to God without Him as the Word is Heb. 7.25 Them that come to God by him he comes unto God by Christ in Prayer in Praises and in every other Dutie of Worship The Apostle to this Purpose sayes Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God The believing Soul is never right till it 's all be put in His hand Though all these be not distinct and explicit in the Persons use making of Christ's Sacrifice yet he expects that the Application of the Benefits which Christ hath purchased to him shal be made forthcoming to him by vertue of that same Purchase And that He who is the Author will also be the finisher of his faith The sum and upshot of all is to shew that as we have much Good by and in Christ if we could make use of it So He calleth us to be Cheerfull and Comforted in the use making of it and not to Minish our own Consolation when he hath condescended Graciously thus to Extend and Inlarge it with so Richly Liberal and Bountifull a Hand SERMON XL. ISAIAH LIII X Verse 10. He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand IT may be thought and that very justly that there must be some great and glorious Design driven in the contryvance of the Work of Redemption That was executed by such a Mean as is the Suffering of the Son of God And that there must be some Noble and Notable thing following on it that moved the Father to send his Son and the Son to come for this Work This part of the Text answers and tells us what is the Design He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes c. He shall communicat Life to many that were Dead and shall beget a Generation that shall have Life deryved from Him as a Seed have from their Parents And so this is a third Answer for removing of that stumbling Objection proposed in the beginning of the Verse to wit How it came to passe that the Innocent Son of God who had done no violence and who had no guile in his mouth was put to such Sufferings We shew that there were three Grounds laid down in Answer to this 1. It pleased the Lord to bruise him It was the Fathers good pleasure The 2d is from the Nature of His Sufferings which were to be a Sin-offering or an Offering for Sin not for His own but for the Sins of the Elect. The 3d. Is That His Sufferings should have notable Fruits and Effects following them set down in Three Expressions which are partly Prophesies telling what should be the Effects of the Sufferings of the Mediator partly Promises made to the Mediator telling what should be His Reward and Hyre to speak so for His Sufferings 1. He shall see his seed that is many shall get good of His Sufferings 2. He shall prolong his dayes That is He shall outlive these His Troubles and Sufferings and shall have a glorious Out-gate and Reign 3. The pleasure of the Lord shal prosper in his hand That is The Work that was given Him to do and to finish shall thrive well and no part of it shall faill or miscarry In the First Promise made to Him or in the first Effect that should follow on His Sufferings in these Words He shall see his seed We have these Three 1. A Relation implyed betwixt Christ and Believers They are His seed such as in the next verse are said to be justifiea by Him It is in short many shall get Pardon of Sin and Justification by His Death In this respect it 's said Psal 45. penult verse In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth 2. A Prophesie and foretelling of the event that should follow Christ's Sufferings and so it holds out this That our Lord Jesus should not only have a Seed but a numerous Seed that should be made sure to Him And it seems to be in allusion to that which is spoken of Abraham and of others in the Old Testament of whom it 's said that they should have Seed That is that many should descend of them But there is more here For whereas others while they are Living or in their Life-time beget a Seed which begetting is interrupted by Death The Death of our Lord Jesus begets His Seed or His Seed are begotten by His Death 3. Considering the Words as a Promise they hold out this That though our Lord Jesus Suffer and Die yet He sha l not only have a Seed but He shall see His Seed He shall outlive His Sufferings and Death And shall be delighted In seeing of them who shall get the good of His Sufferings As it 's said of Job that he saw his children or sâ—ed of the third and fourth generation That is he lived long and saw mâ—ny that came of him even so though our Lord came to Death and to the G ave yet He should not only have a numerous Seed many Children but He should live and see them and that not only for three or four or for ten Generations But for very many Generations And His dying should neither mar His begetting nor the seeing of them And this seeing of his Seed is opposed to such Parents as are Dead and who though their Children and Posterity be in want yet they know it not From the First of these Observe That Believers are our Lord Jesus His Seed they are come of Him whatever their Meannesse and Lownesse be in the World and though they could not clame Kindred to any of externally honest Rank and Quality yet they are His Seed To this purpose the Apostle bespeaks the believing Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.27 28. Ye see your calling brethren how that not many mighty not many wise men after the flesh not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise c. that no flesh should glorie in his presence Though ye be not of any high Rank or Quality in the World yet of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made to us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption In this respect Christ is called the everlasting father Isa 9.6 For He is the Father of all Believers that ever had or shall have Life who are Psal 45. penult verse caled His Children To clear this a little ye shall take it in these Four or Five respects or Considerations in which believers are said to be Christs Seed or be descended of Him 1. In this respect that as Believers they have their being of Him as Children descended from off their Parents as to their Natural being So Believers as they have a Spirituall Being descend from Him and hold their Being of Him without whom they had never been Believers And in this respect they are His Seed 1. Because He Meritoriously Purchased Life to them which
clear if we compare Gods purpose and decree with the event and eff ct for as a thing is in the event and â—ffâ—ct so God intended and purposed in his decree it should be thus the Lords final sentence at the day of Judgment is but the result of his eternal purpose the book of life containing the names of all the Elâ—ct was written to speak so before the Elect existed and as it 's said Acts 15. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning so in a special manner and peculiar way this great work of the Redemption was and they that were to be redeemed particularly knowen and written down in the book of God's decree of election hence it 's said Rom. 11.7 Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained and John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and John 10.28 I give my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish there is Rom 8.30 a concarination linking together of things from Gods purpose and decree of election â—ven to eternal glory which is the result of elâ—ctâ—on And it being very clear thaâ— some are admi ted and owned 〈◊〉 Christ in the great day and othâ—rs nor this is also cleaâ— that there was a differencing decree betwixt these so admitted and owned before the world was and others not so owned and admitted especially considering that this diffâ—â—encing aâ— the great day of Judgment is drawen from tâ—e decree of election Matth 25. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom pâ—epared for you before the foundation of the world was laid as if the Lord had said there was a purpose and design of bringing you to Heaven before the world was A 4th ground is taken from the nature of Gods Covenant of Râ—demption which holds clearly forth â—he truth of this Doctrine concerning election in all the steps of it As 1. In Gods making the offer and gift of some to the Mediator it 's only some that he gives and not all 2. In Christs acceptation of the offer and gift He prays for some he sanctifies himself for some and for some he compts and not for all 3. There is not a promise in all the Covenant of Redemption whether it be of Grace or of Glory but it is intended for the Elect only and not for all I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish John 10. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 Christs undertaking is for them only John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold them also I must bring in there is a necessity of the bringing in of them and of no others because he undertook for them and for no others We the rather take notice of and insist so much on this because it will much serve to clear the following Doctrine concerning the redemption of the Elect for if there be a differencing of them from others by the decree of election then there must be a differencing of them from others in Christs laying down of his life for them and not for any others Election is the key of all there is such a people and they are the object of the Covenant of Redemption whose good is sought after and agreed upon therein and not of any others Use 1. It serves for the confirmation of a weighty truth and we would have you not to think little of any piece of truth We shall not here follow the subtile cavillings of Advâ—rsaries against this truth only we would have you confirmed in the faith of it For 1. If ye be not clear and established in the faith of this truth ye will be in great hazard not only to make muddy but to obstruct and stop the whole current and tract of Grace so that Grace shall be a common thing Heaven and Happiness shall go by by guess Redemption shall be universal c. but let this truth be once well established that God hath a peculiar people for whom the Mediator transacted and these errors fall to the ground and evanish for it is the love of election from which all the rest of the benefits that come to the elect flow and this love is peculiar therefore there cannot be a common application of it it 's the peculiarness of Grace that commends it to the souls of Believers and makes it wonderful to them that God should have taken notice of them that were by nature separate from God as well as others that their case being common his love should be peculiar is indeed just and great matter of wonder hence comes in that song Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation not all of every nation people tongue and kindred are redeemed but some out of every one of these let this then be taken for a solid truth that the Lord in his eternal purpose hath made a difference and separation of some from others which is the great ground of the title that God hath to these some 2ly Clearness in this truth serves to keep the hearts of Gods people in awe of him to lift him up very high in their esteem as Soveraign over the Creature And if any should quarrel with God and say why did God so that of the Apostle comes well in for an answer Who art thou O man that replyest against God it's his soveraign pleasure who is supream Potter and hath power over the clay to make one vessel to honour and another to dishonour when the Soul doth thus take up God as having all Mankind before him as a lump of Clay and choosing out of it and writing up one man and not another it must needs in a transport of admiration say O! what a great and soveraign God must he be who did determine and write down the eternal condition of men before ever the world was 3ly This to the people of God 1. Preacheth wonderful grace when they having gotten their calling and election made sure come in and read their names in Gods decree of election before they had a Being And 2. It is to them matter of exceeding great consolation 1. I say it preacheth wonderful grace that freely choosed them and that when thousands of great Men and Noblemen were passed by such a poor body that was half a fool in comparison with them should be chosen according to that 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble hath God called but he hath chosen the foolish things of the world weak and base and things that are not to make them kings and priests unto God and his Father 2. It 's matter of exceeding great consolation to them that it 's free and sure free even so free that it stops the mouth of boasting for what I pray hath an elect more to speak of as a ground of boasting than a Pagan in America or
Christ Crucified OR THE MARROW of the GOSPEL Evidently holden forth in LXXII Sermons on the whole 53. Chapter of Isaiah WHEREIN The Text is clearly and judiciously opened up and a great many most apposite profoundly spiritual and very edifying points of Doctrine in a dilectable variety drawen from it With choice and excellent practical Improvements made of them Wherein also several Adversaries of the Truth as Socinians Papists Arminians and Antinomians are smartly solidly and succinctly reasoned with and refuted Wherein Moreover many Errours in Practice incident to Professours otherwise sound and Orthodox in their Opinions are discovered And not a few grave deep and very concerning Cases of Conscience soberly and satisfyingly discussed By that able Minister of the New-Testament Mr. JAMES DURHAM sometime Minister of the Gospel at Glasgow and solemnly called to a publick Profession of Divinity in the University there and also His Maiesties Chaplain in Ordinary when He was in Scotland 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you 1 Cor. 1.23 But we preach Christ crucified unto the Iews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness But unto them which are called both Iews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Augustinus in Psalm 129. Sacerdos noster a nobis accepit quod pro nobis offerret accepit a nobis carnem in ipsa carne victima pro nobis factus est holocaustum factus est sacrificium factus est EDINBURGH Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to the Kings most Sacred Majesty Anno DOM. M.DC.LXXXIII Vnto all Afflicted and Cross-bearing serious Christians and more particularly to the right Honourable and truly Noble Lord WILLIAM Earl of CRAFORD IT is one of the greatest Practical Debates and Contests betwixt God and his own People priviledged with a special interest in him which they are naturally inclined longest to keep up and are loathest to let fall viz. Whether he shall guide and govern them and shape out their lot to them while they sojourn here in the World as he himself in his own infinite wisdom shall think fit having a blank Submission put by them into his hand to be filled up with what kind and quality with what measure and quantity and with what continuance and duration of troubles trials and afflictions himself pleaseth Or whether he should as to somethings at least consult their will and pleasure and as it were take their advice and allow them a liberty to prescribe to him how he should guide and dispose of them And indeed to be here denyed to their own will and absolutely submitted to the will of God is one of the highest and most difficultly practicable points of self-denial to which notwithstanding all the Disciples and followers of Christ are expresly called and wherein he hath great delight and complacency as favouring strong of intire trust and confidence in him Yet if we consider these few things it will be found that there is all the reason in the World why they should come in his will and sweetly submit themselves to it in all things how cross soever to their own inclination without any the least sinful reluctation or contradiction which is our priviledge and the restauration of our degenerated nature to its Divine and Primitive integrity First if it be considered that he hath most Soveraign Absolute and Incontrollible Dominion over you as the Potter hath over the Clay for ye are the Clay and he is the Potter Nay he hath more absolute Dominion over you then the Potter hath over he Clay for the Potter maketh not the Clay both the Clay and the Potter being made by him Psal 100.3 Isa 64.8 But he hath made you and not you your selves Ye are all the work of his hands He hath made you living Creatures rational Creatures and new Creatures 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature which is the very flower of the Creation and ye are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 If therefore it be unsuitable and incongruous for the Clay to say to him that fashioned it Isai 45.9 What makest thou Or for a mans work to say to him that he hath no hands It 's sure much more for you to say to your great Potter and Fashioner What makest thou of us Why dealest thou so and so with us Wo to him that striveth with his Maker Rom. 9.21 let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth Jer. 18.6 Hath not the potter power over the clay And are you not not in the hand of the Lord as the clay as in the hand of the Potter He might have made you vessels to dishonour vessels of wrath fitted to destruction without being justly chargeable with any injury done to you And when he hath in the Soveraignty of his most wonderful free Grace made you vessels to honour and vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory will ye dare to quarrel with him for his disposing in his own way of your external condition in the World and of these moveables and accessories that are wholly extrinsick and not at all essential to your Salvation and true Happiness For let all the pleasures riches and honours of this World even all the delights of the sons of men in their very Extract Spirits and Quintessence and when in a manner Distilled in a Lembick till they be made to evaporat the purest Perfumes of their outmost perfections be heaped on the Christian As they make him no better Christian nor make any addition at all to his true happiness So when he is deplumed and stripped naked of them all every Bird as it were of these earthly comforts taking back again from him its own Feather He is made never a whit the worse Christian nor his happiness in the least impared It were certainly much more becoming you to say It is the Lord who can do us no wrong and who hath undeservedly done us much good let him do to us what seemeth good in his eyes Secondly If it be considered that he is of infinite wisdome and knows much better what is good for you then ye do your selves who often mistake what is good for you through your corruption ignorance partiality or prejudice But he by the most absolute perfection of his blessed Nature is infinitly removed from all possibility of mistaking what
