an hundreth pound Scots ye would not be so secure till ye knew that ye were fred of it And if it be true that this is your Condition by Nature to be under the standing Sentence of the Law and the Curse of God How is it ye never try if ye be come out of that Condition I ask the most Prophane Men among you were ye never under this Sentence If ye say not the word of God will stand up against you and say to you that ye lie falsly and if ye be under it is it not hazardous to be so But I fear that many of you dream that the Curse of God wears away as ye grow up 3dly Think ye never of coming to Judgement and of Gods proceeding in Judgement against you Think ye never that ye will die and after death come to Judgement according to the general appointment past upon all Men How cometh it that ye are not thinking on it and what may be the Judges procedour towards you He will Judge you according to this Word and all that are out of Christ and not Justified by Him will be cast into the Pit of Hell There is no new Sentence to be past or to be executed upon you but that which was standing over your head before 4ly Know ye how long He may treat with you or how long ye may be in Capacity to get your state changed Are there not many taken suddenly away of whose estate we shall not Judge but may it not be so with you why are ye then so secure why decline ye the Word and refuse to let it search you while ye know not whether the Curse be removed and whether the Sentence be changed or recalled Some of you perhaps will say The Lord knows that it is not for us to know And that sayes that ye do never so much as essay to know and to win to clearness about your state Others of you will it may be say that ye hope all will be well and yet that at the best is but a guessing and ye would be loath to speak so of a Decreet that were past against you about a Sum of Money in any poor Court of Judicature on Earth and will ye suffer this terrible Sentence to stand over your head in the Court of Gods Justice and not study to be distinct and at a point upon solid and good grounds that it is repealled If ye did really believe that it was once so with you and that yet ye are in hazard of this Sentence ye would not ye could not I am sure ye should not be at rest till ye knew that it were removed It would put you to make use of Christ in good earnest for your Peace and to seek after an extract of the repealled Sentence and of your Absolution Sealed up in your Bosome And this is the thing that we aim at in all this even that as ye would not have a terrible meeting with God before the Bar of His Justice that ye would seek to have the Curse that ye are naturally lying under removed and to have your peace made with God and to have some well grounded clearness about it that ye might live comfortedly and die with solid confidence and Christian Courage without which ye can do neither SERMON LII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THE way of Absolving a Guilty Sinner in the Justice of God is the great sum and scope of all the Gospel Even to shew how a lost Sinner Obnoxious to the Sentence of a transgrest Law may without prejudice to the Justice of God come to be Justified we are perswaded that there is nothing of greater concernment to Sinners And if we knew our Debt and our Hazard we would think that there is nothing of greater concernment to us in particular The Sum of the Covenant of Redemption runs on this and it is the great thing aimed at in all this Chapter wherein the Prophet lets us see 1. What is the great thing that Satisfies Justice And for this end much hath been spoken of Christs Sufferings and Soul-travel 2. He lets us see what is the benefit that comes to us by Christs Sufferings and that is Justification or Absolution from the guilt of Sin and from the Curse which it deserves 3. He lets us see the way how this benefit is derived And it is by his knowledge This faith He shall be the great result of Christ's Sufferings Many shall be justified And this shall be the way how it shall be derived to these many and that is by his knowledge or by Faith in Him resting on His Righteousnesse and Satisfaction We opened up the meaning of the Words the last day and pointed at two Doctrines from them 1. That all Men and Women have a Judgement to abide before God an Arraignment and Indictment there to which they must answer They must all come to get a Sentence from God 2. That all Men Naturally are lyable to the Sentence of Condemnation This is supposed here For in as far as Sinners are only by Faith in Christ Justified in as far the Sentence of the Law and of the Covenant of Works is standing against them and over their heads who are not by Faith united to Christ Jesus and Justified by His Righteousnesse The 3. Doctrine Which is almost the very Words of the Text that now we intend to speak to is this That although all Men naturally be obnoxious to the Sentence of the Law and to the Curse of God yet there is a way laid down how a Sinner so obnoxious may be Justified and fred from that Sentence and this is by Faith in Jesus Christ only If any Doctrine be of concernment for us to know and to be well and experimentally acquainted with This is of concernment to us By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many There are Three things in this Doctrine implyed which by one and the same labour will be proven and therefore we shall put them together 1. That although all Men be naturally obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God yet He hath appointed away how guilty Sinners may be Justified and Absolved 2. That the way of attaining to this benefit of Justification and freedome from the Curse is by Faith in Christs Righteousness It 's by his knowledge saith the Text. 3. That there is no other way by which a Sinner obnoxious to the Curse can be Justified but by Faith in Christ's Righteousnesse allanarly This last branch of the Doctrine sayes not only That there is no other mean to Satisfie Justice but Christs Merit and Satisfaction But that there is no other way but the way of Faith to win to the application of His Satisfaction whereby many Questions may be Answered and many Errors in Doctrine and Practice confuted But our
present purpose is to shew how a guilty Sinner may be Justified And therefore we shall 1. Give you a general view of the Truth of the Doctrine by confirming it from Scripture in all the parts of it 2. We shall â—peak more paticularly to the severall branches of it And 3ly To the way of attaining Justification in the severall Causes of it as it is here holden forth For Confirmation of the General Doctrine ye shall 1. Look upon some Scriptures And 2. To some Grounds of Reason As for the Confirmation of it by Scripture If we look through the Gospel it is Our Lord Jesus Christ His own Doctrine which He preached and the way which He laid down therein for Justifying and saving a Sinner So John 3. Where it is three or four times repeated As v. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life v. 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God v. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And v. 14 15. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life And that is all one as to say he that believes shall be Justified Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned These are the terms on which the Apostles are by Christ warranded to preach the Gospel and to make the offer of Life to every Creature And therefore if we look forward to their Preaching we will find it to run in the same sâ—rain A Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses Where while Paul is summing up the whole Message that he had to deliver he goes upon the same ground And wherein we have these three clearly holden forth 1. That all Mâ—n are lyable as in their Natural Estate to God's Curse and by the Law cannot be Justified 2. That there is a way laid down through Jesus Christ to come by Justification and Remission of Sins 3. That the way how Sinners came by this is Faith in Christ All that believe are justified Look to the Epistles especially these written to the Romans and Galatians Where this question about Justification is exprâ—sly and of purpose handled and we will find that it is the sum of both As Rom. 3. Where having said v. 23 That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so that all are lyable to Gods Judgement he subjoyns v. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Where is the great mean of our Justification and then he adds v. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Where we have the mean of Application to wit Faith and Chap. 4.5 To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Which place demonstrats this That an ungodly Person taking hold by Faith of Christs Righteousnesse may be and is Justified and Absolved and fred from the guilt of Sin as if he had never Sinned So Gal. 2.15 16. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles or not without the Covenant as they are Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Which place shews not only this that through Faith in Christ is Justification and Life to be had but it also excludes all other wayes of Justificâ—tion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith But that which we are now speaking to is only the positive part of the Doctrine To shew that a Guilty Sinner obnoxious to the Curse May by Faith come to be Justified and made free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse as if he had never Sinned nor been under the Curse For further Confirmation of the Doctrine ye would consider these Four Grounds and ye will see from them good reason for it Only remember this That Justification looks alway to a Judicial Procedour as we hinted before Wherein the Lord is as it were on the Throne and the Guilty Sinner at the Bar pleading through Christs Righteousnesse and Satisfaction to be Absolved which is even as if a Debtor were arrested for Debt should plead for a Liberation not because he is not owing the Debt neither because he hath payed the Debt but because his Cautioner hath payed it for him This being supposed and remembred ye would we say consider these Grounds or Reasons for confirming the Doctrine 1. The Sufferings that Christ hath endured and the Satisfaction that He hath made in the Room of Sinners as the next Words hold out For he shall bear their iniquities And v. ult He bare the sin of many Nay this is the great scope of the Chapter Therefore it 's said That he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows and that the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all This makes a Ground of Confirmation 2. Consider How that there is not only a sufficient price payed but there is a Covenant of Redemption warranding Him to pay it and accepting it off His hand as compleat Payment and Satisfaction for the Elects Debt And except there be a look had to this Covenant Faith hath not a sufficient Ground to rest on for Justification through Jesus His Satisfaction because otherwayes we see not a Reason why His Sufferings can be accepted for us For suppose if such a supposition may warrantably be made Christ to have Suffered yet it was free for God to have accepted that as a Satisfaction for our Debt or not But the consideration of the Covenant of Redemption removes that Doubt and gives Faith a Ground to lay hold on Christ's Sufferings as Satisfactory to the Justice of God because in the Covenant of Redemption it 's so transacted and agreed upon betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Apostle speaking Heb. 10.8 9. and forward from Psal 40. of this Covenant shews That when Sacrifices and Offerings will not do the turn Christ comes in Saying Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me I delight to do thy
Sin and Wrath may come to be absolved And this leads you in to know that there is a New Covenant made through a Mediator in which there is a Promise of Life and Salvation through believing in Him which Rom. 10. is called the law of faith which gives a Sinner ground of hope to be Justified by the Righteousnesse of a Cautioner and leads him in to know the Defence that he may and ought to plead upon before God And there is here presupposed as a necessity of knowing your selves so a necessity of knowing the Law and Covenant of Works for if we plead innocent in any one Sin whereof we are guilty it may hazard our eternal ruine And a necessity of knowing Jesus Christ who is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification that He became man and did take to Himself a true Humane Body and a reasonable Soul that by the Union of His two Natures He might be God and Man in one Person in reference to which He must needs be known for if we know Him not to be Man we cannot understand how Divine Justice is Satisfied and if we know Him not to be God we cannot understand how the Humane Nature can be sustained and supported and carried through in Satisfying the Justice of God and withal a necessity of knowing how the Mediator procures this Justification and this leads us in to know His Office how He was a Priest and interposed betwixt God and Sinners and made Himself an Offering for our Sin and maketh intercession for us how He was a Prophet and how when the thing was unknown to wit how a Sinner might have peace with God He revealed it of Old by His Prophets in the Old Testament and by His Apostles and Ministers in the New Testament and doth by His Spirit ellighten the Soul to take up the difference betwixt Justification by Faith and Justification by Works how He is a King to subdue Sin in us to mortifie our Corrupt Nature that will still boast till it be subdued to guide us in His way to fight our Spiritual Battels in us and for us and to take course with all His and our Enemies Otherwayes if we know not this though we were justified just now we would be led captive by Sin and Satan to our ruine within an hour but knowing Him to be King it gives Faith footing to expect Through-beating and Victory 4. As we must know what Christ is so we must know what is in Christ and what is communicated and applyed to Sinners by Him and so the condition of the Covenant of Grace which is Faith whereby we come to be united to Christ and that this Faith is not a bare assenting to the Truth but a closing with and a resting on Him for we can never believe except we know what Faith is 5. It is needful that we know what Dutie is called for from a Justified Person to wit Repentance and Holiness because though He Justifies none for Repentance yet He Justifies none but Penitents and He requires Repentance from all whom He Jusâ—ifies Except ye repent saith Christ ye shall all likewise perish For the Curse lyes at the door and we are so to Repent as that with grief and hatred of Sin we turn from it unto God with full purpose of heart and endeavour after new Obedience 6. There is also a necessity of the Knowledge of Christs Ordinance though non absoluâ—ely in order to Justification to know the Sacraments and how thâ—y represent Christ and the benefits that come by Him and how they do Ratifie and Confirm the Believers Right to Him and these good things promised through Him Let me intreat you Believers and as many as look for Justification to â—â—ndy throughly to know that these things are necessary to be known even to know God and your selves and what ye may be justly charged with before Him that your mouths may be stoped to know Jesus Christ and His Offices For ye can never upon ground expect Justification except ye know who hath procured it to know what God requires of these who are Justified in a Word study so much as may bring you to know your lost estate and the remedy thereof and how to found your Defence when ye come before God c. And if ye would study thus to know God and know your selves and your Natural Condition and Jesus Christ and the way how ye come to be Justified through Him and your Duty to Him and so make a Catechisme to your selves out of these few heads it were a short and sure way to come to knowledge The 2d Use Serves for Reproof and Conviction to them that lye still in ignorance which is a most Sinful and Dangerous Condition for if Knowledge be a Duty and if Ignorance be a Sin and such a Sin as hazards the Soul then what a woful case are many of you in who now hear me Lay aside all other Sins I would be ashamed to speak of the great Ignorance that is among you How many of you are there that cannot give any tollerable account of your Catechism who know not your natural State and Condition nor the way how to come at peace with God nor any ground for your Faith to rest upon nor Christ nor His Offices and alace if it be so what better are ye then Heathens Sure ye are much worse because ye have dispised Knowledge Can the Gospel give you Faith to whom it never gave Knowledge There are several sorts of Persons to whom I would here speak a Word 1 There are some that never lay the necessity of Knowledge to heart betwixt whom and Turks and Pagans there is in this respâ—ct but little difference and yet such will be ready to say we live and do as well as we may that there may not be a quarrel or contraversie betwixt God and us But is it possible but there must be a quarrel if it were but on this alone account that ye think there is none O! that ye would consider what a Sin Ignorance is when the Devil appeared in the World he made it a great part of his first Work to extinguish and put out the light of Knowledge and by this means he labours still to keep Folk in Ignorance hence the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 3. If our gospel he hid it is hid to them who are lost whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded Prophanity and Error are great Baits and Snares but Ignorance carries moe to hell then both these do for Ignorance fostereth and cheerisheth if it do not also beget Prophanity and Error as the Apostle Peter insinuats when he sayes that the Ignorant or Unlearned Wrest or pervert the Scriptures unto their own destruction much Ignorance and Conceit of Knowledge will soon and easily shake people loose and make them a Prey to Error and also to Prophanity must not Ignorance then be an evil thing when it leads the way to so many other Sins and at
