• y37 
 
1 €M& Ctttcifteu : 1 
 
 1 MARROW of "the GOSPEL,! 
 
 !£g Evidently holden forth in ^ 
 
 Seventy two SERMONS 
 
 O N T H E >£ 
 
 Whole Fifty third Chapter of Ifaiab. % 
 
 *& WHEREIN J£ 
 
 ^| The Text is clearly and judicioufly opened up, and a great many moft Ap- ^ 
 ^ pofite, profoundly Spiritual, and very Edifying Points of Doctrine, in a ^ 
 *& delegable Variety, drawn from it } With choice and excellent Practical &* 
 ^ Improvements made of them. ^ 
 
 «£$ ^Vherein aifo feveral Adverfaries of the Truth, as Soeinians, Arminians, Antinomlans, &c. ^ 
 **$ • ate fmartly, folidly and fuccin&ly Reafoned with, and Refuted. $$* 
 
 2J Wherein moreover, many Errors in Pra&ice incident to ProfefTors, otherwife Sound and &* 
 2 Orthodox in their Opinions, are Difcovered ; And not a few grave, deep, and very ^* 
 ^ concerning Cafes of Conscience, foberly and fatisfyingly Difcufled, 
 
 ^ . : . — __ _ — ^ 
 
 ^ By that ableMinifter of the New Teftament, Mr. James Dvrha.m, fometime Minifter of ^* 
 ^5 the Gofpel at Glafgow, and folemnly called, to a publick Profeflion of Divinity in the Uni- ^* 
 ^ veriity there, and aifo his Majefty's Chaplain in Ordinary, when he was in Scotland. S" 
 
 *** —- • — &» 
 
 <& i Cor. ii. 2. For I determined not to know any thing among you, fmve Jefus Chrifl, and >£* 
 ^5 him crucified. $&* 
 
 ^ Gal. iii. i. foolifl) Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye Jbould net obey the truth, S* 
 4*§ before whefe eyes Jefus Chrifl hath been evidently jet forth, crucified among you? J£ 
 
 fk«z$ i Cor. i. 23. But rve preach Chrift crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling-blcck, and unto the $$* 
 "ij Greeks foclijhnefs ; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chris! the &» 
 "^ power of God, and the wifdem of God. ¥*» 
 
 ^5 2 Cor. v. 21. Fir be hath made him to be fin for us, who insw no fin j that we might be ^" 
 ^ made the righteoufnefs of Gcd in him. 
 
 ^ 1 Pet. ii. 24* Who his own felf bare cur fins in his own body en the tree, that we being %j£ 
 <$$ dead to Jin, fiyould Jive unto righteoufnefs : by whofe flripes ye were healed. £, 
 
 55" Auguflinus in Pfal. 129. Sacerdos nofter a nobis accepit, quod pro nobis o/Ferret : accepit ??* 
 ^ a nobis carnem ; in ipfa came vi&ima pro nobis fa&us eft, holocauftum fa&us eft, facri- 5j) 
 ^ ficium fa&us eft. . . S" 
 
 -a$ _ ■ ~ — f^ 
 
 25 ISe JFiftJ (CWtfon, cawfttll? co^recteD* w* 
 
 S ~' • •• ■ — - ■ ~-~— —*___. W» 
 
 ^ Edinburgh, Printed by T&w*j Lumifdtn and Jote Robert fon, and fold at their Printing- ■_ 
 
 ^ . Hou.e in the Fifb-marUt ; And by ^*» p tf f*» and H^£ £>e^j Bookfellers in the Parlia- fT 
 
 ^ ment-clofs: Aifo at Glafgsw, by ?^» Robert f on, James and 5fo&» #™ w *j, and Miftrefs *£ 
 
 ^| ^™w*> Bookfellers ; and at Stirling, by Jra/iaai Anderfon Bookfeller. MDCCXXVI. >*» 
 
'S-C&&J& 
 
Unto all affllfted and Croft-learm? fawns Chrtftians ; and more parikulai)} 
 to the Right Honourable and Truly Nolle Lord, WILLIA-M Earl 
 of CRAWFORD. 
 
 IT is one of the greateft practical debates and contefts betwixt God and his own people, 
 privileged with a fpecial intereft in him, which they are nat rally inclined longeft to keep 
 up, and are lotheft to let fallow*. Whether he (hall guide and govern them, and fhape out 
 their lot to them, while they fojourn here in the world, as he himlelf in his own infinite 
 wifdom fhall think fit, having a blank fubmiflion put by them into his hand, to be fil ed up 
 with what kind and quality, with what meafure and quantity, and with what continuance 
 and duration of troubles,, trials and afflictions himfelf pleafetn ? Or, whether he fhould, as 
 to fome things at leaft, ccnfult their will and pleafure, and as it were take their advice, and al- 
 low them a liberty to pre'cribe to him, how he fhould guide and difpofe of them ? And in leed 
 to be here denied to tneir own will,- and abfolutely fubmitted to the will of God, is one of the 
 higheft and moft difficultly practicable pcin s of felf-denial fto which notwiihftanding all the 
 diiciples and followers of Chrift are exprefly called,, and wherein he ha' h great delight and 
 complacency, as favoujingftrongof intife truft and confidence in him) Yet, if we confider 
 thefe few things, it will be found that there is all the reafon in the world, why they fhould 
 come in his will, and iweetly fubmit themfelv?s to it in all things, how crofs foever to tneir 
 own inclination, without any the lead finful relu&ation or contradiction ; which is our pri- 
 vilege, and the reftoration of our degenerated nature to its divine and primitive integrity. 
 
 Firft, If it be confdercd, that he hath mod fovereign, abfolute and incontroulable dominion 
 over you, as the potter hath over the clay ; for ye are the clay, and he is the \Potter : Nay, 
 he hath more abfolute dominion over you than the potter hath over the clay, for the potter 
 maketh not the clay, both the clay and the potter being made by him-,- but he hath made you, 
 and not you your pelves ; ye are all the work of his hands, Pial. ioo. 3- Ifa. 64. 8. He hath 
 made you living creatures, rational creatures, and new creatures ; If any man be in Chrift, he 
 is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 1 7. which is the very flower of the creation : And ye are 'his 
 workmanjbip, created in Chrift Jefiis unto good works, Eph. 2. ro. If therefore it be unfuit- 
 able and incongruous for the clay to fay to him that fajbioned it, What make ft thou ? or for a 
 man's work to fay to him, that he hath no hands, Ifa. 45-9- it's fure much more for you to . 
 fay to your great Potter and Fafhioncr, What makeft thou of us ? why dealeft thou fo and Co 
 with us ? Wo to him that ftriveth with his Maker ; let the potftoeards ftrive with the potjh cards 
 cf the earth : Hath not the potter power over the clay ? And are you not in the hand of the 
 Lord, as the clay is in the hand of the f otter ? Rom. 9. 21." Jer. 18. 6. He might have made 
 you veffels to diftscnour, veffels of wrath, fitted for deftruBion, without being juftly chargeable 
 Avith any injury done to you ; and when he hath, in the foverei^nty of his molt won.lerful 
 free grace, made you veffels to honour, and veffels of mercy , which he hath afore prepared 
 unto glory, will ye dare to quarrel with him for difpofing in his own way of y cur external con- 
 dition in this world, and of thefe moveables and acceffories that are wholly extrinfick, and 
 not at alleflential to your falvation and true happinefs ? (For, let all the pleafnres, riches and 
 honours of the world, even all the delights of the fons of men, in their verv extract, fpirits and 
 quinteflence, and when in a manner diftill'd in a lembick, till they be made to evaporate the 
 pureft perfumes of their utmoft perfections, be heaped on the Chriftian ; as they make him no> 
 .better Chriftian, nor make any addition at all to his true happinefs ; fo, when he is deplumed 
 and dripped naked of them all, every bird as it were of thefe earthly comforts taking back again 
 from him its own feather, he is made never a w T hit the worfe Chriftian, nor his hnnpinels in 
 the leaft impaired) It were certainly much more becoming you to fay„ It is the Lord, who can 
 do us no wrong, and who hath undefervedly done us much good j, let him do to us what 
 feemeth good in his fight. a z &** 
 
tv The Efiftle ^Dedicatory. 
 
 Secondly, If it be confidered, that he is of infinite wifdom, and knows much better what is 
 good for you,, than ye do your felves, who often miflake what is good for you,, thro* 'our 
 corruption, ignorance, partiality or prejudice ; but he, by the molt abfolute perfection of his 
 bleffed nature, is infinitely removed from all poflibility of miftaking what is good in itfelf .or 
 good for you : And if you will adventure your eft ate and livelihood in the world on able'and 
 faithful lawiers, when ye your felves are much unacquainted with, and ignorant of law, and 
 are difpofedto think that the fuit that is commenced againft you will ruine you, while* they 
 think otherwife,- and if you will commit your health and life to skilful and painful phyficians 
 or chrurgeons, and receive from the one many unpleafant and lothfom potions and pills, and 
 fuffer from the other fuch painful incifions and injections, fuch fearchings, lancings and pan- 
 cings, fuch fcarifications, cauterizings and amputations ; from all which ye have fo great an 
 flverfation, if not abhorrency : Will ye not much rather and much more confidently commit 
 the conduct and care of your felves, and of all that concerns you, to him, ofwhofe tmderfian- 
 ding there is no fear ch, as to what is good for his own people, and whofe faithfulnefs in his 
 dealing with them, reacheth to the very chads, and izeverfaileth ? PfaL 36, 5.. Pfal. 89. 33. 
 The skilfulleft of thefe may miftake, none of them being infallible ; and the moft faithful of 
 tjiem may poflibly at fome times and in fbme things be found unfaithfully neglective, none of 
 them being perfect : But it is fimply impoflible for him, either to miftake or to be unfaithful ; 
 for otherwife he fhould deny himfelf,and fo ceafe to be God; whereof once to admit the thought, 
 is the highefl blafphemy.. Let therefore your confident trufting of men in their refpective 
 profeflions and callings, make you blufh at, and be afhamed of your diftruflings and jealoufings 
 of God, .and of your quarrellings with him, even when ye know not for the time what he is 
 doing with you, and when what is done would have been none of your own choice, but doth 
 very much thwart and crofs your natural inclination. Is it not enough that he is infinitely wife 
 in himfelf, and for you ? may you not therefore fafely trull: in him, and with unfolicitous confi- 
 dence, commit the conduct of your felves and of all your concerns to him, as knowing that he 
 cannot himfelf be milled, nor mifgovern you ? may you not in faith,without diftruftful and per- 
 plexing fear, follow him, as faithful Abraham followed him, not knowing whither he went , 
 Heb. 11. 18. and call: all your care on him, who car eth for you, 1 Pet. 5. 7. and hath made 
 it your great care to be careful for nothing, Phil. 4. 6. and thus evenfing care away. 
 
 Thirdly, If it be confidered, that ye have in your own experience (as the reft of the people 
 ©f God have in theirs) found, that in all his bypaft deajings with you, even thefe that for the 
 time were moft afRicting, his will and your true welfare have been unfeparably joined toge- 
 ther, and that but very feldom and rarely your own will and welfare have tryfted together ; fb 
 that ye have been conftrained, when at your [elves and in cold blood, to blefs him that you 
 got not your will in fuch and fuch things, however for the time ye were difpleafed with the 
 v* ant of it, and have been made to think, that if ever ye had any good days or hours along your 
 pilgrimage, your moft croffed and afflicted ones, wherein God took moft of his w ill, and gave^ 
 youleaft of your own, have been your befl days and hours: Dare you fay, upon feriousand 
 juft reflections,, that it hath been otherwife ? or that ye have not reafon, as to all bygone crofs- 
 proyidences-,even the moft apparently crufhing ofthem,fince the day that ye were firlt brought 
 wnder the bond of his covenant.to this day, to let up as it were your ftone, and to call it Eben- 
 <szer, T he flow of hety , faymg,Hitherto the Lord hath helped us? 1 Sam. 7. 12. May you not, 
 and fhould you not then humbly and confidently truft him, that ye fhall thro' grace have rea- 
 fon as to prefent and future ones, how fadly and furprizingly fbever they are or may be circum- 
 Aantiated, to fay, Jeftovah-fireh, the Lord will fee or provide} Gen. 22. 14. O but it be 2 
 Iweet, pleafant, fpiritually wholfom and refrefhful air that breathes in that walk betwixt Eben- 
 tzer- and Jehovah- fir eh, wherein a few turns taken by the moft afflicted Chriitans in their ie- 
 xieus, compofed, fpir&ual and lively contemplation, would., thro' God's bleffing, very much 
 
 CQifc 
 
the Epiftle Dedicatory. v 
 
 Contribute quickly to reconcile them to all their refpective crofles, how crofs focver, and to the 
 keeping of them in better, firmer, and more conftant fpiritual health ! 
 
 Fourthly, If it be confidered, that by your pcttifh, fretful, male-contented and unfubmiflive 
 contendings, drivings and ftrugglings with him, ye will not help' your felves, ye may well make 
 your own burden the more uneafy, and your chain the heavier ; Should it be according to your 
 wind ? J.ob^34- 33. Shall the earth be forfaken for you ? or fa all the rock be removed out of 
 his place} Job 18. 4. Will ye dif annul his judgment} will ye condemn him, that ye may be 
 righteous} Job 40. 8. Will ye ftnve againft him, who giveth not account of any of his mas- 
 ters} Job 33. 13. Will ye tax his wifdom, as if he did not underftand what is convenient for 
 you ? Will ye teach God knowledge ? Job. 21.22. Is it fit that he mould come down to your 
 will, rather than ye mould come up to his } mall God change and break all his wifely laid 
 meafures and methods of governing his people, and take new ones to gratify your peevim hu- 
 mours ? He v\ ill not be diverted from his purpofe ; When he is in one. way, who can turn him > 
 what his foul de fir eth, that he doth ; for he performeth tjoe thing that is appointed for you, Job 
 23. 13, 14. Heis more juft to himfeff (to Ipeak foj and more merciful to you,than to degrade 
 as it were his infinite wifdom fo far, as to fufter himfelf to be fwayed againft the dictates of it, by 
 fuch fhort-fighted and forward tutors as you ; the great Phy flcian of fouls is more companionate 
 and wife than to permit his diftempered, and fometimes even in a manner detracted patients,. 
 to prefcribe their owacourfe of phyfick ; but he will needs do, what he thought fit and refol- 
 ved to do, whether ye choofe, or whether ye refufe, Job 34. 33. only he would (to fay fo} 
 have your confent unto, and your approbation of what he doth, for the greater peace and tran- 
 quillity of your minds : Surely therefore it is meet, meekly and fubmiffively, to be f aid to God r 
 whenever and however he chaftifeth, i" have horn chaftifement ,■ I will not offend any more 5 
 t.Joat which I know not, teach thou me ; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more, Job 34.. 
 31, 32. It is the fureft and fhorteft way to get our will, in fo far as may be for our well, to 
 allow him to take his own will and way with us ; for he hath a fpecial complacency in this,an& 
 therein gives wonderful vent to the bowels of his tender coinpaflion toward his chaftifed and 
 "humbly fubmiffive children : Surely (faith he) / have heard Ephraim bemoaning himfelf thus * 
 Zfhou haft chaftifed me, and I was chaftifed, as a bullock unaccuftomed to the yoke : turn thou 
 me, and I ft all be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned \ 
 I repented, and after that I was inftrucicd y Ifmote upon my thigh : I was ajhamed, yea x 
 even confounded, becaufe I did bear the reproach of my youth. . Is Ephraim my dear fon ? is 
 he a pie af ant child} for fince Ifpake againft him, I do eameftly remember him ft ill* there- 
 fore my bowels are trotibled for him ; I willfurely have mercy on him, faith the Lord, Jer, 
 31. 18, 19, 20. Thus, when ye come fubmiflively to his hand, he comes as it were fweetly 
 to yours : And as ye gain nothing by your driving with him, fo ye lofe nothing, but gain 
 much, by your foft ftooping and filent fubrriitting to him ; If ye humble your felves in the 
 fight of the Lord, he fhall lift you up, Jam. 4.10. Humble your felves • therefore under the' 
 mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 1 Pet. f.'S*. 
 
 Fifthly, If itbe confidered, that yeftand in need of all the troubles and afflictions that ye 
 meet with; whenever^ are in he 'avinefs through one or mo, or manifold temptations, it is< 
 alway, and only, if need be, 1 Pet. 1. 6. And if ye be w T ell feen in the ftate and pofture of your 
 foul-affairs, what graces of the Spirit are to be quickned and drawn forth into more lively and ; . 
 vigorous exercife, , what of thefe precious fpices in your gardens are to be blown upon, not only 
 by the more gentle and foft fouth- winds, of confolations, but alfo by the more fharp and nip- 
 ping north-winds of afflictions, and to be beaten as it were in the mortar thereof, that they 
 may fend forth their pleafant and fragrant fmell ; what religious duties are either much negle- 
 cted, or but very lifelefly,. coldly, formally ■, lazily, fuperficially and heartlefly performed, and 
 fe) what a higher pitch and peg of fpirituality in the manner of performing them they are to be • 
 
$] The Bpifile ^Dedicatory. 
 
 skrewed up ; what lufts and corrup ions are to be further mortified and fubdued ; how little 
 your hypecri{y 3 your felf-love andielf-feeking, your pride, paflion, impatience, unpliableneis 
 and unfubmittednels to the will of God, your carnalnefs, earth ly-mindednefs, your immoderate 
 and inordinate love to tie things of the world, your murmuring and fretting at, yuur diflatisfo- 
 . £tion and diLontent with your prefenc lot ; how little thcfe and many other corruptions are cru- 
 cified and brought at under : If, I fay, ye be well feenand verfed in the knowledge of your 
 fpjrkual condition, ye will upon ferious and thorow reflections find, tha ! : ye (land in need of 
 every affliction ye meet with, as to all the circum (lances thereof, or, if ye do not, info far ye 
 aye unacquainted with, and ftrangers to your felves, and to the (late and poflure of your 
 fpiritual ahai: s ; nay, ye will eafily find, that all, even your heavieif. erodes and afflictions, 
 have enough ado to work you up to what you mould be at ; and tho' fometimes ye may be 
 difpo fed to think that ye could hardly bear any more, yet ye wi ! l upon due fearch find that 
 ye could have wanted nothing of what ye have met with, without a greater prejudice than ihe 
 crofs hath brought along with it. We are naturally frowar i and peevifh, bent to fretfulnefs 
 and difcontent, inclining rather to reftlefs endeavo' ring to have our lot brought up to our fpi- 
 rits, than to be at fuitable pains :o have our (pints brought down to our lot,and therefore have 
 much need to be tamed and calmed by the crofs , this rigged and uneafy temper of fpirit being 
 the great hinderer, yea oppofite of that flayed and fweet contentation of heart with and in 
 every flate, which is the very life of a Chriftian 5 s life, confifimg /as the Lord faith) not in the 
 abundance of the thin'gs which we pojjefs, Luke 12. 15. but in our fatishednefs with them, 
 whether abundant or not : To the attaining unto which ble^ed temper,^ the fhorteft cut, and 
 moA compendious way, is, in the firft place, to be well-pleafed and latisned with God himfelf, 
 and with a folidly (ecured intereft in him ; and to endeavour, in the next place, to be well- 
 pleafing in his fight, to be gracious in his eyes, to (land well in his 1 noughts, even to do al- 
 ways thefe things that pleafe him, John B. 29. to which defirable frame of foul, if we were 
 once thro 5 grace brought (whereto our beari ig of the yoke, and putting our fhoulders under 
 the crofs, is not a little'thro' God's blefflng contributive) O how good-natured then and eafy 
 to pleafe would we be found to be, and how ready to conftrue well of all that he doth to us ! 
 feldom out of humour, fo fpeak fo. Now, if we ftand in need of all the afflictions we are 
 tryfted with, in all their moft fad and forrowful ciroumflances (as certainly we do, becaufe 
 God, who cannot lie or miftake, hath faid it) why fhould we not fubmit our felves to his 
 will in meafuring them out to us? or what jufl reafon can there be to be diffatisfied with, or 
 to complain of God's gi ing to, or ordering that for us, whereof we fla^d in need, and which 
 we cannot want, without being confiderably prejudged andworfted by the want? 
 
 Sixthly, If it be confidered^tbat in all your chaftifements and affictions God is gracioufly 
 driving theblefled de%iofyour fpiritual good and profit, making them all to work together 
 for that defirable end, caufin? than turn toyfonrfapoation, thro' the help of the prayers of 
 others of his people, and thefupply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrifi, Rom. 8. 28. Phil. 2. 19. Gi- 
 ving you affurance by his faithful word ofpromife, that thereby your 'iniquity fi all be purged, 
 and that this frail be all the fruit (O flrange and admirable condefcenfion of grace! all the 
 fruit I) to take away fin, Ifa. 27. 9. and that'he will not chaftife you as parents according to 
 the flejh do their children, to wit, for their own plea ft/re ; who,, however they may have a 
 general defign of good to their children in their chaftifing of them, yet, thro 5 a remamder of 
 corruption in thebefl of them, they are often fub jetted to fuch hurries and tranfportsof pafTi- 
 ©n, when it comes to the ad of chaflifement, that they much forget to confult the good and 
 advantage of the chaftifed child, and too much gratify their own pleafure and humour ; but 
 that he will chx.ufc for your profit, that ye way be made partakers of his holinefs, Heb. 12. 
 10 Now, if this be his defign in chaftifing, and if this be the promifed fruit of your chaftife- 
 ments and aiRi&ions. why fhould ye not therein fubmit to his pleafure, which hath your ov\ n 
 ~ profit 
 
The Eft file Dedicatory. \\\ 
 
 profit infeparably joined within it, if ye your feives do not finfully lay obft ructions in the way 
 thereof, as o'therwile, fo particularly by your being diipleafed with this his pleaiure, which yet 
 his grace in his own people foffers not to be invincible nor final ? I do not fay,that our chaflii'e* 
 ments and afflictions do of themielves produce this profit, and bring forth this fruit ; for alas i 
 we it ay from doleful experience have ere now arrived^ at a (ad perfwalion, that we arc proof 
 againft all applications, excepting that of fovereign, efficacious and all-difficulty-conquering free 
 grace, and that nothing will do at us fave that alone ; whatever means be made u;e of, this only 
 mull: be the efficient producer of our profit : It is apiece of God's royal and incommunicable 
 prerogative, which he hath not given out of his own hand to any di'penfation, whether of ordi- 
 nances, never fo lively, and powerful in themielves ; or of providences, never fo crofs, loudly 
 alarming and clearly (peaking, abftractly from his own blefling, effectually to teach to profit , Ifa. 
 48. 1 7. a::d therefore he doth (as well he may) claim it to himielf alone, as -his peculiar privi- 
 vilege, while he faith, / am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit. Since then this is his 
 deiign in all the chaftifements inflicted on his own people, and fince he only by his grace can 
 make it infruftrably take effect, let him have our hearty allowance and approbation, to carry 
 it on vigoroufly arjd fuccesfully ,• and let us pray more frequently and fervently, that, by his 
 effectually teaching, our profiting may be made more and more to appear under our chaftife- 
 ments ,* and withal, in the vault it tide of our fad thoughts about them, let his comforts delight 
 cur fouls, and this comfort* in particular, that in them all he gracioufly defigns and projects. 
 our profit, even the making of us more and more to partake of his holinefs. 
 
 Seventhly , If it be confidered, that all our trials and troubles are but of time-continuance, 
 ' and will period with it ; they are but for afeafon, 1 Pet. 1. 6. yea., but for a moment ; 2 Cor, 
 "4. 17. He will not contend for ever, knowing well, if hefhould do (6, thefpirits would fail 
 before him, and the fouls which he hath made, Ifa. 57. 16. Tho' they fhould follow clofs on 
 
 !fOU, and accompany you to your very dying day, yet then they will leave you, and take their 
 all: good-night and everlafting farewel of you ; forrow andfighing will then for, everfiy away s 
 and all tears on whatever account fio a 11 then be wiped from your eyes, Raw?- 17. and 21. 4. 
 It is a great alleviation and mitigation of the moft grievous affliction, and 6fthe bittereft and 
 moll: extreme forrow, to think, that not only it will have a term-day and- $f ate of expiration, 
 but it will quickly, in a very fhort time, even in a moment, be over and zi an end (as a holy 
 martyr laid to his fellow-fufferer in the fire with him, It is but winking, fyind our pain and 
 forrow is all over) and that there fhall be an eternal tack of freedom fromjit ; and that ever- 
 iailing folace, fatisfaction, and joy without the leaft mixture of forrow ani|fadncfs, fhall fuc- 
 ceed to it, and come in the room thereof: It is but for the little (pace of tfreefccrc years and;. I 
 ten, or fourfcore, Pfal. 90. 10. (which length moft people never come) that his people are*' 
 fbbjected to trouble ; and what is that very fhort moment and little point oftime, being com- 
 pared with a vail: and incomprehenfibly long eternity ? in refpect of whichy# thoufand years, 
 are but as one day, or as a watch in the night, when it is paft, Pfal. 90. 4!- And no doubt 
 the little while's trouble, fadnefs and forrow of fojourning and militant faints, is, in the depth 
 .of divine wifdom, ordered fo, that it may the more commend and endear that blefled calm 
 and tranquillity, that fulnefs of pureft joys, and thefe moft perfect pleafures at his right 
 hand, that triumphant faints mail for evermore enjoy. 
 
 v Eighthly, If it be confidered, that all along the little moment that your trials and afTlicti-' 
 ons abide with you, they are, even the faddeft and moft fevere of them, moderate, and thro* 
 his grace portable and light; In mcafure he debateth with you, and ft ays his rough wind in. 
 the day of his eaft wind, Ifa. 27.8. And whatever difficulty ye fometimes find under fore pre£ 
 lures, to get it folidly and practically believed, yet God is faithful who hath promifed, and. 
 will not puffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able, but will with the temptation 
 mak£ a way to efcape, that ye may be able to bear it, 1 Cor. iq, 1 3. He is a God of judgment 
 
 (Ife,. 
 
 I 
 
viii 7*he Epiftle ^Dedicatory. 
 
 (Ifa. 5c. 18.) and difcretion, that fuits bis peoples burdens to their backs, and wifely propor* 
 tions their {traits to their flrength : He pits not new wine into old bottles, Mat. 9. 1 7. neither 
 doth be break the bruifed reed, Ifa. 42. 3. and even when he hides his face, and is wroth wit Jt 
 lois children, and [mites them for their iniquity, Ifa. 42. 17, 18. it is only fatherly wrath ; 
 And however dreadful that may be, and difficult to be born, yet there is nothing vindictive 
 in it ,* it is a Father's anger, but contempered with a Father's love, where alfo love predomines 
 in the contemperature. And indeed the moil extreme, and the very heavieil of ail our affli- 
 ©ns, are moderate, and even light, being compared, ift, With what your fins deferve, ex- 
 ceedingly far beneath the defert whereof ye are punife.ed, Ezra p. 23. even fo far, that ye may 
 without all compliment moil truly fay, 'That it is becailfe his companions fail not, that ye are 
 not confirmed, Lam. 3. 22. that ye are kept out of hell, and free from everlailing burnings, to 
 which your many, various, and grievoufly aggravated provocations, have made you moil 
 juilly liable : So that ye have reafon to think any affliction, fhort of everlafting deilruction 
 from the prefence of God, to be a highly valued piece of moderation, and to fay, Wherefore 
 doth a living man complain, a man for the pwiifhment of his fin'i Lam. 3. 39. We will bear 
 the indignation of the Lord, becaufe we have finned againft.him, Mic. 7. 9. zdly, With what 
 others of the people of God have readily met with ; for we have not refifted to the blood, Jlri- 
 ving againft fin, Heb. 12. 4. We have it maybe all this while been but running with the foot- 
 men, when they have been put to contend with horfes, Jer. 12. 5^ idly, With what our ielves 
 have fometimes dreaded and been put to deprecate, when horrid guilt hath flared us in the 
 face, and when God apprehended to be very angry, even threatning to fmite us with the 
 wound of an enemy, and with the chaftifement of a cruel one, to run upo?i us a giant, to break 
 * II our bones ; And again to pew hi mfelf marvellous upon us, by taking us by the neck, and* 
 flaking us in pieces, Jer. 30. 14. Job 1 6. 14. & 12. Job. 10. 16. A-thly, With what our ble£- 
 ied Lord Jefus fufrered for his people, who, all the while he fojourned here on earth, was a 
 Ma-nofjorrows, and acquainted with grief , Ifa. 53.-4. and might moil juflly have faid, be- 
 yond all men, / am the man that hath feen affliction by the rod of his wrath : Is there any for- 
 row like unto mine, in the day when the Lord hath affliBed me ? And, jthly, Being compared 
 with that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory , which they work for youf^z Cor. 4. 
 24. Seeing then that the fharpefl and foreft of your afflictions are, in thefe and many other 
 refpects, very moderate, gentle, eafy and light ; is there not reafon why ye fhould in them, 
 -without grudging, fweetly fubmit your felves to his will, heartfomly faying, It might have 
 keen much worfe, this hlls infinitely fhort of what we have defer ved, bleffed be God that 
 it is only thus, and no worfb. 
 
