Prius nor Posterius in any of His acts but considered in Effects or in respect of us one thing may be said to be First Second or Third in Nature Time Being before or after another And thus in respect of us we say the End must be in Nature before the Means to the End Now the Permission of the Fall Repentance Faith Perseverance are used by God as Means to bring some to Salvation God therefore doth first project our Salvation and then the Means and both the End and the Means are the Product of God's Election or Predestination Here then is the Project That God will glorify His Grace to this end He will predestinate Christ in Christ He will choose some of the Sons of Men to Salvation whom Eccles 1.4 notwithstanding Sin He will make holy and without blame before Him in love This Project or Plot or Design of God will be further enlarged in the next Passage viz. His Counsels SECT V. The Counsel OF the Counsels of God concerning Man before all Worlds we read in several Texts Christ was delivered by the determinate Counsel of God For of a truth Acts 2.23 against thy Holy Child Jesus whom Thou hast anointed both Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles Acts 4.27 28. the People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy Hand thy Counsel determined before to be done Ephes 1.11 And thus the Members of Christ are said to Obtain an Inheritance being Predestinated according to the Purpose of Him who worketh all Things after the Counsel of His own Will Of this Counsel of God's Will we know but little now yet this will be made known when we come to Glory yea it will be a great Part of the Glory of Heaven for the Lord to make known the Counsel of His Will we now know his Will but we shall then know the Counsel of His Will praise Him to all Eternity for it This shall be the Glory of the Saints that they shall see into the Counsel of God's Will in chusing them and calling them and passing by others and letting others go In the mean-while thus far we may know for thus far He hath revealed Himself concerning His Counsels about Man from Everlasting 1. That Man should be a Reasonable Creature and because that very Creature is unavoidably subject to the Creator for He made all things for Himself Prov. 16.4 and all is to return that Glory to Him for which He made them therefore Man should serve Him as all other Creatures must only his Service should be after a reasonable manner out of Judgment Psal 119.30 Heb. 11.25 26. Discretion and Election Hence David is said to have chosen the Way of Truth Moses to have Chosen the Afflictions of God's People the Reproaches of Christ before the Pleasures of Sin or the Treasures of Egypt And hence it is that Holiness in the Phrase of Scripture is called Judgment He shall convince the world of Judgment John 16.11 Mat. 12.20 he shall bring forth Judgment unto Victory and hence it is that our Service is called a Reasonable Service God would not set any such determinating Law over the Operations of Man as over other Creatures that so he might truly work out of Judgment and stand or fall by his own Election 2. That if Man should deviate from this Reasonable Service and break the Law which God would give and which he himself should have an Original Power to perform that then he should incur the Displeasure of God and such a Curse and such a Penalty should be inflicted And here comes in the Fall of Man into God's Consideration He looks upon it as a wilful transgression of his Law and by how much the Law was more just and the obedience more easie by so much he judges the transgression more unreasonable and the punishment more certain and intolerable 3. That Sin should not pass Unrevenged and that for these reasons 1. Because of Gods infinite hatred thereof Hab. 1.13 He is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil He cannot look on Iniquity it provokes a Nauseousness and Abhorrency in him For all these are things which I hate Zach. 8.17 saith in the Lord They are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them 2. Because of his truth Gen. 2.17 he hath said In the day thou eatest thereof thou sâ—alâ— surely die or thou shalt dying die die Temporally and die Eternally and surely God will in no wise abolish this Law Matth. 5.8 One jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the â—aw till all be fulfilled 3. Because of his terrour and fearful Majesty for God will have Men alwayes tremble before him and by his terrour to be perswaded from sinning 2 Cor. 5.11 Matth. 10.28 Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men and Fear him who is able to destroy boâ—h Body and Soul in Hell I say unto you Heb. 12.28 29. fâ—ar him Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear for God is a Consuming Fire Upon these Reasons God is resolved Sin shall not pass unrevenged lest thereby His Justice should be securely abused his Hatred against Sin the less declared His Truth questioned and His dreadful Majesty by Men neglected 4. That every Man notwithstanding Sin should not be utterly destroyed and that for theâ—e Reasons 1. Because of that infinite Delight which the Lord hath in Mercy Why this Delight is it that so disposeth Him to pardon abundantly to exercise Loving-kindness on the Sons of Men Psal 103.8 Who is a God like unto Thee that pardonest Iniquity and passest by the Transgression of the Remnant of
as one says well that had been Virgo decipiet not concipiet rather a deceiving of us than a conceiving of him 2. That of the Valentinian revived lately in the Anabaptists who hold that he had a true body but made in heaven and sent into the Virgin here on earth and if so that had been virgo recipiet not concipiet rather a receiving than conceiving yet I cannot but wonder how confidently the Anabaptists tell us that the Flesh of Christ came down from heaven and passed through the Virgin Mary as water through a Conduit-pipe without taking any substance from her Their objections are raised out of these Texts 1. No man ascendeth into heaven but he that came down from heaven John 3.13 even the son of man which is in heaven I answer first this speech must be understood firstly in respect of the God-Head which may be said in some sort to descend in that it was made manifest in the Manhood here on earth 2. This speech may be understood truly of the whole person of Christ to whom the properties of each Nature in respect of the communication of properties may be fitly ascribed but this doth no way prove that this flesh which he assumed on earth descended from heaven 1 Co. 15.47 48 2. The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from heaven heavenly I answer 1. This holds forth that Christ was heavenly-minded as sometimes he told the Jews you are from below I am from above you are of the World I am not of this World Christ was not worldly-minded or swayed with the lusts of the Flesh John 8.23 John 15.19 or any way earthly affected as sometimes he could tell his Apostles ye are not of the world so much more might he say of himself that he was not of