exhortation to this purpose Examine your selves if ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves that â—hrist is in you except ye be reprobats We do the rather presse this because if we were serious in the tryal there would through Gods blessing be more Faith in some and lesse presumption in others and these that have Faith would have more peace and comfort in it But that which makes many content themselves with a counterfit instead of Faith is that they put it not to the tryal and that which makes them who have Faith to want peace and to live in much anxiety is that they do not more prove themselves as to their Faith These are then the Two main parts of a Believers Dutie by Faith to take hold of Christ and to rest on and in Him and by tryal to make it clear and sure to themselves that they are Believers and these Two are the great up shot of all this Doctrine to perswade us to believe that we may be sure and to perswade us to study to be sure and clear in it that we may be comforted thereby SERMON LXI ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Doctrine of Justification through Faith in Christ Jesus was wont to be much thought of among the People of God it is called Gal. 3.8 The preaching of the Gospel to Abraham when God fore-told him of a way of Justification and Salvation through Christs coming of him That in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed This was the telling of Good news to him and we are sure it is as good news now as ever it was and would be so to us if we could look on it Spiritually as they did For there is as great hazard in Sin and the Curse is as terrible and insufferable and the love of God as fresh now as they were then We have for some dayes been speaking of this Doctrine of Justification and it will be much to speak and hear of it profitably we desire not to insist of what may be unuseful but we conceive there is some necessity in insisting in this It 's our own negligence and ignorance that makes many things of this kind to be very unuseful evenso that we scarcely conceive them and we are made heartless in speaking of them because to many they are as if spoken in a strange language which is and should be for a lamentation The last thing we proposed was to hold forth the mean by which Justification is attained to wit Faith which we observed to shew how Faith concurres in the attaining of Justification Few or none ever denyed Faith to be necessary for the attaining of Justification neither can any that read the Word of God with the least consideration but have that impression of it But the great thing wherein the difference lyes and wherein men miscarry is in attributing to Faith the right or wrong manner of it's concurrence in the attaining of this effect Though these things may at first blush look like meerly notional spiculations and such as do not concern Christians practice yet there is no error in Doctrine about this matter but there is something in folks practice that looks like it and is influenced by it And it's mens inclination to error in practice that makes them as it were to coyn errors in Judgement We shall Observe two generals further and proceed The 1. whereof is That Faith hath a peculiar way of concurrence for the attaining of Justification which can agree to no other Grace nor Work nay nor to Faith it self considered as a Work Therefore Justification of many is here deryved to them by his knowledge or by Faith in Him that is by Faith in Christ as secluding all other things It 's by Faith that Justification is deryved and applyed to us and by Faith we come to have right to it and an Interest in it The 2d is That however Faith concure for attaining of Justification yet it 's not Faith of it self or by any vertue or efficacy in it self but as taking hold of Christ as the Object of it that it justifies Therefore it 's said to be by the knowledge of him or by Faith in Him it 's by receiving Him uniting us to Him and resting on Him that we are Justified We shall shortly explicat both these branches and then come to some practical use of them together 1. Then we say that there is something in Justification attributed to Faith that cannot agree to any other thing which is implyed in many Scriptural Phrases and in this Text in as far as it is said that by his knowledge or by Faith in Him Justification is attained And therefore when we are said to be justified by Faith we affirm that Faith hath a peculiar way of concurring for the attaining of Justification which can agree to no other Grace as to Repentance Love Meeknesse Patience c. not to Prayer Almesdeed or any other good Works or Work For confirming of this consider 1. That we are said to be Justified by Faith in opposition to Works and that there is something attributed to Faith which is denyed to Works Generally this is clear in these Epistles written to the Romans and Galatians Particularly Rom. 4.2 3. If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God for what saith the Scriptures Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is commited to him for righteousness where most clearly and convincingly believing and working are directly opposit the one to the other and Gal. 2.16 We who are Jews by nature knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ or as the word is no not but by Faith that is a man is not justified by Works but by Faith Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law Where the Apostle cannot more purposely and pressingly make a difference betwixt any two things then he doth betwixt these two Justification by Works and Justification by Faith And in all this discourse it cannot be said that the Apostle only excluds Works in respect of merit or Works as they look to the Works of the Ceremonial Law For he opposeth Faith and all sorts of Works or Works in whatsoever respect as inconsistent It 's not one or two sorts of Works but all sorts of Works of the Law and there can be no Works but such as are commended by the Law which are excluded Now if the Apostle seclude all these what are the Works that we can be justified by 2. Consider the peculiar
were frustrate of his design no such matter It 's because the Power of Jesus Christ is revealed but to few and we take this the rather to be the meaning of these words because when Christ is preaching and many take offence and stumble Joh. 6.43 44. he says Murmure not among your selves no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him there must be an effectual work of the Grace of God put forth on the Heart else none will believe on me So it s said Joh. 12.37 38. that they believed not on Him that the saying of Isaias might be fulfilled which he spoke Lord who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed therefore they could not believe because that Isaias said again He hath blinded their eyes c. he speaketh not so to appologize for or to excuse their Unbelief but to shew the connexion that is betwixt these two the not revealing of the Arm of the Lord and their not Believing even so here the Lord shews the connexion that is betwixt the efficacy of the work of Grace and believing or turning to God that where the powerful and effectual work of His Grace goeth not forth with the preached Gospel there will be then no believing nor conversion no saving change of the Person from Nature to Grace That which we would say from these words may be drawn to three Doctrines which I shall first propose and then clear and apply them for use The first is That in the work of Conversion and begetting of Saving Faith there is requisite and necessary beside the preaching of the Word a distinct inward peculiar real immediate efficacious and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord on the Hearts of as many Hearers as are converted by this Gospel 2. That it is but few of many Hearers in whom the Lord thus efficaciously and effectually works by His Spirit and the Power of His Grace it 's but here one and there one a very few who are thus wrought upon and converted 3. That there is a necessary and inseparable connexion betwixt this inward and efficacious work of the Spirit and Faith or Conversion Where this work of Grace is not there cannot be Faith and where it is Faith necessarily must be otherways these two could not be commensurable of equal extent and reciprocal Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed He is not neither can be a Believer to whom it is not revealed and he is and cannot but be a Believer to whom it is revealed For the first We say there is in the work of Conversion and begetting of Faith beside the preaching of the Gospel a distinct inward peculiar real immediate efficacious and powerful work of the Spirit of the Lord requisite and necessary for Conversion and begetting of Faith to convince of Sin and to humble for it to enlighten the Mind in the Knowledge of Christ to renew the Will and Affections and to perswade and enable the Soul of the Sinner to embrace and receive Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel We shall first take notice of and clear some words in the Doctrine and then confirm it First For clearing of some words in the Doctrine we say 1. It is a distinct work of the Spirit distinguished and separable from the Word though it goes along as He pleaseth with the Word yet it is not as if there were some Power infused into the Word and went always and necessarily along with the Word which is the foolish and groundless conceit of some for albeit it accompany the Word yet it 's from a distinct Agent working and a distinct work and is separable as I said from the Word though it be wrought on the Heart of the same Sinner to whose Ear the Word is preached 2. It 's an inward work of the Spirit for beside the outward and external preaching and calling by the Word there is an inward powerful effectual work and calling of the Spirit in the conversion of a Sinner which speaks to the Heart as well as the Word speaks to the Ear so that this work of the Spirit that goes along in Conversion is much more then any external perswasion of the preached Word can produce 3. We say it 's a peculiar work to difference it from what is common to the Hearers of the Gospel for it 's a work that is peculiar to them whom the Lord converts and is applied to none other but to those in whom He works Faith and whom He effectually calleth by His Grace It 's a peculiar work then and not common for if it were common to all the Hearers of the Gospel and not peculiar to some these two could not go together and be commensurable as we said Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed 4. We say it 's a real work as well as powerful A real work of the Spirit that is not only able and powerful to produce the effect and to convert the Sinner but real and powerful in producing and bringing of it about and to pass by a real influence of the Spirit actually renewing the Will infusing and creating the habits of Grace particularly the very habit of Faith amongst others in the Soul which is quite an other thing then the supposing and saying that a Man hath power to Believe and be Converted that there is no more requisite to his Conversion but to perswade him to put forth that Power or Strength which he hath into Exercise or Practice It 's a real work of the Spirit and a powerful bringing about of the conversion of the Sinner in a physical way as they say in the School 5. We say it is an immediate work of the Spirit on the Heart to difference it from a mediate perswasion or moral swasion as it 's called as if there were no more requisite in Conversion but God's enlightening of the Mind and by that perswading the Will to close with Jesus Christ without any immediate work of the Spirit on the Will it self In this Doctrine we take in all these according to the Scripture in opposition to the several Errors vented by Men of corrupt Minds anent the work of Conversion and of Saving Faith God's Arm and Hand must be revealed the work and power of His efficacious Grace must be put forth for moving and enclining the Heart and Affections and for determining the Will it self We might farther clear and confirm all these from that famous instance of Lydia Act. 16.14 where Paul preaching to some Women it 's said of her Whose heart the Lord opened that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul where we find these things differenced 1. The Lord 's powerful work on her heart from Paul's preaching to her Ear the Lord opened her Heart 2. It 's an inward work for it 's on the Heart 3. It 's a
the first branch of the Doctrine 2. Of the effectualness and irresistableness of Grace that wherever God begets and brings in a Soul He does it by His own powerful Grace and wherever He applies that work Faith and Conversion necessarily follow which belongs to the second branch of the Doctrine and we would the rather speak a little to this because it is questioned by the Enemies of the Grace of God then which there is nothing they set themselves more to dethrone and debase and to exalt and cry up Nature and Free-will as if it did sit on the Throne and Grace behoved to come and supplicate it and as if it might accept or reject its Bill at pleasure as to the Conversion of a Sinner In opposition to which this Doctrine holds good that wherever the Lord applies His Grace He effectually throughs the work of Faith and Conversion and there is no Soul that can utterly resist it and wherever the Lord applies this Grace the Grace that converts one cannot be frustrated by another These things we hold in opposition to the direct assertion of the Enemies of Grace whereby they make the work of Conversion not ultimatly to terminate on Grace but on Man's Free-will and how dangerous and damnable this Error is may easily appear For 1. It overturns and runs cross to the whole strain of the Gospel for if we loose but this one Pin in making Faith and Conversion not to depend on Grace but on Free-will then the whole Fabrick of Grace falls down flat then God should elect us because we were to elect Him contrary to the Scripture which tells us that He elects us not we Him and that our closing with Him by Faith depends on His electing of us It overturns our free Justification by Grace for supposing Faith comes in in Justification as it doth none being justified but by Faith and that Believing is of our selves and that it is in the power of Man's Free-will to close the Bargain all is not here of Grace our Justification is not free but some-way depends on Free-will It overturns the Perseverance of the Saints for if Believing depend on Free-will then our Perseverance depends on it also for if the Mans Free-will change he may fall back and break his neck in a manner at the very threshold of Heaven whereas if it be the work of Grace as indeed it is that brings forth Faith and carries it on and if this work of Grace cannot be frustrated or restrained by the malice and hardness of any Heart to which it is applied because it cures the hardness and removes that malice then certainly this Error cannot stand and we are perswaded when we plead thus for Grace we have the best end of the Debate and the surest Ground to go upon most for God's Honour and most for the comfort of Believers 2. This Error thwarts with the Glory of the Grace of God for it is an Error that strikes at the richest and most radiant Diamond of the Crown of the Glory of Christ it hangs Election and the effectualness of God's Decree as to effectual Calling Faith Justification and Perseverance on the Person himself and makes God and Christ to be in the Man 's common debt and reverence to make His Decree effectual whereas it is the glory of Grace to have all Flesh allanarly in its debt and common as having loved freely elected called justified sanctified and carried on the work of Grace til it end and be perfected in Glory freely which is the Song of the redeemed Rev. 1.5 6. Unto him who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion If eternal love be free then the expression or manifestation of it in making us Kings and Priests unto God is also free 3. This Error is exceeding destructive to the consolation of God's People Is it not a comfortless Doctrine that founds their Believing and Perseverance on their own Free-will if ye were to make the bargain of Grace whether would ye think it more comfortable and sure that the effectualness of Believing and Perseverance should hang on the Grace of God or on your own Free-will especially considering the pravity of your Will doleful would your condition be if Free-will were the Base or Foundation and God used no more but external perswasion how specious soever this opinion seem to be because it puts it in Mans option to believe and convert himself or not as he pleaseth yet it overturns the whole strain of the Gospel and quite eclipseth the glory of Grace and cuts the very throat of your Consolation and is the great ground of Popery Pelagianism and Arminianism to which ye would therefore so much the more advert and we do the rather speak to it that ye may be guarded against it and that ye may be setled in the Truth especially since the same Errors are a-reviving in another shape in these days as is manifest in that foolry of Quakers who talk of a Light within them and talk so of that Light as if it were of power sufficient to convert and guide them if it be not resisted As also that other conceit of being above Ordinances implys something of this same Error which ye would set your selves to abhor as that which the Devil is again labouring to sow the Seed of amongst us and labour to be confirmed in the Truth For if there be any truth at all in Christianity these are two main Truths the utter inability that is in Mens Hearts by Nature to exercise Faith in Christ and the efficacious and irresistible power of the Grace of God in the begetting of Faith where it is begotten which when we shall all appear before the Tribunal of God will be found to be so and none will have a Mouth opened to oppose them And what absurdity I pray is there here notwithstanding all the clamour of corrupt Men that God hath reserved this work of converting Sinners by His Grace to Himself and hath not put it in the hand of their own Free-will which supposeth Men to have a stock within themselves and hath many fearful effects following it tending to the depreciating of the Grace of God and to the drawing Men off from dependance on Christ and to the giving of them ground of boasting in themselves and of vanity and security all which this Doctrine of Gods Grace overthrows and stops the Mouth of the Creature from all vain boasting to the high exaltation of Gods free soveraign and efficacious Grace and to the great comfort of His People Use 3. The second Use serves to commend the Grace of God to the Hearers of the Gospel and especially to Believers There cannot be a greater commendation given to it than this that it works effectually and indeed it could not be called Grace I mean Saving Grace if it should want this effect even to