 Ninthly, If it be confidered, that often, when in any more than ordinary fjaritual and lively 
 frame of foul, ye have in prayer defired the Lord, that he would take any way^and make ufe 
 of any means he pleafed (wherein your fin might not be) to make you more ferious in the 
 cxercife of godlinefs, more effectually to mortify your corruptions, and to further your confor- 
 mity to his ima^e in holinefs ; and that ye fhould thro 3 his grace be content, putting as it were 
 a. blank in his band, to be filled up as him elf in his own infinite wifdom fhould think fit, de- 
 claring that ye were fatisried, on tne terms propofed by Jefus Chrifl, to be his difciplcs, and to 
 take up not only a crofs, or the crofs in general, but, Mat. 16. 24. your crofs in particular, the 
 crofs that fhould be fhaped out for you, however circumilantiated : And when under fome 
 Very fad affliction, he on the matter befpeaks thus, I am now about to grant you your own 
 defire, tho 5 it may be in fuch a way, and by fuch a mean, as either would have been none of your 
 own choofing, had it been left to your choice, or poffibly fuch as ye did not think of; will ye 
 be difpleafed with me, or miftake my hearing of your prayers, fulfilling of your petitions, and 
 granting you according to your own heart's defire, becaufe I do it in my own way,and by means 
 uf my own cjbooflng, wherein ye left and allowed me a latitude, and not in your way and by 
 
 your 
 
*The Efiftle 'Dedicatory. he 
 
 ^our means, which ye then reno- need, a: not thinjong your felves competent judges thereof ? 
 Alasi here we ? ndatbefl! to border upon a practical rewing, retracting, and lifting 
 
 up again of the blank fu htch we profefled to lay down before him : and to fay, by 
 
 our. fretting, rep- erate beavihefs # and defpondency of feint, that 
 
 we were fomewo I not fo well advif d, when we (ub'cr be : and gave in fuch a fub- 
 
 miffion and furreuder of our lei 1 es to him ; that we did not think he would have taken f ch 
 advantage of us, or would have put > s thus lore to it ; .and that, if we had thought he would 
 have done lb, we would have been better ad vifed, before we had thus fubnitted to h.'m, and 
 with our own consent put our (elves in his reverence; and that, if it had been any thong 
 but this, we ceu'd have born it (whereas he farh, Nothing but this) Whereby we do not 
 only, not a little reflect upon hi n, as dealing ur kindly, and doing what we would not have 
 expected at hi: hand ; but "alfq make a lad 2nd humbling difcovery of much" unfoundnefs in 
 our felves, as to our oilc. ing up of fuch general defires, and as to our making of fuch abfb- 
 lute fubmimYns to him ■ Lei us therefore, in order to the juftifying of him as both righteous 
 and kind, and to the vindicating of our itlvts, at Jeaft from allowing of any unfoundnefs, 
 diflimulation,, or ■ nfar and meerly compliirental dealing -with God, in our iubmitting our 
 [elves to him in the general, wi hout any Sut's or If's, any rcCtriciiom or exceptions, hold 
 at the fubmiflion given ; fharply expoflulating .with, and feveely chiding our felves for this 
 diicovered practical contradictkHi and contravention ,* and we ihall find that he hath done 
 nothing unworthy of himfeff, nor in r he lead prejudicial to us, but what is according to our 
 own moft deliberate defires, and grearly to our advantage. 
 
 It were a very wide miftake, if,from what is difcourfed in this Confiderat ion pay fhould con- 
 clude, that we intend either to commend or allow Chriftians praying directly andexprefly for 
 crofTes and afflictions, let be for fuch and fuch afflictions in particular : For,befide that we nei- 
 ther find it commanded in the fcriptures, nor allowedly Tit at all) precedented or pracufed by 
 the faints recorded there, and that it Teems to be a finful limiting- of the fovereign God to a 
 Jar mean: We may ealily know,from fad experience,with what difficulty, repining and 
 fainting we of en bear thefe crofTes and afflictions that we are moll clearly called to take on, 
 find that are unavoidably laid upon us ; and how lamentably little for moil: part we profit 
 by them : What hope or affurance could we then have,thatw T e fhould either carr-y chriftianly 
 under, or make Ratable improvement of fuch crofTes a r we mould unwarrantably feek, and 
 pray for to our felves? It is true, we find Tome of rhe faints, and thefe,flars of the mdt magni- 
 tude, ps Mofrs, jfcb 3 Eli as, David and &onas, in their diflempered mal-content or fainting 
 fits, naMionately, .prepofteroufly and precipitancy praying, or rather wifhing for death (for 
 which they were not for the time in Co good cafe } but that was not for death under the 
 . of affli&ion. but rather to prevent future and further -afflictions, or to have a period! 
 put to prejently in:umben: ones. If it fhould here be fad, Why may not fa : nts pray for af- 
 Bfclions, fmce they feem to be promiTed in the covenant of grace, zs^Pfal. 890:0, *i, 92. 
 Hof. 2. 6, 7. and v. 14. and Tmce God hath gracioufly promifed to blefsall the afflictions/ of 
 his people, and to make them turn to their Tpiritual good,pn Strand advantage, as Rc>; 
 and Heb. 1 2. 10. end el Where? To thefirft part of the ob'p&mt, it may be briefly anfivered, 
 Thatthcfe, and other fuch, are not properly and formally promifes of the coven nt of grace, 
 out rather ; covenant-threatnings (Sor the covenant of grace ha:h its- own threatnitjgs, fuited to 
 .the nature thereof, as well as the covenant ofWbrtt ' no fay To) in cove- 
 
 nant-grace and mercy : And to the other part of it as briefly , That God hath promifed to blefs 
 and to caufe to profit by fuch afflictions and c imfcif thinks fit to in q jct and 
 
 lay on, but notthefe which weTeek and pray for to our felves : Nei her doth that fcripture, 
 tPfal. 11 9. *>• -5. I know that in faithfulness then jkift affiicled me, fay any thing to- 
 wards itrcngthning the objection,or invalidating the anfwW given to it ; for,the P&lmift only 
 
 b there 
 
X T'he Epifle dedicatory. 
 
 there humbly and thankfully acknow ledgeth God's faithfulness in fulfilling, his threatning, in 
 afflicting him when he went aflray ; and in performing his promife, in blefling his affliction 
 to him ibr preventing his after-flraying, and making him earn better to keep his command- 
 ments; in both which he is faithful.. AH that is either expreit or meant in this confederation, - 
 is,That the faints often pray God,ihat he would take his own way, and uk his own means to 
 bring about theie great ends mentioned; Wherein theie is indeed at fetft a tacitc iniinuation 
 that if he in his wifdom fee it meet to make ufe of the rod and affliction in order thereto, that 
 tley v, ill not allow themfelves to decline the fame, nor to miftake him in it ; but that rather 
 the;, frail through grace he fatisfied with, and bids him for fulfilling their petitions, and gran- 
 tii g them according to their own hearts cie£re5,tho , k be by fuch means : W'hich is not pray- 
 ing for afflictions, but a refolvecf and declared fubmiflion to infinite \V ifdom's love-choice of 
 his own midies to eflectuate and bring to pafs.ths prayed-for ends. 
 
 *tmtbly, If it be cenjldered, that it now neither grieveth nor troubleth any of all the glori- 
 fied, triumphing, and palm-bearing company before the throne of God, and of the Lamb, that 
 tl ey were excrciied with fo many and fo great trials and tribulation \, while they were here be- 
 low' : It troubleth not John the 'Baptifi, that he was imprifoned, bafely murdered and behead- 
 ed there in a hole, without having accels to give any publLk teftimony before his death, 
 and at the deiire of a wanton dancing damfel, thro' the infligation of her adulterous and ince- 
 ftuous mother : Nor Stephen (commonly called the ^rote-martyr) that he was itoned to 
 death as a blafphemer, for giving teftimony to the moft precious- and comfortable truth of 
 Chrift's being the Mejjiah : Nor Tatil, that he was thriceheaten with rods, and received five 
 times forty tripes iave one; that he was info many perils by fea and land, in the cky, in the 
 country, and in the wildernefs, by the heathen, by his own country-men, and by faife bre- 
 thren ; that he was floned, and fullered all theie other things, whereof he gives us an hiftori- 
 cal abridgment in his id Epift. to the Corinthians., chap. 1 1 . Nor doth it trouble any of all 
 thek worthies, of whom the world was not worthy, that they were cruelly mocked, imprifo- 
 ned,. fcourged, tortured, or tympanized and racked, ftoned, tormented, fawn aftyider, killed 
 with the iword, tempted, driven to dens and caves of the earth, and put to wander up and 
 down in fheep-skins and goat-skins, whofe martyrology the apoftle briefly compendeth, Hcb* 
 i rv. Nor doth it trouble any other of all the martyrs, faints and fervants of Jefus, who have in 
 the feveral ages of the Church fuftered fo many and fo great things while 'they w T ere here in 
 the world ; nay, all thefe their fufrerings go to make up a confiderable part of their fong of 
 prarie in heaven (where the hiftory of thefe wars of and for the Lord, will be very plea! ant to 
 them to readj however fore and bloody they w T ere on earth) And not only fb, but thefe of 
 them who have fi.fi ered moft, wonder much that they have fuffered fo litt'e, and that they 
 are come to fo excellent and glorious a kingdom, thorow fo little tribulation in the way to it : 
 Believe it, there v. ill he as much matter of thankfgiving and praife to God found treafured up- 
 ■under the p.'yesand foldings (to fay fo) of the moft crofs and afflicting providences that ever 
 the people of God met with here in the world, as under thefe that for the time were more 
 fir; ij ing and fatisfying ; Let us then, valuing all things we meet with, according to the afpect 
 they have on cur Spiritual and eternal ftate (which is fure the jufteft and fafeli valuation of 
 them ) heartily allow him to take his own will and way in afflicting us. 
 
 Ek "Jentbly, If it be conjidered, that as this fubmiflion to the will of God, in crofs and afTli- 
 fiing providences, is chronicled in thefacrcd records, to the perpetual commendation of feve- 
 xal of the faints ,• namely, of Aaron, of whom it is faid, when God had (lain his two fons in a 
 flrange and fiupcndious manner, even by fire from heaven, for their prefumptuous offering of 
 flrange fire before him, tfo t he held his peace, Lev. 10. 3. Of old Eli, when he received a fad 
 jxieflage concerning him'elf and his hcufeby the hand of young Samuel^ who faid^. It is th% 
 iwdj let tm do what Jeemetb bipf&ccd, 1 Sam. 3. 18, Of Job, after,.. by four feveral mef- 
 
 -finger* 
 
the Epiftle 'Dedicatory. 3d 
 
 Fengers (each of them coming immediately upon the back of the other, fo that he fcarcely got 
 leave to Lreaihe betwixt, or the ibrmer to rajah his lamentable narration) the terribly alarming 
 tidings were br< ught him, concerning the plundering of his oxen and aiTes by the Sabeahs, and 
 the killing of his lervsnts w ith the fword ; concerning the confuming of his iheep and fer vants 
 bv the fire of God tailing from heaven upon them"; concerning the carrying away of his ca- 
 ncels, and the killing cf his fervants by the Caldeans ; and concerning the Imctheiing to death 
 s (ons and daughters, v>hilc feaftingtegerhrr, by the falling of the houfe upon them; 
 v ho laid, The Lordgweth, and the Lord taketh #m&g> blejjed be the N*m oj the Lord-, In 
 ell this not firming, nor charging God foclifnly, Job r. 21, 22. Of iD avid, who, in a croud 
 of crofles, faith to God, Inas dumb, I opened not my nwitib, becaujetkou didfi it, P&l. 3?, 
 9. 2 Sam. 1 5. 25, 26. and who, when forced to flee from Jerusalem by frs unnatural and re- 
 
 s fon Abfaiom, and fending back the ark thither, with admirable compofure and fweet 
 fioc ] fag cf foul, iaid, If I pall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he <mU bring me again, 
 
 m me both it and his habitation : But if he fay thus, I have no delight in thee, beheld, « 
 here am I, let him do with me asfeemeth good to him : Of Hezehah, when that heavy mef- 
 
 as brought to him by the prophet Ifaiah concerning the Bahylwip capvi 1 it". , v hereia 
 
 a! posterity were to have their deep mare ; who laid, Gccd is the word of the Lord 
 which thou haftfpeken ; who faid moreover, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days > 
 3. Kings 20. 1 9. if the threatned doom ancUentence (hall be for a while fufpended, and not pre- 
 fent j y execute: And of thefe Chriftians, who, after they had with much weeping earnestly 
 intreated the apoftle Taul, defervedly very dear to them, not to go up to Jerufalem, where 
 tht p: cphet y?gab us had foretold he mould be apprehended and put in bonds, and perceived 
 
 e \ a inflexibly refolved at any rate of hazard to go thither, ceafed, and fubmimvely faid, 
 Tie-will oj the Lord be done, Acts 21. 14. As, I fay, k is thus chronicled to their commenda- 
 tion, fo it is a piece of moil beautiful and amiable conformity to the practice of our blefled Lord 
 Jeius, of v.hom we ought to be followers as dear children (Eph. 5. 1.) in all thefe things, 
 wherein he is propofed as a Pattern for our imitation, who in a great and grievous agony of 
 trouble, and when moil: terribly affaulted.by a ftrong combination of crofs and afflicting -pro- 
 vidences, and after conditionate deprecating of that bittereft cup and blacked hour, plealant- 
 ly, (weedy and fubmiilhely. fubjeined, and faith to Lis Father, JSeverthelefs net my null, bub 
 thine be done ; Not as I will, but as thou wilt, L^ke 22. 4.2. Mat. z6. 32. 
 
 Twelfihiy and finally, If it be confdered, that when the whole contexture and web of pro- 
 vidences, and more eipeciaily about the cacholick, vifible, militant Church, and every indivi- 
 dual member thereof, fhali be wrought out, and in its full length and breadth (as it w T ere) fpread 
 forth in the midft of all the redeemed, perfected, glorified and triumphant company of air.rs, 
 Uanding round about, and with admiration beholding it ; there will not be found (to fay fo) 
 one mifplaced threed, nor one wrong-fet colour in it all, but every thing will be found to have 
 fallen in. in the fitted place, and in the mod beautiful feafon and order thereof: O fo rare, Co 
 RBiatkable, fo renowned and fo ravifhing a piece, as it will by them all unanimoufly, and. with 
 ore voice, be judged and declared to be, even worthy of the mod excufiteart and infinite skill 
 ©f the great Wnker thereof! The fevered criticks, and mod difficultly fetisfia le of them all, 
 about mere publick and more particular crofs providences,will then fully and 
 to the height be farisn"ed,and willall,without any the lea ft heiltation or jarring 3 readily and cheer- 
 I ear him this concordant tedimony , that he hath done all things well, Mark 7. 37. every 
 thing hi particular, and ail things in general, tho*, when he was a doing of them, they often 
 prefumptuoufly took upon them raihly to cendre, a»d to of er their impertinent and crabbed 
 arimadverlions on, and their amendations and alterations of feveral of them; and will moil: 
 cordially blcls him, that he wrought en in his own way, about 1 is Church, and each of them- 
 fdves, without confuting them, or following their way, which would l&ve quite marred the 
 
 b * beauty, 
 
. xii tfhe Epiftk 'Dedicatory. 
 
 beauty, and darkned the luftre and fplendour of that molt clofs and curious divine contexts- 
 Everyone of thefe confiderations hath much reafon iri it, to perfwadeto this indre and ahfo- 
 lute fubmiffion to God's will ai^d pieafure, in what is cfojsto you, afflicied and forrowful Chri" 
 itians ; but O how much weight and ftrength of found (piritual reafon is there in them all united 
 together (hemic the many other excellent confiderations, diTperfed up and down thefe choio2 
 Sermons, faffed hill with ftrong cordials, fitted both to recover and prefer ve you from feinting 
 under your many feverahaffli&ions) powerfully to perfwade and prevail with you,even the molt 
 av<:ri2,untoward,way-ward, and crofs-grain'd .; to fay fo) of you all_, without further debate de 
 mur,or d. lay,in thefe things that an i ting to you,and do moft thwart your inclination 
 
 to come in his will, and pleasantly, without any the leafl: allowed reluctancy or gainfayins to 
 to i m ! How might you thus poilefs your fouls in patience, and how quiet, calm fedate 
 and composed might ye be, more cfpeciaily in troublefom times, amidfl; thefe things wherewith 
 others are kept in a continual hurry, aJmoft to the hazard of being .diftracted by them? 
 • Let them \ 11, my fiohle Lord, prevail with your Lprdfbip in particular reverently to adore- 
 Clently to (loop unto, and fweetly to acqulefce in, the Lord's fevereign, holy, and wife orde- 
 ring your many and various complicated trials ; and more efpecially his" late removing your ex- 
 cellent Lady, the defire of your eyes, the chriukn and comfortable companion of your youth 
 by his ftrcke : As indeed all the tyes of hjaarcft and deareft relations, betwixt husbands and 
 wives, parents and children, brothers and fillers, &c are capable of diffolution, and will all 
 ere long by death be actually diflolved ; there being but one tye and knot of marriage-union be- 
 twixt precious Jefus Chrift and the believer, that by divine ordination is eternal 'y incapable of 
 any diffolution, even by death it [elf; which tho'it diflblve the ftrait union that is betv ixt the 
 foul and the body, yet doth not at all loofe the Rraiter bond of union that is betwixt him and 
 
 ' both of them, but it remains ftill inviolable ; and by vertue thereof, the believers vile dead bo- 
 dy fhall be raited again at the laft day, conform to his own glorious body, and be re-united to 
 the perfe&ed-fouh which two old intimates will then meet in far better cafe than when they were 
 parted and pulled afunder : For he is an Husband that cannot grow old, fick or weak, neither 
 can he die ; he is a Husband whofe Bride and Spoufe is never a Widow-, neither hath he any 
 relicts : The drawing on of which matchleis match and marvellous marriage, is one great de- 
 sign of thefe fweet fermons, wherein pregnant reafons are adduced by this friend eft be Bride- 
 groom, to perfwade finners to embrace the offer thereof made to them in the gofpelj and to 
 make them, who, by his own gracious and powerful inimuations on their 1 ; enter- 
 
 tained his propofal, toward making up, and final clofing of the match, to blefi themfelves in 
 their choice, and to blefs him, that ever he was pleafed to ftpop fo very low as to bee 
 Suiter to them, with a peremptory refolirion to admit of no rciufal, but infruftrably to carry 
 their hearts content to take him for their tjord 9 Head and H?j$band 3 to he to them a S\ 
 a c Thyfcian and Jre aftrre, even their All hi all, their A 11 alow all; which day of efooufals^ 
 as k was the day of the gladncfs of bis heart , fo it will never be any grief of heart to them. 
 Let all mutinous thoughts about his dealings with you be fllenced with, If s the Lord; let 
 riot too much dwelling on the thoughts ci your affliction, to the filling of your heart flill with 
 forrow, incapacitate you for, nor divert you from, humble asking the Lord, wnat he aims at 
 by all thefe difpenfations, what he would have you to learn out of them, what he reproveth 
 and contends for, what he would have you amending yg-jr hands in, and what he would have 
 you more weaned, felf-denied, and mortified in, and what he would have you a further length 
 and a greater proficient in : He hath told you the truth y that thefe things are expedient for \ym\ 
 ftudy to find them to be fo in your exptrience. Sure he hath, by them, written in great, le-' 
 gible and capital characters, yea, even as with a fun-beam, vanity, emptinefs, uncertainty, mu- 
 tability, unfatisfactorinefs and difappointment upon the forehead of all creature-comforts, and 
 
 ; with a loud, voice tailed your J-ordfbip, yet more ferioufly than ever, to feek after lolid foul- 
 
7* he Epifile Dedicatory. 
 fatisfacYion in his own klefTcd and alWufficient Self, where it is molt certainly to be found,, with- 
 out all peradventure or poiR-jjky of mifgiving : Make hafle, my Lord, yet to come by a more 
 clofs confining of ail your- defires and expedationsofhappinefsandfatisfacliontoyourfoulVto 
 God only, contracting and gathering them in, from the v aft and wearifom circumference of 
 earthly eomforts_,and concentring them all in himfelf as their point ; finely thro' grace, in a (weet 
 
 not to meet with it from every airth whence it is looked fori Aks i if is the feathering of our 
 expectations and defires of happinefs among other objects befide him, that breeds us ail the di£ 
 quiet, anxiety and vex 'tion ; whereas if we kept our felvesthro" grace under a more clofs and 
 eonltant confinement to Mm, when thk-and that, and the other creature-comfort, whether 
 perfon' or thing, were taken from us, there would be no deduction made from, nor any dithV- 
 nutioh made of our i rue happinefs ; none of thefe, how dear and defirable foever, being eilen- 
 tia-ryconflitutive of it, ner to much as trenching thereupon; and he, in whom "only all our 
 happinefs lies, bein^. the fame yefter 'day , to day, and for ever, hvithont any variablenefsor Jba- 
 dow of turnings There are fome whomrhe loveth jb well, that he cannot (to ipeak fo) find in 
 his heart to fee them thus, to parcel out their affections, and to dote upon any painted ima- 
 ginai y happinefs in creature-comforts ; and therefore^ on deflgh., he doth either very much blaft 
 them, as to the expeded fatisfaction from them j or quite remove them, that, by making fuch 
 a vacuity, he may make way f ^-r himfelf to fill it, ana happily to necefHtate the perfon, hum- 
 bly, prayerfully/and believingiy, to put him to the filling of it : And it is a great vacuity that' 
 he, ^cho fills heaven and earth, cannot fill ', a little of whofe gracious pretence, and manifested 
 fpecial love,can go very far to fill up the room that is made void, by the removal of the choiceft 
 and mofi defirable of all earthly comforts and enjoyments. Happy they, who, when they lofe *' 
 a near and dear relatiun or friend, or any idol they are fond of, are helped of God to make 'jefus 
 Chriilr, as it were, fuccced to the fame as its Heir, by taking that lofs as a fummons to transfer 
 and £tt!c their who 1 ? love on him, the Object incomparably molt worthy of it, as being alto- 
 gether lovely, or ail defires \ Cant. 5. 1 6. There is no earthly comfort,peribn or thing,but hatb 
 Somewhat in it that is not deilrable, and that it would be the better to want ; but there is nothing 
 in him- that is not truly defirable, nor any thing out of him that is worthy to be defiredf 
 
 I am, my noble Lord, the more eaflly prevailed with and encouraged to addrefs thededica-- 
 tion of thefe Sermons to your LordOiip, more particularly when I remember the unfeigned 
 faith that'firft dwelt in your grandmother, as another Lois ; and in your mother, as another ' . 
 Eunice; and more lately in your--own choke Lady, w r ho, as another beloved Perils, laboured, 
 much in the Lord: And tho' file had but a very fhort Chriitian race (in which fhe was much' 
 encouraged by coming into your Noble Father's family, and her beholding how hard your bleffc 
 ^Mother did run and prefs toward the mark/even when in thelaft ftage, and turning in a man- 
 ner thelaQ: ftoop of ner Chriflian courfe) yet it was a very fwift one, wherein fhe did quite 
 cut-run many that were in Chrift long before her; (all three Ladies of honour^ alrripft (if I 
 heed to fayalmoft) without parallels in their times, in the ferious and diligent exereife of god- 
 lihefs, and patterns worthy .to be imitated by others) and I truf: in your Lordfliio's felf alfb, 
 yea, and in fev.eral others of your elder and younger noble relations (for grate nath fuch a 
 draught of fouls amongfl: you, as it ufeth not often to have in focietres' of ib noble extract, 
 for not many noble are called ) which, as it defervedly draweth refpect to fuch of you, as are 
 thus privileged, from the obfervers of it, lb it layeth a mighty ftrong obligation upon you, to 
 be much for God, and in fervice to your generation, according to his will; Further, when I 
 obferve your LordfhipVchriftian and exemplary carriage, under fuch a con junction and com- 
 fcinauon of fo very cr ofs, .and alfliQlt crufliing calamitous providence^ choofmg rather con- 
 tentedly;' 
 
7" he Epifle ^Dedicatory. 
 
 JllllUi cillU UUVVaiiaui«^ v wuuv., ^ann-umi^ vj ^MMUUU« ^»i-L V-H-^IUIO ^ LULU H1C UCOL WriS 
 
 not of your Lord ihip's own contracting) under whatever ipecious pretexts and advantages of 
 law; whereof m2ny make no bones, who, if they may keep up their fuperH .jties, care not 
 to ruine their friends ingaging in - r uretyfhip for their debt, and to Jive on the fubitance of others. 
 Moreover ,when with great fatisfa&ion I notice how much your Lord/hip makes it your bufi- 
 nefs to follow your noble anceit.ors,in fo far as they were follower i of Chrifr, .which many great 
 men, even in the chriilian world, alas, do not much mind, not confidering that it is true nobi- 
 lity, where God is the chief and top of the kin, and where religion is at the bottom ; and 
 what renowned Razdeigh {klth,Hinc diEtm nobilis quafi fr<e aliis virtutendtabws&tod what 
 another faith, j^// ab illuftrium majorum fplendi da virtute degenerarunt nobilia portent a fnnu 
 And finally,when I confider, that in your Lordfhir/s retirement and abftraction from wonted 
 converfe and dealing in buflnefs,you will have accefs at fefure to read them,whereby you may 
 thro' God's biefiing be fweetly diverted from penfive and not fo profitable poring on your a£» 
 diction, and be much inftrucied, convinced, reproved, directed, edified,ftreng*:hned and com- 
 forted. Read them then, my Lord, carefully (as I take ir for granted yoi will) ponder and 
 digefl them well, and I am hopeful,that they fhall thro J grace prove contribute ve to the brings 
 jng upon you a confiderable growth of holinefs, and to the making of your ways and doings 
 more than ever fuch, that others of his people obferving the fame, friail be comforted,and made 
 to think and fay, Verily God hath not done in vain all that he hath done to yonder Nobleman* 
 That thefe lubftantial and marrowy gofpel-fermons may come along to you all, nay to all 
 the readers of them, and to your Lordfhip more particularly, with fhowers of gofpel- 
 bleflings, is the earned defire of, 
 
 jDearly beloved affliffedChriftians, and my very noble Lord in particular , 
 
 iJov. 1 5. Tour Companion iti Tribulation, defirous aljb to be in the Kiiigdom and 
 
 1 6 8 2. Patience ofjefus Chrift, and your Servant in the Gc/pel for his fake, 
 
 J. C 
 
 Unto the Readers, and more particularly unto the Inhabitants of the Qit) of 
 Glafgow, of all Ranks. 
 
