faith therefore say they in the whole course of Scripture faith is cast upon the Godhead as Esay 50.10 Who so is wise amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant he that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God all the phrase of Scripture runs thus Trust and hope and rely upon the Lord. So Iohn 14.1 2. vers Let not your hearts be troubled yee beleeve in God beleeve also in mee marke this Now did a man beleeve upon the Father as Father onely then hee did not beleeve upon the Sonne or did he beleeve onely upon the Sonne as Sonne then he did not beleeve upon the Father but in that hee beleeves upon the Father and the Sonne It is therefore plaine that he fals first upon the Godhead and seeing it is so that wee must beleeve upon the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost therefore we are not to beleeve upon one of them only but upon the whole Deity and the divine nature and all the three Persons in the divine nature for as the Schoolemen say that which doth appertaine to this as this belongs to this and to none other Now we beleeve in all the whole Trinitie and therefore wee close with all three the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and hence it is that these Divines observe that when we are said to beleeve in the Scriptures and in the promise not that any doe it properly but so farre as the promise that God in Christ revealing and promising and communicating himselfe so farre we beleeve in the promise that is in his faithfulnesse truth and mercy revealed in the promise The second reason which they alleage is this say they that which in reason must stay satisfie the soule of a beleever it is that in reason to which the soule must first betake it selfe and upon which it most first stay it selfe for faith goes out for succour and for good therefore that which only can satisfie faith to that onely it must first goe the beleever is dead in sinnes because of the commission of them but there is life in God therefore to an infinite God the soule comes to worke an infinite satisfaction for him which all creatures cannot doe in this case the Godhead prepares the humane nature and workes by the humane nature and gives power to the humane nature and makes it able to suffer and to satisfie faith sees that he hath offended an infinite God and deserved punishment of an infinite value therefore hee must repaire to him that can onely repaire in mercy to his soule therefore saith the Prophet David Psalme 130.7 verse Hope in the Lord for ever for with the Lord is plenteous redemption and in Esay 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength wee have everlasting miseries and troubles and distempers but with the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength therefore trust in him for ever nay hence it is that our Saviour saith Iohn 17.3 This is life eternall that they know thee to bee the very God and whom thou hast sent even Iesou Christ Now if you aske me which of these judgements I follow I answer because I love not to bee as a man that is here and there and no where in truth but I love to bee as a man that dwels at home for I am not ignorant that many Divines wise and learned whose parts and gifts I reverence they follow the former opinions and for my part I leave a judicious hearer to take which side he will but in truth the two last arguments have prevailed with me that the heart of a poor sinner beleeves and stayes it selfe firstly upon the Godhead and Deity and afterwards upon the Humanitie and mee thinkes the two former arguments seeme not to compell any mans understanding for bee it granted that the former Scriptures doe reveale the Lord Jesus Christ and mention him often as man yet it is as true they reveale him to bee God and mention his Godhead not mentioning at all his humanitie but whensoever they doe mention his humanitie firstly it is for good reason partly by way of prophecie to foretell of Christ what hee should be and partly by way of story and relation to relate of Christ what he was yet this reason inferres not that faith must therefore firstly lay hold upon the humanitie before the deitie but when the Lord is pleased to reveale Jesus Christ to the soule in the way of conversion then wee must apprehend Christ as God and Man in the point of conversion and then let the question be this whither the soule shall goe for that which it wants Now I see no reason why the soule should firstly goe to the humanity for what it wants and seekes hence it is that when the Scripture comes to speake in the way of conversion the Godhead is set first as in the 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe as God in Christ reconciles the world unto himselfe so God reveales himselfe to his faithfull Ministers and so they reveale him to the people it was the Godhead that was offended and must first of all be pleased and unto that God we must first goe for what we want so Ieremy 33.16 In those dayes Iudah shall be saved and Israel shall bee saved and this is the Name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnesse so said the Angell they shall call his Name Emanuel which is by interpretation God with us this is to