that he should be opp essâ—â— and afflicted and brought as a lamb to the slaughter that he should be numbred amongâ—t the transgressours and that he should die and be buried make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death all which are clearly fulfille in him and the clearing of his Sufferings whereof we spoke before clears this that not only he suffered but that he was brought so low in suffering 2 For the ground of his Sufferings its â—aid to be the sins of his own Elect He bare our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgrâ—ssions and bruised for our iniquities there was no guile found in his mouth the greatest enemies of our Lord could impute nothing to him Pilat was forced to say that he found no fault in him all which shew that it was for the Transgressions of his People that he suffered 3. As for Mens little esteem of him it is also very clear for He was despised and rejected of men we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not the World thought little of him and we that are elect thought but little of him and what is more clear in the Gospel then this where it is told that he was reproached buffeted spitted on despised they criâ—d away with him crucifie him He trusted in God let him deliver him but God hath forsaken him 4. As for the Promises made to him He shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands He shâ—ll see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied and by his knowledge shall many be justified c. what mean all these but that he shall die and rise again and have many Converts that God's work shall thrive well in his hand and that he shall have a glorious Kingdom and many Subjects which is caâ—led afterward his having a portion with the great and his dividing of the sooil with the strong All this was accompl shed in Christ when after his Resurrectâ—on many were win and brought in by the Gospel to believe on him and though Jews and eathens concurred and conspired to cuâ— off all Christians yet his Kingdom spread and hath continued these sixteen hundred years and above 5. As for the effects that followed on his Sufferings or the influence they have on the elect People of God as mâ—ny Converts as have been and are in the World as many Witnesses are there that he is the Messiah every converted pardoned and reconciled Soul seals this truth Hence 1 John 5.7 8 it is said There are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit in his efficacy the Water in the sanctifying vertue of it in changing and cleansing his People and the Blood in the satifying and justifying vertue of it and these three agree and concur in one even this one to wit that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and then it follows He that believeth hath the witness in himself because he hath gotten Pardon through him and therefore can set to his Seal to this truth and say truly Christ is the Messiah The Use is To exhort you to acquaint your selves with these things that serve to confirm this truth the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistle to the Hebrews are much spâ—nt upon it even to hold out and to prove Christ Jesus to be the true Messiah and Saviour of his People If this be not made sure and sicker we have an unstable ground for our Faith and though it be sure in it self yet so long as it is not so to us we want the consolation of it and there is a twofold prejudice that cometh through Folks want of thorow clearness in and assurance of this truth 1. To the generality of Hearers there is this prejudice that they are so careless and little solicitous to rest on him And as it made the Jews to râ—ject him who to this day stumbâ—e at him on this same very ground that they know him not to be the Messiah the Christ of God in whom is accomplished all that was spoken of the Messiah to Christians not being through in it they do not rest on him nor close with him as the true Messiah 2. There is a prejudice also from it to Believers who having only a glimring light of Christs being the Messiah come short of thar consolation that they might hâ—ve if they were through in the Fâ—ith oâ— it there is this great evil among Christians that they study not to be solidly clear and through in this point to that if they were puâ— to reason and debate with a Jew if there were not a witness within themsâ—lves of it the truth of the Faith of many would be exceedingly shaken 2. From this That he never speaks of Christs Sufferings but he makes applicâ—tion of them he carried our Griefs he was wounded for our Transgressions c. Observe That Believers would look on Christs Sufferings as undergone for them and in their rooms and place We cleared before 1. That Christ suffâ—red for some peculiarly and not for all And 2. Thâ—t Believers would endeavour the clearing of their own interest in his Sufferings and that they have a right to them Now we shortly add this 3d. of kin to the former That B lievers and such as are fled to Christ for refuge would look on his Suffâ—rings as come under for them and these same Scriptures which we cited to confirm these will confirm this The reason why we would have you confirmed in this is Because 1 It is only this that will make you suitably thankful it is this which is a notable ground of that Song of Praise Rev. 1.4 To him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood c. 2. This is a ground of true solid and strong consolation even to be comforted in the applicative Faith of Christs purchase 3. It is the Lords allowance on his People which they should reverently and thankfully make use of even to look on Jesus Christ as wounded pierced and lifted up on the Cross for them and by doing this according to his allowance there is a paved way made for application of all the benefites of his purchase 3. From the scope looking on the words as spoken to remove the scandal of the Cross Observe which may be a reason of the former that folk will never take up Christ rightly in his sufferings except they take him up as suffering for them and in their room This look of Christ leads 1. To take up much of the glory of grace and condescending love to sinners 2. It leads to take up Christs faithfulness that came to the world on sinners errand according to the ancient transaction in the Covenant of Redemption as he is brougbt in
such an end and yet so as he must flee into it ere he can plead for the benefit of the City So suppose a sinner to be fled to Jesust Christ by Faith he may plead for exemption from wrath by God's determining and appointing a Mediator for such an end And the Mediator Jesus Christ hath this priviledge conferr'd on him that he that thus flees unto him shall be safe Yet it is also suppos'd that such a sinner hath fled to him else he could not expect safety through him notwithstanding of Gods determining the Mediator for safety Thus we would have these three put together And yet as we said they differ for Gods determination is the efficient cause fountain of all Christs satisfaction is the meriâ—orious cause and our believing is the ground on which we have right to plead for the benefit of his satisfaction Even as the man that fled to the City of Refuge his safety was not by any vertue in his running but by God's determination yet his running to the City was requisite as the mids and except he run or fled to it he could not plead for the benefit of the City So our believing gives us ground to plead a right and title to Christ and his satisfaction without which we could not have that right But 2dly Because one will take up this under one notion and another under another To clear it therefore a little further we shall again consider in this Covenant these three steps 1. The determination of it as it is enacted in the Council of the God-head which in sum is this that such and such persons shall be satisfied for by the Mediator and his satisfaction accepted for them 2. The execution of this Covenant where we take in all our Lords sufferings all the stroaks and wounds that Justice pursued him with as Cautioner for the Elect and God's accepting and justifying of him and declaring his accepting of him and being well satisfied with what he did and suffered by his raising him from dead 3. The application of his purchase by his accepted satisfaction which consists in these 1. That these that were given to Christ on this condition that his satisfaction should stand good for them should be justified and saved that is that in due time application of his satisfaction should be made to the persons given him to to be saved by him Which takes in Christ's making intercession that Renewing-grace Faith c. may be given to such persons 2. That the work of the Spirit who as the Sanctifier begets Faith and perswads to imbrace Jesus Christ shall be given them Then 3. follows the Believers actual coming to Christ being sweetly and powerfully drawn to rest on him and his satisfaction Whereupon follows the application of the sentence of Justification and Absolution that results from the former So that whereas it was before Cursed is he that continues not in all things written in the Law Now it is He that believeth on Jesus Christ hath eternal life and shall never come into condemnation All these go and agree well together the Covenant as the ground Christ's satisfaction as the meritorious cause and the application of his satisfaction by Faith which entitles and gives the Believer a right to it The reason why we have so much insisted on this is that we may teach you to joyn respect to the Covenant of Redemption Christ's suffering and your believing together It will not be Faith that will justifie that is without respect to the Covenant Neither will the Covenant and Christ's satisfaction justifie without Faith yet ye would so put them together as the glory of Salvation through Grace may not lye on Faith but on God's everlasting Love and on Christ's satisfaction And indeed it is no little practick for a Soul sensible of sin in the exercise of Faith so to lay the weight of its Salvation on Christ and the Covenant as it neglects not running to Christ by Faitâ— and so to lay hold on Christ by Faith as it lay not the weight on Faith but on Christ and the Covenant As in the comparison before used suppose a man that had killed another unawares had been taken before he wan to the City of Refuge God's determination was not the cause of that but his not running or his not coming at the City So it may be that some are apprehended by the Justice of God that are less sinful than others yet the reason or câ—uâ—e is not in God's Covenant nor in Câ—rists want of worth but in the persons not running or not fleeing to Christ as to the City of Refuge and therefore they are not heard to plead for immunity by vertue of that satisfaction before the Bar of God A 2d sort of Uses are for exhorting and encouraging Sinners to come to Christ There is here then 1. A clear ground to our our Faith and a plain way opened to Heaven and a mighty encouragement to perswade Sinners to lay hold on Christ and to take this way for obtaining of life This Text opens as it were the gates of the City of Refuge and points out the way how to eshew the wrath which is to come There is a way here laid down in the Wisdom Justice Go dness and Grace of God which is made offer of in the Gospel and since it is so we beseech you that ye would not receive this Grace in vain but seing there is a Covenant well ordered and sure a Mediator and a Ransom provided and a way laid down how to come to Christ by Faith let all of you who come under the conviction of Sin and apprehension of Wrath step to and close with him and plead for Pardon by vertue of his Wounds and for healing through his Stripes with respect to the Covenant There are these four things here that will serve to give ground for this Application if we consider 1. The great ground of Faith that is here 2. The great reason we have to make use of this ground 3. The great encouragement we have so to do And 4ly The great necessity we have to make this Application A little to each of these But we shall premit one word to all and it 's this That considering you are all in tryfting terms with God whether ye live at a distance from him the Uâ—e will by way of Exhortation reach you or whether ye be brought to greater nearness under the sense of Sin and have some seriousness in seeking after God it will reach you for Consolation In a word we would exhort all and it may convince some comfort others But to the first thing we proposed We declare and proclaim this as a true and faithful saying that there is here an Everlasting Covenant wherein the salvation of the Elect is concluded through Christs satisfaction to Justice for them and a way laid down for making Peace betwixt God and all them that will thorowly renounce their own righteousnâ—ss and lay hold
to be at Christ and yet wots not if He will hold out the Golden Scepter Behold this Text doth hold it out to such and bids them come in boldly for Christ makes them welcome yea the Lord Jehovah makes them welcome It 's the Fathers and Christ's delight that thou come foreward If there be a Doctrine in all the Scripture Sweet it 's this and without thâ—s no Preaching nor point of Truth would be Sweet I say without this to wit That God hath not only provided a Price and makes Offer of it but is well content that it be made use of yea and is delighted that a Sinner dead in himself Trust and Concredit himself to the Mediator for obtaining of Life through Him And can there be any Question of this For 1. If it had not been the Lord Jehovah His delight why then did He make such a Covenant Why did He as it were part and suâ—der with the Son of Hâ—s Love Why did He accept of a Cautioner And why Tansferred He on His own Son and exacted of Him the Debt that was due by â—lect Sinners and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him If He had not had a great delight in the Salvation of Sinners would He have taken that way to Smite the only Son of His Love to spare them And if it had not been the Sons Pleasure would He with such delight have undertaken and done the Fatâ—ers will in Reference to their Salvation Lo I come saith He I delight to do thy will O my God It was the Fathers will and He had a delight in it And it was the Sons will and delight and He came and according to His undertaking laid down His Life 2. Wherefore else are all the Promises and Encouragements that are given to Sinners to believe as that of Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy loaden c. And that 2 Cor. 5.20 Wâ—ere both are put together We are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Ministers press you you in the Name of God and by vertue of a warrand from Him to be Reconciled and they have Christ's warrand in a more peculiar manner as the great Prophet of His Church to tell you it 's a thing the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator have Pleasure in even in this that ye should be reconciled 3. Wherefore are the many expostulations with Sinners that they will not come unto Christ for Life That they will not be gathered that when he streatches out his hands all the day long they will not behold him c. Do not all these Confirm this Truth that there is nothing He is better pleased with then with a Sinners coming to Christ for Life Let me therefore beseech you by the Love that ye pretend to Jesus Christ and in His Name and in the Name of Jehovah obtest you be ye Reconciled to God in Christ let Him have Satisfaction Let this pleasure be done to the Lord even to receive Life from Him This is no hard nor hurtfull no unreasonable nor rigid Request I am sure all that He requires of you is that ye would come to Him and get Life O! if we could but suitably apprehend this to be that which the Lord aims at in this Preached Gospel that we might to speak so with Reverence put an Obligation on the Majesty of God in making sure in this His own way the Salvation of our own Souls and that we could not do Him a better turn But I pray take the Expressions Right for we cannot set forth His Love but in our own Language which comes infinitely far short of the thing we could not find in our hearts to refuse to grant such a loving and highly rational a requist As it is sure then upon the one side that we cannot do that which will please Him better So it 's as sure on the other side that we cannot do that which will displease Him more then to slight His Counsell in this Though we would give our Bodies to be burnt and all our Goods to the Poor He will not count it a pleasure done Him if this be not done We would look upon this as low Condescendencie and great Grace in the Lord that He seeks no more of us but the making sure Eternal Life to our selves as that which will be most pleasing to Him It 's even as if a Son should say to his Father Father what will please thee And as the Father should say to his Son Son have a care of thy self and that will please me Because by our so doing He reacheth His great End to wit the glorifying of His Grace and Love which Sinners by their unbelief do what in them lyeth to marr and obstruct If we could speak seriously to you in this matter it might be a Text to speak on every day Always seing He hath purchased Redemption to Sinners at a dear Rate And all that He requires of you is to close with Him and to seek after the Application of His Purchase We again earnestly pray you be ye reconciled to God and take heed that ye receive not this Grace in vain What can ye do that will be pleasing to God or profitable to your selves without this Or what Fruit of the Gospel can be brought forth when this Fruit is not brought forth If Jesus Christ in His Offices get not imployment and if His Offering be not fled to for making of your Peace We may in Consideration of this great and grave Subject go from the Congregation partly Refreshed that there is such a Doctrine to be spoken of though we cannot Alas speak of it suitably And partly afraid least we be found as far as we can thuarting with and running Crosse unto God's good Will and Designe in it notwithstanding all the Favour and Grace He hath made Offer of to us It were good that we carried serious Meditation on this Subject along with us SERMON XLIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THis is a great Work that the Mediator hath to do a great Price that He hath to lay down for the satisfying of Divine Justice and for redeeming of the lost Elect Now what shall He have for all the travell of His Soul Here it is answered and the Terms of the Covenant of Redemption again compended as for the Effects and Fruits of His Death spoken of in the close of the former Verse He shal prolong his days That being spoken to on the matter from Verse 8. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Being spoken to by another lately in your hearing and in part by us John 17.4 And from verse 10. Now read over again we shall forbear further speaking to them
