7 ^ Q 1 o^ 5::i o^ i^ ^i^ i:^. '^S' OF THE AT PRINCETON, N. J. SAMUEL AGNE^W, OF P H IL A PELPHI A, PA. ■^^ez. oTo. Pju'otyi^cJi/ y/^ r rt<:^?-n^a^.,/l^yi^ {}-Cu^ ._ CHRIST ALONE EXALTED, ,'ERFECTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SAINTS^ NOTWITHSTANDING SINS AND TRl\LS BEING TVV COMPLETE WORKS TOBIAS CRISP, D.D. FOalBTlMG MINISTER OP THE GOSPEL, AT BRINKWORTH, IN WILTSHIRE CONTAINING ON SEVERAL SELECT TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. TO WHICH ARE ADDEO NOTES EXPLANATORY OF SEVERAL PASSAGES IN THEM, WITH MEMOIRS OP THE DOCTOR'S LIFK, lii.<;. BY JOHN GILL, D.D. A NEW EDITION, BEING THE SEVENTH. Mr. Cole, In his Treatise on Regeneration, says, • This Worlt savours of a true Gospel Spirit; tliey who carp at it, 1 fear, will be found wider from the Gospel in their Principles, than thJs Author fa« they vainly imagine) was in his.'' Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace. And If by Grace, tlien is it no more of Works : otherwise Grace is no more Grace. But if it bo of Works, then It is no more Grace : otherwise Work is no more Work.— Romans xi, 6, 6. VOL. I. fLonUon : PRINTED FOR JOHN BENNETT, 4, THREE-TUN PASSAGE, IVY LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCXXXII TO THE IMPARTIAL READER Reader, Truth needs no shield to shelter it ; her own bare breasts ere armour of proof against all daring darts of ignorance and pride ; and therefore walks fearless in the midst of all those vollies of bitter words : whoever vaunts in putting on his harness, Truth only triumphs m putting it off; this never quits the field without the garland : God that calleth to the combat, carrieth on with a conquering hand ; the gates of hell assault, but prevail not: we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. The prince of the air musters up his forces, and retreats ; his black guard falls on with him, and are shamefully beaten back ; kings with their armies fly before it ; the powers of darkness, like Jehu, march against it, furiously they attempt to storm : but at the brightness that is before this Sun, the thick clouds remove ; one of truth subverts the tents of darkness. AVhat is stronger than truth, whose going out is as the mornino-, and riseth up to a glorious day? That ancient emblem is a true image of truth ; a candle in a lanthorn, upon a hioh hill, beleague u with tempestuous blasts, hangs out a flao- of de- fiance, with this motto, Frustra. It is but lost labour, to di^y a trench about that city for which the Lord hath appointed salva- tion for walls and bulwarks ; but though it be secured from subversion, yet it is not protected from opposition : you know how it went with Christ ; was not his cradle cut out of the same wood, of which his cross was made ? His first entrance upon the stage of this world, portended a black day at his departing; IT TO THE IMPARTIAL READER, his sud 'en flight into Egypt from Herod's barbarous jealousy, was but the prologue to that sad tragedy, which he ended on Mount Calvary ; nor may his children or servants expect better entertainment ; bonds or afflictions, or both, abide them that are faithful ; they have called the master an impostor or glutton, Beelzebub ; Is the servant above his Lord ? I know this servant of truth hath had his share in suffering for it; envious men pursue those that out-go them ; a Pharisee will stone any, even Christ, that shall presume to teach them beyond their old divinity. Much dirty geer hath been cast upon the author of this book, \vhich, if it could have fastened on him, I were (by special engagements) bound to wipe it off; but a false tongue cannot make a guilty person : Rabsheka's railing made no breach in Jerusalem's walls. Christ alone must be exalted, and all flesh made his footstool. But there be some who seek to darken the wisdom of God with the works of men, and draw a specious veil over divine mysteries, that so (it may be not intentionally) understanding is hid from the simple ; these make a fair shew in the flesh. But I had rather see the king in his plainest clothes, than his fool in a painted coat. Where is the scribe ? where is the wise ? where is the disputer of this world? the loftiness of man must be laid low, his glory buried in the dust, all his perfections come to an end : but if thou desirest to see truth in a comely dress, and clear complexion, thou mayest have a full view thereof in this ensuing discourse. Say not the treatise is too small to contain so Tast a subject, but rather admire his skill that discovers so much of heaven through so small a perspective. We applaud their art that contract the wide world into the narrow compass of a slender map : what a deal of worth is in a little diamond ? How do men prize the dnst of gold ? Despise not small things ; say not it is a little book; a little star may light thee to Christ; great bodies have most humours ; grosser volumes commonly are thickened with too much earth. If thou ask what is in this ? I TO THE IMPARTIAL READER. ^ answer, as the voice once spake to Austin, Tolle lege : or as Fhilip to Nathaniel, Come and see. If I should say all that J know of the author, some that know me would say that I flatter him, because of my relation to him in his life, though 1 know there is little to be gotten by dead men's favour. But this I shall be bold to affirm, there is no Antinomianism in the title or tract ; and from all vicious licentiousness of life, and scandalous aspersions cast on his person by lying lips, I stand upon my own experience, and more than twelve years knowledge to v'n- dicate him ; let the father of lies, and all his brood, come forth to make good their charge against him. I fear not to appear in his cause ; yea, if I should not open my mouth in his behalf, whose industry and integrity God and his saints have so much aj)proved, and from whose labours and yoke-fellow I have reaped so much comfort, if yet I should be silent, I desire to be marked with a black coal. Try him now, and judge ; thou wilt find no poison in h« hive ; no serpent lurks under his leaves ; Tolle ^ lege, come, an see whether Jesus of Nazareth be not here ; not sealed up in a sepulchre, and guarded with a rude train to keep his disciples from him, as the high priests used to do ; but thou shalt find him in his garden, opening his fountain, blowing on his spices, leading into his banqueting-house, staying with flagons, com- forting on every side : thou shalt find more in this book than 1 will promise ; only be persuaded to peruse it ; if thou lovest thy rest, read it : here is news of dry land, footing for thy soul, the olive-branch doth witness it ; fear not, be not dismayed ; the waters are abated ; let not thy sloth make thee guilty of thy misery. Will not the weather-beaten mariner employ all his strength and oars to thrust into a quiet harbour ? Is any thing more desired by the chased hart, than the cooling streams ? How do men, pursued by the enemy, rejoice in the shelter of a strong hold? Can any thing be more welcome to a notorious oftender, justly condemned, than a gracious pardon ? Is not VI TO THK IMPARTIAL READER. God and his righteousness all this, and much more to a. pooi creature in such conditions ? Behold a haven, a brook, a towsr, a pardon, a full, a free pardon, a ransom for thy soul ; the righteousness of God breaking through the sides, the hands, the heart of Christ, to make way to thee, to revive thy dying, drooping, bleeding heart. Incline thine ear, hearken for the time to come ; hear, and thy soul shall live ; forsake not thine own mercies, to observe lying vanities ; lean not to the reeds of Egypt, Avhen thou hast the rod of God's strength put into thy hand : shall there be a price in the hand, and no heart to it ? It may be thy ieet have not yet stumbled, though thou hast walked on the hills of earth, the mountains of the world, the high mountains of the flesh, thy way hath been smooth and easy; so is the wild ass's till her month overtake her : thy conscience, perhaps, hath fancied some shadow of peace by the dull glim- mering of an earthly spark : but they that walk in the light, at last lie down in sorrow, Isaiah 1. 11. Be not proud, -therefore, but give glory to God, before he cause darkness, before he turn your light into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness ; that darkness that might be felt, was not the least of the Egyptian plagues : v/^hat greater torment than the conscience once sensible of being destitute of the light of life ; the author's aim is to lead thee into Goshen, to guide thy feet into the way of peace ; foUov/ him, walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, that faith, of which circumcision was no cause, nor evidence to himself; for he had it, and he knew he had it, before he was circum- cised ; by this faith he gave glory to God: we give glory to the robe of God's righteousness, when we put none of our own under it to make it sit uneasy, nor wear any of our own upon it, to obscure the full glory of it ; thou wilt fin ' this garment the best fashion, and as well 1 eld forth ly this, as by any man, whose intentions were to cover all blemishes, all sins, to hide all lierormity with it, yet to shelter no lust nor sin under it I TO THE IMPARTIAL READER. fli might launch out into his life, and call in all his practice to prove it ; but till more need require, I shall refer thee to Mr R. L. in his preface to the first volume, and to the present trial of his doctrine. Let a Christian heart moderate a critical eye, and find fault who can. The God that once breathed the rich knowledge of himself through the frail organs of this earthen vessel, into the ears of those that heard him, now dart a greater glory of his righteousness and grace into the eyes of all their understandings that shall read him. I know I can add no worth to this work ; it is of divine value, it hath the stamp of heaven, the image of God is on it ; the author is gone home, and yet living with the Lord, though some think the saints die, and like the wicked, leave a stinit behind them. I deny not the mortality of any, nor need I hang this man's hearse with ordoriferous encomiums ; yet he that visits his friend, though never so godly, in the grave, had need tase a little frtinkincense in his hand, if he be buried among men ; all the air in the world is so contagiously infected with the stinking breath of ths living, that you cannot come near the dead without a bundle of myrrh. Malice and madness, like a gangrena, stands at the tomb and tent of every blessed soul, crying, Noli me tangere. Of all men, one would have thought so sweet a man as Christ had needed no spices in his sepulchre ; for he did no evil, and he saw no corruption ; yet Joseph would not inter his body without sweet odours, though Mary had bestowed a whole box of precious ointment on his feet in his life-time, but a little before his burial. Let the saints walk never so wisely, warily, circumspectly ; let them keep their feet as clean, as sweet as they can, they had need of their winding- sheet and coffin perfumed ; I say not with the parasitical smoke of a perfumed oration, but with a just vindication of their inno- cency^ as occasion shall require. But I hope there will be need of no engagement from me this way in the author's behalf; for his two last sermons in this volume are a clear vindication of Tin TO THE IMPARTIAL REAXlER, him from those common aspersions laid upon him aitd the doctrine he preached, which for that reason amongst others, has now come into the world before their full growth, the authoi being taken away before he could bring forth all his concep- tions in the pursuit of those two subjects ; which we desire the reader candidly to accept as the last breathings forth of the spirit in that precious saint whilst he was below. But if this stops not the mouth of envy, 1 shall not think any cost too great to raise up and continue the memory of truth's favourites and friends ; nor esteem any labour too much, whereby I may approve myself the friend and servant of Christ Jesus and his church, otherwise than which (by God's grace) thou shalt neAer find., The Subject o^' Christ, AniServaut of his Saints, OLOaiG^h^ MEMOIRS OF T 11 E L I F E, btc OP TOBIAS CRISP, D.D^ Tobias Crisp descended both by father and mother from the richcrt families of the city of London, in whicl* they had borne, the WooJ-s A. thenw, voV highest offices; he was the third son of Ellis Crisp, a rich mer- ll.p. il it. chant and alderman of the said city, (as his father before him had been) and was sheriff of the same when he died, Nov. 13, 1625. Sir Nicholas Crisp was the elder brother of Tobias, a person of great capacity for business, a rich and industrious merchant, was taken notice of at court in the reign of King Charles the First, by whom he was knighted Biographia and made one of the farmers of his customs ; he was a famous p.'^'i'5^22' royalist in the times of the civil wars, did much service to the *'°- king, and suffered much in his cause ; he was one of the committee sent by the City of London to King Charles the Second, at Breda, to invite him over, by whom he was received with peculiar marks of affection as his father's old friend ; and, upon the king's restoration, was reinstated into his post as one of the farmers of the customs, and was created a baronet, April 16, 1665, and died Feb. 26, following. Tobias was born in Bread-street, London, in the year 1600, and had his education for grammar-learning in Eton School, near Windsor, and began his academical studies in the University of Cambridge, where he continued until he commenced bachelor of arts ; and from thence he removed to Oxford, for the finishing of his studies, and attaining some certain parts of learning, and was incorporated a member of Baliol College in wood's a- Feb. 1626. When he received the degree of doctor in divinity is "'ens, ib. not certain, only it appears, that upon the breaking out of the civil wars, he had been of some years standing in that degree. In the year 1627, and about the 27th year of his age, he became rector of Brinkworth in Wiltshire, where he continued until the time of the civil wars, and was much followed for his edifying way of preaching, wood, ih »nd for his great hospitality to all persons that resorted to his house. His VOL I. b n MEM0IR8 OP THE LIFE, ETC. niiv of preaching tended to edification, being spiritual and evangelical, and suited to the case of souls made truly sensible of sin : and adapted to their condition, and to the peace and comfort of them, as well as was plain and familiar, and easy to be understood by those of the meanest capacity ; a3 appears by the following disOurses, in which he often illustrates the deepest mysteries of grace by things common among men, and known to all. And. as he had a plentiful estate of his own, he was liberal and hospitable to strangers that came far and near to attend upon his ministry ; and, accord- ing to good information from some of his descendants, an hundred persons, yea, and many more, have been received and entertained in his house at one ajid the same time, and ample provision made for man and horse. He set out first in the legal way of preaching, in which he M-as exceeding zealous, and had an earnest desire to glorify God in his life and ministry ; nor did he seek for, but refused all worldly advancement, to which his M'ay was open through his parentage and friends ; but gave himself up wholly Lancaster's to the preaching of the word, and a conscientious practice of it, Vol III o°f and was unblameable in his life and conversation ; none being l^rmonl" ' morc, and few so, constant in preaching, praying, repeating ser- mons, performing public, family, and private exercises, in the strict observation of the duties of th^Lord's-day : nor did he at all abate, but increased, in his zeal for glorifying God in this way, after he had a clearer knowledge of Christ, and of the doctrines of grace ; working from better principles, and with better views, willing to spend, and be spent, for the service of the meanest of God's people ; being far from pride, vanity, and self-conceitedness, and full of meekness, lowliness, and tender-heartedness ; whereby it appeared, that the gospel of Christ had a very great influei^ce upon his soul, and which engaged him to preach it freely without any expectation of worldly advantage, and in a way which was sure to bring upon him not the credit and esteem of men, but reproach and persecution, his doctrine being falsely charged with Antinomianism : though the inno- cency and harmlessness of his life, and his fervency in goodness, as Mr. Lancaster observes, was a manifest practica. argument to confute the slanders of Satan, against the most holy faith which he preached. Mr, Hist, of the Neal says, that the Doctor in his younger days had been a favourer wLut.""?. of Arminianism ; but, changing his opinion, he ran into the con- 28 trary extreme of Antinomianism. That he was inclined to Armi- nianism, if not in it, and went on in the legal way of preaching for some time, is certain ; which he relinquished upon a rich experience and clear knowledge of the free grace of God in Christ ; but that he went into real Antinomianism, must be denied ; his sermons upon " Free grace the teacher of good Morks," and " The use of the law," with others, abundantly prove the contrary. However, the above writer is pleased to give this character of him, tliat " he ^^ as certainly a learned and religious person, modest and humble in his behuviour, fervent and laborious in his ministerial work, and exact in his morals.'^ Nor does he want the testimonies of men of tho greatest figure, in learning and religion, to his character and usefulness ; ^jarncularly the famous Dr. Twisse, prolocutor to the assembly of di\1ne«. OP TOBIAS CRISP, D.D. til and whom some have called " Flos scholasticorum," thus, on occasion, expressed himself concerning him ; that he " had read Dr. Crisp's ^,'i;^,*'"'^fl sermons, and could give no reason why they M'ere opposed, but face t. because so many were converted by his preaching, and (said he) sin, p 4. so few by ours." That excellent Dutch professor of divinity, Kcornbeck, calls him a learned divine, and says, " Pervolui ego tres volumi- sum. Cont- num libellos Tobice Crispi, doct. thcologi, quorum titidum fecit, ^' ' ' Christ alone exalted ;" and observes, that he, with others of the same prin- ciples, had no ill design, but that the glory of Christ might the more appear, cast do%vn all the works, dispositions, and conditions of men, and confidence in them, besides him. That truly good man Mr. Cole, the author of a valuable treatise on Regeneration, declared, that if he had but one hundred pounds in the world, and Dr. Crisp's book could not be had without giving fifty pounds for it, he would give it, rather ^\- Samuel than be without it ; saying, " I have found more satisfaction in it, ut supra, than in all the books in the world, except the bible " Wlien the Doctor enterea into the marriage-state is not certain ; verv probably about the time, or before, he became Rector of Brinkworth, as should seem by the \iumber of children he had, he dying in 1642. He mar- ried Mary Wilso.^ laughter and heiress of Rowland Wilson of London, merchant. She was sister to the famous Colonel Rowland Wilson, who was So distinguished in the times of the civil wars; who, though he was heir to £2000 per annum in land, and partner with his father in a large personal estate employed in merchandize, yet, for the service of God, and the good of his country, took upon him the command of a city-regiment ^eraoHa?»! under the parliament. He was one of the trustees for the sale of *P '^ia ^* deans' and chapters' lands, and muster-master-general of the forces 390—394, of Warwick and Coventry; was appointed a commissioner of the 428. high court of justice for the trial of the king, but refused to act ; was member of parliament, and alderman and sheriff of the city of Loudon : the accepting of which last ofiice was voted by the parliament, an acceptable service to the common-wealth ; he was of the council of state for the year 1649, and died quickly after, being attended to his grave by the members ot parliament and council of state, the lord-mayor and aldermen, divers citi zens of London, and officers of the army, the city-regiment, of which he was Colonel, and other companies of soldiers. He died before his father, who gave the greatest part of his substance to the children of Dr. Tobias Crisp, and his widow, who survived the Doctor 31 years, she dyina: the Mr. Crisp's •^ pref.&c. ut 20th of September, 1673 ; by whom he had tliirteen children, two supra. died before him, and he left eleven behind him ; their names were Rowland, Ellis, Mary, Tobias, Samuel, Esther, Edward, Rowland, Nicholas, Eliza- beth, Anne, Jane, John. His son Samuel, who was one of the governors of Christ Church Hospital, London, published the last edition of his father's works, with a preface to them, and wrote several things in defence of them ; one called, " Christ made sin ;" another, " Christ alone exalted," in Dr. Crisp's sermons ; a third, " Clirist exalted, and Dr. Crisp vindicated." He was one of the first that joined in the communion of the churcli, at Clap- b 2 rni MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE, ETC. Mr. Grace's ham, Surrv, in the Nonconformists'' way, and ;ne survivor of funeral ser- ^ ji jj mon. p. 41. them all. He died June 20, 1703. But to return to the Doctor ; upon the breaking out of the civil wars, and to avoid the insolence of the cavalier soldiers, he left his rectory of Brinkworth in Aug. 1642, and retired to London ; where, and about it, he preached several of the sermons afterwards printed ; whereby his sentiments about tne doctrines of grace were soon discovered, in which he was opposed Athens p. ^^ *^^ city-divines ; and (to use Mr. Wood's words) Avas baited by 11- fifty-two opponents in a grand dispute concerning the freeness of the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, to poor sinners ; by which encounter, which was eagerly managed on his part, he contracted a disease that brought him to his grave. He died of the small-pox, February 27, 1642, being about forty-two years of age, and was buried in a vault, belonging to his family, under part of the church of St. Mildred, in Bread-street, London. Lancaster's So, as (Mr. Lancaster says) after his natural strength was in- lupra. sensibly spent, in the service of the Lord, by constant and laborious preaching, praying, repeating, and studying, ofteu-times whole nights, to the impairing and ruining of his health, it pleased the Lord to call him, by his last visitation, unto his eternal rest ; wherein there appeared such faith, such joy, such a quiet and appeased conscience, such triumph over death and hell, as made the standers-by amazed ; and, a little before nis death, he professed, before some present, the stedfastness of his faith, to this effect, " that as he had lived in the free grace of God, through Clirist, so he did, with confidence and great joy, even as much as his present con- dition was capable of, resign his life and aoul into the hands of his most dear Father." TO THK C H R 1 S r I A N R E A 1) E R. To such 1 rcconinioiul a few lines ; and if thou art a Christiaa uidcod, then Christ is all in all to thee. And though the jiino streams of the light, life, and love of God, in Christ Jesus, be most sweet to thee, as they come flowing fresh, as living honey from the iioney-ccmb, the scriptures; yet I know the discussing divine truths, by those that have had the richest experiences of them, will he grateful to you, when you find, that as face answers face in a glass BO these following discourses answer the heavenly sense and relish you have had at any time of the love of Jesus in your soul. I find myself somewhat concerned to say somewhat of this new edition, and an addition of my father's sermons. As thus; I was some months since surprised with a letter from Mr. Marshail, the undertaker, to reprint all my father's sermons in one volume, he desiring my subscription for a set of them. I wondered that siicli a work should be set about by a mere stranger, after so many years, (about forty-five), that they had filled many minds, some with admiration, and some with contempt of the free grace of God exemplified therein. But, joyful I was, that what had refreshed many souls forty-five years ago, might, through the good hand of God, be of great use in these days, seeing that the Lord Jesus is liastcning to call all to a sad account, that stand out and reject his tenders of salvation to all that will accept of him. I considering that as the time when these sermons were preached and first printed, 1642 and 1643, was as sad a time as this nation knew for many years. When a violent storm of an outrageous civil war did rage in the bowels of the kingdom. So that every day peopli> looked to be slain by the merciless sword : which called for consolatory discourses for the people of God. Which God eminently assisted my father to preach, with great acceptance to thousands that flocked to hear him from place to place, in this great city, twice eveiy Lord's-day, and to his house, to the repetition of them at night; until his abundant service therein cost him his life. lie being snatched 9^"^v in the height of his glorifying the free grace of God X TO THE CHRISTIAN RKADEIl- io Christ, to be glorified by it in the midst of his days, at the age of forty-two, on the 27th of February, 1G42. I say, as that was a time that these discourses were of all times most necessary, death hanging immediately over the heads of all: so now the inculcating this great point, is of as much, if not more use ; when not only judgment upon all unsound professors is hastening : but at this latter day of the world, a new gospel, or a sort of Grotian Divinity, hath obtained among the generality of professors, joining man's righteousness with Christ's for salvation ; and saying plainly, our good works concur to our justification, directly contrary to the apostle, " That by the works of the law shall no man be justified." And I forbid any man to shew me a good work that is not the work of the law. For if not from God's law, he will say, who required it at your hand ? Which considered, made me conclude, the republishing these discourses may comfort and settle many souls. Whereupon I gladly accepted the bookseller's motion to assist in reprinting them ; provided he would add to them several other sermons that have not been yet printed, which I would transcribe out of my father's own notes ■ which I desired him to do on two aecounts. First, to set forth more of the glorious free grace of God, in what is added. And, secondly, to remove some reflections cast on my father's discourses ; as if his advancing free grace, tended to suppress good works, which was far from his, as it also is from every good Christian's thoughts. For who but a devil, or his children will say, " Let us sin that grace may abound," or because a good blessed prince hath, with the hazard of his life, rescued us from slavery, therefore we will spit in his face. Therefore to shew that my father was not of that spirit, I have transcribed, from his notes, these following discourses, to be printed with his other sermons, viz. An ample discourse, being the subject of several sermons, preached at Brinkvvorth, (where his lot was cast) on Titus ii. 1 1, I'i. shewing therein, " How grace in Christ to sinners teachelh godliness, not licentiousness." Another on Gal. iii. 19, on "The use of the law." A third is a funeral sermon of Mr. Brunsell, a minister, on Gal.i. 8, " Though an angel preach any other doctrine, let Vnn be accursed." A strange text for a funeral sermon ; but shews, that Mr. Brunsell, giving my father that text, was of my father's opinion. That " Christ alone is to be exalted," notwithstanding men's carping at the doctrine of free grace. The last is the heads of a preparatory sermon ; to the pcojde at Brinkworth, to a solemn fast, July 8th, 1640, which is a subject so rarely treated on, or practised, I concluded, that as it might convince any unprejudiced person of my father's strictness to the height in holy performances, (yet not making them the main grounds of his comfort) so it would be very grateful to those in the ministry, who may meet with it, and to shew TO THE CHRISTIAN READICR. Xl how strictly those called puritans of old, (of whom my father was accounted none of the least) exercised themselves in godliness. Now that these are my father's own discourses I fully satisfy any thus, that I know the hand-writing of these discourses is his own hand-writing, (being in his own books, and being in the same hand that all the former printed sermons of his are of, and agrees with all the other writings I have of his) as much as I know any man's face I have been long acquainted with. So that I do no more question them to be my father's genuine offspring, than I do that once there was a Queen Elizabeth in England. And moreover, in transcribing them, most of the similies which my father used came fresh to my mind ; they having made a deep impression on my tender memory, when I heard them, being (hea about seven years old; especially the preparation to a day of humiliation. I do as well remember the solemnity thereof, forty-nine years ago, as if it had been but last year. So that I can, and do testify, that they were really (and are faithfully transcribed from) his own notes. Now that they all may be as satisfactory to you in perusing, as these last have, through God's goodness, been to me in transcribing, is my hearty desire. It doth not comport with common modesty, nor can it be expected, I should put encomiums on these discourses, though much may be said of multitudes that have owed, some their spiritual birth, othera their soul refreshments to those sermons, under God. Neither can I avouch so much skill in disputes, as to maintain a scholastic defence, in opposition to the arguments, that some, more learned than evan- gelical scholars, have or may raise against them, as de gustu non est disputandiim : so neither of the soul's satisfaction in divine truths. All must be left to the Author of all grace, to soften some, and harden the obstinate, by those divine testimonies of this servant of the Lord in the ministry. And many hundreds that have tasted that the Lord is gracious, in solacing their souls with the things transmitted here to the world, have been better satisfied in the truths of the gospel, herein laid down, in a plain familiar style, than if they had been averred by the most learned arguments of I'eason, from the princes of the world, by human wisdom only. I know these sermons have had hard censures put on them by some persons of great learning ; I wish they had better learned Christ, then they would not have quarrelled at the honour asciibed to him by my father. If learning must take the upper hand of divinity, then Antichristian, Socinian, Pelagian, Arminian doctrines would have jostled out Christianity long since ; for who more scholastically learned than Antichrist's Doctors, and yet who greater dunces, like Nicoderaus, in Christ's school, where we are to account XU TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. all our own righteousness, much more our learning, dung, for tha excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. God will ever make it good, that the poor of the world, for parts and self-excellency, are chosen by him to be rich in faith; while the rich, with their gifts and parts, are most of them sent empty away. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, and the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, (be his parts never so great ;) neither can he know them. A blind man may as well dispute the colours in the rainbow, or the deaf man of sounds, as the graceless scholar of the " wisdom of God in a mystery which none of the princes of this world knew ; or of Christ in his members their hop« of glory." But I have so much charity as to believe, that some that have aspersed these sermons, are persons of real true piety, and eminently devout ; to which it may be said, it is no wonder, when we find many devout ones bandied against the apostle Paul, Acts xiii. 16. " And there were many true disciples, believers in Christ, that had not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost:" Acts xix. 1, 2. But blessed be God, though some sour spirits were busy, when these sermons were first exhibited to the world ; God hath been graciously pleased to send forth many sons of consolation since, of whose labours, in the ministry, I liave been a happy partaker, and whereof T may say, that of 5200 discourses I have by me, (besides many lost), taken from the lips of several gospel preachers, such as famous Dr. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Dr. Wilkinson, Mr. Christopher Fowler, that great lover of our Lord Jesus, and exalter of his righteousness alone in the matter of justification, I can scarce reckon six of the 5200 that do oppose the doctrines my father asserted. I confess, I have two preached by an eminent person, that I must animadvert upon, and thereby in some measure vindicate my father's sermons; these two were preached at Pinner's Hall, the 27th of January, 1073, and 11th of Aug. 1674. This great man treatiug of saint's privileges brings in this for one, " that they have the assistance of the spirit of God. But with this caution, a man's first believing is by extrinsical arguments, not by the operation of the spirit, but his after-believing is by the spirit." Now if he mean by his first believing, only a general assent to the truth of the gospel, I know none will quarrel at it, though it is a very unwary expression ; but if,he mean saving faith comes without the spirit s operation, I account it an horrid expression. In that of the Hth of Aug. he saith, " Far be it from thinking Christ's righteousness is our formal righteousness. And it is an error (saith he) to say Christ's righteousness is so perfectly ours, as there is no need of any of our righteousiiess, in order to our actual or final justification," [[which is a strange expression for any that would not be reckoned to have the TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. number of the beast."] He proceeds concerning our rightcoiisucBS, exalting it thus, and saith, " When it comes to the day of judgment, it we are accused at the bar of God to be unbelievers, what will justify us? Not Christ's righteousness ; (O horrid I) The question is (saith he) If you have part in him, if you are penitent believers ; therefore your own faith and repentance must bethematterof your justification against this charge, Thou art an unbeliever, and impenitent. If the devil say thou art an hypocrite, your sincerity is your justification against that." [He proceeded and said,]] " Some tliink e have paid all our debt by Jesus Christ, as our representative ; this is a mistake, (saith he,) God seeing our persons and his two not the same." [Though not one individual person, yet the scripture speaks nothing more plain and home in its sense, tlian, " That Christ and a believer are one, ' John xvii. yet he denies it.] Again he affirms, " That he affirms that God reputes us to have fulfilled the law of works in Christ, he maintains the covenant of works, which the scripture denies, saying " By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified:" Christ was justified by the law of works, for he fulfilled it perfectly; but this justification of him, is not our justification." [Now, who is the Antinomian ? Is not he that denies Christ to have fulfilled the law for believers? and that saith we are not justified by the Lord Christ's fulfilling the law.]] He proceeds, " We must have another justification besides the justification of the person of our Lord Jesuh. If you say, God in that sense imputes Christ's righteousness, as supposing us actually perfect, because we fulfilled all in Christ, then there is no room for the pardon of sin." [Here is sad shuffling to balk Christ's righteousness made ours; sure he forgot that scripture, *' beljig justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus."] He goes on and saith, " the new covenant requires our eubordinate personal righteousness, and Christ gives pardon upon this, in subordination to Christ's righteousness ;" [This is not accounting all our righteousness loss and dung, to be found in Christ*8 righteousness.] [And now comes a squint-eyed maxim, directly contrary to St. Paul's, " Not of works, lest man should boast :" and that is this.] " Grace makes use of a conditional covenant in a sapiential way." [O the sapientiality of man against that which the world accounts the foolishness of God to save man, " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his grace he hath saved us.] (Again thus,) " By our personal righteousness we are justified from the charge of infidelity at the bar of Christ." [And could a Franciscan Friar say more ?] Again, " If men think sincerity, faith, repentance, have no hand in, or tendency to their right and title to eternal life and justification, at the bar of God, they contradict the scope of the scripture • [but not of that in Phil. iii. 9, " That I may Xiv TO THE CHUISTIAN READEa be found iu him, not Imving mine own righteousness.] C'jnccMning chastisements, which God calls love-tokens, Heb. xii. he saith, *' Where God speaks of chastisements, it is the curse of punishment: (for) when God gave man a Saviour, he intended not to take off all punishment," (Again) " It is a mistake in some to say, a believer is past all danger, when once converted ; [though God say, Whom he loves, he loves to the end."] And to say our union to Christ so makes us flesh of his flesh, that we are the same person with Christ ; this is so gross (saith he) that I will not bestow time to confute it :" [Nor cannot, so long as that text is in our bibles, " We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones," Eph. v.] " We are his members, but it is political members," said he. [But God saith, " He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit ;" which is more than a political member, or a natural member either.] I shall not make quotations upon what follows, but leave them to the ensuing learned answers ; but he proceeded with these passages, " Another mistake is. That every man shall be justified, that doth but believe he is justified. I that have spent many years in hard study of words, do now confess, that most of the doctrinal disputes iu Christendom, nay, with Papists, lie in words ; and for saying so, I shall be censured." He that hath but skill to unravel the words, may make them confess they mean both the same thing. He that blasphemes God in words, may be a good Christian in his heart ; his error may be more grammatical than theological. [For a close take this,] " We mistake our propriety in Christ, and his merits ; we have not that propriety in Christ that wo have in our goods, or as I have in my beast, to dispose of him." Thus the captain of those that oppose such doctrines, as are in the following Sermons, leads many ; but sure it cannot but grieve all that have any sense of the love of Christ, to die for us, and to see how his righteousness is baffled, and, in a manner, discharged from justifying a poor sinner. How should our zeal for Christ inflame us to hear a Doctor in Israel say, that at the last day Christ's righteous- ness doth not justify us ? But there is a righteousness of ours comes in, in some sort, in order to our actual, or final justification. Now I will intreat the reader to accept my pains in transcribing some passages preached in answer to this sermon, and which vindicates the doctrine of free grace, by the strenuous exalters of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his righteousness made ours, Mr. Christopher Fowler, deceased, and Mr. Thomas Cole, through God's rich mercy yet living to defend the truth. I begin with Mr. Fowler's, preached August 13, 1674, two days after he had heard and told me he was sick of that sermon of August 11, from Cant. ii. 16, " My beloved is mine, and I am his/' "Take ns the foxes," saith ver. 15. " These are false teachers, they adulterated the doctrine of justification sa TO THK CHIUSTIAN READER. XV St. Paul's time, and so they contii)uc. (Aug. 1 J.) The devil knows, taKo away the foundation, and the building falls ; but every common man is not to be a soldier," (so said Aug. 11.) " But there was a inoclamation in 88, that all from sixteen to sixty should be in arms; nature will teach a man to leave the plough, and take arms to defend his country: and love to Christ will make men contend for the truth, when men are pulling up the foundations. I would fain know what the truth means, if we arc patiently to let it go. St. Jude bids us, " Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, many deceivers are come into the world." Suppose a man comes and patcheth up the righteousness of man, with the righteousness of Christ, for justification ; what shall we do then? The apostle saith, " Bid him not God-speed." To withdraw from such is God's ordi- jjance ; that they may be ashamed. It is a duty to abhor and hate such doctrines. I do not say I hate their persons, I pray for them, and that God would pluck up every plant that is not of our heavenly Father's planting. O ! but is it not better for men to be quiet? (as said Aug. 11.) What! must men poison the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and ministers hold their tongues for fear of being counted contentious ? Shall a man be called a bawler because he cries. Fire, fire ? If the same opinions rise up as did of old, the same course must be taken to cut them oiF. Men talk of being quiet, What ! Shall the master of the house lie and sleep, and let the thief alone when he comes to rob ? My mastiff must have a muzzle put on him, till all the poultry be stolen. A man must not cut down the thistles, lest his neighbours count him troublesome. What makes men deny the alone righteousness of Jesus Christ for justification? they never received the truth in the love of it. "My beloved is mine :" there is a righteousness without us. "I am his;" there is holiness within us. Can you read this text, " Jesus is mine, and I am his," and not say. We have no righteousness to stand before God in, but Christ's imputed to us? What an idle conceit is that (of Aug. 11 ?) That I and Christ are not the same individual persons ? Is not Christ's righteousness completely mine, because I was not in his body per- sonally when he died ? Did not Christ Jesus perform all righteous- ness for his church ? When soul and body are united, Adam's sin ia mine : so when I being touched with a sense of sin and hell, do believe in Jesus Christ, and apply him to my soul, his righteousness is mine, and lam personally justified. A virtual justification, is none, (said Aug. II). What man living can say so ? If there were no virtual justification, (when Christ satisfied, which was denied Au£;. 11,) there would be no actual. For my part, I think people do not unilerstand, and they swallow any thing. If a man say, that rirtuAl justification is no justification, they let it go down: I will make it Xyi TO THE CHRISTIAN READER plain by a similar instance; My father it may be boirows UiJiXiOH. before I am born, and binds liimself and children that he shall have, and becomes not able to pay a groat, nor any of his children : theic comes a friend and lays down the whole sum, for the redemption of him, and his, from misery. This is not told ine till I am of age, then I plead this payment, or I must lie in gaol. So Christ made the payment of the debt I ran into in Adam, long before I was born. Now I am virtually justified ; and when I come to own and plead this, I am actually justified. But people fight against this imputed righteousness, while the scripture is plain for it. When St. Paul saith, " God imputes righteousness," he moans the thing, not the virtue." What nonsense is it for men to talk of virtual justification, no justification. " The thing, Christ's righteousness, is imputed to me, and for the virtue of it, that in time is effected in me, there the sense of being justified by Christ's righteousness imputed, is, that Christ is the meritorious cause that we, doing so and so, shall be justified. If that be all, it is false; for Christ's righteousness is the material cause of our justification also. 1 explain it thus: Suppose I am arrested, and brought before my Lord Mayor, at Guildhall, for a debt of 1000^. and I must rot in gaol if I do not pay every farthing j there comes a friend and deposited all this money for me ; but go, that if I will be discharged, I must accept of this payment, and plead it at the bar. And when I plead it the judge acquits me, and saith. Sir, the court discharges you. Now what is the matter or thing that discharges me? It is the payment of the-surety which satisfies the law. But what is the formal discharge ? How comes the judge actually to discharge me ? It is by imputing and reckoning this payment of my friend to me. The council saith. On what ground do you discharge this great debtor ? Why, saith he, his surety paid it for him ; and I reckon what he did to the account of the debtor, and so discharge him. This is imputation. The money deposited by my surety, is the matter. The imputing this to me, is my formal discharge in the court. A material discharge this was before I plead it ; the payment of the money was worthy that I should be discharged, and it is the matter also of my dischaege : but till I plead this, and say. My Lord, I confess the debt, but my friend paid it for me ; pray discharge me. Till then I am not formally discharged. My Lord saith, I reckon his payment to yoa, md the court discharges you : this is common among men. This debt is a debt of punishment, to be inflicted by God, a righteous iudge, for sin ; the bar is the law ; what is my answer at this bar ? Guilty, guilty, my Lord. What is my plea, why I should not go to hell ? I plead Jesus, what he hath done and suft'ered for mo ; I plead his righteousness, believing in him. Now God imputes this, TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. SVIl Rnd I am justified. This is the meaning of justification according to all our reformed divines ; why should people name one or two otherwise minded, that afterwards Sociiiianized, and turned towards Popery, the main thing still all along hath been to prove against the Papists, Socinians, and Arminians, that Christ's righteousness is the material cause of our justification. Bishop Davcnant saith, "^ Christ's righteousness is the material cause of our justification, and the meritorious too." So saith Chamier ; so say all our learned divines at home and abroad. God will not justify a man without a righteous- ness. Now the great question is. What is that righteousness that is the matter of my justification ? To this the Arminian saith, God imputes faith the to credere, the act of faith ; God sees me believe, and God imputes that act of mine for my justification. John Good- win saith plainly, " God accepts this act of faith for as much as a man's performing the whole law." The Papists say, " The matter, or material cause of justification, or that for which God accounts a man righteous, it is our good works joined with Christ's righteousness. God imputes my alms, ray prayer, and the like, for my righteous- ness." Ask the Socinian what is the material cause of justification ? He will tell you. It is my faith joined with a good life. So they all three jostle out Christ's righteousness. They will not submit to the righteousness of God, but go about to establish their own righteous- ness, Rom. X. But come now to a true Protestant ; and what doth he say ? What is his righteousness before God ? Or, what is the material cause of his justification ? He cries out, " None but Christ, none but the righteousness of Christ ; that I may be found in hira, not having mine own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith." He trusts only in Jehovah his righteousness. He cries out, with the spouse in the text, " My beloved is mine; he himself, his person, his righteousness is mine." (But the llth of Aug. said, " Christ's doing all for us, would be a justification, by the covenant of works.) Mr. Fowler saith, " Nothing can stand in the court of heaven to justify me, but what is adequate to the law of God. " Do this, and live," is alive ; either I must do the will of God, or somebody for me ; if not, the law will curse me to hell ; for, " Heaven and earth must pass away, but not one jot or tittle of the law, till all be fulfilled" by me, or my surety for me, else I shall never go to heaven. Sincere obedience will not do in point of justification, it is accepted of God in Christ, as the fruit of justifying faith ; it is the honor of a Christian, and where it is right, it is worth ten thousand worlds ; but, by your leave, it is not Jesus Christ, it is not our righteousness to stand before God in, at his tribunal bar. I admire we must take such pains to prove the sun shines, to prove that Christ's righteousness is our justification : and XViii TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. yet we arc forced to it : niethinks that text, Col. i. 22, should stop every mouth, " You hath he reconciled in the hody of his flesh through death." What is the fruit? " To present you in his sight holy." How far ? Tt may he to he sincere. Is not that enough ? No : it is " holy and unreproveahle in his sight ;" not in man's sight, hut in God's sight. How? By my sincerity ? No, hut hy " the hody of his flesh through death." Compare this with that of David, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified ;" that is, no servant living, no Abraham, no David, no Paul, no Virgin Mary, shall stand justified in his or her sincere obedience in God's sight. Savanarola, a Popish monk, afterwards a martyr, 1498, professed, " That the gospel of Christ was puddled by the schoolmen, mingling Aristotle and Plato with Christ and Paul ; they tell us of works before grace, and after grace, of a first and second justification." Away with this nonsense, the text is plain, " no servant is justified in God's sight:" a man i; not a servant (hut the enemy) till in a justified state by faith ; and yet then this servant cannot stand in God's sight, with any thing of his own, or anything received, but only in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, yet we stand unblameahle in God's sight. How ? Tt is by " the body of his flesh through death" he presents us so ; but if wo are secure by faith in Jesus Christ, then, Paul, you destroy all duties, men may live as they list. No, no ; I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God "to present your bodies holy," &c. This is Paul's logic from an argument of mercy in Jesus Christ, to persuade them to holiness ; and I like his logic before all the distinctions of the schoolmen. As for imputation of Christ's righteousness to his seed, it is as the imputation of Adam's sin to his seed, Rom. v. * Through the offence of one, judgment came upon all to con- demnation." " The Arminian will say, God imputes the act of our faith foro ur righteousness. The Papists are for God's imputing alms, prayers, &c. for our righteousness. The Arminian will tell you. Faith is Causa sine qua non, a juggle: no imputation is good. But when Protest- ants, and true believers say they trust only in Christ's righteousness imputed to them for justification, this must be called a new fangled doctrine." Thus Mr. Fowler bears witness against our righteousness having an order in our justification : but farther to refute it, I shall give in a second evidence, that by the mouth of two witnesses the truth of Christ alone our righteousness may be established ; and that is some passages out of Mr. Cole's sermon, preached in Dr. Owen's turn at Pinner's Hall, August 8th, 1676, from Matthew vii. 24 to 27, about the sound foundation : " They say (said Mr. Cole) that to complete TO THE CHRISTIAjy READER. T*c onr justification, Christ hath purchased for us strength and ability to perform the condition of the new covenant, the performance of which IS to he taken in as part of our justification. We say, faith and obedience once proved to be true and genuine, are good evidences of our interest in Christ, whose imputed righteousness is the sole and only righteousness by which we are justified from all charge and blame whatever, in the sight of God ; and to say otherwise is in effect to say, that Christ died to justify us, that we might be justified without him ; our inherent righteousness can have no part in our jus tification, because there must be a change of our state by justifica- tion, before we can derive any saving grace from Christ, to enable us to do the least good work. Now our inherent righteousness not being able to justify itself, because of its imperfection, much less can it justify our persons ; I shall shew, that the work of faith, as done by us, is no part of our righteousness. It is true, the scripture saith, ** Faith is imputed for righteousness, and that we are justified by faith:" now in what sense is this to be understood? Are we to take up our standing, partly in the act of faith, and partly in the object of faith ; making up a righteousness, partly from ourselves, and partly from Christ ? Or, are we by faith to go out of ourselves to Christ, for our whole sole justifying righteousness ? This I affirm, and shall shew, that those scriptures, of being justified by faith, do relate to the object of faith, to Christ believed on ; faith is a relative, it is T^TiKEiv «s i* cirt ; to believe in, into, upon Jesus Christ. It must be faith in Christ, or in nothing; believing is our leaning on Christ. We ai-e not united to faith, but by faith to Christ ; we do not trust •n faith, but by faith in Christ: when we are said to be justified by faith on Christ, Gal. ii. 16, can the meaning be, that we are justified by faith and Christ, 'as some would have it ? Were men more willing to exalt Christ, and debase themselves, faith in Christ would be but one righteousness, and would not be faith and Christ. " Hath God said, " Christ is our righteousness," without any re- striction, and shall man say. Aye, but not all our righteousness ? I say, it is a bold word, whatever remote inference they may gather from the scripture, to justify their meaning: and since God hath not thought fit to drop any such diminutive expression of Christ in scrip- ture, I say, it is a bold word of men to speak so ; we may safely deny anything of God which tends to weakness, but to deny that of Christ which tends to the exaltation of his name, and the riches of his grace, let men distinguish how they will, it is dangerous meddling here, this is a tender point. To make the act of faith to justify us, and not Christ the object of faith, makes faith contradict itself, as thus : Prav what is the sense of a believing soul, under his present act of laitli in Jesus Christ ? I appeal to you all, who have been scrious/y TO THE CHRISTJ.SkN HEADER. dealing with God by an act of faitli for salvation : you beliovn in Christ ; what is the English of that ? Is not this the sense ? Yoii desire to cast yourself wholly on Christ, to be found in Christ, not having on your own righteousness, to lay hold of eternal life in Christ, to go out of yourselves to Christ, for righteousness and life, to count all loss and dung, that you may win Christ. If you mean this, what an absurdity is it to say, I am justified by somewhat in myself, by virtue of that act of faith, by which I go out of myself to Christ for all ; if this is reason and sense, I have quite lost the use of both. But how do some men (as Aug. 11,) fight with their own shadows, lose themselves . in their own ex{uessions ; they cannot speak of Christ, and of the way, and manner of applying Christ, but presently they must be co-workers with Christ in their justification. Brethren, we must not be persuaded out of our own Christian names, nay, out of Christianity itself, by those who would impose their own notions on us, and indeed preach another gospel. If Paul were alone, and should hear any man on earth, or angel in heaven, compound faith and works, works and Christ in the matter of justification, I doubt not but he would curse them in the name of the Lord. Certainly we are not to be mealy-mouthed, and silently to suff'er the grand prin- c>r!es of the gospel to be denied; these be the pillars of the house, all falls if these be taken away "I shall shew the reasons they go on, who diflfer from us. They speak much of a charge of infidelity, and impenitency, to be drawn up against us at the last day, therefore it concerns us to muster uj) all our good works, to answer the charge. A specious argunicnt to amuse the world, and to fright men to the P o\As\i jastification by works, to talk of a charge of indictment against a believer at the last day, is a groundless and unscriptural notion." ' (So Aug. II,) "I conceive the last judgment is not to prove who is, and who is not in a state of grace ; but rather to pronounce the state that every one shall appear in at the resurrection : there will be no doubting of any man's state then, the method of the resurrection will decide tliat Christ will separate the sheep from, the goats. And he will dc this before the judgment, att.xxv. You shall know a believer then by his station on the right haid of Christ ; and, must they then com under a charge of infidelity ? Who must draw up this charge^ eithcf God, good angels, conscience, or the devil ? God hath justified thei» here, and sealed them by his spirit of adoption, to the day of redempr tion, and he will not reverse his judgment. Good angels they g^ thered up the elect, and they know who they are ; conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and the devil hath somewhat else to do at that day, the time of his torment being come. Fear him not; for the apostle saith, " The last enemy is death,' and must we TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, j.Xi bavft an after rencounter with the devil ? He draw uj) a chavpe against you ? You shall accuse, judge, and condemn him, 1 Cor. vi. S. Must poor Christians, that have lived under Satan's buffctincs, be raised so? Is this to be raised in power? or, was Paul out in his triumphs ? Rom. viii. 33. " Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ?" Make good your title to Christ now, and never fear any charge at that day. John v. 24, " They shall not enter into judgment." Aye, but if this feigned process be not observed, some men's notions will fall to the ground. Aye, and let them fall, it is no matter how soon, for they are not grounded upon the word of God. We must not draw sham models from our own brains, and then impose them on God. ^' The second ground they go on is this, that righteousness is a conditional service, imposed by God in the new covenant, and there- fore, the performance of it must be part of our justification, which is specious and suitable to human reason ; as most things are that contradict the mystery of the gospel. But alas ! at how little a hole will self creep in, to have somewhat to glory in; I grant to believe in Christ is a great act of divine worship, the greatest we can perform to God on this side heaven ; but I deny that faith procures toe benefits from Christ, but faith receives what Christ hath already procured • faith docs not desire Christ to die for us, but faith comes for the fruit of his death, hut has no casuality, or efiiciency. If coming to Christ for what he hath done for us be a service, it is a service done to a man's self, and can never be urged as a service done to God. The meaning of an act of faith is to renounce our own righteousness, to come in our nakedness and poverty to Christ, without money, or money's worth; this is the old, honest, plain, downright notion of believing. And is this the conditional service required ? Why do not yos do it then, and lie low before God, and be vile in your own eyes, and cast yourself on Christ for all ? Is this to perform the condition of believing, to tell the world, that Christ is not our only justifying righteousness? that we must seek for somewhat in ourselves to join with him. Sirs, let us not read the Bible backwards, wresting scriptures to our own destruction. It is strange to me, that faith, which is all along in scripture opposed to works in justification, and is appointed of God, to shut all good works out of justification, should be thus made an inlet to bring all good works into justification. They urge Matt. xii. 37, " By thy words thou shalt be justified.' But Maldonate, the Jesuit, owns, this text is only of a justification,' which declares us righteous. " After all disputes, I say to you brethren, what St, Paul said to the gaoler. Acts xvi. 31, that I say to you all, " Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou and thine house shall be saved ;" and do not you VOL. 1. C Xxii TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. go home and tell your families now, that they must not understand this text so, as to look upon Christ as their only justifying righteous ness, but they must look for somewhat in themselves, if ever thoj would be saved. (As said Aug. 11.) No, pray speak scripture lan- guage, expound scripture by scripture, and tell them, that Christ is all in all; tell them plainly, "They must not be found in their own righteousness; they must be found in Christ, not having on their own righteousness," tell them, there is no other " name under heaven by which they can be saved, but by the name of Christ ;" tell them, " they must not come for justification and life in the name of their good works, or of anything that belongs to themselves." Promote this doctrine in your families, this is the way to save you, and your house- hold ; this is good wholesome household divinity, and suited to the ordinary capacity of all serious professors ; we must not send our hearers to intricate distinctions for the meaning of justification, the sense of the gospel is plain in this thing. Come, come, you shall never be charged at the last day, for giving too much to Christ in the matter of justification ; you are to ascribe all to him, and if it were possible to err on that hand, I had rather err in giving too much than too little to Christ. For use to those that ground their justification on the sandy fonridation of their own inherent righteousness, 1 would exhort them to pull down the house presently, before it falls on their heads, and lay a better foundation ; and then I would press them to study other arguments, as there are very many to promote good works, and practical holiness, and not jostle out Christ, to make room for self-righteousness in the matter of justification. To those that are built on the right foundation, and have, cast themselves on Christ's righteousness f»r justification to life, let such be careful to maintain good works, ai I bring forth fruit meet for the kingdom of God." Thus this servant of t\ « Lord hath taken excellent pains, to unde- ceive people from what wss imposed on them, Aug. 1 1, 74, and so far justifies my father's SeriAons, in that point of free justification by Christ only. And because so great a man made that sermon, the 11th of Aug., I have collected the testimony of many eminent divines. Vim virepellere,aW contending against the mixture of our righteous- ness with Christ's in the matter of justification, but intend here to give the reader only two or three of tliem. From the doctrine of the Church of England contained in the Homilies, and out of the famous Dr. Reynolds's Excellency of Christ. In folio 17, of the Homilies, it runs thus, " I say jiistificat'on \r- the office of God ; man cannot make himself righteous in part or in whole, by his own works ; that were the greatest arrogancy that man can set up against God." [Lo here the good old doc^rmc of Pro- TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXHl teatants; but he goes on yet more bravely, against the jumbling of rcan-'s righteousness with Christ ; against man's having some order ia the justification of a sinner.] " So that to be justified by faith onhj, {mark that only'] is not that this our act of faith, in Christ, dotli justify us, and deserve our justification, for that were to acconnt our- selves justified by some act, or virtue that is within us; bxit the meaning is, that although we hear God's word, and believe it ; though we have faith, hope, charity, and repentance, the dread and fear of God within us, and do never so many works thereupon ; yet we must renounce the merits of all our said virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and trust only in God's mercy, and in that sacrifice which our High Priest once ofifered upon the cross." And in folio 18, thus, "As great and as godly a virtue as lively faith is, yet it putteth us from itself, and rcmitteth us unto Christ to have only [only, only,] from him, remission of our sins, or justification." [Lo here no mingling sanctificadon with justification.] But Dr. Reynolds goes farther -, and by some semi-Arminians would be accounted an Antinoraian ; though they are the greatest Antinomians that deny, " The moral law to be fulfilled in every tittle, by Christ, for believers." The Doctor saith in folio 336, " In one place God commands, Make you a new heart i in another he saith, a new heart vnll T give you. How can these things consist together : he commands us to do what he pro- miseth to do himself; but only to shew, God gives what he requires?' pHut this was greatly laboured against Aug. 11.] In folio 352, « We must live by faith, not by reason." And folio 368, " The doctrine of justification by faith in Christ, was opposed by the Jews, which kept them from Christianity. They would mingle the law with justification, as the Papists do on other reasons." [And much like it Aug. 11, but he goes on and absolutely confirms, our very sins being laid on Christ; much struck at Aug. 11.] Folio 529, " The apostle saith, that he was made sin for us ; to note, that not only our persons were, in God's account, crucified with him to justification ; but that sin itself did hang on his cross to mortification." [Nay he asserts an incorporation into Christ's body : whereas Aug. 1 1 , denied " Christ's righteousness to be so much a believer's as his beast is."] And saith, folio 442, " When once we are incorporated into Christ's body, though we are still under the law's conduct, in regard of its obedience, which is made sweet and easy by grace ; yet not under the law's malediction." [So that he makes union to Christ, more than to the church, as some will have it. And saith farther,] folio 443, " The faith of the patriarchs is express by embracing ; they did not only clasp Christ, but he them again. So that the strengtli of faith, takes in the strength of Christ, being it puts Christ into man." [Nay he ventures to be called an Antinomiau, but it is'onlj c 2 fXir TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. one of St. Paul's order ; and saith concerning our sins not being able lo reverse God's mercy, as follows ;] folio 448, " The sins of men can no more utterly cancel, or reverse God's covenant of mercy, than bring back the flood. God makes us do the thing he requires ; as ,^ugustin, Deusfacit, ut nos faciamus qucB prcecipit. [[And whereas Aug. 11, denied believers to be so one with Christ, as to suffer with liira ; he saith,] folio 451, " Whatever he really in his human nature suffered for sin, we are in moderated justice reputed to have suffered with him, " as truly as the hand that steals is punished when the back is beaten," Rom. vi. 6 ; Gal. vi. 14, And surely if a man was crucified with Christ, he was crucified as Christ, for all sin, which should otherwise have lain on him." [He most sweetly dispels many of those clouds, which the llth of Aug. raised in the city, and the puddle of the Arminianish brains, by which they do darken the world. This long paragraph, which, for the comfort of the Christian Reader, and for establishing the doctrine of free grace, I quote at length from folio 453 and 454.]] " The snm of all (saith he) is this, we stand not like Adam, upon our own bottom, but are branches of such a vine as never withers, members of such a head as never dies, sharers in such a spirit as cleanseth health, and purifies the heart, partakers of such promises as are sealed by the oath of God, since we live not by our own life, but by the life of Christ ; are not led or sealed by our own spirit, but by the spirit of Christ ; stand not recon- ciled to God by our own ejdeavours, but by the propitiation wrought by Christ, who loved us when enemies, and in our blood ; who is both willing and able to save us to the uttermost, and preserve his own mercies in us ; to whose oflSce it belongs to take order, that none that are given him be lost. Undoubtedly that life of Christ in us, which is thus underpropped, though it be not privileged from temptation, no, nor from backsliding, yet it is an abiding life," (not- withstanding its being questioned, Aug. 11.) Folio 468, *' His merits are as fully imputed to us for justification, as if his sufferings had been by us endured, or the debt by us satisfied ; he alone, without any demerit of his, suffered our (our, our) punishment. Solus pro nobis suscepit penam Aug. Ilia in corpora Christi vulnera, non erant Christi vulnera, sed latronis: The wounds in the body of Christ, were not Christ's wounds, but the thief s." [This is driving the nail through the temples of Sisera, the captain of the enemy's host. Let us keep on this rock, and we shall not be shaken with Popish blasts.] Folio 479, he puts a question, *' How do we live by faith, Heb. x. and by Christ ? John xiv. Bv Christ, as the fountain ; bv faith, as the pipe." And folio 480, " If Christ stand unblame- able before God's justice, we shall in him (mark this in him) appear so to faith, as a work of the heart, to credere doth not justify, but TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXV as it is a taking hold of Christ, not by working, but by bare receiving." Folio 483, " If the Lord propose righteousness, or salvation, to a man, on condition of his moral obedience, man's corruptions are so many, that the promises cannot be sure to him on the concurrence of his own works ; but when there is nothing required of a man, but to cleave to Christ, this must needs make our righteousness, and salva- tion, as certain as is the value of the merits on which you rely." [If this be not sound evangelical doctrine, then I have heard the most eminent ministers of the gospel to little purpose, these fifty years.] He goes on richly, folio 489, " Faith re-invests a man with the crea- tures. All are yours. Faith gives us all things, by entitling to the promises." Folio 495, " Christ is himself the righteousness of those that believe." Folio 510, " If the first love of God to man was not procured by Christ, as mediator, but was altogether absolute, much less doth the love of God ground itself on anything in us. The whole series of our salvation is made up without respect to any (any, any) thing of ours, or from us. [What not any thing ? What will become of all self-righteousness then ? Why it must go to the apostle Paul's dunghill, Phil, iii, 8. If it would have to do in justification. If this do not vindicate Dr. Crisp's Sermons, I know not what can.] He proceeds in folio 512, and 513, " In the new covenant God works first, and then he bids us come to him, he doth likewise draw us to him ; our faith is the operation of God, that which he requires of us, he bestows on us. The first work of God is spiritual teaching ; we come to Christ as the child to the mother, who draws him nearer and nearer as she calls him ; the Spirit first opens the eye, and then the word." Thus this eminent Dr. Reynolds, who confirms the tenor of my father's discourses, " That the sins of the elect do not hinder the operation of God's grace." Insomuch, that if a sinner be wrought on by God, in the midst of his sins, he lays hold on Christ for righteousness and life, by faith in him. This is Christ's first drawing, and the soul may freely adventure all the treasure of his salvation in this vessel, without any scruple ; not that this doth open any gap to licentiousness more than casting a rope to a drowning man to catch hold on, encourages him to fly in the face of him that cast it out. What shall I more say ? The time would fail me to tell you of Gideon, Barak, Sampson, of Cole, 1633, of Pemble, .^627, of Wilson, 1614, of Gouge, 1616, of Powel, 1606, of Sutton, 1632, of Bishop Cooper, 1629, of Armagh, 1658, and famous Perkins, of whom I must say one word, he being so nci vous ; who treating of the errors of the Papists, saith quite contrary to what was taught the 11th of Aug., viz. folio 32, "The foini of jastitication is as it were a kind mXVr TO THK CHRISTIAN READER. of translation of the believer's sins upon Christ. And, again, " Christ's righteousness to the believer by a reciprocal or mutual imputation." ■ In folio 101, he quotes the Papist's error in these words : " infused er inherent justice is the formal cause of justification, whereby men are justified in the sight of God formally." ^The confutation ; we do contrarily bold (saith Perkins) " that the material cause of man's justification, is the obedience of Christ, in suffering, and fulfilling the Jaw for us ; but as for the formal cause, that must needs be imputation, the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for us, as if it were our own." Objection, " If justification be by imputation, he may be just before God, who indeed is a wicked man." Answer, " Not so : for he that is once by imputation justified, is also at the. same instant sanctified. The Popish device of a second justifica- tion is a satanical delusion." [But the 11th of Aug. said, " There remains punishments on believers- in afflictions," &c. but Mr. Perkins clean contrary,] foUo 368, " The^ benefit of justification is, that he is perfectly reconciled to God, because his sin is done away, and he is arrayed with the perfect righteousness- of Christ ; and afflictions to the faithful are no punishments for sin ; for the guilt and punishment of sin was borne by Christ. And if a Christian be afflicted, it is no punishment ; for then God should punish one fault twice, once in Christ, and the second time in the Christian ; which thing doth not agree with his justice." In folio 567, "Justifica- tion stands in two things, remission of sins by the merit of Christ, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness, whereby God accounts that righteousness which is in Christ, as the righteousness of that sinner which believes in hiip." [And against the concurrence of our sanctifi- cation he saith,] folio 572, " The meaning is, that nothing that man ean do, either by nature or by grace, concurreth to the act of justifica- tion before God, as any cause thereof, neither efficient, material, formal, or final, but faith alone. And folio 650, " Faith is no prin- cipal cause, but only an instrument. Faith is no instrument to pro- cure, or work out our justification and salvation, but an instrument to receive our justification, given by the Father, procured by the Son, applied by the Holy Ghost." (In Mr. Perkins's second part he mauls the Popish justification, and cramps the 1 1th of Aug. saying, in folio 205,) • " It may be diemanded, what is that thijig in Christ, by, and for which we are justified .'' I answer, the obedience of Christ, Rom. V. 19. (folio 229,) Imputed to us of God, and apprehended by faith. (And folio 276,) The Papist erreth, which teacheth justification^ partly by remission of sins, and partly by that which we call inward TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXVU sanctification. (And folio 165.) Here it must he observed, that they which make an union of grace and works in the cause of justifi- cation, are separated from the grace of God." [[This dreadful thun- derbolt, formed out of Gal. v. 4, will make sad work. It lights on the conscience of some Grotian divines.] [But Mr. Perkins, to make sure work against the Papists, shoots them with an arrow out of their own bow, and with it hits others that would pass for good Protest- ants, and quotes a rank Papist, Albertus Pighius, in these words,] " If we (saith Pighius) speak properly and formally, we are not justified by our own faith, nor charity, but by the only justice of God in Christ. That only justice of God in Christ communicated to us." Here we may see how God sometimes extorts great things out of the mouth of an enemy, as out of Balaam's ; so " Bellarmine's Tutis- simus. The safest way is to rely on Christ alone:" so burning Win- chester in Queen Mary's days, when dying, and exhorted to fly to Christ alone for salvation, agreed to it; but said, " This door must not be opened too freely ; it would make the people leave them:" or to that purpose. I must now confess I have somewhat transgressed the bounds of a preface, and should think it needed an apology, but that it is chiefly enlarged with sound quotations, which cannot but be an excellent entertainment to the judicious Christian, and a good help through grace, to make others judicious. I should have dismissed the reader here with a brief conclusion, but that in perusing some notes, I met with a very evangelic discourse of that worthy servant of the Lord, now with God, Dr. Jaconib, preached at Pinner's-Hall, the 8th of March, 1680-1, sweetly according with my father's publishing God's offers of grace to the worst of sinnere when they are in the height of their sins. This gentleman being so eminent in the city for a solid, sound, teacher, his fi'ee expressions of the grace of God will reconcile many of that persuasion that he was of, to the like freedom* in my father's discourses-* and therefore I shall be the more free in giving the reader the larger parcel thereof. As follows : Dr. Jacomb, March 8,1680, on Hosea ii. 14, " Therefore I will allure her." — This therefore must have a wherefore, " She went after her lovers ; therefore I will allure her," The good and gracious God, doth sometimes make use of sin itself, to cause grace to shine out more conspicuously. Thou hast done so and so, " and I will magnify my mercy to thee ;" to see if this will break thy heart : as the best things, Christ and the gospel, by accident, have evil efi'ects on evil hearts; so the worst of things, sin, by accident, sometimes produceth good. It is the usual way of God to the greatest sinners, be their sms never so many and great, Ezek. xvi. " Thou hast despised the covenant -,"' yet after all this, ver. 60, God saith, " I will remember my covenant with thee." So in Psal. cvi " Our fathers did wickedly. XXVm TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. notvyithstanding he saved them for his name's sake." The apostle saith, " 1 was a blasphemer, a persecutor, but I obtained mercy.'* 1 Tim. i. 23, though I did it shutting mine eyes against the light; there never was a person brought unto God, but God passed by a thousand of buts. The observation. The gracious God sometimes doth take occasion, from the sins of a people, to shew his grace • " She went after her lovers ;" she forgot me. Well but, saith God, I will take my rise for mercy from hence ; " Therefore I will allure her." What a great sin was that of Adam ! yet God took his rise from that, to act the highest grace that ever was acted in the Avorld ; he entered into a new covenant with man, to send Christ into the world ; " that where sin abounds, grace might much more abound ;" to illustrate and magnify his mercy, and goodness. It is strange to consider, that, fi-om which one would think God would infer nothing but judgment, lie infers nothing but mercy ; as in the text, and Gen. viii. 24. God said, " I will not again curse the ground ; for the imagination of man's heart is evil." What a strange /or is this ? One would think it to be, I will curse the ground, /or the imagination of man's heart is evil. So in Esa. Iv. 17, " For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth, and he went on frowardly." What dreadful words follow f None, but quite otherwise ; " I have seen his ways, and wiH heal him." Esa. xtii. 24, " Thou hast brought me no sweet cane; hut hast made me to serve with thy sins:" will not God be angry now^? No; the next words are, " I am he that blot out thy transgressions, for my own name sake." It is a strange argument, that of David, Psalm XXV. 1 1. " Pardon my sin, for it is great." Holy David knew, that God sometimes takes occasion from the greatness of our sins to pardon them ; to illustrate the greatness of his mercy. God designs in all things, the advancing of all his attributes; they being all equally dear to him: but if there be a difference, God especially aims at glorifying his mercy. When he would give Moses a sight of his glory, he gives him a sight of his goodness, " the Lord gracious and merciful," Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7- His grace is prerogative grace; he hath mercy on whom he will : and sometimes he is pleased to pitch on the most unlikely persons, the worst of sinners; there is a height and depth in his grace; and there is a freeness in it. When sinners deserve the least, and look for the least, [This is just my father's sense.]] " God is pleased to give out the most grace to such as look for least." The greater the sin, the more conspicuous is the freeness of the grace of God. Sinners are not first with God; but God is first with them in his grace : he first loves us, and then we love him. God will have his preventing grace known, and therefore sometimes takes the sinner when he is at the worst." [To this may some Semi-Armi- mnn s.ny, that Dr. Jacomb is as much tni Aiitinomian, as Dr. C — » To THE CHHXSTIAN READER. XXIX though, in truth, he is only one of the apostle Paul's Antinomians- who saitli, " Where sin abounds, grace doth siiperabound, much more abound;" and Ihe righteousness of God without the law was manifest. But the Doctor proceeds,] " O, saith God, here is a people very bad, stark naught as can be; and so will continue for ever, if I let thorn alone, and do not begin with them ; I will therefore prevent them, and begin with acts of mercy." [No, saith the half Arminian, you must not venture on God for mercy, till you have humbled yourself, and are fit for mercy.] " For use. This calls on us not to think better of sin, but higher of God, " She went after her lovers ; therefore I will allure her." What a wonder is this ; to fill heaven and earth with admiration of God's grace ? That God, notwithstanding sin, should be gracious, is admirable ; but to take his rise from the occasion of sin, that is more. Well may we annex, " A Behold, O stand and wonder that a people should deal so with me, and I shall be gracious to them !" How often, when we have been sinning against God, even then hath the Lord pitied, and glorified his mercy to us? God might have said, " Therefore I will caet thee into hell flames." But God hath said, " Therefore I will pity." This may invite sinners to fly to God for mercy ; because then when a people is sinning against him, that is his time, sometimes to shew mercy. What will he do when a people fly to him, and lie at his feet ? It may be your sins are many and great, attended with sad aggravations : and you have, it may be, sad thoughts of yourselves ; O be not afraid." [Some Legalists would have said, O you must be afraid, or cast down to the brink of hell, and mourn a long time, and when you find your heart soft and tender, and that you have thoroughly washed your soul in penitential tears, and have cleansed your heart from the love and liking of every sin, then be not afraid. But without this self righteousness, the good Doctor, like the good Samaritan, pours in the wine and oil ; and saith, "When you are in your sin, attended with great aggravations, be not afraid or cast down."] " But, in the way of faith and repent- ance, look up to God, and hope for mercy and grace. Sin is thy burthen: that which is the ground of thy fear, may as God orders things, be a ground of comfort ; by making it an occasion to manifest Lis grace. You may say, " There is no hope," as Jer. ii. 25. What, no hope ! God forbid. Let thy sins be what they will, come but to this God, lie at his feet, in the name of Jesus Christ ; plead for mercy, and there is hope. He that sometimes takes advantage from the greatness of thy sin, he will not slight thee, when in the way of duty. And let me tell you, as to this poor nation ; if we be saved, it must be on this account therefore. It is not their fasting, their prayingj. their humbling themselves, " therefore I will save ;" but, " they gc after \\y:'\x lovers, therefore I will save England, for my name's sake ' XXX TO THE CHRISTIAN RKADER If England be saved it must be from the Lord's prerogative sovereign grace. You have stubborn relations, that sin against God vvitli a high hand ; wait and pray, God may take advantage from their sin, to glorify his mercy. This therefore in the text is a pattern act of grace ; so the apostle, " I obtained mercy that I might be a pattern." So this " tlierefore I will allure her," is to encourage the faith and hope of the people of God in all ages. But let none abuse this precious truth, as you love God, and your own soul, do not " continue in sin, because grace abounds," Rom. vi. 3. Though God sometimes takes occasion, from your sin, to heighten his mercy, you must not take occasion from God's mercy to heighten your sin. This skilful Physician can make the worst poison sanative ; shall we therefore take poison ? that is madness." Thus this solid sound dispenser of the word of God, who was never looked upon to be an Antimonian, thus, I say, the worthy Dr. Jacomb asserted the free grace of God to sinners, in the worst and highest sins, to be capable of mercy and pardon. And what doth my father say ? or can any say more for the honour of free grace. " Therefore to him that loved us, and washed us from our sins, in his blood, be honour and glory for ever." I cannot omit so famous a testimony against Arminian divinity, as that of em nent Dr. Manton'g, at Pinners-Hall, the 3d of October, 1676, from this text, 1 John v. 12, " He that hath the Son hath life" ■ " Thirdly, (saith he) I came to confirm the connexiou. The having life depends on having Christ ; first, because Christ is the first gift in order to salvation. [The grand expression of my father's that some cannot digest.] Therefore before spiritual life we must have Christ. Christ is offered in the gospel to be joined to us, and with him pardon, reconciliation, sanctification, and glory; there- fore till we be possessed of Christ, we cannot be possessed of his benefits : members receive life from the head, and branches from the stock." " First, The person is joined, and then comes grace, when we are passed into each other's right. It is first, " I am my Beloved's," then "he is mine," Cant. ii. 16. Christ first gives himself, then all things. You must be brought to special relation to the person of Christ, before you can claim benefits. As in the natural body the spirits are from the head conveyed to other parts, so the Spirit of Christ works in us, as members of Christ, by virtue of union to him ; the Spirit not coming immediately from the divine nature of the Father, or of the Son, but from Christ as God, man, mediator, and his glorified humanity is the great means to convey it to us." [Which dwelling of the Spirit in believers, is by some evaporated into only the graces of his Spirit, not his person.] " One spirit (saith the Doctor) dwells ill him, and in us ; the same spirit is in us, as is in him, to TO Till!: CHRISTIAN READtlH. XXXI shew that Christ is not only a political head, as some fancy, but a head of influence, and gives life and motion." Objection, " How can we have Christ before life, since faith, M'hich is an act of life, receives Christ ?" Answer, " Christ makes his first entry to the heart by his Spirit, and by the power of the word he brings them to believe this is the Father's drawing, John vi. 44, or quickening the dead, Eph. ii. 1. The apostle calls it, " Christ's apprehending us," Phil. iii. 12, " That I may apprehend him, of whom I am apprehended." Christ first lays hold on us in effectual calling, when dead in sin." [And what if he had said, " Reeking in sin, as Paul was."] Now r shall conclude, after I have given a note or two from a scripture, suitable to the calling God set me in ; which is. Matt. xiii. 45, " Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant, seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, (7rauTif*oy,) he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." That this pcarlis our Lord Jesus none questions ; but this selling all for him is much questioned, though not by those that find him. The Papist, Socinian, and Arminian, apprehending some excellency in themselves, they will be wise merchants inde»d, but make God a very silly one ; they will barter with God, and give him their rotten rags, their dung-righteousness for his pearl, and eternal glory, and so put a cheat upon the all-wise God ; but he will not be mocked. But the truly wise merchant considers how richly he was set up, God making him upright in Adam, but the subtle broker, the devil, deceived him, and he wilfully threw away his stock upon the serpent's suggestion, for the shadows of knowledge of good and evil. He sees the longer he trades upon bis own skill, the more bankrupt he is ; and for all the vast debt he owes, he hath nothing to pay God his great creditor, but a warehouse full of counterfeit, rotten, decayed filth, fit only for the dunghill. At length this dreadful bewildered merchant hears of a wonderful pearl dropped from the heavenly . Indies, offered to such poor broken merchants as will accept him witho\it money, or raoney^s worth, Esa. Iv. He being ravished with the glorious radiancy thereof, shining with Diopbonon's translucency into his heart, wooing and beseeching him in his blood-shed on the cro-s to accept him ; this merchant, by the all-conquering power of the Spirit, is brought to see into what a wretched condition he hath brought himself, by feeding on the poisoned drugs of his own works, and clothing himself with the filthy rags, the spider's webs he spun out of his own bowels. He having found this voXvrti^of pearl, the pearl having first found him, ("we loving him, because he loved us first,") he sells all, he parts with all, he renounces all his whole stock, *' accounting all loss and dung for Christ," Phil. iii. 9. As he buys without money or price, so he sells without money or price : b* TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. •RVS all his sins upon the Lord Jesus Christ ; that is, he sees hy faith the Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all, and now gives up him- self to be accepted in the Beloved, his sins to he pardoned in Christ's blood, his services to be first washed, then accepted in the same justifying blood, and righteousness of Jesus. Thus having parted with all, he now, upon the gospel terms, buys this ttoXutj/xoi' jAoc^yoc^irvi* ', that is, comes to Jesus, receives Jesus, believes in Jesus, as his alone treasure, riches, store, life, righteousness, beauty, wisdom, strength, and all, in him, to him, for him. This pearl now makes him a man again, with this pearl he pays all his debts, he answers the law in all its demands, only by shewing that this great, good pearl is his ; he now is free from all arrests in his conscience, he comes to ^ the Exchange (to communion with God) again, he hath credit now into all countries, especially in the heavenly Indies, whither, by virtue of this pearl, he draws his bills of exchange every post day, that is, morning and evening, and at all times, by faith and prayer, where his bills have good acceptance, and always, when need is, they are paid at sight, with gracious tokens of love and favour. Now this merchant drives a full tumbling trade, his pearl whithei'soever he turns it, turns all into grace and glory, he himself being changed from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. This I take to be selling all for this pearl, as the apostle did, Phil. iii. 8, 9. But some will be cavilling ; What horrid boldness it is for any, when he is reeking in sin, to lay hold on Christ, upon his call? But if such were in the condition that a nephew of mine was in, that fell from the ship into the sea, when the ship was sailing, he would say otherwise. If the master of the vessel should cast out a rope, for him to catch at, to save himself; would he say. Sir, I am not worthy: I fell overboard when I was smeared with pitch and tar: lam not clean enough to come on board again ? sure all the world would think such an one mad. And is it madness not to accept of a temporal deliverance upon an idle conceit ; I am not worthy of it? And is it not much more madness, not to accept the Lord Jesus, and salvation • by him, because we are full of sin ? Methinks all should conclude we are under the greater necessity to fly for refuge to him. For preaching which doctrine, my dear father was maligned by some, Avhen living. Though God supported him wonderfully, even to his dying moment, in the lively sense of God's being most glorified, in the highest exal- tations of his freest grace to the worst of sinners. Insomuch, that a fcAV moments before his departure out of this world, he spake to friends, by his bedside, "Where are all those that dispute against the free grace of God, and what I have taught thereof? I am now ready to answer them all :" and so fell asleep. " He that hath ears to hear let him hear." So rests S. C. Clai'iiam, October 28, IG89. TO AX-L THOSE THAT LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, A53 EMBRACE THE WORD OF HIS FREE GRACE ; ESPECIALLY TO THE FAITHFUL HEARERS OF THAT HEAVENLY AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST, DR. CRISP, GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED As in all things (beloved brell^ren) the provident care of the Lord Clirist is manifested towards you his people, whose eye of faith he hath opened ; so especially in sending this faithful " man of God** among you, " who came in the abundance of the blessing of the gospel of Christ ;" the very prints of the footsteps of the Lord s grace and favour are most conspicuous. For as the Lord foresaw, that you were to meet with more than ordinary straits and diffic-ilties in these sad times ; so it pleased his goodness, to aflford a more than ordinary support, to establish the hearts of his people ; that they might not fear to sink in, or be swallowed up by those billows that threaten continually to overflow them. Now, there is none, I suppose, that is in any measure of truth, acquainted with the " terrors of God," but he must needs confess. That the one thing that is necessary to effect this establishment of the soul from all distracting and distrustful cares and fears, must needs be the assurance of peace and reconciliation with God. For whilst God is looked upon as an enemy, what can there be but a con- tinual fearful looking for judgment, and fiery indignation to consume his adversaries; seeing our God is a consuming fire' Hob. xii. 29. For if the estate was so dreadful, w^hich Moses threatened to the Israelites, when he told them, " They should have just cause of fear, both day and night, because they should have no assurance of their lives," Dent, xxviii. 66. How much more terrible must it needs be, when we not only carry this temporal life in our hands every moment ; but also there is no assurance, but that " the pale horse, on which death rideth, hath hell following after him," Rev. vi. 8 ; and so there is no assurance of eternal life ? This must needs be just cause, with a witness, to fear both day and night. Except therefore the soul be translated from under the dominion of the king of fearSy and peace and reconciliation fully and freely manifested ; the heart must needs (especially in such times as these, X3CXIV TO THl! CHRISTIAN READER. wherein it is continually called upon, " Where is thy rest?") be over* whelmed with horror and distraction. That therefore the Lord's people might have an impregnable ram- pire, and sure repose ; that they might have a city to dwell in, whereunto " the Lord hath made salvation itself, to be for walls and bulwarks," Esa. xxvi. 1. Therefore hath the Lord sent the glorious word of his free grace, in the mouth of this messenger of peace among you, creating the fruit of his lips to be peace, I think I may truly say unto thousands, both of them that were afar off in profaneness, and to them that were near, in legal profession. For this free grace that is set at nought, and seldom mentioned by many builders, but with reproach ; the Lord will make the chief of the corner, and lay it with joy and shouting of those that embrace it, though it should be for a stone of stumbling to the adversaries thereof. This free grace laid forth in the redemption that is in Jesus Christ freely bestowed, is that only thing that is able to make us stand with confidence, both in all the troubles of this life, and also before the tribunal seat of God, even in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment ; when all the righteousness of our own works will vanish away as the morning dew ; wherein the great apostle desired not to be found, Phil. iii. 9. Although he had a measure of it, far above the strictest in these times : yea, there is nothing but the precious blood-shed of the Son of God, that was able to deliver us from that damnation, which the best of our own works and righteousness do daily and hourly deserve. So that to think to rest here, is to sleep upon the top of a mast, where every puff of wind is ready to cast a man into the bottom of the sea. And surely, notwithstanding their pretended deep humiliations, they seem never to have been truly acquainted with the terrors of God, who dare appear before him in their imperfect, and therefore sinful sanctification and duties. For if the Lord God ran upon his only beloved Son like a lion, with such fury and indignation, when he was but wrapt in our iniquities, that he cried out in a most strange and lamentable manner, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me V Oh then, how should we dare to look upon him, or come into his presence, in our own dung and rags, covering ourselves with our own confusion as with a cloak : " For if this was done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry ?" Luke xxiii. 