this world but his Conversation was in heaven Or 2. This holds forth that Christ was heavenly or from heaven in respect of the glorious qualities which he received after his Resurrection and not in respect of the substance of his Body many glorious qualities was Christ endowed with after he was raised I shall not now dispute them which he had not before and in respect of these he might be called heavenly or from heaven 3. This holds forth that Christ also was in some sort heavenly or from heaven in his humane nature in that the humane nature was united to the divine and withal in that the humane nature was formed by the holy Ghost so John's Baptism is said to be from heaven though neither he nor the water wherewith he Baptized descended from heaven but because he received it from God who is in heaven Christ was conceived as you heard by the Holy Ghost and in that regard his generation was divine and heavenly or from heaven 2. In way of comfort and incouragement Christ was thus conceived that he might Vse 2 sanctify our conceptions as the first Adam was the root of all Corruption so is the second Adam the root of all sanctification Christ went as far to cleanse us as ever Adam did to defile us what were our very Conceptions defiled by Adam in the first place Christ takes course for this you see he is conceived by the Holy Ghost and he was not idle whilst he was in the womb for even then and there he eaâ—e out the Core of corruption that cleaved close to our defiled natures so that now God will not account evil of that nature that is become the nature of his own deare Son O the Condescentions of our Jesus O that ever he would be conceived in the womb of a Virgin O that he would run through the Contumelies of our fordid Nature that he would nor refuse that which we our selves in some sort are ashamed of Some think it a reason why the Anabaptists and some others run into such Fancies and deny this Conception of Christ only to decline those soul indignities as they take them for the great God of heaven to undergo but certainly this was for us and for our sakes and therefore far be it from us to honour him the less because he laid down his honour for our sakes no no let us honour him more and love him more the lower he came for us the dearer and dearer let him be unto us consider in all these transactions Christ was carrying on the great work of our salvation otherwise he had never been conceived never had assumed to his Person humane Nature never had been Man SECT III. Of the Duplicity of Natures in Christ Isa 9.6 Gal. 4.4 3. THe duplicity of Natures in Christ appears in that he was truly God and truly Man To us a Child is born saith the Prophet there is a Nature humane and he shall be called the Mighty God there is a Nature divine God sent his Son saith the Apostle therefore truly God and this Son made of a Woman therefore truly Man one would have thought this truth would never have come into controversie in our days but these are the last days and that may take off the wonder In the last days shall come perillous times 2 Tim. 3.1 Men shall resist the Truth c. In the last days I know there will be abundance of Truth revealed Zech. 12.8 The Knowledg of the Lorâ— shall be as the waters that cover the Sea and every Child shall be as David And the Book that was sealed must be opened Dan 12.4 and knowledg shaall be increased but Satan even then will be busie to sow his Tares as God is in sowing of his Wheat then is Satan active to communicate errors when he sees God begin to discover truths he hopes in the heat of the Market to vent his own wares and I believe this is one reason why now the Devil sets on foot so many dangerous errors that so he may prejudice the hearts of God's People in the receiving and entertaining of many Glorious truths But that we may not pass over such a Fundamental Error as this some saying with Martian that he is God but not man and others with Arrius that he is man but not God I shall therefore confirm this truth of the two Natures of Christ against the Adversaries of both sides And 1. That Christ is true God both apparent scriptures and unanswerable Reasons drawn from scriptures do plainly evince 1. The scriptures call him God In the beginning was the word and the word was with God Dan. 12.4 John 1.1 Heb. 1.8 John 20 28. Acts. 20.8 1 John 3.16 1 John 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 and the word was God And unto the son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God and take heed to your selves and to all the flock To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood And hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his life for
deserved but which is the comfort of us miserable sinners she looks at what he suffers and in how woful and wretched a case he is Her Plea was thus What Lord hast thou made all Men in vain wilt thou now destroy him for whom thou madest the World shall the housholder be cast out and thrown into prison and there remain till he hath paid the utmost Farthing shall all the Men and Women in the World from first to last be damned for ever and ever alas What profit is in their Blood What will it avail to crowd Men and Devils together in Hell-flames Will not those Devils the grand Enemies of God rejoyce at this And what then will become of thy great Name on Earth Is not this thy Name The Lord the Lord Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for Thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgressions and Sins What will the Lord undo his Name Will the Lord cast off for ever And will he be favourable no more Is his Mercy clean gone for ever Will he be no more entreated hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath he in Anger shut up his tender Bowels With these and such like holy whisperings or mutterings did Mercy enter into Gods bowels and make them yern and melt again into compassions But 2. Truth must be heard as well as Mercy and she layes in matter of exception and her Plea was thus What is God but his Word Now this was thy word to Adam In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death and this was thy word to all the Sons of Adam 〈◊〉 17. 〈◊〉 8.10 the soul that sinneth that soul shall die And God may not falsifie his word his word is truth falsifie truth That may not be all men are liars but God is true even truth it self This Plea of Truth is seconded by Righteousness and thus she bespeaks God shall not the Judge of all the world do right Thou hast declared thy self over and over to be just and righteous 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 19.13 〈◊〉 6.5 7. 〈◊〉 â—5 17 O Lord God of Israel thou art righteous Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy Judgments Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy Judgments Yea the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works and wherein consists this righteousness but in rendring to every one according to his due And what is the sinners due 〈◊〉 â— 23 but Death The wages of sin is Death What shall not those sinners die the Death That were as before to make Truth false so here to do Right Wrong These were the Controversies at that time so that Peace could not tell how to speak a prevailing word amongst them nay the controversie grew so high that they made it their own cases what shall become of me said Mercy if God spare not sinners and what shall become of me said Justice if God do spare sinners what shall become of me said Mercy If God will shew no mercy And what shall become of me said Justice if God will do no Justice why alas perish said Mercy if thou wilt not pity if man die I die also and I perish said Justice if thou wilt have mercy surely I die if man die not To this it came and in these terms brake up the Assembly and away they went one from another Truth went to Heaven and was a Stranger upon Earth Righteousness went with her and would not so much as look down from Heaven Mercy she staid below still for where should Mercy be if not with the miserable As for Peace she went between both to see if she could make them meet again in better terms in the mean while our Salvation lies a bleeding the Plea hangs and we stand as Prisoners at the Bar and know not what shall become of us for though two be for us yet two are against us as strong and more stiff than they so that much depends upon this meeting for either they must be at peace between themselves or they cannot be at peace with us nor can we be at peace with God Many means were made before Christs time for a blessed meeting but it would not be Sacrifice and Burnt-Offering thou wouldst not have Heb. 10.5 these means were not prevalent enough to cause a meeting Where stuck it you will say Surely it was not long of Mercy she was easie to be intreated she looked up to Heaven but Righteousness would not look down and indeed here was the business Righteousness must and will have satisfaction or else Righteousness should not be Righteous either some satisfaction for sin must be given to God or she will never meet more better all men in the World were damned than that the Righteousness of God should be Unrighteous And this now puts on the great transaction of our Saviours Birth Well then our Saviour is born and this birth occasions a gracious meeting of the Attributes such an attractive is this Birth this Bud of Christ that all meet there indeed they cannot otherwise but meet in him in whom all blessed Attributes of God do meet It is Christ is Mercy and Christ is Truth and Christ is Righteousness and Christ is Peace 1. Christ is Mercy thus Zacharias prophesied Luke 1.78 That through the tender Mercy of our God the day-spring or Branch from on high hath visited us And God the Father of Christ is called the Father of mercies as if Mercy were his Son who had no other Son but his dearly boloved Son in whom he is well pleased 2 Cor. 1.3 John 14.6 2. Christ is Truth I am the Way and the Truth and the Life That Truth in whom is accomplished whatsoever was prefigured of the Messiah God shall send forth his Mercy and his Truth Psal 57.3 Psal 64.7 Exod. 34.6 Deut. 32.4 Psal 86.15 John 1.14 17. Jer. 23.6 Mal. 4.2 1 Car. 1.30 Heb. 7.2 Isa 9.6 Eph. 2.14 2 Thes 3.16 And O prepare Mercy and Truth And this is his Name the Lord the Lord abundant in Goodness and Truth He is a God of Truth saith Moses plenteous in Mercy and Truth saith David full of Grace and Truth saith John for the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ He is Truth by Name and Truth by Nature and Truth by Office 3. Christ is Righteousness This is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness And unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing under his Wings And Christ of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption And according to his Type Melchisedech this was his Style King of Righteousness 4. Christ is Peace This is his Name wherewith he is called wonderful Councellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace And Christ
be one with him in a spiritual holy and a mystical union if God be not in our persons as truely though not as fully as in our nature we have no particular comfort from this design of his personal hypostatical and wonderful union 6. Christ was born so must we be new-born to this I have spoken when I laid it down as an evidence that unto us a Child is born and unto us a son is given only one word more we must be new born as once born by nature so new born by Grace there must be some resemblances in us of Christ born amongst us As 1. Christ born had a Father in Heaven and a Mother on Earth so in our new Birth we must look on God as our Father in Heaven and on the Church as our Mother on Earth it was usually said out of the Church no salvation and to this the Apostle alludes Jerusalem which is above is free Gal. 4.26 which is the Mother of us all indeed out of the Church there is no means of Salvation no Word to teach no Sacraments to confirm nothing at all to hold forth Christ to a soul and without Christ how should there be the Salvation of souls â—o that we must look on the Church as our Mother and on God as our Father not that we deny some to be as spiritual Fathers unto others Paul tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 that he was their Father though yea have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel but alâ—s such Fathers are but ministerial Fathers and therefore Paul seems to correct himself 1 Cor. 3.7 who is â—aul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom yea believed even as the Lord gave to every man it is God only is our Father principally originally supreamly God only puts Grace and vertue into the womb of the Soul it is not possible that any creature should be a Creator of the new Creature O then let us look up to Heaven and say O Lord nâ—w make me nâ—w Create me O be thou my Father 2. When Christ was born all Jerusalem was troubled so when this new birth is we must look for it that much commotion and much division of heart will be the Deviâ— could not be cast out of the professed person but he would excâ—edingly fear and â—orment and vex the possâ—ssed person the truth is we cannot expect that Christ should expel Satan from those holds and dominions he hath over us but he will be sure to put us to great fear and terror in heart Besides not only the evil Spirit but Gods Spirit is for a while a Spirit of Bondage to make every thing as a mighty burden unto us there are many prâ—tenders to the grace of God in Christ but they cannot abide to hear of any pains or pangs in this new Birth O this is legal but I pray thee tell me dost thou ever know any woman bring forth in her sleep or in a dream without feeling any pain and how then should the heart of man be thus new changed and moulded without several pangs look as it is in the natural birth there are many pangs and troubles in in sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children so it is and must be in our spiritual birth there is usually I will not say alwayes to such or such a degree many pangs and