they have no Faith they will not by any means take with that they believe there is a Saviour and that He is God and Man and that such as believe on Him shall be saved and on this they rest It 's such as these who think they have believed all their days since ever they had any Knowledge because the Word was always or very long since received in the Place where they lived for the Word of God and they believe it to be so also and know no difference betwixt believing the Word and believing on Christ holden out in it though alace many of you believe not this much for if ye were among the Jews ye might be soon brought to question the truth of the Gospel But though ye had the real Faith of the truth of the Word take not that for Saving Faith for as there is a real Sorrow that is not the Saving Grace of Repentance unto Life so there is a sort of real Faith that hath a real Object and a real being in the Judgement which yet is not a real closing with Christ and so not Saving Faith as suppose a Man pursued by his Enemy should see a strong Castle-door standing open or one in hazard at Sea should see dry Land if he should stand still while the Enemy were pursuing him or abide still in the sinking Vessel the sight of the Castle-door open nor of the dry Land would not save him so it 's not the believing that there is a Saviour come into the World to save Sinners that will save except there be a resting on Him as He is holden out in the Woâ—d of the Gospel Historical Faith is only as it were a looking on the Saviour but Saving Faith grips to Him and rests on Him Historical Faith looks on Christ but acts not on Him closes not with Him and therefore such as have it only and no more sink and perish without getting good of Him We would think it a great matter to get many of you as far on in Believing as the Devil is who believes and trembles the little trembling that is shews that there is but little of this Historical Faith yet as I have often said this is not all ye may have this and yet if ye halt there ye will certainly perish if ye were never so confident to be saved the Apostle doth well distinguish these Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him where these two are presupposed First Believing that God is or hath a Being And secondly Believing that His Promise is sure and sicker that He is Faithful that hath promised and will make His Word good And then thirdly On both these follows a coming to Him as a Rewarder of diligent Seekers of Him The first two take in Historical Faith for to believe that God is is Natural and to believe that God is Faithful in His Promise may be in Natural Men but to come to Him to get the hazard that the Soul is in removed through Jesus Christ is a thing few do attain This then is the first thing we would be aware of not aware to believe the truth of the Word but to be aware of resting on it as Saving Faith it 's not enough to look on Christ and to grant that it is He but the Man must never be satisfied till he get himself rolled on Christ and the weight of his Salvation and Peace laid on Him in His own way The second thing ye would beware of is Some common and quickly transient work on the Affections that may accompany Historical Faith Whether the Affection of Grief or the Affection of Joy be stirred thereby both are unsafe to be rested on when ye can't prove your resting on Christ or where there is no relevant ground to prove it by though ye should tremble as Felix did and be under allaruming convictions of Conscience and fears of your hazard or though ye should be affected with Joy as the Temporary Believer may be and sometimes is what will that profite you it's a great mistake to take some small work on the Affections which at the best is but an effect of Historical Faith for a Saving work of the Spirit Or secondly If it be not an effect of Historical Faith it 's an effect of a challenge of Conscience and smiting of the Heart as in Saul who could say to David Thou art more righteous than I my son David Or thirdly It 's some common work of the Spirit such as was in Simon Magus of whom it is said he believed and who could say pray for me for Folks to conclude on this ground that they are brought out of Nature into a State of Grace is to build upon a Sandy Foundation The Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 7.10 of worldly Sorrow as well as of a godly Sorrow and as there may be a wordly Sorrow so there may be a carnal Joy a piece of fainness to speak so in Prayer or at hearing of a Preaching or at a Communion which is not Saving Faith some hear the Word with Joy Matth. 13. who yet endure not and John Baptist's Hearers rejoyced in his Light for a season even as a sick Man who hearing as we hinted before that a Physician who is skilful and able to cure him is come to Town he grows fain in the contemplation of a Cure of his Disease but here is the stick when the Physician tells the Man that he must be so and so abstemious and keep himself under such a strict Diet he dow not abide that and so all his joy evanishes There is something like this in Tempory Faith where some remote expectation of Salvation will cause a carnal Joy and Fainness but when it comes to this that a Man is called to quite his Lusts or his Estate or in the World to undergo Trouble and Persecution for the Gospel by and by he is offended he thinks to say so a Fowl in his hand is worth two fleeing and therefore when the Storm blows in his Teeth he turns his Back and runs away Especially we will find this to be with Men in Sickness they will have mints and seriousness and sometimes flashes of Sorrow under Convictions or Challenges and sometimes flashes of Joy that will evanish when they come to Health again When we speak of some common work on the Affections we would take in liberty and some warmness of Spirit in Prayer which no question even unrenewed Men may find more at one time than another as when they are in some great hazard or strait they will be more than ordinary serious in that Duty and yet that may be but an effect of Nature This proves a great Stumbling and Neck-break to many that they think they are well enough if now and then they get utterance in Prayer as sometimes they will get words beyond what they expected and when upon reflecting they find that
the other necessarily along with it never love that Faith that leaves the Heart as a Swines-sty to Lusts that leaves it swarming with unclean and vain Thoughts or that leaves the Heart just as it was before or that Faith that only cleanseth the outside and does no more such a Faith however esteemed by the Man will never be accounted for true Saving Faith before God I do not I dare not say that Believers will always discern this heart-purity or cleanness but this I say that true Faith will set the Man a work to purify the Heart and will be making use of Christ for that end not only to have the arm of the dominion of Sin broken but to have the Soul more and more delivered from the indwelling power of it and this will the design that he will sincerely drive to get the Heart purified within as well as the outward Man inward Heart-abominations will be grievous and burdensome to him as well as scandalous out-breakings A second place is Gal. 2.20 21. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life c If ye would know a Companion of true Faith here is one it hath a life of Faith with it There is one life killed and another life is quickened the life that is killed is that whereby the Man sometime lived to the Law I am dead to the Law says the Apostle a Man's good conceit of himself that once he had is killed and taken away he wonders how it came that he thought himself Holy or a Believer or how he could promise to himself Heaven in the condition he was in There is another life comes in the place of that and it 's a life that is quickened and maintained by and from nothing in the Man himself but it 's wholly from and by Christ The Believer hath his holiness and strength for doing all called for Duties and his comfort also from Christ and he holds withall his very Natural Life his present Being in the World from Christ his all is in Christ his stock of life strength and furniture is not in himself but he lives by a continual Traffick as it were on Bills of Exchange betwixt Christ and him when he wants he sends a Bill to Christ and it 's answered in every thing that he stands in need of and that is good for him He is a dead Man and he is a living Man and where-ever true Faith is there the Man is dead and there the Man is living Do not I pray mistake it by thinking that true Faith is but vented puts forth it self only in reference to this or that particular or at this or that particular time only for Fâ—ith must be exercised not only at starts as when when we are under Challenges for Sin or at Prayer but we must design and endeavour to exercise Faith thorow all our Life that is we must by Faith look for every thing that is useful and needful for us from Christ and be always endeavouring to drive on a common Trade of living this way we must be habituating our selves to seek after Peace Strength and Consolation and what else we need out of the fulness that is in Him This Life of Faith is to see the want of all things in our selves and yet to have all things by making use of Christ in all things contenting and comforting our selves that there is Strength in Him though we be weak in our selves and that He hath gotten the victory over all His and our Enemies and that we shall at last through Him be victorious in our own Persons contenting and satisfying our selves that He hath compleat Righteousness though we be Bankrupt and have none of our own and betaking our selves allenarly to that Righteousness for our Justification before God Thus making a Life to our selves in Him He living in us by His Spirit and we living in Him