3L But yet althougb in regard of our own works, even the be&t cf them, we have just cause to lay our lips in the dust for evermore : yet, in regard of this free grace of God, being operative in his free chusing in his free justifying and saving tis, not only, not for, but *' not so much as according to the works of riglitfeOusuehS which we have done," 2 Tim. i. 9. Tit. iii. 5. There is just :i>cla:i tH j«y TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. XXX7 a'jtl exultation, and even of strong consolation, to them that ily unto the throne of grace ; which hath been so faithfully, so evidently, and purely set forth unto you by this glorious instrument of Christ, that your hearts can testify, you were led forth by the waters of comfort, whilst others wandered in a wilderness by the waters of Marah ; that you enjoyed a feast of fat things, whilst others sat in Egypt under their task masters, with their leeks and onions. And this the Lord was pleased to manifest unto you, that ye might not go heavily in these heavy and sad times, wherein men are at their wit's end : but that ye might lift up your heads, because the full manifestation of your redemption draweth near; that ye might with perfect boldness, even unto a triumph, not only look in the face, but trample upon the most terrible of all your enemies, sin, death, Satan, and hell itself, through the great and glorious conquest of the Captain of our sal- vation : for God, our Father, by this grace alone, hath not only delivered us from this present evil world, but also translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, and made us freely meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. It is true indeed, brethren, the Prince of darkness cannot but exceedingly repine and fret, to see a stronger than he thus bind him, and release his prisoners, and vindicate his captives into so glorious a liberty. And therefore doth he bestir himself, with all deceiveable- cess of unrighteousness, to retain not only the profane, that are destitute of the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, but especially those that have a form of godliness in strict and religious walking, who yet deny in effect the gospel of free grace, which is the power thereof, because " it is the mighty power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth," Rom. i. 16. Hence come those slanderous and calumnious imputations of Antinomianism, and Libertinism, in doctrine; and of looseness, and licenliousness in conversation; which vile slanders have been often cast, both upon this faithful witness of the Lord, and the embracers of that doctrine, VVhereuuto we must needs answer in the Lord s words, Zech. iii. 2, " The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee ; are not we as brands plucked out of the fire?" And in the words of the apostle, " Wilt thou not cease to pervert the streight ways of the Lord.?" Acts xiii. 10. For was he, or are we indeed Antionomists, enemies to the law ? Ciod forbid. Nay, we never were, we never could be truly friends with it, until it pleased the Lord to discover unto us the words of this life. The law looked upon us an enemy, shaking over us contmualiy the rod of God's indignation, scourging and piercing our Bouis ana consciences with scorpions, with menaces, with curses, with terrible and austere exactions, and that we had no strength. How XXXVl TO THK CHRFSTIAN READER. then could we look upon it, but as upon a most, bitter anil iinpiat'.ib)* adversary? "But after tbe kindness and love of God our Saviou* appeared, wbo not according to tbe works of rigliteousness tbat we bave done, but according to bis mercy batb saved us. After tbe Lord Jesus had taken tbe band-writing tbat was against us, ana nailou it to the cross," and exhibited a full satisfaction to all the law could demand of us, or lay to our charge; this only was able to settle us jn an everlasting peace, and reconcilement with tbe law. lligbt reckoning, men say, makes long friends; but when the creditor and debtor not o^dy agree in their accounts, but also the debtor is able to produce a full acquittance for tbe uttermost farthing that was due, there can be no breach, no jai'ring between them. The case is ours, (everlasting praise and thanks be rendered unto the Lord our righteousness,) our acquittance is recorded every where in the word of his grace ; " Christ is tbe end of tbe law for righteousness to every one tbat believeth," Rom. x. 4. " Wherefore we are become dead to tbe law by the body of Christ, and delivered from the law," Rom. vii. 4, 6. *' So tbat tbe Lord will remember our sins and iniquities no more," Heb. viii. 12. *' For we are not under tbe law. but under grace," Rom. vi. 12: which is tbe most constant doctriiic of that apostle : it is also sealed unto us by tbe blood of our Redeemer, in as much as the " New Testament of grace is in force by the death of tbe Testator," Heb. ix. 16, 17- But let them take heed of the just charge of Antinomianisra, who when the law requireth a perfect fulfilling, and continuing in ail things, Gal. iii. 10, will make it content with lame, imperfect performances ; nay, it must accept the will for the deed, rather than they will be beholden for a full and free acceptance of wills and deeds, and all, unto tbe beloved of tbe Lord, in whom the soul of ibe Lord is well pleased, and the faithful are freely accepted. Is not this to frustrate and make void the very end of a bond, to make it content with some few farthings, when so many thousands were due ? Let them also take heed that they be not guilty of Antinomianism, who take and leave what of tbe law they see good ; who cut off the curse, tbe rigour and all tbe punishment of it, at one blow. Surely it is not safe to separate what God batb joined, without good warrant from him. The apostle affirmeth, " That whatsoever Uie law saith, it saith to them that are under it." He saith not something but all " whatsoever tbe law saith, it saith to them tbat are under it." So that there is never a curse in the law, which it doth not pronounce upon tbe bead of him that is under it. And our Saviour himself saith, " Tbat heaven and earth ?bab' pass away, but one jot or tittle of tbe law shall not pass away, till all he fulfilled," Matt. v. 8. Surely the curses are as much as one ;ol T«) TlIK CHRISTIAN HEADER. XXXTII or tittle. He that shonlcl deny unto the laws of England the power to punish such offenders as are under them, might justly be thought and called an enemy to, and a destroyer of the laws of the land. But as for us, we make not void the law through faith, but establish it: we affirm that it remaineth in its full force and power, not only of commanding, but also of exacting, of terrifying, of cursing, and punishing every son of Adam that is under it, without the abatement of the least jot or tittle. And whether this be Antinomianism or no, let the church of Christ consider, and judge by the word of Christ. The next imputation they cast upon this faithful minister of Christ, and upon his doctrine, and his hearers, was that of Libertinism, whereby if they mean that doctrine which Calvin charges the Libertines withal, in his book against them, we may most truly say, it never entered into the heart of this author to embrace it, much less into his mouth to publish it. And if any hold, or spread any such horrid assertions, we do utterly disclaim them, they are none of us: we are as far, or farther from them, than the severest of those that labour to fasten this imputation upon us. But if they mean by Libertinism the preaching of the free grace in Christ, (even to them that have no worthiness to procure it, no goodness or dispositions to qualify them for i*;,) " whereby the prisoners are brought out of the prison house, and the captives set at liberty, with that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, that we should not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage," Gal. v. 1," which neither we, nor our fathers were able to bear," Acts xv. 10. Which, in a word, is freedom from sin which is true liberty not to sin, for then it were slavery. If any teachers in Israel call this Libertinism, then we are sorry that they whose chief or only commission is to preach this gospel of the kingdom, (which only bringeth salvation to them and their hearers if they be saved) to the eflfecting this liberty iu the consciences of the people, that so they might be helpers of their joy, should so far frustrate the end of the Father's sending his Son into the world described Luke iv. 18, 19, as to cast upon it such vile, reproachful and blasphemous aspersions. But as for us, the comfort of this doctrine is our crown and portion for ever; for which we cannot cease but bless the Lord night and day. He that saith this doctrine teacheth licentiousness, we are sure he is a stranger to it, and never felt the power of it in his own heart for can any thing else effectually " teach to deny all ungodliness and wordly lusts, but this grace of God appearing ?" Tit. ii. IJ, 12. Caa any man truly " find and prize this pearl of the kingdom, and not sell ail that was of high esteem with him before ?" Matt. xiii. 46. la there any other reason why w love God, but because he hath so freciy and abundantly " loveV .s first?" 1 John iv. 19. Doth n<^ T'oL. r. d iJ TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. under his feet, in comparison to the knowledge of Christ, desiring to know among God's people, " nothing but Jesus Christ, and him cru- cified :" yet was he not in any thing inferior to the very chiefest, though in his own esteem he was iiotliing. And I doubt not hut there is written such a testimonial of his learning in your hearts, as few others can produce ; if the Holy Ghost by the Prophet Esaiah may be judge of learning, " The Lord God," saith he, " hath given me the tongue of the learned," what is that ? " That I should know how to speak a word in due season to him that is weary," Isaiah 1. 4. O how many weary spirits did the Lord by his ministry revive Surely, if this be learning, the Lord gave him no ordinary measure And indeed his whole life was so innocent and harmless from all evil so zealous and fervent in all goodness, that it seems to be set forth as a manifest practical argument, to confute the slanders of Satau against the most lioly faith which he preached. So after his natural strength was insensibly spent in the service of the Lord by such constant and laborious preaching, praying, repeat- ing and studying, oftentimes whole nights, to the impairing and ruining his vital powers, it pleased the Lord to call him by his last visitation unto his eternal rest ; wherein there appeared (both by the whole course of his behaviour in it, but especially by those gracious words, and joyful exaltations which continually proceeded out of his mouth) such faith, such joy, such a quiet and appeased conscience, such triumph over death and hell, as made the standers by amazed* And withal, he forgot not (considering the cunning of Satan, and the lying power of darkness) to profess before some present the steadfast- ness of his faith to this effect: "That as he had lived in the free grace of God through Christ, so he did with confidence and great joy, even as much as his present condition was capable of, resign his life and soul into the hands of his most dear Father." And so with- out the least thought of recanting or renouncing the doctrine he had preached (as some have falsely and wickedly spread abroad) after some time, with contijiual flowing expressions of joy, he departed this life, into the assured everlasting embraces of his Redeemer. And now gracious Lord, who only art the Author and Finisher of our faith, be pleased more and more to enlighten the eyes, and open the mouths of all thy ministers, that they may not shun or be afraid to declare unto thy people the whole council of God, even the utter dis- ability and nothingness of man ; and withal the freencss of thy grace, the plenteousness of thy redemption, and tliy salvation, to the utter- most ; that the hearts of thy people may rejoice, and their joy no man may take away from them. Amen. So i)rayeih The meanest of the Servants of Christ, Robert Lancaster, TO ALL THOSE THAT LIVE GODLY IN CHIUST JESUS. Christian Friends, It is your honour, above many professors in the world, to seal in your sufferings the most refreshing and ennobling truths of Christ. Your life which is hid with Christ in God, is that spark of glory, which hath always attracted the most venomous envies of those men, who make the flesh their residence. Be confident of this, that did you live in yourselves, you should live more quietly in the world ; were you lower as saints, you should be higher as creatures. Never expect to build peaceably upon earth, while you lay not your foundation in the dust: the carnal mind cannot but be enmity against that which is the basis of your principles, suitable to that expres- sion of our Saviour, John xvii. 14, " The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." It hath ever been the policy of usurpers, to keep down those -.vhich can justly prove their descent from the royal blood, lest they and their ill-gotten glory fall together; so those that have unduly invested themselves with the title of saints, presently contend for a room in the seat of the scornful, to disparage and destroy those who can clearly shew their communion with a higher blood than their own : where Christ doth most sweetly and clearly reign, there the flesh will most presumptuously and cruelly tyrannize. However (sahits) though it be your father's pleasure, to allot you the valley of the shadow of death for your flesh to walk in, whilst your condition is in its infancy, yet know, that your glorious union with the Son of God shall be more than enough in this state to refresh and secure you : the world may outrun you, and come first to the top of their glory ; but surely in the end, the inheritance will be yours ; their first shall be last, and your last shall be first : Esau out-wrestles Jacob in the womb, and comes first into the world, and according to the signification of his name, he is a great doer, a cunning hunter he was ; but Jacob that comes forth last, takes the game ; Esau was the first-born, but Jacob goes away possessed of the birth-right and blessing al«o. Thus doth your Father deal with you to make your latter end in Xlii THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. brightness to outshine jour beginning: neither will your God deny your bread here in the midst of famine : heaven rains manna in a wildnerness, the rock gives water in the heat of drought. Believe it (you Gospel Christians) your Beloved shall be all to you in the. wart o*" all ; that pos- session which he hath in you, will for ever entitle you, A spring Mat »^, and a fountain sealed, he will be in you an everlasting head for your supp.j to all expences in all conditions, when the moisture of every thing below him shall be exhausted by the creatures, which suck all they have from thence, even then, and so to eternity, shall Jesus Christ be to you in the height of his fulness. I know nothing you have that is long-lived but Jesus Christ. Earth, more grossly carnal, and heaven more refinedly carnal, shall pass away; even the kingdom of heaven, so far as it is made up of forms and administrations, shall wither and die ; but the kingdom of God within you shall ne^er be shaken. That divine nature which hath swallowed you up shall for ever satisfy you with variety of contentments. Let not there* fore your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in Christ : you are satisfied, that the fulness of all things dwells in God, be also convinced that Jesus Christ, by his Father's appointment, is made partaker of the same fulness : "^ For it pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell." Now, whatever Jesus Christ hath as a Mediator, you, in your measure enjoy it ; for it is the great ordinance of God, that all the saints should be sharers and partners with Jesut Christ; we are fellow-citizens with him, and so interested in the immunities and privileges of the same charter with him ; that as in our first estate we had all which Adam had, so also in our second, we have all which Christ hath ; why then doth paleness appear in your faces, and trembling sit upon your lips ? as if in the frowns of the creature all your felicity was buried. Oh remember you are one spirit with him, whose presence is a constant spring, in a vision of whose glory your beauty will be always lovely. I leave it as my humblfe request to you, that you would not forget your resting-place: for the least ignorance of that will make you apprehend every condition full of anxiety : this was that which was the bottom of Israel's misery, Jer. 1. 6. " They have (saith the text) forgotten their resting-place:" or, their place to lie down in, as the original will bear it. If you make the creatures, or your ordinance privileges your duties, or your own righteousness to be your resting-places, tne least disturbance in the pursuit of all, or any of these, will be very grievous and distracting ; but if the Spirit helps you to remember him to be your rest, who is the rest of God, trouble upon any of your enjoyments below himself will not have an uncomely influence upon you. To see a man fretting and vexing, that whilst he was riding his journey, noises did THB EPISTLB DEDICATORY. zllU keep him waking, would evince our reason to believe that this man had for- gotten that his resting-place was somewhere else : so to see you, whilst you were in your travel, discontented at that unquietness wherewith you are infested, would bring you under this suspicion, that you had forgotten your resting-place ; Israel expected beds in the wilderness, when God had appointed Canaan to be their rest, and this was the ground of all their inurmurings against God's dispensations. Oh that the Spirit therefore would always in the midst of sin and misery, lead you to the Bock that is higher than yourselves, or any thing you esteem above yourselves. Many, as they create troubles, so also create remedies, even such, which God never sealed: many times we sin, and then endeavour to make use of sin for a cure : we break a command of God, and then call upon some duty or other below Christ, to make up that breach ; and thus we bring a double pain and vexa- tion upon ourselves. When a wound is made by a weapon, a contrary plaister applied, makes it more incapable of cure than it was before : so it is with all distempers in your souls, by reason of sin ; if you look upon any beside the brazen Serpent, your distemper will return with double vigour upon you. But certainly, one vision of Jesus Christ will bid defiance to the stoutest of your lusts, and all the powers of darkness combined with them, and in an encounter will more than conquer them. The host of Israel was very great, and well prepared for the battle, but if ever the day be won, David must come into the field. Our fastings and prayers appear a huge host, but they will rather gaze upon us, than engage against an enemy, if Jesus Christ be not in the field ; but the very countenance of Jesus Christ doth soon still the enemy and the avenger, and makes all the issue of sin in the soul, to prove abortive. The marrow of this you have clearly laid open in the demonstration of the Spirit, in the following Sermons, which I am confident, to all that are led by the Spirit, will be a full vindication of the truth of Christ, and of the worthy Author from those base aspersions cast upon both by pride and ignorance. You shall find the sum of this Work, to be the sole exaltation of the Lord Jesus in saints and duties, and the debasing and trampling upon all flesh that shall aspire to the seat of Christ, the reviving and encouraging of drooping hearts, by presenting Christ, not themselves, in all his accomplishments to them. Now, if the world shall baptize this doctrine Antinomianism, the Lord grant that all the doctrine preached throughout the world, may deservedly be called by that name. Yo that know Christ, be not afraid, notwithstanding all the censures of the world, to read a book, and receive the truth ; be assured it is not presented to thee as a bait, which is an introduction to a snare, but if the spirit of Jesus accompany it, thou wilt certainly say, as Christ did, " I have meat to Xliv THE EPISTLE DEUfCATORV. eat which ye know not of." I should rather cloud the Work, than honour if, if I should proceed to a further commendation of it. 1 leave it therefore to the Spirit to make out the worth of it to the spirits of the saints, and am concluded under this faith, that all the malice and carnal M'isdom of tliis generation shall never be able to interrupt the course of it. As for the Author, though he never was known to me, yet those AVorks of his which 1 have perused, do encourage me to believe that whilst he lived in the world, he lived in God, and now his earthly tabernacle being dissolved, he is taken up into that fulness which he only saw in part whilst he lived here ; and tliough whilst he was upon earth, it might be his portion, with his Lord and Master, to he mocked and buffeted in the High Priest's hall, yet now sits with him in the fruition of that glory for which he was then a sufferer. What now remains, but that ye which through the spirit have tasted the sweetness of his ministry in the same spirit, look up to our Father, and beg of him, that those who survive in the work of the gospel, may go on where he left, and in the plentiful effusion of the Spirit, the glorious truths of Christ may be amongst the saints, as the sun in its height ? And among the rest, forget not him (though unworthy to be numbered with them) who is ambitious of nothing else, but to be All in Christ, and nothing in self, George Cokayn. April 13, 1646. The Publisher informs the Purchasers of this Edition, that the three last Prefaces (omitted in Dr. GilVsJ are printed verbatim from the Quarto Edition of 1690. London, August \st, 1832. Ereatum. — Vol. I. page 133, line 31, in the early impressimw, disnbedienct wa» pirated instead of ohedtenct. SERMON 1. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, JOHN xiv. 6. I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE ; NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME. In tlie 33d verse of the former chapter, you shall find Christ breaking the sad and doleful business, which he knew well would SO near to the hearts of his disciples, namely, his departure from them : " Little children, yet a little while ye shall seek me, but shall not find me." Peter, upon this, asks him whither he goes ? He tells him, whither he cannot follow him now, but afterwards he snail. Now, knowing how sadly this went to the hearts of his disciples, he laboured to raise them up, and to establish them against the drooping that these sad tidings might occasion ; and that is in the beginning of this chapter, " Let not your hearts be troubled :" and therein doth endeavour to stir up their spirits ; first, by telling them the expediency of that departure of his : it was the purpose of God, that as all things should be wrought effectually by Christ, so the communication of all these things to our spirits, should be by the Spirit of Christ. Now Christ tells them expressly, " That except he goes away, the Comforter can not come to them ;" he, that must have the dispensing of those things to their spirits, namely, the Comforter, cannot come unto them. But, secondly, he stays not here : he encourageth them with another argument ; " I go to prepare a place ;" and he tell/ iaem the place where ; " Li my Father's house are many man- sions." And, least they should suspect, he tells them, " If it were not so, I would have told you." And because he would not speak in a cloud of these things, he tells them, " You know whither I go, and the way ye know." Now Thomas comes in with an ob- B CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. jection ; " We know not whither thou goest, and how can we Know the way ?" Christ answers him, in the words of the text, " I am the way, the truth, and the life ; no man cometh to the Father but by me." I will not spin out the time about the coherence and analysis of this text : the main point is briefly this : " Christ is our way, so that there is no coming to the Father but by Him." In the handling of which truth, let me tell you, that I know this doctrine is generally received, as it is generally delivered ; but, I fear, in the particularising those things that make up the full truth of the doctrine, every spirit will not, nor can receive it. That vou may, at least, see the clear truth in the bowels of this general doctrine ; (for, beloved, you must know there is hidden manna in this very pot) I say, that you may both see it, and taste the sweetness of it, let as consider. First, in what regard Christ is said to be " the way to the Father." Secondly, What kind of wav he is. Thirdly, From whence he doth become this way And, Fourthly, What use we may make of it. I. In what sense Christ is said to be our way, that there is " no coming to the Father but by him." You all know beloved, that every way high-way, or path-way, necessarily imports two terms, from whence and whereunto ; when a man enters into a way, he leaves the place where he was, and goes to the place where he was not. Christ being our way, the phrase imports thus much to us, that by Christ we pass from a state and condi- tion wherein we were, to a state and condition wherein we were not ; the last term is expressed in the text, " He is the way to the Father ;" the first term must be implied. To come to him, we must leave some condition where we were before. Bear a while with the expression, till I open the thing to you. The state, from which Christ is our way to the Father, is two- fold ; first, a state of sin ; and, secondly, a state of wrath. The state whereunto Christ is the way, is, indeed, expressed here to be to the Father ; the meaning is, to the grace of the Father, and to the glory of the Father, The sum is this ; Christ is our way, from a state of sin and wrath, to a state of grace and glory, that there is no coming from the one to the other, but by Christ. But we must descend to particulars, that we may know the fat- ness and marrow of this truth j which indeed hath an inebriating CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 6 virtue in It, to lay a soul asleep*, with the admirable sweetnesiS and excellency thereof; no music can tickle the ears as this truth may, when it is truly and thoroughly dived into: no, nor tickle the heart neither. Beloved, I must tell you, when your souls once find this real truth, they cannot choose but say, we have found a ransom. First of all, Christ is a way from a state of sinfulness. Now what mystery is there in this, more than ordinary, will you say ? Beloved, it is certainly true, there is nothing of Christ, there is nothing comes from Christ, but it is in a mystery ; the gospel seems to be clear, and so it is, to those whose eyes Christ opens, but certainly it is hid to some persons that shall perish. " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes ; even so, O Father, because it pleased thee." But what hiddenness is in this ? There is a two-fold consideration of sinfulness, from which Christ is our way in a special manner. There is first, that which commonly we call the guilt of sin, which indeed is the fault, or a person's being faulty, as he is a trans- gressor. There is, secondly, the power or dominion of sin. Christ is the way from both these. First of all, Christ is the way from the guilt of sin ; for a man to be rid of tAe guilt of sin is no more but this, namely, upon trial to be acquitted from the charge of sin that is laid to him, and to be freed from it : or for a person, in judgment, to be pronounced actually an innocent and a just person, as having no sin to be charged upon him : this is to be free from the guilt of sin. A man is not free from a fault, as long as the fault is laid to his charge ; he is then free from the fault, when it is not charged upon him. All the powers of the world united are not able to pronounce a person faultless and an innocent person, but only the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the way by which a poor sinner, even in this world, may be pronounced an innocent person ; even in this world, I say, and be acquitted and discharged from the fault and guilt of his sin. It is impossible the law should do it ; the apostle speaks of it expressly, Rom. viii. 2, " The law of the spi- rit of life in Christ hath freed me from the law of sin and death." Here it is put upon Christ, to free from the guilt of sin. " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak througn the flesh, lor sin condemned sin in the flesh." " The law," saith the text^ • Matt. xi. 28. Hpb. iv. 3. Isaiah xxxii. 18. B 2 4 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. ** could not do it ;" not that the law could not pronounce inno- cence wnere innocency was : not that the law could not condemn sm, wnere it is condemnable by its authority : the law can do this, if it can find subjects whereupon to do it. But the law runs upon these terms, as it finds a person hims=^elf without fault, so it pronounceth sentence upon him ; if it ^uds a fault in his person, then it chargeth this fault upon the person alone, as thus: " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." Till then thou canst not be absolutely freed from the acting of a thing in its nature that is faulty ; thou canst not hear it speak any otherwise but of faultiness, which it chargeth upon thee. Much less can the heart of man acquit him as an innocent person, or do away from him that sinfulness, namely, the guiit of his own sin. " If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts." " II a man say he hath no sin, he is a liar," saith St. John, " and the truth is not in him." If the heart should say to any man he is an innocent person, it doth but lie. If angels should spend their strength, and should be annihi- lated, to procure the innocency of a poor sinner ; alas, their very being is too poor a price, or too mean a value, to take away the sins of the world. Beloved, to go a little farther in it, it is not man's righteous- ness that he does, though assisted by the Spirit of God in the acting of it, that can pronounce him an innocent person, that can be a way to him from his fault and guiltiness. This you know, that the payment of the last half year's rent is no payment for the first half year's rent, nor is it amends for the non-pay- ment of that which was due before ; if that had been paid before, this likewise must be paid now. Suppose a man could perform a righteous action without blame, what satisfaction is this for former transgressions ? Nay, beloved, let me tell you, there is nothing but menstruousness, as the prophet Isaiah speaks, in the best of man's righteousness, " All our righteousness is a men- struous cloth :" but as for Christ, that blessed Saviour, he is able to " save to the uttermost them that come to God by him ;" not only to save them in respect of glory hereafter, but also to save them in respect of sinfulness here ; to snatch them as a fire-brand, out of the fire of their own sin, to deliver them from their own transgression. Christ, I say, is the way, and the absolute and CHRIST THE ONLr WAY, 5 complete way, to rid every soul, that comes to God by him, from all filthiness ; so that the person to whom Christ is the way, stands in the sight of God, as having no fault at all in him. Beloved, these two are contradictions, for a person to be rec- koned a faulty person, and yet that person to be reckoned a just or an innocent person ; if he be faulty, he is not innocent ; if he be innocent, he is not faulty. Now it is the main stream of the whole gospel, that Christ justifies the ungodly. If he himself justifies him, there is no fault to be cast upon him; mark it well, as that wherein consists the life of your soul and the joy of your spirits. I say, it holds forth the Lord Christ as freely tendering himself to people, as considering them only as ungodly persons receiving him ; you have no sooner received him, but you are instantly justified by him, and, in this justification, you are dis- charged from all the faults that may be laid to your charge. There is not one sin you commit, after you receive Christ, that God can charge upon your person*. A man would think, that there needs not much time to be spent to clear such a truth as this is, being so currently carried along by the whole stream of the gospel. But, beloved, because I know tender hearts stumble much at it, give me leave to clear it unto you by manifest scriptures, such as are written in such great letters, as he that runs may read them. Observe, that in Psalm li. " Wash me," saith David ; what then ? " I shall be whiter than snow." Snow, you know, hath no spot at all, no fault, no blemish. David shall be less blameable, have less faultiness, have less spottedness in him, than is in the very snow itself. In Canticles iv. 7, you shall find Christ speaking strange language to his church ; admirable language indeed ; " Thou art fair my love," saith Christ, " thou hast no spot in thee at all." I do but cite the very words of the text, therefore let none cavil, least they be found fighters against God ; " she hath no spot in her." In Isaiah liii. where he speaks admirably concerning the effectualness of Christ's death, he tells us, " That the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all :" thy iniquities, my iniqui- ties ; as our forefathers' iniquities, so our posterity's iniquities ; the iniquities of us all the Lord hath laid upon Christ ; they can- * That is, to condemnation; because all have been charged on Cliiisr. and he has made satisfaction for them ; and besides, in this manifestative justification the Doctor is speaking of, there is an open and full discharge from all sin. 6 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. not lie upon Christ, and us too. If they be reckonea to the charge of Christ, they are not reckoned to the charge of the person that doth receive this Christ : but " The Lord hath laid them upon him," saith the text. And what iniquity ? Doth he lay upon him some iniquity, and leave some iniquity to us ? Look into Ezek. xxxvi. 25, and you shall see the extent of iniquities that God hath laid upon Christ ; that he takes away from the sinner, I mean the sinner justified by Christ that received him : there you have the covenant largely repeated, the new covenant ; not according to the covenant God made with our fathers : and the first words of the covenant are these : " I will sprinkle you with clean water, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you." From all your filthiness ; small sins, as some will call them ; great sins, turbulent sins, scandalous sins, any sins, any filthiness ; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols. Look into Ezek. xvi. 7, a notable chapter indeed, setting open the unsearchable riches of the love of Christ to men ; " I found thee polluted in thy blood," saith he ; such blood " that no eye could pity thee, or do any good to thee." Well, no creature doth pity him ; was it so with God ? No. " "When I saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee, live ; yea, when I saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee live ; when I passed by thee, thy time was the time of love," saith God, " I spread my skirt over thee." Mark it, I pray you ; not a scanty skirt to cover some of this blood and filth, but a broad skirt, a large skirt, a white raiment, as Christ calls it himself, in the Revelation ; " I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment, that thy nakedness may not appear." It seems there is such a covering of Christ, that he casts upon a person, while he is considered in his blood, that covers his na- kedness, that none of it doth appear : and yet, a little further in Ezek. xvi. then was she dyed in deep water, after she was in co- venant ; " yea I thoroughly washed away thy blood :" and this was added, that no man might cavil. It is true, God casts a co- vering over our sinfulness, but it is our sinfulness still ; it is but covered ; nay, saith the Lord, I have washed it away ; " then washed I thee with water." But some will say, these are obscure texts, and mystical ; a man cannot build upon these, that fault- iness is not reckoned to believers, being taken off by Christ. To come, therefore, to a clearer manifestation of the gospel, CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. mark what the apostle saith in Ephesians v. 25. Christ " purges and sanctifies his church, tliat he might present it to himself, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be holy, and without blame." The words run in the present tense ; not that in glory only we shall be without spot, but now, even now, we shall be without blemish, we shall be without spot and wrinkle ; and that he might now present us to himself. So in 2 Cor. V. 21. you shall see the truth spoken more emphatically, the apostle runs in a mighty strain in this business ; " He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Both terms are expressed in the abstract ; he was made sin for us ; here you see plainly, our sins are to be translated to Christ, that God reckons Christ the very sinner* ; nay, God reckons all our sins to be his, and makes him to be sin for us ; and what is the fruit of this ? We are thereby made the right- eousness of God in hira. If we be righteousness, where is our sinfulness to be charged upon us ? He tells us expressly, in 1 John i. 7. " That the blood of Christ cleansethus from all sin ;" the blood of Christ doth cleanse us : he doth not say, the blood of Christ shall cleanse us from all sin ; but he saith, for the pre- sent time, the blood of Christ doth cleanse us from all sin. John the Baptisthath this expression, " Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the v/orld," He takes them away. How doth he take them away, and yet leave them behind, and yet charge them upon the person that doth believe ? The person must be discharged, or else how can they be taken away. This is the main thing imported in that notable sacrifice of the scape- goat, Lev. xvi. 21. The high-priest must lay his hand upon the head of the goat to be carried away into the wilderness ; the text saith, " It was the laying the sins of the people, and that when they were laid upon him, he goes into the wilderness." He goes into the wilderness, and leaves their sins behind hira ; then the end of this service were frustrated ; for he was to carry them away upon him : so Christ, as the scape-goat, hath our sins laid upon his back, and he carries them away ; and, there- fore, in Psalm ciii. 12. it is said, " That God removes our sins from us, as far as the East is from the West ; he casts our sins • That, is by imputation ; not as the author and committer of sin ; and, in the same way, God reckons our sins to he Christ's ; not as committed by him, but as imputed to him. H CHRIST THB ONLY WAY. into the bottom of the sea." Besides all these texts of scripture, I might produce multitudes more, if need were, for this pur- pose ; but, I think, there can be nothing in the world more clear than this truth, that Christ is such a way to a poor believing soul that he hath received, that he might take and carry away all the sins of such a person ; that he is no longer reckoned as having sins upon him. But some will object, do not those that receive Christ actually commit sin ? I answer, yea, they do commit sin, and the truth is, they can do nothing but commit sin. If a person that is a believer hath any thing in the world, he hath received this, that if he doth any thing that is good, it is the Spirit of God that doth it, not he ; therefore, he himself doth nothing but sin ; his soul is a mint of sin. But then, you will say, if he doth sin, must not God charge it where it is 1 Must not he be reckoned to be a sinner, while he doth sin? I answer, no; though he doth sin, yet he is not to be reckoned a sinner*, but his sins are reckoned to be taken away from him. A man borrows a hundred pounds ; some man will say, doth he not owe this hundred pounds, seeing he bor- rowed it ? I say, no, in case another hath paid the hundred pounds for him. A man doth sin against God, God reckons not his sin to be his, he reckons it Christ's ; therefore he cannot reckon it his. If the Lord did lay the iniquity of men upon Christ (as I said before), then how can he lay it upon their per- sons ? Thou hast sinned, Christ takes it oif ; supposing, I say, thou hast received Christ. And as God doth reckon sin to Christ, and charges sin upon him, so, if thou be of the same mind with God, thou must also reckon this sin of thine upon Christ ; his back hath borne it, he hath carried it away. For my part, I cannot see what every person will object; I will endeavour to make this truth clear as the day to you. Do but consider with yourselves what Christ came into the world for * Not that the believer, who has received Christ, ceases to be a sinner in himself; for the Doctor aiErms, in this same paragraph, that he commits sin, and does nothing but sin ; and mvich less that he ceased to be a sinner, before he was a believer, or from the death of Christ, as D. W. in his " Gospel Truth, &c." falsely ascribes to him, on account of this passage ; but the sense is, that a believer having received Christ IS not reckoned as a sinner in the sight of Go'd, and in the eye of justice, and as considered in Christ, all his sins being charged to him, and expiated and atoned for by his sacrifice ; as also, seeing such a one has received, with Christ, a dischaige from all his sins into his own conscience, he should reckon himself, and his sins, M God does, wiio reckons them to Christ, and not to him. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 9 if not to take away the sins of the workl? He need never to have died, but to take away the sins of the world. Did he come to take them away, and did he leave them behind him ? Tlien he lost his labour. Did he not leave them behind him ? then his person is discharged of them from whom he hath taken them '■ but if the person be not discharged of them, he is not a justified person in himself; neither can you account his person justified as long as you account his sin upon him. It is a contradiction to say, that a man is innocent, yet guilty. Beloved, then here is a point of strange ravishing usefulness to souls, that can but draw towards it and receive it. All the difficulty lies, whether it be my portion, and thy portion; whether I may say, Christ is my way, thus from this guilt, that there can be none of this charged upon me. I say, if thou dost receive Christ, if thou dost but set footing into this wa}^, Christ; as soon as ever thou art stept into this way, thou art stept out of the condition thou wast in. Men's receiving of Christ ! what is that ? you will sav. To receive him, is to come to him; " He that comes to me I will in no wise cast off." Mark ; many think there is such a kind of sinfulness that is a bar to them ; that though they would have Christ, yet there is not a way open for them to take him. Be- loved, there is no way of sinfulness to bar thee from coming to Christ ; if thou hast a heart to come to him, and, against all ob- jections to venture thyself with joy into the bosom of Christ, for the discharge of all thy sinfulness ; Christ himself (which I trem- ble to express, though it be with indignation) he should be a liar, if thou comest to him, and he casts thee off. " Every one that will," saith he, " let him come and drink of the water of life freely." You shall find, beloved, the great complaint of Christ, thus, " He came to his own, and his own received him not:" and to the Scribes and Pharisees, " Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." The truth is, men dote upon the establishing of a righteousness of their own to bring them to Christ ; and it is but presumptuous, or licentious doctrine, that Christ may be their Christ, and they receive him, and be considered simplv ungodly, as enemies : but they are abominably injurious to the faith of Jesus Christ, to the exceeding bounty of that grace of his, who saves from sin, without respect of any thing in the creature, that he himself might have the praise of the gloTy of his grace. The covenant, concerning the blotting out of 10 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. transgressions, is a free covenant : " Not for thy sake do I this, be it known unto thee," saith the Lord, " for thou art a stubborn and stiiF-necked people ; but for my own sake do I this." All this grace to acquit thy soul, here and hereafter, comes out of the bowels of God himself; and he hath no other motive in the world, but simply, and only, his own bowels, that put him upon the deliverance of a poor wretch from iniquity, and discharge of sin, from that load which otherwise would grind and crush him to powder : I say, his own bowels are the motive. God neither looks to any thing in the creature to win him to shew kindness, nor yet any thing in the creature to debar him ; neither righteous- ness in men that persuades God to pardon sin ; nor unrighteous- ness in men that hinders him from giving this pardon, and acquitting them from their transgressions ; it is only and simply for his own sake he doth it unto men. Thus you have seen the first particular, that I have endea- voured to clear from all cavils and objections that may be laid upon it. In one word, beloved, mistake me not, I am far from imagining any believer is freed from acts of sin ; he is freed only from the charge of sin ; that is, from being a subject to be charged with sin ; all his sins are charged upon Christ, he being made sin for him ; yet Christ is not an actual sinner ; but Christ is all the sinners in the world by imputation * ; and through this imputa- tion all our sins are so done away from us, that we stand as Christ's own person did stand, and doth stand in the sight of Godf. Now, had not Christ made a full satisfaction to the Father, he himself must have perished under those sins that he did bear ; but in that he went through the thing, and paid the full price, as he carried them away from us, so he laid them down from himself. So that now Christ is freed from sin, and * This shews what is the Doctor's true sense in a former passage, p. 7, where he says Christ is " the very sinner ;" that is, by imputation, as here explained, and not au actual sinner. One would be tempted to think, at first reading this clause, that the Doctor was for universal redemption, when he says, that Christ is " all the sinners in the world" by imputation ; and, perhaps, such expressions as these, with some others that will be obsei-ved hereafter, made the learned Hoornbeck conclude, that he held the doctrine of universal redemption ; but his sense is not, that Christ personated all the sinners in the world, or had all the sins of every individual person laid on him ; but that he was all those sinners in the world, or represented them, whose sins v7or« imputed to him ; and these, as he often says in his sermons on Isaiah liii. 6, were the iniquities of the Lord's people, of the church, and of the elect. t Col. ii. 10. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. U we are freed from sin in him ; he was freed from sin imputed unto him and laid upon him, when he suffered ; we were freed from sin as he takes it off from our shoulders, and hath carried it away : " Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden." That is, with sin. And what follows ? " And I will give you rest." As long as the burthen is upon the shoulders, so long there is no rest. Therefore this doth necessarily import, that Christ must take away the burthen, that we may have rest. Secondly, Christ is not only the way from the fault of sin, but he is the way from the power of sin. There is a threefold power of sin ; there is first, a reigning power ; and secondly, a tyrannizing power ; and thirdly, a bustling or ruffling power of sin ; and they are all three of them distinct. Christ is a way from all these in believers : from the reigning power of it ; so the apostle speaks expressly, Rom. vi. 14, " Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace." Grace there is Christ himself. " His servants ye are, to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of righteousness unto life ; but, thanks be to God, ye have obeyed the truth." The meaning is this ; while we are under the law, and have no better help, sin reigns in us, the law cannot bridle it in; but when we come under grace by Christ, the dominion of the law, or rather the dominion of sin, which the law cannot restrain, is captivated and subjected by Christ ; " I will subdue your iniquities," as it is spoken by the prophet Micah. We are discharged from the fault and guilt of sin, that is, absolutely at once * ; but the dis- charge from the reigning power of sin, that is done by degrees ; the faultiness of sin is left behind the back of the believer, but the power and resistency of sin lie all along in the way; but still Christ breaks through, and makes way, 1 Cor. x. 13, where you have this admirable expression, " No temptation hath hap- pened unto you, but such as is common to men ; God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way that you may be able to bear it." There is a tyrannizing power of sin, that is, not when sin is chosen of the soul, as that under which the soul both affects and Mrill live ; but when sin hath gotten a present over-mastery of * Acts xiii. 39. 12 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, the soul, and in spite of all the spirit can do, will keep it under. This, I say, is the tyranny of sin ; and this was the case of the apostle Paul, Rom. vii, " Wlien I would do good, evil is present with me : I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of sin ; so that the good I would do, I do not ; and the evil that I would not, that do I." In regard of which he makes a bitter complaint ; but mark the end of all, " But thanks be to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Here you see, that though sin hath a tyranny over the spirit of a person, yet through the Lord Jesus Christ this tyranny is abated. Yet, Thirdly, it is abated by degrees ; for the bustling power of sin, namely, though it cannot be entertained, yet it will be troublesome to the soul. Now Christ is the way, by degrees, also, from this trouble of sin ; for by degrees he crucifies the flesh with the aifections and lusts thereof, and brings down the power of it by treading down Satan, that is the egger on of sin, to make it so troublesome ; by overcoming the world, that admi- nisters occasion of this troublesomeness ; " Fear not," saith Christ, " I have overcome the world." But still, I say, he doth this by degrees, and so he doth it by degrees, that sometimes he lets the work be at a stand ; and sometimes the tyranny shall be over the spirit, and the spirit shall be under that tyranny a good while ; sometimes the spirit shall be under the troublesomeness of sin, and be constantly exercised with it. But you must know, that it is neither the tyranny, nor the troublesomeness of sin in a believer, that doth eclipse the beauty of Christ, or the favour of God to the soul. Our standing is not founded upon the sub- duing of our sins, but upon that foundation that never fails ^ and that is Christ himself, upon his faithfulness and truth. Men think they are consumed, when they are troubled with sin : why ? because of their transgression. But mark what the Lord saith ; " I, the Lord, change not ; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." It is not, you change not, therefore ye are not consumed ; but / change not ; I have loved you freely, I will love you freely, I cannot alter : " Whom he loves, he loves unto the end:" it is in respect of his unchangeableness. Though there be ebbings and flowings of the outward man , nay, of the inward man, in the business of sanctification ; yet this is certainly true, " That believers are kept by the mighty CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. JS power of God, through faith, unto salvation." They are kept in holiness, sincerity, simplicity of heart ; but all this hath nothing to do with the peace of his soul*, and the salvation and justi- fication thereof : Christ is he that justifies the ungodly; Christ is he that is the peace-maker ; and as Christ -is the peace-maker, so all this peace depends upon Christ alone. Beloved, if you will fetch your peace from any thing in the world but Christ, you will fetch it from where it is not. " This people," saith the prophet Jeremy, " hath committed two evils." What are they ? " They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have digged to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that will hold no water." ' What is that fountain of living waters ? Christ is the fountain of peace and life ; and men forsake that peace that is to be had in Christ, when they would have peace out of righteousness of their own, out of their great enlargements, out of humiliations. These are broken cisterns, and what peace is there in them ? Is there not sinfulness in them ? Who can say, I have washed my hands ? If there be sinfulness in them, where then is their peace ? Sin speaks nothing but war to the soul. Let me tell you, beloved, you that look after peace from the subduing of your sins ; what peace can it afford you, in case there be any defects of subduing of your sins 1 There can be no peace. Suppose God had nothing in the world to charge upon you, but only that sinfulness in the very subduing of your corrup- tions, what peace could you have 1 what could not God find in us ? Suppose your eyes were enlightened to see yourselves, how much filthiness there is in all your wrestlings ; I say, how much defects and infirmities might you see ? Could you choose but fall foul upon your own spirits, for these infirmities and defects of your best performances, seeing the wages of sin is death 1 What can you run to then ? None but Christ, none but Christ. While your acts, in respect of filthiness, proclaim nothing but war, Christ alone, and his blood, proclaim nothing but peace. Therefore, I give this hint by the way, when I speak of the power of Christ subduing sin ; because, from the power of it in * That is, to make peace with God for his soul, since Christ is the peace-maker, saviour, and justifier ; otherwise to be kept in these things contributes to spiritual peace of mind, under the influence of divine grace, and sprinkling of the blood oc JesiUa 14 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. men, they are apt to think their peace depends upon this sub- duing of sin. If their sins be subdued, then they may have peace ; and if they cannot be subdued, then no peace : fetch peace where it is to be had ; let subduing of sin alone for peace * ; let Christ have that which is his due ; it is he alone that speaks peace. It remains, we should speak further, that as Christ is a way from sin, both in respect of fault and power, so he is a way from wrath : and he is a way to the grace and glory of the Father, and what kind of way he is. But the searching into every corner of this truth, for the sifting of it, hath brought me exceedingly back beyond my expectation. I shall have further occasion in the afternoon to speak of it. SERMON II. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. JOHN xiv. 6. I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE : NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME Now we go on : Christ, as he is the way from sin, so he is ihe way from wrath ; and, indeed, must be the way from wrath, when he is the way from sin ; wrath is but the wages of sin, the effect wrought by sin. Take away the cause, and the effect dies ; destroy the root, and the branches wither of themselves. Man's • Let it be observed, that the Doctor is speaking not of subduing sin, as it is an act of God's grace, and owing to the power of Christ, who has made an end of it, and so made peace ; on this subduing of sin peace depends, Mic. vii. 18, Deut. ix. 24, but of men's subduing sin, by their own power and strength, and in order to make peace with God ; whereas subduing sin, or mortifying the deeds of the body, believers are concerned for, is not of themselves, and done in their own strength, but through the spirit, power, and grace of God; and not to make peace with him, but to show their dislike of sin, their gratitude to God, and that they are debtors to him, to live after the spirit, Rom. viii. 12, 13, wherefore subduing of sin is to be let alone for the end mentioned, in order to peace with God, that Christ might have his due and glory, who has both made and speaks peace ; otherwise subduing of sin, or the weakening tho )X)wer of it, by the spirit and grace of God, is the concern of every believer, «ul is ifished for by liim, and maVes for the tranquillity of his mind. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 15 sin is the root of wrath ; when sin is destroyed and abolished, wrath must needs sink and perish, Christ is so the way from wrath, that all that receive him are wholly discharged, both from Crod's affection of wrath, (as I may so speak) and from the effects of that affection of his. Wrath is considered in these two respects: first, Simply, as the displeasure of God itself; the offence that God takes : secondly, In the fruits of this offence that he manifests in the expression of his indignation and dis pleasure. Christ is the way, the only way, the effectual and infallible way, from all this wrath, to all that do receive him. First, From the affection itself of wrath. Let me tell you, beloved, (I would to God you could receive it according to the manifest evidence of Scripture) God no longer stands offended nor displeased ; though a believer, after he be a believer, sins often *, yet, I say, God no longer stands offended and displeased with him, when he has once received Christ; and unto them, saith God, " Fury is not in me,'* Isa. xxvii. 4. And in Isaiah liii. 5, (among many other notable expressions of God's being well-pleased towards poor sinners through Christ) he saith, " He was wounded for their transgressions ;" you have this admirable expression of the effect of his wounding, " He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied :" satisfied, here, is as much as pacified ; they are all one. The travail of the soul of Christ makes God such amends for the sinfulness of believers, that he can no longer stand offended and displeased with them. If God doth remain offended with them, there is yet some of their sinfulness remaining to be taken away, that this offence also may be taken away. All their sins must be taken away from them, and all offences will be removed from them. But, except God will be offended, where there is no cause to be offended, (which is blasphemy to speak) he will not be offended * As every believer does, and yet God is not offended with him ; the meaning is not, that his sin is not offensive to God ; it is in its own nature, being contrary to the nature of God, as the Doctor in a following page observes, and where he also distin- guishes between God's being offended with the sins of believers, and with their per- sons ; and it is in this latter sense he is to be understood here : for God loves them with an everlasting love, and has no fury in him towards them ; and besides, all their sins are fully satisfied for by Christ, who thereby has took away all cause of offence, that is, sin. So the very learned Witsius, referring to this passage of the Doctor's, observes, he is to be understood, respectu plenissimce illius reconciliationis quam impetravit Christu, in respect of that most full reconciliation which Christ bac ootamed, and which is adjudged to believers in justification. Aninuidv. Invcnicte, c, 12, sect. 7. 16 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. with believers. For I say he hath no cause to be offended with a believer, because he doth not find the sin of the believer to be the believer's own sin, but he finds it the sin of Christ*; " He was made sin for us ; God laid the iniquities of us all upon him The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin : He bare our sins in his own body on the tree ;" and if he bear our sins, he must bear the displeasure for them ; nay, he did bear the displeasure, the indignation of the Lord ; and if he did bear the indignation of the Lord ; either he did bear all, or but part : if he did not bear all the indignation of the Lord, then he doth not " save to the utter- most those that come to God by him ;" as he is said to do, Heb. vii. 25. I say, not to the uttermost, because here is some offence, some indignation, left behind ; and for lack of taking this indig- nation upon himself, it falls upon believers. So that, either you must say, Christ is an imperfect Saviour, and hath left some scattering of wrath behind, that will light upon the head of the believer ; or else you will say, he is a perfect Saviour, and takes away all displeasure of God ; then there remains none of it upon the person of a believer. Beloved, for my part, I understand not what clouds are in the mind and judgment of other men ; to me it seems, there is no truth more abundantly cleared, in all the Scriptures, than this one truth of the transferring of our sins, ana so the offence for them, wholly upon the back of Christ ; and thus a poor soul hath rest from the indignation of God, as Christ takes the burthen off from his shoulders. There is a two- fold burthen ; first. In sin itself; and secondly. In the indignation of God for it. Who can bear this indignation of his ? Christ alone, and he hath borne it. Yes, but you will say, Is not God offended at the sins of believers, when they do commit them ? Hath Christ taken away the offence against sin by his death ? I answer. No ; therefore do not mistake yourself; there may be easily a mistake for lack of serious pondering the words I deliver. I have not said, God is not offended with the sins that * Being imputed to him, and atoned for by him ; and so the offence by it, to the justice of God, is ceased, having an ample satisfaction. So the above-men^;ioned judi- cious professor Witsius gives the sense of the passage. " God is not offended without a cause, there is no cause of offence but sin ; Christ has borne and taken away all the ■ins of believers, and the most just offence of God for them ; and not only some par'' of the offence, but all, all entirely, therefore there remains none that lies upon believei* ; to these God says, ' Fury is not in me,' Isaiah xxvii. 4." Ibid. CHRIST THE OiVLY WAY. believers commit ; but God stands not offended with the persons * of believers, for the sins commited by them. He hath that everlast- ing indignation against sin as ever. And as there is the same contrariety in sin against his nature, so there is the same contrariety in God's nature unto sin. All contrarieties have a mutual con- trariety against each other ; as water is contrary to fire, so fire is contrary to water ; as sin is contrary to the nature of God, so the nature of God is contrary to sin : there is an abhorrency of God to that sinfulness, but not an offence in God to the person that commits that sin ; because the offence of God for that sin hath spent itself upon the person of Christ ; and, by having so spent itself, there remains none of it to light upon the person of a believer f; Christ having borne all this offence for sin. And therefore, as I said before, either grant Christ hath satisfied the ather, that he is pleased in his beloved son, according to Christ's *wn speech ; either grant this, or say, Christ hath not done all. In Matt. iii. is heard a voice from heaven, at the baptizing of Christ, saying, " This is my beloved Son, in Avhom I am well pleased." He doth not say, tvith whom I am well pleased, but i7i whom I am well pleased; that is, in whom I am well pleased with you. Though in our natures, and in the sinfulness of them, there is matter of displeasure, yet in Christ, for all this, God is well pleased with us. And yet there is none of God's indig- nation against sin lost in all this, because he is not offended at all with the believer : for he hath satisfied his own offence in his Son more fully than he would have satisfied it in our own per- sons ; we must have been everlastingly suffering, before God would have been fully satisfied. Now, therefore, as the payment of a great sum all at one payment, and at a day, is a better pay- ment, than by a penny a year, till a thousand years be out: mark what I say ; so Christ's satisfying the Father at once, by one sacrifice of himself, is a better satisfying of him, than if we should have been infinite days in paying that which his justice requires, and his indignation to sin doth expect. So here is no derogation to the loathsome nature of sin, and the purity of God, and the great offence God takes at sin ; but only here is the transaction of it from the person of a believer, to the person of Christ himself, that willingly took this upon him : and not oii!y • Jonah iv. 6, 1 Kings six. 4, 5, f 2 Sam. xii. 13. C 18 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. did he take it upon him, but it was according to the determinate counsel and purpose of God that he should do it ; nay, the pleasure of God, " It pleased the Father to bruise him," Isaiah liii. 10. So much briefly for the affection of wrath, and how much Christ is a way to take away that affection of God's wrath ; that is, wrath simple, as it is an offence from him to a believer. Secondly, Christ is a way to take away the effect of God's dis- pleasure ; Christ is the only way to take it away. " Shall I give the fruit of my body," saith the prophet Micah, vi. 7, " for the sin of my soul ? thousands of rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil ?" No, alas ! this will not buy out the penance of one sin, when he hath sinned ; it is all too mean a price : there must be a better to take away that wrath ; that is, the heavy punishment of God from a believer. I say a better price than this ; not a dearer price to us poor men, but yet a more dear and acceptable price unto God ; a price, in its nature, infinite and invaluable ; out, of this price, not a farthing goes out of our purse ; there is the greatness. Christ is a way to take away all wrath, in respect of the heavy hand of God, which is the fruit of man's sin. In brief, beloved, the sum plainly is this, Christ is so the way from wrath, that God doth never punish any believer, after he is a believer, for sin ; I say, God doth not punish for sin * This seems to be a harsh proposition to many ; but give me leave to clear what I say ; and so, according to the clear evidence of truth, reject or receive what I deliver to you. In Isaiah, liii. 5, a chapter of most admirable excellency to set forth the wonderful and incomprehensible benefit of Christ: observe it, " He was wounded for our transgressions ;" mark the punishment ; " He was bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him : and by his stripes we are healed," Now, beloved, I will ask but this question ; Are the wounds of Christ only part of our punishment ? or, are they the whole of our punishment ? The bruisings of Christ, were they to be part of the punish- • The reason is, because the whole punishment, due to his sins, has bean borne by Jhrist, his surety for him ; and to inflict punishment twice for the same sins, once apon the surety, and again upon the believer, is contrary to the justice of God, as well as derogatory to the satisfaction of Christ; for either he has borne the whole of punish- ment, or only a part ; if the whole, which is the truth, then none can be laid upon the believer ; but, if only a part, Christ's satisfaction is not complete, and then the believer must be a co-bearer and co-saviour with Christ, as the Doctor obseiTes ; neither of ▼hich ought to be said. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 19 ment our sins deserved ? If they were but part, we must bear the rest ourselves ; but then, we must be co-saviours with Christ, co-bearers of indignation and wrath. Isaiah liii. 5, " He hath trodden the wine-press alone," saith the text ; " He looked for some that might help, and wondered, and there was none." No creature in the world was able to be a helper with him. I speak of believers only ; they do not bear one lash of that deserved wrath, that is poured out for sin, not one lash or stroke ; Christ trod it alone himself. Yea, but you will say unto me. Doth not God afflict his children and believers ? All the world seeth and knoweth he doth ; therefore, why speak you against this 1 Beloved, give me leave to ask you. Is there not a great deal of difference between God's afflicting believers, and punish- injr believers for sin ? Yea, but are not the afflictions of believers for sin ? I answer, No : afflictions are unto believers fro7n sin, but not for sin *. Wliat is the meaning of that, you will say 1 God, in afflicting believers, doth not intend to punish them, as now lay- ing on them the desert of their sin, for that is laid upon Christ ; but he doth afflict them in part to be a help to preserve them from sin: I say. All afflictions to believers are to keep them from sin, rather than punishment unto them for sin. Yet, some will say, No men in the world are afflicted, but their afflictions are for sin ; I answer. Yea, there are that have been. The dis- ciples put a question to Christ, when the man was born blind ; " Wliether did this man sin, or his parents, that he was born blind ?" Saith Christ to them, " Neither he nor his parents :" not that neither of them hath sinned, but that neither he, nor his parents had any sin, as a cause of that affliction or trial upon him ; but that the power of God might be seen in him. So God, afflicting a believer, hath no respect unto sin, as if he did afflict for sin. For my own part, I cannot see how a man can say, Christ bore all the punishment of sin, if we bear any of it our- selves. And, if Christ did not bear it all, I cannot see how Christ can be a sufficient Saviour, without some other to help him out, in that which he himself did not bear. I speak all this, • That is, they are not punishments for sins, or are in a way of vindictive wrath for them ; but they are in love, and for the good of God's people ; they are father!; chastisements for sins, in order to take them away, or purge them from them, or pre- sent them, or preserve from them, as the Doctor afterwards explains himself. o 2 ShJ CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. beloved, the rather because when poor believers are crossed and afflicted in any kind, they are presently ready to suspect, God hath cast them off for their sins, and is angry with them for sin- ning against him. I say, in respect of sin he hath committed, which he thus suspects, there is not the least drop of the displea- sure of God, not the fruit of such displeasure comes near him ; " But every son whom I love, I rebuke and chasten," saith the Lord. God seeth that afflictions will purge, therefore he gives them. The father gives not his child a purge to make him sick, but to take away some bad humours that made him sick, and for the prevention of diseases, or for the removal of some disease ; that is the father's end in purging the child. And this is the end why God afflicts his people ; not for their sins, but to take them away*; that is, to prevent the hastiness and inconsiderate- ness of a believer, that he may not be so rash, running head- strong in his own ways, but may be the more considerate for the time to come. It is most certainly true, beloved, that as soon as ever a person is a believer, he is so ingratiated into God, and with him, that there is nothing in the world from that instant, unto a believer, but mercy. God managing his mercy in his own way for the best to his ; sometimes by the rod, as well as b\ sweet-meats ; but still he runs in a way of mercy. " All things shall work together for good;" this is God's way to believers. And if this could but be received of them ; and that even then, when they are as gold cast into the fire, that God, all that time they are in the fire, as the prophet Malachi speaks, sits " as a refiner ;" then they would be more quiet in the expectation of that purity, in which they shall come forth, when the time of their coming forth is : when you see the refiner cast his gold into the furnace, do you think he is angry with the gold, and means to cast it away 1 No, he sits as a refiner ; that is, he stands warily over the fire, and over the gold, and looks unto it, that not one grain be lost ; and when the dross is severed, he will out with it presently, it shall be no longer there. Even so Christ sits as a refiner ; when once his gold shall have its dross severed, then he takes out his gold, and it becomes as gold seven times purified in the fire. But still, I say, as a fruit of wrath, God never dotk punish, or afflict, or chastise ; (which word you may rather use, * Isaiah rxvii. 9. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, 21 because it is the ordinary phrase of the gospel) " Every son I love, I rebuke and chasten." In brief, Christ is the way from wrath, not only in respect of the present, but also in respect of the future ; I mean a way from everlasting damnation. Give me a believer that hath set his footing truly in Christ, and he blasphemes Christ that dares serve a writ of damnation upon that person. Suppose a believer be overtaken in a gross sin, it is a desperate thing, in any man, so much as to serve a writ of damnation upon this believer ; it is absolutely to frustrate, and make void the mediatorship and saviourship of Christ, to say, any believer (though he be fallen by infirmity) is in the estate of damnation*. And I say unto thee, thyself, whoever thou art, that thou art ready to charge damnation upon thyself, when thou art overtaken, thou doest the greatest injury to the Lord Jesus Christ that can be ; for in it thou directly overthrowest the fulness of the grace of Christ, and the fulness of the satisfaction of Christ to the Father. Art thou a believer, and yet art thou in danger of damnation ? Where- fore hath Christ suffered? Hath he died in vain? If he hath not died in vain, but hath borne thy damnation, how shall he pour forth this damnation upon thee again, unless he be unjust? which is blasphemy to speak. But you Avill say this is presumption ; then may a man go on, and do what he list, there is no fear of damnation : this is the way to take the bridle from men, and make them kick up their heels, as the wild asses upon the mountains. I answer, it is true, were a man to be guided by himself, and to order his own way, according to the pleasure of his own will : but, beloved, you must know, that the same Christ that hath borne the wrath of the Father, and the effects thereof, doth free poor sinners from damnation ; the same Christ takes as strict an order, to restrain and keep in the spirits of a man, as to save that man. Beloved, although a wild ass, being loose, runs at random, yet this ass may be taken, and so tamed, that he may be set as loose as he was before : yet he will not run as unrulily as he did before, by virtue of his being tamed. It is true, our natures themselves are mad, and, if they had the rems, would run wild; but you must know, that Christ breaks this wlldnesg, • John T. 24. 1 Thess. i. 10. Rom. viii. 38, 39. 22 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. and then he dare let a believer loose to that, in respect of which, an unbeliever, a wicked man, would take advantage to sin Jer. xxxi. 18, 19. Here the Lord discourses of Ephraim ; " I have heard Ephraim bemoaning of himself," thus : " Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke :" here is a wild bull, an unruly creature. You may be sure Ephraim was thus : God hampers Ephraim well enough for all this ; " Convert thou me, and I shall be converted ; so after I was converted, I was ashamed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed and confounded within myself" Mark you, I pray, now let Ephraim loose ; alas! Ephraim is ashamed. Ephraim would blush to look after that which he was mad after before ; he is confounded within himself; he cannot tell which way to stir now, as before. Christ doth break the spirits of him ; so that there is not now the licentiousness in him, through the power of Christ, which was naturally in him, till the power of Christ came upon him. Why must not hell and damnation be a bridle to keep men in, will you say ? I answer, mark what the Psalmist speaks, Psalm ex. 3, " Thy people shall be a willing people." Here you see how tame the people of Christ are. Thy people are a willing people. How so ? By fear of damnation ? No such thing. " But in the day of thy power, and in the beauty of holiness," they shall be a willi ng people. First, the power of Christ comes over a person, that frames his spirit to a willingness and aptness ; then comes the beauty of holiness, that wins, persuades, allures, and draws them to willingness ; and where there is a willing spirit to walk with Christ, there is no danger of taking liberty. The philosophers observe a rule, that the will is not compelled ; a man cannot constrain his will. Let the will of a person but be to the pleasure of Christ, nothing can constrain him to go beyond Christ ; he may haply be over-reached, ana be over-taken, but he will never break loose ; he will never run away, though the gate stands open on every side. The grass and pasture are so sweet that Christ hath put a believer into, that though there be no bounds to keep in such a soul, yet it will never go out* of this fat pasture, to feed in a barren common. Therefore, in answer to the objectors, who * 1 Peter i. 5. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 23 naturally think there is a way open to such licentiousness, by taking away all wrath from a believer, and that therefore he will break into all manner of excess, I tell you, the power of Christ restrains him. Thus I have dispatched the second thing, from whence Christ is the way ; he is the way from sin and wrath ; wrath in the affection, wrath in the effects of it. I come now, in the next place, to consider how Christ is the way, not only from sin and wrath, but the way, and the only way, to grace and glory. Grace, in scripture, admits of a double acceptation, proper and improper. We usually take grace for that which is improperly grace ; for we commonly call grace those divine qualities and virtues, and holy dispositions and actions, wherewith we are possessed, by which we do improve and employ ourselves in the world. This we usually call grace ; and in some sense, it is grace : but that which is most properly grace, is nothing else but merely favour and bounty, and loving - kindness itself; and so, consequently, all sanctification is not so properly grace itself, as the fruit of grace ; God first casts his favour and loving-kindness upon a person, then out of his favour flow the several fruits of his loving-kindness ; and the fruits are those fruits of the spirit, frequently mentioned by the apostle. Now Christ is a way to grace in both these respects ; Christ is a way to favour and loving-kindness in God ; Christ is a way to all fruits or graces, as you call them. He is a way to loving-kindness itself, and the favour of God: this loving-kindness and favour of God, consists in these branches ; first, in a willing reconciliation of God, unto an alienated creature. A person is then said to be received into grace, when he hath been cast off, and forbidden to come near ; as when princes cast men out of their favour, they confine them, and remove them from them, that they shall not be near the court : now when princes are pleased to cast a fresh aspect upon those persons again, and so call them to court, and to be friends with them, this is properly grace. So, beloved, after God seems to have cast off a person, and to put him far off from himself, and to remove him out of his sight, to confine him from coming near him ; when he will return to him again, and will shew him the light of his countenance, that he did formerly hide this is pro- perly favour. The apostle, you shall find, doth expressly mention this reconciliation of God, and ascribes this grac. nce-y unto 24 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. Christ alone, " Ye who were sometimes afar oif," mark but the expression, " hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ;" here you see the ingi-atiating reconciliation by the blood of Christ. " God was inChrist," saith the apostle," reconciling the world unto himself ; not imputing their trespasses unto them ; in Christ recon- ciling," and therefore " Christ is the mediator of a better cove- nant,"(as the apostle expresseth, Heb. viii.) Nay the apostle tells us expressly, he is the only mediator, and there is no other to re- concile men to God, but Christ alone ; " There is but one me- diator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." So, we see plainly, to be at peace with God, there must be only the Lord Jesus Christ that must make peace ; he himself is the way. I re- member a passage in Job, when there seemed to be a variance between God and him ; first. Job was at a ptiful stand, " I cannot answer him," saith Job, speaking of God; why so? " There is no day's-man that may come in between us, that might lay his hand upon us both :" as much as to say, there is no hope of agreement with God, till another interpose himself, and be a day's-man ; that is, hath power over us both. Such effectual umpires be- tween men are indifferent, and have both parties in difference in their power, to command the one, and the other ; to command the creditor to yield, and to prevail with the debtor to pay as much as he is able; and this umpire is Christ alone. There are many other expressions of God's grace, of his lov- ing-kindness and favour, and it is plain, throughout the whole scripture, that Christ is the only way to all. As to that adop- tion that the apostle speaks of, (when he breaks out into admi- ration) saying, " Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !" " Is it a small matter to you" (saith David, speaking to some of the servants of Saul, persuading him to marry the king's daughter) " seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in- law ?" So say I to you, " Is it a small matter to you to be the sons of God ?" Oh ! great love ! But this great grace and favour is only by Jesus Christ. In Gal. iv. 4, 5, it is plainly Christ that brings this grace of adoption, to make us sons ; " In the fulness of time, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Here you see, all that Christ doth, is to this end ; that at length, through that he hath CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 25 done, we might receive the adoption of sons. As Christ is away unto the pure grace, and mere favour, and loving-kindness of God ; so also unto all the fruits of grace, all the manifestations of it in the expression of God's loving-kindness in the fruits of the Spirit. To give you some instances : The first of all these kinds of the grace of God, that he doth ever bestow upon a person, is. The opening his eyes to see him- self filthy, and to see what he is : here begins a closing with Christ, to see a need of him, and to see the usefulness of him being received. Now mark this great business, of the opening of the eyes of a person, and you shall see he is a way unto it, Isa. xlii. 6, there the Father doth treat with Christ, and in his treaty he speaks thus to him, " I will give thee for a covenant to the people, to open the blind eyes." You see this, it is Christ that must open the blind eyes of men. Beloved, men are mistaken that think that the law makes them to see their own vileness ; for a gracious sight of our vileness is the only work of Christ. The law is a looking-glass, able to represent the filthi- ness of a person ; but the law gives not eyes to see that filthiness : brinof a looking-glass, and set it before a blind man, he seeth no more spots in his face, than if he had none at all ; though the glass be a good glass, yet the glass cannot give eyes ; yet, if he had eyes, the glass might represent his filthiness. The apostle James compares the law to a looking-glass, and that is all the law can do, to have a faculty to represent ; but it doth not give a faculty to see what it doth represent : it is Christ alone that doth open the eyes of men, to behold their own vileness and filthiness ; and when Christ will open the eyes, then a man shall see himself what he is. Secondly, Repentance is a great grace ; yet you shall find, beloved, in Acts v. 31, that it is merely the work of Christ to give repentance unto men; "God hath exalted him to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel." It is Christ that grants repentance unto life ; and if ever you will repent, with a kind repentance, either you must fetch it from Christ, he must be the way, or you must go without it. Faith is a grace of graces, the root of all graces to believers , and this is properly Christ, and none but Christ, that works faith in a believer ; the apostle speaks this expressly, Heb. xii. 2, " Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." He is the author, it is he that begets it. 26 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. Thirdly, Consider the whole spiritual life ; Christ is the only way to all spiritual life whatsoever. " I live," (saith Paul) " yet not I, but Christ lives in me ; and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God." There is no life, but as Christ lives in men. Whence is the natural life of man ? It is from the soul ; the soul once separated from the body, is dead ; so long as the soul is united to the body, the man is alive ; Christ is the life of every believing soul ; Christ is he that frames and gives life to men. Eph. ii. 1, " Ye that were dead in trespasses and sins, hath he quickened ;" he it is that quickens men when they are dead in trespasses and sins. And in John v. 25, you have this admirable expression, " That the time is coming, and now is, that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; and they that hear his voice shall live." There is no life but by Christ alone ; he is the way tp all spiritual life whatsoever. So in brief, beloved, there is not a scrap (as you may say) pertain- ing to a Christian, but it comes from Christ alone. Fourthly, God hath therefore filled Christ full of all things, that we might fetch all from him. The apostle tells us expressly, " It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." St. John, in the first chapter of his gospel, tells us to what purpose he was " ful of grace and truth," saying, " And of his fulness we all receive, and grace for grace." The Psalmist, (Psalm Ixviii. 18,) hath this expression, "Thou hast received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell among them." The apostle, quoting that text, turns the words thus : " Thou hast given gifts to men :" it is as much as to say, that God bequeathed as much to Christ, as shall serve for his body ; and this he dis- tributes to the body, according to the proportionable need of it. The head is first the fountain, and hath all animal spirits planted in it ; then doth it from itself derive all those animal spirits to every part, from whence all have their several motions. So that, I say, the supply of all the believer's wants concerning grace, be it in matters of mortification of sin, be it in the performance of duties of piety, mercy, and justice, or any other whatsoever, the supply of all must come from Christ alone, as he speaks himself Rev. i. 8, " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" of all things. " All my springs" (saith the Psalmist, Psalm ixxxvii. 7.) " are in thee." He speaks of Christ in the name of God, as ii God spake to Christ his Son ; " All my springs are !n CHRIST THE ONLY WAT. 27 tnee :" therefore you shall find God always dealing with men as Pharaoh dealt in Egypt with his own people ; they came com- plaining of their wants to Pharaoh : " Go to Joseph," (saith Pharaoh) " hear what he saith ;" he turns all over to Jo- seph, Thus doth God deal with men : " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him," saith God the Father : therefore, Christ saith, " The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son :" so that Christ is judge alone ; as Christ will dispose of all things, so his Father sets to his seal, and under writes his hand, and never examines what Christ doth ; but every deed that is signed by Christ, the Father, without any more ado, seals it, and manages all things by the hand of Christ ; therefore, Christ saith, in the last of Matthew, " All power is given unto me, both in heaven and in earth." The Father made- all over to him, every thing. The truth is, beloved, the Godhead is absolutely a being of itself*, but this Godhead was pleased to unite the humanity to itself, and the Godhead having the humanity united to it, is one person f . Thus it pleased Christ to manage all things in the world, not in the Godhead alone, but as the Godhead hath the manhood united to it. You must not conceive, when God makes over the manasf- ing of things to Christ, that he sits still. But the Godhead hath now the manhood united to itself; so it is Christ, God and man, that works together ; and, by this kind of way, there is nearer and better access for us unto God ; because here is an humanity that is of some relation unto us, and so of near acquaintance with us. The Godliead, in its simple nature, is of too remote a distance, for us to come near. Fifthly, Moreover, he is not only a way to grace, but the en- creasing of it is in Christ. The apostle (Col. ii. 10.) tells us, that " we are complete in him, who is the head of the body, the head of all principalities ;" not only that we have substance and being, but that we are complete in him : and, in the latter end of the chapter, the apostle follows the allusion of the head and body, and faith, that the " parts having nourishment ministi'ed by joints, increase with the increase of God." When the parts are united to the head, and the head, through the veins and * Deut. vi. 4 f That is, the Godhead, as subsisting in the Son of God, is a person of itself^ *Dd taking the humanity into union with it, both became one person. i 28 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. nerves conveys nourisliment to those parts, then the parts not only live, but increase with the increase of God. The apostle, 1 Pet. ii. 4, saith, " To whom coming as to a living stone," (speaking to believers,) " you as lively stones are built up a spiritual house :" he doth not say, stones that have life, but " lively stones :" they have more than bare life ; nay, further, " as lively stones are built up" together. There is a growing up by the power of Christ, in coming to the " living-stone," as the apostle doth there call him. And that is not all neither ; we have not only growth by the grace of Christ, but restoration * and recovery in case of relapse. Suppose a believer fall, the same Christ that gave him life, and set him upon his legs, must raise him up again when he is down ; " Though I fall, yet shall I not be cast down," saith he ; that is, I shall not be left, but shall be raised again : " The ransomed of the Lord" (Isa. xxxv. 10,) " shall return unto Sion, they shall rejoice with everlasting joy upon their heads ; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away." They shall return to Sion ; they were of Sion before : a man is not said to return, except he were in the place before, and so is cominff agfain : so the ransomed of the Lord shall return to Sion. How ? they are ransomed of the Lord ; it is the ransom of Christ, ihat brings them back from bondage to their Sion again ; and when he brings them back, he brings them back " with ever- Jasting joy upon their heads ; they obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing fly away." Thus I have endeavoured to declare the main thing, in what kind Christ is a way from a state of sin and wrath, to a state of grace. I should have further considered what kind of way Christ is, and upon what grounds Christ is become such a way as he is ; but I consider the season ; I shall not therefore trespass upon your patience, though my fingers itch to be dealing in that which remains. There is abundance of excellency behind; Christ he is a free way ; Christ is a near Avay ; Christ is a way of quick riddance of all business you have to do in the way ; Christ is a firm way, there is no fear of sinking ; Christ is a satisfying and pleasant way ; " All thy ways are pleasantness ;" Christ is a safe way, there is a continual guard and conduct in that way ; * Psalm xxiii. 3. CHRIST THE ONT.T WAY. 29 Christ is an easy way to hit; " Way-faring men, though fools," (saith Isaiah) " shall not err therein ;" Christ is a spacious way, " Thou hast set my feet in a lai-ge room," saith David. Now all this is founded upon the good pleasure of God ; he will have Christ to be the way : it is founded upon the interest that Christ hath in God ; it is founded upon the purchase of Christ, that hath bought this for man ; it is likewise founded upon the conquest of Christ, as he makes his own way, and beats all off that keeps thee from finding this way ; it is founded, lastly, upon his bowels to the sons of men, that can never pass over the gulph, till he hath made himself a bridge for them. These things I should have shewed you by setting forth the excellency of this way. But of these hereafter. SERMON III. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. JOHN xiv. 6. 1 AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE : NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME. 1 HAVE a word or two to speak more fully, if possible it may be, to satisfy such as are not fully resolved in the things I formerly delivered. Christ, I said, is the way from wrath, from the wrath of the Father ; from wrath in its affection, (as I may so speak ;) from wrath in the fruits of this affection of wrath. I delivered this position indeed: " The punishment, or the rod of God, or rather chastisement, is not for sin, but from sin." Some stumble at the expression, peradventure through mistake. In brief, therefore, beloved, to clear both myself and your judg- ments, if it be possible ; when I say that believers are not afflicted for sin, I mean thus ; God, when he afflicts a belie\er, he hath not an eye to the desert of his sin, and thereupon doth 30 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. lay part of this desert upon his back; for Christ hath borne the whole desert of sm upon his own back. Whatsoever desert of sin the believer doth bear, Christ did not bear it, or else God takes satisfaction twice for one thing. Mark it well, I pr'*Y, be- loved, if the Lord will scourge a believer, as now pouring out upon him what his transgressions hath deserved, wherefore did Christ die ? Christ died to satisfy for the fault of sin ; and, in his death, God was actually satisfied, as you shall find it in Isaiah liii. " He beheld the travail of his soul, and he was satisfied with it." With what was he satisfied ? He was satisfied with " the travail of his soul ;" with the burthen his soul bare, with the punishment of sin that was upon him. If God was satisfied with the " travail of his soul," how can God come to exact a new satisfaction by pouring out his wrath for sin upon believers ? To be satisfied, and to ask more is a contradiction ; either he was not satisfied, or, being satisfied, he could ask no more. In brief, therefore, beloved, consider thus much, there is not the least action, or rather intention of any revenge, for a sin com- mitted, when the Lord in any kind afflicts his people : all the revenge, that sin deserves, Christ hath taken away and hath borne it upon his own back ; and, therefore, he is said to " save to the uttermost (Heb. vii. 25,) them that come to God by him." He saves to the utmost, saith the apostle ; he hath not left a dram, nor a jot behind, not so much as the least scatterings of wrath to light upon the liead of a believer, for whose sake he bare the indignation of the Lord. Whereupon the very nature of affliction in general is altered and changed ; as death in par- ticular : it was the wages of sin at first ; it is become the bed of rest now ; " They shall rest in their beds, each in his upright- ness," saith the prophet. Afflictions were the rod of God's ano-er ; they are now the gentle purges of a tender father. God heretofore afflicted for sin, now God afflicts men from sin ; " This is all the fruit," saith the prophet, " to take away his sin :" not to take away the present sin, as if affliction did make an end, and so blot out transgression ; this doth directly strike at the heart of Christ himself*. But " this is all the fruit to take away sin," that is, to break off sin, to prevent sin. " Before • For it is Christ's work to take every present sin from off the conscience of tbe be- liever, by the application of his blood and sacrifice ; hence he is said to b* " the LamV of God that taketh away," that continues to take away, " the sins of the world." CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 31 I was affficted (saith David) I went astray, but now have I learned to keep tliy law :" therefore, (saith he) " It is good for me that I have been afflicted;" in this regard, because of prevention. If you will but carry it clearly without carping, or a spirit that seeks contention and quarrelling, you never need to stumble at such a position as this ; for afflictions are the smiles of God, as gracious as the choicest embraces. God never mahifests a loving stroking of a soul, more than he doth, when he afflicts it, to make his love appear in these afflictions. And the truth is, as Christ has purchased rest and peace for believers, so he hath likewise purchased afflictions for them too ; the wisdom of God seeing afflictions as useful as dandlings themselves : but still, I say, this remains firm, that Christ is a way from all wrath what- soever, as it is the manifestation of God's displeasure unto the creatures sinning ; and thereby pouring out the desert of this sinfulness, or the fruit of the desert of this sinfulness, upon them. Christ is a way to the state of grace ; grace in respect of favour, grace in respect of the fruits thereof; and this we have dis- patched. The next thing considerable is, " What kind of way Christ is to those that come to the Father by him ?" I shall speak as briefly as possible I may. Take notice, in general, that the Lord hath laid out Christ as a way, with all the possible con- veniences that may either win a people into this way, or satisfy and refresh a people that are in this way * ; he hath so furnished Christ, the way, with all possible accommodations, as there can- not be devised what the heart of man himself can desire, but he shall find it in this way, Christ : so that all I shall speak of this subject is, that as it may give abundance of light, so you may apply it all along, by way of motive to stir you up, to quicken you to set footing into this way, in respect of those several con- veniencies that do accompany it. In the first place, There is this great and ineffable excellency and accommodation in Christ, the way, that he is a free way for all comers to enter into, without any cause of fear, that they shall trespass by entering : he is a free way, I say : a way that costs nothing ; a way barred up to no person whatsoever ; a way whose grates are cast off from the hinges f ; nay, rather, a way •Prov. ix. 1, 2, 3. Cant. v. 1. + Psalm cvii. 16. CHRIST THB ONLY WAY. that hath no gates at all unto it ; a cheap way to us ; a costlj way indeed unto the Father, and to Christ too. O beloved ! a man might study a while to find out, whether there be more preciousness in Christ himself, as he is our way, or in the fitting of Christ to be our way. The person of Christ is invaluable, there is nothing to be compared with him : but considering hira as our way to salvation, whether there be more preciousness in that, or in the fitting of him for it, is not so easy to determine. " Ye are bought with a price, (saith the apostle, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19,) not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the pre- cious blood of Christ." Observe it, I pray, that Christ might be a fit way for us to the Father, it cost the Father, and Christ him- self that, in comparison of which, silver and gold, and the most precious things in the world, are called but corruptible things ; which makes the apostle break out into a way of expostulation and admiration, rather than into a way of affirmation ; " Oh ! what manner of love is this, that the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God !" Greater love than this can no man shew, than to lay down his life for his enemies. Wliat did it cost the Father? It cost him that, that was most precious to him of all things in the world ; it cost him his own Son, not a cessation of the being of his Son, but the bitterness of his Son : though a man doth not lose his child, yet it goes to the heart of him to see his child tormented; much more when he himself must be forced to be the tormentor. Abraham thought God put him hard to it, when he must be the butcher, to slay his own and only son, his dear Isaac. God, the Father, was put to it as much, nay, much more: in Abraham the thing was but offered, God would not have him do it actually ; yet it went to his heart that he should be appointed to do it ; but it would have cut his heart if he had done it, if he had cut the throat of Isaac. If nothing could content him before he had a child, " What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless ?" What would Abraham have said, if receiving a child, he should have been made a but- cher to his OAvn child ? Yet the Father was put to this, to make Christ a way to believers : " He was his only beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased." Prov. viii. 30, " I was daily his delight, (speaking of the Father and Christ under the notion of wisdom) I was his delight, rejoicing always before him in the habitable parts of his earth." Must it not come near unto him CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 38 to part with such a Son ? Nay, must it not go near to him, that he himself must not only be a spectator of all that cruelty, but the principal actor himself in the tragedy ? He doth not only leave Christ to men, but when men could not fetch blood enough, he takes the rod into his own hand, and will fetch it himself from his beloved Son : " It pleased the Lord to bruise him," saith the prophet, Isa. liii. 10. It did not only please the Lord, that men should bruise him ; but " it pleased the Lord " himself " to bruise him." It was a strange apprehension, that God should look upon the anguish of the soul of Christ, and, instead of breaking out into furiousness against the instruments of cruelty, he himself should be satisfied with beholding it ; as much as to say, it did his heart good to see it ; " He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied ;" not only satisfied towards men, but satisfied in himself: it gave him content to see the travail of his Son, Certainly, beloved, the bowels of God must infinitely be beyond the reach of the creature, towards a poor sinner, that he could go so far in a contrary way to his own Son ; that there might be the fruit of these bowels to his enemies. One would think, God should rejoice to see the confusion of his enemies ; and not rejoice to see the bitterness of the travail of the soul of his Son, that his enemies might escape scot-free : but this it cost the Father ; he must not only behold, or allow the suffering of his Son, but he must be an actor of it himself : nay, he must be pleased in it. Certainly, the Father was exceedingly pleased with it, because it doth commend the great end of the Father : the main end he drove at was the salvation of sinners; and this, in his wisdom, he saw the fittest way ; that it could not be done, but by this way ; therefore it pleased him, in that his purpose should not be frustrate of his end. You know, when a man hath a great mind to a thing, if the way he goes in prospers not, he is displeased ; if it prosper, he is contented in it, he delights to see his business succeed ; so was it with the Father. You may see what it cost Christ too, as well as the Father; the Father must resign his part in his Son ; a great matter, not only to part with him, in respect of death, but in a manner to part with him in life too ; " My God, my God, (saith Christ) why hast thou forsaken me ?" Here, you see, God parts with turn in life j and Christ must part with his life, as well as the D 34 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. Father must part with the Son ; nay, in some manner, Christ must part with that which is better than his hfe, with tlie glorv and majesty of his divinity. He did not part with the essence of his divinity, but with the glory of it ; he parted, as Phil. ii. 6, " Though he thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet he took upon him the form of a servant, and made himself of no reputation ;" he did empty himself, as the meaning of the word is ; he did put off and lay aside the majesty and glory he had, that he might seem to be a mere Carpenter's Son. For a king all his life-time to undergo the notion of a beggar, and not to recover out of this estate all his whole life, but even to lie down in this low condition in the grave, it would seem a great loss unto him : man would reckon this a great matter, for a king to debase himself so low ; it cost Christ more than this ; look upon all the sufferings of Christ; look upon death itself; to- gether with the reproach and shame of it. The death he died, was called " A cursed death of the cross ;" although he was not ashamed, that is, he despised the shame ; yet shame and reproach he must bear. So, if we look upon God and Christ, as making a way for men, it is not a free way, it is not a cheap way, but lookino- upon ourselves, that have received the benefit of this way, and this Christ, it is a free way indeed, free for man, with- out any cost or charge ; free, as he is a way to all sorts of men, none excepted, none prohibited ; whoever will, may set footing in Christ. There is nothing can bar one person more than another, from entering into Christ as a way. I know, beloved, this seems harsh to the ears of some people, that there is no dif- ference to be made among men, not only poor, as well as rich, but that the wicked, as well as godly, are admitted : that is strange. But let me tell you, Christ is a free way for a drunkard, for a whore-master, for a harlot, an enemy to Chrifit; I say, Christ is as free a way for such a person to enter into him*, as for the most godly person in the world. But do not mistake me ; I do not say, Christ is a free way to walk in him, and yet to continue in such a condition ; for Christ will never leave a person in such a filthiness, to whom he hath given to enter into himself: * That is, who has been such a person ; not that continues so, as is presently ob- served ; the sense is, that such are free to come to Christ, notwithstanding tlvoir former life, and that without any conditions and qualifications fitting them for his acceptance; and so stand upon as good a foot, with respect to Christ's free and hearty admittam of them into him, the way, a» the most godly person in the world. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 35 inAi'K well what I say ; but for entrance into him, Christ is as free a way for the vilest sort of sinners, as for any person under heaven. If Christ hath given a heart to a sinner, to set footino- into himself; that is, to receive, to take him for his Christ ; if Christ hath given him a heart to take him for his Christ in reality, to take him truly and unfeignedly : Christ is a way for such a person to the Father, though he be the vilest person under heaven. And he is to him a way unto the Father, even while he is ungodly, before he is amended; and he may take his part in this Christ, as an ungodly person, as well as when he is righteous. In this regard I say, Christ is a free way ; God looks for nothing in the world from the sons of men, be they what kind of men soever, he looks for nothing from them, to have a right to Christ ; but he did freely give Christ unto them, without con- sidering of any thing that they might bring along with them. Nay, more, God doth not only not look for any thing, but he will not take notice, nor regard any discouragements in men, to keep them from the inheritance, to keep him off from giving unto them a right unto Christ. I would fain have this point cleared, and fully and exactly proved, because, I doubt, many persons will not receive it ; but, I tell you, we must not be afraid to set forth the praise of the glory of God's grace, as fearing the squeamishness of some men : first, therefore, consider, that Christ is delivered over unto men, to be their way unto the Father, of mere gift, of free gift : what is freer than a gift ? That Christ is delivered over to be a way to the Father, by a mere and absolute gift, is most plainly ex- pressed, Isaiah xlii. " I will give thee," saith the text, " to be a covenant to the people." In matter of gift, what is there in the richest man in the world, more than in the veriest beo^orar. to partake of it, supposing the thing that comes to him as a gift 1 A beggar can take a gift as well as the richest man ; nay, a thief, that is condemned to the gallows, may receive a gift of the king, as well as the greatest favourite in court; and, if any thing be tendered as a mere gift unto a thief, his very being a thief, and his being ready to be executed, is no prejudice in the world to bar him from participating of that which shall be be- stowed upon him as a gift: if Christ be a free gift unto men, then it must follow, to whom the Father will reach out Christ, there is nothing in that person to hinder the paiticipatingofhim, d2 36 CHRIST THE ONLY WAV. But some will say, though Christ be a gift, yet he is a gift upon condition. I answer, I cannot say but there is a flat contradiction, to say he is a gift, and yet conditions required. What are the con- ditions in a covenant, but a mere bargain and sale ? I will do this, and thou shalt do that ; do this, and thou slialt have that : what difference is there between this, and a bargain and sale ? That God should require conditions of men, is but to receive Christ as upon bargain and sale ; but Christ must be really and actually a gift. When the king gives a pardon to a thief, what are the conditions ? Peradventure the thief can do his king service, if his life he spared ; but if his life be spared upon ser- vice doing, it is not a gift, but a bargain, as much as to make a contract, thus, do such a piece of service, then life is yours. I say it derogates from the nature of a gift, that there should be a condition required; and the gospel, that is, Christ given over to men, cannot be said to be freely given over to them, if man must buy him : mistake me not, I speak not all this while against holiness and righteousness, that becomes a people to whom Christ is a way ; for holy and righteous they shall be ; Christ will make them holy, and put his spirit into them, to change their hearts and to work upon their spirits ; but this is not the condition required to partake of Christ; Christ himself gives himself, and then he bestows these things when he is given. I say, Christ is given to men first, before they do any thing in the world; and all they do, they do by Christ present in them ; " I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me ; and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God." We do not so much live, but by the life of Christ, which is life in us. All the actions of life proceed from the soul, now present ; how then comes the actions of the soul to be a condition to partake of the soul, that gives life, and, by its presence, works such actions ? Christ is the soul of every believer, that animates, and acts the believer in all things whatsoever ; must not this life, Christ, be put into a believer, before he can actuate life, which is a stream springs from that life ? how then can this be a condition to re- ceive, to have Christ, when Christ is first come, by whom these things, that are called conditions, are afterwards wrought, he himself being present to work them ? So, say I, God bestows Christ upon men to be a way to bring them to the Father ; he is CHniST THE ONLY WAY. 37 an absolute and free gift : there is no other motive that Christ should be any one's saviour, than merely the good pleasure of the Father, the bowels of God himself; " Not for thy sake, but for my own sake ; not for thy sake, thou art a rebellious and stubborn people, but for my own sake." Here is the freeness of Christ, to a person coming to him, when he comes merely for God's sake ; and God merely upon his good pleasure will do it, because he will; " He hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth : it is not in him that willeth, (saith Paul, Rom. ix.) nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy." So that Christ becomes a way unto them, not out of their will, not out of their disposition, not out of their holy walkings, but out of that mercy that proceeds out of the mere will of God; his own good pleasure is the only fountain and spring of it. Beloved, I beseech you, seriously ponder and consider, that the gospel is therefore called the gos- pel, because it is glad tidings unto men ; and so the angel inter- preted it, " Behold, I bring glad tidings." Why glad tidings ? In this respect glad, the poor sinner, he is a broken creature ; nay more, he is a dead creature, " Ye, who were dead in tres- passes and sins." That life now is reached out unto such a per- son, that is a dead person ; herein it is plain, that there comes forth that grace from the Lord, that a creature being dead, who can act nothing towards life, yet he shall receive life. " The time is coming that the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it, shall live," John v. 25. How come they by life ! is there any action of theirs towards life ? They are dead ; it is the voice of the Son of God puts life into their dead souls; and it is glad tidings, that though the creature can do nothing*, yet Christ brings enough with him from the fountain of the Father, to bestow upon them, to bring them to him. To shew you a plain scripture, that Christ becomes a way to the Father, merely as a free gift, without any thing in man required, look into Isaiah Iv. 1, " Ho, every one that thirsteth," that is, every one that hath a mind, " come to the waters, he that hath no money ; come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come and buy wine and milk without money, and without price," saith the prophet ; and then he falls upon an objurgation in the next verse; " Where- • John XV. 5. Isaiah xxvi. IS, 38 CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. fore spend ye money for that which is not bread, and labour for that which satisfies not 1 Eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness : incline your ear, hearken, and your soul sha 1 live ; I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David ?" Here is the closure of all ; dost thou thirst, that is, hast thou a mind really to Christ, that Christ should say really to thy soul, I am thy salvation ? It may be thou dost suspect, saying within thyself, Christ is not my por- tion ; I am not fit for Christ ; I am a great sinner, I must be holy first: this is bringing a price to Christ; but you must come without. money, and without price: and what is this to come without money, and without price ? It is nothing but to take the offer * of Christ, these waters of life, to take them merely and simply as a gift brought, and this is a sure mercy indeed : these are the sure mercies of David, when a man receives the things of Christ, only because Christ gives them ; not in regard to any action of ours, as the ground of taking them ; I mean, in regard of any action of ours, that we must bring along with us, that must concur that we may partake of this gift. Hosea xiv. 4. Christ speaks there thus to his people, " I will heal their back- slidings, I will love them freely ;" that is, I will love them for mine own sake. Rom. iii. 23, 24, the apostle speaks excellently concerning this free grace of God bestowed in Christ upon them ; " For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." Mark, brethren, first he takes off all creatures, and all that a creature can do, " all have sinned and come short of the glory of God ;" then he shews how we should partake of justification, namely, freely through Christ. Rom. v. The apostle speaks at large concerning the participation of Christ, to be our Christ of mere free gift, where he makes a large comparison of our participation of sin from Adam, and of our participation of life from Christ ; and still in every passage, speaking of parti- cipating of life from and by Christ, he comes in with these ex- pressions of gift, and that it comes freely. Rom. v. 15, " But not as by the transgression of one, so is the free gift ; for if through the transgression of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." There is grace, and the * Rev. iii 18. John vii. 37. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 39 gift by grace ; so running in this expression in the 17th verse, he saith, " For if by the offence of one, death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ." Still, I say, observe it, that we partake of life in Christ, and by Christ ; and it runs altogether upon this strain, that it comes by mere gift. Do but look in Ephes, ii. 4 — 10, and there you shall perceive how clear and full the apostle is in this business, that Christ is made a way to life absolutely and merely of free gift ; " But God," saith he, " who is rich in mercy, for his great love where- with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hatn quickened us together with Christ ; by grace ye are saved : and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Jesus Christ, that in the ages to come he might shew the exceed- ing riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." Mark how he goes on ; " For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should boast; for we are his work- manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Still he runs upon mercy and grace, and works he excludes, that no creature might boast. If any thing were done on our part, to partake of Christ, we might have whereof to boast. So likewise speaking of Abraham, Rom. iv. 2, " For if Abraham were justified by works, he had whereof to glory :" we should have to glory, if we should have the least hand in the participating of Christ ; therefore God would give Christ freely unto his creature ; because man should have no stroke in participating of him, that so it might be to the praise of the glory of his grace ; that we should not glory ; yea, " That no flesh should glory in his presence." And therefore the same apostle, Ephes. iii. 12, tells us, that from this grace " we have boldness, and access with confidence through the faith of him," In regard that Christ is given unto men to be a way unto the Father, and merely of free gift, hence it is that we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Should we regard our own works or qualifications, there would be some mixture of distrust ; we should have some fear that God would find out such and such a thought ; therefore we could never come with boldness and confidence, if we did not come in Christ as a 40 CHRIST THE ONLY WAV free gift bestowed upon us : for if tliere were one condition*, and the least failing in that condition, God might take advantage upon that default, and so possibly we might miscarry ; and we being jealous and privy to it, that there are faults in all we do, we should be " subject all our lives to bondage," (saith the apostle,) and should fear that God will take advantage of all that which is undone on our part ; and so not fulfil what he hath promised on his part. But seeing we have Christ bestowed as a free gift of the Father, " we come with boldness and access to the throne of grace." To establish, or a little more to clear this, look (Heb. x. 18, 19, 20,) " Now where remission of sin is, there is no more offering for sin ; having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way that he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." How come we to have boldness 1 Through the new and living way made by the blood of Christ ; not a new and living way by his blood and our actions, but by his blood; that is, only by his blood, merely by his actions ; and so passed over freely to us ; this is that which makes us come with so much boldness. Look into the closure of all the scriptures, you shall find there can be nothing imagined more free ; nay, so free, as the partici- pating of Christ to be the way to the Father ; nothing so free as this, (Rev. xxii. 17,) " Both the Spirit and the bride say, come; let him that heareth, say, come ; and let him that is athirst, come ; and whosoever will, (mark the expression) let him take of the water of life freely." Hast thou but a mind to Christ ? come and take the water of life freely ; it is thine ; it is given to thee ; there is nothing looked for from thee to take thy portion in this Christ ; thine he is as well as any person's under Heaven : there- fore, you shall find our Saviour exceedingly complain of this, as a great fault, " You will not come to me, that you might have life ;" " He that comes to me, I will in no wise cast him off;" upon no terms. Thou may est object a thousand things, that if thou shouldst come, and conclude Christ is thy Christ, he will reject thee, and that it will be but presumption ; but, in so doing, thou rejectest thyself, and forsakest thy own mercy ; but Christ saith. Whosoever he be, what person soever, *' I will in no wise cast him off, if he come unto me.'* • Rom. xi. 6, and iv. 1 he shall sink over head and ears. Ye that go to the Father, and think to set yourselves in his presence, and stand in his delight, in the way of your own ■ighteousness, shame and confusion of face will cover you before vou are aware. Paul durst not be found in it, but looked upon CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 48 It as (lung; dung you know is sinking ; the righteousness of Paul, he saw it, he knew it, it did not only stink in the nostrils of God as dung, but it was a sinking way ; he himself could never keep firm footing to go to the Father by it ; therefore, he saith, Phil. iii. 8, 9, " I account all but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him ; not having mine own righteousness, that is according to the law, but the righteousness that is by faith in Christ." Let a man venture himself upon Christ, as he is a way to the Father, and he shall not sink. " Fear not," saith Christ, in Isaiah xli. 10, " I am with thee, be not dismayed, I am thy God ; I will help thee, I will strengthen thee, I will up- hold thee, with the right-hand of my righteousness :" " I will uphold thee ;" all the righteousness of man is not able to uphold him : nay, there is that in man's righteousness that will sink him : where there is sinfulness in men's actions, in their righteousness ; that sinfulness is enough to trip up their heels, to lay them in the dirt, to lay them flat upon their backs*, that they cannot rise again. Let men come before God with this righteousness, if God find fault with that in which they present themselves, they are gone for ever : " Let a man keep the whole law, and at last fail in one point, he is guilty of all." See then how firmly he stands, that is built upon a rock. He that builds upon Christ, builds upon a rock ; nothing can shakef him : be transgresses, it is true, but Christ carries away his transgression, that before it comes to the eye of the Father, it is gone into the wilderness ; *' He casts it behind his back, he throws it into the bottom of the sea, it is blotted out," as the text speaks. So that still, I say, as water falling upon a rocky way, glides away as fast as it falls, that the way is as hard as before the rain fell, and a man may stand as firm there as before : so all our sinfulness, while we are in the way Christ, as thick as it falls, Christ hath so made him- self such a way, that it passeth off from us to him, and from him also. We have garments made now a-days, that if rain falls it will glide off a man, and so not soak into him. Christ is our garment ; all the wet that falls upon us, lights on him ; it falls from us to Christ himself ; that is, all our transgressions, when once we are in Christ, pass from us f to him. Now he hath a garment as well for himself, as for us ; that though our sins fal • Horn. XI. 10. f Matt. vii. 25. J Zech. iii. 3. Isaiah vi. 7. 54 CHRIST THE ONLY WAT. from US to mm, yet they remain not upon him. The Lord, in- deed, laid the iniquities of all upon Christ ; but he passed away all this iniquity from himself, by making full satisfaction to the Father. If Christ should have our sinfulness remaining upon him, when it glides from us, he himself would be a sinking way to us. If Christ were sinful in the eyes of God, we could never be clean in his eyes ; it is through his cleanness we become clean. Now Christ is such a way to believers that receive him, that he took away all their sins from them, bore them all, and left them in his own grave, and raised himself without them. So here is no sin charged upon believers, nor upon Christ ; it was laid upon Christ, it is true, but he hath cast it off, and sweat* it out ; it is evaporated and gone from him too. Thus you see Christ is a firm way, a secure way, to a person ; he shall not stir, he shall not be moved, as long as he keeps Christ to be his way. Once again. As Christ is a firm way to believers, so he is a most pleasant way ; I say, a most delightful, a most refreshing and recreating way ; Christ is a way, as if it were all strewed with flowers ; there is nothing but mirth and sweetness in him. In Prov. iii. 17, there you shall find Christ spoken of, under the notion of wisdom, of whom it is affirmed, " That her ways are ways of pleasantness :" not only pleasant ways, but ways of pleasantness ; as if there were nothing but pleasures ; as if the ways were substantial pleasures, or full of all manner of delight. Do but observe a notable expression in Isaiah xxxv. 1, 2, he speaks as if he had been an apostle in the time, or after the time of Christ : you may see, by him, what a pleasant way Christ is to all those that choose him for their way : in the 1st verse, you have him expressing himself thus, " The wilderness and the solitary places shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." He means thus. That whereas men lived as in the wilderness, and in a desert place ; that is, in a sad and solitary condition ; they shall be translated into such a way, into such a pleasant way, that there shall be gladness and rejoicing ; there shall be the blossom of roses in this way. And to illustrate the pleasantness of the way into which Christ translates his, by translating them into himself, he goes on in the 2d verse, " It shall blossom abundantly, and • Luke xxii. 24. CHRIST THE ONLY WAV. 5o rejoice even with joy and singing ; the glory of Lebanon shal'i be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon ; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God;'* nothing but pleasure : it is compared to Lebanon, the sweetest place in the world; to Carmel and Sharon, places of great delight : such shall be the way chalked out, and held forth unto believers. Look into the last verse of the chapter, and see what a way of pleasure Christ is unto all those that receive him ; " And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads ; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away," Behold the mirth that is in the way, Christ ! there is nothing but joy and gladness. But some will say, Believers find it otherwise : there is not such joy and gladness, but they are often oppressed with sadness and heaviness of spirit. I answer. There is not one fit of sadness in any believer what- soever, but he is out of the way Christ* ; I mean, in fits of sad- ness in respect of his jealousy of his present and future estate ; he is out of the way of Christ, he enjoys not him as he ought, while he is in such fits. Therefore, the apostle puts believers upon rejoicing always ; " Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, rejoice," Phil. iv. 4. There is matter of nothing but joy in him : while there is mourning in believers, there are meltings in those mournings ; and more joy in the mourning of a believer, than in all the mirth of a wicked man. I appeal to you, that have had melted hearts, whether you have not found a secret content in your meltings, that you rather fear the change of that mourning, than that you are troubled with it ? That, which is a most common proverb in the world, is most certainly true in this present case, " Some men for joy do weep, others for sorrow sing." I say, believers weep for joy, and never mourn more kindly, than when they see the joy of the Holy Ghost, in the freeness and fulness of the Lord Christ, poured out upon them : there is never any more kindly mourning for sin, than that mourning, when the soul is satisfied of forgive- • That U, as to the enjoyment of him, as it is afterwards explained; or with re- spect to the exercise of faith, or comfortable walking in the way, Christ, as becomes a believer ; otherwise he that is once in Christ is always so ; he can never be out of him as to interest in him, and salvation by him. 5S CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. ness of sins: I say, the soul is first satisfied with forgiveness d! sins, before there is that real kindly mourning in those that are believers. You have heard of some persons, I know, that have been condemned to be executed, who at the scaffold have been so obdurate, and stiff-necked, that not a cry, not a tear came from them ; yet, just when their necks went to the block, upon the coming of the pardon, when they were discharged, they that could not weep a tear, nor be affected with their estate, no sooner do they see a pardon, and themselves acquitted, but they melt all into tears : so it is with believers, the more they see Christ in the pardon of sin, and the love of God in Christ to receive and embrace them, the more they melt. Therefore, Solomon hath a notable expression'; " If thine enemy hunger, (saith he) give him bread ; and, if he thirst, give him drink ; so shalt thou heap coals of fire upon his head," Pro v. xxv. 21, 22. As much as if he should have said, Kindness is the best way in the world to melt the most obdurate wretch. Thus God deals with men through Christ ; he gives them bread Avhen they ai-e hungry, and drink when they are thirsty ; and thus he heaps coals of fire upon their heads ; that is, he melts them. So, you see, what an admirable way Christ is, all full of plea- sure ; there is the Spirit of Christ to make music unto a soul. " Speak comfortably unto my people," saith God: and this is the office of the Spirit, and the Spirit doth nothing else but speak comfortable things. Christ is a way, as the cellars of wine are unto drunkards, that are never better than when they are at the cup ; and, therefore, no place like the cellar, where there is ful- ness of wine always to be tipling and drinking : I say, Christ is such a Vv'ay ; and let it not be offensive to say so, for the church speaks in the same language. Cant, ii, 4, 5, " He brought me (saith she) into his wine-cellar; stay me with flaggons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love." Christ hath such variety of delicates served in continually, and such sweetness in this variety, that the soul is no longer satisfied than it is with Christ. Here is not staying with cups, much less with half cups, but stay- ing with whole flaggons ; there is a kind of inebriating, whereby Christ doth, in a spiritual sense, make believers, that keep him company, spiritually drunk : he overcomes them with wine. ** In that day, saith the Lord, I will make a feast of fat things, full of marrow, of wine well refined upon the lees," Isaiah xxv, 6. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. '57 Here Is abundance, it is a feast, and " a feast of fat things full of marrow," which is the best of fatness ; a feast " of wine well refined upon the lees," pure and clarified wines ; this is the en- tertainment Christ hath for those that keep him company. The Psalmist, in Psalm xxxvi. 7, 8, hath an excellent expression to this purpose, (speaking of the excellency of Christ) saith he, " Therefore the sons of men shall put their trust under the shadow of his wings :" well, what follows, when they put their trust under the shadow of his wings, that is, when they shall make choice of him to be their way ; " They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house ; thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasure." Mark, " of thine, for (saith he) With thee is the well of life :" here are not only plea- sures, but rivers of pleasures ; here is not only life, but a well of life ; such dainties and delicates, such curiosities and rarities, as the world can never shew, nor see, nor taste. We read in the Revelations, of " a white stone, and a new name written in it, which none could know, nor read, but he that had it." This I , am sure of, there are delights in Christ, none can possibly reach unto, but those to whom Christ doth give himself, and those that receive him : therefore, in Matt. xi. 25, our Saviour thanks his Father thus ; " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so, because it pleased thee." And it is worth observing, he doth not thank him, that he hath revealed them to the mighty, and great, and wise, that abound in all the manner of abilities far above others, but " unto babes ;" there is much in that phrase ; a babe is the weakest of all sorts of men ; implying thus much, that the weak- est of all believers, in the body of Christ, as I may say, the feeblest babe, shall partake of such hidden things, such excel- lencies of Christ, that all the world shall never be able to dive into, reach, nor comprehend; and Christ himself takes such delight in their societies, that he takes occasion to bless God, the Father, that he is so large for his sake, to do so much for them, above what he did for others. So yo see, Christ is also a pleasant way, a way of exceeding great content and delight; there is yet one thing more. Christ is a way, of all the ways in the world the most easy to De hit; there is no difficulty to find it out, nor to find out a 5S CHRIST THE ONLY WA7 progress in it. Many ways may lead unto a comfortable end; but there are so many cross ways to turn men out, that they lose themselves. In the way of works a man may presently lose him- self; there is not one work he doth, but he commits sin in it, and so he presently steps aside, and loses himself, and must begin again, and go about, and come where he was at first. God will never let any soul come near unto him, that comes to him with any sin whatsoever ; if there be any one sin, all must be undone, a man must begin again, as they say. I speak this of the righteousness of man, while he makes that his way to God. Therefore Christ is the way ; there is no stepping aside in Christ, no losing of him. There cannot be an error com- mitted, which, when a man comes to the Father by Christ, shall be taken notice of, as an error from that person : so, T say, it is the easiest way in the world to be hit. It is true what Peter saith of Paul, " Many things in his writings are very hard to be understood;" but mark, in the gospel, things that do pertain unto the justification of a sinner, are written in such great and plain letters, that he that runs may read them. Do but observe a few expressions, which shew how easy it is to hit the way, Christ himself being the way ; in Isa. xxxv. 8, " A highway there shall be, and the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." The Psalmist tells us, that " the commandments of God give light unto the eyes ;" the gospel out of question makes the simple wise : there are some things you know, that you are able to teach fools ; though you are not able to teach them deep mysteries. Beloved, Christ the way to salvation, makes himself so plain to those that come unto him, that though they be very fools, yet they shall not mistake, nor err; nay, though fools and way- faring men : a wise man, if he be a wayfaring man, that is, a stranger, may miss his way ; but if a man be a stranger, and a fool too, it must be a very easy way that he hits. A fool may hit a way in which he hath long conversed, which strangers may easily miss ; but, saith the Holy Ghost, the way that Christ is made to men, is such a way, that " fools, though wayfaring men, shall not err therein. Again, Christ is the way, and such a way, as is a spacious, large, elbow-room way, as I may so say : there is abundance of largeness and elbow-room in Christ the way to the Father; there- CHRIST THE ONLY WAY. 59 fore Christ himself salth, " If the Son make you free, then aro you free indeed." When Christ comes to bring liberty to men, then they are at liberty indeed: therefore, it is said, Gal. v. 1, " Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage :" when a man enters into Christ, he enters into liberty and freedom ; there is a contracted bondage in every way and condition but Christ alone. But some will say. How do you answer that place in Matt. vli. 14, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it ?" How can Christ be such a way of liberty, when the way is said to be an exceeding strait and narrow way ? I answer, (first mark the words that go before) Christ speaks not this simply, but comparatively ; the way is strait and narrow, in comparison of that he speaks of; for the words before are, " Broad is the way, and wide is the gate, that leadeth to destruc- tion, and many there be that enter in thereat :" then he comes in afterwards with these ; " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life ;" that is, in comparison of the vast liberty and scope the world takes to walk in, and the vast rang- mgs of their vain hearts, it is a strait way ; but, simply considering him in himself, he is a large way ; large in respect of the number that go in it, and in respect of the elbow-room in it. In a narrow way, few can go a-breast, it will hold but a few men ; but, in open broad ways, many may go together. Mark, now, how Christ is a large and spacious way ; " He died not for our sms only, but for the sins of the whole worid " 1 John ii. 2* See * The design of the apostle in these words, is to comfort his little children with the advocacy and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who might fall into sin, through weakness and inadvertency : but what comfort would it yield to a distressed mind, to be told that Christ was a propitiation, not only for the sins of the apostles and other saints, but for the sins of every individual in the world, even of those that are in hell ? Would it not be natural for persons in such circumstances, to argue rather against, than for themselves, and conclude, that seeing persons might be damned notwithstanding the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, that this might and would be the case. In the writings of the apostle John, the word world admits of a variety of senses ; and therefore the sense of it in one place cannot be the rule for the interpretation of it in another ; which can only be fixed as the text or context determine : sometimes it signifies the whole universe of created beings, John i. 10 ; sometimes the habitable earth, John xvi. 28; sometimes the inhabitants of it, John i. 10 ; sometimes uncon- verted persons, both elect and reprobate, John xv. 19 ; sometimes the worser part of the world, the wicked, John xvii. 9 ; sometimes the better part, the elect, Johii i. 29, and vi. 33, 51 ; sometimes a number of persons, and that a small one in comparison of the rest of mankind, John xii. 19 ; in one place it is used three times, and in so many senses, John i. 10, he, i. e. Christ, " was in the world," the habitable earth, and " the world," the whole universe, " was made by him ;" and " the world," the inhabitants 60 CHRIST THE ONLY WAi . what a spaciousness there is in Christ, that the whole world, the multitude of people of all sorts in the world, may have elbow- room in this way. But, secondly, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way :" what is this straitness ? to this question perhaps you will answer, a strict, austere, and severe life ; a preciseness and exactness without giving to a man's self any liberty whatsoever : this is the straitness of the way, that leadeth unto life. But give me leave to add, I confess the stricter christians can walk the better ; and Christ will more and more confine the life of a believer unto a holy exactness ; but, under favour, I conceive, this is not the meanino- of the text here, that by the straitness of the way, is meant strictness of conversation: but rather the meaning is, " Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way;" that is, it hath not that latitude in it, that generally men think it hath. What is that 1 men generally think, that besides Christ, there is some- thin «• more in the way that leadeth to life, and that is a man's own rio-hteousness ; not only Christ, but a man's own righteous- ness jointly together with Christ ; these are the way to salva- tion : this is the conceit of many men ; but I say, it is strait and narrow, in this regard, that all a man's own righteousness must be cut out of the way : it must be so narrow, that there must be nothino- in the way, but Christ ; when a man's own righteous- ness is taken into the way, besides Christ, then it is a broader way than Christ allows of; he allows only that way to * himself. of the earth " knew him not ;" and which is not to be understood of them all ; for there were some, though few, who did know him : and I will venture to affirm, that the word world is always used in the apostle John's writings in a restrictive and limited sense, for some only ; unless when it designs the whole universe, or habitable earth, senses which are out of the question ; for none will say Christ died for the sun, moon, and stars, for fishes, fowls, brutes, sticks, and stones ; and that it is never used to sig- nify every individual of mankind that has been, is, or shall be, in the world ; in which sense it ought to be proved it is used, if any argument can be concluded from it in favour of general redemption. * Mr. Anthony Burgess, in his " Vindicaj Legis," p. 32, finds great fault with the Doctor's sense of Matt. vii. 13, 14, applying the words to Christ, which he represents as a forced interpretation of them ; whereas nothing is more easy and natural, for, as Christ elsewhere calls himself a door, and a way, John x. 9, and xiv. 6, why not here a gate and a way ? Moreover, if any thing besides Christ is here meant, there must be more ways than one to heaven, and Christ could not be the only way ; for certain it is, that the way here spoken of leads to eternal life, for nothing else can be meant by life : and as to what this writer says, that then by the opposition, not wickedness, but the devil himself would be the broad way ; it may be replied, that not the devil only is opposed to Christ, but every thing that is wicked, yea that has the appear- ance of good, but is not really so ; and the broad way may very well be thought to take in the devil, and all his lusts, which men will do, and walk in ; and not only open vice and prophaneness, but all the false guises of religion and holiness, and a man's own polluted and pharisaical righteousness, to which Christ and his righteous- ness stand opposed. Matt. v. 20. CHRIST THE ONLY WAY, 61 And that this is the meaning, seems to me by the words that follow : " Beware (salth Christ in the next words) of false prophets, that come in sheep's cloathing, that inwardly are ra- vening wolves :" it seems, in this Christ gives a warning, how to beware of false prophets, by telling men, " That strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life :" And what false prophets were they ? if you consult with Luke, Acts xv. 1 — 24, you shall understand who these false prophets were, and withal, the meaning of this text : there you shall find that these false prophets were they that troubled the church, and occasioned that assembly, the first council that ever was : some (say the coun- cil) " that went out from us have troubled you with words, sub- verting your souls, saying, you must be circumcised, and keep the law, or else you cannot be saved:" these are the false pro- phets Christ meant, that would make the observation of the law of Moses, and circumcision, to be co-partners with Christ, as a way to salvation ; to whom say the apostles. " We gave no such commandment." You shall find that in the epistles to the Ga- latians and Colossians, all the apostle's contests were with such " false prophets that came in sheep's cloathing ;" they were not false prophets that came in wolves' habits, that are openly pro- phane and scandalous ; they can deceive no man, they shew them- selves to all; but they are "false prophets in sheep's cloathing ;" that is, they seem to be sheep, they seem to be austere ; they seem to preach nothing but righteousness and holiness ; but yet they are ravenous wolves ; how so 1 they make men build upon their own righteousness, and not upon Christ, and so destroy poor souls: these are those the apostle bids us beware of, in Gal. iii. 1, 2, 3, " Who, saith he, hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hatli been evidently set forth, crucified among you ? This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith 1 having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ?" Thus he argues against the false prophets, that will establish the righteousness of man, as the way to life. In a word or two, there are two things more considerable, 1 will but touch them ; Christ is a shady way ; in hot weather, men much desire shady places : you know the case of Jonah, when he was scorched with heat, God provided for him a gourd, and how eomfortable was it upon him 1 Christ is a shady way : " Hide 62 CHRIST THE ONLV WAV thyself for a little moment, till the indignation be over-past,* saith Christ, Isa. xxvi. 20, When the scorching glooms of God*s wrath break out into the world, Jesus Christ is a hiding-place, " till the indignation be over-past," Again, Christ is a quiet way* ; there are some private ways men affect, because there is but little disturbance ; but in some other ways, especially in some common road-ways, there is no- thing but quarrelling and revelling ; but Christ, he is a quiet way ; all is peace while you are in Christ ; " The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing," Rom, xv, 13 ; believe, and there is all peace for you; " being justified," (Rom, v, 1,) that is, while you are in Christ to justify you, there is " Peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ ;" and nothing but peace, I see the time is past ; something else I should have considered, especially the ground why Christ is such a way, but I shall rather break off abruptly. SERMON V. Christ's pre-eminence. COLOSSIANS i, 18. THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MIGHT HAVE THE PRE-EMINENCE, This admirable, sweet, and comfortable apostle of the Gentiles, makes it the master-piece of his apostleship, to woo and win people unto Christ : " We are the ambassadors of Christ, be- seeching you, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God :" as in all the rest of his epistles, so especially in this, and more es- pecially in this 1st chapter, he shews an excellent faculty he hath this way, in this business of wooing people to come to Christ : Isaiah xxxii. 17. CHniST^S PRE-EMINliNCB. 63 he observes what most effectually takes with people to beguile their spirits, as he speaks himself, with a kind of craft to catch their affections ; especially, if you observe from the 15th verse of this chapter, and so on, you shall find, the apostle meets with every thing that is most enamouring and taking with the people. The world is mightily taken with beauty, with completeness of person ; Oh ! saith one, let me have a beautiful person, it is no matter how poor : if beauty be so taking, then, saith the apostle, I will present a rare piece indeed to you, in presenting Christ; for such is the beauty of Christ, that there is no beauty like his ; he (saith he) is " The image of the invisible God;" that is one commendation of his. But, will some say, so is every man as well as Christ ; what rareness is there in Christ in this regard ? It is true, man is after the image of God, but where the apostle calls him " The image of the invisible God," he speaks in an eminent manner ; therefore, you shall find him expressing him- self more fully, in setting forth the rare beauty of Christ, in Heb. i, 3, " Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person." He is the image of God to the life, as I may say ; he is so like him, you cannot know one from the other, he hath so the perfections of God, that there can be nothing more like than he is unto the Father, expressing the brightness of his glory. But there are some, though they find beauty, yet that alone will not take; besides that, some men look for lineage, what stock a person is of: is he come of a good house, of a noble and royal blood 1 blood is a great matter, especially with high spirits. Well, if this will take, then there is no stock like th's of Christ ; he is of the greatest house in the world ; " The first- born* (saith the apostle) of every creature :" he comes of that great house, of God himself. And so doth the creature too, you will say ; what rarity is there in Christ above the creatures ? they all come of God. I answer ; But, beloved, the creatures are of, and in the house of God, as the apostle speaks of Moses, in Heb. iii. 5, " As servants in the house ;" Christ as a Son ; Christ is not only of a royal house, but he is born of that royal house ; he is the natural Son of the Father, " This is my beloved Son ;" so that he is ol the very blood-royal ; (as I may so say with reverence) and he ' He » the Jirst parent, or b/inger forth of every creature into being, aj lh« word will l)ear tc be rendered. Christ's pre-eminence. is not a younger brother in this house neither, for he is the first- begotten of the house ; that is a great matter among persons to marry the heir of a family ; so he is. Nay, more than that, he is the only-begotten of the house ; there is never another in all the family ; and that is a great encouragement, he is " the only-be- gotten Son of God, full of grace and truth," saith the apostle, John i. 14. So that if men go all the world over, to find a match in the noblest house, they will never meet with such a one as this of the Son of God. Thus he commends him. But yet some are ready to say, " Suppose he be of a noble house, he may be in disgrace, and he may live privately, and have no authority, nor be able to do any great matters." If this will do, then the apostle commends Christ as the rarest, in respect of his power and authority ; " All things were made by him, and for him ;" that is, all things in the world are at his command and beck ; they bow unto him, they stoop before him ; " At his name every knee shall bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ;" every thing goes through his hands. Yea, but it may be, will some say, he is in disgrace in court, ihat is a blur upon him, I answer. No, he is not so great in the country, but he is as great in the court too ; for, as he hath the whole world under his .jower, so he hath the great king at his beck ; he commands in heaven, as he doth upon earth ; there is nothing he can ask ol the Father, but it is answered ; he never has a nay ; if any come to be suitor to him to put up a petition, he is sure to speed. But, for all this, he may be but a poor man, though he have never so great power in court and country ; if he be poor, I shall live but poorly withhim ; if he were rich, and had abundance of wealth, then there were some hope, some encouragement to take such an one. I answer, Christ is not greater in court and country, than he is rich in treasure ; so you shall find in the 19th verse, " It pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell." All fulness ; all the treasures of wisdom are hid in him ; he hath the whole world to dispose of ; therefore silver and gold are not to be compared unto him. Yea, but yet there is one thing more ; though he hath riches yet he may prove a niggard, close-fisted, he may keep all to him- self; the party that hath him may be poor enough, for want of contribution. Christ's pre-em,nenck. 65 But, beloved, he is not raore rich himself, than he Is liberal to rontribute of his treasure, to make those that are his, sharers to the uttermost of all that he hath. Therefore, in chap. ii. 10, (for he follows this subject all along,) the apostle tells us, not only, as .n verse 9, " That in him dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily," but " You are complete in him who is the head of the body." The head, you know, is not a niggard: what fulness the head hath, it communicates to every part: Chris* s a head, and a head of fulness, the fulness of the Godhead. And, as the head is not sparing, but disperseth, and scattereth all that is in it, so that every member shall have a share ; and not a share merely to keep life and soul together, as we say, but a share to make a man complete: so, if any persons in the world would devise what they could desire in such a one to match themselves unto, you shall find that a creature cannot frame those perfections, in its fancy, which it would enjoy ; I say, men cannot frame any per- fections, to come so near the real perfections of Christ, as a sha- dow comes near the substance. You have a proverb, that " Ba- chelors' wives, and maids' diildren, must be rare creatures;" that is, their fancy will devise what kind of one they will have, and what kinds of perfections tbey desire. Let the fancy devise what kind of perfection it can, to please sense, Christ shall really out-strip, in perfection, all these fancies, more than a substance loth out-strip a shadow." Now, the apostle having delivered himself thus fully by way of wooing nnto Christ, he comes to close in the words of the text; and so declares the end and purpose for which he sets out Christ in so many excellencies as he did; the end of this was, " That in all things he might have the pre-eminence ;" that he may be taken for the most excellent thing in the world ; that all things may be rejected, rather than he; and he set above every thino- in the world. So then, the point in brief is this, in regard of the rare excellencies, and perfections, and usefulness of Christ, which are incomparable, he ought to have the pre-eminence in all things. In handling of which, we shall consider. First, What the pre-eminence is, which Christ ought to have. Secondly, Why he should have the pre-eminence in all these. And then a word or two of application. First, What is this pre-eminence that Christ should have. I will not insist upon the word pre-eminence : you all know, to F 08 Christ's pre-eminence. give a person or thing the pre-eminence, is no more than this, to set up such a person or thing above all others, and especially for those uses and purposes we have occasion of them for : I say, to choose such a person before any other, as a person who can better, and more certainly bring to pass what we desire, than any else can. So that in brief, to give Christ the pre-emi- nence, is, to set up Christ above all things in the world ; to choose Christ, rather than any thing, for every use and purpose to make of him : I say, above and before any thing whatsover, as apprehending him infinitely more able and sufficient unto such purposes than any thing else is. But more particularly, that we might the better see what the pre-eminence is, that Christ ought to have ; you must know, that there is an infallible pattern drawn out unto us, according unto which we are to write our copy. In general, therefore, the pre-eminence we are to give unto Christ, is, the pre-emi- nence that the Father hath given unto him before us, and re- vealed unto us, that we may, in our way, give the same to hira; therefore, we must consider a while what pre-eminence the Father gives unto Christ. You shall find, that the Father in many- things infinitely sets up Christ above all things in the world : he chose Christ before all things in the world. For instance : first, the Father gives Christ the pre-eminence of his affections, his love and his deliofht. There is nothinor in the world, the Father loves and delights in, as he doth in his Son. All the delight the creatures have from the Father, are but beams from the sun of righteousness, in the eyes of God. That Christ hath more abundance of the Father's love, than any creature in the world hath, I will give you but one passage or two, for the clearing of it. Look into Prov. viii. 30, 31. By the way, you must note, first, that wisdom, spoken of in this chapter, is generally under- stood by all, to be Christ alone ; and that which is indeed affirmed of wisdom, can be affirmed of none but Christ. Among other particulars, note these two, to manifest it is Christ, and that he hath that choice affection of the Father: " I was set up (saith Wisdom here) from everlasting." I was set up from everlast- ing: none was everlasting but the Father to set him up; none could be everlasting but the Sun to be set up. All creatures had their beginning and being in time. Now, observe the affec- tion of the Father in this ; I was set up from everlasting ; it Christ's pre-eminence. 67 doth properly set forth the nature of pre-eminence, Wisitom speaks of many things; God did lay the foundations of the earth, made the sea, and several creatures ; but 1 was set up from everlasting; as much as if he should say, these have their place in the world, but my place is above them, in the affection of God. And, that this setting up is meant of God's affection to Christ above any creature in the world, mark what he speaks in verse 30, " Then I was by him, as one brought up with him : I was daily his delight in the habitable parts of the earth ; I was by him as one brought up with him ;" the meaning is, Christ is here considered as the darling of the Father. All the creatures in the world are brought up by God, in a large sense; but he was brought up with him, that is to say, he was the very fondling of him. When Abraham had an Isaac, Isaac must be brought up with Abraham, and Ishraael must be sent abroad; Ishmael shall have a portion, but shall not be brought up with him. This shews the difference of affection to one be- fore the other. Bringing up with him as an argument of affection ; " I was brought up with him, I was daily his delight :" He made the creatures, but Christ was his only delight ; that is, he he could not look upon any creature in the world, and delight in it, but this delight he had in his Son, did swallow up the delight he had in any creature. In brief, the love and delight of the Father hath such a pre-eminence in the Son, that the truth is^ there is no creature in the world doth actually participate of one jot of the love of the Father, but by the Son, and for the Son's sake; as the Son becomes the channel, or rather the spring, that receives from the ocean of God's love. That love the creature participates of, it participates of it by Christ ; you know, when we partake of sweet streams that run in rivers and channels, we are beholden to the spring for the stream ; and what the spring receives, that it conveys to the channel from the ocean. The heart of God, as I may so speak, is the ocean, the first* rise of all love to the creature ; Christ is the spring that first receives from him, and then through him is all love diffused to the creature. You know, that by nature we are children of wrath, subjects of the hatred and displeasure of God, being at enmity with God; • 1 John iv. 19. v2 63 Christ's pre-eminence how do we partake of God again ? " God is in Christ, (saitli the text,) reconciling the world unto himself:" so that this uniting again to the Father, in the participating of the love of the Father, comes again in Christ ; " You that sometimes were afar off, hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ :" afar off, in re- spect of the affection of God, in regard of our sinful nature ; but made nigh, that is, reduced again into the affection of God by the blood of Christ*. Here is the pre-eminence of Christ above the creature, he hath infinitely more of affection ; he is the spring and fountain of that affection that the creature partakes of. Now, then, we are to give this pre-eminence unto Christ, that reveals this unto us, that so we may see the pattern according to which we are to walk, and do likewise. We should so make Christ the choicest in our affection; we can never place love and affection more orderly, than by placing affection according to the pattern God sets ; so far as we affect according to God, and imitate him in affecting, so far are our affections placed aright : to put the cart before the horse ; to affect things of lower degree, above things that are higher ; to give pre-eminence to things that should come behind, and to bring that behind that should have pre-eminence, is the disorder of man's affection ; it swerves from the pattern and example of God himself. So then, Christ hath the pre-eminence over all persons with us, when he is really promoted and exalted above all creatures in the world in our affection : " Whom have I in heaven but thee ?" saith Asaph ; " I desire nothing in the earth in comparison of thee.'* Here is the pre-eminence of affection given unto Christ, when there is nothing in the world in the affection comparable unto him. You shall see the like in the Canticles, v. 9, 10, the church discoursing about her beloved, the strangers ask her, " What is thy beloved, more than another beloved ?" she answers, " My beloved is the chief often thousands." Here is the pre-eminence ascribed. When the people of Israel heard David say, he would go to war, they fell upon him with " Thou art more worth than ten thousand of us." Here was the pre-eminence given to the King. So, I say, when in affection Christ is promoted as the chief among ten thousands ; nay, let all things in the world bo • This must be understood, as the Doctor explains it, of the open participation and »r joyment of the love of God, and not of the secret love of God, and the cause and crigin uf it, which is his own sovereign will, and not the blood of Christ. Christ's pre-eminence. 69 set with Christ, they are trash to him ; then, I say, is given a real pre-eminence unto Christ, when, in affection, in regard of the excellencies of Christ, he is set above every thing in the world. Secondly, The Father gives Christ this pre-eminence besides ; namely, in a far more enlarged and multiplied proportion of gifts and parts above all creatures. Christ is the Benjamin of his Father, whose mess is more than five times as much as all the rest of the brethren. The apostle, Phil. ii. 9, tells us, " That God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name ;" and in Heb. i. 9, he hath anointed his Christ, " He hath anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows." You shall find, that God promotes Christ even above angels ; Heb. i. and ii. insists mainly upon this point, in how many re- spects God exalts Christ above angels ; " To which of his angels said he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have 1 begotten thee ?" But, I say, principally in respect of parts and gifts, you shall find that that which God bestows upon Christ, is far more than he bestows upon any creature. In John iii. 34, it is said, " God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him ;" we receive drop by drop of that we have ; we have it but scanty, to that which Christ hath ; he hath received the Spirit not by measure. The truth is, Christ receives a proportionable gift as head ; now a head not only requires to have what should supply itself of spirit, but such a proportion as is sufl5cient to supply all the parts, from the head to the foot ; therefore, it must needs have more than the several parts themselves ; we need no more than for our own sustenance. Christ is our head, and therefore as a head must have the pre-eminence ; that is, a larger proportion of gifts than others ;- for others are but to find for themselves, but he is to maintain himself, and to maintain the whole body too. Thus should we give Christ the pre-eminence, to which the Father hath exalted him above creatures, giving unto him more than unto creatures ; nay, giving unto creatures all they have by him ; I say, so should we give him the pre-eminence likewise. Whither should a creature go for water, but unto the spring ? whither should the creature go for strength, but unto the foun- tain of strength 1 Is it not a derogation unto Christ, that all fulness should be in him alone, and we forsake this fountain of fulness to go unto broken cisterns that will hold no water 70 CHRIST*S PRE-EMINENCE. Mark it well, as often as ever you run to any creature in any ne- cessity or exigence, either before you go to Christ, or instead of going to Christ ; so often you rob Christ of that pre-eminence that God hath given unto him, and you should give unto him. If any creature in the world seem in your fancy to have a help- fulness, a likelihood of strength, and of supply ; and this like- lihood of supply seems more likely than one from Jesus Christ ; so far is the pre-eminence of Christ brought down, and the crea- ture hath gotten a pre-eminence above him. Look to it, beloved, Avhile you run to the creature, to the world, for this, and that, and the -other thing, and think it must come this way, or it will never come, Christ is wholly neglected of you : and you that are of a more spiritual strain, that when you are under any trial, run to any grace, or temper of spirit in you, or any qualifications, or any performances you can tender ; and look after them, as the thing that most likely will furnish you with what you want, while you look faintly and coldly upon Christ, and the freeness of that grace that Christ brings alone with himself; so long you deny unto Christ the pre-eminence of those parts and gifts God hath given unto him above other things. If God hath given unto any creatures more than unto Christ, you might rather have sought unto them than unto Christ ; you might more properly look and wish for supply in them ihan in Christ ; but if Christ hath more than any creature in the world ; nay, if Christ be made the sole and only fountain of supply, whether for the spirits, or the outward man ; then must he have this pre-eminence to be sought unto rather than any thing in the world, for the furnishing of you, and supplying you with that, that must come from this fountain. Thirdly, The Father gives Christ this pre-eminence to be the foundation to bear up all things : the apostle tells us, " Other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 11 ; and in Heb. i. 2, speaking of Christ, " As the brightness of the Father," he saith also, "That he doth uphold all things by the word of his power :" God then gives to Christ this pre-eminence to be the foundation. The creature therefore robs Christ of his pre-eminence, Avhen Christ must not be the tounaation to bear up all things, but other foundations shall be laid ; as if there were a firmer or securer bottom to bear up than Christ himself In Isa, xxviii. 16, you Christ's pre-eminence. 71 shall see what pre-eminence the Father gives unto Christ as the foundation ; " Behold, (saith he,) I lay in Sion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation." St. Peter hath an addition hereunto, in Peter ii. 4, 5, " An elect, precious stone, a living stone, unto whom coming, ye as lively stones are built up a spiritual house." Mark what pre- eminence he hath given to Christ, to be such a kind of founda- tion to uphold all things. To give a touch of these things : first, he is a stone, the firmest bottom in the world, for the security of that which is laid upon it from sinking : give Christ this pre-eminence too. Beloved, look unto him, and consider him as a stone, an immoveable rock ; such a rock as you may sit down with this confidence, that though heaven and earth shake and come together, what- soever is laid upon him shall never totter. He is a " tried stone," saith the text ; that is, more than barely a stone. You know what pre-eminence those medicines have, that have probatum est over-written ; that is an approved medi- cine, and, upon trial, found to be good. You know what pre- eminence that armour of proof hath, when a musket is discharged upon it, and the bullet pierceth it not ; this is of pre-eminence above others. Christ is " a tried stone ;" there is a probatum est written over the head of this stone ; he was tried by the Father, he is tried by believers, he is tried by his enemies ; and a pro- batum est is written over his head, that he is a stone with a wit- ness* : tried by the Father, first, in his secret council ; he found that nothing in the world could stand under that business which was to be done ; he was tried by him on earth ; " he made the iniquities of us all to meet on him," Isa. liii. 6, and yet they could not make his back to break ; here he was ti'ied, he made him a butt for all his wrath, the whole quiver of his envenomed arrows ; yet he stood to it : he was tried by believers ; they have put him to it to the utmost : he is tried by his very enemies, who find him a grindstone to grind them to powder ; and a bul- wark of security for all such whom they oppose. He is not only a tried stone, but " a precious tried stone," saith the apostle, that is more : he gives him this pre-eminence, to be a precious stone. You know, when the Holy Ghost sets • Heb. X. 14. Zech. iv. 7- 72 Christ's p»«-eminence. forth the glory of the church m the Revelations, under the name and title of such and such precious stones, of which the founda- tion, the gates, and the walls were made, it is set forth in way of excellency, that they are precious stones ; here, I say, is pre- eminence, that Christ is a precious stone, as well as a tried stone ; precious to God, nothing so delectable as what he doth ; precious to believers, precious in respect of beauty (no beauty like his) ; precious in respect of his value ; nothing of worth comparable to him ; " the fruit of the body for the sin of the soul, thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil," come not near in value to the ransom of the soul ; but Christ hath ransomed it, and is raised from the grave. All the creatures in the world, gathered up together, could never make up a sum to buy out the soul : therefore he is precious, precious in value and worth : all receipts in the world spend out their virtue, and are dry things, to the virtue and excellency of Christ : such is the virtue that is found in Christ, that let him but come and lay his mouth to the foot, where the thorn is, he draws out the thorn ; nay, he lays his mouth to the plague-sore * of the soul, and he sucks out the venom ; it is true, he drinks his own bane ; for the present, it costs him his life : but he sucks out the poison f from the person that makes use of him. There are many precious stones, they say, that are of admirable virtue, but yet none is compared unto Christ. He is " a sure foundation," saitb the prophet, that is more ; not only precious, but sure ; so sure, that lay what load you can lay upon the back of Christ, he stoops not ; and, therefore, he was excellently typified by those brazen pillars in Solomon's temple ; they were made of brass, on pur- pose to shew their strength, whereon the whole weight of the porch of the temple lay. Christ hath this pre-eminence given unto him of the Father, that although an infinite weight were to be imposed upon him, yet he should go away with all. And in this regard, Sampson was a type of him, who, being barred up in the city among the Philistines, takes the gates of the city, and carries them up into a mountain, and there lays them : he is so " sure a foundation," that lay the load of all the sins you ever committed ; lay the load of all the sins of all the people that shall be saved by him, yet he stoops not ; these break him not, • Num. xxi 8, 9, John iii. 14, 15. f 2 Cpr. xr, 56. CHRIST'S PRK-RMINBNCE. 73 he will carry them away as easily as Sampson the gates : add to that, the load of all your duties and performances, and businesses- in the world ; lay all upon Christ, he will do all for you. But, must not we do them ? ye will say. Yea, he will do them for you, and in you : first, he will do them for you, namely, in ful- filling righteousness in his own person, which he presents to his Father, as that righteousness whereby believers shall be justified before the Father. As he doth all for them, so he doth all righteousness in them. Your duties are as the duty you do to a deceased friend ; you think it is the last duty you shall do for him, to carry him to the grave ; though you may have bearers, you shall go under the corpse, but the bearers shall have all the weight upon their shoulders, so that you go easy, in respect of the assistance of the bearers : all the duties we have to do, may seem weighty ; this is a hard saying, and that is a hard saying, who can obey it ? But, know, that the Lord Christ is such a pillar, such a bearer, to take all the weight of duties upon his back, that he carries the burthen ; and so carries it, that you shall go but as the friend of the corpse, the burthen shall be off from your shoulders. In all duties God calls for of any person, the strength of Christ is made perfect in the weakness of him that is to do them. Christ takes not men simply from doing, but he takes away the heaviness and the task. We look upon duties as a yoke and burthen ; but mark what Christ saith, " Take my yoke, for it is easy ; and my burthen, for it is light." How can this be, that it should be a yoke, and yet easy ; a burthen, and yet light ? It is a yoke and burthen in itself, to any person that carries all himself, without Christ ; but easy and light when Christ bears the weight of it. Again, add to this. He is so sure a foundation^ that, besides duties, lay all your burthens upon him, his back is broad enough to sustain all ; the burthen of your spirits, the burthen of your outward man, all the burthens of the church in general, while she is under the great- est calamities : Christ, I say, is a sure foundation to bear all these ; to bear the burthen of all the cares of all the people of God ; " Cast your care upon him, for he cares for you," saith the apostle. Finally, he is a sure foundation ; commit all your comforts unto Christ, he will uphold all your comforts, he will renew them and enlarge them. Besides, he is an elect stone, singled out by God himself. T4 CHRIST S PRK-KMINENCK. for this very office, in respect of his excellency and usefulness, to have the pre-eminence. And as he is elected unto it; this im- ports, it is God's own act that Christ should have such a pre- eminence, to be the foundation. Besides, as it is the act of God. so there is a certainty that God himself must be drawn dry, before Christ shall, or be left any jot unable to do that which is imposed upon him : look, therefore, what God himself, in heaven, is able to do, as he is God : all this is Christ made able to do, by him that sends him about this employment : so that he must be spent, before Christ shall be dry. If a father hath a child, that he prizeth as his own life, a slave in the gallies, he will send the ransom of his son to the gallies; he will spend all that ever he hath, rather than his son shall not be redeemed. There is no wise man sends a servant about any employment in the world, but he furnishes him thoroughly to dispatch that business about which he sends him : it is a vain thing for a master to send a servant for five pounds worth of anything, and not give him so much money. Doth God send Christ into the world to redeem sinners, to sustain the burthen of sins, and not furnish him to do the work he sends him about ? He might as well have kept him at home, if he did not furnish him thoroughly, that he might dispatch it. Finally, He hath such a pre-eminence, as to be a living-stone, and such a living-stone, as makes all stones living that come near him. Here is the pre-eminence Christ hath ; of the load- stone, you observe, all iron or steel that comes near it, it draws all to it, and communicates, of its own virtue, to the iron it draws: this is most like to Christ; Christ is such a loadstone, that he draws many after him ; and, as he draws them after him, so he communicates his own virtue to them: so that now, as he IS a living-stone, he communicates life to them, though they were dead in sin : and not only so, but he communicates a power to them, to make other things lively. You have an observation when once a knife is touched with a loadstone, it will draw another : it is most certain Christ hath this virtue to draw souls to himself, and when he draws them, they partaking of life from him, he gives unto them to be instruments of life unto others • — " When thou art converted (saith Christ to Peter), strengthen thy brethren." Now, seeing Christ hath all this pre-eminence given unto him by the Father, to be such a foundation to bear Christ's pre-eminence. 75 up all things, let us give liim this pre-eminence to lay all upon him, and not upon any thing else whatsoever; and so far as we do lay all upon " this stone, this tried stone, this precious corner stone, this sure foundation, this elect corner stone, this living- stone ;" so far as we will venture all upon him, we so far give him the pre-eminence : but, if he will be setting buttresses to the house that is built upon a rock, what is this but a disparagement to the foundation? If the foundation be firm and good, where- fore then served buttresses? It is apparent the house will sink, when it cannot stand alone without them : so far as you set up any props unto Christ the foundation, that is to bear up all by himself, so far you disparage Christ ; so far you bring him down, and give him not the pre-eminence. I see the time steals away. There are many particulars, wherein I should show you how you may give the pre-eminence unto Christ. But I must hasten. Consider, briefly, Why should Christ have the pre-eminence? Why should not other things sit cheek-by -jole with him?* I answer, Because it is the good will and pleasure of the Father he should have the pre-eminence. What is the reason Joseph must be the chief man in Egypt ? Pharaoh will have it so. What is the reason that Mordecai must be led through the city with pomp and triumph, and Haman lead the horse, when Mordecai was counted a slave to Haman ? Why, King Ahasuerus will have it so. And, if God will have it so, it must be so : if there were no other reason, but God the Father's will, we, that are subjects, should yield to the Father his own will, and give that honour to him, whom he will honour : " What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour? Thus shalt thou do to him. Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown-royal which is set upon his head ; and let this apparel, and horse, be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal, whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the city, and proclaim before him. Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king will honour," Esther, vi. 8, 9. As much as to say. Those the king honours, the people must honour with him : so, if God the Father will honour the Son with a pre-eminence upon earth, his will • Side by side, or in eq^ualitv with him. ?!^i'fi 76 CHRIST S PRE-KMINENCE. must be a law to us ; we must honour hiro with that pre-eminence, because he will have it so. Secondly, Christ must have the pre-eminence above all other things in the world, as he is born unto it ; he is heir of all things. You know, it is the right of the heir to have the inheritance, or, a double portion above his brethren ; Christ, therefore, being the heir of the world, the first begotten of the Father; nay, the only Son ; it stands with nature, he should have the pre-eminence above a younger brother. Thirdly, Christ hath bought this pre-eminence ; he hath paid for it to the uttermost value of it. He that buyeth a lordship, it is fit he should be lord of the manor ; it is not fit any inferior tenant should be above him, as long as he hath purchased and given a price for it : Christ hath purchased this pre-eminence, and he paid the Father the uttermost farthing ; " He beheld the travail of his soul, and was satisfied" with it ; and therefore he ought to have it. Fourthly, Christ ought to have the pre-eminence of all things, in that he alone is able to manage this pre-eminence. You know there are many favourites in states sometimes, that have the doing of all businesses of state, in respect of the favour of the prince ; but the state comes to ruin, and they also, if they be not able to manage the state. If any creature in the world should have the pre-eminence given to him to manage all affairs in the world, but Christ himself ; certainly, it would prove to the world, as the poet feigned it did by the son of Phoebus, that went about to drive the chariot of the sun : Phoebus could manas-e the same in order; but Phaeton, a novice, a stripling, an ignorant fellow, comes in ; he steps up to rule the sun, and the whole world is set on fire : I say, it wovild be so at least with the world, if any creature should have the pre-eminence to manage the affairs of it. Look to the wisest man in the world, and most able to manaofe the affairs of the world ; yet he hath so many irons in the fire, some of them burn for want of looking to ; therefore, Christ should have the pre-eminence, because he can go through stitch with whatever business he undertakes. Fifthly, Christ should have the pre-eminence in all things, because ho hath best deserved it at our hands : we usually ho- nour those people to whom we are most bound ; according to the kindness received, so is our exalting of the person. Now, Christ's pre-eminence, T7 what creature in the world comes near to Christ in loving kind- ness and desert at our hands ? Where had we been, had not Christ stept in between us and the Father to make peace with the Father for us ? Oh ! what a fearful account should we have come unto at the great tribunal of the Lord, had not Christ be- fore-hand cancelled all that God could charge us withal, and blotted out our transgressions, and presented us without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing in the signt of God ; " In him you live, move, and have your being ;" by him you have access to the throne of grace, through a new and living way ; all you have, and all that you are, all that you hope for hereafter, come only from this fountain, this Christ, who hath purchased all of the Father for you. If any creature in the world can do these things for you, let the creature be exalted above him ; but if he leave all the creatures of the world behind, and out-strip tliem, good reason there is, according to his desert, he should have the pre-eminence. The apostle, considering the infinite desert of Christ to be exalted by men, breaks out into this vehement ex- pression, " If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed with a great curse," 1 Cor. xvi. 22, so deserves * this Christ at the hands of man. Now for application of it : is it Christ's due to have the pre- eminence ? then bring down every thing that exalts itself above Christ ; rear and set up the thrown-down and dejected Christ in you ; you that have exalted the world, and made it your god, bring down this idol, grind it to the dust, set up the Lord Christ ; if you will have any thing in the world, let Christ hear of it. When men would have any thing of a king, they never go to the scullion in the kitchen ; but to the favourite, by whom the king hath declared he will deliver things. When the people came to Pharaoh, he sends them to Joseph, as Joseph said, he would do ; so, I say to you, would you have any thing of God, go to Christ, go by Christ to him. If you come in any other name in the world, if God answers you in that you would have, he answers you with a curse ; " This is my beloved Son, hear him ;■' as he will direct you, so you shall speed : if Christ say, your sins are forgiven, they shall be forgiven ; if Christ will make a deed of gift to you, of liberty from bondage, of grace, or * John XXI. 17. 78 Christ's pre-eminence. of glory ; if Christ hatli once past the deed, the Father will un- der-write to it and subscribe it : " If the Son make you free, then are you free indeed :" for " of his fulness we do receive grace for grace." In John xvii. 2, it is said, " The Father hath given to him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life." As you will ha\e these things, go to Christ; if you go any where else in the world, but to Christ, you shall go without ; they are to be had no where else. God hath given him the pre- eminence ; he must rule all, he must determine, and the Father will yield ; " The Father hath given all judgment to the Son, and he himself will judge no man. The government is laid upon his shoulders :" therefore you must go where God sends you, if you will speed for any thing of him. Learn of Christ more, let Christ be the Alpha and Omega ; in all things, begin in Christ, end in Christ ; do all by Christ, get all by Christ. But must not we serve in duty, will you say ? I answer, ye must serve in duty and obedience, but look not that that duty should bring any thing ; it is Christ brings every thing you get ; you get nothing by duties : assure yourselves, while you look to get by that you do, you will but get a knock, because of so much sinfulness in the duty ; but if you will have any good, you must get it by Christ : your duties you perform, are that wherein you are to walk in the world, and before the world, that you may be profitable to men ; but as for getting any thing, assure yourselves, while you labour to get by duties, you provoke God, as much as lies in you, to punish you for such presumption, if not for the filthiness of the things you perform. And as you must bring every thing down that exalts itself above Christ ; so you must set Christ above every thing ; know, this will be " the great condemnation, that light," that is Christ, " is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light :" they love to run to other things, and to forsake the light ; this will be the condemnation. So far as Christ is slighted, and other things promotea above him, so far you take away the great ' end for which Christ was sent into the world, which was, " That he might have the pre-eminence in all things." SERMON VL THE NEW COVENANT OF FREE ORACK. ISAIAH xlii. 6, 7 AND I WILL GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE, POR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES, TO OPEN THE BLIND EYES, TO BRING OUT THE PRISONERS FROM THE PRISON, AND THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS OUT OF THE PRISON-HOUSE. The Lord is pleased by this sweet evangelist of the Jews, this evangelical prophet Isaiah, to pour forth his own gracious thoughts and purposes concerning his dear Son Christ ; in this chapter especially, he reveals and declares himself from the be- ginning of it. It is worth the while to mark the coherence, to see how these words come in. First, He declares who it is that he sends into the world for such a business, by two titles, in verse 1, first, he calls him a servant, that is, in respect of the employment and business he hath to do, wherein he is to serve the Lord : and in reference to this business, he tells us what he doth, that this his servant may dispatch it effectually, " Behold my servant, (saith he,) whom I uphold." Secondly, he calls him his elect, and that m reference to the designation or separation of him, the singling him out unto this business. And he doth further amplify the description of him, by the tenderness of this elect unto him, " My elect, (saith he,) in whom my soul delighteth :" here is the description of the person ; Christ is this person, as you shall hear by and by, whom he thus describes. In the next place the Lord propounds the great end for which he doth elect this his servant, and uphold him, and furnish him 80 THE NEW COVENANT. with his Spirit: For he saith also, *' I have put my spirit upon him ;" and the end of it is, " That he may bring judgment to the Gentiles :" here you see who he is ; how he is furnished ; and to what end he is furnished : " A servant upheld, the Spirit put upon him," to the Pud, " that he might bring judgment to the Gentiles." The Lord proceeds further, and shews how this servant of his shall deport and demean himself: after what manner he shall carry this business in the world, " To bring judgment to the Gentiles." He describes this in two circumstances. First, Christ shall dispatch this business of the Father, not in a ruffling or stirring way : he shall not make a great noise, as men use to do, sounding trumpets before them, when they do any good ; but as you have it in the 2d verse, " He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets :" he shall go pri- vately about his business. And, secondly, he doth illustrate the manner of managing and ordering this business, by the tender- ness of the Spirit of this Christ towards those people with whom he shall deal; he doth, 1 say, illustrate this tenderness of his Spirit admirably, in the 3d verse, " A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoaking flax shall he not quench :" he shall not deal roughly or harshly, but gently and mildly ; and yet as little noise as he shall make, though he shall not seem to promise any great thing by his privacy of deportment and carriage ; yet, for all that, in the 4th verse, the Lord, by his prophet, tells us, that he shall be never the further off from performing the business he takes in hand: " He shall not fail, nor be discouraged, till he hath set judgment in the earth." And then, in the 5th verse, the Lord is pleased to confirm this, by undeniable arguments, that there shall not be a failing in Christ to compass this great business ; the arguments, 1 say. are strong* " Thus saith the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out : he that spread forth the earth, and that that cometn out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein :" he is not a mean person that undertakes this thing, but the mighty Lord ; he that hath done all great things in the world, that have been done heretofore, it is he that undertakes it ; and therefore, there is no fear that it should fail. Having thus discoursed in general, concerning the business of OF FREE GRACE. 81 Christ in the world, and the manner of managing it ; he comes again with the same thing, and descends unto particular in- stances and illustrations of what he delivered before, but gene- rally: therefore, first. In the beginning of the 6th verse, the Lord is pleased to shew forth the authority and commission by which Christ is authorized unto this great business; " I the Lord (saith the text) have called thee in righteousness :" this call is the commission of Christ : " No man takes this honour unto him, but he that is called of God, (saith the apostle) as Aaron was." That gives authority to a business, to be called of God. Secondly, He reiterateth the helpfulness of God, as well as his call unto it, in the following words, " I will hold thy hand, and keep thee." And so, thirdly, he falls in with an ex- plication or interpretation. First, How Christ shall compass this great business which he calls him out unto ; he shall do it thus, by the Father's " giving of him to be a covenant for people." Secondly, What Christ is to do, or the end for which he is called out to be a covenant. Before it was said, " To bring judgment to the Gentiles ;" that was his business in the end of the 1st verse ; now he expounds what this judgment is, " It is to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of pri- son," &c. There are two main things in tne text. The first, is. The way by which Christ compasses the great business of the Father upon earth, and that is, by being " given to be a covenant to the people." Secondly, The business itself, whereunto he is called out, that is, " To open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of prison." So you see how sweetly these truths hang together. For the words themselves, there are these particulars con- siderable in them. First, Who it is that speaks this gracious language in the text ; you shall find, in the beginning of the verse, it is the Lord : " Thus saith the Lord, I will call thee, and give thee for a covenant." Secondly, We may consider the person to whom this gracious language is directed and spoken ; and that is unto Christ ; ex- pressed only in this place by the name oi thee ; " and give thee for a covenant." Mark here I pray you, it is not, I will give myself; it should be so, if the Father had spoken to, or of him- Kp'lf only : but it is plain here are two several persons mentioned, /and thee ; if there be two several persons, then it cannot bo 82 THE NEW COVENEN'l God speaking to himself; it must be the Father speaking of his Son, to Christ. Yea, but you will say, It is somebody else that speaks, and is spoken unto. Nay, but mark in Isa. xlix. where the same expressions are used, that are in the text ; and then you shall plainly see, it is the speech of the Father unto Christ, by many circumstances that will illustrate it. In the 5th verse he begins thus : — " And now, saith the Lord, that formed me from the womb, to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him ;" it is none but Christ that brings Jacob back : " And you that were sometimes afar off, hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ." And in the 6th verse, he saith, " Is it a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel ?" Who is it that raiseth the tribes of Jacob, and restores the preserved of Israel 1 None but Christ, who is the Saviour of all that are saved. Here he begins to fall upon some of the words in the text itself " I will also give thee for a light unto the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." Here it is plain now that it is only Christ ; for none is the salvation of men unto the end of the earth, but Christ alone. Again, look in the 8th verse and you may see more of the words of the text : " Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people." Here you see likewise, that he who is the Saviour of Israel, is he who is given for a covenant to the people. And in the 9th verse, " That thou mayest say to the prisoners, go forth ; and to them that are in darkness, shew yourselves :" so here is the same thing delivered more plainly, and Christ more fully expressed. This I have opened more at large, because all I shall speak will depend upon the opening of this truth. Thirdly, In the next place, we are to note, what he speaks unto Christ here, even gracious language in respect of us. " He will give him for a covenant." Fourthly, Note here unto whom the Father gives Christ for a covenant; the text saith, " Unto the people, and unto the Gen- tiles ;" that is, X) Jews and to Gentiles, to all sorts of people. Fifthly, Not/« 'Jie end and purpose for which the Father gives OF FREE GRACE. 83 inm to be a covenant unto the people; '' To open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of prison." So, you have the parts of the text, which afford many excel- lent truths, and we might single them severally out. But for the sake of brevity, I will reduce the whole substance of this text into one proposition. Doct. " The Father is pleased to give Christ for a covenant to the people and Gentiles, to open their blind eyes, and to bring them as prisoners out of prison." This doctrine, you see, is directly the words of the text, add- ing only that explication, that it is the Father that doth give Christ. There is abundance of marrow and fatness in this pre- sent truth I have delivered unto you, more than people usually can find out in it. We will endeavour therefore to break the bone, that all the marrow may be seen, and none of it may be lost. For this purpose, we must desire you to observe these following particulars. I. What it is for Christ to be a covenant^ or, the covenant. II. What it is for Christ to be given to be a covenant. III. What it is for Christ to be a covenant to open the blind eyes. IV. If time will permit, we will then consider to whom this Christ is given to be a covenant ; who they are that may par- take of him, given to be a covenant unto them. I will begin with the first of these, what it is for Christ to be a covenant ; and herein will consider two things. First, What this covenant is, that Christ is unto us. Se- condly, How Christ himself is said to be this covenant First, TVliat this covenant is, which Christ is unto persons. First, A word or two in general concerning the nature of a covenant. The common and usual manner of covenants, as you all know, is this ; namely a mutual agreement between parties upon certain articles, or propositions, propounded on both sides ; so that each party is bound and tied to fulfil his own conditions, which if either of them fail in, the other is therefore freed from his part, and the covenant becomes nullified, void, and frus- trated. You all know, this is the true nature of a common covenant. There are two sorts of covenants generally, wherein Got enters with men. There are divers particular covenants, but I o2 84 THE NEW COVENANT will omit to speak of them ; such as the covenant with David to establish his throne to himself, and to his posterity ; this the prophet Jeremy speaks of at large, which I shall only touch upon and mention, the rather, because some are conceited there was no other covenant made with David, but the covenant of grace ; Jer. xxxiii, 20, " Thus saith the Lord, if you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, that there should not be day nor night in their season ; then also may my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites, the priests, my ministers." This covenant is for the establish- ment of his throne, and this is a different covenant from the covenant of grace ; tliat is common to all sorts of believers, one with another ; but I omit that. There are two main general covenants God enters into with men ; the one is called the first covenant, the old covenant, the covenant of works ; it stood upon these terms, " Do this, and live." The other is called a new covenant, by the prophet Je- remiah ; and, by the apostle, in Heb. viii., it is called a better covenant, a covenant of grace. As for the first, the old cove- nant, the covenant of works, which stood upon these terms, " Do this, and live," it is very probable, if not certain, that Christ was this fii-st covenant unto men, even the covenant of works ; for, however it be not a covenant of grace, as the second and new covenant is, yet it may, in some sense, be called a covenant of grace, in reference unto other creatures ; for all creatures are under this tie, to do this ; that is, what their pai-t is which God hath imposed upon them ; yet no creature hath this privilege of grace, that in doing this, he should live : the sun doth his part, he runs his race ; yet the sun lives not in, or upon the performance hereof : brute creatures do their part ; that is, the trade they were set about ; yet they die and perish, and are no more, when they have done. " What then is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him ?'* Psalm viii. 4 ; that he should have life, and no other creature in the world, seeing there can be no difference in the creatures of themselves ; the difference must be in the grace of God, which makes it that some creatures should live by doing, and others not. In Prov. viii. 31, you shall see the ground of this cove- nant ; when the Lord made all things in the world, Wisdom, OF FREE GRACE. 85 wliicli is Christ, there tells us, " That she was the delight of the Father, and her whole delight was with the sons of men :" I say, the foundation upon which the difference was built, between man and other creatures, that he hath this covenant by grace, and others not, is this, " All the delight of Christ was with the sons of men :" he himself singled out the sons of men to be his de- light, as he was the delight of the Father ; and for his sake the Father will do more for them, than for other creatures. But, now, the covenant which the Lord mentions in this place, by the prophet, is not the first, but the second covenant ; " I will give thee for a covenant to the people i'"" he means here, not the covenant of works, but the covenant of grace ; which cove- nant is mentioned Jer. xxxi. 33, and renewed again by the prophet Ezekiel, in chap, xxxvi. 