and come to that which follows in the 11. Verse In this Verse then There are these three 1. An offer and promise made to the Mediator That if He will accept of the proposall and lay down His Life for Redeeming of the lost Elect it shall not be fruitless He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied 2. The way how this satisfaction shall be brought about By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many That is by Faith in Him His Purchase shall be applyed to all these for whom He should suffer who thereby should be justified 3. The ground of this which also shews the way how He shall justifie many For he shall bear their iniquities That is by His undertaking and paying of their Debt He should meritoriously procure their Absolution and the setting of them free In the first part we have these three things implyed 1. A supposed condition or restipulation on the Mediator's side That His Soul shall be put to travell which expresses both the Nature of His Sufferings that they shall not only be Bodily but also and mainly Soul-sufferings and Conflicts with the Wrath of God which the Elect's sins deserved as the main and principall thing Articled and that wherein the Price of their Redemption lay And the Greatness and Extremity of His Sufferings here called Travell from the similitude of a Woman in Travell and the Travell of his Soul This being the way foretold how Christ should be used He should Travell in His Sufferings to procure Life to His People 2. A Promise made to Him That He shall see the travell of his soul That is He shall not bring forth wind but shall have a large Off spring which in the 2d part of the verse is called a Justifying of many by his knowledge This is the Fruit He shall have of His Soul-travel 3. The extent of this which is His being Satisfied and quiet Which looks to two things 1. To the certain and infallible success of His Sufferings Not one of the Elect shall be amissing None that He hath bought Life to shall want it He shall get as many Justified and Saved as He conditioned for 2. To the great delight and complacencie that our Lord hath in performing the Work of Redemption and in Sinners getting the benefit of it He shall think all well bestowed when they come to get the Application thereof and by Faith in Him to be Justified From the first of these Observe That the Mediator in performing the Work of Redemption and in satisfying the Justice of God for the Debt of Elect Sinners was not only put to Externall and Bodily but also and mainly to Inward Spirituall and Soul-sufferings Or the Redeeming of lost Sinners cost our Lord Jesus much Soul-travell and Suffering we have hinted at His Sufferings often before but this place especially speaks out His Soul-sufferings and the Inward Anguish and Agony that He was brought under We shall therefore speak alittle to this it being most useful and extensive in the Fruits and Benefits of it to the People of God And shall 1. confirm it by some places in the Gospel where we have the fulfilling of this Prophesie clearly holden out to us And 2dly By a fourfold Reason Only take this for an advertisement that when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Our Lord we do no mean of any Sufferings after Death as Papists falsly calumniat us but of these Sufferings especially that were about the time of His Passion when He got the full Cup of the Fathers Wrath put in His hand towards His approaching to the Cross and when He was upon it when He was araigned and when He was exacted upon for the Elect's Debt The first passage to confirm it is that of John 12.27 Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Here His Soul-suffâ—rings begin clearly to shew themselves when there was no Cross nor Suffering in His Body yet He is put to such a pinch considered as Man that He is in a manner non-plussed and put to say what shall I say the horror of that which was begun and was further coming on Him being beyond all expression whereupon follows that prayer Father save me from this hour His Sinleâ—s Humane Nature scarring some way to enter on it The 2d passage is that of John 13.21 where it 's said That He began to be troubled in spirit and testified c. But let us come forward and put Matthew Mark and Luke together and we shall see what an inexpressible and unconceivable hight and heap of sorrows His Soul-trouble and travell will amount to Matthew sayes Chap. 26.37 38. That He began to be sorrowful and very heavy And in the next words my soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death and what made Him so sorrowfull The next words Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me shew that it was the Cup of His Fathers Wrathfull Justice put in His hand Mark sayes Chap. 14.33 Thar when He came to the Garden He began to be sore amazed and very heavy A wonderfull expression to be used of the Son of God that the Person that was God should be amazed yet being considered as Man he was so Luke sayes Chap. 22.44 That being in an agony he prayed more earnestly There is a sore Exercise and sad Soul-travell indeed when the Sword of Gods Justice awaked against the Man that was Gods fellow and when He hath the Curse that was due to all the Elect to encounter and meet with This was such a Combat the like whereof was never in the World And the effect of it is His sweat as great drops of blood falling down to the ground when there was no hand of Man stirring Him nor any Man to trouble Him by Him but God as a severe and holily rigid exactor puting Him to pay the Debt which He had undertaken to pay according to His Obligation The inward pressour of His Soul presseth great drops of Blood from His Body And if we will yet look a little forward to Math. 27.46 we will find Him brought to that extremity on the Cross that He cryes My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Which though it say that there was still Faith in the Mediator in adhering to the Father as His God yet it sets out that great horrour which He had inwardly to wrestle with when there was some restraint on the sensibly comforting influence of the God-head Now when all the Evangelists concur so massilie emphatically and significantly to express this wealing out and pitching upon such weighty Words to set it forth by We may see it to be designedly holden forth as a speciall Truth thâ—t the Faith of the People of God may be strongly confirmed therein To confirm it yet further put these four together 1. The estate that the Elect are naturally lying in for whom Christ undertakes they are naturally under Sin lyable
trust in Him SERMON XLIV ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shalâ— my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished unto all good works and that His People may be made wise unto salvation Yet these Scriptures wherein our Lord Jesus is holden forth more clearly are eminently usefull He being the Foundation and Ground of all To whom the Law and the Prophets bear witness and they are only profitable to us in the Estate wherein we are in so far as they relate to to Him and point Him out to us And we may further say that these Scriptures wherein His Sufferings and Death are holden forth in the Richness and Fruitfulness of them are singularly so that being the very Life of the Covenant and the very Door by and through which we step from Death to Life And whatever they be to others sure they have a speciall Sweetnesse in them to sensible Sinners And therefore the Sum of the Gospel and of Saving Knowledge is by the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.2 Compended in the knowledge of Christ and of him crucified which unfolds His very Heart and Bowells to us The Prophet hath been pointing out this in severall Verses and hath hinted at the effects of His Sufferings in the former verse And now in these Words he puts a new Title on them calling them the travel of Christ's soul Not only to set out the exceeding greatness of them but with respect to thâ— foregoing Words wherein it 's said He shall see his seed Which is repeated here when it 's said He shall be satisfied So that as a Mother is in Travell for bringing forth of a Child So sayes he shall Christ be put to Soul-travell for bringing Life and Immortality to the Seed given to Him to be saved by Him And seing He is put to Travell He must needs bring forth and see his seed Here we may allude that of Isaiah 66.9 Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb saith thy God We have spoken of the Nature and Greatness of these Sufferings Now ere we proceed to any moe Observations we would speak a Word further to the Use of this It being indeed an Eater out of which comes Meat and a Strong out of which comes Sweet These pangs having calmed and quieted the Pangs and Showres to speak so of many Travelling Souls and brought forth a Birth at last And therefore beside what I spake to in the Use the last day I would add this That we would endeavour to have the solid Faith not only of His Sufferings but of the Greatness of His Sufferings imprinted deeply on our hearts That I say the Sufferings of a Dying Blood-sweating Christ Wrestling and Strugling even to His being in an Agony with the Wrath of God and puting up strong Cryes with Tears may be born in on our hearts and that we may throughly be perswaded of the greatness of the Work of Redemption and that it was a most Dear and Coastly Bargain to Christ For it was not Gold nor Silver it was not Kingdoms nor visible Worlds nor Angells that were given as a Price for Elect Sinners but it was the precious Blood of the Son of God Nay it was the bitter and sharp Soul-travell Sâ—dness Sorrow and Agony of our Lord Jesus which to speak comparatively was beyond the shedding of His Blood And what a Price do ye think this to be That He that made all and preserved all in their Being and was before all things should come thus low as to be a Man and a mâ—an sorrowfull suffering and dying Man yea to be a cursed Man and to go out of â—his Life as being under a Curse yet being alwayes the beloved Son of the Father And being even then when at His lowest the Prince of the kings of the earth and shining forth gloriously in the Powâ—r and Riches and Freeness of His Love and Grace sure this wonderfull low stooping and humbling of Himself Preaches out the Love that straitned and constrained Him to run upon that which was His own Death there being no hands that could have taken away His Life had He not willingly laid it down which He did with delight Could we make use of this there is much here to be said for our use We shall draw what we would say on it to these four heads 1. To something for Instruction 2. To something for Consolation 3. To something for Exhortation 4. To something for Reproof and Expostulation I say 1. It serves for Instruction and ye would from it be Instructed in several things 1. How to think aright of the great Severity of the Justice of God and of the Horrour of Wrath and of the dreadfull Consequ nts of Sin which it will most certainly have following on it May it not make your Souls to tremble to think upon and consider that our Lord Jesus was brought to such a pass as to be in such an Agony to be so exceeding sorrowfull and even amazed To be so troubled in Soul that he was thereby made to sweat great drops of blood and to be wrestling with somewhat that His holy Humane Nature had a scarring at O! the desert and wages of Sin is dreadfull when the Law pursues its Controversie and when Justice exacts what a broken Covenant deserves Alace The most of men believe not this but it s here that may convince us whâ—â— an evil thing Sin is and what a dreadfull thing it is to fall into the hands of an angry God O! that ye would think upon it that ye may beware of Sin by all means and may alwayes be minding that Word which our Saviour hath If these things be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry If it was so done with Him who in the Action if I may so call it was performing His Fathers will and giving an admirable proof of His respect to the Honour of God What wiâ—l He do to the dry Sticks the Damned Reprobat who have slighted the offer of His Grace despised the Sufferings of a Mediator and disdained to be reclaimed Hear it and tremble and be perswaded that the Horror that Sin shall bring upon the Sinner when God comes to reckon with him is inexpressible 2. Be Instructed and see here how great the difficultie is of making peace with God when once His Law is broken A thing that is little believed by most who are disposed to think that they will get God sooner pleased and pacifiâ—d thâ—n they will get their Neigâ—bour or Master pacified and pleased which sayes That either they they think nothing or but very little of His
Kindly Warmness in the Heart to Him again even till the Soul be put in a Holy Low or Flame of Love to Him more of this Love would make Christ and the Gospel much more Sweet and would make every one of these words that expresseth His Love in His Sufferings to be like Marrow and Fatness and would also make the Promises to be like Breasts full of Consolation It would withall cause that there would not be such mistakes of Christ nor such gaddings and whorings from Him and such preferrings of Idols to Him as alace there are Where this Love is not there can be no other thing that will be acceptable We shall say no more for the time but only this That we do appeal to your Consciences if there be not here an excellent and non-such Object of Love and if there be not here much reason to be in Love with that Object A very Heathen will return Love for Love and should not we much more do so in this case God Himself kindle this Love in us and make us know more the great advantages of it SERMON XLV ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities THe Work of Redemption is a business that was very gravely and very seriously contrived and prosecuted in respect of God and of the Mediator there was much earnestness in it as to them and yet notwithstanding which is a wonder Men whom it concerns so much whose Salvation depends on it and to whom the benefit of it redounds are but very little serious in their thoughts of it Our Lord Jesus was in Travel Soul-travel sore Soul-travel to bring about this Work and that the Gospel might be Preached to Sinners that they might have thereby a ground to their Faith to expect Life and Remission of Sins through Him Is it not then sad that we should speak and hear of it and be in a manner like the stone in the wall no more or little more affected with it than if it were a matter that did not at all concern us The Reading and Hearing of these Words will doubtless be a great Conviction to secure Sinners that our Lord Jesus was at such pains and put to such sore Soul-travel and Suffering and that yet such Sinners were never stirred nor made serious to have the Application of this Purchased Redemption made to them The Scope of these Words is to shew the great inward Soul-travels Conflicts and Straits that our blessed Lord Jesus had and was put to in throughing of the Work of Redemption and in paying the Price due to the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect It 's a wonder that ever we should have it to speak of and that ye should hear of this Subject which is the very Text to say so and Sum of the Gospel And therefore before we leave it we shall speak a little more to the Use of it and truly if we make not use of this Doctrine we will make use of none though I confess it is a great practique how to draw it to Use and to conform ourselves in our practice to the Use of it We proposed somethings the last day which we could not then prosecute As 1. something for Exhortation 2. Something for Reproof and Expostulation which rising clearly from the Doctrine drawn from the Words we may now insist a little in them 1. For Exhortation Considering Christs Sufferings and the extremity of them and that they were undergone for Sinners we would exhort you to love Him as ye ought There is ground and warrand here to require it of you seing that Love in His bosome came to such an hight that He was content to lay down His Life yea seing He was in such a hot flame of Love that the Cup of Wrath did not quench it but His Love drank and dryed it up Greater love then this hath no man It is a most wonderfull Love considered with all the circumstances whereby it is hightened And there is ground here to excite and stir you up to give Him a kindly meeting and to welcome His Love with Love It will sure be a great shame if our Lords Love stood at nothing so that He might do the Fathers will and finish the Work committed to Him which was the perfyting of the Work of Sinners Redemption the Redeeming of His lost Sheep It every triffle or any triffle shall quench Love in our hearts to Him O! What a shame will it be in the Day of Judgement to many when this Man shall be brought forth loving this Idol and another Man loving that Idol more then Christ this Man loving his Lust that Man his Ease and another Man hâ—s Wealth or Honour and preferring them to Christ and when it shall be found that they would not quit nor part with their right Eye nor their right Hand which are not worth the name of Members being called so because they are Members of the Body of Death out of Love to Him Think Folks what they will that native impression of the obligation that lyes upon them to love Christ is wanting and that Divine and Soul-ravishing Influence that His Love should have on hearts It is true ye all think that ye love Him unless it be some of them who indeed love Him but if ye could reflect upon your selvâ—s ye would find that ye have little or no love at all to Him indeed And therefore for undeceiving of you beside what we said the last day take two or three Characters of kindly love to Christ 1. This Love is never satisfied with any degree or measure that it hath attained so as to sit down on it It hath these two things in it A desire to be further on in Love and a weightedness that it cannot win at growth in Him The loving Soul is disposed to think that it's Love to Christ is not worthy to be called Love and it breaths after it even to have it self warmed therewith to Him and to be brought to a further nearness to Him as we may see through the Song of Solomon And particularly Chap. 7. at the close There will I give thee my loves And Chap. 8. O that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of my mother Kindly Love to Him puts the Soul to long for an opportunity to vent it's Love towards Him 2. Where this Love is the Soul will be as serious in praying for it that it may attain it as if it wanted it and it will be as much affected for the want of the lively exercise of it and will be as much challenged for coming short in it as it will be for any other Sin There is no benefit that it seeks more after then to have the heart circumcised to love Him and O! but it will be accounted a great benefit to get love to Christ And
His Purchaâ—e since He lives to make it it will no doubt be great ground of Challenge against you who slight His Sufferin s and keep at a distance from Him since He is alive and since what is much accounted of by Him even the Fruit of His Sufferings is by you set at nought who Neglect Râ—fuse or Despise Him and the â—enâ—fiâ— of His Sufferings O! what an aggrâ—vâ—tion of your Guilt will this be when He is looking on to sâ—e what comes of the Fruit of His Sufferings and Soul-travel To be found thus to slâ—ght and in a manner to affront Him He knows and takes notice of the breathings of Faith where they are and is well pleased with them and with the least mintings at it He knows also who despise Him and refuse to believe in H m and hath all put on record God give us wisdome to make the right chose SERMON XLVII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. He shall see of the travell of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iâ—iquities AS it is a most wonderfull Work that Our Lord Jesus hath in hand and a mighty great Bargain that cost Him the Travel of His Soul So it may be thought that it must be a very great Price that Our Lord Jesus hath to expect as His Satisfaction for all that sore Labour and Travel This is it that the Text holds forth He shall see of the fruit of the travel of his soul Which in Sum is this He shall see poor Sinners getting good of Him Justified by His Grace and admitted to friendship with God and that to His Satisfaction as the Words following clear He shall be satisfied to wit as to that Fruit and shall acquiesce in it as His Satisfaction for all the Travel of His Soul We told you that there were three things in these Words 1. The Price that is called for from the Mediator in performing the Work of Redemption and making Reconciliation betwixt God and Sinners to wit The travel of his soul The sad and sorely pinching Straits and Pressures that He was put to and brought under not only in His Body but also in His Soul 2. The Promise made to Him upon His undertaking and paying of the Price He shall see of the travel of his soul That is the Fruits and Effects of His Soul travel It shall not be for nought but shall certainly have Fruit He shall have a numerous Seed and Issue 3. There is here holden forth the Mediators acquiescence in the Bargain so proposed That He undertaking the Condition of laying down His Life on these same Terms that He shall see a Seed He requires no other Satisfaction and therefore He accepts of it and acquiesces in it as the Result of this Designe and shal be satisfyed Having spoken of the former Two We come now to speak of the Third And we may consider it in these three Respects 1. As it looks to Christ's Designe Who is like to one that is running a Race and hath the Prize before him and in his eye and this is implyed here That He hath something before Him in laying down of His Life which He shall not miss but shall reach and be Satisfied in it so many are given Him for whom He enters Cautioner on Condition that His Righteousness shall be made furthcoming to them and that none of them shall be without or want it 2. As it looks both to the number and certainty of the Effects and Fruits in respect of them that are given to Him He shall be satisfied He shall have though not all Men and Women yet a sufficient number even as many as shall satisfie and content Him And whatever was intended by Him in the laying down of His Life He shall want nothing of it but shall be satisfyed in it and thus the Words are to be Actively understood to wit of Gods Actual performing of that which shall be Satisfying to the Mediator 3. It may be looked on as the Effect and Consequent following upon the former Promise and so it is to be understood Passively for the delight that He takes in the Fruit of His Sufferings and in the seing of Sinners getting the good of them and the so meaning is That He shall be fully contented and throughly well Satisfied with yea even delighted and to speak so comforted in this for all the Travel of His Soul when many shall be brought to believe in Him and to get good of Him To clear it furder We may take the Words as alluding to severall Similitudes As 1. To that of hungry and thirsty Persons who are said to be satisfied when their hunger and thirst are removed by meat and drink which implyes That Jesus Christ in His pursuing and performing the Work of Redemption had a Holy Hunger and Thirst and this His Hunger and Thirst Is Satisfyed in their Salvation and what leadeth to it As Himself saith John 4.32 Where He makes use of this same Similitude I have meat to eat that ye know not of 2. It may allude to a Man's taking pains in planting of an Vine-yard or Orchard to whom it is a Satisfaction when all the Trees grow thrive well and bear Fruit and so the meaning is That Our Lord Jesus shall be at vast Expence and great Labour and Pains in making Sinners to become Trees of righteousness but that all these for whom He Suffered and was at all this Expence and Pain shall hold so well and be so Fruitfull at length that He shall be fully Satisfied in them and think all well bestowed Or 3. We may take it in allusion to a Woman in Travel who is said John 16.21 To have sorrow while her pains are upon her but so soon as she is delivered she no more remembers her sorrow for joy that a man child is born And this Similitude is here especially alluded unto therefore Our Lords Sufferings are called Travel because of the Pains that He was put unto in them and because the End of them was to bring forth Children before called His seed As if the Prophet had said Our Lord Jesus shall be put to great Sorrow in Suffering but He shall bring forth And as a Woman hath Joy in the Man-child brought forth so shall He have more comfort and delight in the bringing forth of Believers then He had sorrow in the procuring of Life to them though that was very great From the Words thus considered and explained take these two Observations 1. That Our Lord Jesus is exceedingly delighted satisfyed and well-pleased with poor Sinners making use and getting good of His Sufferings It 's a thing most Satisfying and Well-pleasing to Him 2. That seing Our Lord Jesus is so well-pleased with Sinners making use of Him there is all equity and reason for it that He should have this Satisfaction and this follows not only on the former but clearly riseth from the Words For