by Faith O sweet and desirable but mysteriouâ— Life The third place is Gal. 5.6 In Christ Jesus neither circumsion availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love He doth not simply say Faith but faith that works by love for Faith is an operative Grace and this is the main vent of it the thing by which it works it works by Love Faith is the hand of the new Creature whereby every thing is wrought it having Life from Christ and we may say that Love is in a manner the hand of Faith or rather like the fingers upon the hand of Faith whereby it handleth every thing tenderly even out of love to God in Christ and to others for His sake Faith works and it works by Love that 's a sound and good Faith that warms the Heart with love to Christ and the nearer that Faith brings the Believer to Him it warms the Heart with more love to others And therefore love to the People of God is given as an evidence of one that is born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 because wherever true Faith is there cannot but be love to the Children of God flowing from love to Him that begets them That Faith that 's not affected with God's dishonour out of love to Him and that can endure to look upon the Difficulties Sufferings and Afflictions of the Children of God without sympathizing and being kindly affected therewith is not to be taken for a sound Faith but to be suspected for a Counterfeit The fourth place is James 2 14. Shew me thy saith by thy works c. True Faith hath always sound Holiness with it in all manner of Conversation in the design and endeavour of the Believer which is withall through Grace in some measure attained What avails it for a Man to say that he loves another when being naked or destitute he bidâ— him depart in Peace be warmed be filled and yet in the mean time gives him nothing that he stands in need of would not such a poor Man think himself but mocked Even so will not God reckon you to be but Mock-believers or Mockers of Faith when ye profess your selves to be Believers in Christ while in the mean time ye have neither indeed Heart-purity nor Holiness in your outside Conversation that is but such a Faith as Devils may have that will never do you good Ye would believe this for a truth that there will never a Faith pass for Faith in God's account and so there should never a Faith pass for Faith in your account but that Faith that sets the Man a work to the study of Holiness that Faith that works by Love that Faith that purifies the Heart and that Faith that puts the Person in whom it is to study to have Christ living in him and himself living in Christ I promised to name a few Scriptures that speak out some more condescending Characters of Faith And 1. I would think it a good token of Faith to have Folk feared for missing and falling short of the Promises
esteemed him not even because of his lowness In the words now read and forward the Prophet sets himself to remove the offence that men took at our Lords Humiliation by shewing them that although he became so low yet he was not to be the less esteemed of for that And the ground which he layes down to remove the offence is in the first words of the Text which in sum is this that there was nothing in himself wherefore he should have been brought so low there was no sin in him neither was there any guile found in his mouth but he was graciously pleased to take on him that which we should have born and therefore men ought not to stumble and offend at his stooping to bear that which would with its weight have crushed them eternally and thereby to make their peace with God in the 6. vers he shews how it came to pass that he stooped so low All we saith he like sheep have gone astray and turned every one of us to our own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all We had lost our selves and God in the depth of his eternal wisdom love and good-will found out the way to save us wherein to speak so a Covenant was transacted betwixt God and the Mediator who becomes Cautioner for our sins which are transferred on him From the 7. vers to the 10. vers he goes on in shewing the execution of this transaction and how the Cautioner performed all according to his engagement And from the 10. vers to the close we have the promises made to him for his satisfaction The scope is as to remove the scandal of the Cross so to hold out our Lords pursuing the work of satisfaction to the Justice of God for elect sinners and the good success he had in it In the 4 and 5. verses we have three things 1. This ground asserted Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows 2. Mens enmity aggreged from this yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted In the very mean time that he condescended to stoop so low for us and to bear that which we should have born we esteemed but little of him we looked on him as a plagued man 3. This is more fully explained vers 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities He was so handled for our sins and the chastisement of our peace was on him that which made our peace with God was on him By his stripes we are healed the stripes that wounded and killed him cured us We have here then rather as it were a sad narration then a Prophesie of the Gospel holding out a part of our Lords sufferings yet a clear foundation of the consolation of the people of God it being the ground of all our Faith of the pardon of sin of our peace with God and of our confident appearing before him that our Lord was content to be thus dealt with and to give his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair We shall clear the words in the assertion which will serve to clear the words of the whole Chapter and also of the Doctrines to be drawn from it 1. The thing that Christ bare is called griefs and sorrows by which we understand the effects that sin brings on men in the world for its the same that in the 5. vers is called his being wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity It 's a wounding that iniquity causeth and meritoriously procureth It 's not sin it self but the effect of sin to wit the punishment the sorrow and grief that sin brings with it called griefs and sorrows Partly because grief and sorrow is necessarily joyned with sin partly to shew the extremity and exceeding greatness of this grief and sorrow and the bitter fruits that sin hath with it 2. How is it said that Christ hath born and carried their griefs and sorrows By this we understand not only Christs removing of them as he removed sickness and diseases as it is said Matth. 8.16 17. But also and mainly his actual and real enduring of them as the phrase is frequently used in Scripture That man shall bear his iniquity or he shall bear his sin Levit. 5. and many other places It sees out a real inflicting of the punishment that sin deserves on him 3. That it is said our griefs and our sorrows it is not needlesly or superfluously set down but to meet with the offence that men take at Christs humbling himself so low As if he had said What aileth you to stumble at Christs coming so low and being so afflicted It was not for his own sins but for ours that he was so handled And they are called our griefs and sorrows 1. Because we by our sins procured them they were our deserving and due to us the debt was ours though he as our Cautioner took it on himself 2. Because though the Elect have distinct reckonings and peculiar sins some moe some fewer some greater some lesser yet they are all put on Christs account there is a combination of them a gathering of them all on him as the word is vers 6. He hath laid on him or made to meet on him the iniquities of us all The meaning then of the assertion is this Surely this is the cause of Christs Humiliation and this makes him not only to become Man but to be a mean poor Man and to have a comfortless and afflicted life in the World that he hath taken on him that Punishment Curse and Wrath that was due to us for our Sins and therefore he ought not to be offended and stumbled at Now because Socinians the great Enemies of Christs satisfaction and of the comfort of his People labour to elude this place and to make Christ only an exemplary Saviour and deny that he really and actually did undergo these Griefs and Sorrows for the Sins of his Elect We shall a little clear and confirm the exposition we have given the question is not about the taking away of Sin but about the manner of removing it They say that it is by Gods pardoning of it without a Satisfaction We say it is by Christs Satisfaction So the difficulty in expounding the words is whether to expound them of Christs removing our Sorrows and Griefs from us or of his bearing of them for our Sin and so really taking it away And that this Scripture means not of a simple removing of them as he did remove Sickness Matth 8.17 but by a real taking them on himself and bearing of of them in order to the satisfaction of the Justice of God for our Sins We shall give these Reasons to confirm it 1. Because these words are to be understood of such a bearing of Sorrows and Griefs as made Christ to be contemptible and despised before others This is clear from the scope for they are given as a reason