the first reason now to the second argument I answer thus If it bee good in reason that wee must first goe to the humane nature for these reasons propounded and if this be sufficient to call my faith that way because all the great workes are wrought that way then much more seeing the humane nature was inabled to the worke by the divine nature therefore my faith must first looke that way because the weight of the worke lies upon the Deitie the humane nature cannot assume to take to it selfe this glory not bee any way available to satisfie divine justice but that the Deitie enabled it and therefore faith must first of all looke unto that Thus it is confessed that the soule of a beleever is advanced to a marvellous high privilege now the use of it is referred to these three heads Vse 1 First are the soules of the faithfull come thus neere to Christ not onely to beleeve in him and to embrace him but to bee one Spirit with him then this may bee a use of instruction and it shewes to us that the sinnes of the faithfull are marvellous hainous in Gods account and exceeding grievous to his blessed Spirit that hath come so neere to us and brought us so neere unto himselfe every sinne is as a mountaine or as a wall of separation but the sinnes of the faithfull are no lesse than rebellion not
worthy of this advancement it is the use that the Apostle makes Walke worthie of the calling whereunto the Lord hath called you are ye the members of Christ why then behave your selves as the members of Christ are you joyned thou neerly to Christ then carrie your selves as beseemes you let the dog returne to his vomit and the sow to the wallowing in the mire but let the Saints that are knit unto a Saviour walke worthy of that mercie and union and prerogative that God hath vouchsafed unto them it is a shame to see that servants of Christs family and the plants of his vineyard doe walke after the conversation of the world what manner of persons ought wee to bee in all manner of holinesse of conversation we are knit unto Christ and therefore ought to be holy as he is holy pure as he is pure wee ought to doe nothing but that which may beseeme and content a Saviour but ye will say the world will hold up their hands at us and their mouths will bee open against us why God hates the world and ye are redeemed from the world yee are called out of the world therefore live not as if ye were in the world but as God hath called you to live with himselfe in heaven your conversation should be such as if yee were in heaven I would not have a Saint of God tamper with the least distemper or be addicted to any base course but walke exactly before the Lord. Thus wee see a faithfull soule is knit unto Christ now that which followes is this it is so knit that it is made one Spirit The point we named before it is this Doct. 2 The faithfull injoy such a union with our Saviour that they are one Spirit with him The point is difficult and the mysterie great and beyond the reach and roome of that little light I injoy onely wee shall bee desirous with sobrietie and modestie to communicate what shall be most sutable to the minde of God not being unwilling but desirous to heare any advice from another concerning the same the doctrine then is a beleever is so knit to Christ that he becomes one Spirit for the opening whereof because it is a deepe mysterie suffer mee to deale plainly and punctually and that I may expresse my thoughts and communicate what I conceive suffer mee to discover two particulars First the manner how the soule comes to be one Spirit with Christ Secondly the order thereof These two we will labour to cleare so farre as we are able First for the former the manner how the soule◠com 〈…〉 be one Spirit with Christ it is an undeniable principle and confessed by Divines on all parts that the soule comes to be one Spirit by the power of the Spirit on Gods part and by the power of faith on the beleevers part they confesse that the Spirit of God workes upon a beleever and the beleever goes out againe to God by faith but wee have now onely the termes in the generall if we come to the particular examining of these and aske a weake soule how the soule comes to be one Spirt by the Spirit on Gods part and by faith on our part wee are as far to seeke as wee were before and most of the congregation can understand little of it This is our misery we content our selves with termes in the generall and never cracke the shell that wee may see the kernell wee never dive into the truth that wee may see the intent of the Spirit therein therefore for the opening of the point viz. the manner how the soule coms so to be knit to Christ as to be made one Spirit not denying any thing of the former truth but holding thereto wee will open it so far as our light serves us Quest If the question then be how the soule by the spirit on Gods part and faith on the soules part comes to be one spirit Answ That which I intend to speake I will cast into three particulars or three conclusions Conclus 1 The first conclusion is this know that the spirit of God the holy Ghost the third Person in the glorious Trinitie he doth really and inseparably accompany the whole word that is the