26. And also Heb. viii., where you shall find both the covenant itself, and how, and in what sense, Christ is said to be that very covenant unto men. In verse 6, this is appropriated unto Christ, to be his great pri- vilege, to have the sole hand and managing of this new cove- nant : " But now, (saith the apostle,) he hath obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant :" and what is this " better covenant ?" Mark what follows in verse 8, " Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah ; not according to the covenant I made with their fathers :" for in verse 10, " This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people ; and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying. Know the Lord ; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest : for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I re- member no more :" here is the substance of the covenant, *' I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now, all that I will note briefly out of all this, shall be only one proposition, wherein you shall see both a vast and comfort- able difference between this new covenant, and all other covenants that God made with men ; it differs, I say, exceedingly, and the comfort lies in the difference, which is this. All other covenants of God, besides this, run upon a stipulation j 86 THE NEW COVENANT and the promise runs altogether upon conditions on both sides ^ the condition on God's part was, they should live ; the condition on man's part was, that he might live, he must do this : and mark, the conditions in that covenant were such, that in case man did fail to perform his condition, the covenant was broke, and God was free from giving life ; which accordingly came to pass ; for man failing in doing, the covenant was actually broken, disannulled, and frustrated, and man lay under the curse of the breach of the covenant in not doing. But in this covenant of grace, to wit, the new covenant, it is far otherwise ; there is not any condition in this covenant : mark what I say, and I beseech you hear me with an impartial and unprejudiced opinion. I know I shall go against the strain of some : but, I hope, what I shall deliver, shall be firmly proved from scripture. I say, the new covenant is without any conditions whatsoever on man's part*. Man is tied to no condition that he must perform, which if he does not perform, the covenant is made void by him. The first argument is this, The covenant is called an " ever- lasting covenant ;" and here, in Heb. viii. God saith, " I will be merciful to your iniquities, and your sins will I remember no more." Now svippose there were conditions for man to perform, and suppose man did fail in those conditions, what were become of the covenant 1 Man did fail in the condition, whilst there were conditions before in the first covenant, and thereby the covenant was frustrated. Man is not now so confirmed, but if there were conditions for him to perform, which if he did not perform, the covenant should be broken ; I say, he is not so confirmed, but he might fail in those conditions : nay, if those be the conditions, that some men conceive, then he daily fails. And, if the co- * This, though abundantly confirmed by the following arguments, is found fault with by some, particularly by D. W. in his Gospel Truth, &c. p. .59, and yet is n* other than what some of the most judicious divines have asserted, particularly the famous Witsius ; "W^e, (says he in CEconom. Fa;der. lib. 3. chap. 1, sect. 8,) agree with them, who think, accurately speaking, that the covenant of grace has no condi- tions on our part, properly so called." And elsewhere, he has these words: " This is owned, that this is the true and proper condition of the covenant of grace, by which it is chiefly distinguished from the covenant of works, that all righteousness in which the right to life is only founded, is performed by the mediator and surety of the cove- nant ; hence it follows, this righteousness being admitted, that no condition, pro- perly so called, can be required of the elect, by which they obtain for themselves freedom from punishment, and a right to life." Animadv. Irenic. chap. 14, sect. 5. And indeed what some call conditions of the covenant, as faith, repentance, and obe- dience, are no other than parts or blessings of it, which are absolutely promised in it. See Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, or what the Doctor afterwards calls the fruits and eitecti of the covenant. OF FRKE GRACE. 8-/ . venant stands upon such conditions, the covenant is frustrated, so soon as the conditions are broken. So, I say, if the covenant stands upon any conditions to be performed on man's part, it cannot be an " everlasting covenant," except man was so con- firmed in righteousness, that he should never fail in that which is his part. But, you will say. There are many conditions mentioned in this covenant ; it is said, that there must be " a law put in the mind, and written in their heart," with many other such things. I answer, beloved. It is true, God saith, " I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts," &c. But do you find in this, or in any other, mention of a covenant, that this is the condition to be performed on man's part ; I say, that this is the condition of the covenant, and such a condition, that if a man perform it not, the covenant is frustrated ? There is no such thing in the text. But you will say. Conditions, or no conditions, a man must have his heart in this manner. I answer. It is true, by way of consequence, that after we are m covenant with God, he will bestow these things upon us as fruits and effects of that covenant ; but, it is not true, by way oi antecedence, that God doth require these things at our hands, before we shall be partakers of the covenant. Arg. 2. Observe, I pray, and you shall plainly perceive, that ' man hath no tie upon him to perform any thing whatsoever in | the covenant, as a condition that must be observed on his part; j let the covenant itself be judge in this case : it plainly shews ' where all the tie lies, and as plainly shews, that the whole per- formance of the covenant lies only upon God himself ; and that - there is not one bond, or obligation, upon man to the fulfilling j of the covenant, or partaking of the benefits of it. Mark it in Jeremiah, in Ezekiel, or in Heb. viii. ; read fhose passages over, wherein the tenure of the covenant is contained, and you shall easily see where the tie is, as Heb. viii. 10, " This is the cove- nant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will put my law into their minds, and write it in their hearts :" he will put it in, and write it ; " and he will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a people." The word sJiall, here, is a word of over-ruling ; it is a word of power ; as if he had said, I will order it so : it follows, " And they shall not teach every man his neigh- 88 THE NEW COVENANT bour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord ; foT they shall all know me :" how, by their own study and industry ? no ; see John vi. 45, and you shall see that that condition, of knowing the Lord, is to be performed by the Lord, for it is there said, " They shall all be taught of God." Observe, also, the larger expression of the covenant, in Ezek. xxxvi. 25, and there also, you shall plainly perceive, that still all the tie lies upon God himself, and nothing at all upon man : " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your fihhi- ness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you: A new heart will I also give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh : And I will put my Spirit into you, and cause you- to walk ill my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them, and shall dwell in the land:" and in vei'Sfr29, " I will save you from all your uncleanness, and I will multiply the fruit of the earth, I will do it." Where is there in all this one word that God says to man, Thou must do this ? If God had putman upott these things, then they were conditions indeed ; but, when God takes all upon himself, where are the conditions then on man's part I Give me leave, I will ask you but this question ; suppose there should be a fault (I make but a supposition) of performing in this^ covenant, whose were the fault? Must not the fault, or failing; to perform the covenant, be his, who is tied and bound to every thing in the covenant, and saith, he will do it? If there- be a condition, and there should be a failing in the condition, he that undertakes all things in the covenant must needs be in fault : but the truth is, these particulars mentioned are not th& conditions of the covenant, but they are consequents of the co- venant ; the main substance of the covenant is included in these words, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people,'* But, " sprinkling with clean water, taking away a stony heart,, and giving a heart of flesh ;" all these are nothing but the fruits of the covenant, which is, that God is the God of such a people, and the people are the people of such a God. For by virtue of this union, or uniting himself to his peo^ple, God doth cleanse and purge, he doth sanctify and refine them. As he becomes the God of his people, so he purgeth* and cleanseth them. H^ * A.cts XV. 9. OF FREE GRACE. S^ iioth not come first to men, and say, make yourselves clean ; get you the law of God in your minds; get you the fear of God into your hearts ; get you power to walk in my statutes ; and, when you do this, then I will be your God: if it did run so, then here were conditions indeed ; but, it runs not thus; all the tie lies upon God's part, to do* every thing that is mentioned in the covenant. But you will object, and say, if all lies upon God's part, and man must do nothing, then all his life time he may do what he list. I answer, you must make a difference between doing any thing in reference to the covenant, as the condition thereof, and doing something in reference to service and duty, to that God who freely enters into covenant with you. I say only, that in a way of condition of the covenant you must do nothing, Arg. 3. Nay, the covenant in the actual substance of it, is made good to a person befoi-e he can do any thingf. The main thing in the covenant is God's being the God of a people, and the model and draught of that, is God's love. The covenant is nothing but God's love to man ; God's love to give himself to man ; God's love to take man to himself Now this love of God is cast upon man before he can do any thing : before the children had done good or evil, " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated." Shall I need to tell you, that the covenant is then ful- filled in the substance of it, when men are actually justified ? Wlien men are justified, God hath made good his covenant unto them ; he is their God, and they are his people : now where are the conditions of this covenant? Take but notice what the apostle saith, and tell me what conditions you find in it? Rom. iv, 4, " Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt." " But," saith he, in verse 5, '-' to him that worketh not, but believethon him that justifies the ungodly," &c. There are two phrases hei-e, to shew there can be no con- ditions to make up the covenant on man's part ; first, " to him that worketh not ;" if there must be no working to partake of justification, then there is no conditions unto it. And again, * Psalm iTii. 2. f Christ, who is the covenant itself, the sum and substance of it, must be first given to a man, before he can do any thing good ; for nithout Him we can (to W^ thing ; and faith must be given, mthout which we cannot please God. 90 THE NEW COVENANT if we must " believe on him that justifies the ungodly," then jus- tification is past over to a person whilst he is ungodly : now, where is the condition of the covenant, while there remains no- thing but ungodliness in men ? But if these things must be ful- filled as conditions, namely, to change our hearts, and such like ; then we are not justified as ungodly, but as righteous ; and so it directly contradicts that of the apostle. We must therefore con- clude, that this covenant, which is then made good when a per- son is justified, is conferred and bestowed on him, before there can be any such thing as a condition in him. Yea, but you will say to me, peradventure though works be not the condition of the covenant; yet, we hope you will yield, iaith is the condition of the covenant. I answer, beloved, I beseech you observe me warily in this, for I am now upon a nice point, and I shall desire to go as evenly as the scripture will guide me in it. I must needs tell you directly, and according to the truth, that, faith is not the condition of the covenant*. " He that believes shall be saved, he that believes not shall be damned." Is not faith here the condition of the covenant ? I answer, There is no person under heaven shall be saved till he have believed. This I grant ; yet this will not make faith to be the condition of the covenant. For, first, consider faith as an act, our act, and as we do it, so I say it is a work ; our act of believing is a work. If therefore we perform the condition that is a work for the enjoyment of the covenant, then the covenant doth depend upon a work; but it doth not depend upon a • This also is condemned as an error, by D. W. Gospel Truth, &c. p. 57 ; but it is with great propriety and truth here asserted; for faith is the fruit of electing grace, the gift of God, the operation of his Spirit, and of which Christ is the author and finisher ; and is not of men, or in their power to produce in themselves, or exercise ; yea, it is a blessing of the covenant of grace, and not a condition of it ; or is what men have in consequej.ee of their being in the covenant, and not as the condition of their entrance into it. And the same is acknowledged by great many divines, parti- cularly that excellent writer, often quoted, Professor Witsius : " The covenant of grace," says he, or the Gospel strictly so called, which is the formula of the covenant, seeing it consists in mere promises, properly prescribes nothing as a duty ; it requires nothing, it commands nothing, no not indeed, believe, trust, hope in the Lord, and the like." — OSconom. Faeder. 1. 3. c. 1. s. 18. And again, " Nor does that seem to be accurately said, th^t faith is a condition which the law requires of us, that we may be accounted righteous and guiltless with God. The condition of justification, properly speaking, is no other than perfect obedience ; this the law requires, nor does the gospel substitute another, but teaches that the law is satisfied by our surety Christ ; moreover, it is the business of faith to accept of the satisfaction offered to it, and, by accepting, to make it its own." lb. c. 6. sect. 52, OF FREE GRACE. 91 work, for the text saith, " To him that worketh not, but be- lieveth on him that justifieth the ungodly," &c. You will say, In that text, believing is required to the justi- fying of the ungodly. I answer. An ungodly person, after he is justified, believes : but you must understand it, it is not the faith of the man that simply and properly justifies, but it is that Christ in whom he believes ; believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly : it is he that justifieth, that is Christ. It is not believing that justi- fies. Mark well that phrase ; him that justifieth. Justification is an act of Christ, it is not an act of faith. But you will say, It is an act of Christ by faith. 1 answer, Then Christ justifies not alone. Is faith Christ himself? If not, then Christ must have a partner to justify, or else faith doth not justify, but Christ alone doth it. Nay, I say more, Christ justifies a person before he believes ; for, he that believes is justified before he believes ; for I ask you, whether in justification a man must believe a truth or a falsehood ? You will say, he must believe a truth; then say I, it is a truth that he is justified before he believes it ; he cannot believe that which is not, and if he be not justified, that he may believe it, he then believes that which is false. But he is first justified before he believes, then he believes that he is justified*. But what then serves faith for ? I answer. It serves for the manifestation of that justification which Christ puts upon a person by himself alone : that you by believing on him, may have the declaration, and manifestation of your justificationf. Mark what the apostle saith, whereby * Justification before faith, though cavilled at by many, is certain; since God jus- tifies the ungodly, and since faith is the fruit and effect of justification, and the act which is conversant about it, and the object must be before the act ; and besides jus- tification took place at the resurrection of Christ ; yea, from all eternity, as soon as he became the surety of his people ; and which has been embraced, aflSrmed, and de- fended by Divines of the gjreatest note for orthodoxy and piety, as Twisse, Pemble, Parker, Goodwin, Ames, Witsius, Maccovius, and others. See my Doctrine of Jus- tification, p. 36, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 54. t And, indeed, for what else can it sene; since it is neither the cause, nor matter, nor condition of justification ? at most it can only serve as the hand that receives the righteousness of Christ for justification, and claims an interest in it, and takes the comfort of it : nor does the Doctor say, it serves only for a manifestation, but that it does serve such an end ; as it is certain it does, as has been owned by many judicious Divines ; and particularly the learned Hoornbeeck thinks, that the difference between Dr. Crisp, and others, may easily be made up, by distinguishing justification into active and passive; the former is the act of God justifying, the latter the termination and application of it to the conscience of believers ; the one is done at Christ's satis- 92 THE NEW COVENANT you shall find the true use of faith, that is not the condition, without which we receive no benefit from Christ ; but rather it is the manifestation of that which is already done, and received. Heb. xi. 1, the apostle saith, " Faith is the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." I pray you observe the apostle's expression, there is abundance of light in it. Faith is the evidence of things, it is not the being of things; and it is the evidence of things not seen. A man is justified, and that by Christ alone, but it is not known to him, it is an un- seen thing. Well, how shall he see this, and know that it is so ? The text saith " Faith is an evidence ;" faith gives evi- dence to this thing, faith makes it known ; by faith we come to apprehend it; by faith we come to rejoice in it, as we appre- hend it to be our own. It is true, indeed, Christ has honoured faith admirably ; but let us take heed we do not over-honour it, to give the peculiar reserved prerogative of Christ himself unto it : if faith were a concurrent thing with Christ, and Christ did justify a person alone, what would follow 1 Consider, when a man is justified, he is justified from all unrighteousness, and .. his faith justifies him from all unrighteousness, this thing will unavoidably follow ; that that thing which is full of unrighteous- ness will justify a man from unrighteousness ; as much as to sav, a man is justified from sin by sin. But you will say. Faith is not sin. I answer. No, faith itself is not sin : but that faith acted by believers is full of sin ; and the fulness of sin in it, makes faith in some sense, a sinful faith : and if it be sinful, how can that which is sinful justify man from sinfulness? What need Christ be without all sin to justify a person, if any thing else could do it that hath sinfulness in it 1 You must either say, there is no sin in your faith, or else you must say, you are justified by that which hath sin in it ; yet, I say still, as faith is an evidence, a faction, the other when a person actually believes ; " this indeed is a manifestation of that." Summa Controv. 1. 10. p. 70.5. And afterwards he says, " We do not re- ject the distinction between justification as made in Christ and as manifested to the soul, though in the explication of it, we do not in all things agree." p. 720. And it is the former, and not the latter, that is properly justification, as Maccovius observes, " It is said of God that he justifies, Rom. iv. 5, and of us that we are justified, ch. 5. not that there is therefore a twofold justification ; for that which is passive is impro- perly called justification, and is only the sense of active justification." Vide irpurev V«i/5ts, Arminian, c. 10. p. 120. And what then is this passive justification, which is by faith, any more than a perception, evidence, and manifestation, of what is properly iustification ? OF FREE GRACE. ii»j»nifusfation, so it may be said to be our justification : that we are, in regard of our own hearts, and our own spirits, justified by faith ; but God-ward, as we stand actually before him, a dis- charged people from sin, and so consequently partakers of the covenant ; as we stand thus, I say, it is not faith that justifies, neither wholly, nor in part ; but Christ alone freely for his own sake, considering a person as ungodly, so he justifies him. Beloved, let me tell you, though faith itself cannot thus be called our righteousness ; yet in respect of the glory that God ascribes to it, that it seals to men's souls the fulness of righte- ousness, how can you consider a person a believer, and withal ungodly ? When men are believers, they cease to be ungodly: but if they are not justified till they believe, Christ doth not jus- tify the ungodly, but the godly ; and then that truth which I have delivered, Rom. iv. 5, cannot hold current, " That we must believe on him that justifies the ungodly ;" but rather, we must believe on him that justifies the righteous. But, as I said, we do not believe that we may be justified ; but we do believe, and truly believe, when we are, and because we are justified. So that still it stands firm, we are not justified, we are not in covenant, we partake not of the covenant, by any condition we perform, till which performance the covenant cannot be made good unto us ; but we are in covenant, and Christ makes us to be in covenant, for his own sake, without any condition in the creature, " Shewing mercy to whom he will shew mercy;" with- out any thing, I say, the creature is to do, to this end, to partake of the covenant. In the next place consider, how Christ himself can be said to be the covenant. For the text tells us, that he doth not only give Christ that there may be a covenant with men ; but, saith he, " I will give thee for a covenant :" he himself is made the covenant. I answer, Christ is the covenant three ways. First, He is the covenant fundamentally. Secondly, He is the cove- nant materially. Thirdly, He is the covenant equivalently. First, Christ is the covenant fundamentally ; that is, he is the original of the covenant, the beginning of tKe covenant. The covenant of grace takes its being from Christ. Adam was all mankind, as all mankind was in Adam, in the loins of Adam : so Christ is the covenant, and all the covenant is, as it were, in the loins of Christ, and springs out of him : he is the covenant" 94 THE NEW COVENANT maker; be is the covenant-unclei-taker ; he is the covenant-wa- nager; he orders the covenant; he is the covenant-dispatcher; he doth every thing in the covenant; he makes the articles; he dravv's God the Father, and man, to an agreement unto the arti- cles; " Thy people shall be a vs^illing people in the day of thy power," Psalm ex. 3. " And God is in Christ reconciling the world* unto himself, 2 Cor. v. 19. Christ brings God down to * the terms of the covenant, to yield to them. Christ brings man also to be willing to it. Heb. viii. 6, Christ is called " The Me- diator of a covenant." A mediator, what is that 1 A mediator of a covenant, is the person that hath the management of it on both sides. A covenant is no covenant till it be concluded, and done : there may be articles, but it is not actually a covenant till both sides are agreed : so there cannot be a mediator of a cove- nant, till there be one that is able to bring both sides together, and make up a conclusion. And thus Christ is the covenant, or the mediator of the covenant, as he manageth all things in it. Job hath an excellent expression, to shew forth the soleness of Christ to deal in the covenant between God and men ; he makes a bitter complaint and pitiful lamentation ; he knew not how to deal with God, and gives this as a reason of it, (Job ix. 32, 33,) *' For he is not a man as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment ; neither is there any day's- man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." A day's-man ; it is Christ that is this day's-man ; it is all one with an umpire, or a mediator : he must come between, and lay his hand upon us both : what is that 1 upon God and us : the mean- ing is, he that is the day's-man, the mediator, must be such a person that hath power on both parties that enter into covenant together : he must lay his hand upon God ; that is, he must have power with God, and bring God to such terms as he propounds ; and lay his hand upon man, to bring man on; and when he lays his hand upon both, then he is a mediator of the covenant. And, in this sense, Christ is a covenant, as he hath the managing and * By whom are meant, not all the individuals of mankind, for these are not all in Christ, nor all reconciled to God, multitudes dying in enmity to him, nor all inte- rested in the blessing of non-imputation of sin : whereas each of these is said of the world here : but the elect of God, who are chosen in Christ, whose peace Christ is, whose sins are not imputed to them, and against whom no charge of any avail can bo laid, and particularly the people of God among the Gentiles are here designed, ^ho are frequently called the world in icripture-, being the world which God loved, foi whose sins Christ is the propitiation, and of the reconciling of which mention i» p«r« ticularly made, John iii. 16 ; 1 John ii. is ; Rom. xi. 12, 15. OF FREE GRACE. 95 dispatching of all the business of the covenant, from the first to the last. Secondly, As Christ is fundamentally, so he is materially, the covenant; Christ himself is the covenant, as he is Christ. This seems strange ; but there is an admirable wisdom of God to be adored in this thing : the covenant substantially stands in this ; * I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Now Christ he is both these in himself; he is God unto his people, and he is the people unto God, and before him. Both these meet in that one Christ, and are both of them admirably illus- trated to us. Matt. i. 23, where, upon the birth of Christ, the angel saith, " They shall call his name Immanuel ; which, being interpreted, is God with us :" Christ is, " God with us," not only as Christ's Godhead did take the human nature simply; but Christ is " God with us," that is, Christ is so ordered by the Father for men, that the Father may see the deity and hu- manity made up in one, to wit, Christ's person ; and so, conse- quently, all the people, that are the people of God, are consi- dered in Christ, as part of him : for Christ is considered two ways, either as he consists of the Godhead, and one individual liuman nature ; or, as he consists of that and a compact of many persons considered as members of Christ's mystical body : so Christ is the head, and all those that are in covenant with him, are members ; and this head and members together make up one complete and entire body. Consider Christ thus, and then you shall see in him God, the God of his people, and men the people of God, and both these meet together only in Christ. Christ, in a very few words, doth very excellently set forth this his own being, materially, the covenant, John xvii. 22, 23, " And the glory thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, as we are one." Here, first, he speaks of unity among themselves, as members have unity in one body : then he goes further in the next verse, " I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one ;" as much as to say thus ; I, as I have assumed humanity, and besides the humanity, have as- sumed the members of my mystical body, so I am in them, and they in me ; and by this my being one with them, and they one with me, they become one with us both ; so, God to be the God of his people, and the people to be the people of God, meet both PB THE NEW COVENANT in this one Christ, God and man ; Christ as head unltedi to u'di members, and they as members in covenant with him. Thirdly, Christ himself is said to be the covenant equivalently : I mean thus, Though the main substance of the covenant be ful- filled to believers as soon as they are justified, that is, while they are ungodly ; yet there are particular branches, or rather fruits of the covenant, to be fulfilled to believers in their season : to have God more abundantly pouring out himself in all manner of graciousness, this is to be fulfilled in season. Now, Christ is said to be the covenant, as a present pawn, or earnest, delivered into the hands of a person, at the very instant of his justification ; which pawn, is of equal value and worth with the whole cove- nant, when it is fulfilled to the uttermost; so, Christ being given over to men, as a pawn and earnest, they have, at the first in- stant, the whole covenant equivalently. If a man deliver money to another, and he receives a pawn worth the money, then he hath the money in his hand, though not in specie, yet in value, he hath as much as the money is worth ; and so, by consequence, it is as much as if he had the money itself, Christ, delivered over in justification, is of equal value with all tliat is to be ful- filled, when the covenant is fulfilled to the uttermost. He being of equal value, it follows, that Christ is the covenant by estima- tion, though not in respect of the accomplishment and fulfilling of the several fruits. Thus I have done with the first branch : this I desired to clear more fully ; because I find the world is marvelously puzzled with the mixture of other things besides Christ in the covenant : we will go a little further this morning, because I would dispatch that I intend, and would not willingly leave any thing, not know- ing when, or whether ever I shall see your faces agaim I will therefore enter upon the next thing of great concernment : I hope there hath been no mistake of what I have spoken, and then I know the truth of it will justify itself against all contradiction. II. The second thing is, what is it for Christ to be given for a covenant 1 I answer. All that benefit that Christ is, or all that Christ can be to a person, is a mere deed of gift ; and it comes only as a very true and real gift unto men, upon no other consi- deration, but simply the Father's good will *, to make a gift of • Isaiah Ixv. I OF FREE GRACE &l it; this dependeth necessarily upon what we sKewed before. If that which we have hitherto spoken be not true, this cannot be true ; if the covenant be with condition, and the condition to be performed for the covenant ; then certainly Christ is not a mere gift. That which a man buys or pays for, he makes a reckoning of it as due debt : he cannot make a reckoning of it as a gift : but you see it plainly in the text, that Christ is given to be a covenant ; Christ is not bought to be a covenant, he is not paid for. Covenants between men I know are thus, if a man has a house or land to sell, there are articles drawn up and agreed upon ; and he that must have the land, must pay for it : it is not so in this covenant; but it is as in covenants that are deeds of gifts, which Tun thus, I will freely bestow this upon you : so God bestows his Christ freely, passing him over to men, without any thing from 4hem in consideration of this Christ which is bestowed. And this imports two things ; I say, that Christ is a gift, imports tvfo things. First, That in the participation of Christ, God requires nothing of man ; he expects nothing from man in consideration of thai Christ he bestows upon him. I say, he requires nothing, he expects nothing, he will take nothing ; nay, he will not give Christ unto men, except they will take him freely, without bring . mg any thing for him. Secondly, This gift, Chri&t, being given unto men, imports that there is no vileness, no sinfulness, no kind of wretchedness of man, that can be any bar to man from having a full part and portion in this Christ : a gift implies them both. I shall open them both, as clear as may be. First, I say, Christ is conveyed unto men as a gift ; without the Father's requiring any thing of them, or expecting any thine from tiiem ; but only barring them from bringing, or thinking to bring, any thing to this end, that they may have a part or share in Christ. I shall first declare, and make clear, that it is directly contrary to the nature of a gift (considered really as a gift) to require, or expect any thing in consideration of that which is given. When things are passed over to a man upon consideration, either they are passed over by bargain and sale, or else by way of bribe. When a man desires his cause may go well in a suit of law, he will give the judge something ; but the consideration must be, H 98 THE NEW COVENANT that the judge shall carry the cause on hisj side ; this that the judge receives, is not a gift, but a bribe, because something must be done for it. When a man must have such and such lands, or such and such goods, and there is a contract, you must give me so much money, and you shall have them ; these lands and goods are not gifts, when money must be paid for them. If we must bring any thing to the Father in consideration of Christ the covenant, then here is a bargain and sale between the Father and us ; I will give you my Christ, but you must bring me works, to wit, broken, and clean, and changed hearts, and the like : this is a mere bargain and sale. In Rom. iv. 4, you shall find plainly and clearly, how the apostle directly overthrows the being of a gift upon this supposition ; if it could be received, that a man must bring any thing to his justification, he plainly affirms, a gift ceaseth to be a gift when any such thing comes in ; *' Now to him that worketh, is the reward reckoned not of grace, but of debt :" mark, I pray you, well, " to him that worketh :" that is, would you bring your humiliations, your prayers, as con- ditions that God may perform his covenant ? Do you bring any thing in the world, and work any inherent righteousness ? Then saith the apostle, the reward, that is, the accomplishment of the covenant, is not reckoned of grace ; if you bring works, the gift ceaseth to be a gift, it must be reckoned to be a debt. Either then you must lay down all works, and let them cease in the business of partaking of Christ, or else you must conclude you must not receive Christ of grace, but of debt : and the apostle doth make it more clear, Rom. xi. 6, " And if by grace, (that is, by gift, for grace and gift, you must understand, are all one : grace is nothing but the favour of God freely, and of his own accord communicated ; And if by grace) then it is no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace : but if it be of worKS^ then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work." If you bring grace unto works, or works unto grace ; either the one, or the other, or both, are made void : as much as to say, these two things are inconsistent, they cannot stand together, that we should partake of Christ through grace and works both ; they will not stand together : grace must stand alone, or works alone ; for one directly overthrows the other. And, beloved, to speak freely to you of these work-mongers, these buyers of Christ, that would bring something with them to OF FREE GHACE. m partalse of Christ ; what would they bring ? They say they will bring a good heart, or a changed life. I ask, what prize is this vou bring ? Do you bring any thing of your own, or that which IS God's already 1 Suppose your hearts be never so purged and cleansed ; what bring you to God ? You bring that which already is his own ; as much as to say, a man owes another a thousand pounds, and he will come and bring him this thousand pounds, for lands worth fifty pounds by the year. No, he must bring a thousand pounds more, if he will purchase the land: even so it is for a person to bring works for Christ, which works thou owest unto God already ; no, first pay thy debt which thou owest, and then if thou hast any more, bring that unto God to purchase Christ withal. But alas, when you have done all, you are un- profitable servants ; for all you have done is not yours, it was due from you before ; how then can any thing you do be a considera- tion to purchase Christ withal ? Moreover, you that will bring works, and, in consideration of them, expect a part in Christ ; what are the works you bring ? A whip you shall have as soon as a Christ, in regard of your wrorks : Oh, the filthiness of all the works of men, as they work them! There is nothing but filthiness in them; "Yea, (saith Paul) I count all things dung, that I may be found in him, not having my own righteousness:" therefore, as it is most pre- sumptuous pride in men, so it is the grossest ignorance that can be, to dream of any thing that they have, do, or can do, in the partaking of Christ ; they directly overthrow the nature of a gift: hast thou but one thought once, that God will accept thee in Christ, upon consideration that thou hast performed thus and thus ; this very thought directly destroys Christ, considered as a gift : for if he be a gift, then he comes witliout any consideration whatsoever. H« SERMON VIL IHE NEW COVENANT OF FREt GRACE. ISAIAH xlii. 6, 7. AND I WILL GIVE THEE FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE, FOR A LIGHT OF THE GENTILES, TO OPEN THE BLIND EVES, TO BRING OUT THE PRISONERS FROM THE PRISON, AND THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS OUT OF THE PRISON-HOUSE. In the next place, as it is against the nature of a gift, so God doth not expect, nor will accept of any thing from men in consi- deration of Christ : and, for this, the scriptures are plain and clear, that the Father expects nothing in the world of men ; no one qualification or spiritual disposition, oefore, or upon the com- municating of his Son Christ unto men : I will but name some few passages to clear this to you, tliat I may not seem to come in my ovm name, in this that I have delivered. Consider, among other passages, that in Isa. Iv. 1, it is plain there, you may see, that God looks for nothing in *-he world of men ; be they what they will, be they in the worst condition, no matterwhat it is, they are the men to whom Christ offers himself; ** Ho, every one that thirsteth," (saith Christ) that is, every one that hath but a mind to come to him, every one that would take him, may have him : " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters ; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price." " Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not ?" " Hearken di- ligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your sou delight itself in fatness." Eat, but not buy ; for it is said, " Bur without money ;" you may eat without price, and that which yo& fhall eat is fatness. Mark what follows, " Incline your ear, ana OP FREE GRACE. 101 come unto me ; hear, and your souls shall live ; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David :'* here you see the covenant mentioned. But what doth God re- quire here in the covenant 1 No money, no price ; the covenant runs all upon mercy ; it is an everlasting covenant indeed, and an everlasting covenant of mercy. Now mercy is the doing a thing only and merely of gift : if a man will forgive a debtor, and ask nothing of him, then he is a merciful man : so far as men give, so far are they merciful ; so far as they sell, there is no mercy in that. But here is neither money, nor price, nor any thing* at all in consideration of the covenant. Likewise, in Hosea, xiv. 4, God saith by the prophet, " I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from them :" he will love you freely, that is the term : he will ask nothing for that good he will do unto you, it shall be freely ; and what is more free than gift ? Look also into that notable place, worthy of all consideration, Eph. ii. where the apostle speaks most admirably sweetly to this point, of giving and communicating Christ, and all that is Christ's, unto men, merely of grace, merely of gift, without con- sideration of any thing in the world ; and there you have the reason, why God will do it merely of gift, and upon no other ground or cause at all, (in verse 4,) saying, " But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us ;" (here is the great principle that gives being to all that follows) " even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" (by grace ye are saved) Mark what follows, " and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus : that, in ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus : for by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should boast." Here you see how notably the apostle takes off all things in the world, whereby man may imagine to move God to shew kindness, and give his Christ unto them ; and attributes all to the riches of God's grace, because of that " love wherewith he loved us." Hence it is that he bestows Christ by grace ; " and by this grace are we saved, and that not of our- selves, not of our works, lest any should boast." * Luke vii. 42. log THE NEW COVENANT 1 will not recite many places : one more, and then I have done with this. Look into the last of the Revelations, you shall see Christ is so a gift passed over unto men, that God looks for, asks, requires nothing of men to their partaking of him r in verse 17, " Let him that is athirst come, and whoso will, let him come, and take the water of life freely." No matter for bring- ino- of any thing with you ; have you a mind to him ? take him freely, God scorns to make a sale of his Son. If men take him as a deed of gift, well and good ; if they will have him upon other terms, God never means to part with him. I tell you, could you bring angelical perfection and obedience, and present that unto the Father as a motive to him to bestow his Christ upon you ; if you dare offer the perfectest righteousness in the world for Christ; I say, you shall be accursed for it. " If we, (saith the apostle), Gal. i. 8,) or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that we have preached unto you;" any other gospel, than salvation, and participation of Christ, by grace and free gift (for that is the doctrine he had es- tablished before, and, through the whole epistle to the Galatians, doth maintain) " let such person be accursed," saith Paul. And, concerning those that will preach any other doctrine, or will es- tablish any righteousness of man, and pervert the people of God from the sincerity of the doctrine and gospel they have received ; the apostle is so eager against them, that he breaks out into this expression, " I would they were even cut off, which trouble you," in the same epistle, chap. v. 12, and upon the self-same ground we have in hand, he thus expresses himself; and, why ? because they overthrew the great intent of the Lord, and those great thoughts he hath of himself; namely, that the world may see what a God of grace he is. If a man comes with works towards the enjoyment of Christ, he overthrows the grace of God, and frustrates the great end for which God sent Christ into the world : for as you see it plainly there in the epistle to the Ephe- sians, the place before mentioned, the Lord therefore comes to give Christ, to set forth " the praise of the glory of his free grace " Secondly, This Gift (Christ I mean) given as a covenant, imports unto you, that as the Father looks for nothing in men to partake of Christ, so also it doth imply, there is nothing in men, though never so vile, that can debar a person from a part OF FREE GRACE. 103 in this Christ. Some will not have Christ, except they can pay foi" him ; others dare not meddle with Christ, because they are so vile and wretched creatures, that they think it impossible that Christ should belong to such wretched persons as they are. You know not (saith one) what an abominable sinner I am ; you look upon others, but their sins are but ordinary ; but mine are of a deep dye, and I shall die in them : the rebellion of my heart, is another kind of rebellion than is in others. Beloved, let me tell you freely from the Lord ; let men deem you as they will, and make yourself as bad as you can, I tell you, from the Lord, and I will make it good, there is not that sinfulness that can be imagined in a creature, that can be able to separate or debar any of you from a part in Christ; even while you are thus sinful, Christ ma-y be your Christ. Nay, I go further; suppose one person, in this congregation, should not only be the vilest sinner in the world, but should have all the sins of others, besides what he himself hath committed; if all these were laid upon the back of him, he should be a greater sin- ner than now he is ; yet, if he should bear all the sins of others, as I said, there is no bar to this person, but Christ m.ay be his portion ; " He bore the sins of many," (saith the text) but he bare them not as his own, he bare them for many. Suppose the many, that are sinners, should have all their sins translated to one in particular ; still there is no more sin than Christ died for, though they be all collected together. If other men's sins were translated upon you, and they had none, then they needed no Christ ; all the need they have of Christ, were translated to you, and then the whole of Christ's obedience should be yours. Do but observe the strain of the gospel, you shall find that no sin in the world can be a bar to hinder a person from having a part in this Christ that is given : look upon the condition of per- sons (as they are revealed in the gospel) to whom Christ is reached out : and the consideration of their persons will plainly shew to you, that there is no kind of sinfulness can bar a person from having a part in Christ. Look into Ezek. xvi, quite through ; the person is there consi- dered in a state of blood, of menstruousness, of vileness, and greatest filthiness that can be supposed; and when "no eye could pity" such a person, " or do any good to him; I passed by thee, (saith Christ) thy time was the time of love I sware unto 104 THE NKW COVENANT thee, I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine." Construe this in a spiritual sense, conceive of a spi- ritual estate of filth, proportionable to a natural estate of filth. That very time of the vilest of our spiritual filthiness, is tl>e time of Christ's love when he enters into covenant. Yea, but sure the case is altered, before Christ actually swears. No; "then washed I thee with water ; yea, 1 thoroughly washed away thy blood." When ? even then when " I sware unto thee, and en- tered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine." First, he did sware, and then he did wash them : and not wash them, and then sware unto them, and enter into covenant with them. First, " I entered into covenant with thee, then washed I thee* with water, and then put I jewels upon thee," &c. The first thing he doth, is, he enters into covenant, and the people become his people, and then he takes them in hand, and washeth and purgeth them, and not before. Consider Christ's own expression, " I came to seek, and to save that which was lost : I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; the whole need not a physician, but they that are sick :" here still the persons are considered in the worst condition, (as some might think) rather than in the best. Our Saviour is pleased to express himself in a direct contrary Avay to the opinion of men, " I came not to call the righteous, but sinners :" the poor publican that had nothing to plead for him- self went away more justified than the proud pharisee that pleaded with God ; " I thank thee that I am not such an one." Men think righteousness brings them near to Christ : beloved, righteousness is that which puts a man away from Christ *: stum- ble not at the expression, it is the clear truth of the gospel f: not simply a doing of service and duty, doth put away from Christ ; but upon the doing of duty and service, to expect acceptance with Christ, or participation in Christ, this kind of righteousness is the only separation between Christ and a people ; and whereas •JO sinfulness in the world can debar a people, their righteous- ness may debar them. I need not tell you, what I have so often mentioned, that there ♦ When it is trusted to, and depended upon, and put in the room of Christ and, hi« righteousness ; or when it is brought to fit a man for Christ, and give him a rf/?Ii| ^nd rlaia: to him, and his banefits. t M»tt, V. 20,. OF FREE GRACE. 105 must be a believing in him that justifies the ungodly, Rom. ir. what can you look for of an ungodly person ? If there can be any bar in the world to hinder a man from taking Christ, you would think it should be ungodliness ; it is the ground of most, and all men's fears. But if the term ungodliness be not bad enough, consider, Christ goes further, even unto rebellion ; he hath received gifts for the rebellious, Psalm Ixviii. 18, " Thou hast ascended on high, and led captivity captive, thou hast re- ceived gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." But some may be ready to say to me. Though God be never so free in giving Christ unto men ; yet they may never have a part in him, except they have hands to take, and receive him, I answer, I beseech you consider, and I answer peremptorily, that though men have no hands to take Christ, yet may they re- ceive him. I will clear this a little to you, first by illustration, or by way of similitude : a poor indigent person is speechless, he hath never a tongue ; he is handless, he hath never a hand : he cannot ask with the tongue, he cannot take with the hand ; if you have a mind to give, I ask, can you not give to such a per- son, because he hath not a tongue to speak, nor a hand to take ? you may behold, and see the pitiful case of such a man, and your compassions may be stirred in you ; and whereas he cannot put a garment upon his own naked back, yet you may provide raiment, and put it upon his back with your hands, as well as if he had put it on himself: and thus God deals in bestowing Christ upon men ; we are dumb, and cannot speak, " We know not what to ask as we ought," saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 26, but God being rich in compassion, he beholds our miserableness ; his own bowels stir him up *. Although there be no language in the creature to move him ; yet out of these bowels of his, he will shew pity and meicy to us, and reach out his Christ, to those that have no hands to receive him, no faith to believe in him. It is the Lord put this Christ on the back of those persons f on whom he hath pity and compassion. I say, that although we have no hand, yet the Lord puts this his Christ upon us ; it is not we that put him on, but the Lord that puts him upon us. Secondly, To resolve the case more fully and clearly, observe U distinction very needful to be observed and considered : there * Zcch. ix. 11. t Isaiah Ixi. 10. 100 THE NEW COVENANT is a twofold receiving of Christ ; there is, first, a passive reci- piency ; secondly, there is an active recipiency*. First, There is a passive receiving of Christ, and that is, so that Christ is received without any hands ; but in an active re- ceiving of him, he is not received without hands : you will say, what is this passive receiving of Christ ? I answer, a passive re- ceiving of Christ, is just such a receiving of him, as when a fro- ward patient takes a purge, or some bitter physic ; he shuts his teeth against it, but the physician forceth his mouth open, and pours it down his throat, and so it works against his will f , by the over-ruling power of one over him, that knows it is good for him. Thus I say, there is a passive recipiency, or receiving of Christ, which is the first receiving of him ; when Christ comes by the gift of the Father to a person, whilst he is in the stubbornness of his own heart, being froward and cross ; and the Father forces open the spirit of that man, and pours in his Son in spite of the receiver;!^. There is such a kind of recipiency mentioned in scripture, Jerem. xxxi. 18, 19, " I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke ; turn thou me, and I shall be turned, thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented : and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh : I was ashamed, yea, even confounded." Mark how Ephraim (who is the representative of the church) stands affected and disposed ; when God comes first to tame and break the spirit of Ephraim, God is fain to get upon Ephraim, as an horse-rider is fain to get upon an unruly horse, that was never broken ; he must fetter him upon all four, that he may stand still before he * And an excellent distinction it is ; the learned Hoornbeeck talces notice of it, and has these words concerning it; " Neither do we reject some distinctions of theirs (£. e. Dr. Crisp, and others, called Antinomians) as of the reception of Christ, primum pas- sivaj, tnm activae, first passive, then active." — Summa Controv. cap. 10. p. 720. t John. iv. 16, 17, 18. J This is to he understood of the state and condition, in which a man is, when God comes first to work upon him, in which he is passive ; and the simile made use of, of a physician forcing a man's mouth open, and pouring physic against his will, is intended to illustrate, and does illustrate, the enmity and rebellion of the heart of man against Christ and his grace ; and shews how disagreeable, to the carnal mind, are the methods which God takes when he first works upon it, either by afflictive providences, or by letting the law into the conscience, which works wrath there ; and not, as D. W. sug- gests, in his Gospel Truth, &c. p. 101, as if men were said to receive Christ against their wills : for, as the Doctor after observes, when Christ has entered into the soul, and has revealed himself, and shewn it his excellency and his beauty, it embraces him, ^nd htlds him fast ; when his power comes upon it, it is made willing to receive him, whom, before, it had a dislike of, and an aversion to. OF FREE GRACE. 107 get up. So God must fetter Ephraim before he can get up, be- fore he can tame him ; " I was as a bullock, unaccustomed to the yoke," nothing but kicking and spurning at first; afterwards Ephraim becomes more gentle ; " When I was converted, I smote upon my thigh, and was confounded :" but before, Ephraim was a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Hence it is, that the entrance of Christ into a person is attributed unto the power of Christ; " Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power ;" the power of the Lord must overcome a person, before Christ can have a possession of him, in regard of the crossness of the spirit of man to the pleasure of Christ. At the first, then, there may be a passive receiving of Christ by which Christ may enter and doth enter into the spirit*, though the soul reach not forth the hand to take him in ; but rather on the contrary part, fight against him by keeping him from enter- ing : but now when this Christ is poured into the spirit of a man by the power of the Lord, then he begins to work, to break, and to tame the spirit, to be at his own beck and pleasure : when Christ hath once revealed himself, and made the soul behold his beauty, and acquainted it with his excellency, then it beoins to embrace him, and to hold him fast, and will not let him go. Here comes in the second act of receiving Christ, when we take him, perceiving he is a friend and coming for good, and that there is no good but by him. Christ is considered as given of the Father ; and being given, the Father hath no regard to any thing! a man can do for him, or any thing he can do against him$. But it may be, before I leave this, you will ask, is not unbelief a bar to have a part in Christ ? I answer. It is a bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the spirit ; but it is not a bar to hinder one from having a part in Christ, on whom God doth bestow him. It is true, that you, nor I, can say by experience that Christ is ours, until we believe ; as long as we continue in total unbelief, we cannot conclude to our own spirits that Christ is ours : but unbelief is not simply a bar to the bestowing of Christ, to such a person ; he bestows him without any regard § to belief, or unbelief: if unbelief should be a bar to hinder Christ from being bestowed upon men, where is the man to whom Christ should be bestowed 1 There is no per- * Acts ix. 3. t Micah vi. 6, f. J Gen. xx. 6. § Luke xis. 5. " 108 THE NEW COVENANT. son under heaven considered simply as ungodly, and under the notion of ungodliness, but he is considered as an unbeliever, as well as a sinner in other respects ; so that to the Father's giving of Christ, unbelief is not a bar ; only to the inward satisfaction of the soul and spirit, unbelief is a bar ; a soul cannot be resolved till it doth believe. III. And so now I come to consider the third thing I proposed, namely. What it is for Christ to be given to open the blind eyes ? There are two things very remarkable in it, that he is given to do this : for hence I infer, and the thing itself will clearly bear it : First, That Christ is actually passed over to a soul, and a pos- session of Christ is delivered unto persons, before ever their blind eyes are opened, or they come out of prison ; that is, be- fore they have any gracious qualifications whatsoever ; and this is a truth that follows upon the former, that Christ himself is the first spiritual gift that the Father doth bestow upon any, before there be wrought any opening of the eyes, which is the first of all gracious qualifications wrought in a man. Secondly, That the opening of the eyes, and bringing the pri- soners out of prison, is the sole work of Christ ; none doth this business but Christ alone when he is once given. The first will need a little clearing (and thereby the second will be sufficiently evidenced) being a truth of very great con- cern, and yet seldom seriously considered ; I say, that Christ is actually given and passed over to men, and made really theirs, before ever there be any gracious qualifications put into the soul of such a man, I say, as before, observe this caution, I speak of God's giving Christ unto men, not of the manifestation of him unto a man to be his : there is, and must be faith, as J said be- fore, for the manifestation of him to be ours ; but there is no qualification wrought in the heart of any person, before Christ be actually passed over, and made his in the covenant. Now, I say, Christ is given and passed over to such a person, before he has any gracious qualifications ; I do not mean, as some do, that God did actually decree Christ, unto such and such, before he put any qualifications in them ; this is a truth indeed ; but I say further, That God gives actual possession of Christ, and Christ takes possession of that person, before there be any qualifications OF FREE GRACE. 109 wrought in him : now Christ is given, not only to perform some common acts of God's providence, but he is given as the covenant itself; he enters, and actually justifies a person, before any qua- lification be wrought in him. Now I shall endeavour to clear this, by all possible evidence I can ; the scripture is plain for it, in Isa. Ixi. I, 2, 3, and so forward ; there you shall see that Christ is actually given unto men, before any gracious qualifications whatsoever be wrought in them ; " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me," saith Christ; for they are his words, as he himself applies them, in the sermon he preached, Luke iv. 18, " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised." Observe it, I pray you. Here Christ hath a business to do in the world ; which is, " To bind up the broken-hearted ;" and, the Lord hath anointed him to this business. What is that anoint- ing 2 The Lord hath separated him, designed him to it ; and ac- cording to his designation, places him where he may do it ; this is meant by anointing. Now, when a man is set apart, and sent about such a business: he must be there corporally or virtually before that is done, which he is sent to do ; he is sent to do a thing, therefore he must be there where it is to be done : a man is not said to do a thing, when it is done before he come ; if Christ be sent to bind up the broken hearted, and if it be his business ; certainly they are not bound up before he comes to bind them ; and if he comes to bind them up, then he is present before they are bound up. But, peradventure, you will say, by this text, here are broken hearts first, before Christ be sent to bind them up; therefore there must be broken hearts before Christ come to the souL To this I answer. That a broken heart is to be considered in a double sense, either, first. Simply for a heart undone; or, secondly. For one sensible of its own undoing : you know, men are said to be undone, and broke, when their estates are broke, and their credit cracked; and, they may be said to be broke, when they have examined their own books, and find that they are, and so seek to their creditors to make agreement : they may tie considered as broken, supposing and considering what their 110 THE NEW COVENANT condition is simp j 'n itself, as they are undone in it ; or eUe, as they apprehend themselves to be undone, and so make agree- ment. Now, these two kinds of brokenness of heart considered. I answer, It is most certainly true in the first sense, there is a broken heart, before Christ is considered as present to bind it up ; that is, men are really undone, before he comes to restore them ; but these persons are not sensible of their own brokenness of heart, until Christ comes and makes them sensible of it. Therefore, if you will speak of the sense of breaking, I flatly affirm, Christ is actually given, and is come unto the soul, before sensibleness be wrought in the soul. Mark but the covenant as it is recited, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, who is it deals with the heart of man to take away the stoniness of it, and to give a meltingness unto it ? " I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh :" who is that ? It is he that did obtain a more excellent ministry, by how much he was the medi- ator of abetter covenant; even the mediator of this covenant, and it is he that takes away the stony heart ; and, if he breaks it, how can there be said to be a broken heart, before Christ comes to do it? Therefore, in brief, know this, Christ is sent unto men, as to bind up their hearts, when they are broken, so graciously to break them, when they are hard ; first, he breaks them, then he binds them up ; " He is sent to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of prison-doors to the prisoners:" people think by their humiliations, sorrows, mournings, and obedience, and such like, to get Christ ; but it is plain that the very spirit of mourning is the work of Christ upon a person, and he is present to work it too. Zech. xii. 10, ' I will pour upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication : and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and mourn :" who was it that poured this spirit of grace, supplication, and mourning ? I, saith Christ. I, who was that I ? It is he that was pierced, on whom they shall look that had pierced him ; " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced ;" this is he that poured out the spirit of supplication and mourning ; so, if it be Christ that was pierced, as is plain, then it is also plain that he poured out the spirit of grace, supplication, and mourning : how then can OF FREE GRACU. HI tKey mourn before Christ comes, when it is he, after he is come, that doth this thing ? Object any qualification whatsoever, and it will appear most evident and plain, that it is Christ himself, after he is come, that works it ; even faith itself, which is called the radical grace of all graces, is not given until Christ himself be given to men, who works this very faith ; Heb. xii. 2, " Looking (saith the apostle) unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith :" he is the author ; what faith can there be then till he comes to work it ? Consider, Psalm Ixviii. 18, compared with Eph, iv. 8, and you shall plainly see Christ is given unto men, before there be any qualifications of any grace whatsoever in them; " Thou hast re- ceived gifts for the rebellious," saith the Psalmist ; " Thou hast given gifts unto men," saith the apostle : put them both together, Christ received for, and gave gifts unto rebellious men ; con- sider, I pray, what gracious dispositions, and qualifications are considerable in rebellious men ; as they are rebellious, there can be none considered : but Christ received for, and gave gifts to, the rebellious ; therefore, he is given, and accordingly gives whatsoever any person hath, before he hath any thing. There are many notable arguments in scripture most abso- lutely establishing this truth; that Christ is given and made over unto men before they have any qualification whatsoever. Col. i. 18, where Christ is called, " The head of the body, the church, and the beginning." These two metaphors illustrate and establish this truth. First, Christ is the beginning. He that is the beginning of all things, is before all things ; not only in the being of nature before all things, but actually present before all things be begun. He that is the builder of the house, doth not come after it is begun to be built ; but he is present at the place before a stone is laid, because he is the man that must lay it, he is the beginner of it ; and if he be the beginning, whatsoever is begun, is after him that is the beginning. Secondly, Christ is the head. This is the other metaphor, whereby is set forth, that Christ must upon necessity be in the soul, be actually passed over unto men, before they can have any gracious qualifications. A head is the fountain of all ani- mal and sensitive spirits, and of all motion ; without a head, a 112 THE NEW COVENANT man cannot hear, see, walk, feel, stir, nor do any tiling, seeing all these operations come from the head. Consider the body as headless, and all the senses are absent, and without a head nothing is done. Christ is the head of his church, (so saith the apostle) that is, he is the fountain of all spiritual sense and mo- tion. You may as soon conceive that a man is able to see whilst he hath not a head ; as to think, a man can have spiritual eyes, whether the eye of faith to behold Christ, or the eyes of mourn- ing to lament one's wretchedness, before there be actually the presence and conjunction of Christ the head, unto such a body. Beloved, to think a man can have any spiritual sight, before Christ be actually united to the soul, is all one, as for a man to think to see, before he has eyes. The eyes are placed in the head ; both the organs, faculties, and spirits all are in the head ; now can a man see, that hath neither eyes nor spirits to feed fhem 1 which he hath not, while he hath not a head, where all these are planted. Christ must be the eye, and present, to give sight ; therefore, the scripture ej^pressly says, " That he is given for a covenant to open the blind eyes :" if to open them, then they are not opened before he gives them sight. And, thirdly, As Christ is called a head, and a beginning ; so also life, frequently in the scripture. " I am the way, the truth, and the life : no man eometh to the Father, but by me," John xiv. 6. Can a man be an active creature, before there be life breathed into him 1 " The Lord, (saith the text) at the creation, breathed into man the breath of life, and so he became a living soul." He was like a stone, till he had life ; but now, saith the apostle, " I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me Gal. ii. 20. " And, by the grace of God, I am that I am, and his grace that was bestowed upon me, was not in vain ; but I laboured more abundantly than they all." Paul was an active soul. How? " By the grace of God," 1 Cor. xv. 10. That is, as a body, without a soul is dead; so every person, in spi- ritual actions, is wholly dead, till Christ the soul of the soul oe infused into him, to animate and enliven him. I shall not spend more time in urging more arguments ; though 1 might be large to shew that Christ is the first thing given unto us, before all other whatsoever. For if this light be not enough, we must wait till the Lord in his time will reveal his truth. IV. And now in a word or two consider, who they are, to OF FREE ORACB. whom Christ is given to be a covenant. All this is good news, will some say, to those unto whom it is sent. Many thousands cry out, Oh, but it is none of my portion, nor my portion, that Christ should be given as a covenant to me. I shall not be large in this, though some may expect it ; the text will tell in part, who those are to whom he is given for a covenant, to wit, the people, and the Gentiles, one, as well as another. God gives Christ to men without respect of persons, to Jews and Gentiles. You shall find through the whole course of the scripture, the persons to whom Christ is exhibited, are still expressed in the most general terms : if a man would know for whom he came, it is answered, " He came to seek and to save those that are lost ; in due time, he came to die for the ungodly:" and " came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance ; and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The scripture runs upon this strain ; why then should any man come and cry, " He died not for me, he is not given for me " Why, art thou a convinced sinner ? He was given for thee, if thou art truly saying with the publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner." The king puts forth a proclamation, and in it he pardons all thieves : what mad or foolisb thief will say. Oh, but the king doth not mean me, he may mean others, but not me ! Why, he means thieves in general, he excepts none : why shouldest thou say, not me 1 If there be the name of thieves in general, with- out particular mentioning of some, they will come in, and take their portion. Beloved, so Christ deals with men, he is given to the people, to the Gentiles ; art thou of the people ? art thou of the Gentiles 1 If thou art, why is he not given to thee? Nay more, it is the people and Gentiles considered as sinners 1 But some will be ready to say. You know he is not given to all people, and all Gentiles ; some do miscarry, and possibly 1 may be among them that do miscarry : but how shall I know that I am among the number of such sinners that shall not mis carry ; and my portion is in this Christ ? Beloved, here observe by the way, now we are speaking of knowing whether Christ be mine, or no, not simply of Christ's being ours, but of his manifestation, or of knowing him to be ours, how shall I know it ? You will say. There are labyrinths, in which a man may walk, and by hap may chance to hit the I j,14 THE NEW COVENANT right, in the finding of this great truth, so much searched after, how a man may know whether Christ be his or no. To lead yoti a plain and sure way; the best way for any man to knOw whether Christ be his or no, is to consider the conveyance in which he is made over to men ; see the terms of conveyance, and according to these terms, such is the security of your title. Now the terms of conveyance (as I have often told you) are only such as in a need of gift, and a deed of gift universally exhibited and reached out. Therefore, t must tell you, there is no better way to know your portion in Christ, than upon the general tender of the gospel, to conclude absolutely he is yours, and so, without any more ado, to take him, as tendered to you, on his word* ; and this taking of him, upon a general tenderf , is the greatest secu- rity in the world, that Christ is yours. Say unto your souls (and let not this be contradicted, seeing Christ hath reached out him- self to sinners as sinners.) My part is as good as any mat's; set down thy rest here ; question it not, but believe it ; it is as good security as God can make thee : he hath promised, venture thy soul upon it, without seeking for further security. But, some will say, he doth not belong to me : why not to thee ? he be ■ longs to sinners, as sinners ; and if there be no worse than sin- fulness, rebellion, and enmity in thee, he belongs to thee, as well as to any in the world$ : and there is nothing at all can give thee a certainty he is thine, but receiving him on these terms; " He came to his own, and his own received him not; but, to as many as received him, (mark that) he gave power to become the sons of God." He receiveth sinners, as sinners ; he never shut out one of all • Isaiah Iv. 1. + This is the principal passage on which the Dutch professor Hoornbeeck, has laid the charge of holding universal redemption to the Doctor, concluding, from this gene- ral tender, or offer of Christ to all, that he held the universal satisfaction of Christ for all, and that all have an equal portion in it ; from whence they might be assured of Christ as theirs, and not from any condition in themselves ; and, indeed, the univer- sal offer, cannot be supported without supposing universal redemption ; which those, who are fond of, and yet profess particular redemption, would do well to consider. — • See Summa Controv. p. 703. 1. 10. J This is putting it upon a much better foot than the general tender ; which is no security to any, of Christ being his ; nor even general redemption itself, since all have not a portion in him, or are saved by him ; but, Christ dying for the worst and chief of sinners, and his promise to receive, and his actually receiving them as such, are the best security, and on which a poor sinner, under a deep sense of sin may rely ; and be encouraged to apply to Christ, and lay hold upon him as his own Saviour. Sea the last paragraph of the next sermon, where the Doctor mentions a bettej security than the general tender. OF FREB GRACE. 115 those thousands, that came upon the tender of the gospel ; he never put any by ; " But to as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God." Bring me any one in- stance in the whole book of God, of any one that hath come to Christ, and taken him upon the tender of the gospel, and yet he hath put this person by. It is true, in a shallow matter, concern- ing a bodily cure, the woman comes to Christ, and at the first, he would not hear, then he calls her dog ; yet before they parted, Christ not only accepts the woman, but breaks out into admi- >ation, " Oh! woman, great is thy faith!" But, I say, in the ousiness of partaking of Christ, shew me an instance of any in all the book of God, that have ventured upon the general tender ♦ of Christ, which was rejected. If there be no example, in all the scripture, from whence fetch you this bitterness of your own spirits, that you may not, that you dare not close with Christ ? But, you will say to me. If this taking of him be the best se- curity, how shall I know whether I believe or no '( Or how shall I know whether this my taking is not a counterfeit, but a solid, substantial, real, taking of Christ. I answer. By the reality of the thing. Do you it indeed? If you do it indeed, it is a real taking. If a man should ask you, How do you know the sun shines ? The light of it shews itself, and, by its light, we know it shines. How shall I know I be- lieve ? There is a light in faith that discovers itself unto men. The soul that really closes with Christ, may conclude he doth. If you give sixpence to a poor man, and then ask him. How do you know I have given you it, and that you have it ? Why, saith he, I have it in my hand, and find, and feel I have it. So, ask your hearts this question, How do I know I believe in Christ ? Do I cast my heart upon this truth ? Do I receive it as one that I do believe, or do I reject it, or will not receive it ? Then I do not believe : but if you sit down, and rest upon it, and receive it, and do in reality believe it ; then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours. In respect of time, I cannot amplify any fur- ther : but, I hope, for the present, this will give satisfaction. A word or two for application, and so I will conclude. Is this a truth, as hath been by scripture proved to you, ** That Christ is given a covenant to men, to open their blind eyes ?" Then it is plain, they begin at the wrong end of the • R«y. xxii. 17. i2 11*J THE NEW COVENANT bottom, who begin to wind up at the graciousness of their own spirits, from thence to have comfort. If you begin at any other end than at Christ to get grace and comfort, you do as they do that take the inmost end of the bottom of the thread, and begin to ravel there ; so that little or no work is done, but much and many a knot, and broken ends made, and the work quite spoiled; whereas, if they begun at the utmost end of the bottom, it would have run without disturbance. Beloved, Christ is given to open men's blind eyes ; go whither you will, you shall never have your eyes spiritually opened, ex- cept you go to him : Oh, what a do is here with men, or in men, with breaking their own hearts, and forsaking their sins ! And whither do they run 1 they run to their inherent righteousness, their qualifications, their prayers, their tears, their humiliations, sorrows, reformations, universal obedience, and the like ; but is this to run to free grace and free mercy in Christ ? nay, Christ, alas, is never thought of; he is clean forgotten, and wholly neg- lected, and not considered all this while. Here is ploughing with a wooden plough ; here is a working upon a dead horse, or rather with one ; what is in the heart of a man to plough up the rock of his own heart 1 No marvel, that you sweat and toil and moil all the day long, and all lies in the same case it did : there IS no strength to bring forth ; because you go in your own, or the strength of the creature, and not in the strength of the Lord Jesus. You know when a pump is dry, men use not to stand labouring at it till they sweat ; but they first come, and fetch a bucket of water, and pour the water into it, and then they fall to pumping, and by virtue of the water poured in, there comes more water up, and by continual pumping they fetch out abundance : so your hearts are dry things, there is no sap, no moisture, no life in them ; (jbrist must first b3 poured in, before you can get any thing out; wherefore then stand you labouring and tugging in vain ? Oh, stay no longer, go to Christ ; it is he that must break thy rocky heart, before the plough can come over it, or at least enter into it. As I told you before, so I tell you again, you must consider Christ as freely given unto you by the Father, even before you can believe. There is a story of Ebedmelech, the black-moor in Jeremy, who by his interest and favour with the king, got leave to go to OF FREE GRACE. 1J7 ihe dungeon to Jeremiah to fetch him out: he carries ropes with him, lets them down, and causeth Jeremiah to put them under his arms, and round about him ; now Jeremiah by holding fast the ropes, doth not pull him into the pit, but he pulls Jeremiah out of the pit to himself. I speak this by way of illustration. Christ is our Ebedmelech with the Father, the great King of Glory ; his dealing prevails that he may have liberty to pluck us poor Jere- mies out of the pit and dungeon of sin and satan, of misery and destruction. How doth he this ? He doth not first send ropes, and then come after, but goes and carries them with him ; that is, Christ doth not send faith first to believers, and then comes after as drawn by it; no, but he comes and brings it with him, and he, being present, lets it down to them ; and when they have it, they do not draw Christ down to them by it, but holding it fast, he draws them up to himself. So here is not faith first, and then Christ ; but Christ comes first and gives faith to apprehend and lay hold upon him : Consider, therefore, Christ as your Ebed- melech, who comes and reacheth himself out to draw you up, and bing first present, reacheth out faith to you, by which you may hold; so Christ fetcheth you out of the pit. Wherefore (to draw to a conclusion) remember this, as you run to Christ, so shall you prosper in every thing you take in hand; all the business that Christ undertakes shall go on a-main, whilst that the creature undertakes shall stand at a stop. Make trial, begin but with Christ ; take him along with you in your entrance upon any thing, and you have a mighty counsellor to guide and direct you, for so Christ is called; and good counsel, you know, is very useful for a prosperous expedition of things. Again, you have a tower and refuge fully secure to retreat to, in case of extremity, or of over -mastership. It useth to be a prime piece of policy, being to combat with an enemy, to make sure ot some good fort, and to maintain that ; so that if the enemy be too strong, they may know whither to go to be hid and saved from the present danger ; and without such a refuge they are all liable to be cut off*; so do you begin with Christ ; make sure of him when you enter into the field of the world ; get but this fort, and you have a place of retreat upon all occasions, where there is most certain security, which the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail against, for Christ is that impregnable rock; but this is not all. 118 THE NEW COVENANT OF FREE GRACE. Christ IS also aqua vitce, water of life ; take but Christ along with yon, and then in all your travels no sooner do you begin to faint, but there is aqua vifce at hand ; you may drink of it, and your spirits shall be refreshed and revived. What shall I say more to you ? It is Christ that oils the wheels of your chariots, and makes you run the ways of God's commandments. It is he that fills the sails ; you must needs lie at a calm, if he be not present to blow in them. Take Christ with you, and you have the wind at command. Many a mariner would give the world to have such a privilege as to command the natural winds, and to make them blow when, and which way he listeth ; he would never then lie wind-bound. Beloved, you that have Christ, have the wind in your fists ; you may be carried to SiXij port you will. If you have him, you shall have a swift gale, and shall sail a-main by his power. Therefore, if Christ be poured forth, and a gift unto men, and so cheap that you may have him for nothing, only receiving him, let this be your everlasting cry and song, none but Christ, none but Clirist! or, rather, in the language of the Apostle, " I desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified." SERMON VIII. CHRISTIAN LIBERTY NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. JOHN viii. 36. IF THE SON THEREFORE SHALL MAKE YOU FREE, YE SHALL BE FREE INDEED. Our Saviour here gives a hint to his apostles, that they should not look to fare better than their master. He speaks of hard usage in the world ; for he came into it to fulfil a gracious and glorious ministry, bringing from the bosom of his Father the great and unsearchable love the Father had from everlasting in liis thoughts towards his own dear ones ; and so he takes all CHRISTIAN LIBERTV NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 119 opportunities and advantages to publish the glad tidings of salva- tion to the sons of men; yet met he with much opposition. But although Christ knew full well that there were many cavillers laid snares to trap him in his words, and that they frequented the common assemblies where he preached, to catch something from him, whereby they might have a colour at least to upbraid him, and'bring him into danger; I say, although Christ knew there were in all such assemblies some Scribes and Pharisees, and such like, yet for all this, when opportunity offered, he was graciously pleased to use much freedom of speech to them ; and though some were carping and cavilling at his words and his person, yet some there were to whom the glad tidings of salvation did belong, who by his ministry received them, and so were comforted. It seems it fell out thus with Christ, in the two former chapters, and this out of which I have taken my text ; for in these he was graciously pleased to hold forth the light of the glad tidings oi salvation, wherein he used, as I said before, much freedom and boldness of speech, which occasioned the adversaries of the gospel to vent their poison, and spit the venom of their malice against him. He could no sooner speak a word of grace, but presently they were upon the back of him. These three chapters contain in them nothing else but a conti- nued dispute between Christ and his enemies, intermingled with most admirable, sweet, and gracious expressions of him to his own people. In verse 30, after a large dispute and discourse, the Holy Ghost is pleased to tell us. That "many did believe in Christ" upon the words that he had spoken. Here you see a gracious effect upon some, that Christ knew before hand; upon which he took encouragement, notwithstanding all the adversa- ries' opposition, to be bold in speaking ; and, perceiving that his gospel took effect upon some, nay, many of the people, he turns his discourse from these carpers, with whom he had so long dis- puted before, and begins to frame his speech to the capacity and condition of the new converts and believers ; therefore, in verse 31, 32, our Saviour delivers himself to them in this manner: "If you continue in my words," saith he, " then are you my dis- ciples, and the truth shall make you free." Now, although it be apparent that Christ directs this speech of his to the new believers, yet in verse 37 the cavillers carp and cavil, whether wittingly or ignorantly I cannot say ; they must 120 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY needs have Christ to speak this passage unto them ; and they presently, in a hot and captious way, reply to him : whereas he had said, " They should be free, and the truth should make them free:" that is, as many of them as did believe; they pre- sently retorted upon him, why ? " We are Abraham's seed, we were never in bondage :" how can we be made free ? They might have held their tongues, Christ never meant them, he never spake to them : and though they said, " They were never in bondage," in bondage they were, and in bondage like to be. However, Christ did not speak to them,, but to believers ; yet they will not leave him so, they will have a fling at him, there- fore he answers their objection again. In the 33d verse, they made use of this argument to assert their freedom ; said they, '• We are Abraham's seed, we were never in bondage." What, doth he talk of making us free ? He takes off this recoil with a two-edged sword. There is a double answer to the argument they make use of First, therefore, Christ shews what the liberty is, and wherein it stands, he speaks of. Secondly, he shews that their plea is not good, for their being Abraham's seed was not a plea sufficient for their freedom. First, Christ shews what true freedom is, that he thus speaks of; it is namely this, " abiding in the house for ever." Secondly, he shews that to be Abraham's seed is not enough to make them free ; for the answer of Christ is thus : " He that committeth sin (saith he) is the servant of sin : now, the servant abideth not in the house always, but the son abideth in the house for ever:" as much as to say, Suppose you are Abraham's seed, yet if you commit sin, for all this you are servants, you are in oondage to sin ; and, as long as you ai*e, you have no liberty. All freedom consists in this especially, that Christ speaks of, that to the free indeed there will be abiding in the house for ever. The apostle, Gal. iv. 22, 28, illustrates to us the nature of this free- dom (that Christ speaks of) in this place, and, indeed,, sets forth the substance of it : " I>o you not hear the law ? You that desire to be under the law, what saith it?" The law speaks thus (saith he) : Abraham had two children, the one according to the pro- mise, the other of the bond-woman. These are a mystery : Agar signifies Mount-Sinai, in Arabia, which genders unto bondage. Now, Agar was the mother of Ishmael, but the seed of the promise is from above. The conchision is this, saith the NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 121 apostle, " Cast out the bond-woman and her son, for the son of the bond-woman shall not inherit with the son of the free- woman;" but he that is free, is in the inheritance for ever: the bond-woman, and her son, must not abide in the house for ever, they must be cast out. Christ alludes to this, of Abra- ham's casting- out of Ishmael ; as much as to say. There may be those of the seed of Abraham, as Ishmael was, yet be cast out, being not the seed of the promise ; they may be the seed of Abraham, but being the servants of sin, there is no abiding for them. Now our Saviour having repelled and answered their argu- ments, he comes, in the words of my text, to shew the rise and fountain from whence this freedom he speaks of, springs, or takes its first beginning ; " If the Son therefore make you free, then are you free indeed." The words I have read to you, are an hypothetical proposi- tion, or a conclusion stated upon a supposition, and contain in them these particulars. First, The grace itself held out, and that is freedom. " If the Son make you free." Secondly, The original, or the cause of it ; that is, the Son's making them so, " If the Son make you free. Thirdly, The quality of it, what kind of freedom it is ; it is not a shadowy, or empty, useless freedom, but a substantial one, " Then are you free indeed." This hypothetical proposition reduced into a categorical con- clusion, is no more but this, " They that the Son makes free, are free indeed." Only there is one thing observable from the argument of Christ in this place, that will add a word to this proposition. These Jews, that did dispute with Christ, they pretended that there was no way to full freedom, but by being born of Abraham ; so their being the seed of Abraham, gives them a complete free- dom: now Christ takes them upon advantage; he will suppose with them in their sense, that if freedom were to be had by any outward privilege, it should be, by being Abraham s seed ; if, therefore, Abraham's freedom be no freedom, as indeed it is not, then there can be none, but by one that is above Abraham. Now, saith Christ, the Son shall make you free : as much as to say, Abraham, the freest person in the world, cannot make you free, much les,s can any other but the Son. So then, the pro- position is this. That they alone are indeed free, who have their 122 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY freedom from the Son of God; I say, they alone are free indeed, who are made free only by Christ ; none in the world, nothing in the world can make free, but the Son of God. Now, that we may suck, and be satisfied, at the breasts of consolation (for there is the sincere milk of the word in it), let us take briefly into our consideration these few particulars. First, What the freedom is, whereof Christ speaks in this place. Secondly, How Christ makes free. And if time shall serve. Thirdly, Who they are, that are thus made free by Christ. I will begin with the first, What this freedom is, whereof Christ speaks in this place. For clearing whereof, note, first, That freedom and liberty are terms of one and the same signifi- cation. It is all one to say. The Son makes free, or the Son gives liberty. Both the Greek word eX.ev'^epoiy and the Latin word liberi, are promiscuously translated, either free, or men at liberty. It is true, I confess, this word liberi^, hath gotten an ill name in the world, partly through the abuse of liberty, and partly through the malignity of some spirits, that strike even at the heart of Christ, through the sides of those that are Christ's ; laying reproachful, ignominious, and shameful names, upon them of libertinism. Now, because liberty and freedom are thus brought into reproach and disgrace, the true freedom, whicli Christ hath purchased and given, requires some clearing, least it perish and be lost in the rubbish of corrupt liberty ; and so the people of God be jeered out of that which is their greatest portion. I am ashamed to speak it, 1 would there were not occasion that which is the very life and the sole comfort of the members of Christ Jesus, becomes such a reproach, through the malignity of the enemies of the gospel of Christ, that the very believers themselves are almost ashamed to go under the name of that that is their greatest glory. To be called a libertine, is the most glorious title under heaven ; take it for one that is truly free by Christ. To be made free by Christ, in proper construction, is no other but this, to be made a libertine by Christ ; I do not say, to be made a libertine in the corrupt sense of it, but to be one in the true and proper sense of it. It is true, indeed, Christ NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINB, 123 dotli not give liberty unto licentiousness of life and coversation ; of which we shall speak more by and by ; but a real and true liberty Christ hath purchased, and given to all his members. That we may the better understand therefore what this free- dom is, that Christ hath purchased, and bestows upon believers ; and, thereby, save it from the reproach of corrupt and licentious liberty : understand, beloved, that there is a threefold liberty. First, Moral or civil. Secondly, Sensual and corrupt Thirdly, Spiritual and divine. First, Moral and civil liberty is that wliich these Jews speak of, (mis-interpreting the sense of Christ) such as you used to have in your cities ; when a man hath served out his time, he is a freeman, he hath the freedom of the city, he hath liberty to trade in it : so Paul understood liberty, when he spake with the centurion 5 the centurion said he bought it with a great deal of money ; but saith Paul, I was so born ; I was born a Roman. But of this liberty Christ speaks not here. Secondly, There is a corrupt liberty ; that the apostle speaks of in Gal. v. 13. He tells us thus, " That we are called unto liberty ;" but, saith he, " Use not liberty as an occasion to the flesh." A licentious liberty is nothing else but this, namely, when men turn the grace of God into wantonness, and abusing the gospel of Christ, continue in sin, that grace might abound. Unto which the apostle affixes an abhorrence ; God forbid, saith he, any man should make use of such a liberty as this. I am confident of it, and affirm boldly, there is not one man made free by Christ, that makes it his rule, namely, to be bold to commit sin with greediness, because of the redemption that is in the blood of Christ : but that Christ who hath redeemed from sin and wrath, hath also redeemed from a vain conversation ; and there shall not be a making use of the grace of God, as embold- ening, and encouraging, to break out into licentiousness. All that have this freedom purchased by Christ for them, have also the power of God in them, which keeps them that they break not out licentiously ; the seed of God abides in them, that they can- not sin, as in the 1 John iii. 9, that is, they cannot sin after this fashion*. • This paragraph, as well as a multitude of others, shew that the Doctor wag no friend to licentiousness, and what a madness it is to charge so worthy a person with feolding hcentious principles. 