the Majesty of God It would say this to you let not Our Lord Jesus rue of His Sufferings for as many as hear of this Offer and do not credit Him with their Souls they do what they can to make Him repent that ever He became Man and Suffered so much when He is thus shifted and unkindly requited by them to whom He makes the Offer and this is very home and urgent pressing of the necessity of making use of Him when such an Argument is made use of for thus it stands with you and His Offer speaks this Either make use of Christ and of His Soul-travel for saving of your Souls that so He may be satisfied or if ye slight Him ye not only destroy and cause to perish your own Souls but ye refuse to Satisfie Chirst for His Soul-travel and do what in you lyes to marr and defeat the End and Designe of His Sufferings and is not this a great and strongly pushing dilemma The result of your receiving or rejecting of Christ will be this if ye receive Him ye satisfie Him if ye reject Him ye say ye are not content that He should be satisfied and what can be expected to come of it when Christ Suffered so much and when all that was craved of you was to make use of Him and when it was told that that would satisfie Him and yet that was refused What a horrible challenge will this be in the Great Day And therefore to presse this Use a little we shall shew you here 1. What it is that we exhort you to And 2. What is the force of this Motive 1. We would commend to you in general that ye would endeavour the Salvation of your own Souls This is it He cryes to you Prov. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning turn ye at my reproof c. He aims at this that ye should get your Souls saved from Wrath and this should not be prejudicial nor at the long run unsatisfying to your selves and it will be very satisfying to Him 2. It is not only to aim at Salvation simply but to aim at it by Him to aim at Pardon of Sin and Justification through His Righteousnesse and Satisfaction And that ye would bring no other Argument before God to plead upon for your Peace with Him but this and that ye would aim at Holinesse as a Fruit of His Death He having purchased a peculiar people to himself to be zealous of good works As it is Tit. 2.14 And that ye would aim to do holy Duties by His strengthning of you and that ye would live by Faith in Him which is your victory over the world and the very Soul of the practice of all holy Duties And 3. That ye aim to have a Comfortable Refreshfull and Chearfull Life in Him and by what is in Him as if it were your own it being legally yours by Faith in Him To be stoping your own mouth as having nothing in your selves to boast of and as I just now said to be chearing and delighting your selves from that which is in Him And as it is Psal 147. Even to be hoping in his mercy In a word It is to be studying peace with God through Him to be studying Holiness in His strength and to be studying a Comfortable and Chearfull walk through the grounds of joy that are given you in Him which is very reasonable would ye then do Him a favour and have Him Delighted and Satisfied do but this give Him your Souls to be saved by Him in His own way come to Him sensible of Sin and founding your Peace on Him though weak in your selves yet strong in Him On whom as the mighty one God hath laid help And studying holiness in His strength drawing vertue from Him only to moritify your lusts That it may be known that Christ hath died and is Risen again because Grace shines in such a Person And be Comforted in Him He that glories let him glorie in the Lord having given up with Creature-comforts and Confidences with your own Gifts Parts Duties c. And having betaken your selves to the Peace Strength and Consolation that are in a Mediator and which run through the Covenant of Grace and flow forth from Him as the Fountain from whom all the Grace and Comfort that come to us are derived 2dly For the force of the Motive consider seriously if this be not a pinching strait that ye are put to if this be it wherein Our Lords Satisfaction lyes and wherein the Salvation and Edification of your own Souls consist we pose you if it be any great difficult or unreasonable thing that is called for from you and if the Motive whereon it is prest be not most just and reasonable that these who have or profess to have the Faith of this that it will be Satisfaction to Him for all His Soul-travel that Sinners make use of Him should yeeld it to Him And whether in the Day of the Lord it will not be a most hainous shamefull and abominable Guilt that when the business of your own Salvation stood on this even on your Satisfying of Christ by yeelding ye refused disdained and scorned it and would not make use of Him for your Peace and would noâ— in His strength study Holiness though your own Souls should never be saved nor He satisfied or His Soul-travel This of all other Challenges will be the sharpest and most bitting and upon the other hand it may be most comforting to a poor bodie that is sensible of Sin and afraid of Wrath is there or can there be hazard to do Christ a pleasure by believing on Him It 's a thing delightsome to Him and therefore let this be one great Motive to press believing in Christ among the rest which though it be cross and thwarting to the unbelieving heart and may look like presumption to look a Promise in the Face and to offer to make application of it to the poor Sinners self Yet seing it's a thing so pleasing to Christ that it satisfies Him for all His Sufferings essay it upon this very account remembring alwayes that He delights in them that hope in his mercy and to him be praise for ever SERMON XLVIII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisâ—â—â—d by his knâ—wledge shall my righteous servant justifie ma y for he shall bear their iniquities IT 's a great Work that Our Lord Jesus hâ—th undertaken in Satifying the Juâ—tice of God for the Sins of tâ—e Elâ—ct and He hath at a dear Raâ—e and with great Expence and Travel performed it Now it is but reason that He should again be satisfied that so Jehovah's Satisfaction and the Mediator's Satisfaction may go together and that is the thing that is promised here in these Words What this Satisfaction is which is promised to Him as the great thing in which He delights and by which He
choise in time of the Service of this Righteous Servant for your Justification and Salvation SERMON L. ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many c. IF we had such thoughts of the Salvation of our own Souls as the Lord had and still hath of the Salvation of Souls we could not but be more seriously concerned about them and more taken up how to get them saved This Work of the Salvation of Sinners did before the World was to speak so with reverence take up the Persons of the Glorious Godhead and was singled out and made choise of as an imployment worthy of the Son of God who was chosen for this very Work that by Him many might be Justified and Saved For the accomplishment of which He became a Servant Must it not then be an excellent Work that none but He could be trusted with who is Heir of all things and by whom the World was made We shew you the meaning of these Words the last Day and Observed two things from this Designation that Our Lord gets here 1. That Our Lord Jesus in the Work of Mediation and of the Redemption of Sinners was Gods Servant not so much to denote His being inferiour as Mediator to the Father as to hold forth His being Commissionated for this Service and the Lord accepting of Him in it 2. That Our Lord Jesus did excellently discharge this Trust committed to Him Therefore He is not only called a Servant but my righteous servant as having most Faithfully acquitted Himself and as being fully approven and accepted in the Trust committed to Him When the Lord speaks so of Christ It ought mightily to ingage us to be much in love with God who hath given such a Faithfull Mediator aad Servant and with Jesus Christ that condescended to take the Trust of poor Sinners Salvation and that doth so kindly discharge it There are somethings here that may be passingly hinted at and then we shall come more closely and particularly to the Words 1. Then Observe That it is a Priviledge and Prerogative to be Gods Servant Therefore it 's mentioned here as a Piece of the Mediators Priviledge It is true He was Singularly and Eminently a Servanr even the Lords Choice Servant in whom His Soul delighted and does delight above what any others can be capable of yet to be a Servant to God to take direction from Him to do His Will to seek His Honour to give obedience to Him in what He calleth for is certainly a Priviledge and a great one yea it is spoken of as a Priviledge of Glorified Saints in Heaven Revel 22.3 His servants shall serve him And if it be a Priviledge in Heaven we would think it so here on Earth and yet if the Language of our hearts were known there would be found a secret disdaining of and repyning at service to God and a saying on the matter Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us But know ye what ye are doing Even disclaiming and despising that which is your great Priviledge all those that are in Heaven and all those who are in a right frame on Earth count it their Priviledge to be His Servants and we are commanded to pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven Or be thou served on Earth as thou art in Heaven Therefore it ought to be accounted of as a Priviledge as a great and glorious Priviledge to be His Servants 2. Observe That the Lord can tell exactly and infallibly how every Servant carries himself Who are ill and sloathfull and who are good and faithfull Servants Who are righteous Servants according to their measure and who not Will He take notice how Christ carries Himself in His Service and Trust and will He not take notice of others Most certainly He will and therefore Matth. 25. and Luke 19. He calls the Servants to a Reckoning to whom the Talents are given and as they have made use of them and improved them or not so doth He commend and reward them or not There are none of us but have gotten some one Talent and Trust or an other and no doubt there will be much to Reckon for I am afraid that when He calls us all to an accompt though there will be some to whom it will be said Well done good and faithfull servant There will be many to whom it will be said Thou evil and sloathfull servant and the Sloathful servant will be found to be the Ill Servant and amongst other Aggravations of his guilt this will be one that he was unlike to Christ the Righteous Servant 3. Observe That the right improvement and discharge of the Trust committed to us and of our service to God is a commendable and honourable thing It is Recorded here to Christs Commendation that He was a Righteous servant even Faithfull over the House of God in all things and Proportionably is the Commendation of the ordinary under-servants when they in their Places and Stations perform their Service honestly and faithfully so as they may be accepted of God on His account The day is coming when every mans work will be rewarded and as we Sow so shall we Reap In that Day if we had all the World we would give it to hear that Word from Christs mouth Well done thou good and faithfull servant But iew will get that Testimony ye think it much now to get a name of Fidelity amongst Men and to be esteemed such as keep your Word and will not break your Promise nor Parrol and it 's good in so far that it be so but many such will be found to have broken many a Word to God and falsified many a Promise think upon it and lay it to heart that it will be better to have a Word of Testimony from God in that Day and to have it said to you by Him Faithfull Servant thou improved wel the little that I gave thee it was laid out and expended not so much to buy and to put on brave Cloaths nor to buy or build fine houses as it was for Me and for My Honour Whatever Place Station Capacity or Imployment thou was in thou indeavoured to do good in it and when thou couldest not do for my Work for my People and for my Honour thou was Praying for them and when thou had an opportunity to hear my Word thou didst not slight nor let that slip This I say will be better than a great Name and Testimony from and amongst Men But alace we fear that it shall be said of many ye had many opportunities of getting and doing good but what use made ye of them It had been better that ye had never had them it had been better that ye had never had a Groat or two Pence then to have had all these Riches and to have had none rather then to have had such and such a Lucrative or Gainfull Place and Imployment which
ye improved not for God It 's a sore matter that we should Preach and ye should hear these general Truths of the Gospel from day to day and that yet they do not sink into your hearts Ye will not readily denâ— that there is a day of Reckoning coming and that it will be a great favour to be commended of Him in that day and yet how few do by their Practice evidence that they lay weight on it It 's very sad that Religion should be so triffled in Many of you will come to the Church and seem there and in your other carriage as if ye were going to Heaven when in the mean time ye have few serious thoughts either of Heaven or of Hell But in that Day wherein ye shall stand trembling before His Tribunal and shall there receive the Sentence of an evil and sloathfull Servant ye will find to your cost That there was weight in these Truths that now ye take but little notice of 4ly In General Observe That it 's Singular Proper and Peculiar to Our Lord Jesus to be Gods Approven Servant so as to be without all ground of Challenge in the Discharge of His Duty and Trust and indeed there is no Righteous Servant in this sense but He only who according to the very Rigor of the Law was such the Law could not charge Him with any the least violation of it or want of Conformity unto it For He fulfilled all righteousness We spoke to this on v. 9. and shall not now insist on it Only it 's a sore matter that this Truth should be called in question and called an untruth in these dayes and that Men should say that this Designation and Title is not proper to Christ but that it 's common to all true Christians as if they were all free of Sin and that not by the imputation of Christs Righteousness to them but by their own doing of Righteousness Lord save us what a high injury is this to the Son of God And what gross ignorance is here of the corruption of Mans Nature which in the best and holiest of meer Men is never in this Life finally expelled as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament most convincingly clear and what a wronging is this of the Truth of God which holds forth Our Lord Jesus as singled out to be and who is designed by this Name The Lords righteous servant Now if there were any moe properly so called we could not say that it were meant of Him But it 's not very profitable to insist in speaking of these Dottages and Foolries But to come more particularly to the benefits that flow from and come by this Righteous servant and from the service intrusted to Him and so faithfully managed and discharged by Him By his knowledge saith Jehovah shall he justifie many That is His Service is to absolve Sinners and set them free from the guilt of Sin and from the Curse that Naturally they are under and lyable to Looking on these Words in the Connexion with the former we shall Oâ—serve Three or Four things ere we come to the more closs and particular Consideration of the Words in themselves The 1. of which is this That the Justifying of many Sinners even of all the Elect is the speciall Trust committed by Jehovah to the Mediator It is in this especially wherein His Service consists Would ye then know what is the imployment of this Righteous Servant It is even this He shall justifie many He shall procure their Absolution from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God and shall set them free from the Judgement which the Law hath against them whereby they are oblidged to the Curse for disobedience thereunto This we may consider 1. As it relates to God and so it imports that the justification of a Sinner is very acceptable to Him For it is that for which He hath given a Commission to the Mediator and what He hath Commissioned Him in the performance of it must needs be acceptable to Him Therefore that which is here called the Lords Service is called The Lords pleasure v. 10. To wit to see a poor Sinner brought in by the Mediator and on the accompt of His Satisfaction Justified He is pleased with and takes it well 2. It may be considered as it looks to the Mediator And so it speaks out the Mediators Design and Work it 's that wherein He is imployed and with which He is taken up even to get Elect Sinners brought from under the Curse of God and freely Justified through Himself So that if ye would know what is the Sum and Effect of Christs Errand and Work in the World here it is He came to save sinners as it is 1 Tim. 1.15 He came to seek and save that which was lost To bring home the lost sheep on His shoulder to seek and find the lost Groat to reclaim Prodigals As it is Luke 15. This is His Meat and His Drink His Work and Businesse as Himself sayes John 4.34 My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And Luke 2. Know ye not that I must be about my Fathers business Which is to rescue poor Sinners from the Devil and to ingage them to God that their Sins may be Pardoned 3. It imports the Mediators Meetnesse for this Service that He is Furnished Fitted and Qualified for as well as taken up with the Justifying of Sinners and setting them free before the Throne of God He hath a full Purse to speak so to pay their Debt Therefore Revel 3.19 He bids Sinners Come and buy of him eye-salve gold and white rayment He hath Eye-salve for the Blind Gold to Inrich the Poor Garments for the Naked and in a Word every thing that is needfull for Sinners It is comfortable to hear that Christ is a Servant But to hear that this is His Service to Justifie Sinners and that He is so well fitted for it makes it so much the more comfortable And were we suitably sensible of Sin and did we throughly believe this Truth our hearts would Laugh within us as Abraham's once did to know that this was given to Christ in Commission to Justifie Sinners and that He is so well fitted for this Businesse that He is Commissioned about and imployed in especially now when He is so bussie about His Work and Imployment for though He be ascended on high yet He hath received gifts for and given them to men even for the rebellious that God the Lord might dwell among them As it is Psal 68. compared with Ephes 4. This is the End of the Ministry and Ordinances even to further this Work of the Justification of Sinners that by acknowledging and making Use of Christ this Work may be brought about and this Effect made to follow this is the End of Fasts and Communions even to Arrest perishing Sinners a while to Tryst and Treat with Him about the concerns of their