troubles there 's many a throb and many an heart-ach ere Christ can be formed in us 3. When Christ was born there was a discovery of many of the Glorious attributes of God then Mercy and Truth met together and righteousness and peace kissed each other then especially was a discovery of the Goodness and Power and Wisdom and Holiness of God So when this New Birth is we must look upon it as a glorious discovery of those lovely Attributes As 1. Of his Mercy Goodness Love how often is this called his Grace and the riches of his Grace Christians you that know what the New Birth means do you not say The Goodness of God appears in this surely it was Gods Goodness to make a World but this is the riches of his Goodness to create a New Heart in you when Man by his sin was fallen he might have been thrown away as refuse fit fuel only for everlasting flames it might have been with mankind as it was with Devils in their deluge God did not provide an Ark to save so many as eight persons not one Angel that fell was the Object of Gods Grace And that God should pass by all those Angels and many thousands of the Sons Men and yet that he should look upon you in your Blood and bid you Live O the goodness of God! 2. As of the Goodness so in this New Birth there 's a discovery of Gods power and hence it is called a New Creature The very same Power that framed the World Gal. 6.15 is the framer of this New Creature the work of Conversion is set forth by the Work of Creation God only creates Man and God only converts Man in the Creation God said Let there be Light and there was Light in our conversion God saith Let there be Light and presently the same God shines in our hearts Nay this Power of conversion in some sense far passeth the Creation To whom is the Arm of the Loâ—d revealed Isa 53.1 the Lord puts to his Arm his Power his Strength indeed in Conversion of Souls when he made the World he met with nothing to resist him he only spake the word and it was doâ—e but in the conversion of a sinner God meets with the whole frame of all creatures opposing and resisting him the Devil and the World without and sin and corruption within here then must needs be a Power against all Power 3. As of the Goodness and Power of God so in this New Birth there 's a discovery of the Wisdom of God I might instance in many particulars As 1. In that the regenerate are most-what of the meanest and contemptiblest persons not many wise 1 Cor. 1.27 not many noble c. 2. In that many times God takes the worst Weeds and makes them the sweetest Flowers thus Paul Zacheus the Publicans and Harlots 3. In that the regenerate are of the fewest and least number many are called but few are chosen 4. In that God chooseth such a time to be his time of love wherein he usually discovers many concurrences of strange love meeting together read Ezek. 16.4 5 6 8 9. in all these particulars is his Wisdom wonderful 4. As of the Goodness Power and Wisdom of God so in this New Birth there 's a discovery of the holiness of God If a clod of Earth or a piece of Muck should be made a glorious Star in Heaven it is not more wonderful than for a sinner to be made like an Angel doing the Will of God it argues the
ruddy Cant. 5.10 the chiefest of ten thousands As in the fairest beauty there is a mixture of these two colours white and ruddy so in Christ there is a gracious mixture and compound of all the graces of the Spirit there is in him a sweet temper of gentleness purity righteousness meekness humility and what not In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 and I may add of all other gifts and graces not a grace but it was in Christ and that in an higher way than in any Saint in the World and therefore he is called fairer than all the children of men Observe There was more habitual grace in Christ than ever was or is or shall be in all the Elect whether Angels or Men. He received the Spirit out of measure there was in him as much as possibly could be in a creature and more than in all other creatures whatsoever As the Sun is the Prince of Stars as the Husband is the head of the Wife as a Lion is the King of the Beasts so is this Sun of Righteousness this Head of the Church this Lion of the Tribe of Judah the chiefest of ten thousands if we look at any thing in Heaven or Earth that we observe as eminently fair by that is the Lord Jesus in respect of his inward beauty set forth in Scriptures he is the Sun of Righteousness the bright Morning-Star the Light of the World the Tree of Life the Lilly and the Rose fairer than all the Flowers of the Field than all the precious Stones of the Earth than all the Lights in the Firmament than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven You will say What 's all this to us Certainly much every way the Apostle tells you That the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 8.2 hath freed me from the Law of sin of Death let us enquire into these words the law of the Spirit of life the Spirit of life is here put for life as else where After three dayes an half Rev. 11.11 the Spirit of life coming from God shall enter into them Now life is that whereby a thing acteth and moveth it self and it is the cause and beginning of action and motion and this Spirit of life or life it self being here applied to Christ it is that in Christ which is the beginning and cause of all his holy actions and what was that but his Original holiness or the holiness of his humane Nature But why is the holiness of Christs nature called the Spirit of life I answer 1. Because it was infused into his manhood by the Spirit of God The holy Ghost shall come upon thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee Luke 1.35 shall be called the Son of God 2. Because it is a most exact and absolute and perfect holiness the Scripture-phrase setting out things in perfection or fulness usually adds the word Spirit unto them as the spirit of pride the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of error so then the meaning of the Spirit of life is all one with the most absolute and most perfect purity and holiness of the nature of Christ It is briefly as if the Apostle had said the law of the Spirit of life or the power of the most absolute and perfect holiness of the nature of Christ hath freed me from the law of sin and death hath acquitted me from the power of my sinful nature and from the power of death due to me in respect of my sinful and corrupt nature We might draw from hence this conclusion that The benefit of Christ's habitual righteousness infused at his first conception is imputed to believers to their justification As the obedience of his life and the merit of his death so the Holyness infused at his very conception hath its influence into our justification it is by the obedience of his life that we are accounted actually holy and by the purity of his conception or habitual grace that we are accounted personally holy But I must not stay here Thus much of the Holiness of Christ's Nature SECT IV. Of the Holiness of Christ's Life Rom. 5.19 2. FOr the holiness of Christs life the Apostle tells us that by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous here 's the obedience of Christ and its influence on us 1. The obedience of Christ is that whereby he continued in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Matth. 