forbid wo unto them that make such an use of this truth nor do I speak of it to allow any to dispense with or to give way to themselves to sin for we shew before that Christ is here proposed as our Patern and we are bidden purifie our selves as he is pure But this we say that none living here on the earth are without sin the most perfect men that are on this side Eternity carry about with them a body of death called five or six times sin Rom. 7. that hath actual lustings and a power as a law of sin to lead captive and that makes the man guilty before God Use 2. For reproof to two sorts of enemies to this Truth 1. These inveterate enemies of the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit the Papists that black train that follows Antichrist who plead for a perfection according to the law as attainable in this life saying down two grounds to prove this perfection 1. That the inward lustings or first risings and moâ—ions at least of the body of Death are no sins And 2. Their exponing of the law so as it may suit to their own apprehension and opinion yet so as they say that every Believer or godly Person wins not to this perfection to keep the law wholly but only some of their Grandees This the Lord hath mercifully banished out of the Reformed Churches as Inconsistent with the experience of the Saints who find a law in their members warring against the law of their mind and leading them captive to the law of sin that is in their members inconsistent with the Scriptures which clear that none have attained nor do attâ—in perfection in this life but the contrary that in many things we offend all and inconsistent with Grace that leaves sinners still in Châ—ists common and debt as standing in need of his imputed Righteousness This perfection they place in inherent Holiness and habitual Grace but we insist not on it 2ly Another sort of enemies reproved here are the old Familists who are owned by these who are called Antinomians several of which miserable persons are now going up and down amongst us who say that the People of God have no sin in them wherein they are worse then Papists for Papists make it peculiar to some only but they make it common to all Believers And Papists make their perfection to consist in inherent holiness but they make the nature of sin to be changed and say that sin is no more so in a Believer even though it be contrary to the Law of God We grant indeed that the people of God are free of sin in these respects 1. In this respect that no sin can condemn them they are not under the Law but under Grace in that respâ—ct Rom. 8.1 It 's said that There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ 2. In his respect that they cannot fall into that sin which as unto death as is clear 1 John 5.17 18 And 3. in this respect that they cannoâ—â—o sin â—s to ly or be under thâ—â—â—â—gn and â—omiâ—ion of sin as is evident Rom. 6 14. The Believer delights in thâ— Lâ—w â—f God according to the inner man Râ—m 7.22 And is not in sin neither doth câ—mmit sin as the unbeliever doth for the seed of God abideth in him and is kept from being involved in that which hiâ— corrupt nature inclines the Believer to So then what the Scriptuâ—e speaks of the Believers being free of sin is to be understood in one of these respects But to â—ay 1. That a Believer cannot sin at all sad expâ—rience and the practice of the Saints is a proof of the contrary Or 2. To say that sin in a Believer is no sin because of his faith in Christ is as contrâ—â—y to Scripture For the Law of God is the same to the Believer and the unbeliever and sin is the same in both Adultery is Adultery and Murâ—her is Murther in David as well as in â—ny other man Sure when Christ bade his Disciples pray for forgivenness of sin daily he taught them no such Doctrine as to account their sins to be no sins For if so they should neither repent of sin nor seek the pardon of it as some are not a shamed to say they should not That which we aim at is to â—lear it to be Christs prerogative only to be free of sin none oâ—her in this life can claim it And to teach Bâ—lievers to carry about with them daily all along their mortal life that which is for their good even the sense â—f sin I know it is now an up cast â—rom some pretended perfectionists to the people of God that they think and say that they have sin and aâ—e not perfect And we are by these men called Antichristian Priests and Jesuits because we Preach that Doctrine Buâ— let it be soberly considered whether it doth better agree with Papists and Jesuits to say that Believers are without sin or to say that they have sin They who say that Believers or the Saints have no sin do agree in this with the Papists who maintain a perfection of holiness or a conformity to the Law in some in this life and who deny the lustings of the body of death to be sin without which opinâ—on though most gross they would not nor could with the least shadow of reason mainâ—ain their Doctrine of Juâ—tification by Works And yet some now among us will needs call us Popish because we say that we have sin and that none of God's people are â—ithout sin in this life Tâ—is seems to be very strâ—â—ge But that wâ—ich hath been the thought of some sharp-sighted and sagacious men since the bâ—ginning of our confusions to wit that Popery is a working as an under-hand design is by this and other things mâ—de to be more and more apparent Is there any thing more like Popery working in a mystery yea more Popish then to say that the motions of corruption in Believers are no sins thaâ— a man or woman may attain to perfection in holiness here and yet to carry on this with that subtilty as confidently to averr that it's Popery to say the contrary Nay if the Scâ—iptures they make use of in their Papers or Pamphlets be well considered we will find that not only a perfection in Holinâ—â—s and Good works is pleaded for but a possibility of fulfilling the Law and Covenant oâ— Works as namely 1 Pet. 1.15 1 John 3.3 and 5.5 and Matth. 5. ult Will ye say they call your selves Saints that are not purified even as he is pure And will ye câ—ll your selves Believers that havâ— not overcome the world c As if all that is commanded duty might be or were perfectly reached in this life and as if no diâ—tinction betwixt begun yea considerably advanced holiness and intire perfection were to be adâ—itted That for which I mark this is to shew that the design of Popery seems to be on foot the Devil
is the thing here mainly understood as following immediatly an the back of His Sufferings 2. Because they have Life from Him efficiently as He works it in them and by the Gospel begets them Therefore He is said 1. Tim. 1.10 To have brought life and immortality to light through the gospel which was not known in many parts of the World till Christ brought it forth In this respect Believers are Christ's Seed we are not born Believers of our Parents nor have the Faith which we have of the Ordinances nor of Ministers as efficient Causes thereof But it is from our Lord Jesus who is Believers Father Thus Believers have an Affinity and near Relation to Christ even to be His Children And any that would lay claim to Faith or Spiritual Life would see well that it be this way kindly and as we use to say leill come from Jesus Christ and that they be in His Debt and Common for it 2ly They are His Seed in respect of the likeness that is betwixt Him and them or in respect of the Qualifications that are in them as they are said 2 Pet. 1.4 By the exceeding great and precious promises to be made partakers of the divine nature They have of the same Spirit for the kind that He as Mediator hath in Him And it 's in this respect that Cant. 7.1 The Believer is called the Princess daughter which especially looks to the Spiritual Generous and Noble Qualifications that are deryved from Christ to the Believer Hence Believers are said to have the Spirit of Sons when all others though they be the greatest in the World have but the Spirit of Servants and their Generosity is nothing to that of Believers who are made partakers of the divine nature We have not sayes the Apostle received the spirit of fear but of faith and love and of a sound mind Ah! there are many that claime Kindred and Relation to Christ that are very unlike Him 3ly They are called Christ's Seed in respect of the care that He hath of them Never Mother was more tender of the Sucking Child then He is of His Believing Children Therefore sayeth the Lord Isa 49.15 A mother may forget her sucking child but I will not forget thee Hence is that Phrase even as to visible Professors in the Church who refuse to listen to the call of the Gospel which is much more eminently verified in Believers Matth. 23. How often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens under her wings So tender and respective is He to His Children as the Mother is tender to the Sucking Child or as the Hen is of her newly hatched and young Chickens for they are in some respect come out of His own Bowels His Blood was shed to Purchase them So it is said Isa 40.11 He gathered the lambs with his arm he carries them in his bosome And gently leads those that are with young And O! what Massie Consolation have such Words as these in them And what confidence may Believing Sinners have to come to this Mediator That is a Mother a Father a Brother and a Parent that hath begotten us out of His own Bowels and in some respect as we are Believers hath as a Mother conceived us in His own Womb. 4ly They are called His Seed in respect of the Portion which they get from Him The Apostle sayes that Parents provide for their Children It 's indeed eminently so here Believers come under His Care oversight and Tutory And as a Man provides for His Houshold His Children and Servants Meat in due season And the Apostle sayes he is worse then an infidel that provides not for them of his own house even so our Lord Jesus as He gives Believers their Spiritual Life so He entertains that Life provides for them and trains them up and on till he enter them in to the Possession of Eternal Life they are made by Him Princes Psal 45.16 Intituled to a Kingdom yea all His Children are Kings and sit with him on his throne Rev. 2. last Verse and are made partakers of His Glory and to speak so they Fair as He Fairs they Dwell as He Dwells and behold His Glory O! is not this much That the poor Dyvour that hath nor a Penny left him nor to leave to another should be thus Dignified as to have a claim to Christ's Kingdom to be an Heir and a joynt Heir with Him who is the Heir of all things For so we come to be Retoured to speak so and so be served Heirs to all things As it is Rev. 