and that the Pope can pardon them what will not a man give to bee freed from it this dotage is cleerly confuted with the evidence of the former truth I will onely expresse it thus If Christ suffered all the plagues which divine justice required then there is neither the punishments of Hell nor Purgatory to be suffered by the faithfull but our Saviour suffered whatsoever the justice of God required and therefore neither sinne nor hell nor purgatorie have any thing to lay to the charge of Gods chosen Secondly it not onely meets with them but it dasheth in sunder another conceit that seemes to finde acceptance with others for hence it is cleere that all the troubles and miseries and afflictions either anguish of heart inwardly or miseries outwardly they cannot properly bee called punishments inflicted upon the faithfull be they never so sharpe and bitter in themselves being laid upon the faithfull they lose that propertie and they become corrections Christ hath suffered all punishments and therefore God the Father will not require a double payment for one debt and therefore howsoever their grievances are many and great yet they are but chasticements at the worst and they lose that venome of plague and of punishment as it is with the sea water it is salt of it selfe and hath a brinish saltnesse fretting wonderfully yet when it passeth thorow the veines of the earth all the saltnesse is gone and it becomes fresh and is of a cooling nature Just so it is with the afflictions that are sometimes inflicted upon the godly howsoever in themselves they are sharpe and brinish and fretting yet the heaviest afflictions though never so sharpe and bitter yet when they passe through the merits and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ they retaine onely their cooling cleansing and refreshing nature Object But some will say doe not these things befall alike to all as David saith Psalme 88.15 Thy terrours have I suffered from my youth upwards doe not these things come alike to all the same povertie the same misery the same anguish of heart doe not these fall alike to all as in 1 Chron. 21.12 13 14. was there not much misery befell David and doe not the same plagues that befall the one befall the other the holiest man and the prophanest man partake alike in these wherein lies the difference then Answer I answer the difference lies in two particulars First the judgements that are laid on the wicked they come from Gods anger and God requires them in way of satisfaction unto divine justice but all the corrections and chastisements and terrours and troubles that befall the godly they come from Gods love and from his Fatherly care A Physitian cuts a man and an enemy stabs a man the knife was all alike but to the one it comes from a friend and to the other it comes from an enemy so God doth send afflictions to the godly and to him they come from the hand of a Father and to the other they come as from a Judge there are no judgements are sent upon the wicked but they come in part of satisfaction and divine Justice faith thou must to hell for all those sinnes of thine and I will have something in part of payment before thou come there but to the godly the wrath of God is satisfied to the full and the debt is fully paid and therefore God never layes any thing upon the Saints so much to satisfie divine justice as to correct and amend them Secondly all the punishments and corrections that come upon the godly the Lord so orders and tempers and sweetens them by his saving graces and by the worke of his Spirit that they all worke and turne to their good the love of God is so farre shed abroad into their hearts by the power of Christs merits and so shewed therein that they procure good and comfort to their soules for ever but in the punishments and curses of the wicked they come from under the crosse more hardned and more blinded and more fierce and rebellious against God and his grace but the godly come from under the crosse more holy and more meeke and more patient and reformed in their lives and conversations as it is with the poyson that is taken in hand by a skillfull Physitian hee knowes the nature of it and knowes how to correct it and to take away the malignant qualitie of it either of the cold or of the heat so afflictions of themselves are plagues and judgements and they are able to harden the heart and to blinde the minde this is that Ahaz saith the text even wicked Ahaz this is the punishment and poyson of the wicked and it bringeth punishment upon them it blinds their mindes and hardens their hearts and therefore whensoever a wicked man doth come forth from under the curse he is farre worse than hee was before his heart more dead and more fierce and hee walkes more rebelliously against God and his grace but when they are laid upon the people of God the Lord Jesus Christ takes away the malignant qualitie of them and all the poyson of punishment and povertie and takes away all the venome of sicknesse and disgrace and it is now a preservative and it is good to be afflicted as David saith and to have the poyson thus corrected and to humble him and to purge him and to doe him good in his latter end they are the same in nature that they are unto the wicked but the difference is in the qualitie of them therefore the conclusion is thus much That all afflictions come from the hand of a loving Father upon the godly and though they come in anger to their sinnes yet they worke for their good and salvation Thus much for the point of speculation and for the information of the judgement now let us come home to the affections and cheare up our hearts a little in the application of the point Vse 2 In the second place it is a word of comfort to all you that are beleevers you that have heard the treasures of mercy and the death of our Lord Jesus Christ laid open view them take them all to your selves for your comfort Are your heartâ— perswaded that Jesus Christ suffered all the punishments and drank off all the cup and hath left none for you then me thinkes this may make you goe away cheared there is no death no hell no divine justice for you to undergoe goe your way cheared and so you may for you are delivered from wrath hell and punishment this is an incomparable chearing of soule to all the faithfull of God bee their condition never so meane and their estates never so low come all hither and take that grace and mercy that is purchased and offered in the Lord Jesus Christ Object But me thinkes I heare some beginne to cavill against this truth and say let them take mercy that have a right to it and thanke God for it those that