 ■♦Hough the whole field of thefacred and infallibly infpired fcriptures,be very ptafantand 
 
 pleafant and beautiful ; and 'amongft thefc, fuch as hold forth his fuftenngs^and himielf as cru- 
 cified, mod evidently before mens eyes, have a peculiar and raffing pleafantnefs and beauty in 
 ihem : If fo, then fure this 5 3d chapter of the prophecies oxlfaiah cannot but be look: at as 
 a tran r cendentiy pkafanc, beautiful, lweet-fmelling and fragrant piece of divine fcripture-fie!d # 
 wherein the eva n^eljck prophet difcourfeth of the fufferings ofQirift^s particularly and fully, 
 3S plainly and pathetically, even to the very life, as if he himfelf had been a fpectator and eve- 
 witnefs of them. However ,tliis fweeteft chapter from beginning to end, as aTo the three, fall: 
 Yerfes of the foregoing, be by the greatly learn d Grotius moil mi&rab'y perverted, while he in- 
 ^uftrioully diverts it from the Meffiah y zn6. by ftretching and curtailing thereof at hispleafure, 
 (as the cruel tyrant 'Afazentius did the men he laid on his bed, to make them of equal length 
 with it) wholly applies it to the prophet Jeremiah in the firfl place only, not denying that it 
 jbath accommodation to Chriit, of wnom too he takes but little or no notice in all his anno- 
 tations 
 
To the Reader. %r 
 
 tations thereon ! The impertinencies and wreftings of which application, are convincingly 
 ho'den ..forth Ly famous Doctor Owen (who looks on this port.on of 'cripture asthefum of" 
 what is fpoken in the Old"Tefiament y concerning the fati:fac~tory death of JefusChrift) that 
 mell of Sochi ans/m his Find; cite Evangelic <e againft Sidle and the Racovian Catechifm y 
 who was a burning and fhining light in the reformed Churches., tho' now,alas! to their great 
 lofs, lately extinguifhed : And indeed the dealing of that very learn'd man profelTing himfelf ta 
 be a Chriftian, with this moft clear, and to all true Chriflians moft comfortable fcripture, is 
 the more-ftrange and even ftupendious, confidering, r. That feveral paffages in ft, are in the 
 £few T'eftament exprefly applied to Chrift, Matth. 8. 1 7. Mark 1 5. 28. Luke 22. 27. jiffs 8, 
 2.8, &c, i (Per. 2. 22. ex: 24. but not one fo much as alluded to, in reference to Jeremiah, - 
 z. That the ancient Jewifi Doctors and the ChaldeeTarapJorafi (as Dr. Owgujn the fore- 
 faid learn'd and favoury book, gives an account) do apply it to him. 3, That a late Do&or 
 of great note and honour among the Jews, Abrabinti afnrmeth, That in truth he fees not 
 how one verfe of the whole (feveral of which he toucheth on) can-be expounded of Jeremiah^ 
 and wonders greatly that any wife man can be fo foolifh as to commend, let be to be the au- 
 thor of fuch an expofition, (as one RMi Gaon had been had been) which is (faith he) fo 
 utterly alien, and not in the lead drawn from the fcripture. ' 4. That feveral Jews do profefv 
 that tneir Rabbins could eafily have extricated themfelves from all other places of the prophets 
 (a vain and groi ndlefs boaft) if Ifaiah in this place had but held his peace, as. Hi f ljiiis.(vexy 
 lately, if not prefent) i/^r^-ProfefTor at #rev^,declares fome of them did to himfelf 5 . That 
 a Rabbi ,by his own confedion,was converted from a Jew to a Chrifti an ,by the reading of this 
 53d of Ifaiah ,2ls the excellent Mr. Boyljn his delicate difcourfes on the {tile of the holy fcrip- 
 tures,intorms us ; yea, that divers Jews have been convinced, an4 converted to the Chriftian 
 faith by the evidence of this prophecy, as learn'd and laborious -Mr. Tool affirms in his lately 
 publifbed Englifn Annotations on this fcripture. tf.That the Sochi am themfelves have not 
 dared to attempt the accommodation of the things here fpoken of, to any other certain and 
 particular perfon,than the MeJJiah, tho', being io much tortured thereby, that they fhewed 
 good-will enough to it. And 7. That himfelf had before written a learn'd 'Defence of the ca- 
 tholick faith concerning Chrift 9 s fatisfaBion againft Sochiis, wherein alfo he improved to no- 
 table pur pole feveral verfes of this fame chapter : But,in thefe later annotations ,ht\n% altogether 
 Clent as to any ufe-makmg of them that way, he,as much as he can, delivers that 2)eJperado 
 and his difciples from one of the fharpeft fwordsthat lies at the very throat of their caufeffor 
 if the chapter may be applied to any other, as he applies it wholly to Jeremiah, no fblid nor ' 
 cogent argument can be drawn frcm it for confirming Chrift's fatisfaclion ; ) and by his never 
 re-inforcing of that defence of his,againft the affault made upon it by the Sochi an Crellins, (tho? 
 he lived 20 years thereafter) he feems for his part quite to have abandoned and delivered it up 
 into the hands of thole declared enemies of Chrili 3 s J 'at isj del ion, yea and of his Godhead. It s 
 true indeed, that the learn'd Voffms defends that defence againft the aflault of Ravenfpergerus, 
 a Groning Divine, but it : s on a quite different account from that ofCrellius ; by* which anno* 
 tations of his.as by feveral others on qjher fcriptures, how much (on the matter at leaf!) great 
 Gr othts hath,by abufmg his prodigious wk,and profound learning, fubferved the curfedcaufe 
 of bla'phemous Sccinvs, and further hardened the- already ,alas much and long -hardened poor 
 Jews ; and what bad fervice he hatH doneto our glorious Redeemer, and to his Church fa-- 
 tisf7ed-for, and purchased by his blood, by his fad fufTerings, and fore foul-travel, moft clearly 
 and comfortably difcourfed inthis chapter, Jet the Lord nimfelf, and all that love him in, 
 fincerky, judge t I wifh I could, and had reafonto fay no worfe of this admirably learn'd 4 - 
 perfon here, than: that, giiandcque dorwitat Homerus. Z^ 
 
 Which very many and various, very great and moft grievoufly aggravated fuffenrigs, were 
 itidured by him, not only in his body^nor only in his foul,, by vertue of the fympathy it hadi 
 
To the Render. 
 
 :\ \i body , from the intimate and ftrait u ion be.wixt them ; but a'fo, ani -mainly, in his 
 blefled humane foul immediately : Since he re leeme&fatisfi eopie's fouls 
 
 11 as their bodies ; and the foul haying principally £nned,a. md-fouree 
 
 t/flnriefs withal deferring punifhm* andb ing, 
 
 \\iuhout the benefit of his mediation, to be purul yd eterti a id bodies, 
 
 an i mainly in their fouls ; there is no doubt, the £me cogent reafon for the Mediator^ faffer- 
 ingin both parts of the humane nature aflumed by him, tl ;r nature^ Offer- 
 
 ing which finned : Which, {listed complaints of Ve exceeding trouble of his foul, uttirig 
 him to fay *he;e ftrange and ftujxndious^vords, What Jhall J jay} 
 and heav/nefs thereof, even to death, his amazement, Jlrcttfc cries and r-^s, with his 
 andfiz-eat of 'blood, John 12. 27. Mat. 16. 58. Mark 14. 53 \ 5. 7 (and that 
 
 before an 
 
 crp, pu 
 of his bodily 
 
 and draw thefe ftrange expreflions* from him, would make hkn,who L*Lof ! and Mailer,, to be 
 of far greater abjednefs of Spirit than many of his fervan 3 the martyrs were, and to fall 
 feugefy below that holily heroick and magnanimous courage and refolutian, wherewith they 
 adventured on extream fufierings, and moilexcjuificetormerrs,- which svould be very un .vor- 
 fhy of, and a mighty reflection upon him, who is the valiant Captain if fakmtwn, made 
 ferfeft through f i fieri ng, p xho drank of the brook in the teay, and therefore lifted tip the head, 
 "Heb. 2. 10. Pfal.i iq. 7. But here is the great and true reafon of the difference betwixt hi^fad 
 and fbrrowful deportment under his mfterings^and their fo!acious,oheeriul and joyful deport- 
 ment under theirs ; that they, through h ; s fufferings and fatk&cSfcn, were per fwaded and 
 inadc fenfibleof God's being pacified towards them, and were mightily refrefhed by his graci- 
 ous comforting prefence with themamidfl their fufferings ; while he on die contrary looked 
 upon himfeif as one legally obnoxious to punifhmenr^ fifled before the terrible tribunal of the 
 juftice of God, highly provoked by, atKl very angry at the fins of his people, who was in a 
 moft fignal manner pouring out upon his foul the vials of his wrath and curfe, a* hich made 
 him lamentably and aloud to cry out of defertion, tho' not in refpedt of the perfonal unicn, 
 as if that had been diffolved, nor yet as tofecretly fupporting, yet as to fuch a meafure at leaft 
 of fenfibly comforting and rejoicing prefence, My God, ?ny God, ivhy haft thou for faken?/iet 
 jfhere faith was in its meridian, tho 5 it was dark mid-night as to joy) wherewith, as fuch, 
 Jfiis body could not be immediately affeded, lpirkual deflation m)t falling 'nder bodily 
 fenle. Whence we may fee how jurily the dodrine of Tap'ifts is to be exploded, v \\. ■• deny 
 ^llfuffering in his foul immediately, to falve their darling dream of his local defcent a. tp his 
 foul, while his body was in the grave,into hell,and to JimhuS pcdrxint^o bring up thence into 
 lieaven the fouls of the fathers, whom, without giving any reafon, or alledging : :ny ■'. 
 their part, they foolifhly fancy, after their death till then, to bave been imprifoned there, 
 tho' quiet and under no pnnifhment of fenfe, yet deprived of all light r C rod, and 
 
 fo under the pimifhment of lofs, the greateft of punilhments, even by the conjfeffion c 
 of themfelves, whereby they put thele holy and perfected fouls (for there they fay there is no 
 .more purgation from fin, that being the proper work of their profitable ?■■* \ worfe 
 
 cafe .all that length of time after their deaths than they were when alive < n where 
 
 doubtlefs they had often much foul-rcfrcfhing fellowfhip with God, and the light of his coun- 
 tenance lifted up upon them. - 
 
 Neither were thefe his fufferings in foul and body only to confirm the dodrine taught by him 
 (if that was at all defigned by him as an end of his fufferings, fo much Humbled at in tL'ejame, 
 (which yet I will not debate,, let be peremptorily deny) his dodrine being rather coni 
 ;ty iiis miracles and jefurredion) and to leave us an example and pattern how we fhould fuffer 
 
 (as 
 
?b the Reader. xva 
 
 (as non-chriflian and blalphemous Sccinians aver) which were mightily to depredate, and 
 difparage, nay, to enervate and quite to evacuate his fufierings, by attributing no irore to them 
 than is attriLutab e to the fufferings of his fervams and martyrs (it's true his example was an 
 infallible, directory, the example of all 'examples, bui theirs not o \ yet this doth not at all in- 
 fluence any alteration of the nature of the end) but al{b and main y i y ,hem, undergone for 
 fcis people,andin their roc m, and as fuflairing their per{bns,vicfe and place, truly and propeily 
 by the laciifice of himfelf to fatisfy Divine J ufiice for their llns: /nd vbo, 1 pray, can put 
 any other comment on thefe fcripture-expreflions, without mahifeft pefverting and wreuing 
 of them,i& hath made him to bejinjcr tis,wJtfo knew no fin-, Chrift hath redeemed usfr&m the 
 $urfe of the law, being made a curjefor us; Who his ever/ f elf l ere err Jim in his own body 
 mi the tree, z Cor. 5. 2.1. Gal. 3. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 24. (which is by the apohte fuL joined as a iupe- 
 rior end of his fufierings to that of leaving us. an example, difcourfed by him immediately be- 
 fore) He was wounded for our tranfgreJJIons, he was brmjedfer Gv>r iniquities \ audthecha- 
 fiifement of our peace was upon him ; The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all ; 
 For the tranfgreffionof my people was hefiricken; When thouJbjP.lt make hisjoiu an offering 
 for fin ; He pall bear the fins of many \ In whom we have redemption through his blood; 
 Who is the propitiation for our fins ; Ifa. 53. 5, 6, 8, 10. 12. Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 
 1 Joh. 2.2. and the like. 
 
 Nor did he undergo thefe fad (ufFerings for all men in the world, to fatisfy juftice for them, 
 and to reconcile them to God, but only for the elect, and fuch as were given unto him. 
 
 For, Firftfthe chaftifement of their peace only, was laid.on him, who are*foealed by his 
 Jfripes, as it is v. 5. of this 53d otlfaiah, For the iniquities of my people was he firicken, 
 faith the Lord, v. 8. The fame who are called the Mediator's people, 'Pjal. no. 3. (for faith 
 bleiTed Jefus to his Father, Joh. 17. 10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine ) Who Jh all, 
 without all peradventure or poflibility of mifgiving,£e made willing in the day of his power : 
 He only bare the iniquities of thefe whom he jufiifieth by his knowledge, verf 1 1. For, other- 
 wile the prophet's reafoning would not be confequent 5 he only bare the iniquities of as many 
 tranfgreffcrs as he makes inter cePfon for , verf 12. And that he doth not make interce (lion for 
 all,but for thefe only who are given to him,that is,all the elect, is undeniabl mar.ifeftfrom jfchn 
 17. 9. where himfelf exprefly faith, I pray not for the world, but for thejewhom thou hajb 
 given me. Now,God's eternal electing love, and his giving the elect to the Mediator in the 
 covenant of redemption, to be fatisfied for, and faved by him, and his intercefli n for them. ?re 
 commcnfurable and of equal extent, as is moil: clear from John 1 7. 6. where he faiih, /hine- 
 they were, (to wit, by election) and thou gave fi them to me, to within end by the c< venant 
 of redemption (God's decree of election being in order of nature prior to this donation, or 
 gift of the elect in the covenant of redemption) compared with v. 9. where he frith, I pray 
 for them, I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou haft given me, for they are 
 thine-. Itis obfervable, that he faith twice over, I tray for /fe^maoifeftly and emphatically 
 restricting his interceflion to them,and excluding all others from it. W hy then mould no t alia 
 his facrifice (the price of the redemption of thefe elected and given ones, agreed upon in that 
 
 a very leam'd manaffirms,That y Chrifl's appearance in heaven, and hisintercefIiom,are'iiot 
 
 properly facerdotal acts, but in fo far as they lean on the vert ue of his perfected facrince : 
 
 c u Et V n y relevant ' or C0 8 ent re *fon,can there be, to make a disjunction betwixt thefe parts 
 
 ©f his ofneejand to extend the moft difEcult,operous and cofliy part to ail men,and to narrow 
 
 c .the 
 
Sviii To the Redder. 
 
 the other, which is the more eafy part, as that whereby Ke onV deals for the application of 
 what he hath made a purchafe or by his ktlsfajftipn, which pit him to much lad and fore 
 foul-travel, and to reftrict it to the elect and gifted ones ? 3. Doth not t' e fcrlp'ture hold 
 forth his d ath, and the ihedding of his blood, as the great deWnfyratidn of his ipec'ial love 
 to his own e!e<5r. people? as is clear elfe-where, fo particularly John 15.13. Greater woe 
 than thishath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends na ; , purchafed recon- 
 ci'iction through the death of Chrif\ is by the Holy Gho r l made a greater e , idence of divine 
 io e, in fome refped, than the glorification, of the reconciled, according to what the apoftle 
 faith, Rom. 5. 10. For if whence were enemies, we were reconciled toGcd'by the de at Jo of 
 Jois Son, jyivxh more being reconciled, w?Jhall be faved by his life. 4. All the* other* gifts " of 
 
 . God to finners, even the greateft fpiritual ones,, fall hugely below the lining of Je us Chrili: 
 himf if, that Gift of God by way of erinency, as the apoftle reafoneth irrefragabfy, for the 
 comfort of believers, Rem. 8. 32. He that [pared not his own Son, but delivered him tip for 
 11s all, how pall he net with him alfo freely give lis all things ? Will he give the greateft gift, 
 and not give theleiler ? as jufiirication, adoption, fanctincation and glorification ; which, 
 how sreat foever in themfelves, are yet lefTer than the giving of Chrift himfelf to the death ; 
 
 ' and if it be undeniably ceitain that he giveth not thefe to all,which are the lefler and lower 
 gifts, why fhould it be r nought that he hath given the higher and greater > 5, Shall that 
 grand expreflion of the fpecial love of God be made common, by extending it to all the 
 world, the greateft Profligates and Atheifts not excepted, no not <Pharach , nor Mab, nor 
 Judas the traitor, nor Julian the apoftate, nay, nor any of all the damned reprobates, who 
 Were actually in hell when he died and fled his blood ? 6. If he died thus for all, it feems 
 that the new fong of the redeemed, Rev. 5. would have run and f unded berterthus. Thou 
 haft redeemed us all and every man, of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, 
 to God by thy blood, than as it there ftandsby inspiration of the Holy Ghoft, 'Thou waft 
 /lain, and haft redeemed m to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, andpeofijp, 
 and nation ; but who may prelume by fuch an universality to extend and ampliat what he hath 
 fo reftricted, and to make that common to all, which God hath peculianzed to a few favou- 
 rites ? But the author having much to better purpofe on this head in thefe Sermons, I need 
 add no more here. 
 
 I (hall only further fay of thefe aftonifhing, in a manner non-pluffing and furpafling great 
 fufterihgsof bleiTed Jefus, that, as they were equivalent to what all the elect deferved by their 
 
 ; fins, and fhould have differed in their own perfons throughout all eternity, con fifleruly with 
 the innocency and excellencv of his Perfon, and with the cjignity of his mediatory- office 5 
 therefore it isfaid, v. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked,, and with the rich in his 
 death ; or as it is in the original, in his deaths, in the plural number, as if he had died the 
 death of every one of the elect, or as if there had been a conjunction and combination of all 
 
 1 their deaths in his one death ; and v. 6. That the Lord laid on him the inifuityofus all, or, 
 as the word k, made the iniquity of 11s all to meet on him, there having been a lolemn tryft, 
 
 ' convocation and rendezvous (as it were) of all the iniquities of all the elect, more common 
 and more pecular, in all their various aggravating circumftances; not fo much as one com- 
 mitted fince /tdamh firft tr nfgreflion, or to be committed ;to the day of judgment, beim; ab- 
 ient in the punifhment of them upon his Perfon ; No wonder that fuch a load of innume- 
 rable thoufands and millions of iniquities made him heavily to groan, and that the confidefa- 
 fcion. thereof made great Lv.ther fay, That Chrifi was the greateft /inner in all the world, to 
 wit,.by imputation of the guilt ojf all the .fins of the elect to Him, and by his having Had 
 «he pi niihmerit of them all laid upon his Perfon ; So we may from them beinftru<Sed in thefe 
 
 *** , w» 
 
To the Redder. ^ xlx 
 
 Firfty Concerning the height of holy difplicencc and deteflation, that the Ma jetty of GcJ 
 hath ai r m, the only thing in the whole world thac his foul hates, and which,, in the vile and 
 .aLomim.de nature of it, hath an irreconcilable antipathy w ith, and enmity againft his infinitely 
 pi re, holy, and blefled nature ; and hath a tendency, could it pofiibly be effected, to feet . 
 after the deftrudion and annihilation of the very Being of God, and is in- erpreratively dei- 
 c .p . the language of it being, that there were not a God I that he cannot Lehold it in his 
 finleft, innocent, and dearly beloved Son, tho' but by imputat.un ( for he v as not made 
 y the finner, as Antinomians blafphemouf y aver) but he will nee s in fo terrible 2 
 e ;, testify his greafdifiike of, and deep difpleafure at it, and take fuch formidable ven- 
 . nit, even in his Perfon : Ah 1 the nature of fin, which Go :, wjio .s of p. re eyes^ 
 c ©not, v. hercver it be, behold, without perfect abhorrency of it, is but little t; o; »wjy under 
 { ad pondered ; Would we otherwife dare to dally and fport with it, or to take the 
 
 !; i ujibin committing ofitjit the rate we do? I have fometimes thought that it is an error in 
 . cc ncoction(to fay fo) of religion in many profefTors of it, and pretenders t< b, that we 
 bgye ever fran ed Id .able apprehenflons of the moft hateful, vie and a: o->unable nature of 
 fin, • bkh hath a great influence on the fuperficiarinefs and overlings of all duties and practi- 
 ces f religion) and that many of us had need to be dealt with, as skilful fchool-mafters ufe to> 
 dqft] with their fchollars that are foundered in the firft principles of learning, left they prove 
 but fmatrerers all their days ;to bring them back again to theie,even to be put to lea n rh is firft 
 leilon in religion better,and more thorowly to underftand the jealoufy of God as to this curled 
 thing Sin ; for which, tho" he gracioufly, for the fake of thefe fufferings of Ch rift, pardon the 
 guilt of it to his people,and hear their prayers, yet will needs take vengeance on their inventions % 
 tPj&l 99. 8, be they never fo ferioufly, holily,and eminently ferviceable to him, and to their ge- 
 neration according to his will ; whereof Jffofes the man of God is a memorable inftance : That 
 Ancient conceived rightly of the nature of fin, who faid, That if he behoved necejfarily , ez- 
 t her to commit the leaf fin, or go to hell to be tormented there eternally 3 he would rather wife 
 to defire tc go to hell, if he mild be there without fin. 
 
 Secondly, Concerning the feverity of divine juftice in punifhing fin, whereof its punifh- 
 ment in the Perfon of the Son of God, at fuch a rate, is one of the greateft, cleared and moft 
 convincing evidences imaginable,to whom he w T ould not abate one farthing of the elects debt, 
 bit did v-ith holy and fpotlefs feverity exact the whole of it; and tho' he was-the Father's 
 Fellow, yet he would needs have him Jmitten with the awah/edjword (Zech. 13/17.) of fin- 
 revenging juftice and wrath : As if all the executions that had been done in the earth on men 
 for fin, -as on the old world of the ungodly, drowned by the deluge; on the mifcreant inha- 
 bitants of Sodom znd Gomorrah, and of thefe other Cities, ipon-whom he fhowreddown li- 
 quid flames of fire and brimflone, even fomewhat of hell in a manner cut of heaven (caelum 
 firebar Gchennam) burning them quick, and frying them to death in their own skins oil 
 n and Abiram, and their affociates, upon whom the earth opened and fwa' low- 
 up in a moft ftupendious manner alive, the reft be ng confumed by tire fent down from 
 he .ven on the one hundred eighty five thoufand men of SenacheriFs army, all fain in one 
 y an angel , and on the Jjr a elites, who by many and various plagues were wafted and 
 wn n out to the number of fix hundered thoufand fighting men in the fpace of fourty- years ; 
 reflections on. which made Mofes, a witnefs of all, with aftonifhment to cry out, Wty knows 
 the j ewer cf thy anger 1 PfaJ. 90. n. As if, I fay, all thefe terrible executions of jufcice, had 
 ne by ? fword afleep, or in the fcabbard, in companion of tl e execution it did on Je- 
 fus Ghrifi the elect's Cautioner, againft. whom it awakned, was unfheathed, furbifhed, and , 
 rsaxie.tQ glitter : So that we may fay, Had all the fons and daughters of Adam, without the 
 exception of io much as one, been eternally deftroyed, it would not have hem a greater de- 
 monstration of the feverity of the juftice of feod in punifhing, fin. 
 
 c z . Thirdly* 
 
xx To the Reader. 
 
 Thirdly, Concerning the grcatnefs, incomprehenfible vaftnefs, and unparalelablenefs of the 
 love of God to the eledt world, which he fo loved (O wonderful fo ! eLernity will but be fuf- 
 ficient to unfold all that is infolded in that myfleriors fo ; an ovtco that hath not an &t 9 an ua 
 thai hath not zficut, zfo that hath not an as) That he gave his only begotten Son, i John 3. 
 16. to fufrer all thefe things,, and to be thus dealt with for them : And of the Mediator, who 
 was content, tho' thinking it no robbery to be equal with God, to empty himfelf, and be of 
 no reputation, to take on him the. fh ape of a Servant, Vhil. 2. 6,7,8. to be a Man offorrows and 
 acquainted with grief '; to be c haft 1 zed, fmitt en, wounded and bruifed for their iniquities 
 Ifa. 53. 3, 5. to flep off the throne of his declarative glory, or of his'glory manifefied to the 
 creatures, and in a manner to creep on the footflool thereof in the capacity of a worm, and 
 to become obedient even vnto the death, the fhameful and curfed death of the crofs : This 
 is indeed matchlefs and marvellous love, Greater than which no man hath, to lay down his 
 life for his friend, John 15. 13. But he, being God-Man, laid down his life for his enemies, 
 that he might make them friends, Rom. 5. ic. O the height and depth, the breadth and length 
 of the love ofChrift ! Epb. 3.' 9, 10. vvhereof,when all that can be faid,is (aid, this mufl needs be 
 id\d,Tj:at it's a love that pa Ret h not only expreflion, but knowledge ; it's demenfions being al- 
 together unmeafurable : So that we may fay,ifit had feemed good to the Lord,and been compa- 
 tible with his [pot'kCs juftice, and with his infinite wifdom/as fupreme Rector and Governor of 
 the world, giving a law to his creatures, to have pardoned the fins of the ele&,in the abfolute- 
 nefc of his dorrinion, that knows no boundary, but what the other divine attributes fettoit, 
 
 fatisfaction made by Jefus ChriiY) It would not have been a greater and more glorious demon- 
 flration of the freenefe and riches of his love than he hath given, in pardoning them, thro' the 
 intervention of fo difficult and toilfom, of fo chargeable and cofllya fatisfaction, as is the fad 
 fufferings, and the fore foul-travel of his own dear Son ; who yet is pJeafed to account finners 
 coming to him,and getting good of him,fatisfaction for all that foul-travel : And indeed,which 
 of thefe is the greateft wonder, and demonflration of his love, whether that he fhould have 
 undergone fuch foul-travel for iinners, or that he fhould account their getting good of it, fa- 
 tisfaclion for the fame,is not eafy to determine ; but fure 3 both in conjunction together make 
 a wonder pafilng great, even a moil: wonderful demonflration of love. 
 
 Fourth ty, Concerning what dreadful meafure all they may look for, who have heard of 
 thefe fufferings ofChrift, and make not conference in his own way to improve them for their 
 being reconciled to God thereby, and whofe bond to juflice will be found flill (landing over 
 their heads uncancelled in their own name, as proper debtors, without a cautioner. When 
 the innocent Son of God, who had never done wrong, and in whofe mouth no guile was ever 
 found, Ifa. 53. 9. having .but become Surety for the elects debt, w T as thus hotly purfued, and 
 hardly handled, and put (through fad foul-trouble) to cry, What fo all If ay > John 12. 27. 
 and falling a-groof on the ground with the tear in his eye, in much forrow and heavinefs 
 even to death, and in a great agony, caufing a fweat of blood, tho' in a cold night, and lying 
 on tbeeaith, conditionally to pray for the pafilng of that cup from him, and for his being 
 faved from that hour ; fo formidable was it to his holy humane nature, which had a finlefi 
 averfition from, and an innocent horrour at what threatned ruin and definition to it feif fim- 
 ply c<,nf]cered ; and which, had it not been mightily fupportedby the power of the Godhead 
 united rhere'o in his Perfon, would have quite fhrunk and fuccumbed under fuch an heavy 
 burden, and been utterly fwallowed up by fuch a gulf of wrath : What then will finners, even 
 alt the dvvour debtors, not having ferioufly fought, after, nor being effectually reached by the 
 ieaefit of his furetyfhip^do^w hen they come to grapple with this wrath ofGod^when he will 
 
To the Reader. , ** 1 
 
 fall upon them as a giant, breaking all their bones,and as a roaring lion;, tearing them to pieces, 'cohen 
 there will be none to deliver? Pfal.<>o. 22.WHI their hands be flrcng,or their hearts be able to endure 
 in the day that he fbaU deal with them*?. Ezek.22. 14- Then, Othen, they will be afraid, and fear - 
 fulnefs will lake hold of them, and make them fay, Who canftand before the devouring [ire, and who 
 can dwell befide the everlafiing burnings? Ifa.34. 14- and to cry unto the hills and mountains to fad 
 m tkem.and to hide them from the face of the Lamb.and oj him that fits en the thrcne, for the great 
 day of hU wrath is eome,and who is able to /land? Rev. 6, 16, 17. then it will be found in * fpecial 
 manner to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 31. All fuch may fee, 
 in the great furFerings of Chrift,as in the cleared glafs,what they are to look for, and moft certainly* 
 tomeet with ; for if it was thus done in the green tree, what Jh all be done in the dryi Luke 23. 31. 
 O -it is a fad, even one of the faddeft fubje&s of thought, to think, that a rational creatute fhall be 
 eternally fupported, preferred and perpetuated in its being, by the one hand of God's omnipoten- 
 ey> that it may be everlaftingly capable of terrible Vengeance, to be inflicted by the other hand 
 of hie juftice ! 
 