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things And it goes on this ground Heb. 1.2 That the Mediator is appointed heir of all things with whom being joint heirs we are Heirs too and are made to Inherit all things 5ly They are called His Seed because of the manner of their coming to the Possession of that which through Him they have a Claim to For they have Claim to nothing but by being Heirs to and with Him And by believing in Him They are Heirs of the promise in some respect as Isaac was So then briefly to recapitulat all these would ye know the way that Believers are Christ's Seed 1. He begets them and they have their Spiritual Life of Him 2. He is tender of them as of His own Children 3. They are furnished with Qualifications and Dispositions suitable to Him 4. They have a rich Portion from Him and are well provided for 5. What good they get is for His sake who is their Father Here we may allude to that Word Rom. 11. They are beloved for the Fathers sake by a Right and Title to Him they come to have a Good and Goodly Portion They claim not their Portion because of this or that thing in themselves but by their being served Heirs to Christ being come of Him they come to get a Right to what is His. Use As all Relations betwixt Christ and Bellevers speak out much Consolation So doth this if we were in Case to apply it This one Word hath in it and holds forth a good Condition and is a very broad Chartour See here then 1. What we are in Christ's Common and Debt who are Believers It 's much to be made a Friend to be fred from the Curse of God and to have all our Debt payed But this is more to be His Seed to be His own Children to have our Life of Him to have our Provision and Portion from Him It 's really a wonder that we wonder not more at this and other Relations that are betwixt Him and Believers as namely he is the Believers Father and takes them to be His Sons and Daughters He is the Believers Brother and is not ashamed to call them brethren He is the Believers Husband and they are His Spouse He is their Bridegrome and they are His Bride Such Relations as these are pitched upon and made choise of to fill If I may speak so the Faith of
some hard piece of Labour or to bestow of our Means and Substance yea all of it to please Him it had been very reasonable on His part to have demanded it and most unreasonable on ours to have refused it But our Lord layes weight on none of these things as seperated from the laying the weight of our Souls on His Righteousness The Reason is because the making use of His Righteousness and the improving of His Sufferings for our Justification and Salvation shews that He in His Sufferings is esteemed of and He seeks no more but that 2. Consider how good reason ye have to satisfie Christ and yeeld to Him and to improve His Sufferings for your own Salvation Is there any that dar say the contrary Will not Historical Faith say that there is good reason for it if there be any Love to Him or to your own Souls will it not plead for this If ever ye think to be Pardoned is there any other name given whereby ye can expect it Is there any Holiness or Comfort but from Him any hope of Heaven but through Him and will not this bind the Conscience of any that is not desperat to judge That He from whom all this comes should be Satisfied 3. Consider at what a rate He hath Purchased these benefits of the Pardon of Sin of Peace with God of Sanctification of the hope of Heaven c. And how He hath brought them about Did He not ingage in the Covenant of Redemption and hath He not performed all that He ingaged for in taking on our Nature in being in an Agony in Sweating drops of Blood in being Buffeted Mocked Reproached and in Dying to procure Life and Peace to Sinners If we could rightly discern His Sufferings and the benefits that we have by them it would say that there is good reason that He should have a kindly meeting who hath done and Suffered so much to obtain these to us 4. Consider the cheerfull way of His Suffering and of His laying down of the Price how well-pleased He was to undergo all for His People so that He sayeth John 10. No man taketh my life from me but I lay it down of my self and take it up again Psal 40. I delight to do thy will O my God And Luke 12. I have a baptizme to be baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished And Luke 22. With desiâ—e have I desired to eat this passover before I suffer He opened not his mouth in order to His delivery so well did He love the Salvation of Sinners Now What if a meer and ordinary Mâ—n had done something to the hazard of His Life for you would it not plead with the most Carnal Persons having the least measure of Natural or Moral Inginuity to give Him a meeting Very Heathens will love these that love them much more ought ye to satisfie Him in what He requires who hâ—th done so much for Sinners 5. Consider what He seeks as a Satisfaction hinted at before If it were a great matter or which were to your prejudice there might be some shadow of a ground to Refuse but when it is no more but to make use of His Sufferings for your own good how can it be refused It 's in this Case as if the Patients health would satiâ—fie the Physician as if a Poor Mans receiving of a Sum of Money would satisfie the Rich Friend who is pleased to bestow it Or â—s if one that is naked would satisfie another by putting on the Cloaths laid to his hand by him What reason is there to refuse such Offers And yet this that Christ calls for is even as if the Physician should say to his dying Paâ—ient I will be satiâ—fied greatly if thou wilt take this Potion that is for thy Recovery â—ealth and Cure and I will not be content if thou take it not though the Ingredients stand my self very dear besides that it is for thy good and will Recover thee Or as if the Father should say to the Child I will not be content if thou put not on such a fine Suit that stood me so much Money In a word That which makes the Divour Sinner happy is that which satisfies Him 6. Consider if Jesus Christ get not this Satisfaction what will come of it if ye please Him not in this He will be highly displeased no other thing will Satifie Him though ye should Pray and Weep an hundred years and do many good Works if He get not this Fruit of His Soul-sufferings To wit that ye improve them for your Souls good and Salvation He will be continually displeased Therefore it 's said Psal 2. Kiss the Son least he be angry And that is notâ—ing else but to make Use of Hâ—m in His Offices and it sayes that there is no way to please Him and to eshew His anger but this And indeed if ye anger Him ye anger Him that can be your best Friend and your greatest Foe 7. Consider further how Our Lord Jesus seeks and presses for this Satisfaction from you He â—ends forâ—â— His Friends and Ambassadors to wooe â—n His Name and to beseech you â—o be reconciled and to tell you that it will not be thousands of Rams nor your firâ—â—-born that will do the business but that ye must humble your selves and walk with God which necessarly suppoâ—eth the Use-making of Christ If there had been no pleading with you in His Name there had not been such Sin in not imp oving H s Satisfaction But when He pleads so much and so often for this and intreats every one in particular to Satisfie Him saying as it were let Me see of the Travel of My Soul 〈◊〉 Me have this much Satisfaction for all M Sufferings that ye will make Use of My Righteousnesse and when He is so very serious in Beseeching and Intrâ—aâ—i g it should no doubt make us the more willing to grant Him what He seeks 8. Ye would look upon this not only as a discourse in the general to Siâ—nâ—rs but ye would also look on it as addressed to every one of you in particular And therefore remember that ye will all be called to give an account of this matter and it will be sked you What became of such and sucâ— an offer of Grace and whether ye gave Him â—he Satisfaction that He called for or not According to that Word Act. 17.31 e hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained Whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead He would have Judged the World though Christ had not come But He will have a day wherein He will call all the hearers of the Gospel to an account especially as to this To wit What welcome they have given to Christ And seing such a day is coming when Folk will be called to an account what Use they made of Him with what face will