this purpose to you who care not for your Souls and are not sensible of your Sin for He came to save Sinners and if any such do Trust Him with the Sâ—lvation of their Souls He is Faithfull and will not suffer them to Perish 3dly From comparing these Words By his knowledge he shall justifie many with the former He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied We Observe That Our Lord Jesus is never satisfied with Sinners nor content till He be imployed by them in this piece of Service even to Justifie them by Hâ—s knowledge or by Faith in Him He gets not Satisfaction for the Travel of His Soul till this be and this is it which satisfies Him He cares not for Complements great professions of respect to Religion and Hosanna's without this He wept over Jerusalem notwithstanding of these because of the want of this He cares not for Martha's cumbersome Service but is content of Maries sitting down to hear and receive His Word if He get not this imployment no other thing will content Him as we may see in these three Parables Luke 15. When the lost Sheep is amissing He is not satisfied till it be brought home The making the house clean will not please Him if the lost Piece of Money be not found the finding whereof brings out that Come and rejoyce with me And when the Prodigal returns then and not till then are uttered these joyfull words This my son was dead and is alive he was lost and is found Then comes the mirth and all the Minstrels are yocked Would ye lay the hair of your head under Christs Feet would ye give Him thousands of Rams and Rivers of Oyl and the first-born of your Bodies for the Sin of your Souls all these will not please Him if ye get not your selves to be Justified by His Knowledge nothing will content and satisfie Him but that The Reasons are 1. Because He gets not His Work intrusted to Him carried on otherwayes if I may speak so for as the Father delights to see the Work which He hath trusted Him with prospering so doth He 2. Because He gets not the native Credit and Honour of His Office till He get this but counts Himself to be like to an Ambassadour who comes to wooe a Wife for the King his Master who is well Treat and Intertained but gets a refusal of what he came for It was the Disciples commendation John 17. That they received his word Though all other things could be if this be not He never gets kindly respect 3. Because without this Folk can never love Christ for it 's this benefit of Justification and Pardon of Sin that much ingages to love and praise Him Because say and sing the Redeemed Revel 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood thou art worthy to receive all praise dominion power and glory It 's impossible that they can suitably esteem of Him and love Him who are not Justified by Him and therefore they that believe not on Him to Justification are called Despisers of him and traders of the blood of the Covenant under foot and they fall under that sad complaint which is made John 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not be was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not There is then a necessity laid upon you either to give Him imployment in this or to lye under His displeasure and to be made countable for standing in the way so far as ye would of His Satisfaction The Lord hath so moulded the way of His Grace that not only doth He invite and allure Sinners but also He layes strong Bonds on them for their good and leaves it not indifferent to them to make use of Christ or not for their Justification but they must either take this way or have God and the Mediator to be their enemies in the greatest measure and in the highest degree choose you then whether ye will Satisfie Christ Jesus or not How shall He be Satisfied will ye say even by your betaking of your selves to Him and by improving His Righteousnesse for your Peace with God and for your Justification before Him humbly pleading Guilty at the Bar of Justice and Begging Pardon and acceptance on the account of His Satisfaction and by Faith Extracting your Discharge and Absolution that so the Application of His Purchase being obtained the Conscience may be quieted on that ground And do ye think this a matter to cast out with Christ about That He would have you Justified and that ye will not That He would have you washen in His Blood from your Sins and that ye had rather lye still in them Think ye this reasonable And yet thus it stands with you and we declare it to you in His Name That Christ and ye shall never be Friends except on these Terms That ye take with your Sins and Natural Enmity against God and welcome heartily the News of a Mediator and imbrace His Righteousnesse trampling your own under your Feet as to all expectation of Justification by it That in a Word ye do by Faith take hold of the offer of Salvation through Him in the Gospel Resigning your selves absolutely to Him and founding your humble Plea before God thereupon This is the Shield of Faith that quenches the fiery Darts of the Devil and that which gives Wings to the Soul to flee to Heaven upon and we wote well this is no unfriendly Message nor evil Bargain and ye may have it of Him He is indeed a Dexterous and Skilfull handler of Souls that commit themselves unto Him Why do you not then in His own way hazard your Souls on Him Were Sinners hazard known and what solid confidence they may have in putting their Souls in Christs hand they would be thronging in upon Him to get hold laid on His offer which is like to a Banner displayed and spread out in this Word of the Gospel to which every one may put his hand This is the very Sum of the Gospel to pray you to be reconciled to God to admit of the Mediator and to give Him a Commission to speak so with reverence or rather to intreat Him to make your Peace that is to give Him the credit of saving you that if Justice were pursuing you ye might be found in Him not having your own Righteousness but His and in Him have one Answer to all Challenges not thinking your selves the less sicker and sure that ye have given up with your own Righteousness and betaken your selves to His who knows but Souls might be getting good at such a time if this were made use of and believed O! so faithfull as He is He dar give His Word and Seal that He will keep to you And this is His end in Word and Sacrament that Sinners might be brought to trust in Him in giving Him the imployment to Justifie them That they
Justification before God seclude his own Righteousnesse and betake himself to Christ's Righteousnesse alone as Contra-distinguished to his own 4ly We say That Christ's Righteousness is in Him and imputed to us or made ours by imputation is the alone Meritoritorious Cause of our Justification and Salvation so as that which He hath purchased is reckoned and accounted the Sinners as if it were His own inherently and personally This I also gather from the Words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Would ye know as if the Prophet had said how Christ is the Meritorious Cause of Justification Thus it is because He shall bear their iniquities if He hath taken on the burden of their Sins and had their Sins imputed to Him then it will follow by proportion that they are Justified by the imputation of His Righteousnesse to them and there is nothing that the Scripture doth more inculcat then this That we are Justified by the Righteousnesse of Christ without us and imputed to us or reckoned ours we by Faith laying hold upon it and Gods accepting of it for us mak s it become ours and yet there is nothing that we do more particularâ—y erre in and which Papists do more scoâ—n and flout at wholly enervating the way and contrivance of Grace by excluding and shouldering out the Righteousnesse of Christ calling it in derision a Putative or meerly fancied and â—maginary Righteousnesse as if there were â—o reality in it and by bringing in and establishing their own Righteousnesse though it be very clear from this and many other Scriptures that Christs Righteousnesse must be ours by imputation because He â—are our iniquities He became our Righteousnesse by paying of our Dâ—bt as our Cautioner and no otherwayes the Scripture never speaks of His being our Righteousnesse by procuring ability to us to pay our own Debt I shall clear this 4th Branch a little further because it will serve to clear the rest That is thâ—t Christ's Righteousnesse as it is in Him and imputed to us is he only Meritorious Cause of our Justification And if we consider 1 The way of Justification that is used among men this will be the more plain There being two Covenants by the one of which Life was once attainable and by the other of which it is only now attainable 1. The Covenant of Works which absolves a man that never brake it which is as when one among men or before mens Court is declared to be free because he was never oâ—ing the Debt 2. The Covenant of Grace that provides a Cautioner to pay the Sinners Debt upon whose payment thereof had recourse to by Faith there is access in Law to the Sinner to call for absolution even as it is in mens Courts though the principal Debter hath nothing to pay yet if the Cautioner pay the Debt it is the principal Debtors clâ—aring and if he should be again charged to pay the Debt his immediat deâ—ence would be that the Cautioner had payed it already So is it here the Lord hath borrowed and made use of this way that is used among men to make the Mystery of Justification which passeth in the Court of God the more clear to us it is as if one should alleadge that such a Person is owing so much and he should say I cannot be charged with it and upon what ground Not because I was not owing the Debt but because such anone has payed it for me So sayeth the Apostle Rom. 8.34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifies who shall condemne it is Christ that died c. The defence proposed before the Tribunal of God is Chritis dying and that is as much as he hath payed the Price or Debt who then can charge it on the principal Debtor And the frame and contexture of the words shews that it is a judicial precedour for they suppose a charge or lybel and a sentence and the Meritorious Cause of the Sentence of Absolution is that Christ hath died 2ly If we consider the nature of the two Covenants and compare them together it will be clear the Papists confound the two Covenants For works to them is the condition of both Covenants making use of that place Matth 19.17 2â— Keep the commands if thou will be perfect sell all thou hast and give to the poor quite contrary to the scope of it for therein Christ is putting the man to a thing impossible to himself to bring him to see the necessity of a Mediator and discover his unsoundnesse when he will not forgoe his great Possâ—ssions for him But the Scâ—ipture doth so clearly difâ—ereâ—ce the Covenant of Grace and â—he Covenant of works that they are opposed For the Covenant of works sayeth do this and live and the Covenant of Grace sayeth If thou shall believe with thy heart in the Lord Jesus and conâ—â—sse with thy mouth thou shalt or saved And therefore the account of ones being Juâ—â—ified in tâ—e Covenant of Grace must be different from the account whereon one is Justified in the Covenant of Wâ—rks otherwayes they would not be opposit The Covenant of Works respects inhâ—rent Righteousnesse as the condition The Covenant of Grace respects Faith taking hold of the Righteousnesse of Christ and therefore H s Righteousnesse must Justifie as being in Him without us and as imputed to us it cannot be our Righteousnesse within that Justifies for so it should be the same with the Covenant of Works for though Christ did procure inherent Righteousnesse to us it makes no difference in the condition it self which is works 3ly It will be clear if we consider how the Scripture speaks of Christ's Righteousnesse becoming ours even as our Sins became Christ's and was the cause if we may so speak of His condemnation that is as He became lyable to the Curse that as He stood a Legal Person in our Room He became guilty and lyable to the payment of our Debt For otherwayes it is abominable once to speak of His condemnation and if His Righteousnesse become ours as our Sin became His then certainly His Righteousnesse is the cause of our Justification as it is in Him inherently and in us by imputation only The blasphemy of Antinomians is most detestable and not at all pleaded for even by Papists and therefore we stand not on it here Now our Sin became Christ's by imputation therefore His Righteousnesse must be ours the same way If it then were asked How we are Justified The Text answers He shall justifie many because he shall bear their iniquities The Prophet makes his Sufferings to be the antecedent whereof our Justification is the consequent for His bearing of our iniquities is given as the reason of our Justification this is also clear 2 Cor. 5. ult He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In which words the Spirit of
Faith as it is a laying hold upon Christ 3. When we speak of the necessity of Faith in order to Justification we mean not as if there were such an absolute necessity of it in it self that God could not do otherwayes or Justifie without it but we mean a necessity in respect of the order which God hath laid down and held forth in the Gospel which is by the Knowledge of His Son to Justifie many And from these considerations many Arguments of our Adversaries are made very little regardable yea utterly void For Confirmation of the Doctrine then 1. Consider these Scriptures that expresly limit confine and bound Justification and pardon of Sin to the Person that doth believe So Rom. 1.17 The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood c. Col. 3.22 God hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Act. 13.38.39 Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Consult the Scriptures and we will find that Paul clears both these Questions 1. who are Justified All that believe 2. When are they Justified When they believe 2ly Consider these Scriptures that place all men before believing into a state of Wrath and they will furnish a second ground for this as John 3.18 He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already He lyes under the Covenant of Works and is condemned as considered in himself though God may have a purpose to make a change of his state So Ephes 2.1 2 3. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked and were children of wrath even as others c. and v. 12 13. We were sometimes without Christ being alians from the common wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise without hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far of are made near by the blood of Christ and v. 8. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast it 's Faith that gives the Title which we had not before 3. Consider That the Scriptures do expresly make believing to preceed Justification and make Justification to be an effect or rather a consequent of Faith to which Faith necessarly concurrs as all these places which say that we are Justified by Faith in Christ do clear as Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ which place looks on Faiths concurring in Justification with a kind of causality Rom. 3.22.25 The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe c. Ephes 2.8 By grace are ye saved through faith See more fully to this purpose Gal. 2.16 where the Apostle designedly as it were sets himself to confirm this Truth For speaking of the way how Sinners come to be Justified and as it were entring in the Debate he says Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even as we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ In which place we have three things considerable to make out the point 1. He compares the concurring of Faith to Justification in the Covenant of Gracâ— to the concurring of Works to Justification or to the obtaining of Life in the Covenant of Works as Works did Justifie in the Covenant of Works so does Faith in the Covenant of Grace Now certainly the performing of Works in the Covenant of Works behoved to go before Justification that way therefore the want of Works made Adam to come short of Justification by Works 2. He looks on Faith and speaks of it as concurring to Justification with a respect to Christ and never looks on it in this matter as a Grace considered in and by it self but as acting on Christ in a peculiar manner 3. In expresse words he sayes We have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified which clearly implyes that they could not be Justified before they believed and we may well and easily gather that the Justification here meant is that which is real and actual and not the declaring of a man to be Justified to Himself else Works might declare a man to be Justified to himself as well as Faith But he contradistinguishes Faith and Works here and opposes the one to the other The 1. Use Serves for clearing of this Truth That there is a necessity of Faith's taking hold of and resting on Christ ere we can be absolved and Justified And so both these Errors of Antinomians fall to the ground 1. That by which they assert that these who are Justified were Justified from Eternity and were never under God's Curse And 2. That Faith is not necessary to the attaining of Justification but only to a Persons knowing that he is Justified and so they say that Faith enters us not in the Covenant which is false it being the terms or condition on which God proposeth and promiseth pardon in his Covenant as is clear John 3.18 Whosoever believes shall not be condemned but shall have everlasting life and Mark 16.16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved with this opposition He that believeth not shall be damned Faith being it which enters us in the Covenant For either Sinners are Justified before they can be in Covenant with God which is an absurdity and inconsistent with Gods Covenant or it 's by Faith that they are entered in the Covenant There is here also a clear discovery and confutation of a 3d. Error of Antinomians concerning the nature of Faith That it is Persons believing that they are Justified No not so For as the Apostle sayes Gal. 2.16 We have believed that we might be justified We believe in order to Justification And to say as Antinomians do would do much to infer universality of Justification as well as of Redemption It 's Gods mercy that this Error is discovered and that we have His Truth pointing out to us that Justification must have Faith going before it and alongst with it The 2d Use Serves to demonstrat the absolute necessity of believing and taking hold of Christ If Absolution and Justification be necessary Faith must be necessary And therefore if Christ be preached to you and if by Him all that believe are Justified Take hold then I beseech you of the Offer receive embrace close with it and let