have a title to it and that have great parts and abilities and answerable obedience let those take it and blesse God that ever they saw the day but what I have I any share in the death of Christ and what did Christ suffer the death of the crosse for me my sinnes so many and my condition so bad and I cannot tell whether I have any faith or no it is so weake and feeble are all punishments removed I cannot thinke it This is your owne fault for this mercy is for thee for every faithfull beleeving soule bee his estate never so low be thy saith never so weake Hast thou faith but as a grain of mustard seed that thou canst scarcely know whether thou hast faith or no yet if it bee true faith there is grace and mercy enough for thee in the Lord Jesus therefore come and draw the water of life and comfort out of the wels of salvation that is out of the sufferings and obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ You have heard that the heart of our Saviour was amazed and astonished it was for thee therefore bee thou cheared Christ suffered the wrath of the Father and came from under it and that is thy victory be thou for ever cheared Our Saviour was imprisoned that thou mightest bee delivered hee was accused that thou mightest be acquitted he was condemned and therefore there is no condemnation to thy soule he suffered death that thou mightest live for evermore therefore goe your way and goe chearily and the God of Heaven goe with you feare not any punishment now for why should you feare them when you shall not feele them You may here have a ground of double comfort in the time of thy greatest distresse whether it be in horrour of heart within or trouble without in both these the Lord Jesus Christ will pittie you and will rescue you from all in his owne season therefore lift up your heads in the middest of all troubles whatsoever First in all outward troubles and in the heaviest trials thou shalt be pittied in them though Christ be gone up to heaven yet hee hath his bowels of pitty and of mercy with him and his bowels of mercy in heaven earne over a poore dismaid creature that is dismaid either because of thy sinnes or because of those punishments which thou fearest for sinne Hebrews 4.15 Wee have not an high Priest that cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort wee have not an high Priest that is a stranger to crosses and troubles neither have wee an high Priest like Gallio that cared nothing for those things that is he was not troubled with the persecutions of others as their cups are full and they are not troubled with the poverty of others they are at rest and ease and they are not troubled with those that are in misery but hee was tempted in all things like unto us and so Hebrewes 2.13 wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest because he suffered and was tempted hee is also able to succour those that are tempted When the poore doe crie oh pittie and compassion for the Lords sake oh you know not what belongs to a hungry belly nor to a naked backe so I say you know not what it is to have a distressed conscience and therefore you have no remorse to them that are such but you must not think that Christ was not touched with our infirmities though hee sit at the right hand of the Father yet he hath not forgotten his people but he hath left his love and his compassion with us and he is touched when we are troubled Paul persecuted the Church and Christ saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me the foot is pricked in earth and the head complaineth of it in Heaven he felt the rage and malice of Pauls persecutions though haply poore goodman such a one and poore goody such a one was persecuted yet our Saviour was touched and troubled with it therefore let me tell you how to succour your selves when you finde the wrath of God lie heavie upon you and the anguish of soule lies sore upon you I might also speake of the rage and malice of the wicked but when the arrowes of Gods wrath seize upon the soule and God seemes to bee displeased and to goe away from the soule and mercy and love and the sweetnesse of compassion is going as it was with Christ when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Hee findes not that sweetnesse of mercies that formerly hee had done these are troubles indeed Now learne you to looke up to Christ and looke to bee pittied by the Lord Jesus Christ It may be thy husband or thy wife or thy friends will not pittie thee but will say he is turned a precise fellow and see now what good hee hath gotten by running to Sermons thus they adde sorrow to sorrow and persecution to persecution because God hath smitten thee therefore they smite thee too but yet notwithstanding all this looke thou up to the Lord Jesus Christ and know that thou shalt finde favour he will have a fellow-feeling with thee in all thy miseries therefore plead with the Lord Jesus Christ and say Lord in thy estate of humiliation thou wert a man full of sorrowes and thou sufferedst much perplexity thou knowest what it is to suffer the wrath of a displeased Father and thou didst crie out Father is mercy and love and goodnes and all gone Oh blessed redeemer heare those cries of them that crie to thee for mercy thou that didst suffer for poore sinners doe thou succour poore sinners and Jesus Christ will certainly pitie you and will send his good Spirit from heaven to comfort you and he will command loving kindnesse to comfort and refresh thee You that groane under your burthens hee will command loving kindnesse to come to such a mans house and to visite such a one and will say such a man is troubled I command thee to comfort him and salvation I charge thee goe to such a house and tell such a man that I love him tell him that I suffered for him and was forsaken that he might not be forsaken I was condemned that he might be redeemed It is a great comfort that the Lord Jesus Christ is touched and knowes how to deliver such as are tempted He that bore up the frame of the heavens and never groaned under the pillars of the earth yet when he was to beare the wrath of God he shrunke at it and said Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me he that bore the wrath of God for thee he will certainly pity thee Secondly you shall not be pittied in outward sorrowes onely but goe your way for ever cheared you shall bee free from all inward miseries and troubles you shall bee delivered from