generall but he doth more specially accompany the pretious promises of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord is in these in a more speciall manner though he be a God every where in regard of his providence yet hee is in a more speciall manner going with and accompanying of his Word and in a more speciall and particular fort hee is in the promises the soule comes to bee one with Christ and to bee knit unto him principally by the promise the law prepares the soule and the promise that calls the soule and knits it unto Christ God hath appointed his Word and specially the promise for the converting of a sinner and therefore the Spirit of God goes therewith and workes thereby and gives a blessing thereunto according as hee in his wisedome thinkes fit for he is a voluntary agent and therefore may use the word as he will and when hee will the Spirit doth alwayes worke in the word but not alwayes after the same manner You make nothing of the Gospell and of the Scripture I tell you the Spirit of the Lord God blessed for ever is there after an extraordinary manner and hardens the hearts of the reprobates and humbles and converts and comforts the soules of his servants and when not when I will or you will but when the Spirit of the Lord will This is that I take to be the best expression of it looke as it was with the brasen Serpent set up in the wildernesse there was an healing vertue inseperably accompanying of that brazen Serpent and it was as possible that hardnes should be separated from the brasse as his healing vertue for whosoever lookt upon it healing vertue did undoubtedly and inseparably goe with it because God had appointed this therefore hee did blesse this and undoubtedly worke by this Just so it is with the good Word of the Lord the Spirit of the Lord though he be God every where yet hee doth blesse this Word especially and goes with it and hath appointed it for the salvation of his servants therefore when the sound comes to the eare and the sense to the minde the Spirit goes with the Word when thou hearest it either to convert thee or to confound thee therefore the text saith ye stiffe necked and hard hearted ye have resisted the Spirit of the Lord they would have pluckt Christ out of Heaven and the Spirit and all Now that this is a case undeniable I prove it thus that word which is able to discover the thoughts of the heart and to raise the dead to life and can comfort a distressed soule and perswade the soule of Gods everlasting favour that word must needs have a supernaturall power goe with it for no created power can doe the former things
how also it should bee implanted into him being called by the Spirit of God in vocation wee have heretofore fully and largely discussed and concluded that point then wee came to the second thing which is the second part of this implanting or ingrafting a sinner into the Lord Jesus Christ and it is the growing to of a sinner with our Saviour and that is accomplished and fully brought about by two workes there are two parts of it for it is not enough for the graft to be put into the stock but it must grow together with it if ever there be any conveyance of any sap or any helpe and strength which it may receive from the same so it is with the beleeving soule faith doth not onely bring us unto Christ but it makes us grow together with Christ and this growing is discovered in two particulars The first is a spirituall union of the soule with our Saviour when the soule comes to be united to and made one with the Lord of life that wee have also handled and concluded in the two last lectures Againe the second part that accomplisheth and makes up this growing together with Christ it is that heavenly communion that the soule doth get with our Saviour when the stock of the merits of our Saviour and the vertue of his grace is communicated to the soule for this we must remember that these two things make up the growing of the stock and the graft together First there must be an union of the graft with the stock Secondly there must be an intercourse or a communication of the sap in the stock to the graft so it is with Christ what ever he hath he hath for his Church and people and what ever he doth he doth for his Church and servants so that there is a kinde of conveyance of the vertue of his merits and power of his grace unto the soules of those that beleeve in him and are knit unto him by a true and a lively faith wee have done with the 〈◊〉 that the soule hath with Christ we are now to speake of the heavenly and spirituall communion the intercourse betweene the Lord and the soule when the soule is married unto him and this is that wee aime at this is that wee looke at at this time and this I must tell you by the way that our purpose is not to meddle with the particulars at this time but onely with the generall nature of the communion of the soule with Christ now for the discovery of this worke wee have chosen the words of the text now read unto you and the scope of the words it is mainly this to discover unto us the dowrie and feofment of all that spirituall grace that is conveyed and made sure to the beleeving soule being made one with the Lord Jesus