your very hearts open to it without which ye can never expect to be Justified before the Tribunal of God Now let God Himself blesse the same Word to you through Jesus Christ SERMON LVIII ISAIAH LIII XI Verse 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities SOme further and more serious apprehensions of our Sin and hazard would make the reading of these Words to be refreshful and welcome to us The stayed thoughts of an Arrestment laid upon us to appear before God's Tribunal and to reckon for our Debt would make us think much of a Cautioner The want whereof make the glad tydings of the Gospel to be tastlesse and without relish This is the great scope of these Words to shew how a Summonded Sinner arraigned at Gods Bar may be Justified and fred from the charge that he is lyable to For sayes the Prophet By his knowledge who is the surity of the Covenant shall many be justâ—fied That which we last left at was this That Faith in Christ receiving and resting on Him is necessary for the attaining of Justification so that in Gods way these are so linked and knit together That never one shall be Justified but a Believer Though there be a Righteousnesse in Christ yet it shall be derived and communicated to none come to Age but to these who by Faith betake themselves to Christ what way the Lord takes with infants Elect Infants I mean is not that which the Prophet aimes to speak of though it be Christs Righteousnesse that is communicated to them as well as it is to them who are at Age yet as to the manner of communicating it God hath His own way which we know not Now that we may learn in speaking to these Truths not only to get some Light for informing of our Judgement but also some help for our practice take two or three Uses ere we proceed any further The 1. Use then is To let you see the absolute necessity of believing in Christ Jesus and that it is as necessary for the attaining of our Justification as Christs dying is For our Justification is an effect flowing from several Causes and the want of any of them will mar it There must necessarly be a concurrance of them all to bring it about And therefore though their be an excellent worth in Christs Righteousnesse yet there is a necessity of Faith to lay hold upon it and to make it ours Gods order in the Covenant bears this out wherein he hath knit the Promise of Pardon of Sin and of Justification to Faith and resting on Christ and there is good reason for it As 1. The Lord will have a Sinner to know what he is obliged to Christ which Faith contributs much unto For Faith stands not in the way of the freedom of Justification but rather commends it for the Lord would have us know that we hold our Life of Him and not to receive Him by Faith is an evidence of highest presumption Therefore it 's said Rom. 4.16 It is by faIth that it might be of grace God hath chosen this way that the freenesse of His Grace in pardoning of Sin may be seen 2. The Lord by this le ts the unbeliever know that the reason of his own ruine is of himself There shall not be one unbeliever found that shall have it to say that the blame lay on God or on Christ because the offer was made to them on condition of receiving it by Faith and they not performing the condition their Guilt is aggreged by their slighting of the offer It 's true that we are not now dealling with them who down-right deny the Truth of this Doctrine but alace what better are they who do in their practice deny it and live senslesly and securely under the Gospel We conceive that there are Three sorts of Persons that have need of a Word to be spoken to them here 1. Such as live carelesly and securely as we just now said as if God required nothing of them at all as they were born they know not how so they live they know not how and when they are pressed to a change of their state and way they make excuses partly from the sinfulnesse of their Nature that they can do nothing partly from the abundant Grace of God that He must do all But it will never excuse you that ye wanted Grace and had a Sinful Nature for whom I pray can ye blame for it ye that make a bachel of His mercy if ye continue to do so shall never get good of it For He hath said that He will Justifie and save none but the Believer There is none other that hath the promise of Pardon it is not made to any thing that is to be brought forth or done by your own strength or by the strength of Nature or of free-will But God hath laid down this order and method and made it known that ye should believe and receive the offer of Christ in the Gospel renunce your own Righteousnesse and betake you to Christ's Righteousnesse otherwayes ye cannot on good ground expect to be Justified 2. Others will set about many things that are good but the Work of believing they can never be brought to mind or own they will make a sort of Conscience of Prayer of keeping the Church of reading the Scriptures c. But to give obedience to the Command of Believing they mind it not they can live and die without it This was the woful and Soul-ruining practice of the Jews of old as we are told Rom. 9. They took much pains to come by Righteousnesse but they attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone when they had gone part of the way as it were and come to the Stone of believing there they fell and brake their necks Hence there are many who promise Heaven to themselves and think that they have done something for it who yet never laid hold on Christ for their Justification but let me tell you that though you could go the greatest length in Holinesse that ever any did since Adams fall it will not avail you if ye neglect Faith in Christ I say not this to disswade you from the Duties of Holinesse God forbid but to divert you from seeking Justifiâ—ation by them study the Duties of Holinesse but seek alwayes by any means to be found in Christ and in His Righteousnesse and not in the Righteousnesse of your Duties as to your Justification It is true none that have any tollerable measure of Knowledge will profâ—sse down right that they lean to holy Duties yet many are so ignorant that they cannot distinguish betwixt Faith and Works and there are not a few who have a hope of Heaven such as it is who nâ—ver knew any thing of the exercise of believing A 3d. Sort are these who because of some
and please Him with Duties they will ingage Him to give them pardon and in this they have to speak so an under hand Covenant of Works They will do something to please the Mediator and wherein they come short they expect that he will make it up and this is very ordinary in practice If ye ask some what hope have ye of Justification They will answer through Christs Righteousnesse and that is good in so far but ask them again how they will get it they will answer that they will do what they dow or may and they hope that He will pity them ye would look in upon your own hearts and see whether it be not secretly making something of this kind the ground of your title to Christ and of your Justification And yet all this may be and often is in them that will not stoop to the way of Grace nor submit themselves to the Righteousnesse of God They will speak of Christs Righteousness and yet they will needs give Him some compensation and so come never really to renounce their own Righteousnesse and to flee unto His and to hold it up as their defence before God Take but an impartial view of these steps and many of you who suppose that ye are believers will not be found to be so nor Justified before God because ye lay nor claim to it by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law Use 3. There is here ground for all that neglect Christ and do not by Faith take hold of Him to look for a most dreadful Sentence and ground for others who seek Righteousnesse through Faith to look for a most comfortable Sentence 1. Then is this a Truth that Justification is through Faith in Christ then many of you are not Justified And if the Lord prevent it not ye will never be Justified If so then it must be a most dreadful thing not to believe If ye would know what is your condition ye may read it John 3.18 36. He that believeth not is condemned already and he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse For it is written cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them If ye really believed this many of you would be under horror to hear what a sad condition ye are in even condemned already and having the Wrath and Curse of God abiding on you because the Word curseth and condemneth all that are not in Christ by Faith This I fear belongs to very many who are altogether secure and carelesse and yet are in reputation amongst us And is it not very sad to be professing fair to have the offer of life and to be treating with God about your peace and yet to be still in the State of enmity with Him So that if death were within twenty four hours march to you you could have nothing to expect but the ratifying of this Sentence of Gods curse upon you We are sure there is as much in this as might in reason put you by all means to study 1. To be Believers for without Faith ye are never over the borders of Gods curse which may lay a chase to you and put you to the necessity of fleeing to Christ for refuge 2. To take some pains to try whether ye be in the Faith as the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you except ye be reprobats His meaning is know ye not that this is a truth that ye are in a reprobat or unapproven condition except Christ be in you and Christ is in none but in the Believer If so ought ye not to try your selves if ye be in the Faith if ye be Believers There is no ordinary way to win to the sure and comfortable Knowledge of it but by tryal and if ye be not Believers is there not reason and is it not of your concernment to endeavour by tryall to come to the Knowledge of it As this is ground of terror to the unbeliever so it 's ground of notable consolation to the believer who if he were even put to the reckoning with Paul I was a blasphemer a persecuter injurious yet here is hope for him that he shall be found in Christ not having his own Righteousnesse but Christs believing in Christ will obtain Justification to such a person His Righteousnesse taken hold of and put on by Faith is as pleasing and acceptable to God as the unrighteousnesse of the Sinner is displeasing to him This was it that made David to sing sweetly Psal 32. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no iniquity to wit through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse as the Apostle clears Rom. 4. As the first branch of the Use shew the necessity of Faith for Chasing Sinners to Christ so this branch is a sweet motive to draw them to Him and if there were moe sensible Sinners amongst us whose own Righteousness misgives them and who are brought to that pass that the Jaylor and Peters hearers were in crying out what shall we do to be saved This word believe in the Lord Jesus and ye shall be saved would make them come in cheerful as he did from the brink not only of Temporal but of Eternal Death It 's this Faith by which we have access to stand before God ye would therefore be earnestly intreated to betake your selves to it and to Jesus Christ by it for your pardon and peace even for your Justification before God 2dly Consider these Words as they hold out the Object of Justifying Faith which is the great thing in them even to discribe Justifying Faith as to it's Object and Effect and in it's concurring to produce this effect And here there are mistakes and errors both in the doctrinal and practical part of all these 1. The Object of it then is Him Jesus Christ the knowledge of him or the Faith of Him or Faith in Him as other Scriptures have it Or looking more nearly to the words it 's Faith in Him as Suffering as Satisfying for Sin as in Soul-travel bearing our iniquities Hence Observe That Christ Jesus His Rightnousnesse holden forth in Gods promise of free Grace is the native and proper Object that saving and justifying Faith takes hold of and rests upon or to the same purpose the saving Grace of Faith that Justifies is that Faith that does peculiarly apply and rest upon Christ Jesus holden forth in Gods promise in the Gospel as the Righteousnesse of a Sinner that believes on him hence the Prophet calleth it here Not Knowledge more generally taken but the knowledge of him and that as He is holden out in this Chapter to wit as surety for Sinners and suffering for
that 's the Righteousnesse of Christ by Faith taken hold of by me which Fâ—ith shuts up as it were Paul in that Râ—ghteousnesse and hids him so as he is past over as if there were no unrighteousnesse at all in him The Effâ—ct of this Faith follows when a Person â—s chased and hath fled into and laid hold on Christ the effect I say is he shall be Justified we may consider this several ways and for explication's sake I shall shortly put by some of them 1. Then according to the exposition of the words take this observation That there is such a thing as Justification distinct from Sanctâ—fication That benefit of Justification follows on Faith's taking hold of Christ because it's such a benefit as follows Christ taking on our Sin By his knowledge shall he juâ—tifie many for he shall beâ—â— their iniquities Now Sanctification is not that but the infusing of Holâ—nesse in us and is the work of Gods Spirit inwardly working a change in the man we did some way clear and confirm this in the exposition of the Words and shew you how Sanctification differeth from Justification Now ye are justified now ye are sanctified Sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. Making them distinct benefits To clear it a little further Two things are to be considered in Sin both which are to be removed by Christ but differently 1. Something that defils and polluts us and makes at disconform to Gods Image hence Sin is in the Scripture compared to Boills and Sores and menstruous Cloaths and is called filthiness 2. There is a guiltinesse that follows on this whereby we are not only presupposed unclean but are made lyable to the Laws Certification wherein it 's said Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing written in the book of the law to do it Now if we speak of the removing of these two Justification takes away the guilt of Sin when the Sinner is pursued before God's Tribunal he is discharged by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to which he is fled for refuge The Law absolves him not because he wants Sin but because the Mediator hath saâ—isfied for his Sin and that Satisfaction is by Faith laid hold of Sanctification takes away the pollution and blot of Sin the Person that had these Boills and Sores is cleansed or healled or is a healling and under cure for there is no compleat healling while on this side of Heaven As suppone a man by transgressing the Law had wounded himself in wounding or hurting another there is here both a guilt and a deformity a guilt in transgressing the Law by hurting his neighbour and a deformity in wounding himself Justification is as if the penalty of the breach of such a Law were not exacted by the interposing of a Cautioner and Sanctification is like the healling of the Wound in a mans self by taking or application of some Physick or Plaister So is it here Justification sets us free from the guilt and Sanctification cures us of the wound of Sin mans fall was a guilt and by that fall he wounded himself and by Christ boâ—h are removed from the Believer by His Satisfaction He j stifies and by His Grace and Spirit He Sanctifies him Use We observe it only in passing because it serves to clear all that concerns Justification and therefore when we speak of Justification by Christs Righteousâ—esse 1. It 's not as if we had a Righteousnesse communicat to us and were made actuâ—lly holy but it 's the iâ—putation of Christ's Righteousnesse to us the confounding of these two does ill and is very prejudicial not only to Papists but to others who think they are Justified when they think they have some good frame which being wanting they suspect their Justificat on 2. The meaning is not as if Christs Righteousnesse were our Sanctification which is the Error of the Antinomians who make all Sanctification to be Justification even as the Papists make all Justification to be Sanctification therefore we would learn to distinguish these two yet not so as to separat them 2dly Observe That this effect Justification is not only nor mainly the sense of being pardoned and absolved but it 's real absolution and pardon it self because this Justification that follows Faith is that which Christ hath purchased by His Soul-travel and bearing of our iniquities and intitles the Justified Person to Him and makes him to be of His Seed and that is not to have the sense that we are Justified but actually to be Justified And here there is another mistake to be adverted to to think Justification to be the evidence of that which is past before we were born yea from Eternity The Justification here spoken of is that which makes us stand before God is opposit to Works and to the Curse and frees us from it But the sense of Justification is not that whereby we stand before God and is opposit to Works and the Curse and therefore take this Advertisement that Justification is not to be sensible of our Justification but it is really to be so whether we know and be sensible of it or not and that by vertue of Christs Righteousnesse apprehended by Faith The Third and main thiâ—g in this effect is That laying hold on Chrâ—st by Faith as He is offered in the Gospel does before God serve to the Justifying of a Sinner and the absolving of him from the guilt of Sin That is when a Sinner sensible of Sin is brought to lay hold on Christ's Righteousnesse then follows Gods absolving of him as if he had never had Sin or had satisfied for his own Sin which is not only holden out here but is frequently spoken of through the Epistles and is the Justification that stands in opposition to the way of Works to wit when a poor Sinner sensible of Sin is perswaded by Gods Spirit to flee unto and rest upon Christs Righteousnesse offered in the Gospel upon which follows Gods absolving of him This Doctrine takes in the substance of the Text By the knowledge of my righteous servant shall many be justified There are several things that will fall to be cleared in the prosecuting of this which we shall speak to shortly for clearing of that Question of the Catechism what is Justification because this Doctrine holds out the Form of it and deduceth it in this order 1. A Sinner is here supposed to be lying under Gods curse according to that Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law This is mans condition by nature 2. It is supposed that Christ becomes Cautioner for elect Sinners and takes on their Debt and satisfies for them on condition that if they shall believe on Him they shall be Justified and have His satisfaction imputed to them and that the Lord Jehovah accepts of the Mediators Satisfaction and ingageth to make out the condition 3. The Lord in the Word of the Gospel hath revealed this and hath