124 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY Thirdly, There is a spiritual liberty ; for of corrupt licentious- ness Christ speaks not in the text neither ; but of a spiritual freedom : and that it may be clear, he speaks of a spiritual free- dom here, you may plainly perceive by the words going before ; for whereas these Pharisees affirmed they were not in bondage ; Christ proves they were, thus ; " They were the servants of sin, (saith he), and he that is the servant of sin, abides not in the house for ever;" as much as to say, the bondage here, was such, as consisted in being under sin ; so then, Christ here means a bondage and slavery under sin ; the freedom, therefore, opposite to this, must needs be a spiritual freedom. Now it will be worth our while to enquire, first, into the na- ture ; and, secondly, into the quality of this spiritual freedom, that Christ brings with him to his own people. First, For the nature of this freedom. The philosophers have a rule, that is of very good use, for clearing of divine truths ; " Contraries illustrate each other." Freedom will be most clearly, or at least more clearly apparent unto us, by considering the contrary to freedom. The contrary to freedom is bondage ; if we know what the bondage is that Christ speaks of, we shall better know what the freedom is. We will awhile consider what bondage Christ speaks of here, to which he opposeth freedom, as I said before. The bondage he speaks of, is a bondage under sin. Let us briefly consider what this is. This stands in these two things. First, An obligation unto, and under the curse of the law, hy reason of its transgression. And, secondly, In the privation of all comfort and content- ment, by reason of the same transgression. First, I say, an obligation unto, and under the curse of the law, by reason of transgressing it, that is the first part of bondage under sin. A person is then properly and truly under bondage, when by reason of his transgression, he can make no escape from under the curse of the law, but must lie down to it, and be under the torment of it, as a bond-slave, even as a slave in the Turks gallies; though this man in his slavery, works ever so hard; (for of that he shall not want, work enough he shall have) yet, it at any time he shall chance to slip or fall, whether it be through omission, or through mere infirmity and weakness, and want of strength j all his hard labour is nothing at all considered ; but, NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 125 when he fails in that insupportable bondage and task, he hath his stripes and blows. This, I say, is the true state of bondage, when there is cruelty and rigour, without any regard to the impossibility to go under the task ; the load and blows are laid on with weight ; no crying, no promises, no excuses, no pleas, though ever so reasonable, can be heard ; but, as there is a fault committed, there must be stripes inflicted. So it is with a person in spiritual bondage ; a man is then under the curse of the law, by reason of his trans- gression, when doing what he can, (suppose as it should be) yet, if he fail but in one thing, that which he doth, is not regarded nor considered; neither is his ability to do no more, taken no- tice of ; but, still as he slips, so the law lays on stripes. There are two things, mainly to be considered, that do mightily embitter the condition of a bondman, who is under the curse of the law, because of his transgression. The first is this. The threatenings and menacings of the curse, incessantly following one upon the neck of another, with loud out-cries of bitterness against this soul transgressing. It is with a person in bondage to sin, under the curse of the law for it, as it was with Job in respect of the afflictions that were upon him : one comes and brings him word his oxen were taken away ; he had no sooner done but another comes and tells him his sheep were lost; and, no sooner had he delivered his message, but another comes and tells him his camels were stolen ; and no sooner had he done, but one comes and tells him his sons and daughters were slain ; so one after another the messengers came thick upon him. It is just so with persons in bondage under the law ; it comes and threatens this curse ; then it comes and threatens a second ; and, no sooner is that ended, but it comes and threatens a third, crying out continually, Cursed, cursed, cursed, cursed. If the ears of the people were open to hear as much as the law speaks, they would hear nothing else but a peal of curses belonging to him that is under it. As for instance, a man under the bondage of the law for sin, can hear nothing but this, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." Beloved, there is no man, but in some respect or other, every act that he doth, hath some infirmity and failing in it ; and, in that regard, the law speaks, " Cursed art thou, for thou hast not continued in 126 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY all things that are written in the law to do them." Thou canst no sooner pass from this act to another, but as soon as tHou Aost perform that second act, for the failings in it, the law cries. Cursed ao-ain ; " Cursed art thou, for thou hast not continued in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them," As look into Rom. ii. there is a continued pealing out the law to those that are in bondage under it; " Tribulation and anguish and wrath, to every soul that doth evil ;" saving, that in Rom. iii. 19, the apostle tells us, this cursedness, this tribulation, and anguish, is pronounced by the law only upon them that are under it ; so then, it is questionless, that to them that are under it, tribulation, and anguish, and wrath, and vengeance, do belong. Now it is a kind of death, a very torment to be under such continual menaces ; to hear nothing but execrations ; to hear nothing but curses and bitterness, nothing but indignation and wrath ; Oh ! what a hell is it upon earth, for a soul to receive this sentence ! What a bitterness is it for a malefactor, that stands at the tribunal, to hear a judge, it may be, making a speech of two hours long to him, only reciting the extremity of the torment he shall endure, for the crimes he hath committed ! Every repetition or addition of torment, denounced and sentenced, is a kind of fiery dart, striking fresh and fresh, to the wounding of the heart. Whoever they are that are under the curse of the law, by reason of sin, there is no voice speaks, or can be heard, by them, for the loudness of that voice, Cursed, cursed, cursed, every moment, every hour ; nothing in the world but cursed. Beloved, let me tell you, this concerns not only persons that live in all manner of licentiousness, as drunkenness, whoredom, the profanation of the sabbath in the grossest measure ; but, that I may speak plainly, this extends in a parallel line with them, to the exactest, strictest, precisest person in their conversation, though the world is not able to say (as men use to say) to them, black is thine eye ; nay, though thou seem to be spiritual in all thy performances ; nay, and largely too, yet if thou be under the law, in thy transgression, thou shalt hear from it, as many curses pronounced against thee, as all the profane wretches under heaven ; the greatness of thy honesty and uprightness, whether in religion, or in matters of commerce and dealings with men, thy bonest conversation, I say, hath the loud peals of curses sounding NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 12? in fby ears. Suppose thou art a man ailigently attending the gates ot* the house of God, given much to prayer, fasting, mourn- ing, and weeping ; yea, to great liberality, givest all thy goods to the poor, &c. Yet, I say, for all this thou mayest be under the curse of the law ; that will pick a quarrel in the best of these performances : it will say, thus and thus, in this and that thou hast " not continued in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them ;" concerning this, thou art under the curse of it as well as another. Secondly, There are not only menacings and threatenings as a fearful knell in thine ears from the law, while thou art in bond- age under it ; but also there is no more with it than a word and a blow. The Lord doth not deal with men in this case, as he deals with his own people, holding his rod before them to give them warning for an escape ; but presently upon the transgres- sion, the threatening is put in execution speedily without mercy, laying on the back of the transgressor, terrifying and racking the soul! Oh, the soul that is awakened, that hears the menaces, and feels the scourges of the law ! Oh, what torments and anguish, what tribulation and bitterness must continually affright it ! This, 1 say, is the commission of the law, to spare neither high nor low, rich or poor — nay, I will go further, holy or unholy, in respect of the practice of holiness, can exempt himself from the curse of it. It is true, as the apostle saith, the law speaks life : " Do this and live ;" but poor comfort is it, because it first requires such doings as are impossible to be attained ; just as if a man should be condemned to die at a bar, with this promise : Take all England, and remove it, upon thy shoulders, into the West Indies, and then thou shalt be saved from this death *." The iudge had as good say nothing, for the thing is impossible to be done. The law, indeed, says, " Do this and live ;" but where is the man that can do it, by continuing in all things without fail- ing in one tittle thereof? He that continueth in the whole law, * Mr. Anthony Burgess, in his Vindicias Legis, p. 14, represents this passage as a decrying of the law ; but what decrying of the law is this, to observe the true nature and language of it, requiring that which it is impossible for fallen man to do : he him- 8"lf instances in the gospel, by way of reply, bidding a man believe a thing impossible to man's power, he observes ; and is not this as much a decrying of the gospel? In- deed, there is this difTerence, the gospel not only encourages to believe, but it is often accompanied with the power of God, enabling men to believe, whereas the law is never attended with such power as to enable men to fulfil it ; but this, he says, it extraneous to the matter in hand ; but wherein it is so, is not said. See Lancastert Vindication of the Gospel, &c., p. 215. 128 . CHRISTIAN LIBERTY and fells but in one point, is guilty of all ; therefore, till you come to that perfection of fulfilling it, that you fail not in one tittle, never dream of the life that it holdeth out to you. If you have failed in one point, all you have done is ravelled out unto the end again; all your labour is lost; you are as much under* the curse as if you had done nothing at all. Yet further, beloved, the bondage under the law not only stands in the cursings of it, and in the presence of all evil thereby, but also in the privation of all comfort, that men might have under this torment : I say, a privation of all comfort ; for there is not a word, not a tittle of comfort for the refreshment of a person under the law, not a tittle of comfort in all the law, from first to last, li is true, there was comfort intermingled in the promul- gation of it, but the comfort is not from that properly so consi- dered. As it contains in it a curse to the disobedient, there is no comfort to any man that is under it, in respect of the curse of it : I say, the law is to such persons (as Micaiah was to Ahab) never speaking a word of good to them. But this is not all, for though the law be never so rigid of itself, if it would allow and suffer others to -speak a word of comfOrt, there were some good thino- in it ; but it keeps under, and shuts up, that there cannot be a word of comfort heard from any other, Gal. iii. 23. There you shall find that the law is not only a terror of itself to those that are under it, but it is a most rigid, severe keeper, that there can- not come in the least glimmerings of light, and comfort else- where ; for (saith the apostle there, of persons being under the law) they are shut up unto, or until the faith ; for he calls the law a school-master until Christ ; so that Christ himself hath not a word of comfort for them while they are under the law f- : when Christ speaks any thing, presently saith the law, this is not to you; this is for others that are exempted from my government, • Rom. iii. 19. + Mr. Burgess, in his Vindiciaj Legis, p. 14, cavils at this passage. He observes, that by the law, in Gal. iii. 23, is meant the scripture in general ; which, if so, is true of the law in particular ; though not the whole scripture, but the law part of it must certainly be intended, since part of the scripture, at least, is written for comfort : he urges, that the apostle is speaking of the form of Moses's regimen, and of the fathers having no comfort by that means. Be it so : the same holds good of all other persons that are under the same spirit of bondage to the law ; he suggests that the Doctor m representing the law as such a rigid keeper, that it will let none speak comfort to a man, excludes a mediator ; it is certain that it does not direct to any, and whilst the soul is under the power of it, it will not suffer it to receive any comfort from Christ the mediator, or from his gospel, until this breaks in through the power of divine grace upon him, and delivers him from the bondage of the law. See Lancaster, *tt rupra, p. 216, &e. NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 129 from my dominion ; there is notliing of all this for yaii, you have nothing to do with it. I say, this is the condition of men that are kept under this bitterness of the law, that as they transgress, the curse of it is their prison : persons kept in this estate, how do they put off the comforts of Christ from them ? There is none of them belongs to me, saith such a soul ; I have sinned, and all the judgments of Christ are pronounced against me, T must die. So long as you continue in this estate, the curses of the law are as frequently pronounced against you, as there are transgressions in you. There will not be one comfort of Jesus Christ to give refreshment to your spirits; but so long as you still remain in this estate, that you will conclude you are under the curse, because of your transgressions, you will forsake all the mercies of the gospel. This is, then, to be in bondage under the law; namely, for a man so to have it tyrannize and domineer over him, as to make him believe that as often as he transgresses, he must expect the sentence of the curse of it to be fulfilled upon him. Thirdly, They that are in bondage under the law l)ecause of sin, as they are subject to this misery, in respect of the privation of comfort; so the law, it is true, asks work enough, more than any man under heaven can now perform ; but will provide nothing • in the world, wherewith to have things dane. It requires the full tale of brick, but it gives no straw ; it puts into no way where help may be had; it suffers no help to come in. Let me tell you, you that are under the curse of the law, that is, have still the law telling you that as you do fail, so you must have the curse ; you shall find that when you do the will of God, it will exact the whole — the utmost tale of brick of you, and will give no help at all, though never so weak, and unable. Get it as you can, do what you will, when th^day is done, the law requires that there be not a brick short. If you fail the least that can be in it, it is no matter, able or not able, you must have the lash, as well as those that have the greatest abilities in the world. It is a hard condi- tion : I have opened it the more largely, that you mav the better see the glory and happiness of that freedom Christ hath purchased for his people. I will in a word give you a touch, who the persons are that are in this bondage; and then I will come to set forth the freedom itself ; and, I hope it will not be tedious to hear of the K 130' CHRISTIAN LIBERTY freedom, wlien you have heard of the extreme bitterness of thit bondage. Who are under this bondage ? I answer, as I said before, Wlioever you are, that will apply still to yourselves, the sentence and curse of the law, because of transgression ; you that be still arguing and pleading, if I trans- gress, it is but justice, and 1 must expect to feel the smart of the rod. I say, you that will still maintain and establish the curse, as a necessary attendant upon transgression and disobedience, and take this to be your condition and your portion, you are the men that are under the law — that are under the curse of it. I know, although you may think to wind yourselves out of the ex- ti'emity of the curse, or from the rod of the law, by your strict- ness and exactness, and grow up to perfection in your obedience; yet all your perfection of obedience shall not be able to except you from the lash, till you have attained to such, that hath not one iot or tittle of failing or deviation at all ; for if you fall in one tittle, you are gone for ever; for the law, as it attends great faults, so it attends little failings too; and, if you give it power over you, when you commit great sins, it will take power to itself, to whip, to curse you for small sins too. I will come to discover what the freedom is, from the bondage Christ speaks of here ; I say, this freedom is from all this bond- asfe under sin and the law. First, Christ exempts men and dis- charges them, and acquits them from all the menaces, and threatenings, and all the bitter language that the law pronounces against the transgressors of it. Mark well what I say. Every person made free by Christ, is freed and exempted, that the law cannot, must not pronounce one curse against him : there is not one of all the curses in it, that belongs to such a man that is made free by Christ. This seems strange, #at the law should not dare to pronounce the curse, where sin is committed ; but not so strange as true ; the freemen of Christ, when they trans- gress the law, as in all things they sin, yet when they sin, there is no curse, no menaces, no threatenings of the law to be exe- cuted upon them : should I come to instance, peradventure I should give offence to some ; I would not willingly give offence to any ; but the truth, as it is in Jesus, must not be concealed for fear of the anger of those that are enemies unto Christ : let nie therefore tell you, suppose a member of Christ, a free-man of his NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINB. ISl should happen to fall, not only by a falling or a slip ; but also by a gross failing, a heavy failing ; nay, a scandalous falling into sin* ; Christ making a person free, disannuls, frustrates, and makes void every cursef and sentence that is in the lavi^, that is against such a transgressor ; that this member of Christ is no more under the curse when he hath transgressed;|;, than he was before he transgressed. Thus I say, Christ has conveyed him beyond the reach of the curse ; it concerns him no more than if he had not transgressed. For the illustration of this I beseech you to consider one thing, it is familiar to you, and the case is the same with Christ's free-men; suppose there are two men, equally guilty of felony and murder, both of them come to their arraignment ; one of them hath his discharge or pardon from the king, having received satisfaction in his behalf; the other hatli eceived no discharge at all. The judge goes on to pronounce he sentence according to the law ; thou shalt go from hence to the place from whence thou camest, and from thence to the place of execution there to be hanged : now mark, these are two men equal in transgression ; and therefore in themselves equally deserving the same sentence of execution ; when the judge pro- nounces the justice of the law upon the one transgressor, he hath not his discharge, he lies under the sentence ; but the other hath his discharge§, and therefore the judge speaks not a word of this sentence to him ; I say again, the judge dares not speak a word of this sort to him ; and when the man that is pardoned hears the sentence, he may hear it as the doom of his fellow; but he hears nothing of it concerning himself; so it is with the free-man of Christ, he may fall into the same sin that a reprobate falls into, (as Noah was once drunk, David did once commit adultery and murder) but as this man is the free-man of Christ, the curse cannot attack him: though the law say to the reprobate, that hath not freedom by Christ, thou shalt certainly be damned for * Throu'^h ignorance, weakness of the flesh, and the power of Satan's temptations. t Gal. iii. 13. I Sin often separates between God and his own people, with respect to communion, but never with respect to union to him or interest in him ; for he knew what they would be when he set his love upon them : his love broke through all the corruption* of nature and sins of life in their conversion ; and appears to continue the same from the strong expressions of his grace to them, notwithstanding all their backslidings. Now this does not suppose that God loves sin, nor does it give any encouragement to it ; for though it cannot separate from interest in God, yet it often does from the ?n- joynncnt of him. § John viii. 36. Rom. viii, 1, and x. ^. k2 133' CHRISTIANT LIBKRTV this ; yet the law cannot say one word of this to him that i5 a free-man, though he connnit tlie same fault, and be guilty of the same punishment ; and the ground of all this is, that Christ hath made him free* from it. Therefore, let me tell you in a word; if you be free-men of Christ, you may esteem all the curses of the law, as no more concerning you, than the laws ot England concern Spain, or the laws of Turkey an Englishman, with whom they have nothing to dof. I do not say the law is absolutely abolished, but it is abolished in respect of the curse of it, to every person that is a free-man of Christ ; so though such a man sin, the law hath no more to say to him than if he had not sinned. Beloved, Christ is a sanctuary, he is a privileged place to every one of his free-men ; the law is not abl'e to serve, or rather it is disabled from serving a writ ad capiendum, upon the person that is walking in Christ, and keeps himself within those bounds ; " He that continues in my word is my disciple, and the truth shall make him free." If you abide in Christ, and keep in Christ, no serjeant of the law dares come in to serve a writ ; no accusation of the law can come in against you. Look what the apostle triumphing saith, Rom. viii. 33, 34, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth, who shall condemn ? it is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again." Mark well I pray you, Paul doth not say, that the elect never transgress ; he confesses that there is transgression : but that which he triumphs in is, that though they transgress, there is nothing to be laid to their charge ; no curse can come against them, nor be executed upon them ; there is no clapping them in gaol for their transgression. Secondly, The free-man of Christ, as he is exempted from the curse and rod of the law, that is become a muzzle-chapt dog, he may pass and repass without the least snap — without the least bite of it ; yea, though he fall;|!, yet it cannot come at him to hurt * Rom. viii. 2. •)■ This passage is most grossly misrepresented by Mr. Burgess, in his Vindiciie Legis, p. l."}, who quotes it thus, " A man under grace, hath no more to do with the law than an Englishman hath with the laws of Spain or Turkey ;" whereas the Doctor's words and sense arc, that Christ's free-men should esteem the curses of the law, (not the law itself) as no more concerning them, than the laws of England concern Spain, or those of Turkey an Englishman; and to preve t any mistake, lest it should be thought that they have nothin;; to do with the law in any sense, being freed from the curses of it, ha adds the words that follow, which most clearly shew, that he meant not an aboli- tion of the law in all respects, but in respect of the curse of it, and that to Chiiat'j 'ree-njen oul/. + Micali vii. 8. NO LICKNTIOUS DOCTRINE. 183 him. So, in the second place, the Iree-man of Christ is let loose to enjoy the free Spirit, as David calls it, in Psalm li., or tlie comforting Spirit, as Christ calls it, in John xiv. 26. I say, this freedom consists in this, to have free society, and free discourse, with the free Spirit of God, so that the free-man of Christ may hear all the gracious language provided in the rich thoughts of God for him : he may hear, and that with application to him- self, that his iniquities are blotted out as a cloud ; that God will remember his sins no more; that they are cast into the bottom of the sea ; they are laid all upon Christ ; that the Lamb of God took them all away ; that the blood of Christ cleanseth him from all sins. It is a marvellous freedom indeed, to have this participa- tion of communion with this free Spirit of Christ, to hear such comfortable language, to raise up a drooping spirit, to satisfy a lang-uishmg soul. Thirdly, The free-man of Christ nath this freedom, that Christ doth all his work for him. as well as in him. He that is in bond- age under the law, as I told you before, must do every thing him- self, and that he doth, he must do perfectly ; that is an insupport- able thing, and heavy bondage, for a man to have more laid upon hini' than his strength is able to bear. The free-man of Christ, considering that he is weak, poor, and unable to work, Christ doth all his work for him. In Isa. xxvi. 12, the Holy Ghost tells us, he hath done all our works in us ; and in the margin the words are rendered, he hath done all our works for us. But, look in Rom. v. 19, you will plainly see this freedom of the free- men of Christ, that they stand righteous in the sight of God, by that which he hath done for them. Christ hath so- wrought for them, that they are as righteous, as if they had done all in their own persons: -'As by the disobedience ot one, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many are made righteous." Look here, and you shall see that Christ doth all the work for his freemen, that they should do for themselves ; as if a man were commanded to bring in a thousand bricks by such a day, or else to have the strapado ; another man brings in all his bricks fop him, while he doth not one for himself. What the other man doth for him is accepted as a full tale, even for this man, thou<>-h he doth nothing himself. Even so it is with the free-men of Christ, he doth all for them thtit God requires of them to be done; and the righteousness of Christ stands in that manner 134 CHRISTIAN LIBERTY theirs, as iP they had done it themselves: " For by the obedience of one many are made righteous," not by obedience in their own persons, but by the obedience of one man, Christ; even by tho obedience of him alone, we stand thus righteous before God. But some will say, By this it seems we take away all endea- vours and employment from believers, the free-men of Christ. Doth Christ do every thing for them ? Do they stand righteous before God, in respect of what he hath done for them ? Then they may sit still : they may do what they list. I answer, Will you deny this, that we are righteous with God, and that we are righteous with God by the righteousness ot Christ ? Or is it by our own righteousness ? Then mark what the apostle saith, Rom. x. 3, 4, " They (saith he, speaking of the Jews), going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that be- lieveth." Either you must disclaim Christ's righteousness, or you must disclaim your own ; for, if the gift of God " be of grace, then it is not of works, else work is no more work; and, if it be of works, it is no more of grace, otherwise grace is no more grace," Rom. xi. 6. But you will say further to me (for, except a man be a mere Papist, I am sure he cannot deny but that the righteousness by which I stand righteous before God, is the righteousness Christ doth for me, and not that I do for myself), you will ask me, I say. Doth not this take off all manner of obedience and all manner of holiness 1 I answer, and thus much I say. It takes them off from those ends which they aim at in their obedience : namely. The end for which Christ's obedience served : as much as to say. Our stand- ing righteousness, by what Christ hath done for us, concerns us in point ofjustification, consolation, and salvation. We have our justification, our peace, our salvation, only by the righteousness Christ hath done for us : but this doth not take away our obe- dience, nor our services, in respect of those ends for which such are now required of believers. We have yet several ends for duties and obedience, namely. That they may glorify God, and evidence our thankfulness, that they may be profitable to men,, that they may be ordinances wherein to meet with God, to make good what ho hath promised. So far we are called out to ser- NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 135 vices, and walking uprightly, sincerely, exactly, and strictly, according to the good pleasure of God ; and, in regard ot such ends, there is a gTacious freedom that the free-men of Christ have by him ; that is, so far forth as services and obediences are ex- pected at the free-man's hand, for the ends that I have named, there is Christ, by his Spirit, present with those that are free- men, to help them in all such kind of services, so that " they be- come strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," to do the will of God. Mark what the apostle speaks: " I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Of myself (saith he) I am able to do nothing ; but with Christ, and through him that strengthens me, I am able to do all things." He that is Christ's free-man hath always the strength of Christ present, an- swerable to that weight and burthen of employment God calls him forth unto. " My grace (saith Christ) shall be sufficient for thee, and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness." As you are free-men of Christ, you may confidently rest upon it, that he " will never fail you, nor forsake you," when he calls you forth into employments. But you that are under the law, there is much required of you, and imposed upon you, but no help to be expected. You must do all by your own strength ; the whole tale of brick shall be exacted of you, but no straw shall be given you. But you, that are free-men of Christ, he will help you: he will oil your wheels, fill your sails, and carry you upon eagles' wings, that you shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint. So, then, the free-men of Christ, having him and his Spirit for their life and strength, may go infinitely beyond the exactest legalist in the world, in more cheerful obedience than they can perform. He that walks in his own strength can never steer his business so well and so quickly, as he that hath the arms, the strength, and the principles of the great God of heaven and earth ; as he that hath this great Supporter, this wise Director, this mighty Assister, to be continually by him. There is no burthen, you shall bear, but, by this freedom you have him to put his own shoulder to it to bear it up. It is wonderful to consider, that Christ should groan under the burthen laid upon him by his Father, when he cried out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" And yet Paul and Silas should sing for joy, when their bodies were co- vered with gore-blood by reason of stripes : how comes th'S io 136' CHRISTIAN LIBERTY pass, was Paul stronger than Christ ? If not, why was he so joyful, and Christ so sad ? God withdrew himself from Christ, and therefore, he saith, " My God, my God, why hast thou for- saken me?" But the strength of Christ was present with Paul, that this very imprisonment was a palace and recreation to him ; Christ bare all the burthens for him. Oh ! were you but the free-men of Christ, and did you but know it, every affliction Avould be but a' flea-biting ; for he would bear all your duties and burthens for you ; he would stand under the greatest weight that can be laid upon you, and bear it oif your backs ; the greatest burthen should never make you stoop, because there is a sufficient strength to bear it up. There may be a heavy bur- then laid upon the back of a child, and yet it may with ease ^go under it ; because there is a greater strength that bears it up, it doth not lie upon the child. So long as Christ bears up your weight, it shall be easy to you. You know there is a ceremony in use among us, for men to carry the corpse of their friends to the grave ; for fashion's sake they go under the corpse ; but there are bearers appointed that bear all the weight upon their shoul- ders : so Christ beare all for his free-men ; and this is the free- dom men have by him, that if they are to bear any burthens, he comes and bears all for them ; and they go as easily under them-, as if they had none upon them at all. You shall find the free-men of Christ, that they have also the constant attendaiice of the free Spirit of Christ waiting upon them. When Christ hath made any man free, he sends his Spirit from heaven, first to acquaint the soul with all that he hath done for him ; and not to bring good news and be gone again ; but, after the good news is brought, he waits and attends upon this free-man in all his journeys and travels to those man- sions that Christ hath prepared for him ; that so in the way, if he should faint, he would refresh him with the water of life to fetch it again ; and, in case it grows weak and fails, the Spirit attends to administer cordials, to revive, and to renew the strength of this man again that thus fails ; and, in case it grow weary, the Spirit is sent to take it up into his arms, into his bosom ; in case the way is tedious, the Spirit is sent to take off the tediousness of the way with sweet discourse, telling him. what things are laid up in fulness of pleasures and glory, telling laim what welcome there will be at his coming home; when there NO LICENTIOUS DOCTRINE. 131 are many byeways in his way, that there may be no going out of the way, he will direct him, and lead him by the hand, and nevei* leave him, till he hath delivered him up into the hands of Christ, and carried him unto mansions in glory*. Lastly, In a word, to speak of that. Who these free-men of Christ are. No man knows them, but only those that Christ takes out of bondage. Time will not give me leave to be large here ; would you have any means how you may come to be the free-men of Christ? know this, that there is no consideration in the business of Christ, for the making of men free, but only their bondage in which they are. The sum is tliis, beloved, in brief, Christ doth not look that you should come forth and meet him, to mediate, or intercede, or beg, or bring a price in your hands, that you may be his free-men ; but he looks upon per- sons as they are bound up, as helpless, as unable to will or do any thing; and, for his own compassion's sake, he takes up these, when they little dream, or think they ever shall be set at liberty. But, you will say, all shall not be freed that are in bondage : how shall I then know, that I am one of the number of Christ's free-men ? I answer, " He that believeth shall be saved :" if the Lord give but to thy spirit, now truly to believe, thou art the very man for whom Christ was sent to proclaim liberty ; I say, if thou canst believe and roll thyself upon him, cleave to him, and say, " I will not let thee go ;" this is security enough ; Christ was sent to deliver thee : " He that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast him out." I beseech you, consider, (the Lord God, in the abundant riches of his grace, give closing spirits to some of you at this time,) You think there must be a great deal of pains, by your endeavours, and on your parts, to have this free- dom ; but Christ doth not look for your pains ; he came to save those that could not tell which way to turn themselves. And if the Scripture be true, (as most certainly it is) if thou believest he is thine, if thou believe with all thy heart, thy sins are for- given thee ; (though the very believing itself doth not f infeoffe you in this freedom) but, if you would know, whether you havs • Psalm xlviii. 14. and Ixxiii. 24. + Intitle to it, interest in it, or invest with it. 138 men's own righteousness any part in this freedom or not, believing in the Lord Christ is a sufficient manifestation. Do but catch hold of him, to have thy deliverance by him, he must forsake himself, and deny hi s truth, if he cast or throw thee off. SERMON IX. men's own righteousness their grand idol. ROMANS X. 3. FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOd's RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOING ABOUT TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, HATE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. Provident and well-wishing pilots, observing the rocks on which many ignorant and heedless passengers have split and sunk, and where they themselves have escaped but narrowly, use to set up sea-marks as cautions or warnings to such as shall come after, that by other men's harms they may learn to be wary. It is the apostle's very practice in this place ; in the former part of this epistle, and especially in chap. ix. he mightily contends for the free grace of God unto peace, life, and salvation, without works : " The children being yet unborn, having done neither good nor evil, but that the purpose of God might stand according to election, not of works, but of grace; it was said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated: he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens :" I say, this is the main doctrine that he preacheth, from the beginning of the epistle, to the closure of chap ix. Then he comes upon the Jews with an argument to their re- proach : " The Gentiles that followed not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness, when they themselves that did follow after righteousness could not attain it :" and he gives the reason why they that pressed so hard after it could not attain it ; " Because they sought it not by faith, but, as it were, by the THEIR GRAND IDOL. 139 works of the law." Why, what hurt was there in that, will some say ? The apostle answereth, that hereby " they stumbled at that stumbling-block, as it is written; I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence :" This it seems was the rock of offence ; they would have their righteousness set up to do them good, and this they sought as it were by the works of the law. But some men might think that the apostle had a bitterness of spirit, or some malice against his own brethren, and that this was but the fruit of it ; therefore in the beginning of this chapter, he clears himself from any such base ends in his ministry : for his part he wishes with all his heart, it may be well with them ; " My heart's desire, and prayer for Israel is, that they may be saved ;'* nay, so far as he may speak well of them, and the most he can say, he will; and he will not conceal any thing: in verse 2, he confesses, nay he bears witness to it, that " they had a zeal of God ;" but yet he must not dissemble, he must deal friendly, though ever so plainly ; though they had a zeal of God, " Yet it was not according to knowledge." And because he had taxed them with ignorance, here in the text ; he discovers what this ignorance of theirs was ; and what the fearful and desperate fruits of it were ; that whereof they were ignorant, was " God's righteousness, being ignorant of the righteousness of God ;" the fruit of it is twofold, both very bitter, the one immediately issuing from the other. Fii'st, This ignorance of God's righteousness put them upon a fearful mistake : " They go about, (upon this,) to establish their own righteousness." Secondly, And that mistake put them upon another as bad as that, if not worse ; therefore they submitted not to the righteous- ness of God. The proposition the words afford us, is briefly this, (for we will sum up the whole verse into one head) namely ; " That ig- norance of God's righteousness puts men upon these two dan- gerous mischiefs, an establishing of their own righteousness, and not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God." Men will establish their own righteousness ; they will not sub- mit to the righteousness of God, while they are ignorant of it. Beloved, they were not so easily misled, as we are apt to follow them, having gone before us; we are like sheep leaping without 140 men's own righteousnkss looking, if any leap before us ; it hath been the rock of offeiire a stumbling-stone from the beginning to this day, and will be to the end of the world ; there will be an establishing of our own rio-hteousness, without submitting to the righteousness of God, while there is an ignorance of this righteousness. Now, tliat we may take warning, and so escape the danger, tliat they have felt the smart of already, it will be requisite wo take into consideration. First, What this righteousness of theirs and ours is, that they did, and we are apt to go about to establish. Secondly, What it is to go about to establish this our righ- teousness. Thirdly, What this righteousness of God is that they did not j'ubmit unto. Fourthly, What it is, not to submit unto this righteousness of God. Fifthly, What this ignorance is, from whence both these fear- ful evils issue, the establishing of our own righteousness, and not submitting to the righteousness of God. And, Lastly, What the issue in the end will prove. Of these, or as many of these as the time will permit in their order. To begin with the first, What is that righteousness of theirs and ours, that the apostle complains of, that being established, is a rock of offence ? I am not ignorant, that the eyes of some persons are only, or most, upon a righteousness of man's own devising and contriv- ing ; such a righteousness as never came into God's thoughts ; a righteousness according to the precepts and traditions of men ; such a righteousness as our Saviour, in Matt. xv. 9, taxeth the Pharisees withal, who " Taught for doctrines the traditions of men ;" and by their own traditions, as much as in them la}', made void the commandments of God ; this kind of righteousness in our time proceeds from the presumption of men, that dare put any thing of their own, without warrant and commission from God, into the worship and service of God ; charging things upon men as duties of religion, that God binds not men unto : for my own part, I am clear of the mind, that this kind of righteousness is far from the righteousness of God, the apostle here sjDeaks of; and that it is the highest presumption that a man can possibly take upon himself, to set himself so in the place of God, as not THEIR GRAND IDOL. ..41 only, not to command from him, but also to command without and against him : law-givers hold themselves then most disparaged and contemned, when any inferior will take upon him to make faws without them, or against them. It will lie heavy when it shall once come to an account, not only upon the actors, but also upon those that may be the redressers, if this kind of righteous- ness established by some be not brought down, and laid in the dust. But, under favour, I conceive that the apostle aims at a more sublime righteousness, than the righteousness in the precepts of men ; he speaks of such a righteousness, which some it may be are too forward to establish, who yet abhor to establish the other, we have now spoken of: the righteousness the apostle complains of being established, is not the righteousness of man's making, but of God's own making, a righteousness according to his own -will; I mean a righteousness consisting in obedience to the ■things that God himself hath commanded unto men ; a righteous- ness which is a walking in all the commandments of God, though it be in a way of blamelessness ; this very righteousness, I say, is that, which being established, proves a stumbling-stone, and a Tack of offence to all that shall establish it. This may seem harsh, beloved, at first, but I shall make it clear to you from the apostle's own interpretation of himself, who best knew his own mind: that this is the righteousness he here speaks of, mark but the words immediately following the text, chap. X. 4, " For, (saith he,) Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth ;" to what purpose doth he bring this passage, that Christ is the end of the law ; but that by these words he might confute their vanity, who think to es- tablish their own righteousness in the fulfilling of the law ? As if he should say, you think by your keeping the law, by your righteousness you perform, you can attain to the end of it, that so you may obtain the grace and goodness of the Lord ; but it is in vain, it is not you that can reach the end of the law ; neither doth God aim at it that you should reach it, but he hath consti- tuted and ordained Christ to be the end of it. Therefore the righteousness of God must be the righteousness of Christ ; the righteousness that God aims at is perfect, a righteousness that reaches to the very end of the law ; your righteousness can never •«ac]j to the end of it : it is Christ's alone tho,t doth it. 142 MEN'S OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS And yet again, in verse 5, the apostle clears more fully what he means by our righteousness, for there he begins to make the dis- tinction between our righteousness, and the righteousness of God, explaining what they both are : Moses, saith he, describing the rio-hteousness of the law, saith thus, (that which he calls our own righteousness, in verse 4, from Moses, he calls the righteousness of the law, in verse 5,) " He that doth those things shall even live in them :" and if you will look into Levit xviii. 5, you shall there see what the righteousness of the law is, which the apostle speaks of in this place : and if you observe but the margin of your bible, you shall find this very text, in verse 5, is wisely re- ferred to that of Leviticus, " You shall keep my statutes, and do my judgments ; which if a man do, he shall even live in them," See, the apostle makes use of the very phrase, " he that doth them shall live through them, and in them." It is the righteousness of the law, saith he ; it is the keeping of God's statutes, and doing of God's judgments, saith Moses, By this, you may see what righteousness it is, that the Lord by the apos- tle speaks of ; a righteousness that consists in doing the statutes and judgments of the Lord. And if you will but consider in Luke xviii. 11, 12, the condi- tion of the pharisee, Christ speaks of, who went up into the temple to pray as the publican did ; in him you shall see, I say, and easily perceive, what the righteousness was, that they went about to establish ; for there the pharisee justifies himself in respect of many particular branches of the law : " I thank thee, (saith he) I am not as other men are, an extortioner, unjust, an adulterer, nor as this publican : I fast twice in the week, I pay tithes of all that I possess. Mark it well, I pray, see what it is that he pleads for, as that which must prevail with God for good to him; it is his own righteousness; and what is that ? It is a righteousness according to the law ; it is a righteousness of piety, of justice ; " I fast twice in the week, I am no extortioner, nor unjust person, nor adulterer," &c. Now hear Christ's answer concerning this pharisee ; you shall see what he thinks of this righteousness he speaks of; " The publican went away rather justified than he ;" and the reason is, because he did go in the strength of this righteousness of his, to speed with God; his ex- pectation was from this : it was not a righteousness of his own de- vising and contriving ; but a righteousness according to God's law. THEIR GRAND IDOL. 143 If you look further into Philip, iii. you shall find, the apostle speaks fully to the case in hand, instancing in himself, in verse 5, 6, 7, where he gives an account of his estate, in which he was before the time of his conversion. First, he saith; he had a zeal for God, and that put him on so hot, that he persecuted the church of God, merely out of ignorance ; for, saith he of himself, " I did it ignorantly :" and " concerning the righteousness of the law (saith he) I was blameless ;" mark that passage well ; as all this was before conversion ; afterwards he tells us, this was in the time of his ignorance, wherein he made full account that this righteousness of his was his gain ; but, saith he, " what was gain to me, I accounted loss ; yea, and I suffer the loss of all things, that I may be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness, which is by the law." By all these passages, I say, put together, wherein the apostle so fully expounds him- self, it plainly appears, that the righteousness of the law, the establishing whereof, he here taxeth, as a dangerous mistake, and a fruit of ignorance, is that, wherein men walk according to God's own law blamelessly. I am not ignorant, beloved, how this assertion goeth under the foul blur of Antinomianism, that blameless walking accord- ing to the law, being established, is a fruit of ignorance, and a cause of men's not " submitting to the righteousness of God." And no marvel it goes for such now ; for, in the apostle's tijne it was accounted so ; nay, it was objected against the apostle himself as direct Antinomianism : and, therefore, he was en- forced to vindicate himself thus, " Do we make void the law, (saith he) through faith ? God forbid !" He takes away the objection they put to him, upon his establishing of God's righte- ousness, and his overthrowing our righteousness. It was ob- jected, that hereby he went about to make void the law ; and, therefore, it is no marvel it holds still as an objection, that the maintaining of this principle is the overthrowing of the law. But, beloved, I must say to you, as the apostle did in the same case, " God forbid! yea, we establish the law," that is to say, in its right place. It takes men off from performing duties to corrupt ends, and from the bad use they are apt to make of them, namely, idolizing their own righteousness. And, therefore, he doth not condemn the use of the' law, and our righteousness, simply : that which he speaks against here, is the establishing of 144 men's own righteousness our righteousness. Our own righteousness is good in its kino, and for its own proper uses ; but then it proves a fruit of sin, ignorance, and a dangerous stumbling-block, and an idol, when we ffo about to establish it. I come, therefore, to the second thing, which is to clear this truth more fully, namely. What it is to establish this righteous- ness ; or what establishing the apostle drives at in this place ? For the clearing of which, the antithesis, or the opposition, that he sets, will give you a great deal of light to understand his meaning and purpose here, by " going about to establish their own righteousness, and not submitting to the righteousness of God." He speaks here, therefore, of such an establishing of our righteousness, according to the law, as to bring it into the room, and stead, or place of God's righteousness. It is such an estab- lishing of it, as that for it we cannot, nor will not admit, that the righteousness of God should do its office. So far forth, then, as any righteousness of ours encroaches upon the privileges and prerogatives of the righteousness of God, so that that cannot do its own work, or at least must be circumscribed in doing it, by this, so far is there an establishing of our own righteousness, which is a .fruit of ignorance, and is a stumbling-block, and a rock of offence. It will be worth the while, therefore, to consider. When out righteousness is said truly to be established in the room and stead of the righteousness of God. This will be cleared by the consi- deration of the main scope and drift of men, in the performing of the righteousness which they establish. When men put that upon their own righteousness, which should have been put upon God's only ; when men make that the sanctuary and refuge that God's righteousness only should be, then is it set up as a grand idol, and established in the room and place of God's righteousness. To clear the case to you, by some particular instances : it is a thing of great importance, as at all times, so now at this time of eminent danger, the sword being over our heads, and over the whole nation (the Lord having revealed to the spirits of men, by his truth,* that in case of eminent danger, there should be a, great deal of zeal to God) ; that the people of God should be put mightily on, to deal with God in this present extremity and ne- cessity ; but, I am afraid, many have a zeal of Ood^ in this very case, but yet, not according to knowledge ; for that too man.v THEIR GRAND IDOL, 145 (ignorantly and zealously, I confess, yet, 1 say, too many), in this zeal to God, for their own safety and security, too much establish their own righteousness : and, I fear, if there be a miscarriao-e after so many fasting-days, and so much praying and seekino- God, that the fruits will be the establishing of our own rio-hte- ousness, in the room and place of the righteousness of God. As, for example, when sin abounds, whether personally or generally what is the way to get off, or get out of such transgression ? I appeal to your own spirits, you that are spiritual; is not this your «nd, you propound ? To fast, and pray, and mourn it out ; this is that which must bring you a discharge of your sins ; this is that which must bring you tidings that God will be pacified towards you, that God will turn away his anger from you ; if you do but fast spiritually, mourn bitterly, pray zealously with strength of spirit, this is that that shall overcome God. I ask, or I beseech you rather ask your own spirits (I mean still, you that are spiritual), Do not your hearts run out continu- ally this way ? Do they, or do they not? What, then, mean all the complaints of yours upon the defects of your fastings, your humi- liation, self-denial, and the subduing (jf your corruptions? That this is that which pulls down the wrath of God upon us ; is not this common among us, as long as men do not mend, there is no hope that God will ? And, if every man would mend one, this is the way to redress the evil of the times ? Beloved, let me deal plainly and freely with you ; they that put deliverance from sia and wrath, upon the spiritual performances of that righteousness, which the law commands them, they put that righteousness in the room and place of the righteousness of God ; they make it as great an idol as can be ; for they make it to be that which God's righteousness only is. I speak not against the doing of any righteousness according to the will of God revealed. Let that mouth be for ever stopped, that shall be opened to blame the law that is holy, just, and good; or shall be the means to discourage people from walking in the commandments of God blameless *. All that I speak is this. That it will prove a rock of offence Ib the end, if it be not turned from ; namely. That we should expect that our own righteousness should bring down a gracious answer from God to our spirits ; that when we have done our work, in effect, that must prove our mediator and messenger from God; • Ib this Antinomianistn ? Or, can such a preacher be called an Antinoirjan * 1'48' MEN*S OWN WIGHTK0U8NESS and, as that will speak, so will we have peace, or remain in bit- terness of spirit. What can the righteousness of God himself do more than this, to have power with God, to prevail over God for good to us ? Beloved, although some, peradventure, may magnify per- formances done in a spiritual way with attributes and titles even of God's own peculiar ; I mean with attributes of omnipotency and invincibleness ; certainly there is no omnipotency but in God himself, and the righteousness that is God's own ; the best righteousness that ever any man could act, or perform in all his life, is not able to divert the least effect of sins, or wrath, or procure or obtain the least smile of favour from God. You know, that " God is a God of purer eyes, and cannot behold iniquity ;" you know, that iniquity is that which separates be- tween God and a people ; now what is the perfectest righteous- ness which the best man upon earth performs ? Is it not full oi unrighteousness and iniquity ? " All our righteousnesses (saith the prophet Isaiah) are but as filthy rags ;" and, saith the apostle, " I account all as dung that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness," Is there dung and filth in the best of man's righteousness ; and can this righteous- ness have power with God, and prevail over him ? Look upon Christ himself, when he did bear the sins of many, upon his own person ; he himself was deserted and forsaken ol God, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Is Christ forsaken, when the sins of men are upon him, and shall men's persons be accepted and received in respect of such an act of theirs that carries sinfulness in the face of it 1 Nay, that carries an universal leprosy in the nature of it ? Suppose your righteousness were a fulfilling of the whole law of God, if you fail but in one point, that very failing in one point, makes vou guilty of the breach of all the rest ; and, when men stand guilty before God, shall they plead that which is full of guilt, to pro- cure favour, mercy, or grace from him 1 No, no, the sacrifice oi God, which is accepted of him, must be a male lamb, and " a lamb without blemish;" till, therefore, you can purge your righteousness, and separate all iniquity from it, know that all your righteousness in its own nature doth but separate you from God ; so far is it from prevailing with him. Surlily, will some say, the righteousness that is performed ac- THKIH GRAND IDOL. 147 cording to the will of God, pleases him, and moves and melts him, and prevails with him to do this and that good to his people. I answer, Too many people in the world too much stint the will of God, so much spoken of when they speak of a righteous- ness according to it, or a righteousness to do it; what is it ? It is true indeed, righteousness done according to the will of God, infinitely prevails with God ; but shew me the man that eaii perform it, a mere man without Christ ? Shew me a man that €ver did, or ever can do this, acting righteousness according lo the will of God ? " Of myself," saith Paul, " I can do nothing:" *' without me," sakh Christ, " ye can do nothing;" nay, the apos- tle goes further, " How to perform that which is good, I find not," Eom. vii. 18, whilst men conceive that the will of God consists only in the materials of righteousness; peradventure they may think theirs is according to it ; but alas the materials of righteous- ness, are but the least part of the will of God wherewith he is pleased : now to do an act partly with the will of God, and partly against it, is this to do an act according to it ? To do something that God calls for at your hands in some things, and to walk directly contrary to him in others ; is this to do his will ? Sup- pose for the matter, the righteousness you do, be according to the will of God, that you do the thing that he calls for of you ; as for instance, you fast, and pray, and the like ; do you do these things according to the will of God, because the outward act is done ? The will of God extends to the manner of doing, to the disposition of the person that is to do, as well as to the matter : as in Isaiah i. were not "New moons, and sabbaths, and solemn assemblies," God's own ordinances 1 And was not the performance of them materially according to the will of God 1 Yet, nevertheless, God loathed this service of righteousness ; he was weary of it, he could not bear it ; there was sinfulness mixed with it ; " Your hands are full of blood," saith the Lord ; and therefore, though the things were materially according to his will, yet his soul abhorred them, being done amiss. Suppose men go further than simply doing things according to the will of God materially ; they do not only the things, but do them spiritually, with enlargedness of heart and affection ; you fast, and you fast with bitterness of spirit, you eat bitter herbs in fasting; you mourn, and you mourn bitterly for 3'our ^ransgressiouB ; you pray, and pray zealously, in the heat aai l2 148' men's own righteousness fer^ our of your spirits : now if all this be not done in faith, it i abominable ; " without faith, it is impossible to please God ; he that comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a re- warder of them that seek him :" he that hath performed a duty, and expects from that performance, an answer according to his mind, he doth not do it in faith ; for " we must do all we do in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," saith the apostle ; and ' " when we have done all, must say, we are unprofitable servants ;^' and it must be Christ alone that must prevail with the Father for us : all our righteousness will prevail nothing at all with God, nor move him a jot, except it be to pull down wrath : there is not one act of righteousness that a person doth, but when that is finished, there is more transgression belonging to him, than before he had performed it : and there is no composition, there is no buying out of evil by good doings ; the doing of good doth not make a recompence for what sin doth ; we pay but our debts in doing good ; so that as there is a new righteousness per- formed, there is still a new reckoning added to the former ; by acting of righteousness, you make up a greater number of sins * than before ; so that it is only Christ from whom we must have the expectation of success, in whatsoever thing we desire. In a word, let a man's righteousness be never so exact ; yet that is not according to the will of God, which hath not God's ends, which he proposeth in the doing of righteousness : you shall find the general rule of Christ and his apostles, to be this, that what we do, we must not only do it in the name of Christ, but also to the Lord, and for the Lord : " Being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, let us serve him in holiness and righteousness ;" it is not, let us serve ourselves in holiness and righteousness, but let us serve him ; " You are bought with a price, therefore," saith the apostle, " glorify God in your bodies and spirits, for they are God's ;" he doth not say, being bought with a price, let us now seek our own good, as if we were still our own men ; as if we had now liberty to trade for our own selves ; you are " not your oWn," and therefore not your own, because you are "bought with a price ;" therefore "glorify God in your bodies and spirits," It is most certainly true, that God having provided through Christ all things appertaining to life and godliness for his people ; thereby calls them off from • Roro. aW, 23. THEIR GRAND IDOL. 149 all self-ends, and bye-respects in his services, to have only re- spect to him in them ; he hath done all that may be done for yourselves. But some may say, peradventure, this is a way to overthrow all righteousness at once : what, all that ever a man doth, though he doth ever so spiritually, though ever so exactly, to no pur- pose, and in vain ? Doth a man get nothing by all the righte- ousness he performs ? Then we had as good sit still, and do nothing at all, will some say. I answer, this is carnal reasoning indeed ; look but into the ground of this argument, and it will discover nothing but the selfishness of the person that makes it : I dare be bold to say, that that man will do no righteousness, but simply for his own sake ; who, if he should know beforehand, that his righteous- ness will get him nothing, would therefore sit still, and do nothing ; I dare be bold to say, he had as good sit still indeed, and do nothing : he serves himself, not God, and though he per* forms righteousness ever so exactly, if he serves himself, God will never reckon that he serves him : when self is eyed, we can never serve God ; when our commodity and advantage be not in the thing, we will sit still. But, beloved, though the righteousness we are to perform be superfluous and vain, in respect of any power it hath with God, to move him to do us good, yet it is not altogether superfluous ; it is most true, that all the righteousness of man cannot prevail with God to do us good ; there is but one mover of God, the man Christ Jesus, who is the only and sole mediator. If you will have your own righteousness to be your mediator with God, to speak to God for you, to prevail with God for you ; what is this, but to put it in the room and place of Christ's? What is the mediation of Christ else, but for him to come between God and man, and be the day's-man to lay his hand upon both, and at once to reconcile them? and shall your righteousness be the day's-man, and lay hands upon God and man ; then farewell Christ and his mediatorship ; for this is the peculiar office of Christ, to be man's mediator, and advocate with the Father, to prevail with him for any good for us ; so far, therefore, as any person looks after his own righteousness, to bring glad tidings from God to him, so far a man establisheth it in the room and place of the righteousness of God ; which proceeds from the 150 , men's own RlOHTEOUSNESS Ignorance of that righteousness, and will in the end prove a stumbling-block to men, and a rock of offence to them. All this while I desire not to be mistaken : some, it may be, will desire to know then to what use this righteousness of ours serves, seeing it is not of power to prevail with God, " My goodness extends not unto thee," saith David ; not to God, but it may to men ; " my righteousness extends to the saints of the earth, and to such as excel in virtue." Psalm xvi. 3. Our righteousness is appointed for excellent uses, if we could be con- tented with those God hath ordained it unto. First, It serves as a real way to manifest our thankfulness to God, for what we have already received of him ; in Psalm ciii. David is excellent, " Bless the Lord, O my soul ; and all that is within me, bless his holy name:" Why, what is the matter, David? "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases ; who redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies : " mark it well, I pray, all that is within us must be praise, and nothing but praise ; and the ground is this, God pardons our sins, heals our infirmities, and supplies all our wants ; in consideration of this, all that is within us should continually express bis praise. Again, secondly. There is this usefulness in 'li^ namely, that we may serve our generation ; and the apostle gives this charge, that, " men study to obtain good works," because, saith he, " these things are profitable unto men ; " as we may therefore do good to men, so according to our ability, and talent received, we must employ ourselves to the utmost for that end and pur^ pose. The heathens could say, " They were not made for them^ selves, but for others :" therefore there is this usefulness in our righteousness, that others may receive benefit by it : " Let your light so shine before men, that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven ;" that men may be drawn on to glorify God, we must shine before men in a godly conversation. Thirdly, It is useful, as it is the ordinance of God, wherein the Lord hath appointed us to meet with him, and wherein he will make good those things which before he hath promised. And this is the very end and ground of our fasting, praying, and mourning in our exigencies, and extremities: not that tnese uuiies do at all prevail with God, or at all move him; for, it is THEIR GRAND IDOL. 151 God that moves even these services, and all the spiritualness in us in them; and therefore he moves them in us, because when we are moved by his Spirit, and according to his will come forth to meet him where he appoints, there he will pour out himself in grace and love, according to his promise, not according to our performances. Thus, I say, this great objection may be answered easily, why we fast, and pray, and mourn in adversity, if they do us no good ? I say, though they do us no good, yet we fast and pray, in that the Lord saith, come to me, meet me in this and that ordinance, and I will come with my hands full; then, and there, I will pour out that which mine own freeness hath engaged me to do for you : is it not injvistice not to meet him then ? We confess our sins to him, but what is the ground of forgiveness ? not our confession of sins, not our fastings, prayers, mourning, and tears; but " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy ini- quities, for mine own name sake, and will remember thy sins no more." I will draw towards the conclusion. In a word, whoever he be that is selfish in his own righteousness, and goes about to estab- lish it in the room of God's, labouring to procure some good unto himself thereby, and makes that righteousness do that for him, that God's righteousness should do, so making an idol of it ; First, He plays the most dishonest part with God that can be. Do you profess yourselves to be the servants of God ? If you be, what dishonesty is there in you, that you professing to serve him, do, notwithstanding, by secret and by stealth, serve your- selves ? If an apprentice should hide himself all day long, to earn and gain money for himself, might not his master justly tax him for a dishonest fellow ? Why doth the master keep him, and find him, but that all he doth, he should do for him, and not for himself? Are you at God's finding, or are you at your own ? Miserable are you, that are at your own : are you at God's find- ing then, and not at your own 1 What is it you seek for, and would get by the righteousness you seek so eagerly after ? The truth is there is nothing to be gotten that you have not already ; if you have Christ, all things are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Are you one of Christ's ? A man need not work for that which is his own already ; why then do you work for that which is yours already ? Are you in Christ, or are you not ? Do YOU work to get into Cnrist ? Alas ! how long might men work 1.02 men's own righteousness their grand idol, out of Christ, and work themselves into hell at last ? What can a man get of God by all his righteousness and works, if he hath not Christ to get it for him ? Therefore all things are yours, because you are Christ's, or else you shall have nothing at aP God gives nothing of gift, and of his dear love, but as men are in Christ, and for his sake ; therefore you do but labour in vain, if you labour for that which is yet to be produced. But to do good to others ; " When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren :" let these be the ends of your services ; work because good is already made sure to you, and not to make it sure ; when a father settles an inheritance upon his son, he makes the deed so, that the son shall not work for the father's means ; because the father hath passed over all that he hath ta his son, he serves out of love, for what he hath already receivedy not for what is hoped for. And as there is a dishonesty in self-seeking; so, secondly, there is a foul blur cast upon God. Beloved, if you should see a servant go about the streets complaining thus. Sir, help me to- a little work, I must starve except I can work for myself: what would you think of this man's master 1 Surely, you will say, he is a hard master, that his servant must starve, except he seek for himself, and purvey for himself: you that say in your hearts, you are undone, you must perish, you are lost, except your prayers and humbling of yourselves can get some supply ; is not this a working for yourselves ? Is not this plain saying, there is no trusting to God, and that we must work for ourselves, or else we shall perish. I should come to consider the other particulars in this text ; but time not permitting, we will wind up all in one word of ap- plication. We now stand before the Lord, and, among other mercies, we expect this great mercy, salvation ; not only salvation in heaven, but salvation from the sword : it is not, it must not be your good doings that must procure it ; or your repentance, that must bring it : you must not rest upon your performances to get it ; do all that God calls for when you are in his way ; in this respect be doing; but as for your help look up unto the hills from whence it cometh ; your help stands in the name of the Lord, that made heaven and earth ; and, therefore, in the expectation of help, all your business must lie in this, " Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." SERMON X. A ZEAL, OF GOD PROVES NOT A MAN A CHILD OI' GOD. ROMANS X. 2, 3, 4. JFOR I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE : FOR THEY BEING IGNO- RANT OF god's RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOING ABOUT TO ES- TABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD: FOR CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOB RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH. The, apostle, in the former chapter, more plainly and fully lays down the absolute freeness of the grace of God alone to peace, life, and salvation, than any where else ; clearly shewing, that merely and only for his own good pleasure-sake, he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy ; especially in that instance of Jacob and Esau, he tells us plainly, that God hath no regard in the world unto good and evil, that might be done by either of them ; but, before ever they could do any such thing, it is expressly written of them, " Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated." And the reason, why God takes nothing into his consideration, either good or evil done by the creature as a motive to his love, the apostle gives there, is this, " That the purpose of God might stand, according to election ; not of works, but of grace ;" that is, that all the world may see that the first thoughts of God, in his election, had no eye in the world unto any thing that the creature might do, which should have any prevalency with him, to sway him this way, or that way ; it was not the consideration of Esau, as one that would be resolute and peremptory in a way of sinfulness, that was a motive with God to reject him ; nor was it the consideration of any propensity in the spirit of Jacob to yield unto calling, or of any inclination in Jacob to glorify him being called; I say, none of these considerations entered into the thoughts of God, when he established his love, even in elec- 1541 A ZEAL OF nOD PROVES NOt tion itself, upon Jacob ; his thoughts were merely upon his own good pleasure within himself: as if he should see a whole heap of creatures together, and, as it were, (if I may so speak) blind- fold of any good the creature could have to move him ; he picked out this and that, and the other, without respect of any difference between them. Then he comes into the closure of chap. ix. to shew how des- perately his own brethren, after the flesh, the Jews did reject this revealed will and pleasure of God, concerning good to men ; they would have something considerable in the creature, as of pre- valence to move God to do good to such, rather than such a one : this very conceit, the apostle calls a stumbling-block, at which they fell. Now, least he should seem to speak all this out of spite, or prejudice, or through the injuries they had done to him ; there- fore, that he might not thus be understood, at the beginning of this chapter he confesses, " That his heart's desire, and prayer, was that they might be saved :" he bore no ill-will in the world to them ; nay, he saith, " That he would be contented to be even cut off for his brethren's sake." And, after he had acquitted himself from sinister respects, he begins to declare the truth as it is in Jesus ; and first he comes to tax them, and shew where their error lay, and grants it lay not in any defect of zeal of, or after God; " For (saith he) I bear them record, they have a zeal of God :" if this would have served their turns, to be zealous for God himself, there was no defect in that ; the apostle will testify for them, that they were exceeding cordial and not in respect of themselves, but in respect of God himself; they had not a zeal simply for their own base ends, but had an eye to God himself; it was a zeal of God, whether you consider it as wrought by God, or as tending unto him ; either way, their zeal was a zeal of God, a zeal after God. I know, that there may be a zeal wrought by God, in respect of common mercy, or in respect of peculiar mercy ; this was a zeal of the common mercy of God, Thus much in effect, I have spoken heretofore upon this text : upon which I made several enquiries : as, first. What righteous- ness of their own this was, which they went about to establish. Secondly, What is it to establish a man's own righteousness. Which two, I have handled in my former discourse upon this text. Notwithstanding, I shall, at this time, speak something A MAN A fc^llLU OF OoD. 166 more largely concerning tho second, and so, if the time will permit, proceed unto the rest of my enquiry ; but, by the way, I shall speak something concerning the zeal here mentioned by the apostle. Therefore, before I quit these words, give me leave to tell you, it is possible a person may have a zeal of God, and yet be far from being a believer ; let that be the first observation : I ground it thus ; of the Jews of whom Paul speaks, he himself *' bears record, they had a zeal of God ;" but, in the next words he says, " they established their own righteousness, and did not submit to the righteousness of God." A zeal of God is not ground or evidence enough that a person is a believer, or that he hath received, or submitted himself to Christ. First, Beloved, be- cause this may seem to be harsh, I beseech you to consider seriously, how undeniable and clear the position I have laid down, is founded in the text itself: I say, there may be a zeal of God in an unbeliever ; so the apostle bears record of these Jews ; there was " a zeal of God, yet not according to knowledge ;" even when they had it, "they established their own righteousness: they did not submit to the righteousness of God." I will not dwell upon this point: all that I shall say on it, is only that I may undeceive many that are very subject to deceive themselves ; and that I may take them off from a sandy foundation : and so, if it be possible, reduce them to a rock, who are apt to build upon the sand. I know, beloved, it is cried up much in the hearts of many poor wretches ; I say, cried up much, that if they have but a zeal of God in their hearts, it is enough to serve them for ever ; they are believers, members of Christ ; and it is injurious unto the people of God, as they think, to tell them. Those that have a zeal of God in their hearts, yet, for all that, may " not submit to the righteousness of God ;^' but stumble at the stumbling-stone, and fall for ever. All the difficulty, I know, lies in this, What it is for persons to have " a zeal of God ?" Or whether there be not " a zeal of God" in those that are believers, which is palpably discerned, from that in those that do " not submit to the righteousness of God ?" I grant, there is a difference ; but as this zeal of God hath reference to our righteousness, or unto an obedience to the law, you will hardly find a difference, A zeal of God to set up 156 ' A ZEAL OF GOO PROVES NOT God in Christ, to give Christ the pre-eminence in all, that no- thing is to be done with him, but only by Jesus Christ ; to throw down every thing in the world, that offers to come in with Christ, to deal with the Father ; I say, " a zeal of God," in this kind, is not common to any person, that " submits not to the righteousness of God :" but to be zealous, that is to say, to be cordial, hearty, real, and that with fervency, and earnestness of spirit, towards obedience to the commandments of God, and to have an eye, in such obedience, to God himself, to seek him in it; this, I say, is " a zeal of God," that is common unto such as do " not submit to the righteousness of God," as well as to those that do submit to it ; therefore, as there is a community in this zeal, so this is not possibly able sufficiently to clear up to persons, that because they are thus zealous, therefore they are the children of God, and have the righteousness of Christ. These Jews, the apostle here speaks of, (mark it well, be- loved) were exceeding vehement, even in setting up, and pro- moting obedience to the commandments of God, I say, with an earnestness of spirit ; as when they offered to stone Christ himself, (the Pharisees I mean) it was merely out of the extremity of their zeal, and fervency of spirit, because they conceived he was a great blasphemer, and breaker of God's will, for making him- self equal with God : how could they contain themselves, so long as Christ would, as they thought, usurp and presume so far, as to take the incommunicable privileges and immunities of God him- self? The apostle saith of himself, and of the rest of the Jews, " If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; and, (saith he,) though I persecuted the church of God, yet I did it ignorantly." All this results to thus much, that the mere 'encroaching upon God, as they understood, was that which put them on so hot, eager, and violent a revenge of God's quarrel ; so that, I say, the eye may be upon God, and, for his sake, men may be exceeding zealous, earnest, and fervent for the vindication of him, for the doing of his will revealed in the law ; and yet. for all this, there may not be a submitting to the righte- ousness that is in God. I apply it thus, There are many people m the world, to whom the mind of God, in the law, is made known; we must not commit adultery, &c. simply because God commands this thing, they refrain from the evil ; they go through all the command- A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 157 ments of God zealously ; they look upon it as the will of God revealed to them, and do it for God's sake, thus imparting his own mind ; they abstain and refrain from the evil they do, and perform the good, because God requires it of them; yet all this is no argument of a person's being a real member of Christ ; for all this, he may not submit to the righteousness of Christ. Now I will add something, according as I proposed, to that which hath been heretofore said unto the second enquiry, namely, how, and wherein our righteousness is established instead of the righteousness of God. First, then, observe, that these pharisees "went about to establish their own righteousness," saith the apostle; this righteousness they went about to establish, what was if? a righteousness according to the law of God; " Christ is the end of the law to every one that believes :" as if he had said, you, in the zeal of your spirits, think to come to the end of the law yourselves, but mistake not, if you have in your eye the expectation of comfort and peace, and rest in your spirits, from the laro-eness of your spirits in the performance of those duties ; this is enough to make you miscarry, though it be for the Lord's sake you do it. Let me tell you, that the Lord hath so estab- lished Christ, for the rest and life of men, that if they could yield angelic obedience, be perfect throughout in obedience to the whole law of God, and not fail in one point of it ; if, I say, from such perfection of obedience they would gather up their own comfort, or conclude their own salvation ; these persons should be damned, as well as those that sin ever so much : for God hath established Christ, and only his righteousness, to be the salvation of man ; I say, only the righteousness of Christ ; that if a man were ever so perfect, and in respect of that perfection, would leave the righteousness of Christ, and lean to the perfection of his own, for his peace, and salvation ; that man would miscarry, andbe damned. Beloved, all I aim at is this, that you build not upon founda- tions that will fail you, when you come to the trial: there is (as you shall hear by and by, if time and strength permit) abso- lutely perfection enough in the righteousness of Christ alone, for your rest and security, that you shall not need to trust to any thing you do for peace or life ; this is that which God calls you to, to go forth from your own righteousness, to rest solevy and only upon the righteousness of Christ, if ever you mean to have comfort in this world, and in the world to come. MJB A ziu Of 0'»n '•ttrrrs fvor You will say peradventure, tliis is the way to destroy all righteousness and obedience wYiatsoeverj what, a tnau nti-ev a jot the better, though he be ever so zealous for God, although his eye and aim be after God in his zeal : to what purpose serves all this then, will you say ? I answer, The world is grown to a miserable pass, that obe- dience, zeal, and seeking after God, must be of no use at all, except a man himself be a gainer by his obedience ; it is now, as it was in the time of the Psalmist, Psal. iv. every one will be ready to cry out; " Who will shew us any good?" This is the common out-cry in the world ; if any thing in the world be pro- posed to men to be done, they answer, but what shall I get by it? That is the next word presently : am I put upon such, and such an employment, saith one; but what shall 1 gain by it? As in those offices of employment that carry about with them a great deal of labour and expence of time, and bring no profit in to the person in the office ; every man will be ready to shun such an office, nay ready to buy out such employment; this is the case of the world, in things appertaining unto God : what doth the law call me out unto such duties and employments, such zeal and fervency, to be hot in these services and duties, and to have mine eye upon God in the performance of them, and all this do me no good? I had as good sit still and do nothing. But there are some good common- wealth's-men indeed, who you know have in respect of others' prosperity, put themselves to trouble and charge, and be so far from getting, that they shall be losers by their office; and yet for the common- wealth's good, they will willingly put themselves on, when they are called out to such employments : and I must tell you, except you mind chiefly, that all the duties you perform, are for other ends and purposes, than your own preferment, and to benefit yourself thereby ; namely, the setting forth the praise of the glory of God's free-grace, and the serving your generation in which you live, and the study of good works, because they are profitable to men ; I say, except you will fall upon the performance of duties, for the common good and benefit, without having any such conceits as what shall accrue to you thereby ; you are not persons yet come to have that common spirit, and dead to the old spirit, as becomes Christians. I must tell you, and that freely, there is not any duty you per- A MAN A CHILD OF GOD form wlien you liavo attained tho highest pitch, that hath any prevalency, and availableness to produce any, though the least good to themselves* ; I say it again, there is nothing you can do, from whence you ought to expect any gain unto yourselves by doing : you ought not to seek to find in what you do, nor to think to bring Christ to yourselves by doing ; " You are not your own," saith the apostle, " you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies and spirits :" Christ hath redeemed us, " that we should not henceforth live to ourselves, but to him that died for us." The scripture is marvellous plentiful in this, that no believer for whom Christ died, should have the least thought in his heart of promoting or advancing himself, or any end of his own by doing what he doth : and though, as people may think, here is a marvellous discouragement to persons, to do what God call* them to do, when they shall have nothing for it ; I answer, when there is a spirit of ingenuity (as you know there is even in the world) they shall be industrious to glorify God, and do good to men, as if they did it for themselves; they shall do as much for good already bestowed, as if they were to procure it by their own doing. Secondly, I answer. There can be no discouragement at all unto the performance of any thing God calls for at your hands, though you get nothing in the world by what you do ; I say, there is no discouragement, because you cannot propose or in- tend to yourselves any possible gain by duty ; but that, what- ever it is, that is a spur and encouragement unto it, is already freely and graciously provided for you to your hand ; that all • The Doctor's meaning is not, that no good is enjoyed in a way of duty ; for, in the former discourse on this text, he not only observes, that our righteousness is use- ful, to manifest our thankfulness to God, and by it we serve our generation ; but it is the ordinance of God, wherein he hath appointed us to meet with him, and wherein he will make good the things he has before promised ; and accordingly he pours out himself in grace and love, according to his promise : but the sense is, that there is uo virtue and efficacy in any duty performed to procure any good thing for us, or to en- title us to it ; nor should we do any with this view, or expect any on such an account ; but should perform duty without mercenary or selfish views, purely from a spirit of ingenuity, from a principle of love and gratitude ; knowing that all good things, for time and eternity, are already provided in Christ, and are or will be bestowed on us, through him, and for his sake ; and not on account of any duty of ours, which ought not to be put in the room of Christ, and made an idol of; which is the Doctor's view, in these and other expressions of the like nature. See Chauncy's Neonomianism Unmasked, part 2, p. 256, 290, 291, &c. a book worthy to be read by both th* friends and foes of Dr. Crisp ; being a vindication of these discourses of his through- out, from the falsehood, misrepresentations, calumnies, and objections of D. W, in his Gospel Truth Stated^ &c. 160 ' ZliAL FOR OOD PROVES NOT your industry could not compass and bring in, either so certainly or so plentifully as the very grace of God, before the perform- ance of any duty, hath provided and established that gooa for you. When you fall upon humiliation, fasting, prayer, weeping, and self-denial, what do you look for ? In the diversity of judg- ment, saith one, I get this by it, prevention of many great evils hanging over my head ; another saith, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, assurance of the pardon of sin, and of re conciliation with God ; these things would I get by attending upon ordinances, by serving God day and night, in that way he calls me out unto : I tell you plainly, there is none of all these things that you do, that conduce a jot towards the obtaining of any of these ends you propose to yourselves ; all jou do gets not a jot ; nay, doth not concur in it. You will say, then, we had as good sit still, as good never a whit as never the better: he that works all day, and gets nothing more than he had in the morning, had as good sit still, and do nothing. I answer. Let me tell you, the prevention of evil, if there be reality of evil in it, and the obtaining of good, if there be a re- ality of good, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, par- don of sin, infallibility of miscarriage, the light of the counte- nance of God ; all these, I say, which you aim at, when you are encouraged to duty, are provided abundantly for you, and esta- blished firmly upon you, by the mere grace of God in Christ, before ever you perform any thing whatsoever : to what purpose do men propose ends to themselves, which ends are accomplished before their proposition ? Hath God settled all things pertain- ing to life and godliness in his Son Jesus Christ upon you for his own sake, and settled them everlastingly and unchange- ably upon you ; that heaven and earth shall pass away, before a tittle of the grant of God, made freely for his own sake, shall pass 1 I say, hath he settled all things, so that there can come nothing to make them more secure, than the grant of God him- self hath made them ? To what purpose then do we propose to ourselves, the gaining of that to ourselves by our labour and in- dustry, that is already become our own before we labour a jot ? There are some children in the world, I know, that are very vigilant and very observing of their parents ; and their end and A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. ICl aim s, that by such compliance their fathers may settle a good inheritance upon them ; but suppose a child hath manifested to it. that his father had already passed over all his goods and land to him ; and hath made a firm deed of conveyance, and cannot call it back or in ; he hath passed over so much, and so firmly, he is not able to add to that, that is passed over before-hand ; will such a child propose to himself, in his obedience and ob- servance, the obtaining of that good his father hath already passed ? He knows that it is passed already, and cannot be by any thing he doth firmer and stronger; he serves not now to get his father's lands, but he serves to honour his father that so freely hath settled his land upon him. So I say of believers, that have the temper of Christ's true bred children indeed ; they, in the gospel of Christ, find all things that appertain to life and godliness ; they find them all so passed over by God's goodneps and free-grace to them, that the lions shall want, and suffer hun- ger, before they shall lack any thing that is good : must thev now labour to gain these things as if they were in agitation, and as if they were yet referred to their good or evil walking ; that as they shall walk, so they shall speed ? This is to argue, that God is yet to determine within himself, how to dispose of the good things that he will bestow upon his people, and that he gives good things according to their good or evil carriage* ; and so the goodness of God to his people must depend upon their goodness to him ; and that as men's works will prevail with God, so God will pour out his bounty unto them. But, without respect to good or evil, as I said before, the Lord nath everlastingly established all that ever he meant to do ; and no more will he do to the end of the world to any people he hath chosen in his Son. The Lord in Christ from everlasting hath set down peremptorily what he willf do for you; and there are no intervening acts and carriages of yours that make any alteration in him at all to cross out what he hath written, and to put m what he had left out ; he doth nothing to his people upon con ditions in them, as if he referred himself still to those conditions^ and suspended what he meant to do to them, till he perceived how they would carry themselves to him. All that I aim at is this, to let people know that it is not a va'ij * Ezek. xxxvi. 32. f Eccl. iii, 14, 15; Jam, i. I". M 182 , \ ZEAL OF GOD PROVES NOT thing to yield due obedience to any thing that God requires , though the Lord intend not, that by our obedience, we shall gain something, which in case of our failing, we shall miscarry ot ; I say, the Lord hath firmly established upon his own people every thing that concerns their peace, comfort, and good, simply and merely for his sake, without respect or regard to any thing they perform ; that they are to do, they are not to do it with any eye to their own advantage, that being already perfectly com- pleted to their hands before they do any thing : but simply with an eye to glorify God, and serve their generation, and therein to serve the Lord, and set forth the praise of the glory of his grace that hath done so abundantly for them. Oh ! that men were but so far enlightened, to behold how graciously the Lord hath pro- vided for them ; that he doth not now leave himself in a kind of suspence * to deal well or ill with them, as they should carry themselves well or ill to him. I know, the contrary to this rises in the hearts of men that have not yet received the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ ; having this conceit, as if all the carriages of God to men were according to their carriage to him ; but here is no such thing, this is but the establishing of man's own righteousness to expect the dealings of God to him, as he himself deals with God, and that, therefore, he will be righteous, that he may be happy. Oh ! I beseech you, enter seriously into your own thoughts, and consider, whether or no this bo not to bring back again the cove- nant of works, even to believers; namely, that it shall fare well or ill with them, as they obey, or disobey, the Lord God. The apostle, in this chapter. Terse 5, doth expressly tell us what the covenant of works was : " Moses describes the righteousness of the law thus. He that doth these things shall even live in them ;" I pray mark it well, this is the righteousness of the law, that he himself, in the next verse, opposes to the righteousness of God, that he calls the righteousness of faith : " Moses describes the righteousness of the law thus. He that doth these things shall even live in them : but the righteousness of faith speaks on this wise ; Say not in thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven ? That is, to bring Christ from above ; or, who will descend into the deep ? That is, to bring Christ up again from the dead : but what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, in thine heart, and in thy * Job xxiii. 