5.17 John 8.29 Acts 3.14 Observe Christ's life was a visible commentary on Gods Law For proof Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets saith Christ but to fulfil them And the Father hath not left me alone saith Christ for I do alwayes those things that please him Hence Christ in Scripture is called Holy and Just and the Holy One Acts 2.27 The most Holy Dan. 9.24 by his actual holiness Christ fulfilled in act every branch of the Law of God he walked in all the Commandments of God he performed perfectly both in thought word and deed whatsoever the Law of the Lord required I do not cannot limit this obedience of Christ to this last year of his Ministry for his whole life was a perpetual course of obedience he was obedient unto death Phil. 2.8 saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even until his death and yet because we read most of his holy actings this year and that this was the year wherein both his active and passive obedience did most eminently shine and break forth the year wherein he drew up all the dispersions of his precepts and cast them into actions as into sums total therefore now I handle it and I shall make it out by the passages following only in this one year As 1. Now he discovered his charity in feeding the hungry as at once five thousand men with five Loaves and two Fishes John 6.9 10 11. John 6.9 10 11. and at another time four thousand men with seven Loaves and a few small Fishes Matth. 15.32 Matth. 15.32 2. Now he discovered his self-denial and contempt of the World in flying the offers of a Kingdom when the people were convinc'd that he was the Messiah from that miracle of feeding five thousand men with five Loaves presently they would needs make him a King but he that left his Fathers Kingdom for us he fled from the offers of a Crown and Kingdom from them John 6.15 as from an enemy When Jesus perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a Mountain himself alone 3. Now he discovered his mercy in healing the Womans Daughter that had an unclean spirit Mar. 7.26 27. the Woman was a Greek a Syrophenician by Nation and in that respect Christ called her a Dog and yet Christ gave her the desire of her soul O the
Question and therefore I shall not amuse my self in giving any account of it only these remain as sure truths 1. That the things communicated to our inward man I mean those inward motions and suggestions to holiness and obedience are frequently and usually by the administration of Angels 2. That the same things communicated to our inward man are ever originally and primarily from the Spirit of Christ and hence it is that commonly we put them all on that score we give them all to Christs Spirit 3. That 't is proper to the spirit to enlighten the understanding and to determine the will effectually the Angels are but Cisterns the spirit is the fountain the Angels may speak and move us to our duties but the blessing the efficacy is of the Spirit and in this respect we leave to Christ and his Spirit the all in all Well then O my soul consider especially in Church assemblies and in the enjoyment of Ordinances the especial presence of Christ in the presence of his spirit and in the presence of his Angels What dost thou feel any stirrings actings movings in thy spirit dost thou feel any quickening warming feeding cherishing healing Gen. 28.16 17 mollifying melting comforting strengthening in thy inward parts say then Surely the Lord is in this place this is none other but the House of God this is the gate of Heaven O here is the Spirit and here are the Angels ascending and descending and therefore avoid Sathan avoid all prophane thoughts and earthly-mindedness avoid dulness deadness drousiness avoid looseness lasciviousness and all irreverence 1 Cor. 11.10 because of the Angels and because of the Spirit and because of the especial presence of Christ which encauses them both 6. Consider the the Preaching of Christ O the admirable Sermons of this great Prophet the Spouse tells us His Lips like Lillies dropped sweet smelling Myrrh his Doctrine was sweet as the Lillies and sound as the Myrrh His Lipps were like Lillies Cant. 5.13 as certain odoriserous Lillies that cast forth a sweet smelling savour they were full of Heavenly Grace and sweetness Grace saith the Psalmist was poured into his lips Psal 45.2 and they dropped sweet-smelling Myrrh the nature of this Herb is to keep from putrefaction as it is sound it self so it makes other things sound Error is of a putrifying nature corrupting and defiling the soul but the Doctrine of Christ keeps the soul sound it is the souls preservative it keeps the soul free from all corruption and defilement See here the prophetical office of Christ held forth in similitudes his lips were ever dropping distilling publishing sweet and sound truths Read and peruse those Sermons he hath left on record yea ruminate and meditate on them in order to piety and an holy life How sweet was the first Sermon of Christ Repent Matth. 4.17 John 3.3 for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And how Spiritual was that Sermon of Christ Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God It may be thou art a Doctor a Master of Israel thou art a learned Schollar thou art a man of parts and abilities in other things it may be thou hast read so long in the Bible thou hast heard so many and so many Sermons c. but ah miserable soul it may be all the work is to do still within Come say this Sermon of Christ to thine own soul Vnless I be born again I cannot enter into Heaven born again O Lord what is that was ever such a thing done upon me was ever I cast into the pangs of a new birth and continued I in those pangs untill Christ Jesus was formed in me are old things done away and are all things now become new is the old man the old lusts the old conversation quite abandoned and left are my principles new my aims and ends new my life and conversation new Thus might I paraphrase on all the Sermons but I intend brevity only consider O my soul as if this Sermon and all the rest had been preached to thee Reallize Christ standing by thee Heb. 12.25 and opening his mouth and teaching thee thus and thus surely there is a speaking of Christ from Heaven See that ye refuse not him saith the Apostle that speaketh from Heaven And besides he hath his Ministers here on earth and they are daily Preaching over these Sermons of Christ again and again they Preach such things as were first spoken by the Lord himself Heb. 2.3 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Tim. 4.15 they beseech and pray thee in Christ's stead O then meditate on these things and give thy self wholly to them that thy profitting may appear to all 7. Consider the miracles of