that looke as it is with a man that hath a faire estate to himselfe it is only his owne but when the wife is wooed and brought home married he gives over the right of himselfe unto her and if hee make over his estate unto her shee hath title thereunto this now is the dowry of a Christian the Lord Jesus Christ is no bad match you must not thinke you could have done better it is a wonder that ever our Saviour would take us to himselfe or shew favour to us but the case is cleare if a beleever be called and brought home to Christ Christ is made to us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Christ hath all and whatsoever Christ hath it is all yours you have title thereunto and shall receive sap and benefit therefrom if you have hearts to take that good God offers and you may receive wee will not now meddle with the severals in the verse but these two things must be specially attended to in the words that we may make way for our selves in the point we have to trade withall First take notice of the compasse of that happinesse and spirituall grace which God vouchsafeth unto his and it is ranged into foure heads the text saith Christ is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption all that Christ hath or can communicate all that the beleeving soule can desire or want may be referred to these foure First Wisdome that is the declaration of the way of God and eternall happinesse in and through the Lord Jesus Christ which all the policie of all cunning men and all subtill pates in the world could never pry into that wisdome which revealed the secret things and the deepe things of God the Lord Jesus is made that wisdome to the beleeving soule Secondly Christ is made unto us righteousnesse that is whatsoever guilt lieth upon us whatsoever sinne hath beene committed by us what ever punishment wee have deserved Christ is made unto us righteousnesse to acquit us of all Thirdly Christ is made unto us sanctification the soule of a poore sinner is defiled with many corruptions and polluted with many distempers now Christ is made unto him sanctification to purge and purifie him from all those sinnes and distempers Lastly because while we wander up and downe this vale of teares and in this pilgrimage of ours wee shall bee oppressed with many evils that will lye upon us and death it selfe which is the last enemy will seize upon us and captivate our bodies in the grave therefore Christ is made unto us redemption he will take away all trouble and wipe all teares from our eyes nay hee will breake open the grave and deliver his Saints from thence The Heathen to make the Saints of God sure in time of persecution they first slew them and then they burnt their bodies to ashes and then threw them into the water and then they said Let us now see how they will rise againe alas poore creatures why the Lord loves the very dust the very ashes of his Saints in the grave and the Lord will redeeme our bodies from the grave and our names from dishonour and our lives from trouble and our soules from sinne and will set us free from all miseries and inconveniences at the great day of account these are the foure things wherein the dowry and feofment of a beleeving soule consists I will not now trade in the particulars but only in the generall and shew how that every beleeving soule that rests upon Christ by faith hath an interest in these The second thing considerable is this to whom all these things belong and the text tels us Christ is made all this to us and the truth is it is made over to all beleevers there is not one man exempted not one man excluded every beleeving creature hath a part and portion herein however the holy Apostle crowds in for a share and if wee looke into the 26 27 28. verses wee shall see to whom this belongs Ye know your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called but God
I answer sinne so farre as it concernes our purpose is taken two wayes First the breach of the Law as any guilt when a man is subject to the Law Secondly it is sometimes taken for the sacrifice of sinne for so the punishment in Scripture is sometimes called by the name of sinne as Leviticus 5.15 If a man sinne and trespasse through ignorance hee shall then bring unto the Lord for a trespasse offering a ramme without blemish If any man offer a gift for the sinne which he hath committed for so the word is in the originall if hee offer a sacrifice because of the guilt of sin which is upon him and so Gen. 4.7 If thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore that is punishment lieth at the doore now in what sense it is taken here in this place it is a point of great difficulty amongst many Divines some that have had a new way for justification they have had also a new way for to interpret this place but in my judgement it is to bee taken in the first sense though the second also must bee included and cannot but be collected from the former and not onely the former but also latter Divines carry it this way the argument here in the Text seemes to bee cleare and the reasons out of the Text are three First looke at the opposition that is here betweene sinne and righteousnesse God made Christ sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in Christ that sinne is here meant which is opposite to that righteousnesse which is here mentioned but the sacrifice of sinne is not opposite to the righteousnesse here meant but the breach of the Law that is opposite to it therefore righteousnesse doth imply the profest opposition to sinne in this place sinne being profestly opposite to righteousnesse Secondly if wee looke at the comparison and proportion betweene the first part of the verse and the last part For as Christ was made righteousnes to us not that righteousnes which we have but that which hee had and which is made ours by imputation so Christ also was made sinne for us not that Christ had sinne but hee tooke our sinne by imputation so that I reason thus That sinne is here meant which is so imputed to Christ as his righteousnesse is imputed to us but not the sufferings or punishments of sinne is imputed but the guilt and the breach Christ did really and personally suffer and therefore hee needed no such imputation for suffering but for the breach of the Law which hee never did that onely is imputed to him Thirdly let us take what they give and grant that Christ is our sacrifice for sinne that very grant infers that Christ also must have sinne imputed to him for hee that did really pay that which was due on our parts and which the justice of God exacted as a due payment for what we had committed hee must also have the debt imputed to him for otherwise to make a man pay the debt which hee hath no relation to and cannot be charged withall this stands not with justice but God the Father exacted payments and sufferings from our Saviour for our sinne and therefore hee charged our Saviour with our sinnes As for example a creditor sues the suretie and forceth him to pay the debt why because hee stands charged with the debt for when hee entred bond with the creditor hee became suretie and a debtor to pay the debt and the debtor was acquitted but now he that never was bound for the money cannot bee forced to pay the debt so that all things considered it is evident that our Saviour was made sinne that is that the sinnes of the whole world were set upon his score Secondly what is it to bee made sinne It is not to be meant that Christ had any sinne of his owne no more than we had righteousnesse neither that God the Father did make him sinfull these are hellish and devillish blasphemies but we must understand it so as may stand with Gods Justice Holinesse Christs puritie c. God the Father charged all our sinnes upon the Lord Jesus Christ by imputation but if you aske me why doth the Text say that he made him sinne and not a sinner the reason is this because our Saviour did not beare the sinnes of any one man in particular but he bore the sinnes of all the world all the evils which they had committed were charged upon our Saviour and God the Father followes the suit upon the suretie and accounted him as the debteâ— and as one that was guiltie of all those sinnes because hee had taken them upon him so the point of Doctrine hence is this Doctrine God the Father did impute all the sinnes of all the world to the charge of our Saviour All you that are debters to the Lord consider of it if a man had forfeited his bond and had great payments to make if hee knew any friend that would become a debter for him and would pay the debt oh how would he rejoyce Now we are all debters and stand bound to God therefore take notice of the point God the Father charged all the sinnes of all the faithfull upon the Lord Jesus Christ if you aske mee why I say the faithfull because the Text saith Hee was made sinne for us saith the Apostle for us that beleeve he would be sure to have some of that mercy as he saith in another place Christ came to save sinners whereof I am chiefe hee ingrosseth mercy to himselfe therefore you hard hearted and unbeleeving wretches bee packing for Christ was made sinne for us that is for us beleevers so that none of the faithfull are exempted from the benefit of this Doctrine Christ was made sinne for every beleever for every beleeving creature in the world that can but rest upon Christ and can touch the hemme of his garment it is not the greatnesse of your faith but the sinceritie of your faith that helps you to come within compasse of this point For the proofe of this Doctrine consider thus much this is a truth of the Scripture undeniable and that which hath from age to age beene delivered to the people of God all the offerings and sacrifices of the Law doe shew so much and all the types of the Law doe testifie so much as in Leviticus 1.4 compare it with Leviticus 5.5 in Chap. 1.4 he saith The offender shall bring the burnt offering without blemish and hee shall put his hands upon the head of the sacrifice and it shall bee accepted of the Lord to bee an attonement and in Chap. 5.5 When he hath sinned in any of these things then he shall come and confesse that he hath sinned therein this was the legall ceremony now what is the substance of it the sacrifices were types of Christ hee is the sacrifice without blemish without sinne and the offering up of the sacrifice was the beleeving upon and the tendering