 Fifthly, Concerning the very great obligation that lieth on believers f 6 Jove Jefus Chnft,who hath 
 thus commended his love to them, by undergoing all thefe fad fufFerings for their fakes ; even out of 
 love to them to become a curfe, to bleed out his precious life, and to pour out his foul to death for 
 them; which to do he was under no neceflity, nor in the leaft obliged by them, being infinitely re- 
 moved from all poflibility of being reached by any obligation from his s creatures, whom he loved, and 
 for whom he defigned this grand expreflion of his love, the laying down of his life for them, before 
 they or the world had any being ; »ay,being by their fins infinitely difobliged: Ah that mod of thefe 
 Whom he loved fo much,ihould love him (who is altogether lovely) their duty* his friends and in- 
 terefts for his fake fo little ; even fo very little, that, if it were poflible, he cou ] d rue and repent of 
 what he hath done and fuflfered, to commend his love to them, they would tempt him to it ! And 
 indeed there is nothing that more fpea&s forth the freenefsof his love than this^ that he fhould love 
 them i'o fervently, and continue thus to love them, even to the end, who are often fo very cool in 
 rheir love to him : Sure fuch,when in any meafure at themfelves,cannot but love themfelves the lefs, 
 and lothe themfelves the more, that they love him fo little;and earneftly long for that defireable day, 
 wherein he fhall be admired in and by all them that believe, and when they fhall get him loved as 
 well as ever they deflred to love him, and as well as he fhall will them to love him, and when they 
 fhall be in an eternal extafie and tranfport of admiration at his love. 
 
 Sixthly, Concerning the little reafon that believers have to think much of their fmall and petty 
 fufFerings undergone for him ; For what are they all, even the greateft and moft grievous of them^ 
 being compared with his fufFerings for them ? They are but as little chips of thecrofs ,in compari- 
 fon of the great and heavy end of it, that lighted on him, and not worthy to be named in one day 
 with his: All the fad and forrowful days and nights that all the faints on earth have had, under their 
 many and various, and fadly circumftantiated croffes and fulFerings, do not by thouiands of degrees 
 come near unto, let be to equal that one fad and forrowful night, which he had in Gethfemane (be- 
 . fide all theforrows and griefs he endured before that time) where he was put to. conflict with the 
 awakned fword of fin revenging juftice, that did moft fiercely lay at him, without fparing him : 
 "Which terrible combat lafted all that night, and the next day, till three a-clock in the afterhoon^'hen 
 that fharpeft fword, after many'fore wounds givm him, killed him outright at laft, and left him 
 dead upon the place(who yet,even then, when feemingly yanquifhed and quite ruined', was a great 
 and glorious Conqueror, having by death oversome and deflroyed him that had the p wer of death* 
 that is the devil ; and? having fpoiled principalities and powers, making a jhew of them openly, and 
 triumphing over them in his crofs, Heb. 2. 14. Col. 2. !<,. the fpoils of which glorious victory be- 
 lievers now divide, and fhall enjoy to all eternity.) Ah that ever the fmall and inconfiderable furFe- 
 rings of the faints, fhou?d fo much as once be made mention of by them, where his ftrange and 
 ftupendious fufFerings o.fer themfelves to be noticed. 
 
 Seventhly , Concerning the unfpeakably great obligation that lieth on believers, readily ,'pleafantly 
 and cheerfully, not only to do, but alfo to fufFer for Chrift, as he fhall call them to it, even to do all 
 that lieth in their power for him, and to fufFer all that is in the power of any others to do a^ainft 
 th m.on his account, who did willingly, and with delight, do nnd fufFer fo much for them; They" 
 bays doubrlefs £«o4 reafon heartily to pledge him in the cup of his crofs^ and to drink after himy 
 
axii „ To the Reader. 
 
 there being efpecially fiich difference betwixt the cup that he drunk, and that which they are put 
 to drink ; his cup was (leered thick witi-. the wrath of God, having had the dregs thereof, in a man- 
 ner, wrung out to him therein ; fo that it was no wonder, that the very fight of it made him con- 
 ditionally to fupplicate for ks departure from him, and that the drink of it put him in a molt grie- 
 vous agony, and caft, him in a top fweat of blood: Yet, faith he on the matter, either they or I 
 muft drink it ; they are not able to drink it, for the drir.king of it will diftra£V them, and put them 
 mad, will poifon and kill them eternally ; bat I am able to drink it, and to work put the poifon and 
 venom of it, and though it fhall kill me, I can raife up, a id reilore my felf to life again ; therefore, 
 Father, come away with it, and i wilt dr nk t up, and drink it out, This to the everlafUng wel- 
 fare- of thefe dear ibuls \ Net my Will, buttbi.-iebe dcac .u>, thus it was agreed betwixt thee and 
 me in the covenant of redemption ; when as theirs is ,1 >ye from bottom even to brim { whatever 
 mixture may fometimes be of paternal and domeui.k j ftice, proper and peculiar to God's own 
 family, and which, as the Head and Father th reof h. cxercifeth therein) not fo much as one gut 
 or fcruple of vindictive wrath being left therein : A b ' it s b th a fin and lhame, that there fhould 
 be with fuch, even with fuch, fo much fhynefs and ihrinking, to drink after him in the cup of his 
 crofe; efpecially confid^ring, that there is fuch an high degree of* honour put upon the fuffering be- 
 liever for Chritl, above and beyond what is pu r on trie iimple. believer in him, fo that in the icrip- 
 tu re account, the fuffering believer is not niy , but alp. according to what the apoftle faith, 
 ThiU i. 29. To you it is given in the behalf c\ Chrijf y not, only to believe on him, but alfo tofuffcrfcr 
 bis fake. 
 
 Eighthly, Concerning what mighty obligation h'eth on believers to mourn and weep, to be fad and 
 forrowful for fin : How can they look on him, whom they have thus bruifed, w r ounded and pierced 
 by their fins, without the tear in their eye, without mourning for him, and being in bitternefs, as 
 sl man is for his firft-born, and for his only begotten fon ? when they think ( as all of them, on fe- 
 rious consideration, will find reafon to think ) that if their fins keeped the tryft and rendezvous, 
 when all the fins of all theeLcl: did meet, and were laid on him; then fure, there came no greater 
 company, and more numerous troop of fins, to that folemn rendezvous, from any of all the redeem- 
 ed than came from them ; and that he had not a heavier load and burden of the fins of any than 
 he had of theirs, whereby he was even prefled, as a cart is prelfed down under the Iheaves, and was 
 made moil grievoutly to groan, even with the groanings of a deadly wounded man ; and that if he 
 was wounded and pierced by their iniquities, then furely he was more deeply wounded and pierced 
 hy the iniquities of none, than by theirs ; O ! what mourning fhould. this caafe to them ? even fuch 
 mourning as was at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo, on the occahon of the fad (laughter 
 and death of that good and deflrable king Jofiah ? This is indeed one of the moft genuine and 
 kindly, one of the moffc powerful and prevalent, one of the fweeteft and ftrongeft fprings of, and 
 motives to, true gofpel-repentance> forrow and mourning for fin. 
 
 Ninthly, Concerning the notable and none-fuch obligation that liethon believers, to ftudy the cru- 
 cifixion and mortification of fin : Was it not their fins that crucified and killed precious Jefus Cbrift, 
 the Prince of life ? was it not their fins that violently drove the nails .thorow his bkifed hands and 
 feet, and thrufl the fpear thorow his fide, to the bring ; ng forth of water and blood ? Shall they not, 
 in their burning zeal and love to him, and in the height of holy indignation at themfelvcs. be aven- 
 ged on that which brought fuch vengeance on him? fhall they not fericufly leek to be the death of 
 that which brought him to death, and whereof, the death and deftru&ion, was one of his great dcligns 
 therein, on which he was fo intent, that in the profecution of it, he did amidft his dying pangs and 
 agonies breathe out his foul ? O let it never be heard for fhame, that ever any of them mall find the 
 lead fweetneis in that accurfed thing, that was fo bitter to him ; that ever any of them toll be found 
 to dally with, or to hug that ferpent and viper in their bofom, that fo cruelly flung him to death. 
 
 But this being the great fubje<ft of thefe following fermons, wherein the preacher, being in a good 
 meafure wife, hath fought to find cut acceptable words, (Eccl. 12. 10, li.) and words I hope of up- 
 rigbtnefs and truth-, CO that they maybe to the readers as goads and nails faflned by him who is 
 the great Alafter ofajjsmblies !) I fhall infill no further ;* only I may humbly fay, that to my know- 
 ledge, none hath preached on tins whole chapter to better purpofe every way ; many may have done 
 virtuoufly, but it's probable he will be found to excel them all : Nay, if I fhould fay, that, for any 
 thin£ I know, this book for fo much is amongil the bed books of this nature the world hath feen, 
 
To the Reader. ' . Xxiii 
 
 I fuppofe hardtyVifl any judicious Chriftian r thorowly exerclfed to godlinefs 5 after he hath read it 
 all over, and pond rtd it, think that I have greatly, if at all, hyperbolized. ^ 
 
 There are in thefe choice Sermons, depths as it were for elephants to lwim in (whereof his furpri- 
 Z.ins?, fab'im-ly fp rftua\ 2nd very deep divine difcouries, concerning the nature of ChnlVs inter- 
 celfi/n, and the right improvement of it, in the lalt fix Sermons, is a notable inllance) and fhallows 
 ; for lambs to wade in ; there sin them milk for babes in Chriji, and flrcnger meat for fuch as are of 
 full age, who by reafn of ufe have t Heir fen fes exercifed to difcern both good and evil. Heb. «$. 13, 
 14. Nay, I may in a good meafure fa\ or thele Sermons, as it's laid of the learned difecurfes of a late 
 great" man, That in the dotlrinal part of fever *1 of them, ye will findthe depth of polemical divinity^ 
 and in his inferences from thence, the fweetnefs* of practical; f:me things that may exercife the 
 prof undefl fiboUar and ethers that may edify the weakeji Chriflian \ nothing readily is more r}er- 
 vcus and firing than his reafnings, and nothing m re fweetly and powerfully affecting than his ap- 
 plication : There 'is : m them much tor information of the judgment, for warming of the affec1:ions t 
 and for dire&ion toward a gofpel becoming converiation •, there is much for clearing and expeding the 
 doubts and difficulties of more weak and darkned ChriiHans, and much lor edifying, confirming and 
 eftabfiftiing of more grown ones; there is much for convi&ion, reproof, warning, humbling, for 
 (Hiring up and provoking to the ferious exercife of godlirefs, and much for the comforting and re- 
 freihing of fuch as (land in need, and are capable of confolation •, there is much for difcovering, rou- 
 ting, awakning and alarming of carnal, fecure, unlound, hollow-hearted and hypocritical-profeifors 
 of religion, and much for beating and hammering down of the prideof conceity felf juftifying profcf- 
 fors; much for training up of ) oung beginners, and much for advancing and carrying on in their 
 ChriiHan courfc fu:h as are entred into it, and have made any tolerable progrels therein : In a 
 word, he doth in a great meafure approve bimfelf to God. as a workman that needs not be afbamed % 
 rightly dividing the w rd f truth (2 Tim. 2. 15.) and as a skilful and faithful fteward, giving to 
 every one his portion in due kind, meaiure and feafon. 
 
 It may be fome readeis will think, that there are in thefe Sermons feveral coincidencies of purpo- 
 fes. and repetitions : To which I fhatl but prefume to (ay, That, befide that there is a great affinity 
 amongft; many ofthepurpof s delivered by the prophet in this piece of his prophecies, if not a holy 
 Coincidence of them, and a profitable repetition now and then of the tame thing in different exprefli- 
 ons ; as there is in fome other fcriptures, without any the lead imputation to them, as that truly 
 nob^eand renowned Gentleman Mr. B-j'/fh.-weth. in his dabourate, eloquent and excellent Confide" 
 rations, touching theflile of the holy Scriptures ; and that the :ame midfes, and near-by the fame ex- 
 prcflions, may very pertinently be made u e of, to clear and confirm different points of doctrine \ It 
 will be found, that if there be in fo many fermons or difcouries on fubje&s of fuch affinity, any co* 
 incidenctes or repetitions, they are at fuch a .onvenient diftance, and one way or other fo di veri- 
 fied, and appofitely fuited to-the tubjeft of his prefent difcourfe, that the reader will not readily 
 naufeate, nor think what is fpoken in its place, impertinent, liiperfiuous or needlefs, tho'fomewhat 
 like it hath been faid by him in fome other place : Or, if there be any not only feeming, but real 
 repetitions of .purpofes and expreifions, as they have not been grievous (Phil. 3. 1.) to the preacher, 
 i'o he, with the apoftfe Paul judged them needful at the time for the hearers. 
 
 And now, as for you, much honoured , right worthy, and very dearly beloved Inhabitants of the 
 City r/Glafgow, let me tell you, that 1 have fometimes of late much coveted to be put and kept in 
 fome capacity to do the Churches of Chrift, and you in particular, this piece of fervice, inputting 
 to the prtfs thefe fweet Sermons on this choice Scripture beiore I die : And indeed, after I had gone 
 thorow a good number of them, not without cor.fiderable toil and difficulty (having, alralongfl, bad 
 no notes of his own, but the Sermons as they were taken hail ily with a current pen from his mouth* 
 by one of his ordinary hearers, no fchollar, who could not therefore fo thorowly and di'iiin&ly take 
 up feveral of the purpofes handled by the preacher) the Lord was pleafed to give ine a flop, by a 
 long continued fharp affli&ron.not altogether without fome little more remote and gentle threatring9 
 of death ; but he,to whom the ilfues from death do belong, gracioufiy condefcended to fpare me a lit- 
 tle, that I might gather fome ftrength to "go thorow the remainder of them- I have much reafon to 
 think, that if poor I had been preaching the gofpel to you'thefe twenty years pad, wherein we have 
 been in holy providence feparated (which hath been the more affli&ing to me, that ye were in my 
 heart, to have lived and died with you j and if it had fo teemed good in the eyes of the Lord, it would 
 
 hxrp 
 
*xiv . To the Reader. 
 
 have bee* to me one of the moft'refrefiving and joyful providences I could hare been tryfted with ia 
 this world, to have had fair accel's, thro' his good hand upon me, and his gracious pretence with mc, 
 to have preached the gofpel to you a while before my going hence and being no more) I would not by 
 very, very far, have contributed lo much to your edification, as thefe Tew Sermons mav, and I hope 
 thro' God's blefling fhall. Several of you heard them preached by him, when he was alive amon/il 
 you ; and now, when he is dead, he is in a manner preaching them over again to you (O that fuch 
 •of you as th«m were not taken in the preaching of them, might be fo now in the ferious reading of 
 them !) and by them fpeaking to thefe of you that did not then hear them, who, as I fuppofe are 
 now the far greateft part of the city-inhabitants: You will find your felves in them again and "again 
 ranked and claifed, according to your different fpiritual eftates, and the various cafes and conditions 
 Of your fouls, and wonderful difcoveries made of your felves to your felves, that I fomething doubt 
 if there be (b much as one foul among the feveral thousands that are in Glafgcw, but will find it felf 
 hy the readingtof thefe Sermons, fpoken to, fuitably to its (late and cafe, as if he had been parti- 
 cularly acquainted with the perfon and his fpiritual condition (as indeed he made it a confiderable 
 part of his work, as the observing Reader will quickly and eafily perceive, to be acquainted very 
 thorowly with the foul-date and condition of fuch at leaft of the Inhabitants as were more immedil 
 ately under his own infpeftion and charge) and, as if he had fpoken to the perfon byname; O how 
 Inexcufable will fuch of you be, as had your lot cafl to live under the miniftry of fuch an able Alini- 
 fier aft he New Teftament, of fu:h a Scribe very much inftru&ed into the kingdom of Heaven wh* 
 ss a good houfl>olderknew well b^wto bring out of his treafure things new and old ! Mat. 13. 52. If 
 you were not bettered and made to profit thereby $ God and angels, and your own confeiences 
 ■will witnefs, how often and how urgently the Lord Jefus called to you by him,- and ye would not 
 hear. And how inexcufable will ye a!fo be, that fhall difdain or neglect to read thefe Sermons ( as ■ 
 I would fain hope none of you will) that were fometime preached in that place by that faithful 
 ffervant of Chrift, who was your own Minifter, which layeth fome peculiar obligation on yo" be- 
 yond others to read them ? or if ye fhall read them and not make confeience to improve them to 
 your fouls. edification and advantage, which contain more genuine, pure, finccre, (olid, and fub- 
 ilantial gofpel, than many thoufands have heard, it may be in an age, though hearing preach ines 
 much of the while ; evenfo much, that if any of you fhouldbe providentially deprived of the li- 
 berty of hearing the gofpel any more preached, or fhould hare accefs to read no other lermons or 
 comments on the fcriptures, thefe (ermons, through God's blefling, will abundantly (lore and in- 
 rich you in the knowledge of the uncontr overt ably great myftery of godlinefs, God manifefiedin 
 tbeftejh, 1 Tim* 3. 16. and according to the fcriptures make pu wife unto falvqtion, through faith 
 D&bich is in Chnflf-efus, 2 Tim. 3. i*;. much infifted on in them: I would therefore humbly ad- 
 vife (wherein I hope ye will not miftake me, as if by this advice I were defigning fome advantage 
 to my felf, for indeed I am not at all that way concerned in the fale of them ) that every one of you 
 that can read, and is . eafily able to doit, would buy a copy of thefe fermons; atleaft, that every 
 family that is able, wherein there is any that can read, would purchafe one of them ; I nothing 
 ttoubt, but ye will think that litt'e money very well beftowed, and will find your old minifter, 
 deflrable Durham, delighful company to difcourfe with you by his fermons, now when he is dead, 
 and you can fee his face, and hear him fpeak to you by vive voce no more ; whofe voice, or rather 
 the roice of Chrift: by him, was, I know, very fv eet to many there now afleep, and to fome «f you 
 yet alive; who, I dare not doubt, never allow your felves to expect with confidence and comfort 
 to look the Lord Jefus in the face, but as ferioufly and fincerely ye make it your bullnefs to be 
 found in his righteoufnefs, fo much cleared and commended to you ; and in the ftudy of holinefs 
 Snail manner of converfation, fo powerfully preffed upon you, here. 
 
 That thefe fweet and favoury gofpel-fermons may come to you all, and more particularly to you, 
 fny dear friends at Glafgow , with the fulnefs of the bleffmg of the gofpel, ( Rom. 15. 29.) even of 
 the word of bis grace, which is able to build you up> and to givey ou an inheritance among them that 
 %rc ftnfcjitd) ( Afts 20. 3%) is the ferious defirc of 
 
 Your firvant m the Gofpef, 
 
 J. c. 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. I. Who bath believed cur report i and to whom is the arm of thi Lord revealed ? 
 
 WE hope it fhall not be needful to in- 
 fift in opening the fcope of this 
 chapter, cr in clearing to you of 
 whom the prophet meaneth, and 
 is fpeaking : It was once queiVioned by the eu- 
 nuch, /7tfy 8. 32. when he was reading this chap- 
 ter^/ whom dth the prcphet [peak this? of him- 
 pelf, or off>me other man ? And it's Co clearly 
 anlvvered by Philip, who, from thefe words, be- 
 gan and preached to him of Jefus Chrift, that 
 there needs be no doubt of it now. To Chri- 
 stians thefe two may put it out of que(Hon,that 
 Jefus Chrift and the fubftance of the gofpel is 
 compended and fummed tip here. 1 . If we com- 
 pare the letter of this chapter with what is in 
 the four evangelifts, we will fee it fo fully, and 
 often fo literally made out of Chrift, that if any 
 will but read this chapter, and compare it with 
 them, they will find the evangelifts to be com- 
 mentators on it, and fetf'ng it out more fully. 
 2. That there is no fcripture in the old tefta- 
 ment fo often and fo convincingly applied to 
 Chrift as this is, there being fcarce one verfe, 
 at lead not many, but are by the evangcHrts or 
 apoftles made ufe of for holding out of Chrift. 
 If wc look then to the fum ot the words of this 
 chapter, they take in the fum and fubftance of 
 the gofpel ; for they take in thefe two, 1 . The 
 right defcription and manifeftation of Jefus 
 Chrft, And 2. The unfolding and opening up of 
 the covenant of redemption. Where thefe two 
 are, there the fum of the gofpel is ; but thefe 
 two arc here, therefore the fum of the gofpel is 
 here. Firft, Jefus Chrift is defcrib^d, 1. fn 
 his perfon and natures ; as God, being eternal ; 
 as Man, being under fuffering. 2. In all his of- 
 fices ', as a Prieft, offering up himfeif as a facri- 
 fice to fatisfy juftice ; as a Prophtt, venting his 
 knowledge to the juftifying of many therebyjand 
 as a King dividing the fpoil with the ftrong. 3. 
 In his humiliation, in the caufe of it, in the end 
 of it, in the fubj & of it in the nature and rife 
 of all, God's good pleafure. And 4. In his 
 exaltation, and outgate promTed him on the 
 back of all his furferings and humiliation. 
 
 idly. The covenant of redemption is here de- 
 fcribed and fet out, 1. In the particular Parties 
 ofit.God and the Mediator. 2. As to the matter 
 ahout which it was, the feed that was given to 
 Ckrift; and all whole iniquities met on him* ?« 
 
 As to the mutual engagements on both fides, the 
 Son undertaking to mike his foul an offering for 
 fin, and the Father promifing that the efficacy 
 oPthat ins fatisfa£Hor. {hall be imputed and ap- 
 plied for the jaitilication of dinners; and the 
 terms on which, or the way how this imputati- 
 on and application is brought about, to wit, By 
 his knowledge : All are clearly held out here. 
 
 This is only a touch of the excellency of this 
 fcripture, and of the materials (to fay fo; in it, 
 as comprehending the fubftance and marrow of 
 the Gofpel. We ihall not be particular in divi- 
 ding the chapter, confldering that thefe things 
 we have hinted at, are interwoven in it. 
 
 The firft verfe is a fhort introduction to lead 
 us in to what follows. The prophet hath in the 
 former chapter been (peaking of Chrift as God's 
 Servant, that fhould be extolled and made very 
 high ; and, before he proceed more particularly 
 to unfold this m) ftery of the gofper, he cries 
 out by way of regrate,PPfo hath believed our re- 
 port? Alas (wou'd h; fay) for as good news as 
 we have to carry, few will take them off our 
 hand, fuch is mens unconcernednefs, yea, ma- 
 lice and obftinacy, that they rejed them. And 
 to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? To 
 point at the neceflity of the power of God to 
 accompany preaching, and even the moft lively 
 ordinances, to make them effectual. How few 
 are they, that the power of God captivates to 
 the obedience of this truth ? 
 
 For the firft part of this verfe, Who hath be- 
 lieved our report ? To open it a little, ye ihall 
 take thefe four or five confiderations, ere wc 
 come to the do&rines. 
 
 Confider, 1. The matter of this report, in re- 
 ference to its fcope ; it's not every report, but a 
 report of Chrift, and of the covenant of redem- 
 ption and of grace. In the original.it is, Who 
 hath believed sur hearing , actively ; that is, that 
 which we have propofed to be heard , and the 
 word is turned tidings, Dan.w . 44» and rumcur, 
 Jer, si. 46. It's the tidings and rumoui of a 
 fuffering Mediator, int rpofing himfef betwixt 
 God and finners : and it may be, hearing is men- 
 tioned, to point out the confidence which the 
 prophet had in reporting thefe news ; he firft 
 heard them from God, and in that was paffive ; 
 and then, actively* he propofed them to the peo- 
 % B pte 
 
£ Ifalah ^3, 
 
 pie to be heard by them. 2. Confider that the 
 prophet fpeaketh of this report,not as in his qwn 
 perlon only, but as in the perlon of all that ever 
 preached, or fhall preach this gofpel ; therefore 
 this report is not peculiar to Ifaiah, but it's our 
 report^ the report of the prophets before, and of 
 thefe after him,and of theapoftles and minifters 
 of the gofpel. 3. Confider that Ifaiah fpeaketh 
 of this report, not only in refpe& of what he met 
 with in his own time, but as forefeeing what 
 would be the carriage of people in reference to 
 it in after-times ; therefore,^. 12. 38. and Rom, 
 IO. 16. this fame place is alledged to give a rea- 
 fon of the Jews unbelief, becaule Ifaiah foretold 
 it long before. 4. Confider, that when he com- 
 plaineth of the want of faith to the report and ti- 
 dings of the gofpel, it is not of the want of hiftori- 
 cal faith, as i{ the people would not give Chrift 
 a hearing at all,but is of the want of laving faith; 
 therefore,^. 12. 37, 3 8. it is LidjTbiugb be bad 
 done many miracles before tbem> yet tbey belie- 
 ved, not on him ; and this prophetick fcriptureis 
 fubjoin'd as the reafon of it, That the faying of 
 Efaizsmigbt be fulfilled t w bo faid.Lcrd.vofj? bath 
 believed our report ? applying the believ'rngjpo- 
 ken of here, to that Paving faith,\vhereby folk be- 
 lieve and reft upon ]efus Chrift. 5. Confider, 
 that tho' there be no exprefs Party named, to 
 whom the prophet complaineth, yet no doubt, it 
 is to God ; therefore, f-o.12* 38. and Rom. 10. 1 6. 
 when this fcripture is cited, it is faid, Lord^ who 
 hath believed our report ? fo it is the prophet's 
 complaint of the little fruit himfelf had,and that 
 the minifters of the gofpel fhould have,in preach- 
 ing of thegofpel,regrating and complaining of it 
 to God,as a fore matter, that it fhould come to 
 fo many, and fo few fhould get good of it,fo few 
 fliould be brought to believe,& to be faved by it. 
 Tho' thefe words be few, yet they have four 
 great things in them, to which we ihall reduce 
 them,for fpeaking more clearly to them. i.That 
 the great fubje& of preaching,and preachers great 
 errand,is, to report concerning Jefus Chrift, to 
 bring tidings concerning him. 2.That the great 
 duty of hearers (implied) is, to believe this re- 
 port, and, by vertue of it, to be brought to reft 
 . and rely on jefus Chrift. 3. That the great, tho' 
 the ordinary fin of the generality of the hearers 
 of the gofpel, is unbelief; Who bath believed ? 
 that is, it's few that have believed; it's a rare 
 thing to fee a believer of this report. 4.That the 
 great complaint, weight and grief of an honeft 
 minifter of the gofpel, is this, that his mefTage is 
 not taken ofFhis hand,that Chrift is not received, 
 believed in,and refted on ; this is the great chal- 
 Jange minifters have againft the generality of 
 
 Verfe u Serm. i. 
 
 people,and the ground of their complaint toGod, 
 that whatever they report concerning Chrift,he 
 is not welcomed, his kingdom thrives not. 
 
 That we may fpeak to the firft,confideringthe 
 words with rei'pecl: to the fcope, we fhall draw 
 five or fixDottrines from them: Thefirft whereof 
 is more general/That the difcovery ofChrift Jefus, 
 and the making him known,is the greateft news, 
 the gladeft tidings,and themoft excellent report, 
 that ever came,or can come to a people; there is 
 no fuch thing can be told them, no fuch tidings 
 can they hear;this is the report that the prophet 
 fpeaks of by way of eminency, a report above, 
 and beyond all other reports ; thefe are news 
 worthy to be carried by angels,£e,W,faith one 
 ofxhem.Lukei.io.Ibringyougoodtidingsofgreat 
 Mf, which fhall be to all people: And what are thefe 
 tidings,lo prefaced to with a Behold? For unto you 
 is bom this day, in the city 0/ David,* Saviour, 
 which is Cbrift the Lord : thefe are the good ti- 
 dings,that jefusChrift iscome,and that he isthe 
 Saviour by office. We fhall not infift on this;on- 
 ly, 1. We will iind a little view of this fubje&in 
 the following words, which hold forth clearly 
 Chri(l,God and Man in onePerfon,fo compleat- 
 \y qualified. and excellently furniihed for his of- 
 fices, 2. It's alfo clear, if we look to the excellent 
 efFe&sthat come by his being fo furnifhed ; as, 
 his fatisfying of juftice, his fetting free of cap- 
 tives, his triumphing over principalities and 
 powers, his deftroying the works 0? the devil,, 
 uV. there cannot be more excellent works or ef- 
 fects fpoken o^ 3. It's clear,ifwe look to him, 
 from whom this report cometh,& in whofebreaft 
 thefe news bred, (if we may fpeak fo) they are 
 the refult of the counfel of the God-head ; and 
 therefore,as the report here is made in theLord's 
 nanie,fo he is* complained to,when it is not taken 
 off the prophet's hand. And, 4. It's clear,if we 
 look to the myfterioufnefs of thefe news ; angels 
 could never have conceived them,had not this re- 
 port come .* thefe things tell,that they are great, 
 glorious,and good news,glad tidings, as it is in 
 the end of the former chapter, That which bath 
 not been told them, fhall tbey fee\and that which 
 they have not heard, fhall tbey confider. 
 