comprehended the way of a Sinners Justification in the Gospel Covenant and promises and makes offer of it to all that hear of it saying He that believes in the Son shall not perish but have eternal life and all that believe on him shall be justified from all things whereby they could not be justified by the law of Moses This is the external instrumental cause of Justification that holds out the way to Life which supposes the former 4. When this is made offer of in the Gospel there is the oâ—eration of Gods Spirit on the Soul illightning the Mind of the Sinner convincing him of his hazard chasing him to Christ and powerfully perswading him to take hold of His Righteousnesse made offer of to him whereupon the Soul comes to put forth the Act of Faith and to rest upon His Righteousnesse as when it was said by Philip to the Eunuch Act. 8. If thou believest thou mayest justified The Soul answers I believe in Christ the Son of God whereupon it becomes a bargain and this is the inward mean or instrumental cause of Justification 5. Follows Gods imputing to that Sinner that receives Christ as He is offered and rests upon Him by Faith His Righteousnesse and Christs payment and satisfâ—ction to Justice is counted his and according to this his Sins are pardoned for the merit of that Righteousness and he himself is accepted accounted Righteous as if he had never sinned and he hath such a sentence past on him as is held forth in these words of Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered to whom the Lord imputs to iniquity and in these Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus c. Even as before he fled to Christ there was a Curse standing against him And this is an Act of God the Soveraign and efficient Cause To declare his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus as it is Rom. 3.26 which is the final cause We may confirm this either as to the positive part that by believing a Sinner is Justified or as to the negative part that there is no other way possible whereby a Sinner can be Justified but by believing So that this great Effect follows from a sensible Sinners taking hold of Christs Righteousnesse by Faith Ye may look upon a few Scriptures to this purpose as namely Gal. 2.16 Where the Apostle entering in the debate layes down this conclusion Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ as if he had said we have taken this way for the attaining of this end believing that we might be justified The Apostle speaks here 1. Of a Justification by Faith which is opposit to Works and as he ascribes it to Faith so he denyes it to Works 2. He makes it exclusive and will have no other thing to concur in the manner at least but Faith Knowing saith he that a man is not justified by works but by faith 3. He holds out his own and other Believers practice Even we have believed that we might be justified As if he said we took this way of Faith to be absolved before God which by the Law or the Works of the Law would never have been See also to this purpose the Epistle to the Romans 1 2 3 4. and 5. Chapters especially the 3 and 4. In the 3d. chap. v. 25. When he is summing the Doctrine of Justification into a compend he sayes Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins c. Where Christs Righteousnesse is called a Propitiation through faith and Faith is holden out as the Channel in which Justification runs and in the words following the Believer is holden out as the Object of it So Chap. 4. It 's holden out in the instance of Abraham particularly v. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Where the Apostle propones Two wayes of a persons aiming to be Justified The 1. whereof is when a man works or worketh not on that account to be Justified by them and on that account seeks to be Justified and that way is rejected The 2. is when a man hath no works but by Faith betakes himself to Christ's Satisfaction and that way is established for that mans Faith is counted for Righteousnesse and is the ground of his peace before God we gave some Scriptures before for this and shall not therefore now insist There is also good reason why it cannot be otherwayes 1. If we consider what man is in himself ungodly rebellious having nothing to present unto God but when a Righteousnesse is presented to him by way of offer and he is through Grace brought to accept of the offer of Righteousnesse of another nothing can be conceived to be brought to receive it but his Faith and iâ— Christs Satisfaction be his Justification and if it be Faith that takes hold of it we have a clear reason why Justification is attributed as to Faith 2. Consider That this contributs most to Gods end which is to glorifie himself especially in his Grace in the Justification of Sinners even to hold forth the manifold riches of His Grace and nothing contributs to this so much and so well aâ— that which speaks the Sinner to be empty and nothing empties the Sinner more then Faith it being the great Act of Faith to bring the Soul of it's own bottom and to stop all boasting to drive it out of it self to be found in Him Therefore it 's said to be of faith that it might be of grace Rom. 14.16 As if he had said if it were by any other thing it could not be by Grace but Faith claims nothing but the Righteousnesse of Christ to rest on He hath payed the price and made the Satisfaction and that Satisfaction is mine saith Faith because it was offered to me and I have been brought to lay hold on it and the nature of this pleading stops the mouth of the creature and proclaims Justification to be alone the effect of Gods Grace and of Christs procurement 3. Consider That if it depended on any other thing our Justification could never be perfit when we speak of Justification and call it perfite It is not so to be understood as if Faith were perfite but Christs Satisfaction which is our Righteousnesse and which Faith layes hold on is perfite â—hough our Faiths grip be weak Hence it is that the weak Believer is Justified as well as the strong all who look unto Christ though with a weak sighted eye yet Salvation through him as well as Abraham because His Righteousnesse is perfite which weak Faith takes hold of as well as
Phrases that the Scripture useth to this purpose and where we are said to be Justified by faith There is a sort of causality attributed to Faith that can be attributed to no other Grace nor Works Hence the Righteousnesse of Christ is called the Righteousness of faith and we are said to be Justified by faith in his blood So Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things to be but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God bâ— faith and Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood many moe such Phrases there are And truly it would look very unlike the Scripture to expone these Scripture Phrases of a Righteousnesse of Works or by Works 3. Consider how the Apostle opposeth the two Covenants The Covenant of Works made with Adam and the Covenant of Grace made with Believers in Jesus Christ Rom. 10.5 6 7. Moses describeth the righteousness of the law that the man which doth these things shall live by them The Righteousnesse of the Law speaks of doing by which we come to be Justified But the righteousnesse of faith or the Covenant of Grace Speaketh on this wise The word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Where the Apostle opposeth these two Covenants not in respect of merit only as if the one were inconsistent with Grace and not the other but he opposeth them in this that the Righteousnesse of the one Covenant is in doing and the Riâ—hteousness of the other Covenant is by believing And therefore according to this opposition whaâ—ever is a mans doing is not the ground of his Peace and Justification before God because the Righteousnesse of his doing is the condition of the Covenâ—nt of Works and the Righteousnesse of the Covenant of Grace is quite of another nature to wit Believing in him who justifieth the ungodly 4. Consider that the thing that is the ground of our Justification before God is Christ's Righteousness inherent in Himself and imputed to us for the covering of our nakedness because He is as our Cautioner hath payed our Debt Hence it follows that Faith hath another way of concurring in Justification then any other thing can have because it 's Faith which receives and puâ—s on that Righteousnesse which no other thing doth That I may be found in him saith the Apostle Philip. 3.9 not having my own righteousness but the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ So that to be in him is to hâ—ve His Righteousnesse and this Righteousnesse is put on by Faith Only take two words of Adverisement ere we come to clear the other branch of the Doctrine The 1. is this when we speak of the peculiarness of the way of Faith's concurring in Justification so as no other Grace or Work doth we design not to weaken or cry down the necessity of Repentance and of other Graces nor of good Works the very thoughts whereof we abhore but to give every one of them their own and the right place and therefore it 's a gross calumnie to say that we affirm that the study and practice of Holiness and good Works is not necessary we only cry them down on this account that when we come before God our Works or Holinesse aâ—e not to be presented to Him as the ground of our Justification and Absolution but the Righteousnesse of Christ that Faith takes hold of and in this we say that Faith peculiarly concurres as no other Grace doth because iâ—'s fitted with an aptitude to receive and apply Christs Righteousnesse which no other Grace is as we say iâ—'s by the eye that a man sees though if he had not a â—ead and brains he would not see So though Fai h and Hol nesse or good Works be not sepâ—rat yet Faith is as it were â—he eye of the Soul that discerns and takes hold of Christs Righteousnesse The 2. is this That when we speak of good Works we speak of tâ—â—m as the Apostle doth Tit. 3.5 where 〈◊〉 saith not â—y the works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us and by good Works denyed in the point of Justification we understand all that is our own doing not excluding â—nly some things that were so accounted iâ— the time of darkness as almesdeedâ— and the like but as we have said all that is our own doing The 2d Branch is that this peculiarness of Faiths concurring in Justification is not from any efficacy in Faith or from Faith considered as our Deed or Work but as it Acts on Christ as the Objâ—ct of it and therefore when it is said Rom. 4.3 That Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness The meaning is not as if God had accepted his believing as an Act or Work for his Righteousnesse and that it was accounted as a perfite Grace but the meaning is that Christ Jesus the promised Seed received by Faith or his betaking of himself to the Riâ—hteousness of Christ holden out to him in the Promise was accounted his Righteousnesse as if he had had an inherent Righteousnesse of his own and so Faith is imputed not in respect of it's Act but in respect of it's Object By his union with Christ through Faith Christs Satisfaction becomes his To clear it a little take these considerâ—tions 1. Consider Faith as a Grace in us and so it cannot be imputed for Righteousness for in that respect it 's a Work and is excluded by the Apostles opposition made of Grace and Works It must therefore be Faith considered as acting in it's Object 2. Consider that in Scripture to be Justified by Christ by his blood and by Faith are all one because when it is said we are justified by Christ or by His Blood it takes in Christ and His Blood laid hold on by Faith therefore sometimes Christ sometimes Faith is called our Righteousnesse because as Christ considered as suffering and satisfying is the meritorious cause of our Justification so Faith is the instrumental cause taking hold of His Satisfaction which is our Righteousnesse both are necessary in their own way and Christs Righteousnesse implyes Faith and Faith implyes Christ and His Righteousnesse the one implyes the other necessarily 3. Consider the Phrases used in Scripture to this purpose as where we are said to be justified by faith it ever respects Christ and where we are said by faith to put on Christ It is not Faith considered as Righteousness of it self but it 's Faith considered as Acting on Christ and His Righteousness Therefore it 's the Righteousness which is by Faith the Righteousnesse which is in Christ and by Faith taken hold of by us and
to take Christs Righteousnesse and the pardon of Sin through Him freely and what matter of boasting I pray is here none at all Thus this Doctrine contributes both to make these who are seeking pardon and these who have gotten pardon humble Where is boasting then sayes the Apostle it is excluded by what law by the law of works no but by the law of faith as it is Rom. 3.17 The believing Sinner does nothing and hath done nothing towards the procuring of His own Justification but gets all freely We can never think nor speak aright of Justification but it layes our vain humour and stops the mouth from boasting while it saith What hast thou O! man but what thou hast received and if thou hast received it why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not received it We shall close and shut up the whole of this Doctrine by proposing some few considerations as conclusions from it 1. See here a necessity of being acquainted with the Truths of the Gospel and with this Truth in particular concerning Justification whereof alace many are very ignorant seing there are so many wayes to go wrong and so many do go wrong about it we had need to be the more clear in the right way If there were more knowledge of this and of other Truths we might speak and hear with more profite and if ye did not please your selves with meer and airy notions but sought to be settled in what ye hear of other Truths and of this in particular it would contribute much to your peace and rid you of many doubts and difficulties A 2d Consideration is That there is much need to walk in holy fear in studying this and other Truths there are so many wayes to err and a wrong step here is very dangerous It were exceeding profitable to be more in the study of Justification that is of the very marrow of the Gospel and is deservedly accounted to be articulus stantis aut cadentis ecclesiae but ye would come to it in fear being jealous of your own ignorance and shallownesse of capacity rightly to take it up especially when new questions are rising and started concerning it And as Paul and David studied this way and held it forth to others as the way whereby they went to heaven and whereby others must come to it So we commend it to you to follow them A 3d. Consideration is If Faith be so necessary to Justification as without it ye cannot be Justified is there not reason that ye should study to be distinct and clear that ye have Faith and that ye are indeed Believers This is one of the great Uses of all this Doctrine If there be no way but Faith and if in studying this one way many go wrong then as ye would make your calling and election sure study to make this sure by puting your selves to the tryal if ye be taking this way as the Apostle most pathetically exhorts 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves if ye be in the faith prove your own selves c. It 's truly matter of wonder to think how so many men and women are so soon satisfied in the matter of their believing which yet is so tickle and difficult a businesse we would have none to be jumbled and confounded about it who desire to be serious in the thing yet we would have all wakened and put to diligence many men have taken pains to be wrong in this matter of Justification and how few of you have taken pains to go right in it and how is it that many of you win so easily at it Seing the Apostle Rom. 9. calls it a stumbling stone to many and a rock of offence Surely 〈◊〉 it be so your coming at it by guess and ignoranly is to be suspected And therefore on this consideration ye would be awakened to put your selves more seriously to the study of it and to try your selves if ye be come well to it for it 's the special yea the only-ground of your peace before God There are many of you who in a manner think it impossible to miscarry in this For ye know that there is no way to be Justified but by Faith and yet if many of you were put to it ye know not the manner nor way how Faith Justifies which shews that it is not so easie a matter as ye take it to be A 4th Consideration is this That in speaking of Justification and Faith's peculiarnesse or peculiar way of concurring in it ye would beware of crying down Works as to their usefulness or necessity This was an error that soon entered in the Church as soon as Paul cleared and pressed the Doctrine of Justification by Faith some arose who as James shews in the 2d Chapter of his Epistle affirmed that Works were not needful but Faith would save them no sayes James that faith is dead and vain that wants works And therefore remember 1. That although we tell you that Works are not properly the condition of the Covenant of Grace yet we say that Faith and Works are never separat in a Justified Person sound Faith cannot but work and put on to the study of Holinesse 2. We say although Works concur not in the obtaining of pardon of Sin yet we say they are needful to Salvation and to folks entry in to Heaven For the Apostle saith Heb. 12.17 That without holiness none shall see the Lord Though it's Faith that makes our friendship yet it 's by holinesse that it 's entertained and it 's holinesse whereby our communion is keeped up with God Therefore Col. 1.12 We are said by it to be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light For it transforms us to Gods Image 3. Works are necessary though not to procure our peace yet for the entertaining of our peace and except we have Works we cannot have a solid proof that our Justification by Faith is real and in this respect James sayes Chap. 2. that Abraham was Justified by Works That is by his Works he was declared to be a justified person As to the Justification of his person he was justified by Faith before Isaac was born but by his offering up of Isaac and other Fruits of his Faith he was declared and manifested to be a Justified man and made suitable to the Covenant that he was ingaged in with God Therefore as the sum of all be exhorted to study the exercise of Faith and Holinesse so as every one of them may have it 's own room and place for that will be your advantage and without this no other thing will advantage you Now God himself that calleth for both Sanctifie and enable us for both SERMON LXII ISAIAH LIII XI Vers 11. For he shall bear their iniquities IT 's a thing that can neither be easily believed nor yet understood how by Christs knowledge or by Faith in Him many shall be justified In these Words the Prophet adds a Reason that both confirms