13; Mai. lil, 6. A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 163 mouth, this is the word of faith that we preach." I say, the eo- venant of works stands upon these terms, So much doing, so much life ; on the other side (Gal. iii. 10) : " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them." Here is the other branch of the covenant of works, so far as I fail in doing, so far must I be under the curse. Now vou can look for no better than wrath and vengeance from heaven, so long as you run on in these principles, and make them the foundation of your good ; so far you make yourselves liable to the covenant of works ; no more good, comfort, peace, or rest, but as you can do this, and that. What is this else, but, " Do this and live ?" I beseech you to enter into your own hearts concerning this particular. When you yield obedience to God, you come to church, go to prayer, and fall to fasting, weeping, mourning, self-denial, keeping the sabbath, and dealing righteously, ho- nestly, and justly with men ; what is it you aim at in all this ? That God may do you good, that he may be gracious and loving to you, that he may speak peace to your spirits ; then, it neces- sarily follows, that life is that in your eye that puts you upon that which you do, and so you do, that you may live; this is the righteousness of the law, that righteousness which is opposed to the righteousness of faith. Now, know, that there is no submit- ting to the righteousness of God, while there is an establishing of the righteousness of the law of Moses ; namely, to do righteous- ness that you may live; to refrain from evil, to the end you may not be cursed: he that proposeth cursing or life, cursino- if he do not do, or life if he do the will of God ; he that proposeth this, is " under the law, and not under grace." Christ, as you hear in the next verse, " is the end of the law foi righteousness, to every one that believes." What is that ? He is the end of the curse of the law ; he is the (md of the life of the law; there is no curse to be pronounced on a believer, when he breaks the law; there is no life to be expected by the believer upon his obedience to it ; Christ is the end of the life, and curse of the law; " He himself being made a curse for us, as it is written. Cursed is every one thathangeth on a tree." Secondly, " Our life is bid with God in Christ:" he is the life, no life but in the Son: " He that hath the Son, hath life; he that hath not the Son, hath not life," saith the apostle. All this argues plainly, h2 f64 A ZEAL OF GOD PFOVKS NOT nat all that life that is to be expected, whether it be life itself or he conducing of things that appertain unto the comforts of t; all this is to be expected from the Son of God, and not from any obedience to the law. If thou, at any time, read a curse to thyself, upon any transgression of the law, and darest receive it against thyself, in respect of that transgression, Christ is not the end of the law to thee ; namely, thy soul takes not Christ as the full curse of the law, taking it all away, that otherwise the law would pronounce and execute upon thy person. Beloved, I need not apologize ; you know what the apostle speaks, (2 Cor. v. 19,) " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them : and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation;" upon Avhich (saith the apostle) " we are the ambassadors for Christ, beseeching you, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled unto God." I think I need not make an apology ; he that is a minister of the gospel ought to declare and proclaim this reconciliation to you, by God's own Son Jesus Christ, peace through him, and atonement through his blood alone. Either we are the ministers and mes- sengers of Christ, or the ministers of Moses ; we are either the ministers of the covenant of works, or the messengers of the co- venant of grace : so far as we urge upon you, as you do, you shall live, and as you do evil, you shall be accursed ; so far we are the ministers of the covenant of works. But, when we come and say, that " God is in Christ reconciling the world unto him- self ;" that is, if we say that Christ bare the curse, and that you need not fear it, though you fall into sin ; you may be sure that God hath reconciled you so in his Son, that your falls (being believers) shall not break peace between God and you ; this peace is everlasting; it is unchangeable; God is not a friend to-day with his people, and falls out with them to-morrow ; " whom he loves, he loves to the end ;" now this is our business to draw people unto Christ. And we may do some good to let you see what advantage there is in Christ for you ; for thereby you may be induced not to establish your own righteousness against him, and his. We shall sin every day ; in many things we sin all ; but the business we are to do, is this, to let you know, that though there be sins committed, yet there is no peace broken ; because the breach of peace is satisfied in Christ ; there is a reparation of the damage A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 165 before the sin itself be committed: Christ had in his eye, and so had the Father too, all the damages that should fall out to the end of the world, by his own people ; and he did not pay a price for some that were present only, but he paid the damages of all that should come after, from the time of his suffering, to the end of the world; he paid the uttermost farthing for every one at once : though, it may be, one sin is committed to-day, another is committed to-morrow, and the other the third day ; God hath reconciled himself to you in Christ, for this sin committed to- day, and that which will be to-morrow, and so for all the rest to the end of your lives, they are paid for already; this is that which will make up the peace of a believer ; " The God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace in believing." That is worth observation, beloved, the joy of a person can never be full, the peace of a man can never be complete, as long as there is suspi- cion ; there will be quarrelling again. What saith the soul 1 I sin now, and shall to-morrow ; and when I sin, God will fall out with me, be angry with me, and turn away from me ; I say, as long as there is such suspicion, there will never be fulness of peace and joy. Hence it is, that persons, till they came to receive the gospel of Christ, were, through fear of death and wrath, subject to bondage all their life long; but, when they come to have this peace that Christ hath purchased, he having made an atonement, and given rest, in that he hath paid all the old scores at once ; then they may perceive, though there be this sin committed, yet, notwithstanding, God will not now fall out again with them ; for he had an eye upon all these sins, when Christ suffered, and took full satisfaction of his Son for this very sin ; now though I sin to-day, God took full satisfaction of his Sou for the sins of this day; nay, more, he hath acknow- ledged satisfaction for them all ; " He beheld the travail of his soul, and was satisfied," for that which is to come, as well as that which is past ; God, in Christ, hath given a full discharge. Look upon the account, you shall find that Christ paid and reckoned not only for sins past and present, but for sins com- mitted to the end of days. Therefore, in Dan. ix. 24, you shall find this excellent prophecy, " Yet seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city:" here, by seventy weeks he pi ophesies of the distance between the time in which he spake, and the time wherein Christ should suffer ; and what should lijb A ZEAL OF GOD PROVES NOT he suffer for? " For the finishing transgression, and for the putting an end to sin ; and for the making reconciliation, and to bring in everlasting righteousness." Mark, when these seventy weeks are ended, Christ is come, then there is a finishing of transgression : there is a great deal of weight in the very word, tho " finishing of transgression :" when is a thing finished ? When all is done, and nothing more needs to be done or added to it. This church was finished, when the lead was laid, and the windows glazed, and no workman had any thing more to do : now the time of Christ's suffering was the time of finishing transgres- sion ; as much as to say, Christ made an end of sin ; that is, God had no more in the world to reckon with persons for sins, after Christ in that suffering of his, had paid the full price of every transgression. Beloved, if God come to reckon now with be- lievers for sin, either he must ask something of them, or not ; if not, why are they troubled? Why must they come under the rod, as it were, to make up that which is not yet paid ? How doth Christ then perfect for ever them that are sanctified ? And how are they saved to the uttermost, that come to God by him ? When men are saved to the utmost, there needs no more to be done ; if so, you must know, that God cannot bring a new reckoning. There is not such dishonesty in any honest man in the world ; he that hath taken all the debt of a surety, and given acquittance under his hand, will not come upon the principal again, a poor beggar, and tell him, " I must have something of you ;" the poor man will answer him, " Sir, you have received sufficient satisfac- tion already of my surety ;" he is not an honest man that will ask more. Christ is the surety of a better covenant ; God took Christ's bond, and he paid it ; and, as he took his pay, when he received it, he acknowledged he had received satisfaction, Isa. liii. 11, " He beheld the travail of his soul, and was satisfied:" the travail of Christ gave the Father such satisfaction, that he acknowledged he was satisfied in it; why, therefore, should he come upon you again ? And if God will not come upon you again, what need you fear ? It is true, as sin is contrary to the nature of God, so we ought with all reverence to make use of the help of the Spirit to oppose all sin whatsoever ; but for any hurt * which such sins shall do us, it is not possible ; for Christ * By hurt is meant the hurt of punishment, penal evil, which Christ has bore and «ook away from Iris people ; so that they shall never be affected with it, he having fully satisfied for their sins. A MAN A CHILD OF GOD. 167 liatli made satisfaction ; " He Avas wounded for our transgres- sions, and bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon him :" did God wound Christ for sin ? If he did, it was to some purpose, or to none ; if it were to purpose, then it pleased the Father to wound him, that those that were to be wounded might not be wounded : and hath Christ saved his people from wounding, then what need we fear that we shall be wounded for our transgressions ? But if we commit sin, God will punish us, I answer. This is to make the sufferings of Christ of none effect ; for, if he had not suffered, you could but be wounded ; but if he was wounded for you, why do you disparage his sufferings, by this false jealousy and suspicion of yours 1 and, besides, vou will never rest in peace all the days of your life, till you go out of yourselves to the Lord Christ, and see fulness in him, and such fulness and perfection in him, that there needs no addition to what he hath done ; " In him," saith the apostle, " dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily," and " we are complete in him ;" and is it so ? There is no fear, then, that God should look upon you as abominable, loathsome things, any longer: there is inconsistency between a lovely person, and an ugly loath- some one ; you are complete in Christ ; now, being complete in him, you are lovely in the sight of the Father : in Exek. xvi. the prophet tells us, " And thy beauty became perfect through my comeliness that I put upon thee." Here is a person in blood, in a loathsome condition ^ but, for all this, as loathsome as he is in himself, and in his own nature; yet here is perfection of beauty, and that through the comeliness of Christ : now can the Lord abhor that which hath perfection of comeliness in it ? Whosoever is in Christ, hath all the comeliness of Christ upon him; now as you look out of yourselves, and your filthiness, and look upon yourselves as you are in him : so you shall have not only rest and peace, but joy, and joy unspeakable and glorious, as in Isa. xxxv. 10, an excellent place; " The ransomed of the Lord shall return to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads ; they shall obtain joy and gladness ; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Some interpret these words of the glory in heaven ; but it is returning to Sion, and not returning io heaven ; Sion is the church of God upon earth ; they return to Sion, that is, they return to Christ in his church upon earth ; 168 - A ZEAL OF GOD PROVSS V'^2' A MAN A CHILD 01 GOD, they shall return with songs, and everlasting joy ; and they sliasl obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flco away. This is not impossiDie, you wiH say; but you know many of the people af the Lord Jesus, that walk sadly and disconso- lately, not having" tlws joy and gladness. I answer, There is nothing hinders the joy of God's people, but their sins ; these, as they conceive, stand as a separation be- tween God and them ; oh ! they stand as a cooling card in all their joys and mirth; but when they return to Sion, they shall rejoice in that they shall see, that the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God hath cleansed them from all sin ; in that the lamb of God hath taken away all their sins ; the scape-goat having car- ried them away into the land of forgetfulness ; in that all their transgressions are blotted out as a cloud, and God will remem- ber their sins no more ; in that they are all fair, having no spot before the Lord in them : when they shall come, by the sight of the glory of the gospel, and the light thereof, to behold this estate that Christ hath brought them into ; then all matter of sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and the bitterness of it shall be taken away ; and then that which was the occasion of that bitterness shall vanish too. I do not say, that he is no believer that hath not this perfectly ; far be it from me to say so ; there are that are believers that are weak; and there are believers that are strong in faith. The more the light and glory of the gospel shines in the true inten- tion of God to his people ; the more shall they return to their rest, the more shall they have joy and gladness. Why, then, may not a believer say as David did, " The Lord hath been very bountiful to me, that I may return to my rest ;" God hath done every thing in Christ, and taken away all things that can disturb my peace and comfort SERMON XI. GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUH SliVS, ISAIAH xliii. 25. I, EVEN I, AM HE THAT BLOTTETH OUT THY TRANSGRESSIOS.'. FOR MINE OWN SAKE, AND WILL NOT REMEMBER THY ,S!NS. To have an evangelist, a day-star, to be visited in lightsome times, though it be a matter of great grace ; yet is it not cause of so great admiration, as to have the sun shining in a dark night is matter of wonder; and yet there was a spiritual eye among the Jews, that was able to see (in their darkest days) a glorious sun in their firmament; this eye was this evangelist Isaiah. I rather call him an evangelist than a prophet, for his bringing glad tidings of good things, tidings of exceeding great joy. The apostle Paul himself, the great doctor of the Gentiles, and the main exalter of Christ and the grace of God in him, goes not beyond this evangelist ; speaking so fully, clearly, and sweetly of the freeness of God's love, even while persons are in the lowest and worst of conditions. Besides all other expressions of his, this very text that I have read unto you is enough to make him an evangelist indeed ; for here be evangelizes, or preaches the gladdest tidings that ever could come to the sons of men ; for herein he proclaims liberty to the captives, and binds up the broken-hearted. This very expression of his, Is one of the greatest causes that " the ran- somed of the Lord shall return to Sion with songs, and everla.st- ing joy upon their heads ; and that they do obtain joy and glad- ness, and sorrow and sighing fly away ;" as the same prophet hath it in chap. xxxv. 10. Now that we may see more fully, the sweetness of marrow, and of wine well refined on the lees, contained in this text ; it will be of very great importance and concern, to understand clearly and fully to whom, or of whom, the Lord by Ihis prophet speaks these words. It is true, a pardon is a welcome thing io 170 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. a condemned malefactor ; but a pardon for this man, when ano- ther that goes to execution hath none, is so far from being a comfort to him that suffers, that it doth but augment his misery and torment. If the Lord for his own sake blots out the iniquity of such a«d such, and not the iniquity of others, it is but the augmenta- tion of the misery of that person that hath no share in it. In verse 4, the Lord mentions Jacob indeed, but, in the se- quel, he makes it appear, that he intends not Jacob according to the flesh, but after the spirit; for this Jacob and Israel are that company and assembly of people, that are brought together from the ends of the earth ; from the east, west, north, and south, as we have it expressed in verse 5, 6. But, beloved, that you may see plainly who this Jacob and Israel are, observe but one ex- pression in verse 7. " Thou that are called by my name," saith the Lord ; these are the persons whose iniquities the Lord blots out; what name is that? The name of " The Lord thy Saviour," verse 11. Now there is no people in the world, nor the Jews ttiemselves ; that had so plain a name of their Saviour upon them, as we have that are Gentiles, that are Christians; we have the true name of Christ a Saviour upon us. Christians from Christ. And least people should think, that when the Lord proclaims this grace in the text, of blotting out iniquity and transgression, he looks for some qualifications and dispositions, that may be amiable to win so much grace from him ; do but observe, I pray, (and it is very observable indeed) the two or three verses before my text; you shall see plainly how careful the Lord is to take off all such conceits from men, all imagination of any such ex- pectation. There must be first graciousness, they must be first well qualified, and then their iniquities shall be blotted out, so might some think ; mark how the Lord takes it off; for in these two verses, he draws to the very life the qualifications and con- ditions of those, whose iniquities he blots out; mark them well, " Thou hast not called upon me ; thou hast been weary of me ; thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices ; thou hast made me to serve with thy sins ; thou hast wearied me with thine iniqui- ties :" and then upon these words follows the text ; " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thine iniquities for my own sake ; and GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS'. 171 will not remember thy sins." Mark, the words [thy transgres- sions] have reference to the persons spoken of before, " that nast not called upon me; thy transgressions, that hast been weary of me ; thy transgressions that hast wearied me ; and thy transgres- sions, that hast made me to serve with thy sins." So that the point from hence is this ; " That the Lord, for his own sake, blots out the transgressions, and remembers not the sins, even of those that have not called upon him, that have been weary of him, and wearied him, and made him serve with their transgressions. I make no question, but that this doctrine, I have laid down, will be received of all that will but receive clear scripture ; I have not added one tittle in it more than is expressed in the words themselves ; and therefore I shall be the more bold to build upon such a rock as this is. That we may the better come to the words, or rather to our comfort in them, we have these particulars very observable. First, The grace held out to these persons ; and that Is ex- pressed by two phrases. First, The " Lord blots out thy trans- gressions." Secondly^ " will not remember thy sins." Secondly, Besides the grace held forth, let us consider the original or fountain from whence it springs ; it is " /, even /, (saith the Lord) the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, thy Sa- viour; for so you have it expressed all along the chapter. Thirdly, You may consider here the motive that prevails with Godj to extend this grace that he shews to his joeople, and that is a remarkable passage ; the motive is not in, nor from the crea- ture ; it hath its spring and rise immediately from himself alone ; " I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions ; for mine own sake I do it." Finally, you may consider to whom this grace is extended ; that blotteth out thy transgressions, saith the text, and will not remember thy sins ; that is, to those persons mentioned before, of which I have spoken, that have wearied him with their sins; of these briefly. First, Concerning the grace that the Lord is pleased to hold forth to his people here, namely, " The blotting out their trans- gressions and not remembering their sins." First, let us consi- der what it is for the Lord to blot out transgressions ; it is an usual phrase in the scripture, and imports much comfort in it ; it 172 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. IS an allusion, or an allegorical expression ; wherein the Lord is pleased to hold forth his love to man, after the manner of men ; to set forth his carriage to men, according to theirs one to another. It is a phrase borrowed from the practice of men, that keep their debt-books, wherein they enter, and record the several debts men owe them ; that so, for the better helping of their memory, they may find what is due, and know what to demand and call for; I say, the Lord here speaking of " blotting out of transgressions," hath reference to such debt-books, wherein ho hath recorded the several debts, or sins, which he enters as men commit them ; now the blotting out is nothing else, but that, whereas there were such and such transgressions in the record of God, he draws a blot over them. And that he here hath reference to such kind of dealing, in blotting out transgressions, you may see clearly manifested unto you, in Col. ii. 14, where this phrase of blotting out, is explained : " You being dead in your sins, hath he quickened, together with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses ;" now, mark what follows : " blotting out the hand- writing of ordinances which was against us, and was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross ;" what " the hand-writing of ordinances" there is, you may plainly per- ceive by the words going before, namely, " All our trespasses, and all our sins." Now the taking away of sin, is called a " blotting it out," and expressed thus ; " The blotting out of the hand-writing that was against us," because they were, as it were, written down ; but the Lord hath razed and blotted them out. You are not to conceive that there are really such things with God, that he did indeed keep a book, and enter down in it all the several actions of men, and so calling men to account, will open it, and will read out the several things there written ; but the phrase is only an allusion spoken for our better capacity. And, for this cause, you shall find the scripture frequently makes mention of such books God hath. When the seventy disciples came to Christ, rejoicing that the devils were made subject unto them, he replies, " Rejoice not that the devils are made subject unto you, but rejoice, rather, that your names are written in the book of life." Here is a book, and the names of the disciples written in it; but, if you will mark Rov. xx. 12, you will find, there is not only the book of life, but other books besides, out of which the dead, both small and great, were GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 173 judged, according to their works that they had done j as if he had said, besides the book of life, there is the book of works, wherein the several actions of men are recorded, by which, at the great day, men are to be judged as they are found in them ; according to the several debts that are therein, they are to receive their sentence. Mark, now, for the bettey apprehension of our weak capacity, the Lord hath taken up such a kind of illustration of his dealing with men ; namely, by recording our debts in books ; yet, he tells us for our comfort, that, though there be such books, we need not fear ; though they shall be opened, yet whatsoever was written in them, in reference to us, is all crossed and blotted out: and, when we come to account, there shall be nothing reckoned unto us, as a fault *. For the better illustration of this, that what comes after may oe the clearer, you must understand, that, though it be true in the succession of ages, the several members of Christ do severally day after day commit now some, then more, and afterwards more transgressions ; though this be actually done in succession of time, yet the all-seeing eye of the Lord looks overfall, that ever should be done, from all eternity; and then, as it were with him- self, writes dov,^n the several actions and transgressions of men, that afterwards should be committed ; he registers them at first with himself, and this is all the book that God keeps, and all the entries of actions with him. Now, whereas the Lord in his eter- nal foresight took notice of every action that you and I have done, do, or shall do hereafter; he also took notice of the nature and quality of such actions ; yet, when he had done, he drew a crossKOver them all : for though he saw these things thus done, yet he took a course that he would be another way satisfied foi every thin^ that he could demand in respect of them ; and so they should remain no longer upon the heads of those persons. As for example. Suppose a man owes, upon a bill of parcels, an hundred pounds ; all these parcels are written in a book under his name upon his head ; after a time a surety comes and takes all this debt, and enters it upon his own head, under his own name, he being an able man : upon this the creditor is pleased to take him for his debtor, and so transcribes every parcel of the debt, from the head of the principal debtor, unto the head of this surety. Now. after all these parcels are entered to the head of the surety, * Judo 24. f Psalm cxlvii. 5 ; .loliii xx'u l7. 174 OOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. l)y-and-by a cross is drawn over the first head, whose debt It was before, until it was brought over unto the surety : this is the " blotting out of transgression" which the Lord here speaks of; and the sense of it is no more but this ; though it is true, I know it well enough what thou hast done, and all thou hast done against me, how many and how great transgressions thou hast committed, and hereafter shall commit, though they be all open before me, though thou art the doer of all these, and I know it, yet, saith the Lord, " I will blot out all :" that is, there is not any one of all these to be reckoned for upon thy head ; but I have passed them all upon another's, and he hath made to me, and I have acknowledged, full satisfaction : I have no more to say to thee. Here, then, is the sum of this grant of the free grace of God ; *' the blotting out of transgression," You, know, beloved, the use of writing debts in a book, namely, that a creditor may turn over at pleasure or leisure to them; and so, when he looks there, be may find what every person owes, and, at discretion, may take the ground- work of his action that he lays against a person ; and upon this action arrest him, and lay him up in prison, till he pays the debt. And, likewise, you know what the end of this " blotting out" too, is ; namely, that when men come to look over their books they may skip over what was written ; and, when the book is looked over, no notice shall be taken of such a man's name, who, though he was entered in it, yet all is blotted out again ; and imports to us thus much to the thing in hand, that though the Lord, according to the usual manner of takirg notice of actions against men, hath his time when he will take notice of these debts, when he enters the debtor, when he will arrest and clap him up for them ; yet, when he shall look over his book, he shall take no notice of such persons whose parcels are crossed out. Therefore, in Jer. 1. 20, see how the prophet alludes to this expression, and how he explains the words, "blot- ting out of transgression :" " In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, shall the iniquities of Israel be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found ; for I will pardon them whom I reserve." Here he seems to represent the Lord as one that begins to look over his books, to see what debts are owing unto him; as if he were making a search. Well, saith the Holy Ghost, though at such time the sins of the people be sought for, yet there shall be GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS, 175 none ; it is true, tney were all entered into the knowledge of God from all eternity, yet there shall be none ; that is, though they were entered, they are blotted out again ; therefore, as it is in a debt-book, though there be never so many parcels entered, en- tered ever so truly there, yet, when once that which was entered is blotted out, there is no more debt than if there had never been any ; for all that was ever in, is blotted out. So, though the Lord be privy to what they do, and hath recorded them in his own thoughts ; yet he himself draws a blot upon them, and makes them to be nothing : whereas, before, till the blot was drawn over them, they were real debts. And this he doth not simply in respect of forgiveness. In re- gard of us, it is true, it is a forgiveness, yet, in respect of him, it is not merely forgiveness ; for the reason and ground of blotting out of iniquity, is, there is a second head to which these debts are translated from us, that shall pay them better than those whose first they were ; so that the debt being paid, God loseth nothing, forasmuch as that another hath paid all. This is one of the most admirable pieces of grace that thirsting souls can desire, if they had all they could wish themselves. Do but think seriously upon it. Suppose a man is privy to himself of murder, felony, and treason, or what else you will : suppose he knows that it is known, and that there are many witnesses to at- test it ; nay, suppose he knew that it were done in the eye and face of the judge himself; that he saw with his own eyes what was done, and that, when all this is done he should be drawn to his trial ; alas ! in what perplexity of heart would this man be 1 How would he quake and tremble, and be even at his wit's end ? He knows it was publicly done ; there is no smothering of it, but that he must justly lie under condemnation for it ; the witnesses come in and swear point blank against him ; and, yet, suppose, after all pleadings, and bitter expectation of the sentence, the judge himself should stand up, and say, I have made search, and there is not one bill of indictment found against this man ; there is not one action that may justly be laid against him, and I have nothing to say to him or against him. How will this make the heart of such a prisoner leap for joy, being so acquitted and dis- missed, and having no bill found against him ! Just so is our case; we have committed murder, felony, treason, rebellion, and enmity, all that can be against the Lord : we did it in the face 176 GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. of Godj that he knows it is done : but, when we come to trial Gotl himself brings an ignoramus ; he himself saith, Here is not one bill of indictment against him ; there is nothing but what is blotted out ; and the reason is, as I said, because he acknow- ledgeth that he hath received a satisfaction from his Son ; " Deli- ver him, for I have found a ransom," Job xxxiii. 24. So much for that phrase, " I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions :" it followeth, " and will not remember thy sins :" here is the ig- noramxis that God himself makes ; though the foreman of the grand jury bring in an indictment, yet, saith God, I remember no such matter. Here is a plea against this and that man ; (mem- bers of Christ, you must suppose them all this while) they are ac- counted for such and such sinners and transgressors, but I re- member no such matter, saith the Lord. But what is it for God not to remember the transgressions of men in this kind, will some say ? I answer, beloved, Here the Lord speaks after the manner of men, as he did before; books, you know, are the registers of memory, or records for the help of memory rather : when a man comes to his book, to his bills and bonds, and there reads what such and such a man owes, he thereby remembers what debts are due unto him, and from whom ; but if he comes to his book, and there can read nothing owing unto him from such a person ; he is said not to remember it, so that memory itself fails; can this man now remember his debts that cannot find that he hath any such, that cannot read them ? If a man look over his debt-book, and finds there, that though such debts were written, yet now they are so obliterated that no man can read them, and that this blotting was made not casually, but upon consideration of a sufficient satisfaction; how then, can he remember these now as debts? Tiius the Lord represents himself to us, he remembers not our sins ; that is, the transgressions of the members of Christ come not into the thoughts of God, so as now to think that such and such a man stands guilty before him of such a transgression ; I say, the Lord hath not in his thought any such thing concerning any member of Christ. Beloved, you shall find it a frequent ex- pression of the Holy Ghost, manifesting the grace of God to his own people ; namely, " God doth not remember their sins :" David, in Psal. xxv. 9, prays thus, " Lord, remember not the sins of mv youth :" but look into the covenant of grace, wherein God GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 17T' «nga&res himself to be the God of his people ; this is the closure and shutting up of it, in Jer. xxxi. 31, and so on; " In those days, and at that time, will J make a covenant with the house of Israel, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers ; but this shall be the covenant that I will make with them," &c. And then the shutting up of the new covenant is in these words, *' Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." So the apostle, Heb. viii. 12, repeats the self-same thino-, re peating the covenant word for word, and ends it with the same closure, " Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more." And in Heb. x. 16, 17, though the apostle abridges the cove- nant, and leaves out many branches of it, yet he forgets not the last clause of it, " Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." So it stands for a truth, the people of God are so received into the grace and favour of God, that God doth not, nay he will not remember their sins any more from the time that they are become members of Christ, and actually in covenant with him ; from that time for ever more, there is not once a bringing to remembrance with God any one of their transgressions. But some will say. This seems to be strange ; what, God no ' remember the sins of believers ? Suppose he forgives them, ve! he must remember them, seeing they are committed every day sq clearly and conspicuously in his sight: how is it possible he should not remember them ? >v I answer, beloved. Let flesh and blood reason and say what il will, I ask you this question, is it the Lord himself that says, he doth not remember the sins of his people ? If he himself speaks it, who art thou, O man, that darest question whether he remem- bers them, or no 1 Shalt thou say, he remembers their sins, when he himself saith, he will not remember them 1 The apostle Paul tells us, '• No man knows the things of God, but the Spirit of God:" doth not the Spirit of God tell us this, that " he doth not remember their sins ?" And can any man know the things of God better than the Spirit? Thou sayest that God remembeis them, when he saith, he doth not remember them. But some will be ready to say further. How can this possibly be, that God should know every sin that the believer commits, and the believer himself knows the sins he commits, and yet Goa should not remember them ? ir J79 . GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. I answer, First, Suppose I could not untie this knot, or resolve tliia riddle to you ; you must know, beloved, there are deep things of God, that none but he himself can dive into, that none but he is able to resolve ; yet, though it could not be resolved, let God be true, and all the world be liars ; let not the world's saying, God remembers the sins of his people, prevail against his saying, " 1 will not remember their sins :" let sense, argument, reason, and all stoop to faith, even for the testimony of God's sake alone, though none will speak the same thing, but merely the voice of God himself. But, Secondly, Let us see whether we can untie this knot or no : how is it possible that the Lord should not remember their sins, seeing they are so plain to him every moment ? There is one word in the text, that is not much heeded, and it is that which must resolve this great and difficult question ; and that is this, " I will not remember your sins," I will not remember them as your sins, putting the emphasis upon the word yoe^r ; and will not remember (hy sins, or your sins. It is most certainly true, God remembers all the actions that ever men have done, do, or shall do ; he remembers the nature and quality of all actions as they are ; he remembers such actions, as done at such times ; and he knows they are thus and thus in the nature of them ; and yet so it is, that " he remembers not thy transgressions ;" that is, though he remembers the things thou hast done, yet he doth not remember them as they are thine ; he remembers the things, it is true, but not that they are thine ; for he remembers perfectly that they are none of thine ; he remembers whose they are, he himself hath passed them over, he decreed that they should become the sins of Christ ; and when he passed them over to him, they ceased to be thine any longer. You know that text in Isa. liii. 6, " He hath laid on him the iniquities of us all;" and you know that place in 2 Cor. v. 21, *' He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Now I ask this ques- tion. Whose are the sins that believers commit ? When Christ became their sin, are they not his ? and if they are his, are they any longer theirs, that did commit them ? 2 Cor. v. 19, shews plainly, that the Lord reckons them no longer theirs, when he hath made them once to be Christ's : " God was in Christ reconcilinsr the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ;" aOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR ilNS. 179 ts much as to say, I will never reckon them thine any more ; I will never impute them to thee ; all that I look for in respect of thy sins, I look for at the hands of Christ ; " for he was made sin for us,'* saith the text And whereas people think it strange, for as much as believers themselves do remember their sins, that God should not remem- ber them ; I answer, if any believers or members of Christ re- member their sins any otherwise than God remembers them, their memory fails them, and they are mistaken in their remembrance ; if when believers have sinned, they have a conceit that their sins shall be charged upon them ; the truth is, they have other con- ceits of themselves than God hath of them ; but if they will re- member their sins, as he remembers them, they must remember them, and know them by the light of God's Spirit, that shall lead them into all truth. The Spirit of God will remember them of them indeed, and lay before them such and such actions, and tell them, that they have these pollutions in them, and will convince them of the abhorrency of them ; but the same Spirit will remem- ber them withal, that the *' Lamb of God hath taken away all these sins of theirs f * and that the scape-goat hath carried them away into a land of forgetfulness ; thus, I say, the Holy Ghost, AS it brings their sins to their remembrance, so it will suggest to them also, to whom their sins are sent. Beloved, it is a matter of admirable grace, full of wonder, yea, even of amazing consolation, that a poor soul condemned by Satan, nay, it may be, by his own conscience, should at last hear the Lord speak, and the last words of God himself to be this, " I remember no such thing," Now, if God himself doth not remember your transgressions, you that are the members of Christ, it is no matter who remembers them ; and, therefore, as the apostle saith in another case, so you may say with comfort in your own spirits, " To me it is a very small thing to be judged of you, or of man's judgment," 1 Cor. iv. 3. Beloved, he that said it, will stand to it, he will never remember your sins any more ; though they be never so many and never so great, he will never call one of them to remembrance. It may be, in afflic- tion, and when the rod of God is fallen upon thee, thy heart will be ready to raise such thoughts as these in thee ; " Now God will be even with me ; now shall I smart for my transgressions ;" but know this, that at that instant when God brings aifliction upoB n2 180, OOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. thee, he doth not remember any sin of thine ; they are not i[n his thoughts ; for the text saith not only of the present instant, tnat God doth not rememl^er them, but ot' the future also, nay, of the everlasting future ; " Your sins, and your iniquities, I will remember no more." I beseech you, consider this one thing, you that think that God plagues and punishes you, being believers, for such and such sins of yours, and say, doth he not now remember these sins of mine? Doth he punish such and such sins in others, and take vengeance for them, and doth he not remember them? Doth he use to do things hand over head ? Doth he lay his rod and his scourge upon them, and never think of the cause of it 1 And if these afflictions be the judgment of God for these sins, certainly God must remember them, and so know them as mo- tives and provocations, to inflict such vengeance upon them ; and if he punishes them for them, certainly he now remembers them : and what of all this ? Is it a truth that God hath spoken, *' Your iniquities and your sins will I remember no more?" Then, surely, whatsoever things befall the children of God, are not punishments for sin, nor remembrances of sin; the Lord must be true and faithful in his covenant ; and therefore, if men shall cavil against this free-grace of God, yet let me request this of you, let the evidence of the holy Ghost so prevail with your spirits, that if any creature in heaven or earth, men or angels, shall endeavour to contradict this, let them be accounted as they deserve ; let all give way to this truth ; if any thing in the world can make it appear to the contrary, then let it go away with it ; but if the spirit of God speaks it so clearly, that nothing can be objected against it ; let not any thing cause thee to live in so much darkness and uncomfortableness, as thou must do, till thou receive this grace of the Lord. And so, beloved, I have done with the second thing. There is one thing more very considerable, and that is what the motive is, that prevails with God, that thy sins and iniquities should be blotted out, and that he should not remember them ; what is it that moves him to do this ? I find that the channel of men's hearts runs usually this way : Oh ! When God beholds my mourning, weeping, and reformings, and knows I am returned unto him by true repentance, and seeth what moan I make, and what a pitiful wretch I am, when he beholds my groanino-s and GOD IlEMEMliKKS NOT OUR SINS. 18 -> rav melt)ii£rs ; oh! thi? cannot but move him to pity me, and ia pardon my sins ! Oh beloved ! know the Lord hath other manner of motives to prevail wi*h him. than all the rhetorick of misery in the creature can possibly be to persuade him to this grace ; I say peremptorily, it is not all the sighings, groanings, mourning?, fastings, prayers, and self-denial ; nor all the righteousness that men can return to God, that can prevail with him, to blot oul their sins and to remember them no more ; but the motive is this " I, even I, for mine own sake do this ;" and the Holy Ghosi frequently expresses it in such terms as this, Ezek. xxxvi, 32 after he had laid down the covenant of grace, he concludes with this caution; " Be it known unto you, not for your sakes do I this to you ; be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel :" mark it, there is nothing in the creature moves God to shew compassion upon him ; but merely for his own -sake doth he this to his people. But, how is it, for his own name sake to do it ? I answer. It imports two things ; first. The I^ord doth it for his own sake, that is, he is solely moved to it, by and from himself; and there is no creature in the world doth so much as move him to it ; I say, the Lord, when he blots out the transgressions of his people, he is not so much as moved to it, and sought unto for it; there is nothing in the creature to move God to it ; but simply of his own mere motion he does it ; and this the apostle expresses in abun- dant fulness, Eph. i. 9, where, (speaking of redemption) he tells expressly, that the Lord did all according to his own " good pur- pose that he had in himself." But some will say, You will grant this, that Christ moved God to blot out transgressions. To this I answer. That though Christ moved God to blot them out, yet this stands firm still, that we do not move him to do it. Secondly, I answer, when we say, that Christ moves God to blot out transgression, I do not separate him from Christ ; " God is in Christ reconciling the Avorld unto himself;" what he doth in grace to the poor creature, he doth in Christ ; and he doth nothing of grace to sinners, absolutely considered in himself, ab- stractedly from Christ, but as in him. But, Thirdly, take Christ foi mediator, and as he is distin- guished from the Father, and Ihen, I say, that he, as mediator, did not first move God to blot out transgressions ; but tne motion 182 ' GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. within himself, from eternity, was the root and fountain of all; yea, even of Christ himself as mediator ; and from this fountain was he raised up to accomplish these things that first were in his breast ; for Christ is the mediator ; that is, he is the mean between God and us, to compose this great thing of blotting out our trans- gression. Now, know, that the means are raised up for the bringing about the thing intended; and in nature are after the thing intended as the end ; the school-men have a speech, " The end of things is always the first in intention, though it be last in execution ;" if a man builds a house, he first proposeth to him- self to what purpose it is ; it is to dwell in : the habitation is first in his thoughts, and then the structure as a means is raised after- wards to that end ; so the Lord sits down, and consults with him- self, how he may shew himself in grace to the creature thus ; The creature will sin, " and I will blot out their transgressions ;" but how shall it be done ? Well, saith God, I will send Christ into the world ; he shall be born of a woman, and die for their sins, having them laid upon him, and shall purchase their redemption : now Christ is the means, he is made a mediator ; but God's de- termination, concerning the blotting out of transgression, was of his own motion, before there was such a thing as Christ, I mean in both his natures ; and Christ, therefore, came, because God had determined in his own thoughts, that such a thincr should be done by him. Secondly, God doth this for his own sake, not only of his own mere motion, but for his own end too, for himself. We are apt to think that he blots out our transgressions, that he might do good to us, that we might be made happy by it ; it is true, the TiOrd blotted out transgressions that we might be happy, but yet this is but the subordinate end to him, and stands in subordina- tion to a supreme and higher end ; God aims at his own glory principally; he did not therefore blot out transgressions that we might be the better for it principally; but that he might atta"n Ihe thing that concerned himself in it. And therefore, whereas the Holy Ghost speaks in the text of " blotting out transgressions for his own name sake," he adds these words to it, (fore-shewing that God aimed at himself more than any thing concerning the good of his creatures, 1 Sam. xii. 22,) " The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name sake. Josh. vii. 9, " What wilt thou do unto thy great name," GOD REMEMBERS NOT OUR SINS. 183 if thy people should sin ? ho speaking of it then in that business of the men of Israel's falling before the men of Ai. The gieat argument of Joshua, to prevail with God, was the great name of God. Psal. Ixxix, 9, " Help us, O Lord, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name sake :'* the meaning is this ; the Lord blots out transgressions for his own sake, that is, he therefore blots them out that his own name and glory might be the more magnified and exalted in the Avorld ; so that for his own praise sake, he doth the great things he doth. Therefore the apostle, in Ephes. i. 6, speaking of redemption, tells us, what the great end of it was, namely, " To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." Now you see what it is for God to blot out transgressions for his own sake ; namely, that he might have the praise of the glory of his own grace in doing such marvellous things as he doth ; so that you run in a vain course to think that you move God by your importunity and humbling yourselves before him ; for he will not be moved with all these to blot out your transgressions ; if ever, therefore, you would find a motive whereon to rest indeed satisfied that God will and doth blot them out, run to this, the free thoughts of God, and the bowels in God himself (without regard to what is in you, or done by you, to move him to do it, or to provoke him not to do it) have put him upon this great work for you. Look into Rom. ix. you shall there see, that in this business of love, and blotting out sin, the Lord will there manifest himself in grace, while Jacob is in the womb, before ever he could sigh and groan to him : he did it then, that it might appear " not ac- cording to works, but according to the purpose of election," that it might stand " not of works, but of grace :" and so, when souls partake of this grace of the blotting out of iniquity, they may cry out, as the Psalmist did in another case, " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the praise and glory." And it is certain, that the apostle tells us, " We are justified by the grace of God, not of works, lest any man should boast ;" and, therefore, the Lord will have all the ordering of the work of grace, that the creature shall have no stroke ; that when that grace is manifested, and he partakes of it, (the creature having no hand in it'^ he that glorieth, may glory in him. 18l ' THE GREAT QIYKV SERMON Xll. THE GREAT GIVER, AND HIS FRFE O'tflTS I CORINTHIANS ii. 12. 5fOW WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MAY KNOW THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD. After a wonted tender-hearted salutation and congratulation to this church of Corinth, from chap. i. 1, to verse 10, the apostle Paul falls upon a seasonable exhortation to unanimity and con- cord of spirit among them, relating at large the occasion of this exhortation to them, to wit, the notice he had received of a dan- gerous strife and contention fallen out among them, in respect of their partiality to persons ; this he continues to the 17th or 18th verses of that chapter ; and from thence, to the closure of the chapter, he declares both the scope of his ministry in general, and the diversity of success this ministry of his found, both among Jews and Gentiles. Now, in the beginning of this chapter, the apostle returns back to this church of Corinth in special ; and, whereas, the strife was, " one was of Paul, and another was of Apollos, and another of Cephas," he acquits himself from any thing that might, in respect to himself, tend to, or occasion such strife and quarrel : therefore, in verse 1, he wholly disclaims all of man which might tend to exalt man among them : " He came not in the excellency of speech, or in words of man's wisdom to them ;" his ministry was exercised in a low plain-dealing way, without either human rhetoric or wisdom of man. This he amplifies in verse 4 : for his part, he used no manner of enticing words to inveigle or be- guile them. Secondly, He goes on to declare to them the main subject of his ministry, which he drove at, which he commends both to mi- nisters and people, as the great thing the^ TCe to mind con- A^L Al* FREE GIFTS. 1.S5 cerning divinity; a rule and pattern well worth imitation of all, verse 2, " I desire," saith he, " to know nothing among you, but Jesus Christ, ar .' li.') crucified ;" he did not care that the people should know any thing else in the world, so that he might impart Jesus Christ, and him crucified, unto them. Thirdly, He deciaies to them the reason Avhy he came with such plainness and simplicity, without dress, in the exercise of his mi- nistry, in verse 5, namely, " That their faith might not stand in the wisdom of men;.but in the power of God ;" as if he should say, They that are wrought upon by human rhetoric, and fineness of language, and are taken with respect of any fluency of words, these men's faith is built upon human wisdom. They that are taken with the simplicity of the gospel, as it is in Jesus, simply preached, their faith is built upon the rock itself Now, lest the apostle's ministi-y of the gospel might grow into contempt, because he waived that which was human in it; there- fore, in the latter end of verse 4, he vindicates the power and life of his ministry, even while it was so plain, and without man's wisdom. Though Paul came not in excellency of speech and man's wisdom, yet he came in " the demonstration of the spirit, and with power." So, though he condescends to the weakness of this church, being but babes in Christ, as he speaks of them ; yet he would have them know, though he did, by exercising his ministry in so low and plain a style for their sakes ; nevertheless, when he deals with those that are perfect, that is, higher grown, he can rise in a higher flight, and deal in more grown and deeper mysteries thaii he did with them. And, in verses 7, 8, he illus- trates what depths there were in those mysteries that he preached to those that were capable of seeing them ; and that is quoted out of Isaiah Ixiv. 4, " Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, to conceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him." Now, whereas some might be ready to object, as the false pro- phets did to Michaiah, " Which way went the Spirit of God from us to thee ?" If wisdom and prudence could not dive into those mysteries Paul spake of, how could he come by them ? He was of no more learning than they ; they were as much insighted in the law as he; if they could not, how could he ? He answers in the words following, " Though eye hafh not scon, nor car heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man 186 ' THE GREAT GIVER, to conceive them : yet, God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit." Let me tell you, there are secrets of God that all the learning in the world shall never attain unto ; only the teaching of the Spirit of God acquaints people with them ; therefore, it is a branch of the new covenant of God to those in it ; " They shall be all taught of God ;" and they shall no more need to say to their neighbour, " Know the Lord, for they shall all know the Lord ;" that is, by his own teaching, " they shall all be taught of God." It is true, in the ministry of the gospel, this know- ledge comes usually to the people ; but it is not the wisdom of man that either doth or can impart the secrets of God to this people ; and these are the mysteries ; the apostle saith, he preacheth unto those that are more grown and perfect ; there is strong meat for those that are old, as well as milk for babes. Now the apostle proceeds on, namely, to shew how it comes to pass that the Spirit of God, and only the Spirit of God, should impart and communicate these mysteries, when the wisdom of the world cannot possibly bolt them out ; saith he, " God hath re- vealed them to us by his Spirit ; for the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God." But some may say, the knowledge of these mysteries may come some other way : to take off that, in the following words, verse 11, he shews expressly, that the mys- tery of the gospel can come no other way but by the Spirit of God only, as he will use instruments to himself: I say, the original of discovering the mysteries of the gospel is not demonstration by way of argument or discourse, but the demonstration is by the Spirit of God. And the apostle illustrates it by way of compa- rison, that the Spirit only is the original of the discovery of the mysteries of God ; " As no man knows the things of a man, save the spirit that is in man ;" so no man knows " the things of God, save the Spirit of God :" his meaning in this place is this, you have a thought in your hearts, and if you give no hint of it by external expressions, no man can conceive what you are thinking, till you shall some way evidence yourselves : now, as it is impos- sible for any man to dive into such a thought, so it is as impos- sible for all the creatures in the world to dive into the mysteries of God ; but the Spirit that is of God only reveals them. Now, in the words of my text, the apostle begins to draw to a conclusion of this discourse, and to sum it up to a head ; for, having given this description in general^ concerning the Spirit's AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 187 revealing things that could not otherwise be seen or known, he concludes that it was his, and the case of others; " Now we have not received," &c. Beloved, let me tell you, by the way, it is a matter of great consequence and establishment to know the scope and intention of the Holy Ghost in tl*e several portions of scripture, especially building places that contain life, peace, and joy ; and, therefore, I have the more insisted upon the opening of the text ; for if you take a portion of scripture, and cut it off from the dependance, you may miss the intention of the Spirit therein : for the words may sound to another sense than the drift is, except the cohe- rence be seen and observed ; this, I say, that in reading and preaching, there must be great regard had to what the Holy Ghost principally aims at in Scripture. Thus much by the bye. In the text there are three things considerable. First, What the apostle aims' at here, or the subject matter he is upon, namely, the manifestation of the things freely given of God ; or to impart to us this, that there are things freely given of God to men. Secondly, He speaks of them as they may be known ; " That we may know," &c. Thirdly, He shews how the knowledge of these things that are freely given of God is attained ; and that he sets out, first, ne- gatively, " Not by the spirit of the world ;" secondly, affirma- tively, " by the Spirit that is of God," The proposition is this, ' That *' e things freely given us of God, come to be known, not by the spirit of the world, but by the Spirit which is of God being received. I am confident, none here will stumble at the proposition, being so naturally raised from the words of the text ; I will not there- fore spend time about that. There are these particulars in it worth consideration : and that you may suck and be satisfied ar the breasts of consolation, consider. First, what these things are the apostle speaks of, that are freely given of God. Secondly, What it is for these things to be given. Thirdly, What it is for them to be given freely. Fourthly, What it is to know these things that are thus freely given. Fifthly, How they are made known to us by the Spirit which is of God 1S8 ' THE GREAT GIVEK, First, What these things are that are freely given us of God, for the illustration of which know first, that it is most certainly true indeed, all things whatsoever are the free gift of God to men : " He causeth the sun to shine upon the just, and upon the un just;" and it is the gift of God that he doth it: 1 will only touch one thing by the way, and be brief in it; know this, if Adam, and his posterity, had stood in their innocency, had continued in the royal law, and never offended, that very life that was an- nexed unto obedience, I say, that very life had been a free gift; and, therefore, if you speak of merit properly, as requiring a re- ward proportionable, and having equal power to the work, there could not be merit in a state of innocency ; but that very life, had it come from the performance of perfect obedience, had been a gift of God. I will give you one illustration, that will satisfy you fully in it ; look upon all the creatures, as for instance, upon the sun, that rejoiceth as a giant to run his race; it had its law, as we had, set before it, a kind of duty the very creature performs to the Creator ; if God should be bound to reward according to proportion, and so by way of merit, man's obedierice with life, why not the obedience of the sun in the firmament as well as man ; the sun is a creature, as man is ; as a creature, man hath the same dependance upon the Creator as the sun hath ; what hinders but that the sun in the firmament should merit as well as man ; seeing it performs as complete obedience in its way as man could do ? Beloved, carry this for a principle everlastingly along with you, all that ever the creature partakes of, it hath from God ; and so God oweth nothing to it, for that he partakes of, save that he oweth by free grant ; had not God freely without motive put him- self upon this, that man should have life upon his obedience, he could challenge life no more than any other creature could. But I will not follow this, these things, in general, not being the things the apostle principally aims at here ; for though it be true, all things in general are the free gifts of God, yet here he speaks of things in a restrained way, of some special things pe- culiar to the beloved of the Lord ; such as the Psalmist speaks of, in Psal. XXV. 14, " The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him ;" or such things as Christ speaks of, in Matt. xi. 25, 26. " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou nast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast reveaieii fnem unto babes : even so, O Father, because it pleased AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 189 thee." The things freely given of God, are the things the wise of the world cannot reach : they are hid from them : they are revealed and communicated unto babes. What are those things, you will say ? I can give you but a touch ; for if I dive into the depth of the things, there will be no end, I should never come to the bottom. First of all, God gives himself, and this is such a gift as is a mystery, the world doth not reach, they know not what it is ; it is the greatest gift that ever God could give his people to give over himself; it contains in it the most inestimable and invaluable treasure that is in heaven or earth : for God to pass over himself in such a way of propriety, as that he hath no more command over himself, than the creature can have power over him, for that which is good for him ; this, I say, is the strangest thing that ever was ; and yet God gives himself to his people, that is, he gives man as true a propriety in himself, as he himself hath in himself You know, the Lord, speaking of giving himself, ex- presses it thus, " I have married thee to myself in truth and righteousness;" mark what the drift of it is, a husband marrying a wife, by God's own appointment, gives himself up to the wife ; see how the apostle expresseth it, " The husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife ; as the wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband ;" as much as to say, God being married to a person, he hath not that power over himself, as to deny himself, or the use of himself, to those to whom he nath given himself; the believer hath power with God, so far as God can be useful unto the person to whom he gives himself. T'ttere is as much propriety in a believer to God, as there is in a wife to her husband ; this giving of himself by a deed of gift is frequently mentioned unto you in scripture, but especially in the covenant of grace ; wherever this covenant is repeated, this is the ourthen of the song, as I may say ; this is the great business, " I wiil be their God, (saith he,) and they shall be my people ;" here is the passing of himself over to them ; and this is, I say, one oi the hidden things and mysteries that are freely given, God passeth over himself freely to us. Secondly, God gives his son Christ, as well as he gives him- self ; that is a second deed of gift, giving of his Son to men ; this is frequently repeated; " To us a child is born," saith the pro- phet, Isa. ix. 6. " To us a Son is given," so Isa. xlii n — Tht J90 THE GREAT GIVER, same prophet tells us what the Lord speaks of Christ ; " I will give thee for a covenant to the people, a light to the Gentiles, to open the blind eyes." Here is a giving of Christ, you see ; we are the gift of the Father to Christ, so he is the gift of the Father to us. Now in the giving of Christ there is to be considered, first, The gift of his person; secondly, The gift of all the fruits that redound from the participating of his person. First, God gives the person of Christ to men ; as much as to say, God gives him to stand in the room of men, and men stand in his room. So that in the giving of Christ, God is pleased, as it were, to make a change*, Christ represents our persons to the Father ; we repre- sent the person of Christ to him ; all the loveliness the person of Christ hath, that is put upon us ; and we are lovely with the Father, even as the Son-j- himself. On the other part, all that hatefulness and loathsomeness in our nature is put upon Christ : he stands, as it were, the abhorred of the Father for the time$, even the forsaken of the Father, as he represented our persons, bare our blame, sustained our wrath, and drank the dregs of our cup. Here is the gift of the person ; that which is Christ's, is ours ; that which is ours, is his. There is an admirable expression, in 2 Cor. v. 21, " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." It is • This change of persons is condemned as an error, by D. W. in his Gospel Truth, &c. p. 37, 38, but is a most glorious truth of the gospel ; and without which, it would be no gospel, no glad tidings. It is fully expressed in 2 Cor. v. 21, as well as in other places, and is the ground of our redemption by Christ, of his satisfaction for us, and the atonement of our sins, and the justification of our persons, and indeed of our whole salvation ; so that we have reason to break out in the same exclamation as Justin Martyr did upon it, in his epistle to Diognetus, p. 500, i ttjs yKvKitas avraWayiis, O sweet change ! A work unsearchable ! Benefits unexpected ! that the transgression of many should be hid by one righteous person, and the righteousness of one justify many transgressors. t John xvii. 23. 1 That is, while he bore the sins of his people, sustamed the wrath of God, and was made a curse for them ; nor should this seem harsh to any, especially as the Doctor has qualified it ; for he does not say he stands the abhorred, but, as it were, the ab- horred of the Father; though, had he said he was abhorred for a time, it is no mora than the scripture says ; Psal. Ixxxix. 38, " Thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed," or with thy Messiah ; which words are nnder- stood of Christ, by several interpreters, ancient and modern ; Christ indeed, as the Son of God, was always the object of his Father's love; and so he was in his state of humiliation, and even under his sufferings and death ; John x. 17, as the celebrated Witsius observes, " Christ was represented not only under the emblem of a lamb, a foolish beast, and prone to go astray ; but of a goat, lascivious, wanton, and of an ill smell; yea, of a cursed sei-pent, and on that account execrable, and cursed of God; not for the taking of our sins upon him, which was an holy action, and most grateful to God; but for the sins which he took upon him, and for the persons of the ginneri wh'ch l\p sustained." — Aniinndv. Irenie. c. 3, f 5, p. 43. AND His FREE GIFTS. 191 plainly manifested, that which we were, Christ became " sin for as;" then that which Christ was, we became, that is, " the righ- teousness of God ; for we are made the righteousness of God in him." Secondly, With Christ there is the gift of the fruit of him j she that hath an husband, hath all that is his. I have read an ancient deed of gift, made by one of the first kings of England, giving all from the heavens to the centre of the earth : so that if there be minerals in the bowels of the earth, they are compre- hended in the gift ; so it is with Christ ; God, in his Son, and with him, giveth all that he hath and is. All the mines in the bowels of Christ are ours ; " All things are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's :" so that, whatever is Christ's, by the gift of him, becomes the person's to whom he is given. Con- sider what you can imagine Christ hath as a fruit growing from him as he is Christ, with him that fruit is given to man, namely, to his own people ; as free justification from all sin ; free recon- ciliation with the Father ; free adoption to all the glory and li- berty of the sons of God ; firm peace and agreement, without any more quarrelling between God and his people ; a free use of all things in a sanctified way*. Finally, (we cannot run upon these particulars at large) The third thing given of God, is the Spirit of God ; " He will give his Spirit to them that ask him ;" Luke xi. 13. There is a deed of gift of the Spirit ; " I will send you another comforter," saith Christ, " and he shall lead you into all truth." And, as the Spirit of God is the gift of God, so the knowledge of those free gifts that are only known by the Spirit itself, is the gift of God. With this Spirit, wisdom and understanding are given, and the knowledge of the mystery of the gospel ; that you shall not only have these things (spoken of before) given you, but the knowledge of them all ; the sound knowledge of them is as much the gift of God as the things themselves ; this is by the Spirit of God. Comfort is given by him ; you shall never have rest in your spirits, but as he rocks you asleep, and gives you rest. In brief, as all things are given in Christ by his own pur- chasef , so all things are given in him by the Spirit, by way of application and possession in particular * 1 Tim. iv. 5. f Our English divines, (for I don't remember to have met with \t amonfe- 192 THE GREAT GlVEll, Let US, therefore, now consider (for I must now redeem the time) what it is for these (I might have mentioned other particu- lars that are given) to be given of God. A deed of gift, is opposed to two things ; first, to sale ; se- condly, to loan. These things, therefore, are communicated by- God. First, not by sale or bargain ; he doth not play the mer- chant ; here are my wares, give me the price, and take the com- modity. I beseech you take heed of such principles as these are ; the covenant of Christ, as some may imagine, runs upon this strain, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people ;" that is, I will tell you upon what terms I will be yours : come, bring this price, deliver up yourselves to me, and then I will be yours ; give me the price and take it; God is no such huckster; he drives no such bargains in giving himself, and in giving Christ, and his Spirit ; he makes no sale at all, for sale and deed of gift are opposite. If I buy such a thing of a man, he doth not give it me. Beloved, you must not think to bring a price to God for those things you would have of him : take heed of such conceits, that your as- surance, peace, and comfort must cost you dear before you have them ; for God will take no cost or price at your hands. Observe that admirable expression in Isaiah Iv. 1, 2, 3, by this you shall plainly perceive God is no huckster, he doth not keep shop, he doth not shew you wares, and ask a price of you before you have them: " Ho every one that thirsteth (that is, that have a mind) come to the waters, come buy and eat ; buy wine and milk without money aad without price." Why money and price ? there is a difference between money and price, namely, as there is a difference be- tween money, and monies-worth : your poor men, their day's labour is monies-worth, and their day's labour is a price ; there- fore, there is equality between the labour and the wages, as there IS equivalence between the money and the thing bought. Now the meaning of the Holy Ghost here is, God doth not look for money, nor price, nor labour ; he doth not look that men should especially of the last age, and many in this, have used the word purchase, concerning the blessings of grace and glory, and other things. They, indeed, come to us through the blood of the covenant, that so we may enjoy them consistent with the holiness and righteousness of God ; but, strictly and properly speaking, nothing was purchased by- Christ but his church ; nor is any other in scripture ever said to be so ; the only pas- sage that looks like it, Eph. i. 14, respects the people of God, the portion and pos- tsiioa of Christ, purchased and redeemed by him ; the reason of which is, the people of Q Jd, though given to Christ, were captives in other hands, and therefore must be rctieemed or brought out ; whereas, the blessings of grace and glory never were. It n'ould be better, I think, if the word was disused. AND HIS FREE GIFTS. A93 earn their gifts before they have them ; he looks not for the penny, nor for the penny's- worth ; therefore, be not deceived, tnough in respect of Christ, God made a sale, and made him pay according to the bargain ; in which regard, the apostle saith, " We are bought with a price;" yet, in respect of us, I say, there is no sale at all. Let me tell you, there are more Simonical persons in the world than men are aware of. In Acts viii. the great sin of Simon Magus was, " That he thought the gift of the Holy Ghost might be bought with money;" the apostle in that chaptei thunders out an execration upon him, for oflermg to think or speak this, " That the gift of the Holy Ghost might be bought with money ;" and therefore he tells him plainly, " That he was in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, and that he had no part nor portion in the matter." How near they follow to the heels and steps of Simon Magus, that will bring their price m their hands to God, to partake of the gift of the Holy Ghost, I leave it to the wise to judge. Therefore, you that would have your part and portion in this matter, of the gift of God, know that it must cost you nothing; this derogateth not from your obedience ; there is employment enough for you, and there are ends sufficient for it, though this obedience be not the price you are to bring, from whence you are to expect the gifts of God: God requires your obedience to glorify him ; to be the manifesta- tion of your thankfulness; for the good of your brethren ; for the manifesting and accomplishing his gifts in the use of ordinances ; but that these should be a price, is a gross mistake. Do not dream that your conscionable walking before God here, is the thing that must commend you to him hereafter; nothing but Jesus Christ, sent out of the love and bowels of the Father, can possibly commend you to God, Do not think this, or that, you do, is that price from whence you are to expect the things of God ; but, know, that these are given of him. I shall run over some heads very briefly, for I see I am much prevented. Secondly, Therefore, besides sale, God's gifts are not a .oan neither ; this is a great consideration. The things that we have ot God, as they are a gift, so they are not a loan ; what we receive of him, are not lent. There is a difference between lending, and giving ; he that lends money, looks it should be paid again ; he that gives it, gives it for ever, without ever looking for it again. The things of God, as they are given, so he doth not look for o i94 ' THE GREAT OIVER, them again. Vou know, it -is a ridiculous thing to give a thing, a'Hl take it ai^aln ; we count this children's play. How many of God's children, in temptation, look upon the things that God hath given them, and yet suspect he will take them again ? What is lent, men may challenge again ; but, when a man gives a thing, it is injustice for him to challenge it any more ; there is the difference between lending and giving. If God gives things to men, and takes them again, he relinquisheth and frustrateth his own act ; for if he takes them away, they were not given. A deed of gift, and title of land by deed of gift, are as firm as a title by purchase ; Avhat God hath given, he cannot call in again. I speak this to the consolation of trembling spirits ; they look upon God bestowing himself, Christ, and his Spirit, and they receive what God hath given ; yet their spirits tremble, and they are afraid he will take these away again from them : they commit such and such sins ; therefore, surely, say they, I shall lose that I have ; remember the nature of a gift, and remember this too, that whatever God hath given, he calls it not in again. Suppose a father should deliver up and give all his lands and goods to his son, and make a real deed of gift in law, passing it over to him, as linn as law can make it: this son, peradventure, commits some fault afterAvards ; can the Father call in this deed of gift, in respect of the fault committed ? Thou art a son of God, and a darling of his; it may be thou hast committed many sins; for " in many things we sin all ;" doth God call in his deed ? Is not this deed of gift enrolled in the word of grace, and upon record ? Tliis very enrolling is sufficient security to thee ; thou canst not be dispossest of it. There are many think that such preaching gives way to licen- tiousness ; I answered it fully the last time I was among you ; " I beseech you by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God." The consideration of the unchange- ableness of the grace of God and his love ; there is no other means in the world to keep men from sin, but this stands firm for ever. As things are the gift of God, so they are unchangeable to them, to whom they are given ; and the Lord give you wisdom, and un derstanding, and his Spirit, to hold fast a truth of such infinite concern to the joy and peace of your spirits; and till you receive such unchangeable principles, whereupon the stability of your peace is founded, you will be like waves of the sea tossed to and AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 195 fro with Gvery wind of temptation ; you will nave every little thing raise suspicions and jealousies in your spirits. But, be- loved, " God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent: shall he say, and shall it not come to pass ?" Numb, xxiii. 19. Shall God assent to a thing, and how much more shall not he make good that word that he assents to ? Certainly, when men give a thing, they will not take it away, seeing the thing is given ; I say, the things of God are given, and he cannot take them away : " The gates of hell shall not prevail against you." There are many things of useful consideration, if tune would give me leave to open them to you. Thirdly, The things of God are not only given, but they are freely given. I must not touch upon the heads ; there are these five things considerable in a free gift ; I will but name them. First, A free gift is, when a thing is given without compulsion j a man doth not properly give his purse upon the highway, when thieves force him to it ; things freelv given ai'e not compulsory, but voluntary. Secondly, Things may be given, but gruagingly ; they may be given with a heart relucting against it ; as many men give to the poor, to serve the necessity of the times ; but it goes to their hearts to part with it ; here is a gift, but it is not a free gift, be- cause the heart is not enlarged, here is not a ready heart; but God doth not give grudgingly, he loves a cheerful giver, and doth so himself, for " He waits that he may be gracious," Isa. xxx. 18. Thirdly, A gift is free, and free indeed, when a thing is given only out of the motion in, and from a man's own spirit, without any external incentive and provocation to put him upon such a gift. It is commendable, I confess, for a man to be per- suaded by others to do good ; but the glory of free gifts stands in the freeness of a man's own spirit without provocation. Know thus much in general, all the things we receive from God, there is no incentive, no provocation, no motive, as the original, to stir or provoke him to give them. Let me tell you this, Christ himself is not the original motive of the gift of God ; he is th<» instrument, or, as the scripture saith, the mediator of our partak • ing of the gifts of God; the love of God in himself is the firs* fountain of all the gifts of God to us ; nay, the very fountain o, o 2 196 THE GREAT GIVER, Christ himself, to compass the fruition and enjoyment of these gifts, that the love of God himself had first framed, composed, and ordained for us ; much less then, can any creature in the world have prevalency with God to stir up bowels in him, as if he needed to be stirred up to do the good he doth ; that which he doth, Cometh from the motion of his own thoughts rising in himself? not being raised up by any thing without himself. Fourthly, A gift is free, when it is bountiful ; such a man is a free house-keeper; that is, he keeps a bountiful house : so the gifts of God are free in respect of his bounty: God doth not sow sparingly, but liberally; he giveth us freely to enjoy all things; ^' There is plenteous redemption with him," Psal. cxxx, 7. There is abundance of satiety ; " They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, they shall drink of the river of thy pleasure," Psal. xxxvi. 8. Here is a free God ; iere is freeness indeed, in that he is a bountiful God, in all that he bestows upon the sons of men ; he fills the cup to the brim, pressed down, heaped up, and running over ; in this manner is the bounty of God expressed ; *' He saves to the uttermost all them that come to God by him," lleb. vii. 25. Fifthly and Lastly, A free gift is a gift that is unconditional ; Qod doth not propose conditions before-hand, but gives his gifts without respect to any condition. Beloved, do not mistake ; our faith, and obedience-, are not the condition of God's gifts. That in the song, of Zachariah is observable, " That he would grant us, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our lives ;" observe, this service " without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives," is not the condition of deliverance, that we might partake of it; but heie is first deliverance, and then service is the fruit of it ; not dsliver- ance the fruit of service ; God delivers, and then W6 serve ; and the tenor of the gospel in this, is contrary to the tenor of the law ; the tenor of the law runs thus, " First do, then live ;" the gospel saith, " First live, then do;" " When thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee. Live ; then washed I thee with water, then put on ornaments upon thee :" Thus, when you consider, the frame o the gospel runs, that there is nothing comes to men, but as a free gift of God, even Christ himself is so given ; do not think that God gives Christ upon condition. AND HIS FREE GIFTS. 197 Fourthly, What it is for men to know this gift of God ; there is a two-fold knowledge ; in general, First, A knowledge of the thing; Secondly, A knowledge of propi'iety in the thing; so there is a two-fold knowledge of these things given ; First, The know- ledge of the things given ; Secondly, The knowledge of propriety in them; the knowledge of the thing itself given is two-fold; First, Intellectual ; Secondly, Practical. The intellectual know- ledge is the natural understanding of the thing in a proper sense ; practical knowledge is a sensible knowledge. You may distin- guish them thus, as the knowledge man has of the sweetness of sugar in his understanding, and the knowledge of the sweetness of it in the taste. There is a great deal of difference between these two ; for the things of God that are given, may be known intellectually in a common way, not only by the elect, but repro- bate ; but the people of God only know them practically, that is, they receive by degrees the sweetness of them, and God gives the taste of them more and more to them. Secondly, There is besides the knowledge of the thing, the knowledge of propriety, which is this, when men know the things of God, and know them as their own. It is one thing for a person to know such a woman is wise, beautiful, and rich; and it Is another thing to know this wise, beautiful, and rich woman is my wife ; that I have a propriety in all she is, and hath : and so, likewise, it is one thing for a woman to know that a man is a man of parts, of wealth, and honour ; to know him that he is so, is one thing, and to know him that is thus wise, rich, and honourable, to be her husband, is another thing : so it is likewise in the know- ledge of spiritual things ; it is one thing to know God and spi- ritual things, another thing to know him by way of propriety, to know that he gives himself to me as mine ; and so, likewise, of all the rest of the particulars that are given ; as Christ and the Spirit : now all this comes not by the spirit of the world, but by the Spirit that is of God. This I should have shewed more at large ; but of this hereafter ; because I fear I have already tres- passed upon your patience. m SERMON XIII. KECONC ILIA T ION BY CHRIST ALONE. 2 CORINTHIANS v. 19. TO WIT, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE W^ORLD UNTO HIMSELF, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM. This great apostle of the Gentiles, Saint Paul I mean, though he did not first break the ice, nor lay the first hand upon the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, to pull it down, that they might become both one in one Christ ; (for Peter went before him, and was indeed the first in this business, though with great bitterness of spirit even from the rest of the apostles themselves ; who supposed that the glorious privileges of Christ, were to be confined only to the nation of the Jews, as you may perceive in Acts chap. viii. and ix. ; though Paul I say, was not the first) yet, as he himself speaks in this business of publishing the grace of God in Christ to the Gentiles, he laboured more abundantly than they all ; of which labour of his, this chapter gives abundant testimony, especially in the beginning of verse 14, where he gives the great occasion, or motive, why he did preach Christ so clearly and freely to the Gentiles ; " The love of Christ, (saith he) con- strains me :" as if he should say, seeing that the glory of the grace of God, hath so far extended itself, as that not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles, may have a portion in him, it is a pity that so much abundant grace which serves to the magnifying of Christ so exceedingly should be concealed ; Christ hath done : o much for me, thinks Paul, that it were an unworthy part in mc to conceal that which should make so much unto his glory , the love wherewith he hath loved me, constrains me to do the utmost (that he might have all his praise) to manifest his glory. Therefore, having thus laid down the great motive that set him on work to publish the gospel, he takes up this resolution to do it, let it cost him what it will ; (as it is like to do all that will be RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 109 go exact in publishing the gospel as ho was) yet the love of Christ did so constrain him, that he cannot keep it in ; ne must speak out this love of his. Thus he comes to the business in the latter end of verse 14, " If one die for all*, then were ail dead ;" his meaning is this, he puts the emphasis upon the word all; and that emphasis is not spoken simply, but relatively and comparatively ; as much as to say, It is not only the Jews have part in the death of Christ, but all have a part in it ; If Christ had an eye not only on the Jews, but on the Gentiles too, in his death f; then, saith he, " all were dead," that is, all his people have a part in that death. Now, that the apostle here mainly intends the setting forth of the largeness of God's grace in Christ, extending not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, verse 16, makes clear; for, saith he there, " Henceforth know we no man after the flesh ; yea, thouo-h we have known Christ after the flesh; yet henceforth know we him so no more." Give me leave to open the meaning of it ; for I must tell you there is a great deal of mistake con- cerning the scope of the apostle in these words, which makes the sense of them so obscure in the reading of them. The apostle was once of the same mind with James, and the rest ; that Christ, as he came of the flesh of Abraham, and so, according to the flesh, was of the kindred of all the Jews ; they verily thought that the virtue of Christ, and redemption by him, had extended no further than to the flesh, that is, to the same flesh of which he came ; they of the circumcision chide Peter, that he should offer to go without the bounds of the Jews, to preach the gospel to them, which they thought had no part in it; the apostle was of this mind once ; but " Henceforth (saith he) know I no man after the flesh;" that is, I will never preach Christ after the flesh, as if none had share in him but those that are of the kin- dred of which he came ; nay, saith he, " Though I have known Christ thus after the flesh, henceforth I know him so no more ;" ivhere he expounds what he spake before ; as if he should say, I thouffht Christ had had a mind to save none but the kindred of * The sense of the passage is not that Christ died for all that wore dead, but that all wore dead for whom he died ; and the meaning is, that if Christ died for all, then all Ihose were dead for whom he died. Wherefore this text does not inako for the doctrine of general redemption ; for it should be observed, that it does not say that Christ died for all men, but for il!; and 80, agreeable to the Scriptures, niav be understood of all the pcrBons mentioned. i Rev. V. 9. 200 KRCONCILIITION BY CHRIST ALONE, whiili he i.'amo , I will know him thus no longer; I will preach the gospel so no more ; 1 will preach it no more to the Jews than to the Gentiles ; they that are not of the flesh of Christ, have as great a portion in him as those that are of his flesh. Hence he begins to gather up his main doctrine which he. would preach to the Gentiles, and that he brings in verse 17, " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ;" where the emphasis lies upon any man ; If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; as if he should say. This is the new doctrine I will now preach to the world ; not if the Jew be in Christ ; but if any man in the world be in him, he is a new creature ; every man in the world hath this privilege, as well as the Jews ; if any man be • in Christ, he shall be a new creature, as well as the Jews : and because of some obscurity in this phrase, therefore, in verse 18, the apostle expounds his own meaning, what he in- tends by a new creature. Give me leave to open this place to you ; for I must tell you there are some great mistakes in this point. Most men think that this phrase, new creature^ is a renewed, sanctified man, so as he becomes new in his own conversation, when his life is changed ; I do not deny the truth of the thing, all that are in Christ, he renews them, sanctifies them, and sub- dues iniquity in them; but, under favour, let me tell you, the apostle's meaning here by new creature is, not that they are sanctified ; but that they are new creatures, that is, they are re- conciled unto God ; this is his meaning ; " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; that is, he is brought into a new condition that he was not in before ; and this new condition is, he is noAv reconciled unto God ; whereas, before, he was an alien ^nd stranger to him. But, you will say, How will it appear that the apostle's new creature is a person reconciled, and considered as reconciled, and not as sanctified ? I answer. This is clear by verse 18, " For, all things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." Mark well ; the main thing he drives at here is, to let the Corinthians know, and us with them, what the main ministry was which Christ had committed unto them; which was this, to publish, that " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." What is that? namely, that " God, from whom all things are, hath reconciled us to him- RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 201 nelf by Jesus Christ ;" this was the ministry which was commit- ted unto them. Now, if the apostle had spoken here of sanctification, he would have said, that the ministry committed unto him, with the rest, was a ministry of sanctification, as well as reconciliation ; but the ministry God committed to him here was this, God re- conciling men to himself by Jesus Christ ; so that the being a new creature here, which was the ministry committed to the apostle, is reconciliation with God by Jesus Christ. Now in verse 19, the text that I have read unto you, he begins anew to explain more particularly, what this ministry is that the Lord halh committed unto him ; " To wit, (saith he) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the word of leconciliation." And, therefore, in the next verse you shall find, he makes this so essential a business to the ministry of the gospel, that he calls himself, and the rest, ambassadors, and ambassadors for this very purpose, namely, in Christ's stead, to beseech people that they would be reconciled unto God ; and then, in the closure of the chapter, he tells them what the fruits of this reconciliation are, and by Avhat means we come to partake of it: " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." From which words I might observe to you, as they have reference to the coherence. First, What the great and main business of us that profess ourselves to be the ministers of Christ, ought to be in the world with men. It is to be lamented, I confess, and I would to God there were no occasion to speak of it, whilst we profess ourselves lo be the ambassadors of Christ, to dispatch this great business, to beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God ; we are too much the ministers of Moses, pressing and thundering the wrath of God from heaven ; publishing unto men the work- ing out their own salvation by their own works, according to the law ; putting on them the performance of duties in every parti- cular, that they may have peace and joy of spirit from it ; tell- ing them, that they must make their peace with God, by fasting, and prayer, and mourning : is this to beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God by Christ alone ? This is the embassage of the ministers of the gospel ; and whoever he be 202 RECONCILIATION Bf CHRIST ALONE. that forsakes this message, he goes, and is not sent , he takes upon him to manage a business out of his commission ; for the commission is, that we in Christ's stead should beseech men to be reconciled unto God, and that by the blood of Christ alone. Secondly, I might note a thing, which, peradventure, puzzles the heads of many people, how you may understand those many texts of scripture that speak so largely of the extent of the death of Christ, " He died not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world :" and so verse 14, " If one died for all, then were all dead." From whence many collect the universality of re- demption unto all particular persons in the world* ; but from this coherence you may plainly perceive, that the apostle's main drift is not that every particular person partakes of reconciliation by Christ; he doth not speak of every particular, but in opposi- tion to the Jews ; as if he should say, you mistake yourselves, you that are of the Jews, that boast of Christ, as if there were no Christ but in yourselves ; no, saith he, you are mistaken, he goes beyond you, he goes over all the world. And when St. John saith, (1 John ii. 2,) " And not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world," he doth not say ours, in reference to be- lievers, but he saith ours, as he was naturally of the stock of Abraham ; when he saith, " Not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world," he doth not oppose the world unto the elect, but the v/orld of the elect unto the Jews ; and his meaning is, all the world hath a part in Christ, and in every corner of it there is a portion of Christ, as well as there is in us, who are of the seed of Abraham ; and, therefore, the apostle (Rom. iv. 13,) saith expressly, " That the promise is not made • The learned Hoornbeeck asserts, that the Doctor from this passage, and 1 John ii. 2, after quoted, " Collects the universality of the redemption of all particular per- sons in the world, though all are not partakers of that reconciliation ;" in which this learned man appears to be mistaken; for the Doctor does not collect this himself, only says, Many collect it from hence ; and he himself seems to be of a diiferent mind by the adversative BUT from this coherence, &c. and expressly says, the apostle does not speak of every particular person, but in opposition to the Jews ; and so, on the other text, 1 John ii. 2, he observes, that the apostle does not oppose the world unto the elect, but the world of the elect unto the Jews ; and suggests that there are some in all the world, and in every corner of it, that have a part in Christ, and are his portion ; which is very far from the doctrine of general redemption: and though the Doctor sometimes uses some general phrases, when off his guard, yet I cannot think he held the doctrine of universal redemption ; and this learned Professor himself, who is the only one I ever met with that charged the Doctor with it, seems to have some hesita- tion himself about it ; for he says, (of the Doctor and those in his time called Anti- nomians) ''Rcdemptionem decent aliquam universalem, they teach some sort of universal redemption, or universal redemption in some sense."— Vide Hoornbeeck's Summ. Controvers, 1. 10, p. 702, 703. HEOONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 203 to Abraham, and to his seed after the flesh," but to his seed after the Spirit, " that walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham." By this you may be able to resolve those manifold difficulties that arise from the universality of the tender of grace by Christ unto the world; the world, I say, is opposed only unto the narrow con- fines of the Jews, and includes not particular persons; but this is not that I mainly drive at for the present. I come to the text itself The substance of the main ministry of the apostle stands in this, that " God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." In which you may observe with me, First, The great grace, that living, lively, and heart-reviving grace the apostle brings to light, and commends, to the com- forting of the hearts of God's people, and that is reconciliation with God. Secondly, Note here, the original author or efficient of this re- conciliation and grace, that is, God himself. Thirdly, Note here, the main means by which this reconcilia- tion is effected, and that is Christ himself alone ; " God was in Christ." Fourthly, Note this, the time when this reconciliation was made between Qod and persons in particular. The apostle him- self, though he lived so many years before us, speaks of it as a thing already past ; he doth not say God is, or will be, but he speaks in the preter-perfect tense, "God was in Christ reconcil- ing the world unto himself;" it is a thing long before finished perfectly to our hands ; that we may, when God hath given us eyes to behold it, see it as a thing already done, and perfected before, and not now perfecting, much less now to be begun. Fifthly, We may note the persons with whom God in Christ is reconciled, and that is the world ; " God was in Christ, recon- ciling the world unto himself." The principal thing I mean to drive at, is the consideration of the great grace that the apostle brings here to light ; and tJiat is reconciliation with God; " God was in Christ, reconcilino- the world unto himself." What is it (will you say) for God to be reconciled to persons ? For the clearing of this. First, note, something is to be pre- mised as a necessary antecedent to reconciliation itself. Unto reconciliation, of necessity there must be supposed something to 204 RECONCILIATION BY CimiST ALONE. be done by us, occasioning a breach between God and us ; ad- ministering such just cause of distaste, and of offence, as not only caused God to separate himself afar off from men, but also to prepare wrath and vengeance. Wherever there is reconciliation, it is s'3ppos('d there was a breach made ; and, upon the breach made, reconciliation is the bringing persons, thus at distance and difference by a breach, to become one again ; and, therefore, you must know, there is no man under heaven reconciled unto God but as he is, or was considered as walking contrary unto God ; and that this contrary walking unto him hath occasioned a breach between God and him. And, therefore, you shall find, when the apostle speaks of our being reconciled unto God, he brings still in this clause, that there were estrangement and distance, before such union and reconciliation: as in Eph. ii. 13, you shall find how he brings in the previous consideration ; " You, (saith he) who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ ;" this making nigh, or bringing together, is the recon- ciliation that is made with God; and the persons, that are thus made nigh, before their bringing nigh, are said to be afar off; as much as to say, there is that contrariety between God and man natural!}^, that puts him afar off from God, and makes him remol*- " He beholds the wicked afar off," (saith the Psalmist) Psal. cxxxviii. 6. God keeps at a distance with men, when they walk in a way giving distaste and offence unto him ; and it is the business of Christ to bring them nigh again, those that were thus sometimes afar off. But the apostle speaks more plainly in Col. . 