 The firft Ufe is, To draw our hearts to be in 
 love with the gofpel, and to raife our eftimation 
 of it. Peoples ears are itching after novelties,and 
 ye aremuch worn out of conceit with thefe news; 
 but is there in any news fuch an advantage as in 
 thefe? when God fendeth news to men,they mud 
 be great news, and fuch indeed are thefe. 
 
 Ufe 2. Therefore be afraid to entertain loth- 
 ing of the plain fubftantial truths of the gofpel;if 
 
 ye 
 
Serm. I. Ifaiab «,3» 
 
 ye had never heard them before, there would be- 
 like>be fome Athenian itching to hear and fpeak 
 of them ; but they fhould not be the lefs thought 
 of, that they are often heard and fpoken of. 
 
 Ufe 3. Therefore think more of the gofpel ,fee- 
 ing it containeth the fubftance of thefegood news 
 and glad tidings ; and think more of gofpel 
 ordinances, whereby thefe good tidings are fb 
 often publifhed and made plain to you. 
 
 2. More particularly cbfcrve* That Jefus 
 Chrift, and what concerneth him the glad and 
 good news of a Saviour, and the reporting of 
 them,is the very proper work of a minifter,and 
 tbe great fubjeefc of a minifter's preaching, his 
 proper work is to make him known : Or take it 
 thus,Chrift is the native Subject, on which all 
 preaching fhould run. This is the report the 
 prophet fpeakethof here,and in erre& it was foto 
 Jfcbn and the other apoftlesand ihould be To to 
 all minifters; Chrift jefus, and what concerns 
 him,in his perfon, natures and offices ; to know, 
 and make him known to be God and Man ; to 
 make him known in his offices. to be Prieft,Pro- 
 phet and King; to be aPrieft in his fufFering and 
 iatisfying juftice ; to be a Prophet. in revealing 
 the will of God ; to be a King,for fubduing folks 
 lulls and corruptions ; and to know, and make 
 him known, in the way by which finners, both 
 preachers and hearers.mav come to have him to 
 themfelves 5 as follows in this chapter. This, this 
 isthefubjea of all preaching, and all preaching 
 fhould be levelled at this mark; Paul is,iCVr. 2. 
 2. peremptory in this. / deter min'd to How no- 
 thing amcngjcu.but Jefus Cbrifl and him cru- 
 cified ; as if he had faid, I will meddle with no 
 other thing,but betake my felf to this : not only 
 will he forbear to meddle with civil employ- 
 ments, but he will lay afide his s learning, elo- 
 quence, and humane wifdom, and make the 
 preaching of Chrift crucified tys great work and 
 fludy; the reafon of this is,feecaufe Chrift ftand- 
 u t S *° u,rfo ^ Nation to preaching; 1. He is 
 the Texf,to fay fo, of preaching ; all preaching is 
 to explain him, A$$ 10. AV To him give ail tbe 
 prophets witnefs^nd fodo the four evangels,and 
 the apoftolick epiftles, which are as Co many 
 
 5 Teachings of him ; and that preaching, which 
 andeth not in relation to him, is befkle the text 
 and mark. 2. He is holden out as the Foundation 
 and ground-work of preaching, fo that preach- 
 ing without him wants a foundation, and fs the 
 building, as it were,of a raftle in the air, 1 Cor. 3. 
 lo»— / have laid tbe frundati n.and another 
 buildeth thereon: but let even man take heed how 
 be buildeth ; for other foundation tan no man la} 
 than that which it Uid&bi&h J*f*i Chrift* 
 
 Verfe 11. 3 
 
 Importing, that all preaching flicutd be fyuared 
 to, and made to agree with this ground done, 
 3. He ftandeth as the great End of preaching, 
 not only that hearers may have him known in 
 their judgments, but may have him high in their 
 hearts and affections, 2 Cor. 3. 4. We preach net 
 cur felves > that is not only do we not preach our 
 felves as the fubjeet, but we preach not our 
 felves as the end of our preaching ; ourfcope is 
 not to be great.or much thought of,but our end 
 in preaching is to make Chrift great. 4. He 
 ftandeth in relation to preaching, 1 as he is the 
 power and life of preaching, without whom, no 
 preaching can be efre&ual, no foul can be capti- 
 vate and brought in to him; hence, 1 Cor* 1. 
 23. he faith. We preach Chrift crucified, to tbe 
 Jews a ftumbling-blocky they cannot abide to 
 hear him; and to the Greeks feelifhnefs; but 
 to them that arefaved, the Power of God, and 
 the Wifdom of God. 
 
 Up: 1. For minifters, which we (hall forbear 
 infilling on; only, 1. Were Chrift the fubjeetand 
 fubftance rff our report, were we more in hold- 
 ing out him, it's like it might go better with 
 us. 2. There is need of warrinefs, that the re- 
 port we make, fuit well the foundation : And, 
 3. The neglect ot this may be the caufe of much 
 powerlels preaching hecaufe Chrift is not fp 
 preached as the fubjecl:- matter and end of preach- 
 ing ; many truths are (alas) fpoken without re- 
 fpect to this end, or but with little refpect to it. 
 
 Ufes particular for you that are hearers, are 
 thefe, I. If this be the great fubjecl: ofmmifters 
 preaching, and that which ye fhould hear moft 
 gladly, and if this be moft profitable for you,we 
 may be particular infome few directions to you, 
 whi'h will be as fo many branches of the ufe. 
 And firft&f all truths that people would welcom 
 and ftudy,they would welcome and ftudy thefe 
 that concern Chrift, and the covenant of grace 
 moft,as foundation-truths,and feek to have them 
 backed by the Spirit. We are afraid there is a 
 fault among Chriftans, that moft pla^n and fub~ 
 (iantial truths are not fo heeded, but fome things 
 that may further folk in their light, or tiekle 
 their afreetions, or anfwer a cuCe, are almoft only- 
 fought after; which things (it's truejare good: 
 but if the plain and fubftantial truths of the gof- 
 pel were mof% ftudied,and made ufe of, they have 
 in them that which would anfwer all cafes. It's a 
 fore matter,when folks are more t- ken up with. 
 notions and fpeculations, than with thefe foul- 
 faving truths, as, that Chrift was b©rn,that he 
 was a true Man,that he was.and is King,Prieft, 
 and Prophet of his Church, OV. and that other 
 3 2 thing* 
 
4 Ifaiah 
 
 things are heard with more greedinefs ; but if 
 thefe be the great fubje& of minifters preach- 
 ing, it fhould be your great ftudy to know 
 Chrift, in his perfon, natures, offices, and co- 
 venant ; what he is to you, and what is your 
 duty to him, and how you ihould walk in 
 him, and with him ; this was PauVs aim, 
 / count (faith he) all things lofr and dung for . 
 the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift, that I 
 trtay know him>and the power of his refurreftion, 
 and the felhwjhip of his fuffe rings, &c. Phil. 3. 8, 
 9)io. It's my delign, (as if he had faid) not only 
 to make him known, but to know him my fel£ 
 There is little faith in Chrift, and diftinftnefs in 
 ufe-making of his offices, and folks take but little 
 pains to know thefe things : Therefore, on the 
 one fide,let me exhort you, to make this more the 
 fubje& of your enquiry; and one the other fide, 
 take it for your reproof,that there is fuch a readi- 
 nefs to fnufF when plain truths are inlifted on,or 
 when they are not followed to fome uncouth or 
 ftrange way; which fays, we are exceeding un- 
 thankful to God for giving us the bed things to 
 fpeak, hear, and think of. 
 
 2. Think much of the preaching of Chrift,and 
 to have minifters to preach of him; he is the bed 
 news,and God hath lent minifters on this errand, 
 to make them known to you : had he fent them 
 to tel! you all the fecret things to come that are in 
 God's purpofe,and all the hid works of nature,it 
 had not been comparable to thefe news ; what 
 would you have been^Owhat would fabbathdays, 
 and weekdays, your lying would and rifing up, 
 your living and dying b^en, if thefe news had 
 not been ? ye fhould have had a finful and fad 
 life, and a mod comfortlefs and terrible death ; 
 therefore think this gofpel a thing of more worth 
 than ye do, and count their feet beautiful on the 
 mountains,that bring thefe news & glad tidings, 
 as it is J fa. -52. that good repoit of making 
 peace betwixt God and finners fhould be much 
 thought of,and prized, and counted a greater fa- 
 vour than we ufe to count it. 3. By this ye may 
 know who thrives and profits heft under the 
 gofpel,even thefe that learn moft of Chrift: which 
 confifts not in telling over words ; But firft, In 
 actual improving of him ,; s it is Eph. 3. 20. Te 
 have not fo learned Chrift, but fo as to improve 
 what is in him. 2dly, In an experimental finding 
 of thefe erfe&s in us, that are ipoken of to come 
 by Chrift,whieh is that which the apoftle mean- 
 eth, Phil. 3. 10. That I way know him > and the 
 power of his refurrcftion, and the fellow/hip of 
 his fufferings, that I may be comformabh to his 
 death. 1 am afraid that of the many that hear 
 ftus gofpel, there are bat few that know Chrift 
 
 •53* Vcrre 1. Serm. 1. 
 
 this way. But if he be the great thing that 
 ihould be preached by us, and that ye Ihould 
 learn, (1.; What is the reafon that Co many 
 fhould be ignorant of him, that the molt part 
 look rather like Turks and Pagans, than likeC^i'- 
 ftians ? God help us,what fhall we fay of the con- 
 dition of the moft part of people, when the 
 preaching the gofpel has not gained this much 
 ground on us, as to make us know Chrift, in his 
 perfon, natures,effices,our need of him,and the 
 ufe we fhould make of him ? But (2) f we 
 will try how he is improven, it is to be feared, 
 there be far fewer that know him in this refpecl; 
 do not many men live,as if they had never heard 
 tell of him ? Though they hear that pardon of 
 fin is to be gotten through him,and that vertue 
 to fubdue fin muft flow from him;yet they live as 
 if no fuch thing were in him : if your confeien- 
 ces were pofed,befides th- evidences that are in 
 your pra&ice, this would be found to be a fad 
 truth. And (3.) If we will yet try further, what 
 experience folk have of Chrift,what vertue they 
 find flowing from his refurre&ion,what fellow- 
 fhip there is in his fufferings, what conformity 
 to his death, what benefit redounds to them from 
 his offices of King, Prieft, and Prophet, to the 
 flaying of fin,and quickning to holy duties,what 
 benefit of fruit from his death ; alas / no more, 
 with moft,than if he had never died : what pro- 
 fit or real influence, as to any fpiritual change, 
 do any to count upon find ? and think ye all 
 thefe things to. be but words f they know him 
 not, that reel not fomething of the efficacy ol 
 his death and refurre&ion in themfelves. 
 
 3. Obferve^That the report concerning Chrift, 
 is the main fubjeft and errand that has been,ani 
 is, and will be common to all the minifters of the 
 gofpel, to the Ind or the world ; it's our report, 
 it was the report of all the prophets, Afts 10.43. 
 To him bear all the prophets witnefs, that thro* 
 his name, who focver believeth en him fhould have 
 remiffion f 'fins ; they all agree and have a joint 
 teftimony in thefe. 1. *n one fubjed,Chrift,and 
 the fame things concerning him;as, that the par- 
 don of fin is to be gotten in him, and through 
 faith in him,and no otherway,C?f. 2. In onecom- 
 miffion, they have all one commiifion, though 
 they be not all equal ; all are not apoftles, yet 
 all are ambafTadors : there is the fame authority 
 for us to report, and you to receive the gofpel, 
 as if Ifaiab or Paul were preaching ; the autho- 
 rity depending en the commiflion, and not on the 
 perfons of men who carry it. 3. In one common 
 end which they all have,and in one common ob- 
 ject they are (em; toi 4. In this, that they aH 
 
 bold 
 
hold of one common Mafter,hemg gifts of one & 
 the fame Mediator,£/>£. ^When be afcended on 
 high, be led captivity captive, and gave gifts to 
 men, to fome A? files, &c. 
 . The ftrlt ufe is,To teach you, not to think the 
 lefs of the teftimony, or matter teftified,becaule 
 of thefe that teftihe to > ou ; \f Ifaiab or Paul were 
 teftifying to you, ye would get no other tidings, 
 though their life & way would be of another (ort 
 andftamp than ours are: Alas! for the mod part, 
 we are warranted,as well as they,to make Chrift 
 known to you, therefore take heed of rejecting 
 the teftimony of this Chrift,that we bear witnefs 
 unto; it is the fame Chrift that the law and the 
 prophets bear witnefs tofhereis not another name 
 liven under heaven y robereby afinnercan befav*d\ 
 it's through him,that whofoever believes on him 
 may receive the remiflion of fins : in this ye have 
 not only us, but the prophets and apoftles, to 
 deal with, yea Jefus Chrift, and God himfelf; 
 and the rejecting of us, will be found to be the 
 reje&ing of them. It's the iame t ftimony, on 
 the matter, that it was in Ifaiab his time; and 
 therefore, tremble and fear, all ye that flight the 
 gofpel; ye have not us for your part)\but all the 
 prophets, and Ifaiab among the reft, and our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath faid, He tbat recti- 
 vethyoujeceiveth me\ and be tbat dsfpifetbjou y 
 defpifttb me. There will be many aggravations 
 ot the guilt of an unbeliever,and this will be a 
 niain one,even the teftimony of all the prophets 
 that concur in this truth which the) have reje- 
 
 Verfe I. $ 
 
 &ed. Take heed to this,al! ye Athiefts,that know 
 not what it is to take with fin ; and all ye hypo* 
 crites,that coin and counterfeit a religion of your 
 own; and all ye legal perfons, that lean to your 
 own righteoufnefs; what will yefay,uhen it fhall 
 be found,that ye have rejt&ed all thefe teftimo- 
 nies ? ye muft either fay, ye counted them falfe 
 Witneffes, which ye will not dare to fay ; or that 
 ye accounted them true, and yet would not re- 
 ceive their teftimony : and the beft of the e will 
 be found fad enough ; for if ye counted them 
 true, why did ye not believe them ? this will 
 be a very pungent dilemma. 
 
 Ufe 2. For comfort to poor believers. They 
 have good ground to receive and reft upon Jefus 
 Chrift ; there is never a prophet, apoftle or 
 preacher of the gofpel* but he hath fealed this 
 truth concerning Chrift. What needs any finner 
 fear at him, or be fearful to clofe with him? will 
 ye give credit to the teftimony of Ifaiab and of 
 Pcter y Atts 10. 4}.and of the reft of the prophets 
 and apoftles ? Then receive their report,and fet 
 yourfelvesto be among the number of believers, 
 that their teftimony may be refted on. We arc 
 perfwaded there is one of two that will follow 
 on this do&rine,either a ftrong encouragement 
 to, and confirmation of believing, and quietly 
 refting on Jefus Chrift for pardon of fin; or a 
 great ground of aggravation of, and expoftula- 
 tion with you for your guiit,who care not whe- 
 ther ye receive this report or not. We fhall fay 
 no more for the time, but God blefsthis to you. 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Ifatah liii. i. Wbo batb believed our report? and to wbom is the arm of the Lord revealed t 
 
 THE prophet Ifaiab is very folicitous about 
 the fruit of his preaching, when he hath 
 preached concerning Chrift ; as indeed it is not 
 enough for minifters to preach, and for people 
 to hear,except fome fruit follow ; and now,when 
 he hath been much in preaching,and looketh to 
 others that have been much in that work,he fad- 
 ly regrates the little truit it had, and would have 
 among them, to whomChrift was and lhouldbe 
 fpoken of; a thing that in the entry ihould put 
 Us to be ferious, left this complaint of Ifaiab 
 (land on record againft us; feeing he complains 
 of the hearers of the gofpel, not only in his own 
 time, but in our time alfo. 
 
 We told you, there were four th : ngs in this 
 firft part of the verfe. i. The great errand that 
 minifters have to a people, it is to report con- 
 ttrftinfc Chrift \ and beiide what we obferVed 
 
 from this head before, looking to the fcope, WO 
 fhall obferve further, 
 
 i. The end that minifters fhould have before 
 them in preaching Chrift and the gofpel,is, that 
 the hearers of it may he gained to Jefus Chrifl 
 by hearing, fo as they may be brought to be- 
 lieve on him ; it's in a word, to gain them to 
 faving faith in Chrift. 
 
 2. It is implied, that Jefus Chrift is only to be 
 propofed as theObjeft of faith, to be refted on by 
 the hearers of the gofpel; and is the only ground 
 of their peace: there is no name that can be men- 
 tioned for the falvation of fouls,but this name on- 
 ly ; and there is no other gofpel can he propofed, 
 but that which holdeth him out to people. 
 
 3. Obferve, (which is much the fame with the 
 former obfervation^and to which we would fpeak 
 a little more particularly; that by preaching of 
 
 the 
 
6 Jfaiah 33. 
 
 • the gofpeljefus Chrift is laid before the hear- 
 ers of it,as the Objeft of their faith, and propo- 
 fed to be believed upon by them; elfe there 
 would be no ground of this complaint againft 
 them. But wherever this gofpel is preached, 
 there Chrift is laid, as it were, at the foot or 
 door of every foul that heareth it, to be belie- 
 ved and refted on ; this is the great errand 
 of the gofpel, to propofe to people Jefus Chrift, 
 as the Object and Ground of faith, to lay 
 him down to be refted on for that very end. 
 When the apoftle is fpeaking, Rom. ic. 8. 
 ofthedo&rineof faith,he faith,/* is not nowJVb* 
 Jhall afcend into heaven i nor who jhall depend 
 into the deep? but the word is near (bee, even in 
 tbf moutb,and in thy heart : what word is that? 
 the word of faith which we preach. Now, faith 
 he, Chrift, by the preaching ot the gofpel, is 
 brought fo near folks, that he is brought even to 
 their heartSjand to their mouths; fo ncar,that(to 
 fpeak fo) people have no more to do, but to ftoop 
 and take him up, or to roll themfelves over upon 
 him ; yea, it bringeth him in to their very 
 heart,that they have no more to do,but to bring 
 up their heart to confent to clofe the bargain,and 
 with the mouth to make confeffion of it: and thefe 
 words are the more confiderable, that they are 
 "borrowed from Deut. 30. where Mofes is fetting 
 death and life before the people, and bidding 
 them choofe ; tho' he would feem to fpeak of 
 the law,yet,if we coniider the fcope,we will find 
 him to be on the matter fpeaking of JefusChrift, 
 holden forth to that people under ceremonial or- 
 dinances,and fhewing them that there was life'to , 
 be had in him that way, and according to God's 
 intent,they had life and death put in their choice. 
 I know there are two things neceffary to the 
 afting and exerciftng of faith. The ift is obje- 
 ctive, when the obje& or ground is propofed in 
 the preaching of the gofpel. The 2d isfubjt £ive, 
 when there is an inwara,fpiritual, and powerful 
 quickning,and framing of the heart, to lay hold 
 ©n, and make ufe of the objc:& and offer. It is 
 true, that all, to whom the orfer cometh,are not 
 quickned ; but the do&rine faith, that, to all to 
 whom the gofpel cometh, Chrift is propofed, to 
 be believed on by them, and brought near unto 
 them ; fo that we may fay, as Chrift faid to bis 
 bearers, The kingdom >fG°dis come near unto 
 you ; both Chrift and John brought, and laid the 
 kingdom of heaven near to the fews and it is laid 
 as near to you in the preached gofpel : This is it 
 then that the do&rine fays, I. That the gofpel 
 boldeth out Chnft,as a fufficient ground of faith 
 to reft upon. And,2.With a fufficient warrant to 
 hefe who hear it^to make ufe of hiiivtccoruin£ 
 
 Verfe 1. Serm. 2. 
 
 to the terms on which he is offered. And, 3. It 
 brings him fo preflingly home,as he is laid to the 
 doors & hearts of finners who hear the gofpel ; 
 that whoever hath the offer, he muft neceffarily 
 either believe in,and receiveChri(l,or reje&him, 
 and caft at the report made of him in the gofpel. 
 I ihall firft a little confirm this do&rine, and 
 then fecondly make ufe of it. 
 
 Firft A (hall confirm it from thefe grounds,(i.) 
 From the plain offers which the Lord maketh in 
 his word, and from the warrant he giveth his 
 minifters to make the fame offers; it's their com- 
 miffion to pray them,to whom they arefent,tobe 
 reconciled ; to tell them, that God was in Chrift 
 reconciling the world to bimfelfzs it is, 2 Cor. «;. 
 19, 20. and in Chrift's ftead to requeft them to 
 embrace the offer of reconciliation ; to tell them, 
 that Chrift died for the finners that will embrace 
 him,and that he will impute his righteoufnefs uc* 
 tctthem ; and Chap. 6. 1. We befeecbyou (faith 
 hejr^a^ff receive not this grace in y<*i/»;which is 
 not meant of laving grace, but of the gracious of- 
 fer of grace and reconciliation through him ; 
 this is minifters work, to pray people not to be 
 idle hearers of this gofpel ; For, (aith he,/ have 
 heard thee in a time acccepted, and in a day of 
 falvation have I fuccoured thee ; behold, now it 
 the accepted time ; behold , now is the day of fal- 
 vation. The force of the argument is this,If ye 
 will make this gofpel welcome,ye may get a hear- 
 ing ; for now is the day of falvation, therefore do 
 notneglea it. So.Pfal. 81. 10, u. (where God 
 maketh the offer of himfelf and that rery largely) 
 Open thy mouth wideband 1 will fill it : the offer 
 is of himfelf,as the words following clear •, M? 
 people would not hearken to my voice, and Ifrael 
 toould none of mt\ for they that refufe his word, 
 refufe himfelf; and hence,//*. 65. 1. he faith, / 
 am found of them that fought me not ; / faid, 
 Behold me, heboid me, unto a nation that was- not 
 called by my n*me\&n<i tothejfrwj,/ have fir etch* 
 ed out my bands all daylong to a rebellious people* 
 C2.)We may clear and confirm it from thefe firni- 
 litudes, by which the offer of this gofpel is,as it 
 were, brought to the doors of people : and there 
 are feveral iimilitudes made ufe oC to this pur- 
 
 Sofe ; I ihall name hut four. 1 . It's fet down un- 
 er the expreffionof wooing,as,2CVr. 1 1 .i.Ibava 
 cfooufed you as * chaft virgin to Chrift ; this is 
 ordinary, and fuppofeth a marriage, and a bride- 
 groom, that is by his friends wooing and fuiting 
 in marriage ; fo that (as we fhew) wherever the 
 call of the gofpel comes, it's a befpeaking of fouls 
 to him, a$,G*»f. R. What Jhall we do for our [ifte* f 
 in tb€ day that fie Jhall hf^Qkenfor ? 2* It's let 
 
 our 
 
Serm. 2. p . . > J/"** ft 
 
 out under the expreffien of inviting to a feaft; 
 and hearers of the gofpel are called to come to 
 Chrift,as (hangers or gfcefts are called to come to 
 a wedding-feaft,A4a* . 22. 2, 3i 4- -<*// ^m^f *'* 
 rftf^v, come to the wedding, &c. Thus the gofpel 
 calleth not to an empty houfe that wants meat, 
 but to a banqueting-houfe where Chrift is made 
 ready as the cheer, and there wants no more but 
 feafting on him : fo it's fet out under the fimili- 
 tude of eating and drinking,?*** 6. 27. He that 
 cats me, even hejhall live by me. 3. It's fet out 
 often under the expreffion or fimilitudeof a mar- 
 ket, where all the wares are laid forth on the 
 {land,//*. 55. 1. Ho, every one that tbirfis y come to 
 the waters, &c. And, left it fliould be faid, or 
 thought, that the proclamation is only to the 
 thirfty,& fuch as are fo and fo qualified ; ye may 
 look to what followeth,tef him that hath no money 
 €ome ; yea, come, buy without money and with- 
 out price. And to the offer that is made to thofe 
 of Laodicea, Rev.3. who,in appearance, Were a 
 hypocritical and formal people,yet to them the 
 counfel and call comes forth^Come buy of me eye- 
 falvt,gold tried in the fire ,&c. It fays the wares 
 are even in their offer, or even offered to them. 
 4.1t's fet out under the fimilitudeofa (landing & 
 knocking at a door, becaufe the gofpel brings 
 Chrrft as knocking and calling hard at finners 
 doors, Rev. 3. 20. Behold, J ft and at the door 
 and knock \ if any man will hear my voice, and 
 open the door, I will come in to him,and fup with 
 him,and he with me, So,Cant.^ 2. By the fleepy 
 bride it is faid,/f is the voice of my Beloved that 
 knocketb, and,P/</.24» lad four verfes, 'tis cried, 
 Lift up your heads, ye gates ,and be lift up, ye e- 
 verlafting doors,that the King of glory may come 
 in \ which is an earned invitation to make way 
 for Chrift Jefus, wanting nothing but an entry 
 into the heart ; whereby we may (ee how near 
 Chrift comes in the got pel, and is laid to folks 
 hand. 3. We may confirm it from the nature of 
 faith,and of the obedience that is required to be 
 given to the command of believing : Wherever 
 this gofpel comes, it tyeth and obligeth all the 
 hearers to believe on Chrift, that is, to receive 
 and welcome him ; and there could be no recei- 
 ving of him, if he were not making an offer of 
 himfelf. Thus it's faid,jfo£». 1. 11, i2.H<r came 
 ttnto his own,but his own received him not ; but 
 ms many as received him, to them gave he power 
 to become the fons of God, He came to both thefe 
 '•whcreceived him,and to thefe who received him 
 not; but he gave to believers only this privilege 
 of fonfliip. If we look to all the names of faith, 
 ^coming to Chrift, eating and drinking of kim y 
 Receiving of kirn /cfting wklmjte* they all fup- 
 
 Verfe 1. 7 
 
 pofe that Chrift is near to be catched bold o5, 
 and within fpeaking and try (ling terms to people 
 that hear the g0fpeL4.lt may be confirmed from 
 the many fad complaints that the Lord hath for 
 not receiving him, and not believing his word, 
 and from the dreadful defignations,by which he 
 holds out the (in of unbelief; all which will make 
 out this,that God lays Chrift at finners door in 
 his word *, hence, Job. 5. 40. our Lord fays, Te 
 will not come unto me,thatye may get life : and 
 Mat. 23. at the clofe,0 JeruJalem,Jerufalem>how 
 often would I have gathered thee, and ye would 
 not! This was it that did aggravate their fin,that 
 he would,and they would not j fo,Pfal. 81. My 
 people would not hearken to my voice and Ifrael 
 would none of me^nd^Lukej. its faid,the Scribes 
 and Vharifees re jetted the counfel of God againft 
 themfelves, ar\d,Atts 13. 54. when the Jews re- 
 jecledChrift,it'sfaid,ffoy judged the mf elves un- 
 worthy of everlafting life ; and therefore the A- 
 poftles (ay,that they will leave them,and turn t§ 
 the Gentiles. 5. We may confirm it from this, that 
 in refpe& of the gofpel, and offer made in it, 
 Chrift comes alike near to all that hear it ; for if 
 he be near to fome, then he is near to all,I mean 
 in regard of an obje&ive nearnefs ; there is the 
 fame warrant to fpeak and make the offer to all, 
 before there be fome difcovery made for qualify- 
 ing the doctrine to fome. It's true,there is a dif- 
 ference in refpeft of the power that accompani- 
 eth the gofpel ; but as it layeth out the offer of 
 Chrift,and life through him, it comes alike near 
 to all the hearers of it : the invitation comes to 
 ail,and in the fame terms,to them thatrefufe, as 
 well as to them that receive him; the fame gofpel 
 is preached to both. A 6th confirmation is from 
 the nature of God's adminiftration of his exter- 
 nal covenant,which is fealcd in baptifm to both ; 
 not one covenant to one,and another covenant to 
 another; but the fame covenant,on condition of 
 believing,to both : behold,then,in the preaching 
 of this gofpel,that Chrift comes near you,even to 
 your door,in refpeft of the mediate ordinances; 
 as near as he did to Abraham and David,d\tho y 
 God had his extraordinary ways of manifefting 
 himfelf to them,not common to others :yea,this 
 day, the gofpel is more clear obje&ively to you 
 than it was to Abraham, who rejoiced to fee 
 Chrift's day afar off,when it was vailed ; yea,the 
 gofpel is as clearly preached to you,as thofe, who 
 are now before the throne of God, had it preach- 
 ed to them, as to the matter of it, tho' we will 
 make no equality as to the manner of it. 
 