Christ in pursuance of the Doctrine delivered in his blessed Sermons Here 's a world of matter to run over such miracles are done by Christ as never man did before Moses indeed smote the Rock and the waters gushed out but he could not turn Water into Wine Elisha raised a Child that was dead to life but Jesus raised one who had been dead four days yea who was buried and corrupted Elias and Samuel and all the Prophets and the succession of the high Priests in both the Temples put all together never did so many and so great miracles as Jesus did he turned water into Wine he healed the Noble-mans Son even at the point of death he cured the Leaprous by his touch he made the lame man to walk and the crooked limbs to become straight he made habitual diseases and inveterate of eighteen years continuance and once of thirty eight years to disappear at his speaking even as darkness at the brightness of the Sun John 9.23 he fed thousands of People with two small fishes and five loaves he cast out Devils and commanded them whithersoever he pleased he restored sight to the blind in a word he did such miracles as no man else ever did and the poor blind man proved it by instance of himself It was never heard that any man opened the Eyes of one that was born blind O my Soul consider of these miracles and believe that Doctrine which was ratified with Arguments from above how shouldst thou but assent to all those mysterious truths which were so strongly confirmed by an Almighty hand What dost thou think a meditation needless in this respect art thou fully satisfied of the truth of Scriptures It is well I hope thou art and yet who knows how soon thou mayst be put to it by an enemy or a strong temptation One can tell us in print Some are now talking of a tolleration of all Religions and some desire that the Jews may have a free commerce amongst us it is good therefore to be well armed at this point and the best Argument to prove the verity of the Gospel next to the inward testimony of the Spirit is this demonstration or common place of the miracles of Christ Luke 6.13 Mat. 28.19
Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Paul was a mortified man dead to the world and dead to sin But how came he so to be why this he attributes to the Cross of Christ to the death of Christ the death of Jesus was the cause of this death in Paul How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 There is in the death of Christ first a value and secondly a vertue the former is available to our justification the latter to our sanctification now sanctification hath two parts mortification and vivification Christ's death or passive obedience is more properly conducible to the one his life or active obedience to the other Rom. 6.5 Hence Believers are said to be engraffed with Christ in the likeness of his death there is a kind of likeness betwixt Christ and Christians Christ died and the Christian dies Christ died a natural death and a Christian dies a spiritual death Christ died for sin and the Christian dies for sin this was another end of the death of Christ there issues from his death a mortifying vertue causing the death of sin in a Believer's soul one main part of our sanctification O my soul look to this herein lies the pith and marrow of the death of Christ and if now thou wilt but act and exercise thy faith in this respect how mightest thou draw the vertue and efficacy of his death into thy soul But here is the question how should I manage my Faith or how should I act my faith to draw down the vertue of Christ's death and so to feel the vertue of Christ's death in my soul mortifying crucifying and killing sin I answer 1. In prayer meditation self-examination receiving of the Lord's Supper c. I must propound to my self and soul the Lord Jesus Christ as having undertaken and performed that bitter and painful work of suffering even unto death yea that of the Cross as it is held out in the History and Narrative of the Gospel 2. I must really and steadfastly believe and firmly assent that those sufferings of Christ so revealed and discovered were real and true undoubted and every way unquestionable as in themselves 3. I must look upon those grievous bitter cruel painful and with all opprobrious execrable shameful sufferings of Christ as very strange and wonderful but especially considering the spiritual part of his sufferings viz. the sense and apprehension of God's forsaking and afflicting him in the day of his fierce anger I should even be astonished and amazed thereat what that the Son of God should lay his head on the block under the blow of divine Justice that he should put himself under the wrath of his heavenly Father that he should enter into the combat of Gods heavy displeasure and be deprived of the sense and feeling of his love and mercy and wonted comfort how should I but stand agast at these so wonderful sufferings of Jesus Christ 4. I must weigh and consider what it was that occasioned and caused all this viz. Sin yea my Sin yea this and that Sin particularly This comes nearer home and from this I must now gather in these several Conclusions As 1. It was the Design of Christ by his sufferings to give satisfaction to the infinite Justice of God for sin 2. It was intended and meant at least in a second place to give out to the world a most notable and eminent instance and demonstration of the horridness odiousness and execrableness of sin sith no less than all this yea nothing else but this would serve the turn to expiate it and atone for it 3. It holds forth again as sin is horrid in its self so it cannot but be exceeding grievous and offensive to Christ Oh it cost him dear it put him to all this pain and Torture it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me how then should it but offend him above all above any thing in the world 4. If therefore there be in me any spark of love towards Christ or any likeness to Christ or if I would have Christ to bear any affection love regard or respect unto me it will absolutely behoove me by all means to loath sin and cast it away from me to root it up to quit my hands and to rid my heart of it The truth is I cannot possibly give forth a more pregnant proof of my sincere love entire affection respect conformity resemblance sympathy to and with Christ than by offering all violence usually all holy severity against sin for his very sake Now when the heart is thus exercised God by his Spirit will not fail to meet us our desire and endeavour of our soul to weaken and kill sin in the soul is not without its reward but especially when sin hath in this way and by this means lost the affection of the soul and is brought in hatred and disesteem it decayes and dyes of it self for it only liveth and flourisheth by the warm affections good thoughts and opinion that the soul hath of it So that matters going thus in the heart the influence that should nourish and maintain sin is cut off and it withers by degrees till it be finally and fully destroyed Thus for directions now for the