21, 22. " You, (saith he,) that were sometimes alienated (or estranged, that is to say, from God) and enemies in your minds throvigh wicked works, hath he now reconciled." Where he not only shews there is a remote distance, and a kind of estrangement Detween God and men, before reconciliation ; but he delivers the true proper ground from whence this alienation proceeds ; " who were alienated in your minds by reason of your wicked works :" our wicked Avorks are they that cause alienation and estrangement from God ; " And," saith he, " you who were thus sometimes alienated, are reconciled by Christ." And, therefore, know, this must be laid down as a certain position, and be received of men, that in respect of themselves they are alienated and estranged persons, and the wickedness of their ways is that which causeth this alienation, and estrangement, and separation, from Goo. RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 205 But some (it may be) will object ; Was there ever a time that God was alienated and estranged as an enemy to those people of his, with whom he is now reconciled? Some will say, God loves his people with an everlasting love, and he never looks upon hi.s people but with a look of love, and with a look of union. For answer to this, give me leave to clear a mystery unto you , this seems to be a kind of paradox, that God should, from all eternity, look with eyes of love upon his people, and yet there should be a time in which there should be an alienation or enmity between God and them. For the reconciliation of this difference, you must know, it is one thing for God to recollect all future things that shall come in all the several times of the world, into one thought of his own ; and it is another thing for these things to come to pass in their several times, according to their own nature. You must know, it is true, that in God's eternal thoughts, according to the infinite vastness of his own comprehension, he did sum up, from first to last, all the occur- rences and passages which in succession of time should come to pass. As for example : — ^he had at once in his eye man in his innocency, in his fall, and in his restoration by Christ ; he had in his eye man committing sin against him from time to time ; and, at the same instant, had in his eye Christ dying for these sins of men, and so satisfying his own justice for their trans- gressions, Now, because God had all things at once in his eye, which, in respect of their actual being, are in succession of time ; therefore, it comes to pass, that God, from all eternity, had everlasting love unto his own people, though in time they do those actions which, in their own nature, are enmity against God. For example ; you and I are, it may be, this moment committing some sin, which is enmity to the nature of God ; that sin, simply considered in its own nature, hath an estrange- ment in it, to separate between us and God; but though it is true, that sin committed hath, in its own nature, a power of separating ; yet, as God from all eternity had the present sins we now commit, in his eye, and at the same moment had the satis- faction in his eye ; from hence it comes to pass, there was not a time in which God actually stood at enmity with our persons : but, in respect of the nature of things coming successively to pass, man's condition may be considered as a condition of enmity ; and again, it may be considered as a condition of re- 500 RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. conciliation to God. That you and I were born in sin is true, and that this our being born in sin was a state of enmity against God, is as true ; that in the fulness of time Christ came into the world, and then actually did bear our sins, by which God became reconciled unto us again, is also most certainly tme. There is a great distance of time between sin committed, and that satisfaction actually made; but in respect of God's eye lookino" upon all things at once, there is no distance of time be- tween that enmity which sin did produce, and that reconciliation which the blood of Christ hath wrought, to take away this en- mity. I hope, though this be a high mystery, yet it will be clear to such that will but take into consideration that difference between God's own simple act of comprising all the sins of the world at once (I mean that infinite act of God in that infinite comprehension of his), and the succession of things in their own time and nature ; this being supposed, that persons actually do that which is enmity, and that which makes a difference and separation. Reconciliation itself briefly stands in this, namely, that what- ever breach there was, or was occasioned by any act of man in it, all these breaches are quite made up, and taken away : when God is reconciled to persons, he hath no more quarrel with, nor con- troversy against them with whom he is reconciled ; though this day, yesterday, to-morrow, and the next day, thou dost commit a sin, which, in its own nature, is enmity, and may occasion abroach between God and thee ; yet, I say, if God be once reconciled, all whatever administers any quarrel or controversy between God and thee, is absolutely taken up ; he hath no more to object against thee, or to hit thee in the teeth withal. Understand, I beseech you, the nature of reconciliation, and you shall find there is more in it than usually is apprehended : you know as long as men stomach one another, and, as often as they have occasion, are quarrelling one with another; all this while these persons are not recoiiciled indeed, though peradventure there may be some complimental shaking of hands ; if still there be snarling one at another, and stomaching one another, they are not reconciled : so I say, is God quarrelling with thy spirit ? is he still hitting thee in the teeth with such and such sins, thou committest against him ? is the bitterness of God poured upon thee ? is his wrath revealed against thee? I say, if there be this wrath of God at any time RKCONCILTATION BY CHRIST ALONE. '^Jt truly revealed against thee, there is not yet a reconciliation of God towards thee. In reconciliation there are no old grudgings, quarrellings, and controversies ; there is no hearing of them any more ; in that there are forgiving and forgetting, as you use to say ; and all this, whatever it is with men, it is thus with God; wherever God is reconciled, he forgives and forgets for ever. Therefore you shall find when the Lord speaks of reconciliation in the covenant, lie saith, " I will be their God, and they shall be my people ;" here is the drawing and making a person one with himself; " And your sins and your iniquities will I remem- ber no more," follows it. I beseech you, observe it well, there is a great deal of matter in this expression, and this will give you rest if ever you have it. Either you must deny God is recon- ciled, or you must conclude he hath forgiven your transgressions, and he will remember your sins no more. It may be you feel much corruption venting itself; though you act this and that transgression at this time, if God be reconciled to you, he doth not remember your sins you now commit ; " Your sins," mark it well, because I know it is harsh to men, and con- trary to sense and reason, yet it must be true, because the Lord hath spoken it ; " Your sins, and your iniquities, I will remember no more." You will say, when ? I answer, Avhen God is entered into covenant with a people ; " And this shall be the covenant I will make in those days," saith the Lord, " I will sprinkle you with clean w^ater, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more." How can this be, you will say, is God grown so forgetful, that he takes no notice, that at this instant I sin, and cannot he re- member I sin ? This seems to be a mighty strange argument. Now suppose I could not answer this ; is this a truth that God saith, or no, " Your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more ?" If this be not a truth, then the word of God is untrue, and then farew^ell all the ground upon which a person ought to build ; but let God be true, and every man a liar ; therefore, to clear it, I say, God remembers, and knows well enough that we act this : his meaning then is, I will remember them no more, to hit you in the teeth with them ; I will have no more to say to you for these transgressions you now commit ; for all that he has to say against iniquity, against this present iniquity committed; he hath said it over to Christ already, when he wa-s upon the cross i 208 RECONCILIATION BY CIiniST ALONE. and this sin now committed was then in the remembrance of God; he took the full payment for it, and for that sin that shall be committed to-morrow, unto the end of the world, he took all the payment of Christ ; therefore he will never repeat them over to you ; this is God's way, not to hit his people in covenant in the teeth, nor upbraid them with any sin they commit ; this is plain in the latter end of the text, " Not imputing their trespasses unto them:" as if he had said, I will never call you to an account for the sins you commit ; I will never tax you for them ; you shall be in mine eyes as if you did not sin; all that I mean to ask, I have it already, at the hands of my Son ; " I have beheld the travail of his soul, (Isa. liii. 11,) and am satisfied" with the be- holding of it. In Isa. xxvii. 4, you have a notable expression, " Fury is not in me," saith God. You will say, how can that be ; is not God angry ? Doth he not pour out his wrath and ven- geance 1 Doth not his fury burn against sin ? The prophet speaks in the name of God in that place ; " Fury is not in me :" but if you will read the passage well, observe it, and you shall find of what time the Lord speaks this ; he speaks not of the present, but of a certain time that he prophesieth of. The Lord hath a vine- yard, he watcheth over it, and waters it night and day : and this vineyard shall enlarge its borders, and shall spread itself over all the world ; the meaning then is this ; there is a time to come, wherein the people of the Lord, the vine of the Lord shall spread itself, not in the garden of Israel only, but all the world over; that is, the Gentiles shall be received into fellowship with God, as well as the Jews ; Christ shall come, and pull down the wall of partition; and the gospel of Christ shall be preached all the world over ; then " Fury shall not be in me ;" when Christ hath offered up himself, and perfected for ever them that are sanctified, then the Lord hath no more fury to pour out upon such as are in him : when your reconciliation is made with God ; know from the first time of it till your last breath, there shall not be the least fury in God to you; for that is poured out upon Christ already, and there is not one drop of that poison to be poured out upon you. Isa. liv. 9, is a most admirable place ; " As I have sworn (saith the Lord) that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." What not God be wroth with, nor so much as rebuke persons? Yea, so saith the Lord, " I will not be wroth RECONCILIATION BY CHRIST ALONE. 209 I have sworn unto thee, that as the waters of Noah," &c. You know the Lord made a covenant, that there should never come a flood to drown the world any more ; this covenant is firm, so as that the water shall drown all the world again, before God will be wroth with his people any more ; when is this ? Look into the beginning of the chapter, and you shall see ; when the Jews shall inherit the Gentiles, then it shall be. But you will say, the Lord in that chapter saith, " For a little moment have I hid my face ; in a little wrath I hid it," verse 8, and therefore it seems God was v/roth and angry, then, when he said he would not be wroth, and with the same people. But mark it well, there is a great mistake, as if the Lord spake all in that chapter to the same people ; he distinguisheth between his present dealing with them, and with his people af- terwards, when the Gentiles shall come into his fold; indeed it is true, he saith, he forsook this church as the wife of his youth, " But with everlasting kindness will 1 have mercy upon thee," «aith he: there was a time in which the Lord was wroth, and hid nis face ; but there is a time when he will not only be kind, but will have mercy with everlasting kindness; that is, a kindness that hath no intervenings of wrath mixed, but that holds out, an everlasting love; and this mercy without any wrath between, should be when the people of the Jews should inherit the Gen- tiles ; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, by Christ's taking away the wall of partition. In brief, know this as a certain truth, God once reconciled is so for ever; God is not such a changeling as to be reconciled to- day, and fall out to-morrow again ; God when he is once become friends with a man, he is so for ever; nothing shall break* squares between God and him. Again, Consider by what means this reconciliation is wrought, and then it will be manifest unto you that God cannot be angry, it is by Christ ; " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself." I ask this question, did Christ fully satisfy the indig- nation of God, or did he satisfy it only in part, leaving some re- mainders of it for the creature to come after and bear ? If Christ did not fully satisfy indignation, he is but a piece of a Saviour; lie did not save to the uttermost; he should be no perfect Saviour, if he did not satisfy the wrath of God to the utter- • Rom. viii. 38, 39. P 210 RECONCILIATION 6 1 CHRIST ALONE. most; but if he did fully satisfy, as God himself " beheld the travail of his soul, and was satisfied;" then all indig- nation is past. Look as it is with men that are to make ac- counts ; suppose a mar. should account for a hundred seve- ral suras, these accounts are not satisfied, except he satisfy and pay every sum; if he pay ninety-nine sums, and leaves but one unpaid, the creditor is not satisfied. Either Christ hath paid all, or some must come after to pay the rest ; certainly indigna- tion never ceases till there be satisfaction. Either God hath sa- tisfaction perfectly in Christ, or a believer must pay the remain- der ; either he hath the full of Christ, or a believer himself must satisfy. Suppose that Christ had satisfied God's indignation for all sins but one, and a believer must satisfy that one ; that one is enough to damn him for ever; for he cannot give satisfaction for one sin. If Christ had satisfied for all, and had taken away the whole indignation, how can God come and pour out new indignation? And (to conclude) know this, that this perfect reconciliation, this peace with God, is not a thing now to be agitated, and con- troverted in heaven ; as if there were an act of parliament now in hand, in hope it will pass, which must have some fear with it, lest it should miscarry ; but God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Let me tell you, whoever you are that can claim a part in Christ, your reconciliation is finished to your hands; Christ is now making reconciliation in heaven for you; " God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself: he is not now reconciling ; the thing is finished ; your reconciliation is complete. God hath past it not only by vote and consent in heaven, but he hath past it upon record under his hand, in the ministry of the Gospel ; we hold out to you reconciliation done ; we do not hold it forth as doing, or to be done with him ; but it is done with him; if you do but close with it, the thing is finished for you. 2n SERMON XIV. Christ's free welcome to all coMERb. JOHN VI. 37. and him that cometh to me, i will in no wise cast oj't (or cast off). These are the words of our Saviour ; the occasion was this, he having not only a natural sympathy and compassion, but also being a spiritual physician, disperses abroad common mercies in an extraordinary manner. In the former chapter, he is plentiful in healing the sick, and curing many diseases ; natural men, being sensible of such kindnesses, flocked mightily after him. And though Christ knew well enough what they were, as you shall see by and by, yet he shuts not the bowels of compassion from them in extremity : there were many ready to faint ; now, rather than they should want supply, he would work another miracle, and, with a few loaves and fishes, satisfy thousands of them, and so he doth. This people finding good cheer, they are like dogs, can scarce leave the house — (bear with the expression, for they were no better, for all their flocking to Christ) — I say, they were «o eager to follow him, no ground should hold them, Christ lakes ship, and goes over sea to Capernaum ; no country is too cold for them ; nay, the sea itself shall not part Christ and them ; after him they will go. Well, they come to him ; and, because he had been so kind to feed them, they think they may be familiar with him ; and, therefore, after their carnal fashion, begin to put questions unto him, I say, in a fleshly way: in a low fashion, they begin to argue with him, " How came he there ?" such poor silly stuff they object to him. Well, though Christ had natural com- passion, yet he will not soothe them in their folly and simplicity, but deals roundly with them, and tells them plainly, they were mistaken in him, if they thought his excellency did stand in working miracles for food, for bread j he came on a highei p2 2i2 Christ's free welcome errand, and a business of greater consequence ; and, therefore, tells them plainly, it was another business he came about ; their thoughts must rise higher than the loaves ; " Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto eternal life." He comes about eternal life, he brings that which might produce that unto them, and therefore counsels them to look after it. Well, because they are in talk, they hold it on, though to little purpose, and put another question to Christ, " What shall we do that we may work the works of God ?" Naturally, men are upon doing to get ; when we talk upon matters of reli- gion, it is doing gets every thing ; therefore, they will be doing, that they may have something : now, though Christ doth not answer the question they made, being a silly one, yet he gives them another answer that was to the purpose ; " This is the work of God, to believe in him whom he hath sent," Never look to get it by doing ; look to get it from him, and not from yourselves, and your own doings. When Christ had made that answer, they began to be a little angry with him, and to put a cavilling question, or a question by way of exception against him ; " What sign shewest thou, (say they) that we may see and believe ? Moses gave us this bread from heaven ;" (speaking of manna.) What doth Christ tell them of life that he brings ? — ^What, is he better than Moses 1 — Will he give better bread than manna was ? Well, (for all their heat, passion, and peevishness) he will answer them again ; " Moses did not give you that bread from heaven ;" and again, " Your fathers did eat manna and are dead :" here he takes them off from their great Rabbi, whom they mentioned as if he was their Christ ; and also from their objection ; saying, that the manna they did eat was but satisfactory for a time, there was not life in it ; they that did eat it are dead ; and, therefore, he comes to make application, and to shew wherein he excelled Moses, and wherein that bread he brings exceeds manna, verse 35, " He that comes to me, shall not hunger; and he that be- lieves in me, shall not thirst ;" they eat manna, and yet were empty for all that ; they drank of the rock Moses smote, and yet they were athirst again ; " But he that comes to me, shall not hunger ;" I have so much as shall satisfy, there shall be no lack at all. After Christ had made this discourse, he begins to deal TO ALL COMEIIS. 213 plainly with them indeed, and tells them, '' Though they had seen, yet they believed not." It may be some discouragement to men, that labour in the vineyard of the Lord, to see small fruit of their labours ; but here, you see, Christ himself took a great deal of pains with these men, and all to little purpose, or rather to no purpose at all ; therefore, in verse 37, Christ comforts himself against that common discomfort ; which was, though these men believe not, yet, " All that the Father hath given me, shall come to me ;" I shall have all that I expect ; I never look for more than the Father gives me ; and of those that he gives, I shall lose none : and then, afterwards, in the words of the text, he comforts those that do come ; these, that would not come, he leaves, and falls to consolation for his people that do come ; " He that comes to me, I will in no wise cast him out." The doctrine the words afford, will be natural, it shall not vary a jot from the very words of the Holy Ghost; " He that comes to Christ, he will in no wise cast him out :" mark it well, beloved, there is abundance of life in it, to those whose eyes the Lord will be pleased to open, to behold the fulness in it; I say, he that comes to Christ, it is no matter who nor what he be, there is nothing in the world can be considered as an hinderance to his coming; if he do but come, he may be certain of this, " he shall in no wise be cast out;" there is no man under heaven, be he as vile as can possibly be imagined, if he do but come to Christ, even while he is so, shall be rejected of him, or have a repulse. Beloved, I desire the doctrine itself may be printed and stamped in your spirits. Give me leave to speak a few words in general, before I come to particulars : I know, I may speak that which will be offence to some, but I must speak the truth of the Lord, whatever men say. I say, whatever thou art in this congregation, suppose a drunkard, a whore-master, a swearer, a blasphemer and persecutor, a mad- man in iniquity, couldst thou but come to Jesus Christ; I say, come, only come, it is no matter though there be no alteration in the world in thee*, in that instant when thou dost come ; I say, * That is, no alteration visible to him, or others ; none in nis heart that he can observe, or take any encouragement from ; nor any in his life and conversation observ- able to men ; otherwise, there must be an alteration in him, or it is impossible for him to come to Christ, that is, believe in him : he must have grace given him to draw him, or he will never come, he cannot, John vi. 44 — 65. The desires of the soul must be towards Christ ; there must be a sight of him, and of both the want and worth of him : but the sense is, that a man that has been ever so vile, even to the very instant that 214 CHRIST S FREE WELCOME at that instant, though thou be thus vile as can be imagined, come to Christ ; he is untrue if he put thee out ; " In no wise, (saith he) will I cast thee out," There are two sorts of people in the world that are given by the Father to Christ, who yet, for the present, do not actually come to him. First, There are a sort of men in the world, elected indeed, but, for the present, are wild asses upon the mountains, snuffing up the wind, and as desperate in iniquity as the veriest reprobate under heaven ; and yet there shall not be rejection of these persons when they come ; I say, whensoever they come, though as sinful as their skins can hold ; yet when they come to Christ, they shall not be cast out ; for the present indeed, they despise their birth- right, they scorn the grace of God, and cast it at their heels. But there are a second sort of people given by God to Christ that have not received him, and are not actually come to him ; and yet for the present are wrought upon to be a willing people in sorixe sort ; that is, the Lord hath dealt thus far with them, fain they would close with Christ, fain they would conclude an interest and portion in him ; Oh ! it would be welcome to them ; it would be life to them, to be certainly satisfied that his blood is their ransom, and that their sins are blotted out thereby ; I say, fain they would, but they dare not yet close with Christ for their lives ; he is called, and directed to Christ, and while he can see nothing else but sin in him, he should not stay for any preparations and qualifications in him fitting him for Christ : that is 'till his heart is cleansed, and his life reformed, but as vile a sinner as he is, and in the view of all the notorious sins he has lived in, should go to Christ, and venture his soul on him. — The design of these expressions, however offensive they may be to some, is not to encourage men in sin ; nor do they suppose, that men, on coming to Christ, may, or will continue such as they have been before; for an alteration in heart and life, follows at once upon coming to Christ; by faith the heart is purified; that works by love, and is attended with the fruits of righteousness ; but to shew that nothing shon^ild hinder or discourage sensible sinners, though ever so vile, from imme- diate coming to Christ, and that nothing will hinder him from receiving such, and that such should not wait for any qualifications to fit them for him ; and if they had them, should not bring them to him for that purpose ; but should come as sinners, and commit their souls unto him, believing in him unto salvation. Thus Saul, in the height of his rebellion, when his heart and mouth were filled with blasphemy against Christ, and bitterness against his people, and in the full pursuit of these lusts, the Lord called him by his grace, and revealed his Son in him ; Christ appeared to him ; light shone around him ; grace reached his heart, and browght him at once to the feet of Jesus ; hence he says, " I, who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious person, I obtained mercy ;" on which Beza has these words, " Hsec sunt opera prepa- ratoria, (or, as in his Major Annotations, " en merita preparationis,") these are the preparatory works the apostle sets himself off with ; for nothing intervenes between his having been all this, and his obtaining mercy, as the cause of it, or as fitting hinn for it ; and had he been guilty of adultery, drunkenness, and swearing, (crimes not greater than what he had been guilty of) he could, and no doubt would have said, I Paul, the adulterer, the drunkard, the swearer, I obtained mercy. TO ALL COMERS. 215 they dare not set up their rest here ; they dare not sit down with any such conclusion ; but still there is something or other, that remains, that must be removed out of the way, before they can make this certain conclusion, Christ is theirs : — now, my prin- cipal errand is, at this time, to this latter sort of people ; a people, I say, whose hearts tell them, if it could^appear clearly, that, without danger to them, they may say, Christ is their salva- tion, and sit down with this ; if they could be satisfied with it, rather than their lives they would have Jesus Christ, but they dare not : something or other is wanting, they dare not lay hold upon him, and it is presumption for them to sit down satisfied, Christ is theirs; this is the generation I am at present to deal with, and to declare, by the power of Jesus Christ, his clear mind to them, and by that power to pluck them out of the mire where- in for the present they stick fast. And that I may the better come upon the spirits of such loaden persons, let us consider these three things : First, What this coming to Christ is, that is here spoken of. Secondly, What his purpose is in proposing this coming to him. Thirdly, What he means by this expression of his, " I will in no wise cast him out." I shall speak briefly of the two former, because the life of Christ's purpose lies in the last of these particulars. First, What doth Christ mean by coming unto him ? In verse 35, he will give you his mind himself, " He that comes unto me shall not hunger, and he that believes in me shall not thirst ;" mark it well, he makes coming and believing, in sense, all one ; for if you observe it, such as Christ deals withal they are unsa- tisfied and empty ones ; now he satisfies the empty ; and whose emptiness will he fill 1 even of those that believe in him, that come to him : believing and coming therefore are all one, so that to come to Christ, is to believe in him. But we are as far to seek as we were, you will say, what is that believing on Christ ? In John i. 12, you shall see what it is to believe on him ;" As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." Here he makes re- ceiving and believing all one, as before he made coming and be- lieving. The sum, in brief, is this — the coming to Christ is no more but the receiving of him for shelter and succour. A man 216 CHRIST S FREE WELCOME is said to come to a strong-hold, when he enters into it for his security and safety ; he doth not stand hacking and hammering, shall I, or shall 1 not? but danger forces him, and in he gets, the door being open, and comes to his strong-hold: so a person comes to Christ; Christ opening, he slips in, and ventures him- self with him, and casts himself into his arms, and he will sink or swim with him. Beloved, whoever you are that can but come to him, be you what you will, or may be, I say, if you come to him, to venture yourselves upon the rock Christ, to sink or swim, as he will sup- port or sink under you, counting him a refuge, to have him for your succour ; " In no wise will he cast you out," But, Secondly, to what purpose doth Christ propose coming here, will some say ? Beloved, I propound this the rather, be- cause I conceive men mistake the mind of Christ, concerning this coming. You must not imagine, that our motion of coming is the primum mobile that gives motion to Christ to open and en- tertain ; as if our coming did stir him up to set open, and give entrance : Christ hath not any such thought in him that we must come, and therefore will own us for his own ; for it is certainly true, the very motion of our coming to Christ, is from himself, and from his coming to us, before we do so much as move. It is a common principle known to all divines, and most people ; we are first acted, and then we act, acii agimus. First, Christ gives to us to come, and then, by his gift, we come to him ; we must not imagine, by coming- to Christ, he is moved and invited towards us, and is stirred up to open to us, and give entertain- ment to us ; but his first coming to us, and living in us, stirs us up to motion : " You that were dead in sins and trespasses, (Ephes. ii. 1,) hath he quickened." Beloved, is there death till Christ quickens ? Where then can there be this motion of ours, before he himself be come with his life ? Where there is no life, you know there is no motion ; and till the fountain of life com- municates it, there can be none ; therefore it is Christ that gives this coming unto men, and he having given it, they come to him. But what is the purpose of Christ then, in speaking of coming here, as if this were a preparation, or a previous condition, that there is no portion in Christ, till there be first coming ? I answer, Mark the scope well, you shall find Christ doth not intend a necessary condition, but the removal of all objections; TO ALL COMERS. 217 he Qoth not ntend to put us on doing to get him, but to take away all obstacles that may hinder us from coming to him : and the emphasis of the text doth not lie upon coming, but upon this, " In no wise will I cast them off:" as if he had said, you are poor wretches ; you think I am so hard-hearted, I will cast you off, you are so sinful : but let not this trouble you ; whatever sinfulness you have, that, in common apprehension, may hinder me from receiving you coming to me, for all this I will not cast you out when you come. As when a man says to a poor man, Come to my house, I will give you something ; he proposeth no conditions but grace to him ; you shall have something, I will give you this and that. But, I will come to the Third, the main thing I intend at this time, namely, what Christ intends when he saith, " I will in no wise cast you out," Oh ! the depth and unsearchable grace that is comprehended in these few words ! If it might shine with its own brightness to your spirits, how would you go away leaping and rejoicing, with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Why, the Lord is able to communicate to you, above all we are able to ask or think. " I will in no wise cast you out ;" do but come, and nothing, I say, nothing shall stand between you and me, to put a bar to hinder an entrance to me. There are two estates whereto this grace mentioned may belong ; either that estate wherein is the breaking forth of the first light to the soul ; or that estate wherein, after light is broken forth, darkness seems to come again in the place of it ; and this passage of Christ hath reference to both these estates. First, The first estate wherein light begins first to break out, the first dawning of the light of Christ. To give you an instance, and so bring the business close : suppose a person, as the apostle does, Eph. ii. 2, " You, who were dead in trespasses and sins, hath he quickened ; wherein in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, that now rules in the children of disobedience :" I say, suppose a person to be in the worst condition you can imagine ; single out the vilest man in the world, the notablest drunkard that ever breathed, the greatest whore-master, and the lewdest per- son that can be imagined ; such a person as this, and continuing to this very instant, now before the Lord, as he was before, without any change and alteration in the world until this time ; 218 CIIRIST^S FREB WELCOME suppose such a person ; by this text it appears so manifest, that if the Lord do but grant, and hath but put a willingness and readiness of spirit into this man *, that Christ he would have, if it might appear he might have him ; if his heart do but say, I would have him, all that sinfulness, though to this instant con- tinued in, is no bar in the world, but this man may claim his portion in Christ, and have as certain security that his portion is there, as any other man may have. Mark well, I say, this pas- sage, " I will in no wise cast him out :" our Saviour plainly im- ports, that there neither is, nor can be devised, no not by God himself, any one consideration whatsoever, which might occa- sion him to put off, or say nay, to any one that comes : no con- sideration in the world, I say, can so aggravate a man's condi- tion, could he make it as bad as the devils themselves ; yet, if there be but a coming to Christ, there can be no consideration in the highest pitch of sinfulness for him to reject, or put by a per- son coming to him ; for, you must know, Christ is well ac- quainted with all the objections the heart of man (nay the devil) can make against the freeness of his grace, and life by him ; to save labour, therefore, in this one passage, " I will in no wise cast out," Christ at once answers all the objections that could be made. And I dare be bold to maintain, in his name and stead ; let a man but say, and lay down this for granted, come he would, Christ he would have rather than his life ; let this be granted for a truth, I will be bold with Christ out of this passage to answer ten thousand objections, even fully to the silencing of every one that can be made : " I will in no wise cast him out ;" that is, I will upon no consideration that can be imagined and conceived. I know the objections are many, and they seem to be very strong, in respect of such a person to whom the Lord hath given a wil- lingness and desire of spirit to close with Christ, and yet dare not do the thing ; I say, they are many, and very strong ; but^ let them be what they will, you shall see by-and-by they come to no value in the world, there is no strength in them. Let me tell you, the Lord hath sent me, at this time, " to proclaim liberty to such captives," that are in this sad, bitter, and (to their think- ing) desperate condition ; liberty God hath given thee, if thou wilt come freely ; nothing in the world shall hinder thee. • Here you see clearly, the Doctor supposes willingness and readiness of spirit to come to Christ, put into such a sinner ; which is owing to power and grace thai making willing, and such a soul will never be rejected let him be ever so vile. TO ALL COMERS. 219 But let us consider the objections that may be made, and therein see what ground poor sinners may have to forsake their own mercy, and so become their own tormentors. I dare not close with Christ, (saith many a poor soul) if I sit down and close with him, being satisfied with this argument, Christ offers himself to sinners, this is presumption; why so? I am the filthiest creature that ever breathed ; I should stink above ground with my sins, if you knew what a creature I am, and what an ungodly sinner I am ; I am a blasphemer ; I do nothing but blaspheme the God of heaven ; and I blaspheme his word to persecution : my spirit is mad against the gospel itself. I answer, in a word, reckon up all you can imagine, suppose the worst you can conceive, the truth of the worst, that you have not belied yourselves a jot, in proposing the abominable filthi- ness and loathsome baseness of your filthy condition ; suppose this be imagined ; what of this ? Surely, as long as I am in this case, Christ cannot belong to me, there is no coming to him for me. If this be truth that you say, that such and such filthi- ness stands between Christ and you, that though you come there could be no entertainment with him for you ; supposing this to be true, this that Christ speaks is most certainly false ; for, saith he, " I will in no wise cast you off;" that is, upon no consideration will I cast you off. You say, upon this considera- tion, I am so abominably vile, there will be casting off; if this you say be true, that which Christ saith, must be false ; there is a point-blank contradiction between these two ; and, therefore either Christ must call in these words again, thus generally deli- vered, and he must put in this exception that you put in, or else his word and yours cannot agree. You say, upon such considerations, there is no admittance , and upon such and such there is admittance ; Christ saith, " I will in np wise cast you out ;" notwithstanding this con- sideration, I will receive you, be you what you will, do but come, and for all that, you shall be welcome. But, some will say, men must be fitted for Christ, before he will ever own them. I answer again, is there this exception put into the grant of Christ, except you be fitted for me, I will cast you out ? Then ou may say indeed, except you be fitted for him he will cast out; but then, I say, how can this be true, •* ) v'lW in no 220 CHRIST*S FREE WELCOME wise cast him out ?" The words must run thus, " Him that comes to me, (if he be fitted and prepared) I will in no wise cast out ;" but if he be not fitted and prepared, I will cast him out ; but do they run so ? Christ looks not for fitness, but people may be capable of communion with him without fitness ; he takes them into communion with himself, and afterwards fits them for it, as he would have them ; but, beforehand, there is no fitness ; suppose what fitness you will, in expecting the grant, I say, in expecting the grant of Christ, fitness or not fitness is all one ; " Come to me, I will in no wise cast you out." Peradventure, though the text seems to be so clear, yet you will say, surely the grace of God is not so large as you seem to express it ? There must be something expected and considered in the person coming, or thei'e will be no receiving and enter- taining by Christ. I answer, it were an easy thing, (if time would give leave) to shew, that through the whole scripture, the Lord Christ hath such a purpose to set forth the glory of the grace of his Father, as that he will have men know, that all the fitness of persons, to communicate or participate of Christ, is their desperate sin- fnlness ; I say, nothing but sinfulness is that which is the fitness that Christ looks for in men *. I beseech you, peruse that passage, never to be forgotten (Ezek. xvi.), where the Holy Ghost, in the beginning of the chapter, first states the case con- cerning the condition of persons ; then makes the conclusion, the state being granted. Suppose your condition of sinfulness rise up to the height of the illustration there mentioned, of a child polluted in its blood ; which kind of expression the Holy Ghost useth, as that which doth, of all other things in the world, most set out the loathsome nastiness, and intolerable filthiness of sin in men ; " Thy father was an Amorite, thy mother was an Hittite ; in the day of thy nativity thy naval was not cut, thou wast polluted in thy blood, neither wast thou washed with water to supple thee, thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all ; and no eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee ; but thou wast cast out, to the loathing of thy person." Here is the nature of the sinfulness of persons polluted in blood. There was such a filthy loathsomeness in this pollution, that it was * Not what makes a soul lovely to Chriit, but what makes Christ necessary and Duitable to that. TO ALL COMERS. 221 beyond the pity of any creature ; it was so abominably filthy, that there was no place for pity ; nay, more, such pollution of blood there was, that did occasion casting out, as if the abiding of that person in the room any longer, would poison all the rest ; and, therefore, because there could not be an enduring of that loath- someness any longer, there must be flinging out upon the dung- hill. Suppose your sins rise to this very height, and there is such a stench of filthiness in them, that all the world should even vomit to think of that sinfulness that you have acted and committed : — what of all this 1 Surely, you will say, there is no portion in Christ for me, as long as my case is such a case as this. Ob- serve the strange expression of the Holy Ghost, " When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, I said unto thee. Live ;" there is a great deal of difference between saying, Z/ive, and casting mii of such persons ; when no eye pitied thee, that time which was the time of thy blood, "that time was the time of love." This is strange indeed, that all the creatures in the world should turn against such a person, as should be so abominable, that men should abhor him ; and yet the time of his pollution, should be Christ's time of love. Well, but you will say, Surely, before Christ will communicate himself, and give up himself to such men, for all this, the case must be altered with them; you shall see it is no such matter, but directly the con- trary ; " Thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness ; yea, I sware unto thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." — What strange expressions are here ! Methinks your hearts cannot but be wrapped up into heaven, in admiration of them : these the Lord aggravates to the highest terms that can be imagined ; setting forth the most horrible loathsomeness of the sinfulness of men ; and yet that time of sinfulness, was the time of God's love ; and not only so, but a time wherein God sware to, and entered into covenant with this person, and became his. But, you will say, there was some cleansing before. You shall see the Holy Ghost in the next words makes it appear it is not so ; mark the words well, " Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood :" then, when I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine. Here was not first a washing, and then swearing, and entering into a covenant ; but 222 CHRIST^S FRRi: WELCOME there was first swearing and entering into covenant, and then washing with water afterwards : here is a coming and closing with Jesus Christ, even while the state of a person is the filthiest in the world ; and I tell you, beloved, either you must close with Christ for your comfort, unworthy as you are, or you must never receive him while you live. " Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." You that will bring righteousness with you to be received of Christ ; I tell you, he came not to save such persons ; " Christ came to save that which was lost: he died for the ungodly," Rom. v. 6. But, you will say, for all this high aggravation of loathsomeness of sinfulness, my case is worse than all this that you speak of; therefore there is something in my condition, that if I come to Christ he must cast me off; here is nothing but positive filthiness : it is true, indeed, this condition is very bad, but my case rises higher; besides a positive loathsomeness in myself, I am a rebel, a sturdy enemy, I fight against God, I quarrel with him, and take up arms against him. Imagine your condition a condition of as great enmity and madness against God, as your hearts can possibly devise ; what then? Sure you will say, if I be such an enemy, I must lay down arms before Christ will have to do with me, or admit me to come to him. Will a king let a cut-throat traitor, while he hath thoughts in his heart to murder him, will he let him come with a naked knife into his presence, and graciously embrace him in his arms ? For answer. Still see the close of the text, observe that if this be true, that in respect of this rebelliousness in thy spirit against God, thou sayest, if I come, Christ will cast me off; these words *' in no wise'^ cannot be true ; for here is a consideration, as before, that makes an exception, and so frustrates thy entrance to Christ, though there be coming. Beloved, do you think it was out of the thoughts of Christ, to wit, your enmity, and rebellion ? — And if he thought of it, do you think he would not have put it in ? Surely he was wise enough, and knew what he said, and certainly had rebelliousness itself in his thoughts when he spake the words, in no wise; and certainly this shall not prejudice you, but if you come to Christ, he is as much yours as if you never took up arms against him. But to clear up this truth to you more fully, look into Psal. TO ALL COMERS. 223 Ixviii. 18, " Thou hast ascended up on high, and hast led cap- tivity captive, and thou hast received gifts for men, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Mark it well ; you say there is no dwelling for Christ with rebels, that is your position ; I am a rebel, there can be no entertainment with him for me ; but, saith the text (note it I pray) " He re- ceived gifts for the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell among them." If that be not clear enough, look into Rom. v. 6, 7, 8, " If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved ;" mark the expression, it is a strange one ; you must directly deny the truth of what the apostle says, if you will stand to this principle, that as long as you are enemies there is no ad- mittance unto Christ for you ; for, saith the text, " While we were enemies, we were reconciled ;" not that Christ provided re- conciliation for enemies, that when they be amended, they shall be saved, but during enmity itselt they receive reconciliation. I do not speak this to the intent that any should conceive that God leaves persons rebellious, vile, and loathsome, as he finds them *, when he closeth with them ; but, I say, at that time, when the Lord closeth with persons, he closeth with them in such a state of rebellion ; and if thou comest to Christ in this condition, it manifestly shall appear to thee, ihat he will open his bosom f for thy head to rest upon, as well as for the most righteous person in the world, and his breast for thy mouth to suck $. He shuts the door to none that comes ; " Ho ! every one that thirsteth, let him come and drink of the water of life freely." Let every one ; there is not one exempted ; Yet, not /, saith one, not /, saith another ; but the Holy Ghost saith, " let every one come." No man under heaven that hath a heart to come, and suck of the oreasts of Christ, but the way is free for him ; the fountain is set open for all sin and uncleanness : at the pool of Bethesda every impotent person might step in ; at the bath the poorest man in the world may go, if he will, and step in; neither is the loathsoraest person in the world excluded ; now Christ is that bath opened for all comers ; there is no comer shall ever be • And it should be observed, that all before spoken, is said to such who are deemed sensible of their rebellion and vJleness; and also under some temptations that Chciftt ■will not receive them, being so very sinful. f J«hn xiii. 25 ; Cant. viii. 5. X ^^^' ^^^>' ^1> ^^' 224 Christ's free welcome cast off; I dare be bold to say, there never did miscarry any per- son in the world that did indeed come to him ; if there did any miscarry, there is no credit to be given to the words of Christ himself. But I see I must hasten : I come to consider the power of this expression to persons that had the light risen to them, but think now darkness is come over them again ; I mean those that have received Christ, and have believed, but something or other hath happened, that even they suspect, that if they should come to him, he would cast them off. But if the first proposition be granted, ►hat is discussed, then much more this : " He that spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things ?" Rom. viii. 32. " If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life," Rom. v, 10. If while we are without strength, Christ in due time died for the ungodly; if while we were sinners he died for us, how much more shall we be saved from wrath being reconciled ! All this is to shew, that if Christ did not shut out persons in the v/orst condition, when they had no acquaintance at all with him, much less will he cast out those that he had familiarity with in former times ; there is no condition in the world a believer is subject to, that may occasion the least suspicion that Christ will cast him out, if he come. But you will say, Suppose a believer falls into some scandalous sins, and notorious sins, it may be to commit murder and adul- tery together, as David did ; surely now there is some cause of suspicion, that if he come presently to Christ after he commits these things, he will send him packing. I answer, If this be true, there must be a putting in of this exception into the text, If thou art a believer commit such and such a sin, though thou comest to me, I will cast thee out ; and if it be so, Christ must cut off that large expression of his, " I will in no wise cast thee out." You will say, this is strange doctrine: suppose a believer com- mit adultery and murder, may he presently look upon Christ, and in him see a discharge of his sins, and reconciliation by him, and part in him, at that very time he commits them ? Surely there must be large humiliation, and confession of these sins; and there must be a long continuance in this too ; he must noj apply comfort presently ; there must be more brokenness of TO ALL COMERS. 285 heart yet, and more yet, and more yet : this is the objection of the world. I answer, I confess the crime is great in its kind, and, for the present, it may silence the voice of truth itself; but whatever becomes of it, that Christ may have the glory of his grace, and the glory of that fulness of redemption wrought all at once ; let me tell you, believers cannot commit those sins that may give just occasion of suspicion to them, that if they come to Christ he would cast them out: let me not be mistaken in that I say; I know the enemies of the gospel will make an evil construction of it; yet a believer, I say, cannot commit those sins that can give occasion to him to suspect, that if he come presently to Christ, he would cast him off. But must not he confess first, and be afflicted in his soul, before he can think he shall be received if he come ? For answer to it ; I deny not, but acknowledge, when a believer sins, he must confess these sins ; and the greatest end and ground of this confession is that which Joshua speaks concerning Achan, Josh, vii. 19. " My son, confess thy faults, and give glory to God." A believer in confession of sin gives glory to the great God of heaven and earth ; and that must be the glorious end of the confession of his sin, that God may be owned, as the sole and only Saviour : except we acknowledge sin, we cannot acknowledge salvation : we cannot acknowledge any virtue in the works and sufferings of Christ; he might have saved his labour, and never come into the world ; all that he did could not be acknowledged to be of worth to us, if there had not been sin from which he should save us : he that indeed confesses his sin, confesses he had perished if Christ had not died for him; nay, he confesseth, that nothing in the world, but Christ, could save him. Secondly, I grant, a believer should be sensible of sin, that is, of the nature of it ; but this is that I mainly desire to imprint upon your spirits, that he may certainly conclude, even before confession of sin, the reconciliation that is made between God and him, the interest he hath in Christ, and the love of Christ embracinsr him : in a word, before a believer confesses his sin, he may be as certain of the pardon of it, as after confession*. I say, there is as mucli * Not that confession of sin is a needless thing ; the Doctor has before observed. that when a believer sins, he must confess his sins, and points out the ends for which confession is to be made ; but then he is not to consider this as the ground or cause of the forgiveness of sin ; but being under a sense of sin committed, is at once to look Q 226 Christ's free welcome ground to be confident of the pardon of sin to a believer, as soon as ever he hath committed it, though he hath not made a solemn act of confession, as to believe it after he hath performed all the humiliation in the world. What is the ground of the pardon of sin? " I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own name's sake :" here is pardon, and the fountain of it is in God himself. What is it that discharges a believer? the rise of it is God's own sake : if this be the ground of pardon, then this being held out, a believer may be assured of pardon as soon as he commits any sin, and may close with it. Pardon of sin depends upon the unchangeabieness of God, and not on the sta- bility of the creature : all the pardon in the world that any person shall enjoy, is revealed in this word of grace : and it is the most absurd thing in the world to think that the soul may fetch out a pardon any where, but in the word of grace. Is pardon held out in it, and held out to sinners, as they are sinners ? And doth God hold out his love to persons before good or evil be done by them, that the purpose of God may stand according to election, not of works, but of grace ? And doth a believer find it thus in the word of grace, and may not he rest upon it when he finds it ? I beseech you consider ; either Christ did not reckon with the Father for all the sins of his people one with another, when he did offer up himself, or he did ; if he left out such and such a scandalous sin when he reckoned with him, then Christ did not save to the ut- most all them that come to God by him ; then there must come another Saviour, to reckon for that which he left out. Well, you will say, Christ did reckon for all sin with his Father ; if he did reckon with him for all, then did he pay him the full price for every one, when he died upon the cross. Then the Father being paid, satisfaction was acknowledged from his hand ; he hath beheld the travail of his soul, and he is satisfied ; " And the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7. Wei], doth God acknowledge full satisfaction for all sin under hand and seal ? If it be so, what ground is there of suspicion that Christ will not receive you, but cast you off for such and such trans - to Christ, and deal with his blood for the pardon of it ; and not stay until a soleimi, formal confession, is made, as if his pardon depended on that : we are to confess siu, as Aaron confessed the sins of Israel, over the scape-goat ; and we should confess ours over a sin-bearing Saviour, with a view to their being laid on him, and satisfied for, by him ; and never does a soul more ingenuously confess sin, or more kind.'y mourn f*r it, than when he has the clearest view cf the free, and full forgiyenesg of it, by the Wood of Christ. TO ALL COMERS. 227 gressions, rather than for such and such 1 If the reckoning were for all, wherefore do you make such a distinction, where God makes none? If it be made for all, one with another, and the price be paid for all, wherein conies the ground of suspicion . Hath God taken pay for all, and doth that sin, being committed, appear before him still ? And must he have more than Christ hath paid 1 Do not entertain such base thoughts of him. There is not a sin committed this day, but it was as clear before God from all eternity, with all the aggravation, as it is now ; and, when God reckoned with Christ for the sins of believers, he took into his consideration the utmost extent of every sin, what it would rise unto, and took a price answerable to the nature and quality of them, of his Son ; be they small or great, be they what they will, the price was raised by the Father upon the back and score of Christ, answerable to the transgression. Now, hath Christ paid all to the utmost farthing ? how comes God then to put in this as an exception, as if now there were something done that requires something more than what Christ hath done, before God and you can be friends ? You will say peradventure, In all this will we directly strike at all manner of meeting with God in humiliation and prayer, and fasting and confession of sins. I answer, with the apostle, " Do we herein make void the law 1 God forbid ! yea, rather, we establish it." May not a person come and acKuowledge his fault to his prince, after he hath received his pardon vuider his hand, when he is brought from the place of execution ? Nay, may not he acknowledge it with melting and extreme bitterness of spirit, because he knoweth he hath a pardon ? It is but a sordid and gross conceit in the heart of men to think, that there can be no humiliation for sin, except they be in despair ; I say, that when Christ reveals him- self to your spirits, you shall find your hearts more wrought upon, with sweet meltings, relentings, and breakings of spirit^ when you see your sins pardoned, than in the most despairing condition you can be in. It hath been often taken notice of, ot many malefactors, that though when they have come to the place of execution their hearts have been so hard that they could not shed a tear ; yet, when they have heard their pardon read, and seen themselves out of danger, their hearts, that were so hard before, hive melted into floods of tears : and so, I say, that heart tnat q2 228 Christ's free welcome could not relent to see the filthy loathsomeness of sin, while he di^ould be more savoury, that is, cordially and dependingly seasoned with it : " Except you believe, (saith the prophet) you shall not be established." Wherefore are we called Christians ? Is not that a true axiom, Dcnominatio est a prin- cipaliore? The name imports that all in us should mainly savour of Christ ; and that no receipt should be made or gi\ en, but Christ must be predominant in it: sure I am, Paul was of this mind, when he said, " I desire to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." How can that physic work according to expectation, which by the apothecary's heed- lessness is destitute of that ingredient which was prescribed to do all in all ? It is as if hellebore should be lelt out of a purge. OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOS:S AND DUNG. 243 and nothing should be administered but what was prescribed for the taking of it down : Christ only is the hellelx)re that purgetli ; prayers are but the liquor to let him down; leave Christ out, and what will all the rest do ? Nay, the truth is, as in every strong purge there are some degrees of poison, which are quelled by a predominant cordial injected for that purpose ; so our mournings, fastings, and self-denials, have poison in them, suffi- cient to suffocate a soul that takes them, and Christ alone is the cordial that quells such poison ; let him then be left out, and judge I pray you what will be the issue *. O, then, whatever else we forget in prescribing and applying receipts for our spiritual re- coveries, let us be sure not to forget to put Christ into them, lest we kill instead of healing, or poison men Instead of recovering them. And for the generality of God's people, my advice to them is briefly this ; when Christ is prescribed in greatest quantit}-, and for sole efficacy, let them beware, lest they forget or neglect to put him into their receipts ; the portion is desperate when he is not predominant : and if at any time a spiritual physician pre- scribe any receipt, and forgets Christ therein, let them be sure to supply him themselves before they take it, though the ingredient prescribed seem never so rich and sovereign ; and resolve that these of themselves have too much poison in them to be ventured on alone, and therefore will produce but loss, being dung. The premises considered, I beseech you all, suffer a word of exhortation, take some good course to get a Paul's eye, clearly to seo loss and dung in your best righteousness, even when your sails are fullest, and your flight swiftest. What course must Ave take (will you say) to get such an eye to see all things thus'? 1. Take heed you use not false spectacles whilst you look on your righteousness ; look not through men's estimation or applause of it, who use to be something over-rhetorical in their praises. 2. Look not through your own deceitful hearts, which are apt to judge their own brood very fair. 3. Nor through other men's righteousness, comparing your own with theirs, whose copies, at the best, are imperfect, and, therefore, cannot fully represent righteousness in its complete form ; but weigh it impartially in the balance of the sanctuary ; try it by the authentic standard; m brief, lay it to the pattern given in the mount. Paul saith of • Isaiah 1. 2. R 2 244 ' OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS LOSS AND DUNG. himself, " I was alive without the law once, (that is, I thoTight all was right and well, till I came to the law) — ^but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died," Rom. vii. 9 j that is, this commandment shewed me a world of filth I dreamed riot of, by which T saw I was a dead man. But, beloved, I confess in all this I have but set a clear crystal glass before a blind eye ; the law is ]mt materially the discoverer of loss and dung in our best righteousness, containing in it the rules of it, and the aber- rations from it, which is a book sealed up and illegible in respect of the spiritualness of it; and, therefore, the sole efficient of discerning loss and dung in our righteousness, is only that " Lamb who only was found woi'thy to open the book and unseal it," Rev. v. 5 — 9, Christ alone can make a person see It , and therefore the Lord saith, (in Isa. Ixii. 6,) " I will give thee for a covenant to the people, to open their blind eyes." Christ represents our best righteousness as loss and dung, two ways : 1. Directly, thus ; not only shewing us plainly the particulars wherein the filth consists, which he doth by the law ; but also by giving a right hint of it therein, whereby sin appears clearly to be out of measure sinful ; this he doth by the touch of his omni- potency ; this sight of failings in our righteousness, not only as failings, but also under the notion of dung, indeed is the sole work of Christ ; not all the means in the world can do it ; he, indeed, in the ministry of the gospel, doth it here and there ; therefore the apostle Paul, (speaking of turning men from dark- ness to light by the preaching of the gospel) adds, that Christ nad sent him to do it. And, therefore, as Peter and John after they had healed the lame man, seeing the people begin to gaze on them, tell them that they were mistaken, " It was Christ's name, through faith in him, that made him whole," Acts iii. 12 — 16. So should all ministers and people, when they attain to a clear sight and sense of dung in the best actions, confess that it is only his name that did it, by a sole absolute power he hath over the hearts of men. 2. Christ gives such clear sight reflexly ; I mean comparatively, thus, by shewing that the sole all-fulness is in himself; from whence he makes a man argue thus. If all purity be in Christ, then is there none elsewhere in the creature. SERMON XVI. THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRAT'S. HEBREWS viii. 6. BUT NOW HATH HE OBTAINED A MORE EXCELLENT MINISTRV, BY HOW MUCH HE IS THE MEDIATOR OF A BETTER COVE- NANT, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED UPON BETTER PROMISES. This epistle to the Hebrews, as it notably illustrates and in- vincibly maintains the transcendent excellencies of Christ ; so the apostle, (that he might the more prevalently win the Jews) carries the whole discourse of Christ in the way they were best acquainted with ; comparing him, all along, to such things as were usual among them, and were in greatest request and of highest esteem with them ; as first he compares him to angels, then to Moses, and so goes along. Now, because he knew that the priesthood among the Jews, and the privileges belonging to it were their oracle and chiefest refuge in cases of greatest moment and consequence ; he mainly sets himself about this, to shew the incomparable excellency of Christ's personal priesthood above the most glorious excellencies the priesthood of the Jews had. It is very true, as it shall appear by-and-by, that the things of greatest moment were wrapt up in the privileges of their priist- hood; there they had their remission of sins, their peace of eon- science, their immunities and security from danger, such as it was ; so that if the apostle could but make it good, that there 91 as more excellency to be found in Christ, than in their greatest privileges, there was great hope that he might be a minister of reconciliation to them ; and for this cause, you shall find, belov.^d, that he spends four whole chapters about nothing else but to shew what transcendent excellencies were to be had from Christ him- self, above the greatest privileges this most glorious ordinance of theirs could bring unto them. The 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th chapters of this epistle contain a comparison between Christ and the privileges his priestly office brings, with those priests, and thi privileges their offices brought; and, in the comparison, n'.>s' 246 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. clearly shew an unsearchable clifFerence between the best of theirs, and those Christ brings, which were not before in the administra- tion of their priesthood. And, however, for the present, a discourse on this subject may seem impertinent, I doubt not, beloved, but, before I have done, I shall make it appear, that it is of as great consequence to the true members of Christ as any that can be delivered, I shall endeavour, all the way as I go along, to make sure woi'k, that I may not leave occasion of dispute or contradiction. In chap. vii. the apostle begins with the order of Christ's priest- hood, to shew the excellencies of that above the order of their priesthood ; he was a priest after the order of Melchizedeck, they after the order of Aaron. In chap. viii. ix. and x. he passeth from the order, and comes to the business whereabout their several offices were employed; and, concerning their several employ- ments, he finds so large a difference, that although it be true, there was some remission of sins, some peace of conscience in the administration of their priestly office ; yet, so far the glory of Christ's office goes beyond theirs, that he sticks not to call their service and administration, when it was at the best, but the very shadow of Christ's ; that he doth in the words before my text, and also in chap. x. 1. Nay, he goes further, he finds so great a difference between them, that he doth not stick to make the business of those priests, and of Christ, two distinct covenants, one to succeed in the room of the other. Though Christ be the subject matter, in general, of both, and remission of sins the fruit of both yet, such a vast difference is between them, that he makes them two several covenants ; and the consequence of this truth is of so much moment, that, until there be a right understanding of it, there never will be any absolute settlement of peace of conscience ; but there will still arise some objections to charge sin upon the soul, which it shall never be able to answer. To come to the words of my text, they are the sum of the whole discourse through all those four chapters ; here the apostle begins to make his application of the comparison. Before he had shewed what was the employment of those priests of the old law ; now he comes to shew wherein Christ excels them ; " But now he hath obtained a more excellent ministry," &c. There are three things considerable in the words : 1. The apostle's main conclusion. THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACK. 24t II. His application and illustration of it; and III. His confirmation of the truth of it, 1. The main conclusion, in these words; " But now he halh obtained a more excellent ministry ;" wherein there arc these particulars very considerable: 1. the apostle limits the office of Christ, what it is, he calls it a ministry. 2. He shews the qua- lity of this office ; for, though the term of ministry may seem to be somewhat coarse and low for such a one as Christ, yet, lie shews, it is not sordid or mean, but an excellent ministry. 3. He proceeds to the degree of excellency of it, and that by com- paring it with the ministry of the priests of the old law ; it is " a more excellent ministry," that is, than theirs. 4. He shews liow Christ comes by this ministry; " He hath obtained it;" and, chap. vii. it is more fully expressed ; he was made a priest by an oath ; he was called thereunto by God. 5. Finally, he sets out the time of Christ's exercising this ministry of his, Avhen it began to be on foot : " But now hath he obtained ;" intimating, that it is such a one as comes in the place of the other, and begins when that ends. 2. The illustration of this conclusion is in the next words: " By how much he is the mediator of a better covenant ;" where you shall find the apostle explaining and opening his conclusion in these particular branches. 1. He explains what the ministry is he speaks of — ^he calls it a mediatorship ; he is a minister, that is, he is a mediator. 2. He further explains this ministry, by setting forth the subject-matter about which he is employed, he is the mediator of a covenant. 3. He explains wherein this me- diatorship of Christ excels that of the old priests ; for he said before only, it is more excellent ; here he shews wherein it is, namely, " By howmuchhe is the mediator of a better covenant." 4, He intimates to us, that there is a distinct covenant, whereof Christ is the mediator, differing from that whereof the priest was the mediator : he doth not say, he is the mediator of better things in the same covenant, but of a better covenant : a better and a worse covenant must be two several covenants ; better and worse qualities may be in one and the same ; but for the covenant itself to be called better than another, is a manifest argument of a double covenant ; but of this more anon. 3. The apostle's confirmation of this conclusion is in the last words of the text, " Whicli was established upon better pro- 248 THE IWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. raises :" where you may note, 1. That these covenants he speaks of, have promises for their foundation : better promises in the second, argue good in the first ; for the word better is compara- tive, and comparative unto a positive, which signifies good: promises tlien are the foundation of both these covenants ; and this is worth the observation, when we shall come to consider what they are. 2. He proves that Christ is the mediator of a better covenant, by two arguments. 1, Though both are founded upon promises, yet that which Christ is mediator of, is founded upon better, and therefore must be a better covenant. 2. Though their covenant was founded upon promises, yet was it not esta- blished upon them, much less upon better promises ; but, saith the apostle, here the covenant that Christ mediated was better, in that it was established upon better promises. They were sweet promises whereupon their covenant was confirmed, but they were not so durable, but that the covenant itself was to sink, and did sink to the ground ; that was not established, it was not firm and unchangeable ; but the covenant that Christ mediated is better ; it is an established one, a covenant that never shall be changed or altered, as theirs was. Here are heads enough, I confess, to take up a great deal more time than is fit to trouble your patience with ; I shall not presume so far upon you. But, that I may, as near as may be, confine myself within some limits, I shall reduce the main principles of all these heads unto two things, and confine my discourse to them. I. What those covenants are, namely, that whereof Christ him- self is said to be mediator, and that other which is opposed unto it. II. Wherein the covenant whereof Christ himself is mediator, is better than that which those priests did administer. It may be you may see some things m the resolution of these, that may be some satisfaction to your spirits. I. What these covenants are, and how distinct. I will not meddle with particular covenants, which God made with somo special persons that came not within this compass : there are cer tain general covenants that God made with men ; usually they are reduced to two heads ; the first is commonly called the cove- nant of works, first made in innocency ; the terms thereof are of a double nature, " Do this and live;" and " cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them;" life upon doing, a curse upon not doing; THK TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 249 m sum,, the covenant of works stands upon these terms, that in perfect obedience there should be life ; at the first failing tnerein, no remedy, no admittance of remission of sins upon any terms in the world; Christ cannot come in, nor be heard upon the terms of the covenant of works. There is a second general covenant, and that is usually called, a new covenant, or a covenant of grace ; and this, in opposition to the other, stands only in matter of grace without Avorks through Christ : This, as far as I can find, is generally received to be the right distribution of the covenants of God ; the covenant of grace being most commonly taken for one entire covenant from first to last; now to draw it to our pur- pose ; if this distribution be good, the issue at length must be this ; seeing there are two covenants spoken of here by the apos- tle, which we shall make good by-and-by, they must needs be referred to that distribution of those two heads, and so the sura must be this ; the covenant of grace being better than the cove- nant of works, Christ must be the mediator of it ; and then there remains no other, whereof those priests were mediators, out that of works. For my own part, beloved, I shall not take upon me to censure any man's judgment ; only I shall desire to propose something to the consideration of the wise, who, upon deliberate advice, may see something worth their meditation : to me it seems most plain, that the opposition the apostle here makes, is not oetween the covenant of works and that of grace ; and that ne, in all this discourse, hath not the least glance upon the covenant of works at all, nor doth he meddle with it : You know, beloved, that the articles of that covenant, are drawn up in the decalogue of the moral law ; and in all this discourse, from chap. vii. 1, to the end of chap. X. the apostle doth not so much as take notice oi the moral law, nor hath he to do one jot with any clause of it : all the opposition here is not between Christ and Moses, but oetween priest and priest, office and office ; Christ is a priest after the order of Melchizedeck, they priests after the order of Aaron ; Christ is the minister of a perfect covenant, they of an imperfect one : now, if it were between the covenant of works and tne cove- nant of grace, then he should have gone on with the covenant of works, and the articles of that, and set them in oppositjon unto Christ, which he doth not. But it may be, some will say, if there be a distinct difterence 250 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. between covenants, surely then they can be no other but those two of grace and works, and therefore the opposition must needs be between them. Beloved, give me leave to answer freely, the whole adminis- tration of that covenant, which the priests had to manage, was wholly and only matter of grace ; and though it were a covenant of grace, yet it is opposed to that which Christ in his own person mediated ; therefore the opposition which stands here, is not be- tween the covenant of works, and of grace ; but it is between the covenant of grace weak, imperfect, unprofitable, disannulled ; and another covenant of grace that is perfect, established, and makes the comers thereunto perfect. So that indeed, though Christ be the subject-matter of the covenant of grace, whether old or new, and though there be re- mission of sins in both ; (for I call the priests' covenant now the old, and that I will make good presently,) yet, I say, there is such a difference between these two, that they are two distinct covenants one from the other. That it may appear to you, that they are both covenants of grace, and yet two distinct ones also, consider briefly these particulars. 1. It is granted to all men, that in the covenant of works, there is no remission of sin, no notice of Christ ; but the whole em- ployment of the priests of the old law, was altogether about remission of sins, and the exhibiting Christ in their fashion unto the people. In Numb. xv. 28, (I will give you but one instance,) you shall plainly see that the administration of the priestly office had remission of sins as the main end of it. " If a soul sin through ignorance, he shall bring a she-goat unto the priest, and he shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly ; and it shall be forgiven him :" see, the main end is administering for- giveness of sins. And that Christ was the main subject of their ministry is plain, because the apostle saith in the verse before my text, that all that administration was but a shadow of him, and a figure for the present to represent him, as he expresses it in chap, ix ; and the truth is, the usual gospel that all the Jews had, was in their sacrifices and priestly observations; it is true, the prophets prophesied of a glorious gospel, but mostly you shall find that the most excellent gospel tliey preached, was always preached with THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 251 reference to the future. The propliet Jercniiali hath an excellent passage in chap. 1. 20, " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none :" but mark it, it is in those clays, and at that time, it shall be sought for, and not found ; he doth not speak this of the present, but of future times ; therefore St. Peter observes, that when they prophesied concerning the fulness of o-race, they did not prophesy unto themselves but unto us, 1 Pet. i. 12, the main gospel they had was to be fetched out of those trivial observations, ceremonies, sacrifices, and gifts which they were to attend upon, whence they were to fetch their pardon through Christ. So that it is plain, the administration of their covenant was an administration of grace, absolutely distinct from that of the covenant of works. That Christ's covenant Avas a covenant of grace, I will not stand to prove ; I know no man questions it that professes himself a Christian ; but now though these two as it appears plainly, are covenants of grace ; so it shall appear as fully to you that they are two distinct covenants of grace ; they are not one and the same covenant diversely administered, but they are two distinct covenants * To make it good, because I know some may think much of this that I deliver, I shall desire you to receive nothing, but as the plain scripture will make it evident unto you: for this purpose first consult chap. viii. 7. There are, if I mistake not, three arguments in those few words, to prove that they are two divers covenants. " If the first had been faultless, then should no place have been found for the second;" where observe, that having spoken before in the text of a better covenant, whereof Christ is the minister and mediator ; he saith in opposition to this, " If the first had been faultless." * Notwithstanding all the worthy Doctor has said, these don't appear to be two covenants essentially distinct; since he himself owns that Chnst is the subject-matter of both, and remission of sins is in them both; and though called ^r*« and second and the latter coming in the place of the former, this may be said of one lorm of ad- ministration of the covenant succeeding another. Mr. Lancaster, Vindication of the Gospel p 199 thinks the controversy may be compromised by distinguishing the old covenant into ihe promise veiled, the same in substance with that m the new testa- ment, and the veil itself done away; which is giving up the pomt, since that is no other than the ceremonial law, the outward form of administering the covenant of grace under the former dispensation, and was a shadow of good things to come by Christ, clearly revealed under the present administration : however, this is a matter of no very great importance; and the Doctor has excellently shewn the difference be- tween these two, be they called what they will; and indeed, properly speaking, the covenant of grace, as made, was before them both, even from eternity. 252 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. Again, here you see the apostle expressly calls these the tirst and the second; " If the first had been faultless, there should have been no place for the second." Now that it should be affirmed of one and the same covenant, that this is the first, and that this is the second, and yet these two should be both one, is strange : " There are three that bear record in heaven, the father, the word, and the spirit :" it is true, the divine essence is one ; but consider as there are three persons, they are not one ; so if you will consider any thing as they are two, they are not one : now these covenants are called first and second, therefore they cannot be both one. Again, the apostle speaks of a second coming in the place of the first ; we cannot say of one and the self-same covenant, that it comes in place of itself; when one thing comes in the place of another, these two must needs be distinct : can you say of the one and the same thing, that it is disannulled, and that it is not ? that it vanishes, and yet that it is come in the place of itself when it vanishes ? In chap. vii. 18, you shall find plainly that the apostle, speaking of the covenant under the priesthood, calls it " the commandment that went before ;" and says, it was disan- nulled in that it was weak and unprofitable. And in chap. x. 9, he tells us, that " he takes away (speaking of Christ) the first, that he may establish the second ;" so that here you may plainly see, that these two covenants, one is not only called first, and the other second ; but the one is so the first, and the other so the second, that the first must be taken away, that the second may come in place ; and that the second doth not come till the first be disannulled : but all the question will be, whether, when the apostle speaks thus of first and second, of old and new, of better and worse of disannulling and coming in place ; whether he means the covenant of grace, under whicn the Jews were, and under which we are in Christ, or some other. For clearing this, 1 beseech you, consider what he speaks for th^ illustrating his own mind. In chap. viii. 8, having made a distinction of better and faulty, of first and second, see how he proves what he speaks, that they are distinct : For finding fault with them, he salth, " The days come when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of .Judah, mot according to the covenant I made with their fathers, w'jen I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 253 Egypt,'* (and, as Jeremiah adds, for he takes all this out of Jer. xxxi. 31,) " Although I was a husband to them ;" and in the close of all, " Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more." 1. You see the apostle, from Jeremiah, brings a direct distinc- tion of two covenants ; " I will make a new covenant, not ac- cording to the covenant I made with their fathers." Here are two covenants; a new one, and one made with their fathers. Some may think it was the covenant of works at the promulga- tion of the moral law ; but mark well that expression of Jeremiah, and you shall see it was the covenant of grace ; " For, (saith he) not according to the covenant I made with their fathers, although I was an husband unto them." How can God be considered as a husband to a people under a covenant of works, which was broken by man in innocency, and so became disannulled ? The covenant of works runs thus ; " Cursed is every one that conti- nueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law ;" and, " in the day that thou sinnest thou shalt die the death." Man had sinned before God took him by the hand to lead him out of the land of Egypt, and sin had separated man from God ; how then can he be called a husband in the covenant of works ? The covenant, therefore, was not a covenant of works, but such a one as the Lord became a husband in, and that must be a cove- nant of grace ; and yet, saith he, " I will make a new covenant, not according to the covenant I made with their fathers," &c. In the close of this chapter, see how the apostle sums up the matter ; " In that he saith a new," saith he, " the first is waxed old, and so is ready to vanish away ;" here you see again, how he makes this distinction between the covenants, old and new ; one being new, is fresh ; and the other, being old, is ready to vanish away. Again, consider, in chap. ix. he goes on, as with main strength, to make good the thing, that there are two dis- tinct covenants ; " The first covenant verily," saith he, " had also oramances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary." What is this first covenant ? The apostle reckons up all the implements of it; he speaks of their candlestick, table, and gifts, and so he goes along ; but mark, in ver. 14, what opposition he makes ; " Wherefore," saith he, " Christ is a mediator of the new testament." Wherefore, upon what terms is this ? In that first covenant, there was but blood of bulls and goats, which could never perfect the comers thereunto, as pertaining to the 254 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. conscience ; but wlien Christ comes with his own blood, " Ho obtained eternal redemption, and so purged the conscience ironi dead works :" so that by this you may perceive, he makes abso- lute distinction between the first, which did consist in tliose rites, and that whereof Christ is the mediator ; in a word, in chap, x., he renews the distinction once more ; the law consisted In bui-nt sacrifices, offerings, &c. which could never make the comers thereunto perfect, ver. 1, but there was a remembrance of sin once every year ; therefore, saith the apostle, (speaking of the Lord) " Sacrifices and offerings thou wouldest not ; then, said I, (that is Christ) Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. In that he saith, Lo, I come, he takes away the first, that he might es- tablish the second." If all this be not a sufficient evidence to clear this, that they are distinct covenants ; and so distinct that though both be covenants of grace, yet the one must be disan- nulled before the other can be established, I know nothing that can be proved by scripture. But to come to the main thing ; there being two distinct cove- nants, let us see wherein that which Christ administered, is better than that the priests did ; and this will be of very great concern to the settling of spirits : the differences are marvellous ; the apostle expresses them in such language, that, I dare be bold to say, if any man should utter it, and not have his warrant from him, he would go nigh to be censured. That first covenant, though it was a covenant of grace, yet he spares not to say, that it was not faultless ; that is, it was not without fault : he goes further, he saith it was unprofitable, yea, weak ; nay, which is marvellous to consider, he calls the administration of that cove- nant, beggarly rudiments ; whereas, on the other side, in the covenant Christ manages, he says, " By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," chap. x. 14. Tlie difference then ^=t ;nd-i in these two things. The covenant which the priests administered, was a very im- perfect one; that Christ manages, is most absolute, complete, and perfect. There was a necessity of adding many things unto their covenant ; but that which Christ managed, is so complete, that nothing in the world can be added to it : if any will stumble at the word faulty, you must understand, beloved, that there is a two-fold faultiness in things ; it may be either sinful, or imperfect; the covenant was not sinfully faulty, for it ^vas of God^s own TMB TWO COVENANTS OF GIUCE. 255 making that cannot sin; but jou will say, being so, it cannot be imperfect. You must distinguisli perfection, which is two-fold ; a thing may be said to be perfect, in respect of the end for which it was ordained, or to compass higher ends than it was ordained to : as for that first covenant of grace, it was not imperfect for that end that God appointed ; for it did all that he purposed should be done by it ; but it was imperfect to do so much as Christ himself did. This is the main thing I would prosecute, to let you see wherein the covenant that Christ managed excels the covenant which the priests managed: there are three things principally wherein they differ. I will pass by many ordinary differences. 1. Christ's covenant is better, in respect of the remission of sins. 2. In respect of peace of conscience. 3. In respect of freedom from punishment and wrath as the desert of sin. 1. I have shewed before, that some remission of sins was under the Jews' covenant of grace ; I shall now endeavour to let you see wherein that was imperfect, in comparison of what Christ hath now brought by his own offering himself once for all. It may be, this may seem somewhat strange, that I should affirm, that their remission of sins was imperfect; but, beloved, the apostle speaks fully to the point, and saith expressly, that there was " remem- brance of sins again every year," chap. x. But, to handle things distinctly and particularly. 1. Their remission of sins was imperfect, in comparison of what Christ by his own person hath wrought ; they had not in their covenant a plenary remission of all sorts of sins ; they could not tell whither to go to find pardon for some *. This is plain in Numb. xv. 28 — 30, where, Moses speaking of one sin- ning by ignorance, a she-goat being brought, there might be an atonement made for him, and the sin might be forgiven : but mark what follows, " The soul that sins pre>umptuously shall die ;" here is a sacrifice for sins of ignorance, but " the soul that sins presumptuously shall die," no sacrifice for that. So again, Gen. xvii. 14, you shall find, that there was no sacrifice • Not but the saints under the old testament had full forgiveness by looking to the llfHJ^l and sacrifice of Christ, which cleansed from all sin then, as now, but not by legal sacrifices, or in the Mosaic administration. 256 THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. io be had for uncircumcision ; " The man-child that shall not bo circumcised, shall be cut off;" no other remedy, no appeal to other sacrifices ; here was no sparing him by any means ; no sa- crifice to expiate his transgression. In Exod. xxxi, 14, also you shall see that there was no pardon to be met with for the pro- fanation of the Sabbath, but that soul must be cut off; and so, whosoever eat of the sacrifice, and had uncleanness upon him, must be cut off, Lev. vii. 20. I might instance in many other particulars ; but certainly there was a variety of sins for which no sacrifice could be admitted, and consequently no pardon obtained, nor sued out for them *: for pardon of sin was sued out upon those sacrifices God required :, but now mark the difference ; herein is the covenant, whereof Christ was the mediator, infinitely better than that other, in the large extent of pardon which it brought along with it. For this purpose, look into 1 John i. 7, where he saith " The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.* Observe it, I pray you, " from all sin;" see the extent of it; you cannot name the sin which a person would be willing to cast off, and have a pardon for, but the blood of Christ cleanseth from it. If the Jews would have given all their estates, that they might have been admitted to bring sacrifice for such and such a sin, it could not be ; " But the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin." But you will say, in chap. x. 26, the apostle seems to intimate, as if there were some sins for which we can have no remission ;. his words are these; " If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin." Here, some may say, it seems that if a person shall happen to sin wilfully, after he hath received the knowledge of the truth, there is no sacrifice for sin. I beseech you, give me leave to open to you the meaning of the apostle, and his plain drift. I find thousands of persons are mightily mistaken in it, and so the text comes to be a very fear- ful burthen upon their spirits ; but that you may understand the scope of it aright, know, that there he is closing all the former discourse, which stands mainly in these two things ; that there is now one perfect sacrifice once offered by Christ himself, that • Pardon of sin might be sued out by faith then, upon the blood and sacrifice of Christ ; but not upon legal sacrifices, which for some sins were not admitted, and yet «ere pardoned through Christ, as David and others. THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 257 perfectly doth all things to be done, and, therefore, must be offered no more ; and that all the sacrifices that were to be offered, are now vanished; and, in the interim, he comes to this conclusion: now that you have received the knowledge of this truth, that all sacrifices must now cease, if you sin wilfully, that is, if you will reject this truth I have delivered unto you; if you think that this one sacrifice is not enough to serve your turn, but you will look to others, there remains no more sacrifice for your sin : as if he should say. You will but deceive yourselves to look in anv other way for pardon ; you may think such and such services, confes- sions, prayers, fastings, will do something towards the remission of sins ; but deceive not yourselves in this, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. Christ was but once offered; if you will not conclude to adhere to that one sacrifice once offered ; nor have that to bring perfect remission of sins, you will certainly miscarry ; there will be no other remedy, but indignation and wrath will fall upon you ; every thing else will fail ; that is the first. I beseech you have patience, and let me but open myself, lest I leave both myself and the truth to scandal. 2. The covenant ho brings, is more perfect, in that though there was remission of sins in it, and so it differs from the cove- nant of works ; yet mark it, and you shall find, that their covenant, though it was a covenant of grace, did not administer grace, but upon antecedent conditions to be performed, before there could be any participation of the grace ©f it * ; I say, there must be many things done first, before a pardon could be heard of; whereas, under the covenant of grace, which Christ brings, there is no antecedent condition at all ; but the whole grace is communicated before ever the person doth any thing towards it. In that covenant they must be at the cost of sacrifices, must bring them to the tabernacle, must confess their sins to the priest; and, (for ouo^ht I know) in cases of extremity, must fast too, before they could obtain pardon of sin, and removal of judgment; but the covenant that Christ brings into the world himself, is such, that before ever the person could be able to do any one thing in the world that is good, the whole grace of it is made his, and we need not be at the cost of a sacrifice, Christ is at that himself; we need not bring a * That is, in the Mosaic way, or according to the administration of the covenant cf grace in that way ; otherwise saints then, as now, had tlie pardon of their sins freely, looking to the grace of God and blood of Christ, and were justified as freely, and saveid by the free grace of God, even afc we arc. 258 ' THE TWO COVENANTS OP GRACE. Christ, he brings himself; we need not offer him, he offers him- self; nay, our confession of sin is not antecedent to the forgive- ness of it ; remission doth not depend upon that, but only upon the grace of God; " I am found of them that sought me not; before they call, I will answer." Do but mark, beloved, how the terms of the covenant of grace by Christ run ; " Even while we were enemies, we were recon- ciled to God by the blood of Christ ;" there could be no good thinsr done before our reconciliation, when we were considered simply and only as enemies: and so in Ezek. xvi. 6, 8, " When I saw thee polluted in thy blood, thy time was the time of love ; I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine :" when 1 " When thou wast in thy blood ;" there is no antecedent doing, before the participation of the cove- nant ; nay, the covenant is sworn, even when in blood. The apostle, in Rom. iv. 5, tells us, " That to him that worketh not, butbelieveth onhimthat justifieththe ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Christ considers men under no other notion but ungodly, when he confers the grace of his covenant upon them: you shall never hear, In all the old covenant, pardon bestowed, before works of bringing, and offering sacrifice ; but under the covenant of grace, there is no respect of good works to the participation of it ; even true faith itself is no condition of this covenant*, neither is it required as an antecedent to it, or to forgiveness. True faith, indeed, is the evidence of things not seen ; we know not that sin is pardoned, till we believe, because it is hid in the breast of God, or rather veiled in the gospel, under general terms, until Christ gives faith unto his people ; whereby, they see their sins, as well as other believers, are forgiven ; but simply to the conveyance of the pardon itself, there is nothing in the world but grace. You know, beloved, a prince sometimes looks upon a condemned person in pity, and considering him as a dying man, out of grace gives him his pardon; and thus did the Lord by Christ in a new covenant ; he looks upon such and such, as he sees good, going to execution, and merely out of pity cast upon them in this deplorable condition, sends Christ with pardon to them; not calling upon them to change their persons, to come thus and thus handsome, and then he will say something • See the note on uage 90. THE TWO COVENANTS OF ORACK, 259 unto them ; but as they are condemned malefactors, and come to execution, so he gives his pardon. 3. Though there was pardon under the old covenant, yet know, that what they had, was but gradatim, and successively, as thev offered sacrifice ; it was not continued and successive, but it had interims and stops ; in plain language, the covenant of the Jews reached out pardon of sin only so far forth as it was committed before such and such a sacrifice was offered ; if a man had sinned ignorantly, till he had brought a sacrifice, his sin lay upon him ; when he did bring it, it took away but that sin; it did not, neither could it, extend to future sins. Here presently is a suc- cession of sin, and this must lie, till there come a second sacrifice to take away that ; and when that is gone, a third sin lies again upon the heart; and that is not gone, till there comes a new sacri- fice for it; and the reason the apostle saith, " There is a remem- brance again of sin ;" because, " The comers thereto could not be perfect ;" that is, they indeed had pardon by drops, now for one sin, then for another; it may be a week, a month's distance between, before they could have it; and still they had it, as their sacrifice was offered: mark the inconvenience of this ; so lone- as any sin lay upon their spirits, these were under the burthen of their own transgressions ; this is the reason you have often among the Jews so many complaints ; " My sins are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear ;" and of the exceeding bitterness of their spirits. No marvel, beloved, they were to bear their own sins ; till the sacrifice came there was no discharge ; so that, in the interim, sin lay upon their consciences : but mark how the covenant that Christ brought was better than that they had ; " By one sacrifice once offered, hath he perfected for ever them that are sanctified:" as much as to say, those that are under this, are not put to these stops and interims for pardon, and are not to wait the time of the sacrifice, that so they may receive it from such a sacrifice ; nor after they have some testimony of it, do they now lie under the weight of a sin new committed ; but Christ did so perfectly go through the work of redemption, and taking away sin, that by one sacrifice he took it away at once for ever*. Here, beloved, lies one of the chiefest comforts of the whole gospel of Christ, to see that in him, sins past, present, and to come, are all at once wrapt up in this one sacrifice of his ; there is an ex- * Dan. iz. 24. s2 260 ' THE TWO COVENANTS OF GUACE. piation before-hand for sin that shall be committed : there is not an expectation of a future expiation ; a sacrifice is already offered of value sufficient to take away the sins that afterward are com- mitted ; the value of this sacrifice went both upward and down- ward; upward to Adam, for the full pardon of all the sins of the elect, until Christ came ; and it goes downward since he came, for the pardon of all the sins of every elect person until the end of the world ; so that in consideration of sin committed since he offered himself, there is not some new thing to be done : but herein stands the perfection of what Christ did, it serves fully and completely for every purpose that could possibly happen after- wards. There is but one pai'ticular more, and that is this, they had pardon (it is true) but as I may so say, that covenant though it did sweep, yet it left a great deal of dust behind ; I mean this, though their daily and occasional sacrifices did take away sin, yet they did not take it away clean, but left some scattering of it behind : and this is plain by this, the apostle saith, that there were in these sacrifices a remembrance of sin again every year ; that is, there must be an annual sacrifice to sweep away those relics of the dust of sin, which their daily sacrifice did leave be- hind; so that they were glad of the coming of the yearly sacri- fice to take away sin, to make a clean riddance after these sacri- fices, which could not do it ; when these were offered, though there was something of remission o( sins, yet certainly there re- mained something of sin behind, and that till a year came about, or else that sacrifice once a year was in vain. Why could not their daily sacrifices do it 1 God would not, that they should make a clear riddance : and even thatyearly sacrifice did not do it ; for there must come another yearly sacrifice after that ; and ano-- fher after that ; but now there remains no sacrifice for sin ; no yearly, no daily, no occasional sacrifices for the taking away of sin. But, you will say, will you take away all manner of duties and services under the gospel ? I answer, I take not away the duty^ no, by no means, but the end ; there is no duty we perform, that is now a sacrifice to take away sin ; nothing but the blood of Christ only, takes away sin ; as for the services of Christians-^ there are many other purposes for which they are required ; as to express obedience to the will of God, the serving our generation, the setting forth the praise of the glory of God's free grace : the?.e THE TWO COVENANTS OF GRACE. 