 Ufe 1. Advert to this,when ye come to hear the 
 gofpel prcached,and think how you are living in 
 
 try (I* 
 
3 Jfaiab ^3. 
 
 iry fling terms with God, and bow near Chrifl 
 comes unto you;the word of faith lays himfo near, 
 that ye have no more to d o but to receive the offer 
 of him,to believe and clofe with him,and.{tep in 
 upon him,as it were, to come as living floncs to 
 be built upon him as a fure foundation. 
 
 But it will be asked,How comes this gofpel Co 
 nearPHow does it bring in Chrifl fo ne. r to fin- 
 r\ers ? Anfln thefe live fleps,i.As it makes the re- 
 port of Chrifl, and brings the ti ings of fuch 
 things,as,that he is born, and that he hath fuffe- 
 red,and for fuch an end, that we may partake of 
 the benefit of them on fuch terms ; it makes the 
 proclamation narratively, and tells what he did, 
 what good may be gotten of him, and how we 
 may come by it. 2. As it brings an offer o r thefe 
 good things on the terms on which th y are to 
 be gotten, Co it never tells that Chriil is come, 
 but it fays alfo, Here is life to be gotten in 
 him by you,if ye will take the way propofed to 
 come by it ; therefore, when the proclamation 
 comes forth, that all things arc ready, the next 
 word is, Come to the wedding ; And wh^n, in 
 the one word, he fays, I ft and at th: door and 
 inoek'^t the next he Ca.ys y Ifany man willopentbe 
 door, I will come in to him y and fup nitb him, 
 and he with me ; and when, I fa. 28. it's faid, 
 He is a precious Corn%rftone y a tried foundation* 
 ftone laid in Zion ; the next word is, He that 
 believes on him /ball not make bafte y or, as the 
 Apoflle hath h,jbaU not be ajhamed or confoun- 
 ded ; this makes the gofpel glad tidings, becaufe 
 it comes always with an offer of Chrifl, and or 
 life in him. 3. When the offer is made, and the 
 precious wares are expofed to fale in this cried 
 fair of grace,a command comes out,Choofe life, 
 come buy the wares,believe,re:eive the offer, as 
 is clear in all the places we named before ; it 
 leaves not folk indifferent to receive or not, but 
 chargeth them, as they would be obedient to a 
 eommand,to receive him,i Job* 23. 3. This is bis 
 tommandment that ye Jbould believe on the name 
 of his Son Jefus Cbrift ; this is the great gofpel- 
 com nand,and ministers have not only the terliog 
 of thefe news,and warrant to make theoffer,but 
 a cornmiffion to command to receive it ; and 
 therefore the fitting and flighting oC the off.-r, 
 is a fin oppofite to the commnnd. 4. It notonly 
 makes the of?tr,and backs the offer with a com- 
 mand to embrace it, but it fweet ns the com 
 mand with many gracious promi es knit to it, as 
 Jfa. 55. Hear andyour f ul Jball live+and I will 
 make an everlaftmg covenant with you, even the 
 fore mercies of David : And whenever the com- 
 mand of believing comes, it's always with a pro- 
 jHifej as Paul deals with the jaylor> Acts 16. Be~ 
 
 Verfe 1. Sertru 2. 
 
 Ueve& thoujbaU be faved\ and Mark 16. at the 
 clofe,the Lord fays,T% that believe Jball be fa- 
 ved y to encourage to faith in him. 5. It preffes the 
 offer, and commands embracing of it with the 
 pro.tiife,with a certification; for the offer is not 
 conditional, but alternative, Mark 16. If ye be- 
 lieve not y ye foall be damned ; Ca,Deut. 3o.death 
 and life are propoled,and they are bidden choofe: 
 If the gofpel be not effe&ual in its commands 
 and promifes, it will be effe&ua) in its thrtat- 
 nings; the word of God will triumph one way or 
 the other,and not return to him void, as is very 
 clear, Ifa. 5^.11. and iCor. 2. 1^,16. it tiiumphs 
 in fome, while they are brought by the promife 
 to give obedience to the .command of believing, 
 and to tnem it becomes the lavour of life unto 
 life; and to others it triumphs,as to the executi- 
 on of the threatning on them for th ir unbelief 
 and to them it becomes the favour of death unto 
 death. In a word,Chriil Jefus comes fo near people 
 in this gofpe^thathe mufl either be chofen, and 
 life with him ; or refuted, to thedeftruftion and 
 death of the refufer ; ye have the fame Chrifl,the 
 fame word,the famecovenant-the fame ob'igatioq 
 to believe, propofed to you, that believers from 
 the beginning of the world had ; andanother ye 
 will not get, and what more can the gofpel do,to 
 bring Chrifl near to you? when it brings him Co 
 near, that ye have him in your offer ,and the au- 
 thority of God and his promifes inter pofed, to 
 perfwade you to accept of the offer ; and threat- 
 nings added, to certify you, that if ye accept it 
 not,ye fhall perifh : in which refpeft, we may 
 fay,as the prophet Jfaiab doth, Cb op, ^.iVb at could 
 God do more to his vineyard, which be hath not 
 done ? as to the holding out of the Objeft of 
 faith, Jefus Chrifl to be retted on by you. 
 
 But fome wih\it may be, objeft here, i.But if 
 there come not life and power with the offer, it 
 will not do the turn ; we cannot believe, nor re- 
 ceive the offer. Anfw. Whofe fault is this, that 
 ye want ability ? It's not God's fault ; ye have a 
 fure ground to believe, his word is a warrant 
 good enough, the promifes are free enough, the 
 motives fweet enough ; the great fault isa heart 
 of unbrlief in you, that ye will not believe in 
 Chrifl, nor open tohim w hen he is brought toyour 
 door. 1 doubt,} ca,I put it out of doubt, when all 
 that ever h and the gofpel fhall (land before the 
 thr< re,th t there fhall be one found that fhall dare 
 to make this excuse that they were notable to re- 
 ceive Chrifl ; the gofpel brings Chrifl fo near 
 them, that they muil either fay,yea,or nay; it is 
 not fo much, I cannot.asj will not believe ; and 
 that will be fcund a wilful and malicious refufal. 
 
 2« It 
 
Serm. £ V&*6 H* 
 
 2.1t may be obje&ed,But how can this gofpel 
 come to all alike, feeing it cannot be, that thefe 
 that will never get good of the gofpel,have it as 
 near to them,as thele that get the faving fruit of 
 it? Anfw.Not to fpeakof God's purpofe,or what 
 he intends to make of it, nor of the power and 
 fruit that accompanies it to fome,and not to all ; 
 it'scertain,thegofpel,andChriftinitsoffer,comes 
 alike near to all that hear it:It obje&ively reveals 
 the fame glad tidings to all, with the conditional 
 offer of life,and with the fame command and en- 
 couragement, and certificatioRjin threatnings as 
 well as promifes : In thefe 'refpe&s, Chrift is 
 brought alike near to all ; and when God Co- 
 meth to reckon, he will let finners know in that 
 clay, that the gofpel came to their door, and was 
 refufed : yea, it comes, and where it comes,will 
 take hold of fome,to pluck them out of the fnare, 
 and be ground of faith to them; and to others 
 it will be a ground of challenge, and fo the fa- 
 vour of deatn unto death : for tho' it take not 
 effect as to its promiles in all, nor in its threat- 
 rings to all ; yet as to either death or life, it 
 will take effeft in every one, fo as, if life be 
 refuted, death fteps in the room of it. 
 
 But it may be asked, Why will God have 
 Chrift in the offer of the gofpel brought fo near 
 the hearers of it ? Anfw* i. Becaufe it ferves to 
 commend the grace and love of God in Chrift 
 Jefus : when the invitation is fo broad, that it is 
 to all , it fpeaks out the royalty of the feaft, u- 
 pon which ground, 2 Cor. 6. i. it's called grace, 
 the offer is fo large and wide. 2. Becaufe it 
 ferves for warranting and confirming the ele& in 
 the receiving of this offer ; for none of the ele& 
 could receive him, it he were not even laid to 
 their door. It's this, which gives us warrant to 
 receive that which God offers : it's not becaufe 
 we are elefted or beloved of God before time,or 
 becaufe he purpofed to do us good, that we be- 
 lieve ; thefe are not grounds of faith,being God's 
 fecret will : but we believe, becaufe God calleth 
 and maketh the offer, inviteth and promifeth, 
 knowing that he is faitbfulj and we may truft 
 him ; hence David fays, / will never forget thy 
 vordy and, In God will 1 praife bis word ; for 
 the word in its offer fpeaks alike to all, and to 
 none particularly : Indeed, when it comes to the 
 application of promifes for confolation,that is to 
 be made according to the qualifications in the 
 perfons, but the offer is to all. 3. Becaufe by 
 this means the Lord hath the fairer accefs to 
 found his quarrel and controverfy againft unbe- 
 lievers, and to make their dittay and doom the 
 clearer in the day of the Lord, when it's found 
 that they never received the ojflfcr, My people 
 
 Verfe u ■ 9 
 
 would not hearken to my voice>and Ifrael would 
 none of me', therefore I gave them up to their own- 
 hearts lufls, and they walked in their own ccun- 
 fels : and this is an approbation given to jutlice 
 here, It's well-wair'd, feeing they would not 
 receive thee, that they get worfe in thy room. 
 
 UJe 2. Seeing Chrift comes near you in this 
 gofpel; and this is one of the market-days, I ln- 
 trcatyou, while he is near, receive him, call 
 upon him while he is near ; or take it in the plain 
 words of the apoftle, Open to him, take him in, 
 give him welcome,while he bodes himfelf,to fay 
 fo,on you. There is not a conference in any man 
 that hears this gofpel, but he will have this tefti- 
 mony from him in it, that he came near them, 
 was in their fight, and within their reach and 
 grips,as it were,if they would have put out their 
 hand to receive him : and feeing it is fo, O re- 
 ceive this gofpel,give him roomjwhile he is con- 
 tent to fup with you, take him in, make fure 
 your union with him : this is the end why this 
 report is made, and Chrift is laid before you, 
 even that you may lay your felves over on him. 
 
 I would follow this ufe a little, by way of ex- 
 hortation and expoftulation jointly,feein£ the do- 
 ctrine will bear both; for when Chrift is brought 
 fo near, even to the mouth and to the heart, it 
 will be great ground of reproof and expoftulati- 
 on, if he fhall be rejected. Be exhorted there- 
 fore to be in earned, feeing, 1. It is a matter of 
 fuch concernment to you : many nations j kings 
 and kingdoms have not had Chrift fo near them 
 as ye have ; negledfc not fuch an opportunity. Do 
 ye think that all that is faid in the gofpel,concer- 
 ning this, is for nought ? Is it for no ufe, that 
 fuch a report is made, and preaching continued 
 fo long among you ? And if it be for any ufe, is 
 it not for this, that ye may receive the report, 
 and may, by doing fo, get your fouls for a prey? 
 To what ufe will preaching be, if this ufe and 
 end of it be mined ? Will your hearing the go- 
 fpel make your peace with God, if Chrift be not 
 received ? 2. Consider the advantages ye may 
 have by receiving the gofpel, that others have 
 not. Is it a little thing to be called to God's feaft, 
 to be married to Chrift, to be made friends with 
 God,and to enjoy him for ever ? The day comes, 
 when it will be thought an advantage; and are 
 there motives to perivvade to any thing,like thofp 
 that are to induce to that? 3.Confider what it is 
 that we require of you : it's no ftrange nor hard 
 thing,it's but believing; and this is nothing elfj, 
 but that the report concerning Chr.ift be recei- 
 ved, yea,that he be received for your own good; 
 that is it that the gofpel calls you to, even to 
 C be- 
 
io Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 betake you to a Phyficfan for cure, to betake 
 you to a Cautioner for your debt. If you could 
 efcape a reckoning and wrath another way, it 
 were fomething; but when there is no other way 
 to obtain pardon of fin and peace, or to efcape 
 wrath, and obtain favour and friendship with 
 God, but this ; and when this way (to fpeak Co} 
 is made fo eafy, that it's but to (loop down, and 
 to take up Chrift at your foot, as it were, or to 
 roll your felves on him, how inexculable will 
 ye unbelievers be, when ye fhall be arraigned 
 before his tribunal ? But, 4. Look a little far- 
 ther to what is coming: If ye were to live al- 
 ways here, it we hard enough to live at a feud 
 with God ; but have ye faith of a judgment after 
 death ? if Co, how will ye hold up your faces in 
 that day, that now refute Chrift r will not hor- 
 rible confufion be the portion of many then ? and 
 will any ground of confufion be like this, the 
 flighting of Chrift ? when he fhall be feen coming 
 to judge (lighters of him, what horror will then 
 rife in confeiences, when he fhall appear and be 
 avenged on them that were not obedient to this 
 gofpel ? as is moft clear, 2 TbeJJ.i. When out Lord 
 Jefus fhall be revealed in flaming fire, toitb bis 
 migbty angels from heaven^ to take vengeance on 
 all that know notGod^'and obey not the gofpel. 5. 
 Confider,that death and life are now in your op- 
 tion, in your hand as it were, choofe Orrefufe : I 
 fpeak not,nor plead here for free : will,but of your 
 willing electing of that which ye have offered to 
 you;fbr one of two will bc,either fhall ye willing- 
 ly choofe Hfe,which is a fruit of grace, or refufe 
 life, and choofe death, which will be found the 
 native fruit of your corruption : ye may have life 
 by receiving Chrift, who is laid to your door; 
 and if ye remfe him,death will follow it: as now 
 in hearing this gofpel, ye carry in choofing or 
 refufing, fo will the fentence pafs on you at the 
 great day ; and fo your fentence, in a manner, is 
 written down with your own hand, as it'sfaid, 
 Atts 13.46.Te judge your felves unxvortby ofeter- 
 nal life, not out of humility, but malicioufly. 
 
 Verfei; Serm. 3. 
 
 Now, when the matter is of fuch concernment 
 beware of playing the fool ; if ye will continue 
 prefumptuous and fecure, following your idols 
 what will the Lord fay. but, Let it be fo, ye get 
 no wrong wheTi ye get your own choice i and he 
 but, as it were, ratifies the fentence which ye 
 have paft on your felves. 6. 1 fhall add but this 
 one word more, and befeech you that ye would 
 ferioufly lay this to heart, as a weighty thing, 
 confidering the certification that follows on it • 
 It's not only death, but a horrible death, wrath* 
 and wrath with its aggravation from this ground'; 
 like that of Capemaum^thcit was lifted up to hea- 
 ven in this refpeft,having Chrift brought fonear 
 them. To whom this gofpel is not the favour of 
 life unto life, it fhall be the favour of death unto 
 death : and think not this a common motive^ho* 
 it be commonly ufed ; it will bring wrath upon 
 wrath, and vengeance upon vengeance on the 
 -hearers of this gofpel,beyond that of Sodow^ys 
 j bc rejecters of it. Surey none of you would thiwk 
 it an eafy thing to be punifhed as Sodomwn> 
 nor digeft well the curie that came on them : Is 
 there any of you 5 'butye would think it uncouth 
 and ftrange,' yeattupendious, to enter into their 
 judgment, and to' have your lands turneclutnto a 
 {linking loch, and your felves eternally tormen- 
 ' ted with them ? But there is more wrath and 
 vengeance following on the fin of unbeliefy iand 
 rejecting of Chrift, when he comes to your door 
 in this gofpel. Toelofeupall, Confider,;tbac 
 Chrift is near you, and hath been long near you, 
 and wooing you : ye know not how many days 
 or years ye fhall have ; how foon this gofpel may 
 be taken from you, or ye from it; how foon- ye 
 ' may be put in the pit.where ye will gnafh your 
 teeth, gnaw your tongues, and blafpbeme God : 
 therefore be ferious while Chrift is in your offer, 
 and roll your felves over upon him, whikr ye 
 "have him fo near you ; welcome this bearing or 
 report, while it founds in your ears, that there 
 may be no juft ground of this complaint againft 
 you, Lord, toho hath believed *ur report? 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Ifaiahliii. 1. Who hath believed our report? an'd'to whom is the arm of 4beZ<rrd revealed? 
 
 TH E moft part of men and women think not 
 much of the preached gofpel ; yet, if it 
 Were confidered, what is the Lord's end in it, it 
 would be the moft refreihful news that ever peo- 
 ple heard, to hear the report of a Saviour : that 
 
 concerning his will and ourr own Wellp as to be 
 fuitabry affe&ed with them * It's a wonder r that 
 God hath fent fuch a report to people," and hi 
 ft hath laid Chrift fo near thenvthat he puts 
 him home to them, and lays him before them, 
 
 is, and fhould be, great and glad tidings of even at their feet as it were ; and as great a 
 great joy to" all nations; and we fhould be fo wonder, that whenthe Jjord hath C« ndefeeaded 
 compofed to hear fuch news from God* and •■•*?. 
 
Serm. 3« . ,.#*'«$ 5 3« 
 
 to give luch a Saviour,and brought him io near, 
 that all he calleth for is faith, to believe the re- 
 port, or rather faith in him of whom the report 
 is-, which is the fecond thing in the words. 
 
 Thefecond thing, is, The duty that lies on 
 people to whom the Lord fends the gofpel, or 
 this report concerning Chrift:'and ye may take it 
 in this general ♦, That it lies on all that hear the 
 gofpel* to believe the report that it brings con- 
 cerning Chrift,andby faith to receive him,who 
 isholdenout to them in it: this is clearly impli- 
 ed; Ifalah and all minifters are fent to report con- 
 cerning him, and to bear witnefs of him, and it's 
 the duty of all hearers to believe it \ and this is 
 the ground of his and their eomplaint.when peo- 
 ple do not believe it: by comparing this text with 
 Rom. io 16. zxAJohn 12. 38. we il?ew,that it is 
 faving faith that is here to be underftood. 
 
 I fhall take up this do&rine in three branches, 
 which we will find in the words, and which will 
 make way fqr t,he ufe. 1 . That apeop]e',to whom 
 Chrifi is offered in the gofpel, may wan ant ably 
 accept of Chrifi ; or, The •firing of Cprrfl m the 
 go/pel, is warrant enough to believe in him : O- 
 fherways there had been no juft ground of expo- 
 ftulation and complaint for not believing ; for 
 tho* the complaint will not infer that they hacl 
 ability to believe,yet it will infer they had a war- 
 rant to believe ; for the complaint is for the ne- 
 gle& of the duty they were called to. 2. That they, 
 to whom Chrifi is offered tn the gofpel, are called 
 to. believers their duty to do it: thus,believing, 
 in all that hear this gofpel,is necefTary,by necefli- 
 ty of command ; even as holinefs,repentance,£?r. 
 are# 3. That faving faith is the way and mean, 
 hj which thefe, that have Chrifi offered to them 
 inthe gofpel, come to get a right to him, and to 
 obtain the benefits that are reported of to be had 
 from bfcm ', thus, believing is neceuary, as a 
 inids^to the end of getting Chrift,and all that is 
 in him : this is ajfo here implied in the regrate 
 made of the want of faith, which prejudgeth 
 men of Chrift, and of the benefits of the gofpel. 
 
 We fhall fhortly put by the firft of thefe, which 
 is, That all that hear the gofpel preached, have 
 warrant to believe and receive Chrift, for their 
 eternalpeace,and for making up of the breach be- 
 twixt God, and them: this preached gofpel gives 
 you all warrant to accept of Jefus Chrift,and ye 
 would not feek after, nor call for another. I fhall 
 firft premit two diftin&ions to clear this,and then 
 fecondly confirm it. As for the firft of the two di- 
 minutions that ferve to clear it, we may take up 
 the gofpel more largely and complexly, in a co- 
 Tenanjt tornvholdin^ out Chrift and his benefits, 
 ftt condition of believing \ or,wi jmy take it ti# 
 
 Verfe u 11 
 
 as it holds out a promife, without particular 
 mentioning of a condition : now, when we (ay 
 that the gofpel commands and warrants all that 
 hear it to accept the offer, we do not mean the 
 laft, that airthat hear the gofpel have warrant 
 to accept the promife, without a condition, but 
 the firft, that is, that all the hearers of the gof- 
 pel are commanded to accept of Chrift offered; 
 there is.by the preaching of it, a warrant to clofe 
 with tlie report, and then to meddle with, and 
 take hold of the promifes, and the things pro-* 
 nii fed : fo that it's the gofpel, conditionally prb- 
 pofed,that gives warrant to believe,as believing 
 refts on Chrifi for obtaining life in him. The K& 
 conddiftin&ionls,That we would confidcr faith, 
 as it reds on Chrift for obtaining union with him* 
 and right to the promifes ; cr>as it applies and 
 makes ufe of the benefits to be gotten in and by 
 Chrift: the' offer of the gofpel give's not to all 
 a warrant to apply the benefits to be gotten by 
 Chrift inftantly ; but it warrants them to clofe 
 with him firft, and then to apply his benefits. 
 
 Secondly, Hot confirmation of this truth,That 
 the general preaching of the gofpel is a warrant 
 for believing and exercifing faith on JefusChrift, 
 for making our peace with God ; it's clear from, 
 thefe grounds. 1. From the nature of the gof- 
 pewit's the word of God, as really inviting to 
 do that which it calls for, as if God were fpeak- 
 ing from heaven ; it's the word of God,and not 
 the word of man, and hath as real authority to 
 call for obedience, as if God fpake it immediate- 
 ly from heaven ; and the word of promife is as 
 really his word, as the word of command, and 
 therefore to be refted on and improven, as well 
 as we are to endeavour obedience to the com- 
 mand: and if we think that God's teftimony is 
 triie,and if we lay any* juft weight on thefe three 
 witnefTes teftifying from heaven, and on thefe 
 other three teftifying from earth, 1 John $. 7. 
 then we may reft on Jefus Chrift offered in this 
 gofpel, and believe, that thefe who reft on him 
 mall have life ; for it is, as we faid, as really 
 "God's word, as if he were fpeaking it audibly 
 from heaven, 2. It may be confirmed from 
 thefe folemn things,the word and ctf^ofGod, 
 whereby he hath mightily confirmed the exter- 
 nal offer of the gofpel, even the two immutable 
 things,\vherein it is impoflible for him to lie, 
 that thefe, who are fled for refuge to lay hold 
 on the hope fet before them, may have (Irong 
 confolation,as it is Heb. 6. 18. And God having 
 thus faid and fworn anent this external cove- 
 nant, for this very end, that the hearers of the 
 kofscl ijwy know, that they who receive Chrift: 
 C 2 o> 
 
ll Jfalah <53» 
 
 fered therein, {hall have life^it is warrant fuffici- 
 ent to believe on htm for life : it's alio for this 
 end that he hath pat feals to the covenant, cir- 
 cuinciiion and the paffover in the old, and bap- 
 %\im and the Lord's fupper in the new teftaments; 
 which are extended, not only to the ele&,but to 
 profeiTors in the vifible church,that every one, 
 who is baptized and admitted to the commu- 
 nion, may have confirmation of this, that the 
 offer, that God makethof life through Chrift, is 
 a true and real offer, and will be made good to 
 the perfons that fhall receive it, and (b perform 
 the condition. 3 . It may be confirmed from the 
 end for which God appointed the word and mi- 
 niftry in bis church, .even to make the offer of 
 Chrift and life through him, John 20. 3 1. Tbefe 
 things are written, that ye might believe that 
 Jefus Chrift is the Son of God, and that belie- 
 wngye might have lije through his name \ the 
 word is both written and preached for this very 
 end. 4. And laftly ,it's confirmed confirmed from 
 the experience of all the faints, and from the 
 ground on which they believed, which was the 
 fajpe that we have ; they had no other ground 
 kut the fame gofpel and word that we have ; it 
 was not the fecret operation or inftin& of the 
 Spirit, it's that indeed which works faith ; but 
 it was the word which was the ground of their 
 faith, for there is no warrant for faith but in the 
 word: and as many believers as have gone before 
 us, are as fo many inftances and experiences to 
 confirm this truth to us. 
 
 Ufe. It ferves for good ufe to fuch as may fall 
 to doubt and difpute whatiwarrant they have to 
 believe: we fay, ye have as good warrant as A- 
 brabam, David, Paul,or any of the godly that 
 lived before you, had : ye have the fame gofpel, 
 covenant and promifes*, it was always God's 
 word preached,which was the ground of faith; 
 and there needs not be much difputing, what is 
 God's purpofe ; for we are not called to look to 
 that in the matter of believing, more than in 
 the matter of our duty : & as ;t were evil reaso- 
 ning to difpute what may be God's purpofe in 
 the matter of our duty, when we are called to 
 it ; it's as bad real on in g to difpute his purpofe 
 in the matter of faith : And therefore we leave 
 this ufe with a word of advertisement, that this 
 gofpel, as it lays Chrift before you, it gives you 
 warrant to receive him, and reft upon him; and 
 we may fay as Paul did, A&s 13. 38, 39. Be it 
 known unto you there fore,men and brethren, that 
 thro 1 this man is preached unto you forgivenefs of 
 jins,and by himaU that believe are juflified from 
 all things, from which ye could not be juflified by 
 the law ofMofcs. There is the way held out for 
 
 Verfe 1. Serm. 3. 
 
 obtaining pardon of fin, and peace ; the Lord 
 hath made the offer, and laid a fair bridge over 
 the gulf of diftance betwixt God and finners, 
 tho' ye fhould never get good of it, and tho' ye 
 fhould never fet a foot on the bridge : none needs 
 to fear to ftep forward ; behold, our Lord Jefus 
 hath holden out the golden fcepter, his call may 
 be^ warrant enough to come; the preaching of 
 this gofpel ftops all difputing.and banifheth de- 
 bating of the bufinefs: it calls all the hearers of 
 it,and gives them warrant to come forward, and 
 it's fuch a warrant, as they will be found iligh- 
 ters of the great falvation offered, who had this 
 door opened to them, and did not ftep forward 5 
 for, as theapoftle fays, 2 Cor. 6. Behold, now is 
 the day ofjalvation, behold, now is the accepted 
 time : and, Heb. 2. 2. If the wordfpoken by an- 
 gels was fled f aft, and every tranfgreffion and dif 
 obedience received a juft rec:mpenfe of reward^ 
 how fball we efcape, if we neglett fo great fal- 
 vation* which at the fir ft began to be fpoken by 
 the Lord, &c. It's the fame gofpel that from the 
 beginning hath been preached to finners, and' 
 that is the reafon why the gofpel is called grace % 
 in that 2 Cor.6. 1. We befeech you that ye receive 
 not this grace of God in vain \ and, GaU 2. at 
 the clofe, I do not fruftrate the grace of God ; for 
 many get the warrant and pafs to come and re- 
 ceive Chrift, who put it up in their pocket, as 
 it were,and make no ufe of it, as the man that 
 hid the talent in his napkin ; the bonds of mar- 
 riage are proclaimed,and the warrant given forth, 
 and yet they ha!t,and come not to the wedding. 
 
 We fhall add the fecond branch, which is, 
 That this gofpel where it comes and offers Je- 
 fusChrift to finners,men and women are not only 
 warranted to come; but required and comman- 
 ded to come. The great duty that thegofpel calls 
 for,is believing ; it leaves it not indifferent to 
 believe or not, but peremptorily lays it on as a 
 command .• ye hear many preachings,and Chrift 
 often fpoken of j now this is the great thing cal- 
 led for from you, even believing in Chrift; and 
 while it h not performed, there is no obedi- 
 ence given to the gofpel. 
 
 We fhall firft confirm, and then make ufe of 
 this branch of the docVine. 
 