encouragements of our faith to believe in Christ's death consider 1. The fulness of this object Christ crucified there is a transcendent all-sufficiency in the death of Christ in a safe sense it contains in it universal redemption it is sufficient for the redemption of every man in the world yea and effectual for all that have been are or shall be called into the state of grace whether Jews or Gentiles bound or free I know some hold that Christ dyed for all and every man with a purpose to save only thus they explicate 1. That Christ dyed for all men considered in the common lapse or fall but not as obstinate impenitent or unbelievers he dyed not for such as such 2. That Christ dyed for all men in respect of the request or impetration of salvation but the application thereof is proper to believers 3. That Christ dyed not to bring all or any man actually to salvation but to purchase salvability and reconciliation so far as that God might and would salva justitia deal with them on terms of a better covenant 4. That Christ hath purchased salvability for all men but faith and regeneration he hath merited for none because God is bound to give that which Christ hath merited of him although it be not desired or craved I cannot assent to these positions but thus far I grant that Christ's death in it self is a sufficient price and satisfaction to God for all the world and that also it is effectual in many particulars to all men respectively in all the world every man in one way or other hath
some Pastors and Teachers Three of these gifts are now gone and their date is out but in the same place we find Pastors and Teachers and them we have still Oh how may this teach us to think of such even of Pastors and Teachers as of the special gifts and favours of Jesus Christ if one special friend should but send us from a far Countrey one of his chief servants would we not welcome him Christ now is in Heaven and he sends us Ministers as the stewards of his house sure if we have any love to Christ The vâ—ry feet of them would be precious and beautifull Rom. 10.15 who bring us glad tydings of peace Again the Apostle tells us in another place that there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit and diversities of calling but the same Lord or Christ 1 Cor. 12.4 5 6 and diversities of works but the same God and Father worketh all in all Christs errand being done and he gone up on high the Spirit came down and in Christ's stead established order in the Church which order or establishment is here set down by gifts callings and works Here is first a Gift Secondly a Calling Thirdly a Work Gifts are ascribed to the Spirit Callings to Christ and Works to God even to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ where the Spirit ends Christ begins and where Christ ends God begins if no gift we must stay there and never meddle with the calling and if no calling we must stay there and never meddle with the Work first the Spirit comes and bestows the Gift and then Christ comes and bestows the Calling and then God the Father comes and sets us to the Work the gift is for the calling and the gift and calling are both for the Work And if this be the order established by the Spirit in his Church Oh what shall we say of them that either have no gifts yet step into the calling as if there were no need of the Holy Ghost or that have no calling and yet will fall upon the work utterly against the mind and rule of Jesus Christ Oh what the poor Church of Christ suffers at this time in these respects certainly these men have no commission from the holy spirit he was never sent to them that brâ—ak this order first gifts and then Calling and then the Work But why doth the Spirit endow men with gifts surely saith the Apostle to this end 1 Cor. 12.7 to profit withall Gifts are given for the good of others gifts are for edifying we should not contemn them gifts are a blessing of God and therefore we aâ—e to endeavour after them 1 Tim. 4.15 1 Cor. 12.31 Let thy profiting appear to all and covet earnestly the bâ—st gifts And yet sayes Paul I shew unto you a more excellent way and that was true grace of which he discourseth in the next Chapter and this brings in another reason of the Spirits mission 5. That the Holy Ghost might according to his Office endow men with graces In doing this he first gives the inward principle and habit of grace and then the fruit or actings of grace 1. He gives a Power an Habit a spiritual Ability a Seed a Spring a principle of Grace whatsoever we call it I cannot conceive it to be a nâ—w faculty added to those which are in men by nature A man when he is regenerate hath no more faculties in his soul than he had before he was regenerate only in the work of â—egeneration those abilities which the man had are Improved to work spiritually as before naturally as our Bodies in the resurrection from the dead shall have no more nor other parts than they have at present only those which are now natural shall thâ—n by the Power of God be made Spiritual 1 Cor. 15.44 Now this Principle is infused or poured in by the Spirit of God and hence he is called The spirit of sanctification 2. He gives the fruit or actings of Grace 2 Thes 2.13 Gal. 5.22.23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Some call these the diversifications of the actings of that spiritual principle within us certainly the spirit doth not only at first infuse the principles of grace but he doth also enable us to act and improve those blessed principles Phil. 2.13 he doth not only give us power to Holy actions but he works also the Holy actions themselves God works in us not only to will but to do God hath a two-fold grace psal 119.88 initial and converting exciting and quickning in respect of this last David prayes Quicken me after thy loving kindness O Lord and so shall I keep thy testimonies This is the actuating grace that we need every hour and every moment and must pray for more earnestly than we would pray for our daily bread Two priviledges more especially flow from this Heb. 4.16 As 1. Hereby the soul will be kept from negligence and dulness from gross and soul sins the Apostle calls it grace to help in time of need Oh this is admirable when grace comes in the very nick of need it may be sometime or other thou wert even falling into such and such a sin it may be thou wert sometime or other drowning in such and such a wickedness and this exciting quickning grace came in and kept up thy head above the waters 2. Hereby the soul will be kept in a frame for every duty if the spirit come but with exciting quickning grace then it is ready to say My heart is prepared O Lord my heart is prepared I can now do and suffer thy Will sometimes the principle of grace lies still within us and begins to rust but then comes the Holy Ghost and breaths upon our souls and so it excites and quickens and commands faith patience zeal and other graces to be in exercise and this is as it were the file to take off the rust it s the whetting of the edge it s the stirring up of the coals into a mighty flame Christians have you not clear â—xperimental demonstrations of this truth sometimes you are on the wing of duty and sometimes you are dull and dead sometimes the least temptation the least snare is ready to make you fall and sometimes again though strong winds and tempests blow upon you yet you are able to stand like Mount Zion that cannot be removed Oh what 's the reason of the difference surely according to the incomes of the Spirit of God this difference comes not from our selves but from the Spirit as this exciting quickning grace is ready or a far off so is our condition you know what changes David usually found in his own heart sometimes he was able to trust in God and at other times he was so cast down as if he had no strength within him and whence all this but from the ebbings and flowings of exciting quickning