a Sinner may be brought to get the Benefit of Christ's Satisfaction These two being the Sum of the Gospel To wit Christ's Purchase and the Application of it to Sinners In this last part of the verse We have these Five things to be considered which express this 1. The great benefit that flows from Christ's Sufferings and it is Justification Which in a word is this much To be Absolved Acquited and set Free from the Guilt of Sin and from the Curse of God Justifying here being opposed to Condemning So that when it s said They shall be justified The meaning is that these that were before obnoxious to the Curse and that were by the Law to be Condemned according to that Word Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that abids not in all things written in the law to do them Shall now through the benefit of Christ's Sufferings be declared Free and set at Liberty even as a Debtor is set Free by the interveening of a Responsall Cautioner 2. The Parties made partakers of the Benefit And they are called Many though they are few being compared with the World yet in themselves they are many They shall come or many shall come From the east and from the west and from the south and from the north and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven And comparing this Word with the last Words of the v. It sayes That they are as many as these are whose iniquities He bare and the payment of whose Debt He undertook It is not to be taken Universally for all but for some singular Selected Persons whose iniquities He bare 3. The Fountain from which or from whom this Benefit flows to many It 's the Lords righteous servant he shall justifie many Where the effect is attributed alone to Him 4. The way how Christ Justifies it s not simply by forgiving as He indeed hath power to forgive Sins But meritoriously To wit by His Satisfying for them Therefore it is added For he shall bear their iniquities He shall take on their Sins and pay their Debt And therefore when they come before the Tribunal of God the Guilt of their Sins is taken off them through His Merit 5. The great Midse or Mean by which this Benefit is derived to these many it is by his knowledge Which is not to be taken Subjectively for the Knowledge that He hath But Objectively That is He by making Himself known by believing Or it 's by his knowledge not Actively but Pasively taken not His Knowledge whereby He doth Know but that whereby He is Known It 's in a word by Faith According to that Philip. 3.8 9 10. I account all things saith the Apostle there loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord c. And he expones what that is in the next Words That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is according to the law but the righteousness of God which is by the faith of him These may afterward be more fully cleared as we come to speak to them more particularly There is here then a brief Compend of the Gospel and of the way of Sinners Reconciliation with God So that if ye would know 1. How a Sinner is Justified or wherein it consists here it is It consists not in the infusing of Grace nor in the Sanctifying or making of a Prophane Person Holy Though that doth accompany alwayes and follow Justification But in the absolving of a Sinner from the Guilt of Sin or in acquiting the Guilty 2. Would ye know the Ground on which this goeth or how it comes to pass That the Just God can Justifie an ungodly Sinner It is because of Christ's Righteousness and of His Satisfying of Justice or paying of the Sinners Debt 3 Would ye know how it comes that this Man and not another comes to get Christ's Satisfaction made his and hath his Debt thereby taken off It is by His Knowledge and by Faith in Him called knowledge here Because it necessarily presupposes the Knowledge of Him It is by acknowledging of Him in His Offices and by submitting and betaking of our selves to Him by Faith Because it is Articled in the Covenant of Redemption That His Righteousnesse shall be made forthcoming to all them that by Faith betake themselves to Him for shelter So that hereby the ungodly are declared Righteous because through the Cautioners Payment and Satisfaction their Sin is not imputed to them and they are declared Free because of His paying of their Debt for them 4. Would ye know the Reason of this how it comes that Faith Justifies in it's resting on Christ It is not because of any worth in it self nor because of any account that is made of it's Worth but because it rests on Christ's Righteousnesse and takes hold of the Benefit of Christ's Purchase Therefore it is added Because he shall bear their iniquities because by Faith they take hold of His Sufferings and Satisfaction whereby their Sin is taken away and God becomes well-pleased with them for His sake This then is a most material place of Scripture and we had need in entring upon it to have an Eye to this Righteous servant That He would be pleased to make the Meaning of it known to us and to give us the right understanding of this great Mystery First In general Observe here in what Estate Men are Naturally and as Abstracted from Christ They are unjustified and lying under God's Curse obnoxious to His Wrath This is supposed Consider Men then in their Natural Estate this is it They are even obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God which is ready to ceize upon them for their breach of Gods Covenant and for provoking of Him by Sin if Men thought seriously on this how could they sleep or have peace not knowing when they may be Arrested and put in Prison till they pay the uttermost Farthing which will never be O! that ye knew and believed this who are ready to defie any that will offer to charge you with one penny of Debt and who walk up and down without all fear of your hazard Lay your Natural Estate to heart and ye will have quite other thoughts of your selves 2dly Observe The way how freedome from this Debt of Sin and lyableness to the Curses derived And to this many things concur each of which hath it's own place 1. The Mediator and His Satisfaction This is the Ground of the Freedom 2. The Covenant of Redemption and the Promise made to the Mediator in it He shall see his seed c. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied By his knowledge shall many be justified c. Wherein it is Articled That these for whom He Suffered shall be Pardoned and set free And it is this that gives Sinners access to expect the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings otherwayes though Christ had Suffered they had not been the better of
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
Curse as if he had never had Sin But the difference lyeth here that this last acception of the Word absolves a Man though he have Sin in himself by the interposing of a Surety and Cautioner who payes his Dâ—bt and procures the Sentence of Absolution to him And in this Sense Justification is as if a Man were standing at the Bar of Gods Tribunal Guilty and having a witness of his Guilt in himself and God out of Respect to the Mediator His Satisfaction and Payment of His Debt which He hath laid hold upon by Faith does pronunce that sinfull Person to be Free Absolved and Acquitted from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin and doth accordingly Absolve him upon that accompt So then Justification is not to be considered as Gods Creating and Infusing of gracious habits in us but the declaring of us to be Free and Acquitted from the Guilt of Sin upon the account of Christs Satisfying for our Debt This we will find to be very clear if we consider how the Word is taken both in the Old and new Testament as namely Isaiah 5.23 Woe unto them that justifie the wicked for a reward and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him And Prov. 17.15 He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are abomination to the Lord. Where the plain meaning of the Word can be no other then this that when a Judge pronounces a man to be Just although he be unjust it is a wicked thing which the Lord abhores And so Psal 51.4 That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest That is that thou might be declared to be so And Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her children 2. We will find this meaning of the Word to be clear if we consider Justification as distinguished from Sanctification For in that Popish sense they are both made one and the same but they are distinguished in Scripture As 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified Where he looks on these two Benefits of Justification and Sanctification as distiâ—ct and distinguisheth the one of them from the other now Sanctification being the Grace that renews our nature and makes an inward spiritual change Justification must needs be that Act of Gods Grace that takes away the Guilt of Sin and makes Sinners to be friends with God through Christs Righteousness and so is a relative change of their State 3. It will be clear if we consider to what it is opposed in Scripture it is not opposed to sinning as Sanctification is but to these two 1. To the charging of a Sinner with somewhat unto Condemnation And 2. To the Act of Condemning now the opposit to Condemnation is Absolution as is clear Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies who shall condemn c. Gods Justifying is put in as opposit to the Charging and Lybelling of the Elect and to the Condemning of them therefore none of these can be and so Justification there looks both to the part of an Advocat pleading and declaring a man to be Free and to the part of a Judge pronouncing him to be Absolved and Justified which well agrees to Our Lord Jesus who Justifies His People both wayes 4. It may also be cleared from parallel Scriptures where Justifying is called Reconciling As 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us c. And how that comes