261 are the ends of our services ; but to expect, by any service we do, to obtain pardon of sin, is absolutely Jewish, a new sacrifice upon commission of new sins ; and directly overthrows all the fulness and sufficiency of that one sacrifice, olFercd by Christ himself. 2. The difference between these two covenants, stands in quieting- the conscience ; this follows necessarily upon the former. As there remains something of sin in that covenant of the Jews, so there must remain something of terror and trouble upon their conscience ; a tender and well enlightened conscience, always sees and feels sin where it is ; if there be any, a tender con- science feels it, and the gripe and gird of it ; now, in that, there were sometimes some sins upon their persons no marvel that there were pain in their consciences for sin, for the apostle saith expressly, " That those gifts and sacrifices could not take away sin, as pertaining to the conscience ;" that is, they could not take it away, that the conscience should be eased ; for still there would be new sins committed that would disquiet it; hence it is that they cry, out of the bitterness of their spirits, that sin did lie upon them. But, beloved, that which Christ brought is better than this, in that " the blood of Christ purges the conscience from dead w^orks ;" for which cause he is called " The mediator of a new testament ;" because his blood obtained a redemption, purged the conscience, not only from the foul acting of thinirs, but from those sins, which, Avhile they remain, lie as a w^eight to torment the spirit. Christ takes away all the sins of his people ; either you must say, Christ's sacrifice doth not take away all, or that there is not a sin left, after Christ hath cleansed the con- science of a believer. In a word, to close up all, 3. The covenant that Christ brought was better, in regard of wrath and judgment for sin. Justice you know follows sin at the heels ; where it finds sin, there it executes : justice finding sin now and then upon the Jews, under that covenant, as it met with them so gave them a lash for them ; hence you have those many complaints of God's justice plaguing them always : it was justice, because there was sin, which was their own, and was charged upon themselves, till the sacrifice came, and therefore their judgment was just ; but Christ is the mediator of a better cove- nant, in that as he hath taken away all sin, so he hath taken away all the desert of it : though it be true under the gospel, the .'Gi2 THE TWO COVanaNTS OF GRACE. Lord chastises his people as a father with his rod ; yet he never pours out indignation and wrath as their desert ; he never looks to satisfy himself with any punishment of any member of Christ; for he beheld the travail of Christ, and was satisfied with that, Isaiah liii.; and when God is once satisfied, he will never demand another satisfaction : if Christ hath worn out the rod of wrath to the stumps, and cast it into the fire, certainly there is no more of it to be remembered : the apostle is full to this. Gal. iii. 24 ; speaking of the Jews, he saith that they were under a school- master, i. e. a scourge, until Christ ; for so are the words in the orio-inal ; " The law," saith he, " was a schoolmaster until Christ; but when faith was come, we are no longer under a school- master." They indeed were fit to be scourged, because they were in a state subject to sin, guilt, and faults, until Christ came ; but when faith, that is, Christ' himself, was come, were no longer under a schoolmaster; therefore, in chap. iv. 1, the apostle calls them heirs indeed, because at length they did attain salvation ; but in respect of the weight and burthen of the rod upon them, he saith, that for the present they differed nothing from servants ; " The heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all ; but is under tutors and governors, until the appointed time of the father ;" that is, till Christ came ; but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son : I know it may be well inter- preted of delivering persons in general, Jews and Gentiles, from under the slavery of sin ; but doubtless the apostle hath an eye to this ; namely, in respect of the imperfection of taking sin from them, they did bear indignation and wrath for so much sin as was upon them ; whereas Christ takes away all wrath and in- dignation from us, as it is the desert of sin. Use 1. In all this you may see the glorious liberty " where- with Christ hath made you free," wherein stand fast, " and be not entangled again with the yoke oi bondage." 2. By keeping these truths, you shall be able to answer satis- factorily to the knottiest objections that are or can be made against the free grace of God in Christ, especially from examples and actions under tbe old covenant. 263 SERMON XVII. CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. ISAIAH liii. 6. latter part. AND THE LORD HATH LAID [or, made to meet] ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF us ALL. Of all the chosen vessels to bear the name of Christ propheti- cally, before the children of Israel, there is none so like the apostles as this our prophet, in respect of the solemnity of his call'; as appears by comparing both together ; both he and they were called by visible fire settling on them, Isa. vi. 6, 7; Acts ii. 3, 4. Doubtless, this singular likeness of their calls, por- tended (as indeed, in the event it proved) a singular likeness between their ministries, as if he had been singled out to be the forerunner of them. Sure, if prediction be enough to denomi- nate him a prophet, the glorious and precious gospel he preached, so far beyond the accustomed stream of his times, may well admit him into the fellowship of the evangelists ; scarce coming short of any of them, in holding forth the " bright morning- star," or " sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings :" it is true, the other prophets now and then met with Christ in their perambulations ; but, as they saw him at a remote distance, so they could take but, as it were, a shadow of him, and accordingly represent him to the people ; but this prophet seems to pre- possess the beloved disciple's place, even the bosom of Christ : you may, with one eye, easily see, by comparing him with the rest, the vast difference. But to leave comparisons, because some think them odious ; how admirably he preacheth the free and full grace of God to self-willed sinners, let this chapter serve for a sample ; which both Christ himself, and his apostles, took so much notice of, that, of all the prophetic passages, there is none so frequently quoted by them, as these here men- 254 CHRIST THE GHV AT PAYMASTER tioned, which the quotations in the margin point out unto you, as vou may there see. In the prophet's entrance upon his sweet discourse of the unsearchable treasures of God's love in Christ to his people, whispered, as it were, a secret in his ear, he seems to be at a stand ; as if he could hardly tell whether to bring it to W^rht, or hold his tongue, out of a probable suspicion he had grounded on former experience, that this kind of doctrine would be rejected; " Who hath believed our report?" &c. ver. 1. Now that this may not seem to be a calumny, but on good ground, in ver. 2, he gives an account of the reasons moving him to it, besides what occasioned it from former experience. He knew that the people expected great matters from Christ when he came ; (as well they might) and, therefore, that his first appearance should promise much ; and that if it should be in a mean low way, which would carry no likelihood of compassing great matters, he should not be believed : now it was revealed unto him, that Christ must " grow up as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.'* If therefore men judged accord- ing to outward appearance, (as probably they will) it might easily be judged that his labour would be vain, and that he should spend his strength for nought. Who expects a fair and plentiful crop in a barren heath or wilderness 1 What else but inconsiderable shrubs ? How can men hope better of him, who must " grow up as a root out of a dry ground ?" So long as common principles of reason rule, and ingross conclusions, Christ appearing, as is fore-prophesied, will not be taken for the man he is, but rather be laughed to scorn : as indeed, when he did so appear, he was, by not only the vulgar, but also by the great doctors the Pharisees : afterwards the prophet more plainly expounds what he means by growing up as a root out of a dry ground ; " He hath no form nor comeliness ;" that is, his face will promise little or nothing, so that for lack of outward beauty, no desirableness will appear in him ; hereupon, in ver, 3, he changeth his suspicion into a peremptory assertion, and concludes, " He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows," &c. Yet, for all this, our prophet was in travail, and could not be at ease till he had brought forth the man-child, who was to save liis people from their sins ; it seems he was in Elihu's temper, objec- tions, and shew the necessity of the thing. Look but into Isa. liii. 11, 12, there you shall find three words all expressing this one thing, that it is sin itself, and deviations, that are laid on Christ: " He shall bear their iniquities," ver. 11. " He was numbered among the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many :" mark it well, I pray. Some have been ready to conceive, that the word iniquity in the text is spoken figuratively ; iniquity, that is, the punishment of it, was laid on him ; but see how careful the Spirit of God is, to take away all suspicion of a figure in the text: there are ini- quity, transgression, and sin, three words, and all spoken to the same purpose, to confirm it; and it is strange, that all these three should still be understood of punishment, and not simply of sin itself, without any figure; but, from hence it is clear, that the iniquity itself of the persons for whom Christ suffered is re- moved from a believer, and transferred upon him. All the difficulty lies in that expression, " He was numbered among the transgressors." Some will be ready to say, he was so indeed, but by whom was he numbered ? The Scribes and Pha- risees called him a blasphemer, and a seducer ; and they said, he had a devil, and was a glutton and wine-bibber ; and, accord- ing to the charge, they crucified him with transgressors, and so he was numbered amongst them ; but God did not account him so ; and though they did, it doth not therefore follow that he was so. I answer, Under favour, beloved, let me tell you, that in this place Christ being numbered with the transgressors, was spoken in respect of God's own accounting him among the number of transgressors ; for he himself made him one at that time. Bear with the expression ; for the apostle hath one higher than this, though it may seem harsh to you. Look into 2 Corinth, v. 21. There you shall see that God made him more than a trans- gressor ; " He was made sin for us ;" there is a great deal of difference between being made sin, and being made a sinner, with any that know how the expression in the abstract goes be- yond that in the concrete : I know the word may be spoken hyperbolically ; not that Christ simply could be made sin, or his essence be turned into sin; but the apostle''s meaning was, that no transgressor in the world was such a one as Christ OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 27 1 was*. But still he was a transgressor, as our transgressions were laid upon him, not that he was the actor of any ; and how could the Lord himself by his own act lay our transgressions upon him, and make him a transgressor; nay, make him sin, and yet not number him among such as were transgressors f ? The apostle Peter speaks very fully to this business, in 1 Pet. ii. 24. He tells us, that " he himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree ;" he bare our sins, and it was he himself that did it, and it was on his own body; one would think that all these words need not ; he might have only said, he bare them in his body ; but he said more emphatically, " He himself bare our sins in his own body ;" he speaks it so punctually, that all the world may see that there is no under- hand, but plain dealing with God in this business ; that so we may rest satisfied with it, that being made partakers of Christ, our iniquities were laid upon him ; and if they ever be looked after, it should be where they are : and this is the main end why there are so many expressions in scripture, that our sins are laid upon Christ, to imply, that when any search is made for them * This is true of Christ, not as the actor of transgression, as the Doctor imme- diately observes, but as he was made so by imputation, in which respect he was the greatest transgressor in the world ; for let any man be ever so great a one, he has only his own sins on him : but Christ, though he had none of his own, yet being the surety of his people, and standing in their place, had all their sins upon him, which he calls his own, and were innumerable, Ps. xl. 12, and so was, by imputation, what no sinner ever was, or could be ; and this is saying no more than what divines, ancient and modern, have not scrupled to afiBrm. Chrysostom on 2 Cor. v. 21, says, God made him a^oprwXov, a sinner, yea more than that, sin itself. CEcumenius, on Heb. ix. p. 849, says he was tjc (XipoSpa n/iaproAos, an exceeding great sinner; since he took on him the sins of the whole world, and made them his own. Calvin a.->d Beza, on 2 Cor. v. 21, say, Christ was peccator et reus, a sinner and yuilty, and deserving of the curse, through the guilt of sins imputed to him. See Calvin also on Gal. iii. 13. Piscator, on 2 Cor. v. 21, observes, that Christ being made sin signi- fies eummum peccatorem, all the sins of all the elect being imputed to him. And Marlorat, on the same text, has these words, that Christ died for us, as accursed of God, and is peccator omnium scelestissimus. Phrases as strong as any the Doctor has iiere or elsewhere ; and which, though not contrary to the divine judgment con- <.erning Christ as our surety, nor derogatory to the perfect purity and holiness of our Lord but are designed to express the most perfect imputation of sin to him, and the security of our salvation by him, as Witsius observes, yet I cannot but be of opinion with that same great man, that it would bo better to abstain from the use of such phrases ; since they are not scriptural, need much explanation, and may be offensive to tender minds. — Animadv. Irenic. c. i. s. 11 ; c. ii. s. 1,4. •)■ That Christ was numbered by men among transgressors, is not denied; he was called and traduced by them as a sinner, and placed between two thieves when cruci- fied, which fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah in part, Mark xiv. 27, 28. But then this bein? suffered by the Lord, shews that he was accounted so by him, and stood in the eye of justice as among, and in the place of, transgressors ; and that this is the sense of the passage appears from what follows ; and or for he bore the sms of many, as Junius and Tremellius render it ; which could be no reason with men for so number- ing him, who knew nothing of his bearing the sins of others ; but is a reason with the T,nrd so to account him, since he himself laid these sins on him. 272 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER amonfj believers, they may know what is become of them, and so satisfy themselves about it: do but observe that excellent expression, Jerem. 1. 20; where you will find what the great scope and end is, why the Holy Ghost takes such and so much care to let us know, that it is iniquity itself that is laid upon Christ. " In those days, and at that time, shall the iniquities of Israel be sought for, and there shall be none : and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." Beloved, here is a strange mystery, the world will not receive it, except they receive this principle we are now upon, namely, that the iniquity itself of his people is laid upon the back of Christ. What, will some say, what no iniquity at all found in Israel, though it be searched for narrowly ? No, saith the prophet, " The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none." Israel commits sins every day, you will say, and cannot the Lord find them ? But the prophet saith, he hath laid this iniquity upon Christ, therefore it is gone, it cannot be there, and here too ; it cannot be on Israel and on Christ. Suppose a thief had stolen goods, and brought them home to his house, a friend comes and takes them away, in favour to save his life ; there is a privy search made for them in the house of the thief, in every coi-ner; how can they find these stolen goods there, supposing they are carried away by his friend ? They are sought for, but they are not found, be- cause they are carried away. Even so, hence it is, that iniqui- ties are sought for in Israel, and there is none, because they are carried away already, and laid upon Christ. I will tell you by the way, the reason why believers groan so heavily under such bitterness of spirit, disquietness and horror in their consciences ; they think they find their transgressions there, and imagine that there is a sting of this poison still behind wounding them ; but, beloved, if this be received as a truth, that God hath laid thv iniquities on Christ, how can they, belonging to him, be found in thy heart and conscience, if so be he hath already transferred them unto him 1 Is thy conscience Christ 1 Either that must be Christ, or the Lord hath not laid thine iniquities upon him ; or else thy heart must be freed from thy sin. I beseech you consider of it seriously ; we know not what times are growing upon us, nor what mav abide us; we may be cut off from the land of the living, and be OF ALL THE DEBTS OF HIS PEOPLE. 273 in the Jews' condition, subject to bondage all our lives long, thtougli fear of death and hell ; and what is the occasion and ground of it 1 it is to have sin lie close upon your spirits : se- parate sin from the soul, and it hath rest in the worst condition . being in the Jewish condition you will never have full satisfaction and settled quiet of spirit, in respect of sin, till you have received this principle, " That it is iniquity itself that the Lord hath laid on Christ." Now, when I say with the prophet, it is that itsel that the Lord hath laid on him, I mean as he doth; it is the faul of the transgression itself, and to speak more fully, that verj erring and straying like sheep*, is passed off from thee, and is laid upon Christ: to speak it more plainly, hast thou been an idolater, a blasphemer, a despiser of God's word ? a trampler upon him, a prophaner of his name and ordinances, a despiser of government, and of thy parents, a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, a liar, a drunkard ? Reckon up what thou canst against thyself; if thou hast part in the Lord Christ, all these transgressions of thine become actually his, and cease to be thine ; and thou ceasest to be a transgressor, from that time they were laid upon him, to the last hour of thy lifef: so that now thou art not an idolater, a persecutor, a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, or a sinful person ; reckon what sin soeveV you commit, when as you have part in Christ, you are all that he was, he is all that you were: 2 Cor. V. 21, " He was made sin for us, that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Mark it well, Christ himself is not so completely righteous, but we are as righteous as he was ; nor we so completely sinful, but he became, being made sin, as completely sinful as we J; nay more, the * The sin-offering, which was typical of Christ, is called ^^^?0J^ sin itself, erring, going astray, or missing the mark, as the word signifies. See Mr. Samuel Crisp's (the Doctor's son) " Christ made sin," &c. ; not the guilt and punishment of sin, but the avoftia, the illegality and sinfulness of it were laid on Christ, and satisfied for by him : Strip sin of this, and it will be an innocent thing, and deserve no punishment ; nor could more be inflicted on Christ than in proportion to sin, or what of sin was laid upon him ; and if there is any thing in it, or belongs to it, not bore by him, it must be bore by the sinner himself, and upon this scheme not one of Adam's race can be saved. f Being Christ's by imputation ; and though theirs by commission, and not Christ's yet, being bore by him, shall not be reckoned to them, or charged upon them, or brought' against them to their condemnation. See note p. 12, 13. J But by imputation : Christ having all the sins of his people laid upon him, must, in this sense, be reckoned as completely sinful as they; and they, having his righteous- ness put on them, must be as completely righteous as he; which is to be understood, not of his essential righteousness as God, nor of the righteousness of his office aa mediator, and the faithful discharge of that ; for they are neither made gods nor ipodiators ; but of that which he wrought out for them, in their room and stead, con- sjs\tng of his active and passive obedience; " of which, (says Wi'lsius,) seeing all the tK-wt equally partake, all must needs be perfectly righteous, through the same most 27-1 CHRIST THE GREAT PAYMASTER I ighteousness that Christ hath with the Father, we are tUtj eame, for " we are made the righteousness of God;" and that very sinfulness that we were, Christ is made before God ; so that here is a direct change, Christ takes our persons and condition, and stands in our stead, we take his person and condition, and stand in his stead * What the lord beheld Christ to be, that he beholds his members to be ; what he beholds them to be in themselves, that he beholds Christ himself to be. So that if you would speak of a sinner, supposing him to be a member of Christ, you must not speak of. what he manifests, but of what Christ was. If you would speak of one completely righteous, you must speak of liira, and know that Christ himself is not more righteous than he is ; and that that person is not more sinful than Christ was, when he took his sins on him ; so that if you will reckon well, beloved, you must always reckon yourself in another's person, and that other in yours ; and until the Lord find out trans- gressions of Christ's own acting, he v/ill never find one to charge upon you. Now, we have it professed unto us that " Christ was in all things like unto us, sin only excepted ;" and for whatever sin you liave committed, do, or shall commit, there was one sacrifice once offered by Christ, through which he hath perfected them that are sanctified ; that sacrifice of his made the exchange, by virtue of which, we became that which Christ was, and he became that wiiich we were ; thus the Lord laid iniquity upon him ; therefore it is observable, the words in the text are indefinitely spoken, " The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity ;"" not this or that iniquity, but the whole bulk of it. And if this seem not enough, that every transgression, first and last, great and small, one with another, are carried away at once, and laid upon Christ ; mark that well, in 1 John i. 7, it is as clear as the light : " For the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." [All] it is an admirable word though it be never so small ; not past sins only, but present sins ; the person that belongs to Christ is acquit of all transgressions, that whatever he commits it is as if he never committed any in the world. perfect righteousness of Christ, ATIVE ONLY. 313 purpose? To do that which those sacrifices could not do, to take away sin perfectly; but by what authority came Christ? Doth he come of his own head ? Doth he of himself take the sin upon himself? No, beloved, he doth not; " In the volume of the book (saith Christ) it is written of me," or as it is in the original, " in the head of the book it is written of me ;" As if he had said, in thy book it is written, as a chief head or matter ; remission of sins is ascribed unto me as a business committed unto me, or passed over to me. But it may be by way of courtesy, some may say. I answer, Mark well the meaning of that place, Christ saith, *' Thy law is in my heart;" so then it seems this book which contains this business of Christ, about the remission of sins, is a book that runs in the strain of a law upon him, or unto him ; so that m the business of bearing the sins of men, Christ was so far from taking it upon himself, to lay their iniquities upon him- self, that he acknowledges he was under a law in this thing ; nay, Secondly, See that it was the Lord's own business that Christ is sent about ; for he tells us expressly, that the Lord every way furnishes him to this work : " A body hast thou prepared me," or fitted for me ; and all to shew that Christ is in a manner passive about the business of taking off iniquity ; he doth not take it upon himself, but only bears it, being laid on by the commission, nay the hand of God himself And therefore, in Heb. v. 9, the apostle tells us expressly. That " though Christ were a Son, yet learned he obedience :" and in John x. 18, Christ saith, " I have power to lay down my life, and to take it up again, and no man can take it away from me ;" in which he may seem to be his own mover, and that he doth it of himself to bear the sins of men ; yet afterwards he shews plainly, that he speaks this not at all in reference to his father, but in reference to the creature : no man takes it away from him indeed, but in reference to the Father, he saith, " This commandment have I received from my father, that 1 should lay down my life." That no man should take away my life, that is true indeed, but that I should lay it down : and in John xv. 13, our Saviour calls out his disciples upon a service of the Lord, from an argument of his own obedience ; " As I have kept my Father's commandment, and abide in his love, so if you keep my commandment, ye shall abide in my love." By all which exi>ressionsyou may perceive, that 314 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, Christ, as he stands the mediator and bearer of the sins of men, stands as one lookinsr still for his commission, when the Lord himself will lay their iniquities on him ; he doth not of himself, and of his own accord, lay them on himself : and therefore the apostle to the Hebrews, saith expressly, " No man taketh this office upon himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was." What office was that ? The office of the priesthood to bear the sins of men ; and he speaks of Christ himself in this place, that he did not take this upon himself; but waited till the Lord was pleased to lay the load upon him, and then he laid his shoulders under it : it is true, God's laying iniquity upon Christ was not by compulsion ; but there was a voluntary agreement ; it was the agreement of a son to a father, that keeps his authority and power in this business; Christ is but the mediator; he comes between as he is chosen the umpire. But if any shall say. Though Christ doth not lay the iniquities of men upon himself, yet surely he moves and persuades the Father to lay them upon him. I answer. This is received for a general truth, that what the Lord doth about the discharge of a believer's sin, he doth all upon the motives Christ put him upon, by that prevalency that he hath with him ; but, beloved, you shall find this, that in all Christ's discourse, he very frequently puts off many things from himself, and gives them to his Father; and therefore he saith expressly, " That of himself he doth nothing, but as he hears so he speaks." It is true, that the Lord hath given to Christ the pre-eminence in all things, as he by whom alone he works all good in the world to the sons of men ; but he hath not given Christ this pre-eminence, to be the first mover of him to do that good to men that he doth : the Lord himself is the fountain of his own motives, and is moved simply, and only from himself, to do that good that he doth to the sons of men. And that it may appear plainly to you, that Christ was not the first mover of the Father to dispose of the sins -of men upon himself, observe but this one thing, what was the motive that Christ himself should have such a being as he had, to wit, of mediatorship? Was not Christ himself given unto the world to be the Saviour of men? How could he be a motive to the Father to give him a being to move him, before he himself had a being to move withal ? There must therefore be a love boiling in the Father to the sons of men, IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 315 that must stir him up to give Christ to be their Saviour, or else he could not have come into the world. If therefore the love of God to men, was the first mover of himself to give Christ to them, how could he be the mover of the Father, that he should be given to them, since it was the good pleasure of the Father, that Christ should be ? It is true, indeed, Christ is the mover of the Father to execute all the good pleasure of his to the sons of men : but he is not the mover of him first to love them ; the thoughts of God were from himself towards men. Noav, because that " mercy and truth might meet together, and righteousness and peace might kiss each other," which only Christ could compass, therefore was he sent of God into the world, to make up whatsoever might conduce to the accomplishment of his love. When God first cast his love upon men, and saw their transgres- sions must be satisfied for, that justice might not be violated, that mercy might not swallow up justice, nor justice might not trample upon, nor devour mercy; therefore there must be satisfaction made, that justice might have its own right : for this cause Christ was sent into the world as a medium, or means, whereby the love that God had formerly set upon the sons of men, might have its free course without interruption. Peradventure, beloved, this discourse may seem somewhat vain and impertinent, that God himself should be his own mover to lay the iniquities of the sons of men upon the body of Christ ; but now by that which follows you shall see, that it is of great concern ; for if Christ himself did not lay our iniquities upon himself, and if he did not move the Father primarily to lay them upon him, how much less could we, and any thing we could do, attain to that height to lay them upon him ? I know that all will be ready to grant, that Christ is greater with the Father than all the things in the world ; and if any thing were able to move him to lay the iniquities of men upon Christ, he were able to do most in this matter ; if then Christ himself doth not lay our iniquities upon himself, all that we can do, or are, cannot possibly do it. There is a great mistake (and I suppose it is out of ignorance, for lack of diving into the bottom of the gospel) among men, I mean, among tender-hearted godly people, those that are deeply wrought upon ; and a conceit it is that is deeply rooted in their spirits, that some performances of their own must lay their inipuities unon Christ. Suppose there be a sin committed, it 316 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, may be more scandalous than ordinary, which peradventure to sense wounds the spirit ; the question now is, what it is tnat must, or doth, rid such a one of the sting and guilt of this or such like transgressions committed ? What discharges the soul of such a sin ? Usually it is taught among us, by those who would be accounted the greatest protestants, and haters of popery, that the proportion of repentance, tears, sorrow, and fastings, answerable to the latitude and height of such transgressions, is that that gives ease ; this takes away the burthen, this lays the soul at rest and quiets it : therefore when a soul hath transgressed, if it be tender, most, or almost, all the pantings of it, are after extraordinary enlargements in bitterness, heaviness, mourning, melting, and tears ; these are accounted they that wash away iniquity : but, beloved, let me tell you, it is impossible that all the righteousness of men though it were more perfect than it can be, should lay one iniquity, or the least circumstance of one, upon Christ, If a man could weep his heart out, if it could melt like wax, dissolve into water, and gush out rivers of tears for sin ; all this could not carry away the least dram of the filthi- ness of sin from such a soul unto Christ, nor unload the soul of any sin to load him with it: therefore they do but deceive themselves that ascribe the unloading and easing of their own spirits, to the greatest enlargements in any performances in the world ; Christ himself did not lay iniquity upon himself, much less can the righteousness of any man lay it upon him. Look upon the best of your righteousness, suppose the things men- tioned already ; suppose a spiritualness in all that righteousness, what can they do towards this, namely, unloading a man's own spirit of his sin, and the loading of Christ with it ? Suppose the righteousness you perform were perfect and complete, that God himself could find no fault with it after any sin is committed ; make the largest supposition that can be imagined ; when all this is done, what can all this conduce to the taking away of sin already committed? Do you not owe all this righteousness to God, as you are under his command ? And if you owe it, then the very payment of it is but the payment of his own debt ; and how can the payment of this debt discharge for a former debt ? Suppose a man oweth two hundred pounds, to be paid each at six months, at two payments ; if he fails in the payment of the first, and at the second day of payment pays one of the hundred IS THE lord's prerogative onlv. 317 pounds, every penny of it, doth this balance the account ? doth the payment of the last hundred pounds satisfy the whole debt ? If he had paid the first and second hundred pounds, he had paid but what was due ; can the second payment then be anv satis- faction and furtherance to payment of the former debt ? No, not at all. In whatever we have sinned, we have failed in the pay- ment of that which was God's due ; and when we come to perform any righteousness, that is his due too : if we had not failed in the former, this latter is God's due too. this must have been paid ; and when we perform any righteousness after sins com- mitted, suppose it were perfect and complete, this doth but satisfy its own debt, for God requires all this : and if it do but satisfy its own debt, how can it discharge a former ? Besides, beloved, how is it possible any righteousness of man can lay iniquity upon Christ, when besides what we have already said, there is new iniquity contracted against the Lord, in all the righteousness that men perform ? This is an odd payment of debts, by payment still to run more and more in debt ; that our righteousness may acquit us of former trans- gressions, and yet that itself contracts new transgression to. men, making it more than it was before ; how can any man in ordi- nary sense conceive this to be any way of discharge ? But some will say. Though our performances do not lay our iniquities upon Christ, yet they prevail with God, and move him with pity towards us, and stir him up to take our iniquities off from us, and lay them upon Christ: God cannot b;ii melt, will some say, to see the tears of his people, the bittcr- ness of their spirits, their crying, their earnestness, and their sorrows ; these cannot but prevail with him to have compassion on them. I know this is the general conceit of too many in the world : but, beloved, let me tell you, there is nothing in all creatures in the world that hath the least prevalency with the Lord, let them do what they can. All our prayers, tears, fastings, mournino-s reluctancy, and fighting against our corruptions, move God not a jot to lay our sins upon Christ; he is moved only from him- self. If they move God, what must they move him to ? If he be moved by any thing from man, he is moved accordino- io the nature of the thing that is done; if the nature of the thino- produce evil effects, God must be moved to do evil to men : if 318 ' TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, good effects, if there be good in the things, they may move him to good : now I ask, is there good or evil in any thing men do ? when they have sinned, they pray, confess, mourn, and fast ; is there evil or good in these, looked upon in their own nature ? No man can deny, but that there is abundance of iniquity in the best performances a man doth ; and " God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." That which must move God to do good, must have a goodness in itself; all the motive, therefore, in the Lord is simply himself And that it may appear manifestly unto us, that the Lord doth not fetch motives from us, to lay our iniquities upon Christ, you shall find through the whole current of the gospel, he takes a time of laying them upon him, when all the world may see there is no possibility that any creature should move him to do it. Mark well, Rom. ix. 11, " The children being yet unborn, before they had done good or evil, it was said, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated." Before Jacob had done either good or evil, God's love was fastened upon him, to shew that evil did not move him to reject, nor good persuade him to love : while Jacob was in the womb God loved him, and what in him did move him to love him ? he was conceived and born in sin, as David confesseth of himself What should move God to love Jacob, and to put away his transgression ? " That it might be according to the purpose of election, not of him that worketh, but of God that sheweth mercy." " When I saw thee polluted in thy blood (Ezek. xvi. 8,) I spread my skirt over thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine." Israel being now in blood, what was in him to persuade God to swear to him, and to enter into covenant with him ? By blood, he means the filthiness in the creature, and such that no eye could pity it, when God first set his love upon it. " If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son ;" mark the expression ; there was no distance between being enemies and reconciliation : there was reconciliation even while enemies. What motive is there in an enemy, while such, to persuade reconciliation? " In due time Christ died for the ungodly," saith the text. What motive can an ungodly man use to persuade God to lay iniquity upon Christ, I say, consi- dering him as ungodly ? But you will say, this is a way, and a highway, to destroy all li THE LOnD*S PREROGATIVE ONLY. 310 performances whatsoever. What, can they do nothing 1 to what purpose should any man then fall upon any employment ? Beloved, I am not ignorant how the apostle Paul himself was slandered, when he preached the free grace of God, simply out of his own bowels, without any motive from the creature, as if he allowed and maintained continuance in sin, and breakino- out into all manner of licentiousness, because grace abounded. I believe it hath been a charge upon the ministers of the gospel, ever since his time. Oh, if ministers preach the free grace of God, and that what he doth, he doth for his own sake, then fare- well all obedience and performances ; this opens a gap for all manner of idleness ! Be not deceived, the Lord hath many spe- cial ends, for which he hath set up a course of uprightness of conversation in the world, though there be no stroke in them to move him to shew mercy to them that walk thus uprightly; and it is but the ignorance of men to think, that holiness in conver- sation must presently fall to the ground, if it hath not a preva- lency in it with God to do good to men. You know what the apostle saith, EpL ii. 8,9, 10, " You are saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ; not of works, lest any man should boast ; we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should walk in them." A man would think that he contradicted himself; works have nothing to do in man's salvation, nor move God to save ; " Not of works," saitb he, " but of grace ;" yet " You are ordained unto good works :" these stand well together. The apostle Paul tells Titus, that men should " study good works, for these are profitable unto men :" a man serves his generation, while he walketh in good works, and he doth good to them among whom he lives : he serves not himself in all the good works he doth • for the Lord Christ hath fully served his turn already ; either we must make our performances Christ's, or else we must disclaim them : what pride and arrogance is this ! either men will rule the roast, or else they will not abide in the house ! As every man hath his office in a family, so every thing in man hath its office : good works have very necessary offices in the family, but they were never ordained to bj Christ's, much less to be God's. When Christ was tempted by the Pharisees about tribute, he makes this reply ;" Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's ; S^Ot TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, and unto God, the thinors that are God's." liSt not the right- eousness of men encroach upon God, to take his work upon it- self; J tell you, beloved, we know not the evil of these vain imaginations. Should the Lord deal with you according to your own hearts, that as your performances could lay your sins upon Christ, and discharge you, so you should be discharged, when would you ever do it ? when (alas I) instead of laying old sins upon Christ by new performances, you do but add new sins to the old ; all our righteousness, is but a renovation of new transgressions ; " For all our righteousnesses," he speaks of every particular, " are as filthy rags, and a menstruous cloth." Isaiah Ixiv. 5. Is this the way to ease a man of his sin, or to get God to discharge him of it, to throw dirt anew in his face ? Is this a way for a traitor to get the king's pardon, to come into his presence, and throw poison in his face again 1 There is not one righteous action a man performs, but he therein anew throws dirt in the face of God by it : because sin, as the Wise Man saith, " Is abomi- nation to the Lord." Who knows the errors of his life, and the multitude of his failings in the best righteousness he doth ? Man's righteousness may serve his own turn, but not God's. Though there be failings in our righteousness, it may be " profitable to men ;" but as there is, the eyes of God cannot away with it. But you will say again, Christ makes our righteousness to be accepted and pleasing, by purging away all the filth that is in it ; and then it may prevail with God, to lay our iniquities upon him. I answer, it is true, Christ purges away all the filthiness, both of righteousness and unrighteousness in believers ; but not that their righteousness may prevail with God to lay iniquity upon him ; but that it may be accepted in him, the beloved, as ser- vices. He himself was without spot, or the least sin, yet he takes not away iniquity by laying it upon himself; and if our righteousness be made complete, by his taking away the filth of it, and putting his own perfection on it; it is not that our iniqui- ties may be laid upon him by it. but that it may be accepted by way of service. I should go yet one step higher, and let you know, that as it is the Lord alone that lays iniquity upon Christ, so not only all our performances are unable to do it, but even our faith itself doth not do it : ye may easily perceive, beloved, what I drive at in all this discourse, namely, to strip the creature stark naked IS THE LORDS PREROGATIVE ONLY. 321 ft slut'tless, and unable any way to help itself, that all the p tnat it receives may appear to be of the free grace of Go J, merely, without its concurrence in it. I say-, therefore, it is not the faith of believers that lays their iniquities upon Christ. Sup- pose thou hast committed many sins, and they aTe apparent ; • thou wouldst be rid of them, and hear of them no more ; what is the way ? Works have not power to do it, you will say ; but faith is able to discharge the soul from all transgressions, and lay them upon Christ. But I must tell you, though God hath given many glorious fruits and effects to faith, and made it in- strumental of much excellent and abundant consolation to his people ; yet hath he not honoured it with this, that it should lay iniquity on Christ, or move God to do it. This cannot be, you will say, for the apostle Paul saith expressly, " I conclude that a man is justified by faith, and not by the works of the law ;" therefore, we are justified by faith, and wnat is tluif. \n\t to iiave sins laid uoon Christ, and we discharged oi mem t I confess, it seems to be a strong place at first, where the apostle speaks or justilication by faith that consists in the taking away of sins from men ; but give me leave to examine it a little, that faith encroach not upon God, and take that which is his own, and which he hath said he will not give to another : I say, it is not the faith of a believer, though eve'r so strong and powerful, that lays iniquity upon Christ; I shall give you a touch of it for the present : and to this purpose, it were very needful to consider, what it is for a person to be justified; for upon that depends the knowledge of tlie very thing, " that lays iniquity on Christ." Time will not give me leave to discourse freely upon it ; in short, therefore, I will only shew what it is to be justified. I speak of justification before God, and of his own justification of a man ; and it must, of necessity, be granted of all men, that know what justification is in common sense, that a person justified before God, is such a one, who, when God himself makes search to try him, whether he be guilty, or tiot guilty, of a crime, finds none upon him ; and upou not finding ny, he pronounceth him just. Let men say what they will, it a flat contradiction for God to say, this a just person in mine , and yet I have some transgressions to charge upon him : can God say he is just, and yet charge him with injustice Y 822' TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST. dono ? Therefore he must be fully freed from all injustice *>t Sod cannot pronounce him a just person. You will say, No man under heaven can then be justified ; for God can charge all with transgression. I answer, God cannot. That his people have transgressed, is true ; but he finds, in fact, that all their transgressions are ' already satisfied for by his own Son, though the sins were after- wards committed; yet upon payment made beforehand, he charges not sin upon them, having charged it upon Christ already, and taken the full payment of him for it. There is no person under heaven, that God pronounceth just, but he therein says, I have not one sin to charge upon him. It is true, I find many crimes committed by him, but also I find, that my Son hath discharged them already, and he hath given me good satis- faction for them : now then, this being the justification of a sinner before God; how is it possible^ that faith can discharge a person from all iniquity, that God himself, upon strict search, should find none to be charged upon him ? How can faith do it I Suppose a person had no transgression for God to find, till he believes, yet this believing brings transgression with it, enough for God to find him guilty ; that itself is sinful ; " I believe. Lord, help my unbelief:" there is a mixture of unbelief in the faith of all believers; and there are many weaknesses in it: and how can that justify a person, that is not able to justify itself ? Though Christ was like to us in all things, yet " sin was ex- cepted :" must he himself be free from sin to justify us, that he might purchase our redemption, and shall faith justify us that are not free from sin ? If faith justifies a person, what must justify faith ? for that must have something to justify it, being not able to justify itself. But, you will say, this is but argumentation ; the apostle Paul saith (Rom. v. 1,) " That being justified by faith, we have peace with God;" and since the Holy Ghost saith, " we are justified by faith," we must not dispute against it. I will answer in brief, and desire one thing of you, and that is to consult Beza upon this place ; he renders the words out of the original, " Being justified by faith we have peace with God," without any stop from the first to the last. Our translators render the words thus, " Being justified by faith," and then put a comma; but as Beza renders them (who is accounted a most THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 8S^ Tenderer of the original) he makes no stop : and, if that be trujg, why may not they be as well rendered thus ; " Being justified, by faith we have peace Avith God?" And so ascribe justification to Christ, as a thing done before, and let faith have reference to our peace; being justified by Christ, by faith we come to have peace with God; which stands ^current with the analogy of faith, and truth of the gospel: " For it is God that justifieth," Rom. viii. 34. Justification is truly and properly the work of God himself, and cannot be the Work of faith *. But, Secondly, suppose the words to run as they are commonly rendered; I answer, then are we to distinguish in faith two things ; there is the act of believing, and the ohject on which we believe ; and so the words may be understood thus, " Being justified" by the righteousness of faith, or by the righteousness of Christ which we believe, " we have peace with God ;" and so ascribe our justification to the object of out believing, the righteousness of Christ, and not to the act of believing. The truth is, beloved, the act of believing is a work, and as much ours, as our fear, prayer, and love are ; and the apostle should contradict himself when he saith, " We are saved by grace, through faith, not of works," if he mean the act of faith; he might as well have said, we are not justified "by works, but we are justified by them. Finally, to draw towards a concltision, I answer thus ; You may consider justification in a double sense, and that, according to the opinion of our divines, there is jnstilication in heaven, anxi in a man's conscience. Justification in heaven, is God's act alone ; justification in the consciences of men, is the manifesta- tion of that act of God to them, by whicli a man comes to knowj and consequently to rejoice in it; and so you may read the words thus, " Being justified by faith," that is, through faith liaving the justification of God evidenced and manifested to ouf spirits, " we have peace with himf." And, beloved, you shall find this to be a very solid and genuine interpretation of the words, and agreeable to the scriptures ; for peace atid joy are always appropriated to persons believing ; as much as to say, the act of justification in heaven, though perfectly done, is y€t secret * Faith is never said to justify, nor are we justified by it as an act or wori, but by the object of it, Christ, and his righteousness, who is sometimes called faith, "Gtl. lif. 23, 24, 25. t Gf this see more in the note on page 91. 224 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, in the breast of God alone, till he gives persons faith, that Off- holds the grace of God, that brings the glad tidings of justifica- tion to the soul, and so it rejoiceth in it ; therefore the apostle prays after this manner, '* The Lord fill you with all joy and peace in believing." So that it is true, we have not the com- fort ; we cannot say particularly to our spirits, God hath justified me, and I rejoice in this, till we believe; because faith is made, by the Lord, to be the " evidence of things not seen," as in Heb. xi. 1, And that is the proper work that God hath given Lo believing, not to effect any thing to the good of a man, but only to be the witness of that good to his spirit ; and so give light to that which was secret before. So that still it remains, that the laying of iniquity itself upon Christ, is the Lord's act, and his only ; our faith seelh what the Lord hath done ; and, when God gives us to believe, faith manifests it to us, and so our souls come to have peace. In sura, therefore, beloved. God lays, Christ bears, and faith sees iniquity laid upon him. God, through Christ, perfect this work in us, that so, faith seeing, " we may have all joy and peace in believing." SERMON XXL TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, IS THE LORD's PREROGATIVE ONLY. ISAIAH liii. 6. AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL. I FIND no scripture so punctually and fully revealing the riches of the grace of God to men, as this that I have now read unto you, surpassing others depending upon it ; and I find no truth more clouded, to the trouble of God's people, than tnose IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY 325 truths that conceni the grace of God to men ; which hath ex- coedmsfly provoked me to improve that talent I have received, to communicate the mind of the Lord, as fully as I may, to them. ,0f this truth, upon sundry occasions, I have spoken several things out of these words ; each word containing a special ob- servation by itself; every word hath its weight, and speaks admirable grace to the sons of men. God not only punishes Christ for men, but he lays the very iniquities of men upon him. The purity of God naturally can never take pleasure in a filthy vessel. Should Christ be punished over and over again for the sins of men ; yet if, for all this, they lay upon themselves, God must abhor them. There can be no expectance of a smile from the face of God, upon any creature in the world, till it be all fair ; and this cannot be, till all spots of sin be taken from them ; and this taking away of the filthiness of the creature, is not a kind of supposed taking of it away, but is a real act of God ; he makes Christ as very a sinner as the creature himself was*: " He was made sin for us," 2 Cor. v. 21. The Lord laid our very iniquities themselves upon him : this is the greatest grace the soul can have comfort in, in this life, that iniquity is done away; and, therefore, it concerns all that hear such admirable tidings, to know from whence it comes, who undertakes this great %vork, to discharge a poor sinner, and to lay all its iniquities on Christ. Had all the creatures in the world undertaken, with all their strength, to lay them on him, it would have broke the back of them all, so much as to lift at sin to lay it upon him ; therefore the grace of the Lord is evident in this, that it is he himself that laid iniquity upon him. No undertakers in heaven or earth could have brought this great work to pass, but the Lord alone. It is sti-ange, that Christ should be enabled to un- dertake so much as he did; yet God did not oblige him to take and lay our iniquities upon himself. Christ learned obedience in this, and waited the pleasure of his Father to lay iniquity upon him, and doth not lay it on himself; " I came not to do my own will (saith he), but the will of him that sent me :" nay, Christ was not the first motive to it ; but the thoughts of God's • That is, by imputation, which is a real act of God, and by which al' the sms of the sinner are put upon Christ, so that he, standing in his stead, is reckonod in th« i»ye of justice as what the sinner himself is. See the notes on page 7 and 10. 326 TO LAY OUR SrNS ON CHRIST, own love towards poor creatures, were the motives to himself to give hira to. bear their sins ; and if Christ himself doth not lay iniquity upon himself, mucb less doth the righteousness of man lay it on him. It is not all the prayers, the tears, the fasting, the repentance, though ever so perfect and complete, that lays any one iniquity upon Christ; it is the Lord alone that does it; nay, none of these performances have the least moving power in them to persuade him to it; the Lord moves himself to do it: all our services are for other purposes ; they have no prevalency with him at all, no, our faith itself lays not our iniquities on Christ ; but, as I said, the Lord lays, Christ bears, our faith doth but see and make evident that, in time, which before was hid and" not seen. We cannot amplify the particulars so largely as necessity re- quires ; I must proceed to what remains behind. Now,, beloved, I shall shew you clearly, I hope, that it is not to be imagined, that any thing in the world can possibly lay iniquity upon Christ, but only the Lord himself ; for the clearing of which I desire to take some specialties into consideration. ]. None in the world hath any thing to do with iniquity, to dispose of it, but only the Lord ; and therefore none can lay it upon Christ, but only he. For the better clearing of which, you- must understand, that iniquity, or sin (as in 1 John iii. 4) " is the transgression of the law : for where there is no law, there is no transgression," as the apostle Paul speaks : the meaning i» this, transgression is a swerving or going astray from the pleasure of God revealed in his law ; nothing is transgression,, but what is against him, and his mind revealed to men : and whereas in a. subordination, thero may be a transgression against men, one against another; yet all such transgression hath its denomination,, not as man's, but as God's will is transgressed. As for instance, " Thou shalt not commit adultery ;" in the breach of this, here is a transgression of a man against a man; for one man to com-- mit adultery with another- man's wife,, is an offence against her husband; yet this were not properly a transgression, if it were not a transgression of the law of God made against it; "For where there is no law, there is no transgression." To come to the purpose in hand, transgression is only against God ; for- which cause, David, though he committed adultery with Uriah's wife, and slew him with the sword, of. his enemy,, and: therein. IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 327 transgressed against those persons ; yet David riseth to the foun- tain of transgression, and so to the true nature of it, when he confesseth, Psahu li. 4. " Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight." And you shall find, when Samuel had been set up to be judge over Israel, and the people began to despise and reject him, be- cause they would have a king, as other people had ; there was a sinning against Samuel in subordination ; yet the Lord saith, " They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me." They sinned against God principally, and Samuel subordinately, because they sinned against God's ordinance : Samuel being substituted by God over them. If sin then be against God, against whom it is committed, then it is only in his power to dispose of it at his pleasure. Suppose a man owe a debt to another, it is not in the power of a third party to dispose of this debt as he pleasethy but in the creditor himself only ; if a creditor should arrest a debtor, and make him pay, or lie by it himself, it is not in the power of any other to take surety in the stead of this debtor ; the creditor may take a surety if he will, and it is at his pleasure, whether a surety shall stand, or be accepted, or no. Every ti-ansgression of a man is a debt to the Lord; and, as it is a debt to him, so it is only in his power, and at his pleasure, to dispose of it ; whether or no, persons shall lie by it till they have paid the utmost farthing themselves ; or whether he will take a surety to stand in their room, and pay the debt for them. From hence are these words, " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and whom I will I harden :" as much as to say, I will take a surety for as many as I list, and none for as many as I please ; such and such, I will take a surety for ; and therefore you shall find, that in this business of laying iniquity upon Christ, he goes under the notion of a mediator ; he is the mediator of a better covenant, or testament : as much as to say, Christ himself will not take upon him, to dispose of the sins committed against the Father ; he indeed mediates with him ; he is contented, if the Father please to make him a surety, he will see him paid. A mediator is one that comes between men to over-rule them if possible ; so Christ deals with the Father, he will become the surety of a better covenant or testament ; and accordingly, be the surety for such as God seeth good, and no TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, ther ; and the rest tbey shall, they must lie by it. And '^here- fore you shall see, that for so many as God is contented, Christ should be their surety ; he is so far from disposing of their sins upon himself, that though he paid the utmost farth-ing, and the Father was fully satisfied with it ; yet he acknowledged for all that, that this very suretyship of his, instead of others, was an act of grace, and an act of grace to himself; " Thine they were, and thou gavest them me." How was it a gift ? Did not Christ pay well for them ? Did not he lay down the price of his blood, a satisfactory price ? Yea, he did; yet, "Thou gavest them me," saith Christ : how so, will you say ? I answer, God might have chosen whether Christ should have come to oifer satisfaction, or whether he would accept of it made by him the surety ; in that he would accept of a price, there was at gift. 2. It must only be the Lord's work to dispose of the sins of men, to lay them on Christ ; nothing else could do it ; none but the Lord could qualify and fit Christ to bear the sins of men : none but he alone could do it. Suppose it were in the power of the creature to lay iniquity of men upon Christ, what could this avail, except Christ, when it is laid upon him, should become able to bear it, and not sink under it, when it was laid upon him } therefore none could lay it with effect, but God alone. There are two things that are exceeding necessary, that iniqui- ties might be laid beneficially upon him, and all the world could do neither of them. 1. That he should have a body, wherein to bear iniquity. 2^ Having a body, that he should be steeled above natural' strength ; that that body prepared, should not sink under such a weight. Now this is the Lord's own work; nay, all the world could never reach it but he, to furnish Christ with both these : and v.ou shall find both of them intimated in one expression, in Heb. X. 6, 7 ; " When he came into the world he said, burnt offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:" they are both intimated in these words, "A body hast thou prepared me :^' where you shall find that it is the Lord' himself that furnishes him with this body. 1. There must be a body, that he might come to do the will' of God ; " A body hast thou prepared me, that I should do thy IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY, 329 n^ill, O God !" that is, do It in a body. And, 2. note, that this body is not an ordinary one, but prepared ; therefore in the nuirgin it is, " a body hast thou fitted me ;" as a man fits a case to a tiling to be put into it ; that builds a house, a fit habitation for himself to dwell in; or a fort for some to be fortified in it, he prepares it accordingly ; so, " A body hast thou pre- pared for me," that is, a body hast thou fitted for me, and steeled it, that it may be of more than natural strength to bear the sins of men. The divine nature is incapable of bearing transgression, therefore there must be a body given and prepared, that may be subject to bear ; and tbis bocfy, because the weight of sin is infinite, and enough to press an ordinary one into hell, must be steeled with an infinite strength above nature, that it may stand steadfastly under it, and firm to the work ; therefore the Psalmist tells us, " Thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty :" it is not an ordinary body, that this help must be laid upon, but must be mighty ; therefore Christ tells us, in John iv. 34, that he himself had received the spirit, not by measure ; there was more strength given to him, than ordinary strength, that is common to the creature. Now, beloved, except any creature in the world could thus furnish Christ, and steel him that he might not sink, to what purpose should any lay iniquity upon him ? and therefore in Isa. xlii. 16, you shall find, that he doth not only call us out to behold his servant whom he hath chosen, but he tells us, how he disposes of him, that he may be for our use ; " Behold my ser- vant whom I uphold — I will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people." I have kept thee, as well as given thee ; the Father must help Christ iii this work, as well as give him ; there must be furnishing with abilities to the employment, as well as a calling forth to it ; to what purpose is it to call a multitude of people to resist a common enemy ? What use will they be of, except they be furnished with arms, and all things fitting for the service they are called out unto ? If iniquity be laid upon Christ, and he not furnished to bear it, to what pur- pose is it? He will shrink under the burthen, and we perish in his sinking. It is not of small consequence, therefore, to know that the Lord hath laid iniquity upon him. 3. None but the Lord alone can lay iniquity upon Christ, m 330 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST^ that none but he hath so much power over, and interest in Christ, to prevail with him to be content to bear it : all the world could never have won Christ to put his shoulders to vm- dergo such a burthen, but only the power of the Lord prevailed with him. Beloved, it is not such a light weight, to be under the weight of all the sins of all the elect at once, that Christ should make so light of it, as to take it upon himself. This one complaint of Christ may resolve us of the weight of transgression that was upon him ; " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ;" and he sweat drops of blood as water, because of that agony his soul was in, by reason of sin that was then upon him ; and it made him cry out, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me V so heavy was it upon him. Who in the world ever had, hath, or ever shall have, so much interest in Christ, to prevail with him to take the sins of his people upon himself, if they could lay them upon him 1 Though the elect of God reap an unsearchable fruit from hence, yet it is not they, nor their ease, which is the prime motive which prevailed with Christ ta bear them ; but that which chiefly prevailed with him, was the pleasuring of his Father : he knew well enough how hot the heart of God was set upon this, that the iniquities of men shoidd be borne by him, and carried away fi-om them, and they discharged ; now, for the pleasuring of him, he was content to do it ; and you shall find much of Christ's discourse, and of the prophets that spake of him, tending to this ; that the eye of Christ was principally upon the pleasuring of his Father in bearing the sins of men : in Isa. liii. 10, 11, 12, three times you shall find it expressed, " The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper 111 his hand : he shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied : and it pleased the Lord to bruise him :" still j^ou see the eye of Christ was upon the satisfying of his Father, and pleasuring of him in that he did; that his pleasure should prosper in the Avork, therefore the hand of Christ takes it ; that the Father be satisfied with this, he is content to be in travail in his soul, and to bear iniquity ; in that it pleased the Lord to bruise him, therefore was he content to be broken. All the world could never prevail with Christ to undergo it, had it not been that he might give his Father content. It is worth your observation, what is recorded in Heb. x. 5, 6, 7 ; mark it well, I pray ; when Christ comes into the world, he saith, " Sacrifice and burnt- IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 331 offerings thou wouldest not, in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings thou hadst no pleasure ; then said I, Lo, I come:" observe his motive to come into the world, namely, to do that which burnt- offerings and sacrifices could not do. " There was a remem- brance of sin (saith the apostle) every year, since the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin ;" therefore the Lord was not pleased and contented with burnt-offerings and sacri- fices ; upon this, saith Christ, " Lo, I come ;" as if he had said, seeing they canBot give thee content, that thou mayest have pleasure, lo, I come to do the work thoroughly, that thou mayest be satisfied. 4. None but the Lord could lay iniquity upon Christ, because, none but he could give him a fit and proportionable reward for bearing it. It is fit every one should have consideration for the work he doth ; and it is most certain, Christ in undertaking to bear the sins of his people, hath an eye to a proportionable consideration for it ; now none but the Lord could give him it ; therefore, none else could win him to lay iniquity upon him. In Heb. xii. 2, 3, it is plain that Christ had an eye to some good consideration ; " Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him,, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and now sits at the right hand of God." He did not only suffer, but also despised the shame that sin brought upon him ; for he being made sin, became also a shame, and he despised that ; and what was that which moved him to it ? It was joy ; and what was that joy ? " He sits at the right hand of God his Father;" and who could thus reward Christ but the Lord ? And, beloved, you shall find that God, when he puts him on to bear the sins of men, he proposes rewards to him for his encouragement : in Psa. ii. 6 — 8, where he speaks of anointing of Christ to be his " King upon his holy hill ;" " Ask of me, (saith he) and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession :" here is that which God will give to Christ, and wherefore doth he make this deed of gift to him, but that it may be a reward to him for his sufferings, and so encourage him to the work ? And for this purpose, let us consider that passage in Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; " Who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God; but took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient 33i} TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, unto death, even the death of the cross :" (mark what follows) "Therefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that at the name of JESUS, every knee should bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is the Lord." Here you see expressly, how the Lord rewards nim for this very thing, that he " became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," while " he thought it no robbery to be equal with God." And, indeed, beloved, no marvel that the Lord will propose such a reward to Christ, to make him satisfaction for the taking upon him the sins of men ; for consider men as they were to bear their own transgressions themselves, and as some are yet to bear them ; alas ! what payment was the Lord likely to have ! payment like that of broken debtors : he must have given time, to all eternity, before he could have his debt paid ; whereas Christ, coming into the world, makes round, present, and ready payment ; he pays all at once : and is not this a good repara- tion ? When as a debtor is broke, and the creditor has to stay many years for his money, and take it by piece-meal too, would it not be thank-worthy for one to come now, and pay down the full sum upon the nail, ready money? When Christ came into die world he paid down all at once ; God hath all from him (as they say) in ready cash. From hence there is a translation of the debt from us, broken debtors, to one that is mighty; he bears the burthen, and pays the debt for us ; the Lord is satisfied to his content, and he requites him for it. Now if all that w€ ever did, or can do, be not a requital of him, how can we expee that we should lay our iniquities upon Christ ? Now for application. If it be the Lord himself that lays our iniquities upon Christ, it is but meet and right that he should have " the praise of the glory of his own grace;" and that nothing in the world should go away with the praise of it from him. I remember a complaint of the poet, who, it seems, had made some verses that carried some credit with them, and some foister had taken it upon himself; " I have made the verses, and another hath the honour of them ; as the bee makes honey, and another hath the fruit of it." Beloved, it may be the just com- plaint of the Lord to the sons of men ; I have laid the iniqui- ties of you all upon Christ, and every thing almost runs away IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY, 333 with the honour of it ; as if something else did ease you of the burthen of them, and I am neglected. Now so long as you have these vain conceits in you, that any thing you do becomes your ease, and the lightening of the burthen of your sins, they will go away with the praise that is due to God, To whomso- ever we apprehend ourselves beholding, as we say, for such a courtesy, such a one shall go away with the praise of it : 2 Sam, xvi, 1, 2, I remember how Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, Saul's son, came to David with the stolen goods of his master, and pretended that it was his own courtesy to David that he had brought so many mules, and a large quantity of provision ; David asked for his master, he belies his master, and tells him he abides at Jerusalem, hoping that Israel would set the crown upon his head ; but mark it well, whilst that David is possest that Ziba is he that hath done him a courtesy, he shall go away with the glory of it, and Mephibosheth shall be neglected ; and David gives all the land of Mephibosheth to Ziba upon this mistake, and so he carried away all the praise of the courtesy from Mephibosheth, And so it is most true, beloved, as long as we reckon our own holy duties, repentance, and enlarge- ment in prayer, &c, as the bringers of refreshment to our spirits, and the unloaders of our hearts from our transgressions, that are the burthen of th« soul ; so long these are exalted above mea- sure. Hence these strange epithets and expressions are fixed to to them : " Oh! the omnipotency of repentance! and of meet- ing with God in fasting and humiliation ! oh ! the prevalency of tears to wash away sin !" They supposing that these ease us of the weight of sin, go away with the glory. Oh! who is omni- potent but the God of heaven ! What washes away the sins of men but the blood of Christ ? Shall we give the glory to Ziba, that is due to Mephibosheth ? In 2 Sam, xix, 24, you shall hear how Mephibosheth makes his apology for himself, and pleads his sincerity to the king, and declares how his servant had abused him ; and then David restored half his lands again to him ; but yet Ziba must share with him still. Oh ! beloved, I desire you to deal more equally with God ; let him have all the praise; let not Ziba and Mephibosheth divide the land ; let not your performances share with God in the praise of his grace, in laying iniquities upon Christ, It is God alone that lays your iniquities upon Christ, AAd 334 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, your performances cozen you, while they tell you, that they ease you of your burthen, and lay it upon him. Oh ! turn them out, and let them not shai-e with the Lord in the praise due to his name. It was the sin of the Jews, when they had gotten a prey, they presently thought it was their own nets and drags that got it ; and therefore (saith the prophet) " They sacrifice to their own nets, and offer incense to their drags." Beloved, you will offer incense to your performances, as long as you go to them to be your deliverers. The deliverance from the weight of your sin, is not from the virtue of any thing you do ; it is the Lord alone that lays iniquity upon Christ; and, therefore, let him alone carry away the praise and glory of it ; let nothing rob him of it. In paradise the Lord made a large grant to the sons of men in Adam ; " Of all the trees in the garden thou shalt eat, save only the tree of knowledge of good and evil :" he reserved that one tree to himself, and but that one ; he gave him of his bounty to eat of every one besides ; and yet such was his itching humour, that of all others, fain would he be meddling there, till he trought ruin on his own h^ad. In the gospel, all our grants are large ; " All are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is Gods's : God spared not his own Son, but gave him up to death for us all ;" nay more, " I am your God, and you are my people." He thinks not much to give his Son, nor himself, to his people ; there is but one thing he keeps to himself, Isa. xliii. 8 ; " My glory will I not give to another, nor my praise to graven images ;" all that the Lord reserves to himself, is but *' the praise and glory of his own grace." Oh ! pilfer not that from God, which, when you have it, will do you no good in the world ! and seeing he will have only this, do not grudge it him. It is not out of niggardliness that God keeps this to himself, for in Isa. xlii. 6, you shall find that he is bountiful enough, for all that ; " I will give thee for a covenant to the people, to open the blind eyes, and to bring the prisoners out of prison :" that will do us more good; and, that he may do us good, his own Son shall be given for a covenant ; but " my glory, that shall not be given to another," as it follows presently after. Oh ! therefore, let not your performances, be they ever so exact, aspire so high, as to usurp that glory that is due to the Lord alone ! But some will be ready to say, though our performances io IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY 335 not lay our iniquities upon Christ, and, thereforej ought not to have the glory of it ; yet, surely, the Lord requires these duties, that he may lay our iniquities upon Christ, and so honour our services as the motives by which he is pleased to lay them upon him. Do not mistake, beloved, performances are not only not the principal efficients, but they are not so much as the instruments, or means, of laying the iniquities of men upon Christ ; nay, not as motives : and it is a gross mistake, (I would the truth might shine more clear, that I might undeceive men ;) men run away with vain imaginations, that the renewing of faith and re- pentance is a new laying of iniquities upon Christ ; or that the Lord anew lays it on him, when we renew these duties ; I say, this is a gross mistake ; for God doth not lay iniquity upon Christ upon the performance of them ; nay, these have no stroke in it, I would fain know this one thing; Christ beins: now in heaven, whether he now, before the throne of his Father, actually bears the iniquities of men ? Doth Christ stand as a sinner before the face of God in glory ? Certainly no unclean thing shall enter into the heavenly Jerusalem ; and if, upon the renewing our repentance and faith, our sins we commit are car- ried from us, and laid upon him in heaven, then he stands besmeared with the sins of men as in heaven, in glory. One sin is committed at this instant by the believer, another at that, and another at a third; and so, from the first moment, to the end of the world, there is a continual succession of acts of sin by believers. Well, what do men do ? They believe and re- pent ; and what do these do 1 Wlien men believe and repent, (you say) they lay iniquity upon Christ, and then it is upon him. How can it possibly enter into the heart of any man, that he that is set down in glory with the Father, having done his work, finished transgression, and put an end to sin, by one sacrifice upon the cross, should yet still bear the iniquities of men upon him, before him ? Besides, beloved, I beseech you consider this one thing, if Christ hath iniquity laid upon him now, and hereafter, as men believe and repent, what course must he take to rid himself of it ? If there be iniquity upon him, there must be a way for him to rid himself of it, and it must be taken off most certaiulv ; mi 336 TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, when the Lord laid iniquity upon Christ, he, by one offering, did so perfect the work, that he sits down, (saith the apostle in Heb, X. 12,) " For ever at the right hand of God ; and there remaineth now no more sacrifice for sin. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission." Wherever sin is found, there must be shedding oi^ blood, or else there is no remission : and if sin be laid upon Christ, there must be a new shedding of blood before it can be taken away. And therefore you must consider, that this laying of sin upon Christ, is a business that God hath done long ago, and not now to be done ; for the text saith not, God lays, or will lay, iniquity upon him ; but hath laid it on him : therefore, saith the apostle in Heb. ix. 28, " Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many ; and unto them that look for him, he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Christ himself must appear without sin, that he might have power to prevail with the Lord: it is observable, that while sin lay upon him, and he was forced to bear it, he himself was forsaken of the Father. In Dan. ix. 24, " Seventy weeks shall be determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness ;" mark, I pray you, these " seventy weeks" were expired, wlien Christ was upon the cross, then sin was finished, and therefore he said, " It is finished ;" therefore, the laying of iniquity upon Christ, is not a new thing, now to be done ; neither is it your faith and repentance that lay it upon him, but it is a thing done long ago : therefore cast off gross conceit, as if God did daily lay your sins upon Christ, as you daily renew your faith and repentance. But what do they then serve for, will you say ? I answer. They serve for this purpose; the Lord is pleased when he hath freely, and of his own accord, pardoned the sins of men, having laid them upon Christ, to reveal himself in this his grace, and manifest to them that which he hath done long before, when they meet with him in prayer, fasting, and ordinances ; he is pleased to manifest in them to us, what he hath already done, and not that they are yet to be done, much less that these things do them. Well, is it the Lord that lays iniquity upon Christ? Then matter of admirable consolation : none in the world like IS THE lord's prerogative ONLY. 337 this, the Lord hath laid it ; if any thing else had, but he alone, nieii were undone for ever. God is unchangeable, " I am tne Lord, I change not (saith he) therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." That which the Lord doth, is for ever, not to be revoked and altered again ; that which the creature doth is changeable, but God changes not. But I must hasten. In the last place, is it then the Lord that lays iniquity upon Christ ; then take it off from him who dare, and bring it back again to the poor soul, from whom the Lord hath taken it, and laid it upon him: who art thou that darest to dispute against God ? Hath not the potter power over the clay, to make of one lump a vessel of honor, and another of dishonor ? If the Lord is pleased of his good will and free grace, to make thee a vessel unto honor, by purging thee thoroughly from sin, and laying it upon Christ, wilt thou dispute with God, and say thy iniquities are not laid upon him ? In Gen. xlviii. Joseph brings his two sons, Manasses and Ephraim, to Jacob his father, to be blessed by him before he died ; he brings Manasses, and sets on Jacob's right hand, and Ephraim on his left hand ; but Jacob, when he began to bles's them, changed his hand, and put his left hand upon Manasses the eldest, and his right hand upon Ephraim the youngest : Mark, what saith Josepl then ? " Not so, my father, for this is the eldest ; yea, I knc»w it my son, I know it, (saith Jacob) very well :" that is not the purpose, Manasses " shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than he :" Joseph would needs correct his father, t*iinking he did not prudently in that he did, and that his hand wis not placed right, and therefore he would be mending it. Jmt so we judge of God's proceedings, in the dispensation of his grace to men ; we think that he deals impru- dently, when he lays his right hand of mercy upon the head of a notorious sinner, an enemy ; and his left hand of severity uy,on an elder brother, a sincere man, one that walks uprightly : not j>o my father, say men, that is a wicked man, a notorious sinner; this is an honest, righteous, and godly man ; this is the elder, lav thy right hand of grace upon him : I know very well, (saith God) what they are; it is my pleasure, the youngest shall have the blessing, and the eldest go without it; "you are righteous in your generation, (saith Christ) but the publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, and vourselves shall be ass TO LAY OUR SINS ON CHRIST, ETC. sou may see it ; it is he alone that doth it ; but till you see it, OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST. 341 whatever you may think of yourselves, you will sacrifice to nets and drags instead of him ; if righteousness seem to be the easing of burthens in spirit, then that shall, and will be exalted above measure : from whence proceed these strange expressions, oh, the omnipotency of fasting, prayer, and repentance ! What is this but to give the glory of the Lord to our services, as if they discharged us of our sins, Avhen it is he only that discharges us of them ? But I must hasten. There is another observable passage in these words, more ob- servable indeed than heeded by most ; and that is to be taken from the circumstance of time, when the Lord laid iniquity upon Christ: the text saith, " The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Satan knows well enough of what great con- sequence this circumstance of time is, both to the manifestation of the glory of God's grace, and to the establishment of the com- forts of his people ; and therefore he hath raised a foul dust to misguide poor wretches, that they may not lay hold upon it, and the comfort that will flow from it. The text saith not, the Lord doth, or will lay, iniquity on him ; much less that the time is over, and he will not now do it. Satan is very busy with tender, ignorant hearts, either to per- suade them that the work is now a doing, or hereafter shall be done, but not yet done, or the time is overslipped ; it might have been done, if men had not neglected the opportunity ; but now it is too late ; it is never to be done. The last of these hath troubled the hearts of many people ; whence come these expressions ; I have neglected the day of my visitation, saith one ; I had the opportunity, the presence of the Spirit of God : my fear is, that was the day of God's grace to me, but I have let it slip ; and now there is no more hope left for me : but, beloved, let the evident word of the Lord himself be your guide, and know, that every thing that is spoken, contrary to the mind of the Lord revealed in it, is but the natural fruit of the father of lies, who is a liar from the beginning. The Lord hath- laid iniquity upon Christ : hath he done it already, and is it now to be done 1 Nay, hath he done it, and doth he revoke it. and will not suffer it to be done ? the point then brieflv is this. This gracious act of the Lord's laying iniquity upon Christ, is not now, or hereafter to be done, much less a thing he never wills to be done, but it is a thing he hath already done. 3-42 OUR SINS ALRKADV LAID C\ CHRIST. E\pry s ON CllKlST. dl'^Ibrs notliinn- from ;i sorvant, tlioiii^h lu* ho lonX i)f all :*' lii3 s an luMr, Ihouirli tluMV ho no liitVoronco between liinj and a servant, dnring his childhood : what is the reason there is no dilVereneo dnrino; that? *' IIo is," saith ho, " under tutors and governors ;'' how doth he apply this I '" Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the rudiments of the world ; but when the fidness of time was come, he sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to re- deem them that were under the law, that wo might receive the adoption of sons ;" as if he had said, there is a time when a per- son is an heir under ago; and there is a time when ho comes to enjoy that whereof he is an heir, and dilVers from a servant ma- nifestly, as indeed in nature he doth, and did before : a child is an heir, if the tirst born, as soon as ever born; nay, when he is fii"st conceived in the womb. Suppose a man die estated in a great deal of land, leaving his wife but a month gone with child, he leaves his child as heir; yet for all this, there is a long time in the womb, and also of education, in which this child is used as a servant ; there is no diirerenco appears, he hath no more in possession than a servant, yet this child is still an heir: so it is with all believers ; the elect of God are the heirs of God ; and as they are, so the tirst being of them puts them into the right of inlieritauce ; he that is an heir born, is an heir the tirst moment he is conceived: so that either you must allow, that there is a time when an elect person is not an heir, or you must confess, that there is no time but such a one is a child of God; and, as such, is purged from all tilthiness of flesh and spirit ; purged, I mean, by way of imputation, in the reckoning and account of God: though sins be conunltted afterwards in respect of which there may bo for a time no dilference between the life of an lieir, and the life of a servant; yet as this person is an heir of all, so none of this iniquity is reckoned to this person, nor ever shall be in this life, nor in the life to come, though for the time he doth not know it. But some may be ready to object, How is it possible, that from the first instant of an elect person's being, all his sins should be reckoned as laid upon Christ, even from that instant ? Can a sin be laid upon Christ before sin is existent ? Can sin be laid upon Christ before sin is committed ? 1 answer, sin is laid upon Christ before it is ; OUR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CUUIST. 303 surdity in reason itself to say so : you know it is possible a man may buy out trespasses before he doth them ; suppose a man is addicted to hawking and hunting, and must trespass upon his neighbour's ground; he may lay down a good large sum at once, that shall countervail all the trespasses that shall be done after- wards ; beloved, shall any man say, that there was no trespass borne, paid, and satisfied by Christ, because there was none acted 1 what then shall become of all the elect that have been in the world since Christ's coming, if there be not a real serving of sin upon him, and satisfaction made by him, before sin be com- mitted 1 What will become of the sins of the apostles, and of the people of God since them? all their sins were committee since the reckoning was made ; and if of particular persons in the church, why not so of every particular elect person by himself? If you shall have no more sins laid upon Christ, or reckoned to him but what were committed before Christ made payment, there will be none of our sins found to be laid upon him, for all the sins we have committed, have been committed since Christ suffered. Secondly, some object, and say, Christ puts us upon our prayer, and in prayer that God would forgive us our trespasses ; How can our inio«ities be laid unon Christ already, when wo are to pray that Qoa would lor^ive them to as? It is a vain thino- for us to pray to God to forgive them, when they were long ago forgiven. I answer, they were reckoned to Christ long before we pray for the forgiveness of them, and yet we do well in praying for it We have a common answer known to all, there is a twofold toro-iveness of sins, a forgiveness of sins in heaven, and in the consciences of men. Forgiveness of sins in heaven, is that which is acted by God alone ; forgiveness of sins in the consciences of men is the manifestation of his former act. So then to pray for it is no more but to pray that God would manifest to us that he hath foro-iven our sins ; and that it may be clear that he hath for- given them, before we pray for it ; and that prayer is grounded upon God's act before-hand made. Consider this one thing : I would ask this of you, you that pray for forgiveness of your sins ; do you pray in faith, or nof? If not, mark what the apostle James saith, chap. i. 6, '' l.vi him ask in faith, tioOnnir wavering ; he tlmt wavereth, let ftiiu 24>i OVR SINS ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST, not think he shall receive any thing of the Lord :" beloved, your prayers stink in the nostrils of God, if you do not pray in faith. Well, you pray in faith, you will say : if you do, if you pray for the forgiveness of sin in faith, what is the ground of your faith ? If you believe, you have a ground for it; you will say, the grant and word of God is the ground of it. Well, if that be the ground of your believing, then the grant hath a, being before your faith, and so consequently before your prayer is made : as for example, God promised forgiveness of sins; now sin was forgiven by him as soon as ever he made the grant and record ; at that instant, it was made, sin was forgiven, and God did his part in pardoning the transgressions of his people. Well, then, if you pray in faith that your sins are forgiven, upon this ground, because God hath made this grant, and you find it upon record ; then it seems your sins were forgiven you before your prayer was made. You will say, God hath granted this before, and now you pray to God that he would make good that to you which he hath granted -iljefore. Beloved, what is this more than to make that evident to you, and to give you the knowledge of that which he hath before granted, that you may have the comfort of it ? In brief, when people pray for any grace that God hath passed over to men, all their prayer is, that he would make them per- ceive that he hath done that for them in special; so that all our prayers get no new thing of God that he hath not done before ; only he is pleased, when people pray to him according to his own mind, to meet with them in that ordinance, and then to mani- fest to them what secretly he had done before for them. To conclude. If so, here is a word of admirable comfort to poor souls, in that bitter suspence they usually are: thou art in a wavering condition ; I know not (sayest thou) whether God hath laid mine iniquities upon Christ or no ; I hope well, that Christ is at woi^i with the Father for me ; I hope I shall hear well from him. Beloved, your suspence may fall to the ground ; your business is done to your hand already ; there is not one gone about to do it in heaven for you now, as if it were in the power and pleasure of God to grant or not to grant : observe the saying of the apostle, in Rom. x, 6, 7, &c. that you may have the greater consolation that God intends to you, settledness of spirit, that the pardon of sin is so firm that you need no more look after it with fear or doubling ; where he follows his former dis- OUR SIN'S ALREADY LAID ON CHRIST- 36/? course, having largely disputed upon the frceness of God's grace, he begins to draw towards a conclusion ; for he tells us there ex- pressly, " That the righteousness, which is of faith, speaks on this wise. Say not in thy heart, who shall ascend up to heaven 1 that is, to bring Christ from thence ; nor who shall descend into the deep t that is, to raise Christ from the dead : but what saith it 1 the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart ; and this is the word of faith which we preach." Before you shall find tlie apostle speaking of the establishing our own righteousness, and neglecting the righteousness of God: and here he comes, in the closure, to shew what this righteousness of God is, he presseth so much upon men, and chargeth them with the neglect of: it is as if he should say, You think, you must take a groat deal of pains, by your own righteousness, to obtain the pardon of your sins, and what would you have ? You will, you must, climb up higher, and go down steps to do it : but, saith he, thd righteousness of faith runs in another strain ; there will bo no clambering up to heaven to fetch Christ down, nor going down to hell to fetch him up ; there is no such thing to be done, nor re- quired of you : he is come already, therefore you may save all your pains, care, and fear; he is in your mouths and in your hearts ; he is in you and with you, already ; as if he had said, You may well save all your fears, cares, and doubts of your con- dition, whether Christ hath obtained grace Avith the Father, on your behalf in this point, or no : know that the work is done and finished to your hand : the pardon is come down from heaven already. You know what distraction and trouble must needs be in tlie heart of a malefactor condemned to die, as long as his pardon is in agitation, when he hath a friend gone to coiu't to get it for him : he is now in hope that his friend Avill procure it; he is by-and-by full of fear lest his business should miscarry, and he be executed; but when the pardon is scaled, and he knoweth it is done, when it is brought to him, and he hath it in his hand, then his heart leaps within him, and he hath no joy till then. I tell you, beloved, Christ is not. now gone to heaven to get a pardon, but he hath got one under seal already ; it is in your hands, and in your mouths, and at your doors ; it is with you, and in you ; iniquity is laid on Christ already. Well, hath he done it, and shall he change ? Will he not be as good as his word ? Heaven and earth shall pass, but one 368 OUR SINS ALREADY LAID IN CHRIST. word that he hath spoken shall not fall to the ground. When Jacob had got the blessing, by deceit, from his father, yet, saiin he, ''• I have blessed him, and he is blest, and shall be blessed ;"- I have said it, and I will stand to it. Shall Isaac, a man, stand to what he did in blessing, though out of a mistake ? and shall the God of heaven and earth, that did such an act of blessing, by laying iniquities upon Christ, not upon mistake, but upon determinate counsel, go from his word? " Let God be true, and every man a liar." This is like the law of the Medes and Per- sians, that shall never be disannulled ; it is enacted and passed under hand and seal, that he hath laid on Christ the iniquities of us all END OF VOLUME THE FIRST. bishop's COUr.T, OLD ChlLSi, DATE DUE .^,,,,„*»**^-' CAVLONO PKirMTCOIN USA yi .' i.'i^i i^i'tj ti-'ty :;i'(/lli' '' ,'■ ,'1