and God be Omnipotent that he can do and can have whatsoever he pleases then Christ being one God with his Father he must needs prevail it is but ask and have let him ask what he will 5. That Christ is God's darling upon this very account because he intercedes for his People Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life John 10.17 that I might take it again I lay it down by suffering and I take it again by rising ascending up into heaven and interceding there and therefore doth my Father love me O the love of God to Christ and of God in Christ to all his Saints God so loved the world that he gave his Son and Christ so loved the world that he gave himself and now again because Christ gave himself and his gift is as a sweet smelling savour unto God therefore God loves Christ O what a round of love is here God loves Christ and Christ loves us and the Father loves Christ again for loving of us there is not an act of Christ in his work of our redemption but the Father looks on it with love and liking Mat. 3.17 Isa 53.11 at his baptism lo a voice came from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased at his death He seeth of the travel of his soul and he is satisfied at his ascension he heareth of the intercessions of his soul and he is delighted Christ's intercessions are God's musick and therefore as sometimes Christ spoke to his Spouse Cant. 2.14 so God speaks to Christ Let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Now Christ's intercessions must needs prevail when God love's Christ for his intercessions sake if before the world was made Prov. 8.29 30. the Son was his Fathers darling for it is said When he appointed the foundations of the earth then I was by him and as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight In the Original delights intimating that the eternal Son was variety of delights to his Father O then what delights what variety what infinite of delights hath God in Christ now interceding for us what a dear darling is Christ to God when not only he stands by him but he represents to him all the Elect from the beginning to the end of the World q. d See Father look on my breast read hear all the names of those thou hast given me as Adam and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob of the Twelve Tribes and of the Twelve Apostles of all the Martyrs Professors and Confessors of the Law and Gospel I pray for them I Pray not for the World but only for them for they are mine methinks I hear God answer What my Son and what the Son of my womb and what the Son of my vows hast thou begotten me thus many Sons and are all these mine why then ask what thou wilt and have what thou pleasest I am as strongly inclined and disposed to give thee grant as thou wouldst have it it is my joy my delight my pleasure to save these souls and surely the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in thy hands 6. That Christ is God's Commander I speak it with reverence as well as petitioner it is a phraze given to the servants of God command ye me and may we not give it to the Son of God Christians God is as ready to do us service as if we had him at command Isa 45.11 1 John 5.14 This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and in this sense we may boldly say that God the Father is as ready to hear Jesus Christ as if he had him at command not that in deed and reality he commands God but that in deed and truth he commands all below God and he commands all in the stead of God And to this purpose is that voice of God I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion Psalm 2.6 and why my King I dare not say he is God's King as if God were Christ's inferior or Christs subject God forbid why then my King I answer he is God's King because appointed by God or he is God's King John 5.22 because he rules in the stead of God The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son God hath given away all his prerogatives unto Jesus Christ so that now the King of Saints can do what he will with God and with all the world only it follows Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance as if the Father should have said I cannot deny thee and yet O my Son I would have thee ask do what thou wilt in Heaven Earth and Hell I have not the heart indeed I have not the power to deny thee any thing onely acknowledg this power to be originally in my self that all that honour the Son may honour the Father and all that honour the Father may honour the Son These are the terms betwixt God the Father and God the Son Oh then how powerfull and prevailing are Christs intercessions with his Father if he ask who hath power to command there is little question of prevailing in his suit We have heard in our days of a suit managed with a petition in one hand and a sword in the other and what the effect is all now can tell As a King who sues for peace backt with a potent Army able to win what he intreats for must needs treat more effectually so Christ sueing to his Father for his Saints with a power sufficient to obtain what he sues for he must needs effect what his desires may be it is well observed that Christ is first said to sit at God's right hand and then to intercede he treats the salvation of sinners as a mighty Prince treats the giving up of some Town which lyes seated under a Castle of his that commands the Town or he treats the salvation of sinners as a Commander treats the surrendring of a person already in his hands it is beyond God's power I speak iâ— with submission to deny his Son in any thing he asks Exod. 32.10 if the Lord sometimes cryed out to Moses like a man whose hands are held Let me alone how much more doth Christ's intercession bind God's hands and command all in Heaven Earth and Hell hence we say that God the Father hath divested himself of all his power and given the keys into Christ's own hands I am he that liveth and was dead Rev. 1.18 and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of hell and death there is no man goes to Hell but he is lockt in by Jesus Christ and there is no man goes to Heaven but he is lockt in there by Jesus Christ he hath the keys of all men's eternities hanging