hell and condemnation every beleeving soule of you Do not think that God will passe by poore little ones no he will not lose one of you but he will in his appointed time helpe and deliver you therfore be not troubled not dismaied but resolve of this and say I shall bee delivered therefore let my soule be for ever cheared what would you have and what doe you feare Is it your sinnes doe you think that they beare you an old grudge and they will bee clamouring up to heaven against you and complaining of you at the throne of grace doe you feare them so you may justly because of that secret sliding off from the truth Oh saist thou my errand is done in heaven before this time and my sins knocke at heaven gates and say Justice Lord I have taken them in their sinnes and therefore as thou art a God of justice execute justice upon a rebellious soule Now therefore remember that Jesus Christ hath suffered he hath taken thy sinnes upon him and hath suffered the punishments of them 1 Iohn 2.1 Little children sinne not at all It were to be wished that a man might be alwayes humble and poore in spirit and doe all good against the evill done to him and it were to be wished that a man could walke exactly before God but it is not possible so long as we have this body of death it will shew it selfe but if we doe sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the just he is gone to heaven to tell the Father that all is fully answered and he saith Father save all those poore soules whom thou hast given mee I have paid all and answered all for them and therefore Father I will that all that thou hast given mee may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory thus he plead for he doth not plead as we doe but he saith Father I will now if there be any crie against the soule by reason of sinne Christ stops it sinne pleads and Christ pleads and who will prevaile thinke you therefore be not discouraged we have an Advocate with the Father the sinnes of your dreames this last night they have done your errands in heaven before you did awake but let them plead what they can wee have an Advocate with the Father in Heaven and he pleads our cause in heaven and he will prevail in whatsoever he pleads for he will be heard all the pleas of sin shal be fully answered Heb. 12.22 23 24. ye are not come to the mount that might not be touched nor unto burning fire c. But ye are come unto the mount Zion to the citie of the living God and to the Spirits of just and perfect men and to Iesus Christ the Mediatour of the new Testament and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel what did the blood of Abel speake see that in Gen. 3.9 10. where is Abel thy brother said the Lord and he answered I cannot tell am I my brothers keeper Oh thou wretch saith the Lord the voyce of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the earth for vengeance against thee thus all our sinnes doe speake but there are some sinnes that crie and say Lord this soule is taken to bee a Christian and a Professer and one that hath some grace but Lord against knowledge and conscience and the directions of the Ministers hee hath sinned thus and this therefore good Lord execute judgement upon him but now here is your comfort you poore Saints I confesse these wretched corruptions of your hearts play the backe friends with you many times but we have the blood of Christ that cries for mercy and pardon and refreshing and forgivenesse sinne pleads and saith Lord doe me justice against such a soule but the blood of Christ saith I am abased and humbled and I have answered all Christ shall be heard and if he plead the cause the day is certainly yours and hee pleads without any fees and his blood speaketh on your behalfe and your sinnes shall never be heard against you but what sticks upon your stomackes Object Oh you have heard that the Lord is a just God hee is so hee is holy and blessed and of pure eyes that cannot endure to behold any polluted or uncleane thing and if God be strict to marke what is done amisse who can abide it Oh then say you you have these sinnes and corruptions and God is pure and you are polluted and you have many secret windings and turnings and devices and you say God knowes all the crevices of my heart and sees all the frame of my soule and if the Lord marke what is done amisse nay hee will marke what is done amisse Who then shall be able to stand How shall I be able to answer it especially considering that Satan saith I have sinned and why should I not be cast out as well as others have beene cast out that have sinned Lord execute justice upon them as they have deserved how shall wee helpe ourselves herein yes admirably for then the blood of Christ comes in and that satisfies all Gal. 5.22.23 The fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse temperance faith against such there is no law so it is here there is no law nor no condemnation to beleevers truly penitent for their sins there is no punishment to them nor no wrath to execute judgement upon them because the debt is paid and the Lord is just and cannot and righteous and will not doe it but saith the Devill thou hast sinned and why shalt thou not bee condemned for it but saith justice hold thy tongue Satan for there is no law against them that repent what troubles you now Answer Why the very truth is the thoughts of Hell astonish my heart me thinkes I see a little peep-hole downe into hell and the devils roaring there being reserved in chaines under darknesse untill the judgement of the great day and me thinkes I see the damned flaming and Iudas and all the wicked of the world and they of Sodome and Gomorah there they lie roaring and damnation takes hold upon them and the wrath of God finks them downe to hell Now I have sinned and therefore why should not I be damned and why should not the wrath of God bee executed against mee I answer the death of Christ acquits thee of all and although the wrath of God be of admirable power and force yet you shall bee acquitted by the death of the Lord Jesus Revelations 20. â—â— Blessed and holy is he that hath a part in the first resurrection for on such the second death shall have no power that is wicked men and the ruffians of the world that scorne all commands and despise all the ordinances of God and the lawes of men and neither of them can take place in their hearts they breake all bonds and cast away all commands and the