to pass is told in the last v. For he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him So that to be made the Righteousness of God is to be Justified and to be Justified is to be made friends with or to be reconciled to God and that not by working a moral Change but upon the account of Christ's Satisfact on bringing us into friendship with God So Eph. 1.6 Where to be Justified is exponed to be made accepted in the Beloved And what else is that but to be in good terms with God to have him passing by all quarrels as having nothing to say against us but accepting us through Christ as Righteous So Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could be justified by the law of Moses A place that clearly holds forth that as all the Elect are naturally chargable by the Law as being Guilty of the breach thereof and that they cannot be absolved from it by ought in themselves so they are through Faith in Jesus Christ freed from it As if the Lord had said ye are fred from the Sentence of the Law because through Christ is preached unto you Remission of Sins and there is away laid down for your Absolution who believe from the Guilt of Sin and from all the consequents of it 5ly It 's clear from the Text because it 's such a Justifying as hath in it Christs being Sentenced in our Room as the cause of it now He was Sentenced in our Room not by having Sin infused in Him which were Blasphemous to think but by having our Sin imputed to Him and therefore our Justification must be our Absolution by having His Righteousnesse imputed to us As is clear throughout this Chapter Therefore it s said He hath carried our sorrows and born our griefs He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities by his strips we are healed He laid on him the inquitie of us all And in these words By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities It 's a Justification that comes to us by Christ's taking on our Debt And this we cannot imagine to be otherwayes but by a Legal Change or by a Change of Law-rooms He coming as Surety in our Room and we having Absolution by vertue of His Satisfaction So that the meaning of the Words in short is As if the Prophet had said would ye know what we have by Christ's Sufferings Even this to wit That many as many as whose iniquities He bore and satisfied for shall be Acquitted and Absolved from the Guilt and Punishment of their Sin through His Satisfaction They shall be fred from the Sentence and Curse of the Law which they deserved And shall be declared Righteous through the Righteousnesse of their Cautioner which they have laid hold upon by Faith Hence Observe 1. That all Men and Women even all the Elect themselves are by nature lyable to an arraignment before the Justice-seat of God That they are Justified supposes a bringing of them as it were before His Tribunal ere they can be Justified and have the Sentence of Absolution past in their favours The Apostle takes this for granted
he was made a Priest by the eternal oath in the Covenant of Redemption Psal 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever And hels said to have an unchangable Priesthood And there being but one way of access for Sinners to Heaven by Christ who is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world it must be holden for a sure conclusion that his Intercession is as old as his Sâ—crifice And he was intercessour before his Incarnation in these three respects 1. In respect of his Office being designed to be Intercessour For as we said being designed to be Priest and being Mediator before his Incarnation he behoved to be Intercessour also For that way he did Mediat and the benefits that came to Sinners from the beginning were the effects of his Intercession Therefore 1 Tim. 2.5 It 's said There is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus and there was never another real Mediator however Moses might be called a typical one 2. He was Intercessour before his Incarnation in respect of the merit of his future Sacrifice He did not before his Incarnation Interceed by vertue of his Sacrifice actually offered as now he doth yet there was vertue which flowed from his Sacrifice to be offered to the people of God as well then as now when it hath been long since offered The Sins of all that ever were pardoned were pardoned on the account of his Sâ—crifice And so also the spiritual benefits that did redound to them did redound to them through his Intercession then as now by vertue of the same Sacrifice because of the nature of the Covenant wherein it was agreed that his Sacrifice should be of the same efficacy before his Incarnation as after For the day and hour was agreed upon when he should offer that Sacrifice Therefore it 's said that in due time and in tâ—â— fulness of time he came and died 3. He was Intercessour before his Incarnation â—s after it in respect of the effects that followed on it to the People of God then and now The People of God before his Incarnation had communion with God and access to him though not generally in tâ—at degree of boldnesse they presented their Prayers through and were beholden to the sâ—me Christ for a hearing as we are and therefore his Intercession before his Incarnation extended to them as to us in these respects but with this difference that he procured these benefits to them by vertue of the Covenant and the efficacaâ— of his blood to be offered and now he procures them to his People since his Incarnation and ascension by vertue of the same ascension and by vertue of the efficacy of his blood offered As to the 2d How his Mediation and Intercession now differs since his ascension from his Intercession before it as to the strengthening of the consolation of the people of God For answer 1. We lay down this for a conclusion That though our Lord Jesus was Mediator both before his Incarnation and now yet since his ascension he hath a new way of Mediation and Intercession that exceedingly abounds to the strengthening of the consolation of his People therefore it 's ordinarly subjoyned to his ascension because of his new manner of discharging that his Office It is time there is no addition to that grace which is infinit in him as if he could be more gracious or as if in respect of the Covenant there could be larger promises as to essential things contained therein but by taking on our nature he hath a new way of being affected and a new way of venting his affection to us and is capable of another manner of touch with the infirmities of his people now that he hath humane bowels though glorified and glorious and the Faith of his People hath a ground superâ—dded whereupon to expect the communication of that grace mercy and goodnesse that is in him though all the effects that followed to his people before his Incarnation had respect to his future Incarnation So these effects had respect to his future Intercession in our nature as well as to his dying and laying down of the price for these that were admitted to heaven ere he came in the Flesh were admitted the same way that we are But 2dly and more particularly if it be asked wherein this addition to the consolation of God's People by his Intercession after his Ascension kythes or manifests it self We may take it up in these Six steps which will also serve to illustrat the manner of his interceeding 1. It kythes in this That he appeareth in heaven in our nature now the man Christ is in heaven interceeding and as Advocat answering for pursued Sinners or as Ambassador and Legat agenting the affairs of them that are given to him of the Father as it is Heb. 9.24 He is not entered into the holy places made with hands but into heaven it self to appear now in the presence of God for us Where the Apostle having been speaking of the excellency of his Priest-hood before and comparing him with the Type he tels that he is not entered into the typical tabernacle but into heaven it self to appear there in the presence of God for us And this is a solid ground of consolation to a poor believing Sinner that he hath Christ in his own nature in heaven interceeding that what he performed before by vertue of his Office and of the efficacy of his Sacrifice to be offered when he should be incarnat He now being incarnat and ascended performs it we having God in our nature become a man like unto us to care for the things of his people and if any new question arise or debate be started to entertain the treaty and to effectuat and make out their businesse that nothing that concerns them misgive 2. Their consolation is stronger in this respect That he is in heaven by vertue of the efficacy of his Sacrifice already offered As the High Priest when he had offered the Sacrifice took the blood with him within the vall and interceeded for the people So our Lord Jesus is not now interceeding by vertue of his Sacrifice to be offered but by vertue of his Sacrifice already offered having entered into heaven and taken the efficacy of his Sacrifice with him to enter it to speak so in the book of God to stand on record nay he standeth there himself to keep the memory of his blood fresh and by each appearance of him there who is never out of the sight of the Majesty of God there is still a representation of the worth and efficacy of his Sacrifice and for whom and for what it was offered 3. There is by the man Christ his being in heaven this ground of consolation supperadded That he hath a sympathie with Sinners otherwayes then before not as to the degree nor as to the intensness of his grace and mercy as I hinted before but