 1. For confirmation, take thefe grounds, i # 
 From the manner how the gofpel propofetht 
 faith, it's by way of command in the imperative 
 mood, Believt, Come, ye that are weary, &c. 
 Come to the wedding, Open, &c. wherein fome- 
 what of the nature of faith is held out, all thefe 
 being the fame with believing. 2. It's not only 
 commanded as other things are, but peculiarly 
 
 coni* 
 
Serm. 3» Ifaiah ^ 
 
 commanded •, and there is a greater weight laid 
 on the obedience or' this command, than on the 
 doing of many other commanded duties : it's the 
 the Cum of allChrift's prea:hing,Aftfrfc i. Repent 
 and believe the gofpel : it's the only command 
 whichPaa/propofestothe }2iy\or, All s\~). Believe 
 in the Lord Jefus, &?. 3. It's, as it were,the pe- 
 culiar command that JeCus Chrift hath left to 
 his people, 1 John-}. 22. This is bis command- 
 ment, that wejbould believe on the name of his 
 Son Jefus Chrtfi , and this command of belie- 
 ving on him, is the peculiar command left to, 
 and laid on minifters to prefs. 4. It will be 
 clear, if we confider,that the great disobedience 
 that he quarrels for, is, when there is not belie- 
 ving,when finners will not come to him, this is 
 his quarrel, John 5. 40. Te will not come to me, 
 that ye may have life ; and here, Who bath be- 
 lieved our report 1 lb, Mat, 23. I mould have ga- 
 thered you,and ye would not ; and, John 12. 37. 
 Tho' he did many mighty works among them, yet 
 they believed not on him* 5. Look to the nature 
 of the offer made by Chrift, and to the end of 
 it, and ye will find that the great thing called 
 for, is the receiving of it, which is nothing but 
 "believing: and all our preachings of Chrift,and 
 of his benefits, are ufelefs without it : without 
 this, he wants the fatisfa&ion he calls for,for the 
 travel of his foul ; and without it the hearers 
 of this gofpel profit not, 1 Pet. 1.9. Receiving 
 the end of your faith, the falvation of your fouls ; 
 the fubordinate end of preaching, to wit, the 
 falvation of our fouls, cannot be attained with- 
 out faith. 
 
 The ufes are three. 1. It ferveth to be a ground 
 for us to propofe the main gofpel duty to you, 
 and to teach you, what is the great and main 
 thing ye are called to ; it is even to believe in 
 Jefus Chrift, to exercife faith on him •• it's not 
 only that your life fhould be civil and formal, 
 that ye ihould read, pray, frequent ordinances, 
 learn the catechifm,and fuch like ; but this is it, 
 to believe on Jefus Chrift for the obtaining of 
 life and remiffion of fins through him *. and it's 
 not a thing indifferent to you,but commanded, 
 and with this certification,that if ye believe not, 
 ye lhall never get life nor pardon of fin: and 
 therefore as we tell you that remiffion or fins is 
 preached to you thro'Chrift,lo we command and 
 charge you to believe on him,& receive this gof- 
 pel,^ herein he is offered for the remiffion of fins. 
 For clearing of this ufe,and that we rmy have 
 the; more ready accefs to application we fhall 
 fp ajca word to thefe three. 1. Tofe .ral kinds 
 0* true faith,three whereof are not faving ; or to 
 the ordinary diftinftions of faith 2. To the 
 
 Verfc i. ,3 
 
 fcripture-expreflions, that hold out the nature 
 of ^ faving faith. 3. To Come difference be- 
 twixt this Caving faith, and falfe and counterfeit 
 faith, or thefe afts of true faith more generally- 
 taken, which yet are not Caving. 
 
 For the^r/? of thefe, When we Cpeak of fait*, 
 we fhall draw it to thefe four kinds ordinari'y 
 fpoken of,and fhall not alter nor add to the com- 
 mon diftin&ions of faith, tho' there may be mo 
 given. The firfl is biftcricaltzith : which may- 
 be called true, being it whereby we aJfent to 
 the truth of a thing, becaufe of hisfuppofed fi- 
 delity that telleth it ; as when an author write* 
 a hiftorv,we give it credit upon report that he 
 was an honeft man that wrote it: fo«hiftorical 
 faith is, when people hearing the word preach- 
 ed or read,they aifent to the truth of it all ; and 
 do not queftion, but that Chrift came to the 
 world ; that he was God and Man in one per- 
 fon ; that he died and roCe the third day, and 
 aCcended into heaven; that they that believe on 
 him fhall be Caved, S3> r. and taking the word to 
 be God's word,they may give to it a higher a£ 
 fent than they give to any man's word, becaufe 
 God is worthy, infinitely worthy of more cre- 
 dit than any man, yea than all men, and angels 
 too : There may be, I fay, in this hiftoricai faith 
 of divine truths, a higher or greater affent than 
 there is in believing of any humane hiftory, 
 which may be the reafon why many miftake 
 hiftoricai faith,and yet it is but of the fame kind, 
 and a thing which many reprobates have, as 
 John 2. at the clofe, it's Caid, Many believed on 
 him when they jaw the miracles which he did, 
 but Jefus did not commit bimfelf unto tbemrthey 
 were brought to believe, from the figns which 
 they Caw, that he was more than a meer man, 
 and that it was the word of God which he fpoke, 
 and yet it was but a hiftoricaj faith ; yea this 
 faith may be and is in devils, who are faid, 
 James 2. 9. To believe and tremble. There are 
 many, who, if they believeChrift to be God and 
 Man,and the word to be true, think it enough; 
 yet James, having to do with fuch, tells them, 
 that the devils believe as much as that,and more 
 thorowly than many that have hiftoricai faith ; 
 he knovys God to be true, and one that cann%t 
 lie, and he finds it to his coft ; he knows that 
 fuch as believe cannot perifh, for he cannot get 
 one of them to hell ; he knows that there is 
 a time fet, when Chrift will come to judge the 
 world,and himfelf among the reft, and therefore 
 he Cays often to him, Torment me not before the 
 time ; and as the devil hath this faith, (o there 
 are many in hell that haye it too 5 the rich gHit- 
 
 ton 
 
14 I fat fib $3. 
 
 ton had it, therefore he bids go tell his brc- 
 thren, that they come not to that place of 
 torment ; and it's told him,They hweMofes and 
 the prophets,C5V. which fays,that he then tele the 
 truth of many things he would not believe before. 
 This I fpeak, that ye may know, that this histo- 
 rical faith is the firft ftep of faith ; but it may 
 be in hell, and fo in many in whom faving faith 
 is not : it's really a wonder that folks that are cal- 
 led Chriftiansfhould own this to be faving faith, 
 & think they are well come to,when they are on- 
 ly come the devil's length in believing;yea,there 
 are many that never came this length, elfe they 
 would tremble more. The fecond fort of faith, 
 is the faith of miracles, which is often fpoken of 
 hi the New Teftament ; as when the Lord faith, 
 If ye bad faith as a grain of muftard-fecd, ye 
 Jhould fay to this mountain, Be thou removed 
 and caflinto the fe a, and itjboujd be done.There 
 was an a&ive faith to work miracles, and a paf- 
 five faith, to receive the particular effeft the 
 miracle did produce ; fome had the faith of mi- 
 racles to heal, and others to be healed ; this is 
 an extraordinary thing, and folks may go to hea- 
 ven without it, and go to hell with it, though 
 they cannot go to heaven without hiftorical 
 faith ; hence it's faid, Many (hall come to me in 
 that day, andjhall fay, We have caften eut de- 
 vils in thy name\ to whom he will fay, Depart 
 from me^ye workers of iniquity. And the apoftle 
 faith, 1 CV. 13. 2. If 1 had aU faith, and could re- 
 tnove mountains ,if 1 want charity •• it avails me no- 
 thing. This faith of miracles availeth not alone 
 v to falvation,becaufe it a&s not on Chrrft holden 
 out in the promifes, as a Saviour to fave from 
 fin; but on Chrift, as having power and ability 
 to produce fuch an efreft: which may. be, where 
 there is no quitting of a man's ownrighteoufnefs; 
 and if there be not grace in the perfon that hath 
 it,it is anoccafion of pride. We call you then to 
 Mftorical faith, as neceflary,tho' not fufticient ; 
 but not to this faith of miracles, it being neither 
 fieceftary nor fufficient. A third fort of faith is 
 temporary faith, fpoken of, Matth. 13. and fet 
 
 Verfe 1. Serm. 44 
 
 out under the parable of the feed fown on {tony- 
 ground, which foon fprings up, but withers ; fo 
 fome hearers o: the gofpel receive the word with 
 joy, and are affe&ed with it, but endure not : 
 The difference betwixt this and hiftorical faith, 
 is, that hiilorical faith, as fuch, confifts in the 
 judgment,and reaches not the affections; at bed 
 it reaches not the arFeclion of joy, for tho' the 
 devils tremble, yet they are never glad ; tem- 
 porary faith reaches the arFettions,and will make 
 a man, as to tremble at the threatnings,as Felix 
 did ; fo fome way to delight himfelf in the pro- 
 mifes of the gofpel, and to fmack them, as it 
 were, from the apprehenfion of the fweet tafte 
 and relifh he find's in them. It is even here (as it 
 were) told a whole man, that a Phyfician is come 
 to town, he is neither up nor down with it ; but 
 tell it to a lick man,and he is fain,from an appre- 
 hended poflibility of the cure; yet the apprehen- 
 ded poflibility of the cure,never fends him to the 
 Phylician,nor puts him to apply the cure. The 
 4th fort is faving faith, which goeth beyond all 
 the reft,and brings the fick man to thePhyflcian, 
 and to make ufe of the cure : there may be Tome 
 meafure of true faving faith, where there is not 
 much temporary faith, or moving of the affecti- 
 ons ; and there may be a confiderable meafure 
 of temporary faith, where there is no faving faith 
 all ; even as afallen-ftar may feem to glance more 
 than a fixed one that is overclouded,yet it hath 
 no folid light. Know then, that faith is called 
 for, but take not every fort of faith for faving 
 faith : it would make Render hearts bleed,to fee 
 Co many miftaken in the matter of their faith ; 
 there are fome who fay, they had faith all their 
 days. O that ye were convinced of the lamentable 
 deceit and delufion that ye are under, and that 
 ye could diftinguifti betw ixt faith and prefump- 
 tion, betwixt hiftorical and temporary faith,ard 
 true faving faith; tho* the two former be not de- 
 lusions ; but in fo far as ye reft on the fame,and 
 take them for faving faith, ye are deluded ; for 
 faving faith puts you out of your felves, to reft 
 on Jeius Chrift. 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Ifaiah ^3. 1. Who hath believed our report ? and td xohom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 
 
 THE gofpel is a fweet mefTage, and ought to held, we bring you gad tidings of great joy to all 
 be glad news, when it comes to a people ; people ; unto you is born in the city of David a 
 
 and therefore, when this report of our Lord 
 Tefus Chrift is made to finners, O ! but it's a 
 lad complaint that follows on the refufal and not 
 welcoming of it : there is no better news a mi- 
 nifter can carry, than thefe brought to the fhep- 
 Jjcrds by the angels, Luke 2. io a i 1. Fear n^fic^ 
 
 Saviour , which is Chrift the Lord ; but,we*e it 
 an Ifaiah,it will weight him,when he looks on a 
 fruitlefs miniftry and defpifed gofpel, and will 
 make him complain, Who bath believed our report? 
 O that we may experimentally know the cbear- 
 
Serm* 4. Jfaiab 53. 
 
 iulnefs and gladnefsjhat follows felie gofpel where 
 it is embraced, & that we may not know the for- 
 row and fadn^fs that will follow the challenge for 
 defpifing of it. One of thefe two the preached gof* 
 pel will be,either it will be joyful news to you, 
 or fad ground of complaint to God againft you. 
 We entred to fpeak of the great duty of a peo- 
 ple that hears the gofpel, and the great mean 
 whereby thefe news become delightlom,and that 
 is by faith to receive the report of the gofpel, 
 or to believe on Chrift reported of in it : This is 
 clearly implied, for the regrate, which holds out 
 the fin, is, &&o bath believed our report P and 
 therefore.the great duty mult be,to believe^and 
 by faith to receive the report. We come now to 
 fpeak of the Ufe: And becaufe it's the great defign 
 of the whole gofpel, yea, it's the defign of the 
 law^alfo, both of which level at this end and 
 Grapes even &ith in Chrift ; it will be expedi- 
 ent,! andnoways impertinentjthat we infift a lit- 
 tle* on this,efpecially when fo many thoufandsare 
 Utterly ignorant of faith,being ftrangers to what 
 believing inChrift is, and fo great ftrangers to the 
 native end of the gofpel, and out of the way of 
 getting good by the preaching of it *, fo that, to 
 this day, they have not learned this one lefTon,to 
 wit,concerning faith in Chriftjand other leffons 
 will be to little or no puropfe,till this belearn'd. 
 We (hall not iniift to fpeak at large of the do- 
 ctrine of faith,but only,in a plain way,glance at 
 what this great duty is, that is required of the 
 hearers of the gofpel ; it's believing in Chrift fa- 
 vingly,or faving faith,for no other thing will hold 
 off the complaint againft you r ye will be com- 
 plained of, tho' ye would believe with all other 
 raithjtherefore it's this faith that is here meaned- 
 • That we may come the fooner to that which we 
 would be at,we fhall premit two or tt|ree words. 
 Fir/}, When we fpeak of believing here, we pre- 
 fuppofe thefe things that are neceflary for clear- 
 ing theObje& of faith,and capacitating us to be- 
 Jieve,tho' they be not faving faith; As namely,!. 
 That the offer of the gofpel muft come to people, " 
 that the Objeft of faith be held out to them,that 
 it be told them,that there is a way for a finner's 
 juftUicationthroMghChriftJefuSjand that finners 
 fluy be accepted before God on his, account, or 
 through him. Therff.muft alfo, 2?Re an under- 
 handing of this, a conceiving in the judgment 
 What it is ^folks cannot belie Ve,except they hjear, 
 and underiVuHJ what they hear, in fo far asdi* 
 (Un&ly to-fix their faith on the thing Renown ; 
 they -muft know and underftand the Mediator's 
 falnefs^theCovertant's freenefs,and the efficacy of 
 fekk to. makeCririft. theirs.. .Yea,3,It's neceflary 
 4&re be fame acquaintance with our own condi* 
 
 Verfe II. 
 
 15 
 
 tion ;as that we are naturally under fin 1 , that we 
 are loft, and under the curfe ; fick, and utterly 
 unable, and even defperate to get our felves re- 
 covered^ any thing that is in,o'r by any thing 
 that we can do of our felves ; that We are for 
 ever undone, if we get not a Saviour, that our 
 mouth may be flopped. 4. Not only muft we 
 know this,but it's necelfary there be a hiftorical 
 faith of it,to believe that there is fulnefs-ck fuffi- 
 ciency inChrift,that he is able to cure,and take 
 away the guilt of fin in all that reft on him;thefe 
 muft be believed in general,ere ever finners can 
 reft on him for their own falvation; which fup- 
 pofcs,that there may be an hiftorical,where there 
 is not a faving faith. Now,when all this length 
 is gone, faving faith is that which the gofpel cal- 
 leth for,and it is the heart's afti-ng, according to 
 what found light and convi&ion it hath,on]efus 
 Chrift,as holden out in the promife, for obtain- 
 ing oflife and falvation through him •, fo that, 
 when the foul is lying ftill under its convi&ion, 
 and knows it cannot have life but by refting on 
 Chrift, and hears that there is a fufficiency in 
 him for up-making of all its wants,then the work 
 of the Spirit prevails with the foul,to caft it felf 
 over on him, for obtaining of life, and of every 
 other thing needful ; it brings the foul to em- 
 brace and lay hold on him, not only as one able 
 to fave finners, but to fave it felf in particular : 
 and this is the native work of faith, that unites 
 the foul to Chrift, and puts it over the bound* 
 road, or march of all deluflon; it's like a finking 
 man's leaping to catch hold of a rock or rope ; 
 it's the bringing of a loft ftnner/rom the ferious 
 apprehenfion of his own naughtinefs and un« 
 done eftate,to caft himfelf oyer on Jefus Chriftj 
 for the obtaining of life through him. 
 
 2dly> When we fpeak of faith, we would pre- 
 mit this, That even this true and faving faith* 
 which is not only in kind true, that is, liich as 
 hatha real being, but is faving, maybe con- 
 fidered in its different ads or a&ings,for its dif- 
 ferent needs or neceflities: Tho' the covenant be 
 one,yet the a&s of faith are manyywe having to 
 do with pardon of fin, with fan&ijication in its 
 parts,vivification 3 and mortification,with peace, 
 £$V. faith differently a£s on Chrift and the pro- 
 mife for obtaining of thefe. Now,the faith that 
 we would infift on, is, the faith that refts on 
 Chrift for pardon of fin, on which all the reft 
 of the a<fts of faith depend ; it's that faith, 
 . whereby a dinner receives Chrift,and cafts him- 
 felf over on him; that faith, whereby union 
 with Chrift is made up. 
 
 3<% We would premit, Tim there is a grea* 
 deference 
 
10* Tfalah <>V 
 
 difference betwixt faith, and the effedh of it, as 
 peace, joy, aflurance of God's love, and thefe o- 
 fefcer fpiritual privileges that follow believing. 
 It's one thing a&ually to belie ve,another thing to 
 have the peace and joy that follows upon, and 
 flows from believing , the one being as the put- 
 ting cut of the hand to receive the meat,and the 
 other as the feeding on it. It's the firft of thefe 
 we mean, and intend to Jpeak of,even that faith, 
 whereby we grip Jefus Chrift himfelf, and get a 
 right to all thefe privileges,in and through him. 
 tfhly, We premit, That even this faving faith 
 hath its degrees, as all other faith hath -, fome 
 have more weak faith, fome ftronger ; fome have 
 that full aflurance, fpoken of, Heb. 10. or a ple- 
 rophory, not only as to the Obje<a,that **?* Effi- 
 cient; but as to the apprehending and obtaining 
 of life through thatObjeft ; fo that they are able 
 to fay, Neither height % nor depth, nor any thing 
 elfe, jkall be able to feparate them fiom the love 
 •fGod in Cbriji Jefas. We fay then, that faving 
 faith hath its degrees,tho* the degree be not that 
 which we fpeak of j but it's the kind of this faith, 
 whether weaker or more ftrong, whereby a loft 
 /inner rolls itfelf over on Chrift ; the faith,which 
 puts the flnner off the ground it flood on, over 
 on him ; the faith, which brings the foul from 
 the covenant -of works, to a new holding of life 
 hy Chrift and his righteoufnefs. We fhall then 
 Jpeak a little, i. To what we conceive .this a& of 
 wving faith is not, for precav eating of miftakes. 
 2* What way the fcripture expreffes it. When 
 then we fay thatfuch a thing is not faving faith, 
 ye would know that thing is not it that ye muft 
 lippen to ; and when we fay fuch a thing is fa- 
 iring faith, ye would labour to aft and exercife 
 faith according to it. 
 
 ifl, For what faving faith is not. i. It is not 
 the knowing that Chrift is God and Man ; that 
 he was born, was crucified, dead, and buried, 
 and rofe again. Ask fome, What true faving faith 
 is ? They will fay, It's a true knowledge : Ask 
 them again, How long it is flnce they believed? 
 They will fay, Since ever they knew good by ill. 
 Ye would know that apprehenfive or literal and 
 fpeculative knowledge is needful, but it will not 
 be taken for faving faith. 2. It's not a touch of 
 warmnefs or liberty in the affections in a natural 
 way, which may be in unregenerate men, yea, 
 poflibly in Pagans, as in a Felix, who, in the 
 xnezn time,have not fo much as temporary faith ; 
 becaufe it rifes not from the word,but from dif- 
 penfations of providence, or from temporary 
 things : & if it rife from the promifes of the word, 
 if there be no more, it's but temporary faith. 
 3»It is not conviftions, which many take for faith, 
 
 Verfe u w Serm. £7 ' 
 
 and take it for granted, if they be convinced of 
 fin, they believe, and will fay, Whom fliould 
 they believe on but Chrift ? and yet they never 
 follow the convi&ion, to put in practice what 
 they are convinced of. 4. It's not (imply a re- 
 folution to believe, as others take faving faith to 
 be, who, being convinced that their own righ- 
 teoufnefs will not do their turn,refolve to believe 
 on Chrift for righteoufnefs, but they will take a 
 convenient time to do it ; and many maintain 
 their peace with this, tho' it be no true peace f 
 but a hare refolution to believe is not faith ; ye 
 ufe to fay,There are many good wiihers in hell. 
 I remember the words of a dying man in this 
 place, who thought he believed before ; and be- 
 ing asked, What difference he conceived to be 
 betwixt the faith he had before, and the faith he 
 now had attain'd to ? He anfwered, Before, I 
 thought or refolved to believe, but never prae>i- 
 fed it ; now I pra&ife believing. There is fuch 
 a fubtilty and deceit in the heart, that if it re- 
 folve to believe, and if it obfervably thwart not 
 with faith, it will fit down on that, as if all were 
 done ; therefore the word is, To day if ye mill 
 hear bis voice, that is, to day ii ye will believe, 
 harden not your heart.. This refolving to believe, 
 is like a man finking in th? water, and having 
 a rope caft out to him, he refolyes to grirHt,but 
 does it not ; fo many think they have the pro- 
 mife befide them,& refolve to make ule of it, but 
 do not prefently make ufe of it, and the ihip 
 finks .down, and they perifh, while the promife 
 abides and fwims above. 5. It is not prayer. 
 There are many, they think they believe, when 
 they fome way repent, pray, and put their hand 
 to other duties ; and they know no more for be- 
 lieving but jrmething of that kind. It is true 
 indeed, pr">' er may help to believe, yet it's not 
 always with faith : it's not every one that faith, 
 Lord, Lord, that believetfa ; many will feek to 
 enter, that fliall not be able. Folks very often have 
 thefe two miferable miftakes about prayer,either 
 they put it in the room of Chrift,or in the room 
 and place of faith, not confidering that they are 
 different things; for faith exercifeth itfelf on 
 Chrift as Mediator, and prayer taketh him up 
 as God, the true Object of divine worfhip; tho , 
 if it be founded on Chrift as Mediator, it hath 
 noaccefs: the adding of faving faith 16 properly 
 on Chrift held forth in the word, and prayer is 
 a" putting up of fuits according to the word* 
 There are many, that know no more what ufe 
 to make of Chriil, than if he had never been in- 
 carnate, nor had come under that relation of a 
 Mediator, and make their prayers ferye to make 
 
 up 
 
Serm.4. Ifatub fr 
 
 up all \ whereas faith, not only refpefts Chrift as 
 God^but his merits as Mediator, and his offices. 
 6. Nor is faith only a believing this word of God 
 to be true, tho' we could wifh many were come 
 that length ; it would make a man tremble, to 
 bear the blafphemous words that lome will have, 
 when they are asked concerning their believing 
 the truth of the Bible ; but tho' ye were that 
 length,lt were not enough, the devils believe and 
 tremble. The faith, that we call you to, is more 
 than hiftorical ; it's to retting onChrift,to cordi- 
 al receiving of the mefTage which he fends to you: 
 as, fuppofe a king iliould fend an embaffage to a 
 perfon, to woo her to be his wife ; it's one thing 
 to know that there is fuch a king, another thing 
 to believe that he is real in his offer, and that the 
 woman by confenting to marry him,may be,and 
 will be happy, and (which is yet more) actually 
 to receive the mefTage, and to confent to go and 
 marry him. It's here,as when Abraham's feryant 
 is fent to Rebekab>Gen. 24. Ike and her friends be- 
 lieve all the report that the fervant made of his 
 mafter and of his fon, that it was true ; and then 
 it's given to her option, if ftie will go with the 
 man,and ftie confents to go, and a&ually gocth : 
 this is it we preCs you to, to go with us,and clofe 
 the bargain, and to accept of him, and of life 
 through him. By the lame fimilitude ye may 
 know what laving faith is, and what is the diffe- 
 rence betwixt it and temporary faith ; when the 
 great, rich, and brave offer comes to be made to 
 Rebehah, by a man with many camels, gold and 
 bracelets ; when ftie believes that it's true, and 
 that it's made to her, ftie is fain, and it may be 
 over-fain, if not fomewhat vain alfo $ that is 
 like temporary faith : But when it comes to the 
 articles of the contract, it's faid to dinners, Ye 
 mud fubjeft to Chrift, and follow his will, and 
 not your own ; this, this cafts the bargain. Thus 
 many, when they hear there is a poflibility of life 
 to be had in Chrift, and much more when they 
 hear it's to be had on good, eafy, and free terms, 
 it will make them imile ; but when it comes to 
 that, Pfal. 45. 10. Hearken, daughter, and c:n- 
 fidcr, for fake thy father's botxfe, or the faihions 
 of thy father's houfe ; it halts there, and they 
 fufpend and demur to clofe the bargain; but fa- 
 ving faith goes further on, and, with Rebehab, 
 finally clofes the bargain. 
 
 Secondly, The next thing is, What is faving # 
 faith ? or, what is it to believe in Chrift ? And " 
 would to God ye were ready to believe, and as 
 ready to receive the invitation, as to ask the que- 
 stion, and that in asking the queftionye were in 
 earned 5 for, by the way, many have asked the 
 qucftion, What Jhall vjc do t9 be fay id ? 
 
 Verfe 2. 17 
 
 where, if they had been in earnrft, they might 
 have been foon refolved : The anfwer is at hand, 
 Believe in the Lcrd Jefus Cbrift y and tboujkaltkc 
 faved. But, to them thatdefire further clearnefs 
 or confirmation in this concerning bufinefs, we 
 ftiall fpeaka little ; yet ye muft know, thst it's 
 fuch a thing as is impcflible to be made plain to 
 a proud-humoured or unhumbled finner; it's the 
 poor humbled foul that will take it up ; and, to 
 fuch a feul, half a word will help to take it up. 
 
 The plaineft way to fet it out, as we conceive, 
 is, to name fome fcripture-exprertions, ard fimi- 
 litudes, that hold it forth •, The firft whereof is 
 in that of Mat. 11. 28. Ccme to me y allye that arc 
 weary and heavy laden ; And fob. 6,35. He that 
 cometh to me Jhall never hunger, and he thai be" 
 lieveth en me pall never thirfl. Readily thefeex- 
 preffions hold out thefe three ; Firflyhu evil which 
 men cleave to. Secondly ,A good that is offered 
 to them. Thirdly , A palling from the evil to the 
 good;and fo,Owe -to we.impHes,i.A hazard that 
 folks are in, by being at a diftance from Chrift. 
 2. That there is accels to Jefus Chrift for remei- 
 ding that evil, and removing of that hazard. 3. 
 A parting from the one to the other, a parting 
 from our own righteoufnefs to Chrift 's righte- 
 oufnefs, a parting from our natural condition to 
 Jefus Chrift, a real parting from death in our 
 ielves to life in him. Moft part think faith to 
 be a conceit, a humour,, or a gueffing, that they 
 think they may have, and never know how ; but 
 it's a real thing, a coming from our own righte- 
 oufnefs (as I Ta ; d) to his, from a covenant of 
 works, to reft on Chrift and his righteoufnefs, 
 held forth in the covenant of grace. This is 
 fomewhat explained, Rem- 7. where two hus- 
 bands are fpoken of : a woman cannot marry ano- 
 ther man till her firft husband be dead ; fo, till a 
 iinner be dead to the law,he cannot marryChrift ; 
 there muft be a divorcing from the law and co- 
 venant of works, ere ye can clofe" with Chrift. 
 
 The fecond expreflion is,jf<;<fr. 1. 12. where faith 
 is held forth as a receiving of Chrift, To as many 
 as received him,be gave them fewer to become the 
 fons of God, even to as many as believed en bis 
 name : And it's well exprefs d in the Catecbifm^to 
 be a receiving of Chrift as he is offered in thegof- 
 pel; this fuppofes,thatChrift is offered to us,and 
 that we are naturally without him. The gofpel 
 comes and fays, Why will ye die, O houfe of Jf- 
 rael ? Come and revive a Saviour ; and the a<£e 
 of faith is a gripping to thst offer, a receiving 
 and imbracing of it, a being well content to take 
 a free difcharge through his blood. 
 
 A third expreflion is. Phil. 3. 12. where faitfe is 
 D fct 
 
i$ If&M ^3. 
 
 fetout as an apprehending of Ch'rhr, and Heb. 6. 
 iS.it's called a laying hold on the hope" fet before 
 irs>and Ifa. 56. 4. a taking hold of the covenant ; 
 All which fuppofe folk to have a choice, as it 
 Were, laid to them, and Chrift to be holden out 
 afs a city of refuge, and a flielterfrom that which 
 Wearein hazard of: Chrift is held out in the gof- 
 pel as the city of refuge *, and the exercife of faith 
 is to run from the hazard to him,as a child,thatis 
 chafed by an unknown and uncouth body,flees un- 
 to the mother's arms, or as the man-flayer fled 
 from the avenger of blood to the city of refuge : 
 And faith,having run to hirh,cafts it felf on him, 
 Or thrufts it felf (as it were) into him, 
 
 A fourth expreffion is /oiling or cafting of our 
 felves over upon theLord,as Pfal. 55.22. Cafl thy 
 bar dm on the Lord\zn&? fall"! .^.Commit thy way 
 to the Lord; it's on the nurger\t,RolI thy felf on tbc~ 
 Xcrd, or reft, as it's v. 7. and eafe thy felf on the 
 Lord. The gofpel lays Chrift, as it were, at 
 folk's feet, and faith rolls them over on him 5 
 it's even the foul's finding it felf, through the 
 work of the Spirit, unable to (land under the 
 burden, rolling it felf on Chrift, as a crazy and 
 *yeak body cafts it felf on a down-bed for eafe. 
 This is a very emphatick, iigniikant, a'nda&'ivs' 
 expreffion of faith; fetting out a man quitting his 
 jwn legs or feci, as unable to (land on them, and 
 laying himfelfover on Chrift ; this is it that we 
 -all you to, even to quit your own feet, and to 
 roll your felves over on Chrift. 
 
 A fifth expreffion is,Rcw7.io* 3. where it's cal- 
 [zdafubmitting tothsrighteoufnefs ofGod\\\\\ic\\ 
 ^s held out in the gofpel thus, as if a king were 
 proclaiming a pardon to rebels, and faying to 
 them, For as many hainous crimes as ye have 
 comm'itted,and are guilty of,ifye will take with 
 them, and betake your felves to my grace and. 
 mercy 3 fincerely refolving'to be henceforth faith- 
 ful and dutiful fubjecte to me, I #ifl freely par- 
 don you ; which gracious offer they mod gladly 
 wccc-pi: of, and fubmit themfelves to- it. Submit- 
 ling is an acquiefcing in the terms of the gofpel, 
 .ts it is propofed •, iVseven as if ye' fhouldiay,We 
 joid the bargain, and are well content and fatif- 
 fied with it. In a word, faith carves not to God 
 the way to falvatiou, but fweetly fubmitteth to 
 ihe way he hath carved out. 
 
 A fixth expreffion is,Hiding of our felves in God, 
 cr in Chrifl-, fo the vtordjruft in God,fignifies, to 
 Hide our felves in him as in a place of refuge,ac- 
 wding to that^Prov. \%.Tke name oftbeLordis 
 J firong tower ; the righteous run into it.and are 
 preferved,or hid ; or,they ileetoit 5 as doves doto 
 their windows : And this is it trr& apoftle farth, 
 >' ', 3. $»Tkat I/zqt bsfottodin khtf, not lowing 
 
 V.erfe 1. 5 erm 
 
 rnyownrighteoufnefsM. So that, if ye ask, What 
 is faith? It s a man betaking himfelftoChrift 5 that 
 wnen he mall be called for, it may be anfwered, 
 Lord,l am in Chrift,not having mine own righ- 
 teoufnefs, Vc. it is not to be lippening to trie 
 man s good hopes, to his good prayers, or to 
 his good meaning, but to Chrift's fatisfadion, 
 andGodspromile; by faith, when rightly ex- 
 
 n£> M, He fl " ner holds and hkl « himfelf it 
 Chrift, till fto fpeak fo) a bit of the man cannot' 
 be leen; and this is well fetout by the Lord,when 
 he fays, Ifa. 23.26. Come, my people, enter into 
 your chambers, Jhut the dodrs about you ,hide your- 
 felves for a little while, &c. Come in under the' 
 Mediator's wings, locg in your felves by faitk 
 there, and fo make all fure. 
 
 A feventh expreffion is, 2 Chronic. S. where** 
 whenflV^vaMs writing to thedegenefate tribes' 
 to come home again, he bids them, Tteld them-' 
 fslves to the Lord) in the original it is, Give tb'e 
 hand to the Lord : even as two men, who have 
 beed at odds and variance, or have broken the- 
 tyes that were betwixt them, come to renew 
 the friendfhrip, they chop hands ; now, God is 
 brought in, llretching out his hands to you,Ifa. 
 65. i ; therefore come and clofe with him, yield^ 
 to him, give him the hand, or chop hands with 
 him, and make the bargain and engagement 
 fi-cker for the time to come. All thefe fimilitude^, 
 borrowed from men, are partly to make the na- 
 ture of faith obvious and clear,p artly to ftrength- 
 en and confirm believers faith. 
 
 An eighth expreffion is that 0$ opening toChrift, 
 Cant. $. 2. Open to me,toy dove,&c'.Rev.i. 2o.£<?- 
 boldjftznd at the door and knock', if any man open 
 the door to m*,&<i.Acls i6.it'sfaid,r6e Lord open- 
 ed the heart 0} Lydia : : When the word comes, 
 finners hearts are locked onGod; Chrifl: comes by • 
 his Word,arid knocks hard to be in.bids open and 
 take in the Saviour ;'and faith difcerns his voice, 
 and gives him entry. It^s the letting of the 
 word fink,the making of him welcome ; it's not 
 only the crediting of the word as true, but the 
 receiving of him,whom the word offers, for the 
 end for which he is offered ; and this is, when 
 the work of the Spirit,withthe word,wakens up 
 a ftichitling, or /lightering (to fay (o) within, 
 and makes the heart to open to take in Chrift; 
 as one worded it wetland fignificantly 5 Af^ heart- 
 .cleeked as a lint-feed boll to Chrifl. And. wher- 
 ever Chrift hath a defrgn of grace on the foul, 
 and comes with poWer, he continues knocking, 
 rapping, and calling hard and loud, till doors 
 #nd gates be cafl open to him. 
 A ninth exprefftoo. or firrilitudej urtder which' 
 
faith is held forth, is that which is ordinary of a 
 tnarr\age,ot of covenanting or confenting,whether 
 in marriage or otherwife, but more efpecially in 
 marriage : When Chrift taketh on him the place 
 of an woer, minifters are his ambafTadors, the 
 word is their inftru&ions, wherein he bids 
 them go tell iinners, that all things are ready , 
 ,and to pray them to come to the marriage, or to 
 marry and match with him ; and faith is a com- 
 ing away to this Husband, a receiving of the 
 word of invitation, a contenting to the marri- 
 age: It's not To much a local, as a qualitative 
 change or mutation •, we change fafhions,we fub- 
 fcribe the contra& on the terms it is laid out to 
 us : In the. bargain of grace, fomethirg is offer- 
 ed by God, and that is, Chrift and his fulnefs ;, 
 and there is fomething done on our fide, and 
 that is, accepting of him by faith .• And this is 
 ..not io much a faying with the tongue, as it is a 
 believing with the heart j as it is Rom. io. io. 
 With the heart man believes unto rightzoujnefs : 
 it's the heart's prefent fubfcribing the mar ri age- 
 contract, and going away with Chrift >to live and 
 cohabite with himj tho' confeffion will be readily 
 .with the mouth alio, as he calls for it. 
 
 A tenth exprefllon,or fimilitude,is that of buy* 
 ingfio, every o»e(crieth the prophet I fa .<> 5 . i ,)tbat 
 thirfls, some to the waters 5 and he that bath no 
 money \co'me,buy,b\z. fo Rev-z* iZ.Buyofme eye* 
 falve,b\z. It fays this much, that God in the gof- 
 pel fets forth,as in a market, to finners, rich and 
 Tare wares, and good cheap, or at very low and 
 eafy rates , and that believing is like buying up 
 ■©f the wares : Life eternal is holden out on con- 
 dition of believing on Chrift, and the poor fin- 
 der thinks that a good bargain, for it takes no mo- 
 ney from him ; Rev.22* 17. this is called willing, 
 Whofoever will Jet bim comeandtake of the water 
 -of life freely , the foul hath a good will to the 
 thing* It's held forth by feveral other exprefli- 
 ons in the fcripture ; it iscalled a cleaving to the 
 Zord y or flicking to him,'$o]h* 23. 8. and Alls 1 1 . 
 23. it is called hearing ybearkning^nd inclining of 
 "the ear, Ifa. ^5.2,3. an attentive, concerned, 
 and holily greedy liftning to, and taking hold of 
 this offer ; it's a cleaving to the Lord, as wood- 
 ben or ivy cleaves to an oak, becaufe it's life de- 
 pends on it : And,2?*«J. 3o.and fofh* 24. it's cal- 
 led a choofing of the Zor^and that upon delibera- 
 tion, as knowing that we have need of him, that 
 
 he is a Saviour fuited compleatly to ah the ne- 
 ceflities of our fouls, and that we are warrant- 
 ed to believe on him ; it's the native a& and ex- 
 ercife of faith,, to choofe Chrift among all the 
 woers that are courting the foul : So like wife it's 
 fet out under trufling and commiting, Pfal. 37. 
 Commit thy way to theLord,trufl in him \ I know, 
 faithPa«/,2Tim.i. 12. be is able to keep that which 
 I have committed to him : it's to give Chrift the 
 credit of your falvation j it's one thing to give a 
 man the credit that he is true, and another thiqg 
 to concredit him with our greateft concerns ; we 
 will credit many, whom we will not thus con- 
 credit our felves to, nor commit our concerns to; 
 the former (whenthefe are applied to God) is 
 hiftorical faith, but this latter is faving faith, 
 when we dare truft and lippen our felves to him, 
 and to his word ; and we think this expreffmn 
 holdsforth as much of the nature of faving faith, 
 as any of the former, if we could take it up, 
 when we dare concredit our felves to him, be- 
 caufe he hath faid the word. Thus alfo, to a& 
 and exercife faith on him, for temporal, or for 
 fpiritual things, it's to expeft the event froni 
 God, but fo, as we expe& and look for it on this 
 .ground^hat Chrift hath purchafed it, and we have 
 -accepted him on his offer, which gives us a right 
 .to thefe things needful for us, and purchafed by 
 ,him : It's faid,Matth» 22. 5. when the invitation 
 comes, that feme made light of it, but faith, on 
 the contrary, is a laying weight on it, and a con- 
 crediting of our felves to God on that ground;: 
 it's caUed,.R<?jw. 6. Adelievering up of our felves 
 to the word, and to him in it ; it's even to put & 
 blank in Chrift'shand,to be filled up as he pleafes. 
 Ye fee then what ye are called to, it is to open 
 to Chrift, to come to him, to marry him, to rojl 
 your felves on him, to commit your felves to 
 ■him, to give him credit, C5V. And is there any 
 of thefe unreafonable or prejudicial to you ? and 
 if they be very reafonable and advantageous, (a$ 
 indeed they are,) we would exhort you to come 
 to him,to receive him, to apprehend him, to fl$e 
 to him, to take hold of him, to marry him, £?{• 
 believe on him, and by believing, be united t» 
 him, and „get a right to him, and to all his pur- 
 chafe ; give him the credit of faving your fouls. 
 This we call for from you ; and if ye do it npfc 
 the complaint in the text will ftand againft yoi|j 
 Who hath believed our report ? 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Ifaiahliii. i.Wb$ bath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 
 rT's a great matter once to get the gofpel gers, as may make the fa voury report of Jefus 
 L brought ajnom» ft a people,and fueh meflt n- Ghrift ttBto-themjyst this is.nat-all,tbere is a£ re;** 
 
20 > JJaiab $3. 
 
 ter work behindhand that is,to getChrift believed 
 on, and to get the report concerning him recei- 
 ved by the people to whom it is irude ; this be- 
 ing the greateft and graved workofthe prophet3, 
 and of the minifters otche gofpel, and the moll e- 
 minent, not Co much to get a word to fay , as to 
 get the word believed ; and this is Ifaiah\ com- 
 plaint, that tho' he himfelf brought the report 
 concerning Chrift, and forefaw many mo would 
 bring it, yet, that the exerdfe of faith in thefe 
 who ihould hear it would be very rare. 
 
 We fpoke of the great thing called for from a 
 people,to whom this gofpel comes, and the report 
 of Chrift is made;and that is,to believe onhim,to 
 receive and reft on him, of whom the report is 
 made : except this be, -tho' there were never fo 
 many preachers, and encouragements to preach, 
 tho 5 ye ftiould flock to the ordinances every 
 day, the ground of complaint will ftill remain, 
 if there, be not faving faith in Jefus Chrift, 
 which is the fubftance of the gofpel. 
 
 After confirmation of thispoint,we fhew what 
 faith is, from the feveral names the fcripture gi- 
 yeth it; and wherein the exercife of faving faith 
 is holden out : All which imply thefe three. 1. 
 A great hazard and danger that the hearers of 
 the gofpel are in,whether they be fenfible of it in 
 fuch a meafure at leaft or not,we fpeak not now, 
 yet they are fo really ; fo much fleeing, comings 
 iayingbojd^apprebending, &c..inhnuate. 2*Aful- 
 Jiefs and fufRciency in Chrift Jefus, holden forth 
 to them,as the object of their faith,as one that can 
 deliver out of that danger, and can right what- 
 ever is wrong. 3. An aft,wherein mainly the ex- 
 ercife of faith is holden forth, and 'tis the a& of 
 the foul,under that danger and diftrefs, betaking 
 itfelftoChrift's fulnefs for help: it's a fleeing from 
 the curfe of the law to him, as to the city of re- 
 fuge; (o every name that faith gets,fcts out a man 
 acting and moving fame way for Chrift's remei- 
 dingthe evil* and removing the hazard he is in. 
 
 Having fpoke n a little to this, that faith is the 
 main duty that is called for, we may now follow 
 the exhortation to prefs you to it ; it being to no 
 purpofe to fpeak of Chrift, and of faith in him, 
 except he be received. This is the end of the 
 word written and taught, John 20. at the clofe, 
 even to believe in the name of the Son of God,and 
 by believing to receive life in and thro* him. 
 
 And ther?fore,2d/y,Seeingthis is the main du- 
 ty called for by the gofpel,that by, faith ye ihould 
 receive it, and Chrift offered in if, wc earneftly 
 exhort you to it. It is notfo much to this or that 
 particular duty, tho* thefe be implied ; it's not 
 fo much to attendance on ordinances,nor to fub- 
 tjiiiuon to (tifciplinv and cenfures, tho' thcic alia 
 
 Verfe 1. Serm. «J. 
 
 be duties that we exhort you to ; but it's to obe- 
 dience^ to the great command of faith, even 
 to believe on him whom the Father hath Tent 
 and fealed : It is to receive this go. pel, to fubmit 
 to tie righteoufn.fs of faith, to open to him 
 that is knocking at the door, to yield to him, and 
 to give him, the hand, that bygone quarrels may 
 be removed, and taken out of the way : except 
 this.be, we profefs to you in his name, that ye 
 bring not forth the fruit that this gofpel calleth 
 for from you, and that no lefs will be acceptable 
 to God, nor taken off) our hand by him. 
 
 And to add here the third- branch of the do- 
 ctrine, we fay, That no4efs will do your turn, as 
 a neceuary mean for attaining the promiie, and 
 that which is promifed; 1. Look to all thepro- 
 mifes,whether of pardon of fin, or of peace with 
 God, of joy in the holy Ghoft, of holintfs and 
 conformity to God ; there is no accefs to thefe, 
 or to any of them, but by faith : this is the very 
 proper condition of the covenant of grace, and 
 the door whereby we ftep in to it ; and if ye 
 think pardon of fin, peace with God, and holi- 
 nefs, to be neceuary, then this great gofpel-duty 
 of believing is- no lefs neceuary ;for the Lord faith, 
 John 3.36. He that believeth not is condemned a\* 
 ready, 2. Look to the performance of any duty, 
 or mortification of any luftor idol,and faith is 
 neceuary to that,i John I* 1 )* It is by faith me $b- 
 tain vittery over the voorldtit was by faith (Hcb, 
 1 i.)thatall the worthies,fpoken of there,wrought 
 righteoufnefs,£5V. 3. When any duty is. done, of 
 whatfoever nature it be, there is no acceptation 
 of it without faith ; it is not our praying, or co- 
 ming to the church,that will make duty to be ac- 
 ^epted,but it's faith; The voord profited them not, 
 faith the apoftle,K^. 4.2. bcaufe it was not mixr 
 ed with faith. And that,for making the duty ac- 
 ceptable,faith is necefTarilyrequifite,we may clear- 
 ly fee,Heb, 11. 6. where it is exprefly faid, that 
 rv it bout faith it is impefftble to pleife God ; and 
 how is it that Abel offers a more excellent fa- 
 crifice than Cain ? it was nothing lure in Cairi% 
 facrifice it felf that made it be caften, nor any 
 thing in Abel's that made it be received or accep- 
 table, but faith in the Mefftah to come, that was 
 found to be in the one, and was amiffing in the o- 
 ther. Is there not. reafon then to prefs this duty 
 on you, and to exhort you not to think this a 
 common and eafy thing, the* the inoft part think 
 it to be fo ? If we look to the benefits of it, to 
 the difficulty of it, and to the rarity of it in the 
 world, there is no'duty had need more to be 
 prefs'd than,this,even that Chriftjefus fhould get 
 the burden of your inuuQrul foul? aft. op him 
 b/ 
 
Scrm. f(« Ifaiab ^3» 
 
 by his faving faith. I fhall therefore,™ the fur- 
 ther profecution of this, i. Shew, what mainly 
 you would efchew and avoid,as that whereat folk 
 more ordinarly ftumble. 2. What it is we would 
 prefs to, and on what grounds. 
 
 For the firft> I know the deceits and miftakes 
 in men about the exercife of faith are fo many, 
 that they are mo than can well or eafilybe recko- 
 ned up ; yet we fhall in fome generals, fpoken of 
 hefore/hint at a few of them : for, fo long as ye 
 continue in the fame fnares, they muft be ftill 
 pointed out to you, and endeavours ftill ufed to 
 undeceive and extraft you out of them \ and 
 therefore, i. Beware of reftingona do&rinal faith, 
 which before I called hiflorical* We know it's 
 hard to convince fome that they want faith, yet 
 we would have you to confider, that it is not e- 
 very kind of faith, but faving faith, that will do 
 your turs \ it's the want of that, which the pro- 
 phet complains of: And therefore to open this a 
 little, ye would confider,that there may be real- 
 ly fuch a faith, as is an affent to the truth of 
 the word,in a natural man, yea in a reprobate ; 
 but that faith will never unite to Chrift, nor be 
 waited v^ith the pardon of fin. (i.) I do not fay, 
 that every one that is in the vifible church hath 
 this do&rinal faith,to believe a heaven and a hell, 
 that the fcripture is the word of God,and that all 
 that believe in Chrift fhall get pardon of fin, and 
 life ; the carriage, alas! of many teftifies that they 
 have not this much : whatever fleeting notions 
 they may have of thefethings,or whatever efteem 
 they may feem to put on the gofpel, and what- 
 ever profeffion they may make,that they believe 
 the truth of it, yet in their deeds they deny it; 
 for if there were a fixednefs in the do&rinal faith 
 of the gofpel in men,they durft not for their fouls 
 live as they do. Neither yet,(2.) Do we fay,that 
 all they that have this do&rinal faith of the gof- 
 pel,or fomewhat of it, do believe every paflage 
 in it alike,but often as they pleafe them, they be- 
 Here them: Hence, many believe what the word 
 fpeaks of mercy, and of pardon of fin, and will 
 not queftion that ;but what it fpeaks of holinefs, 
 and of the fe verity of God's reckoning with men 
 for fin,they do not fo credit that partofthe word: 
 it's true,where the faith of the one is, the faith of 
 the other will fome way be ; but becaufe the one 
 agrees better with their corruption than' the o- 
 ther, therefore the one is not fo received as the 
 ether : and it's very frequent with fuch, to be 
 found diminifhing from one place, and adding 
 to another, of the word of God. Nor, (3.) Do 
 we fay,, that all men do, in a like and equal de- 
 gree, believe the truth of the word ; there is 
 in. fome mare knowledge, in fome. lefs, in fome . 
 
 Verfe 1. 21 
 
 more convictions, in fome fewer ; and tho' we 
 preach to you all,yet there are fome that believe 
 not this to be God's ordinance, albeit there are 
 many who will not be laved that take this word 
 to be the word of God, and believe what is the 
 meaning of it, becaufe the word itfelf fays it is 
 fo : And the reafon of this is, 1. Becaufe there, is 
 nothing that is not faving^but a natural man may 
 have it •, now, this doctrinal faith is not laving, 
 and fo a natural man may have it, yea, the de- 
 vils believe and tremble r and James does not di- 
 fpute with thefe to whom he writes, on this ac- 
 count,that they believe not this,but tells them, 
 that hilTorical faith was notenough;and we think 
 a man in nature may have a great perfwafion oC 
 the truth of the word of God,and that which it 
 fays will come to pafs, and yet ftill continue but 
 a natural man. A 2d reafon is, becaufe the fcrip- 
 ture fpeaks fo often of many forts of faith that 
 are not faving, zsExcd. 14. at the clofe, it'sfaid, 
 The people believed the Lord, and PfaU 106. 12* 
 Then they believed his wurd>and fang his praife ; 
 and John 2. 23. Many believed onCbtiftjoxohom 
 he did net commit himfelf there was faith in them. 
 which his figns and miracles extorted from them, 
 which was not faving ; and, Mattb. 13. two or 
 three fuch afts of faith are fpoken in the pa- 
 rable of the fower,that were not faving, however 
 found they might be in their own kind;and,i Cor. 
 1 3. we have fuch a faith fpoken of, as a man dare 
 nop deny the truth of the word, tho' he fhould 
 bring his body to be burnt by his avouching of 
 the fame. A 3d reafon is, becaufe as much credit 
 may be given to the word, as is given to any other 
 hiftory that is creditably believed; and it's on this 
 ground that we believe there were fuch men as 
 Ccefarjompey, WaUace&c. and it being certain, 
 that there may be imprefuon's on the confeien- 
 ces of hearers, that this is God's word, backed 
 with fome common work of the Spirit, and that 
 it is generally received to be the word- of God 
 in the part of the world we live in ; what wonder 
 is it, that folk believe thus, and drink in this hi- 
 florical or doctrinal faith of the word, fo as they 
 may even dare to furFer to death for it ? and yet, 
 in.the mean time, may want faving faith ; the 
 devils being as fure as any natural man is, that 
 God is true, and that his word will be perfor- 
 med ; and therefore they fay to Chrift; Art thou 
 come to torment us. before the time ? The pangs of 
 a natural confidence in men will affure them of a 
 judgment coming, tho' they tremble to think on it. 
 And therefore, ere we proceed further, take a 
 word of ufe from this, and it may let you fee the 
 great and, very general niiftakeof the mall part 
 
 of 
 
1> . Ifaiab K. 
 
 of the Hearers of tTie gofpel,in refting. on this do- 
 Arinal faith. If ye tell them that they have no 
 faith, they will not by any means take with that; 
 they believe there is a Saviour,and that he isGod 
 and Man,and that fuch as believe on him lhall be 
 faved;and on this they reft : It's fuch as thefe, who 
 think they have believed all their days,fince ever 
 they had any knowledge ; bccaufe the word was 
 always,or very long fince, received in the place 
 where they lived,for the word of God ; and they 
 believe it to be fo alfo, and know no difference 
 betwixt believing the word, and believing on 
 Chrift holden out in it : tho' alas! man)*of you 
 believe not this much ; for if ye were among the 
 Jews, ye might be foon brought to queftion the 
 truth of the gofpel : but tho' ye had the real.faith 
 of the truth of the word,take not that for faving 
 faith; for as there is a real forrow, that is not the 
 faving grace of repentance unto life,fo there is a 
 fort of real faith,that hath a real obje&,and a real 
 being in the judgment, which yet is not a real 
 doling with Chrift, and fo not faving faith : as, 
 fuppofe a man,purfued by his enemy 3 lhould fee a 
 ftrong caftle door {landing open,or one in halard at 
 fea fhould fee dry land,if he fhould ftand ftill while 
 the enemy were purfuing him, or abide ftill in 
 the finking veffel, the fight of the caftle-door o- 
 pen, or of the dry land, would not fave him'; fo 
 it's not the believingthat there is a Saviour come 
 into the world to fave iinners, that will fave, 
 except there be a refting on him as he is holden 
 out in the word of the gofpel. Hiftorical faith 
 is only (as it were) a looking on the Saviour, but 
 faving faith grips to him, and refts on him : Hi- 
 ftorical faith looks on Chrift,but a&s not on him, 
 Clofes not with him \ and therefore fuch as-have 
 it only, and no more, fink and perifh without 
 getting good of him. We would think it a 
 great matter, to get many of you as far on in 
 believing as the devil is, who believes and trem- 
 bles ; the little trembling that is,fhews that there 
 is but little of this hiftorical faith : yet,as I have 
 often faid, this is not all, ye may have this, and 
 yet, if ye halt there, ye will certainly perifh, if 
 ye were never fo confident to be faved 5 the a- 
 poftledoth well diftinguifh thefe,He£. 11. 6. He 
 that cometh to God, mufl believe that he is, and , 
 that be is a revoarder of them that diligently 
 feekbim: where thefe two are prefuppofed, 1. 
 Believing that God is, or hath a being ; And, 2. 
 Believing that his promife is fure and ficker ; 
 that he is faithful that hath promifed, and will 
 make his word good. And then, 3. On both thefe 
 follows a coming to him,as a rewarder of diligent 
 feekersofhim. The firft two take in hiftorical 
 faith: for to believe that God is, is natural jand to 
 
 Verfc I. t Serffi. 5: 
 
 believe thatGod is faithful in his promife,may be 
 in natural men : but to come to him.to get the* 
 hazard that the foul is in, removed thro' Jefus 
 Chiift,is a thing few do attain. This then is the 
 firf thing we would be aware of, not aware to 
 believe the truth of the word, but to be aware of 
 refting on it as faving faith : it's not enough to 
 look on Chrift, and to grant that it is he, but 
 the man muft never be fatisfied till he get him- 
 felf rolled on Chrift,and the weight of his falva- 
 tion and peace laid on him in his own way. 
 
 The fecond thing ye would beware of is fome 
 common and quickly tranfient work on the af- 
 fe&ions, that may accompany hiftorical faith ; 
 whether the affection of grief, or the affe&ion 
 of joy be ftirred thereby, both are unfafe to be 
 refted on, when we can't prove our refting on 
 Chrift,or where there is no relevant ground to 
 prove it by. Tho' ye fhould tremble as Felix did, 
 and beMnder allarmtng convictions of confcience 
 and fears of your hazard,or tho' ye fhould be af- 
 fected with'joy,as the temporary believer may be, 
 and fometimes is, what will that profit you ? It's 
 a great miftake to take fome fmall work on the 
 affe&ions, which at the beft is but an effect of hi- 
 ftorical faith, for a faving work of the Spirit. 
 Or, 2. If it be not an effect of hiftorical faith, 
 "it's an effect of a challenge of con(cience,and fmi- 
 ting ot the heart, as in Saul, who could fay to 
 David, Thou art more righteous than J, my font 
 David- Or, 3. It's fome common work of the 
 Spirit,fuch as wasin Simon Magus, of whom it is 
 faid, He believed, and who could fay, Pray for 
 me $ for folks to conclude on this ground, that 
 they are brought out of nature into a (late of 
 grace, is to build upon a fandy foundation : The 
 apoftle fpeaketh, 2 Cor, 7 10. of worldly forrow, 
 as well as of godly forrow ; and as there may be a 
 worldly forrow„fo there maybe carnal joy, a 
 piece of fainnefs,to fpeak fo,in prayer, or at hear- 
 ing of a preaching,or at a communion, which is ' 
 not faving faith; fome hear'the word with joy, 
 Matt. 13. who yet endure »0f;and John Baptijfs 
 hearers re/oicedin his light for a feafon;even asa 
 fiek man, who hearing (as we hinted before) that 
 a phyfician, who is skilful and able to cure him^ 
 is come to town, he grows fain in the contem- 
 plation of a cure of his difeafe ; but here is the 
 flick, when the phyfician tells the man that he 
 muft befo andfoabftemious,and keep himf elf un- 
 der fuch aftrift diet, he dow not abide that,and 
 fo-all his joy evanifhes ; There is fomething like 
 this in temporary faith, where fome remote ex- 
 pectation of falvation will caufe a carnal joy and 
 fain»efs: but when it comes to this, that a man 
 
Scrm. <. „ V* f ** & 
 
 is called to quit his lufts, or his eft ate, or m the 
 world to undergo trouble and perfecution for the 
 eofpel, by and by be is offended, he thinks (to 
 lay To) A fowl in bis band is worth two flying ; 
 and therefore, when the ftorm blows in his teeth, 
 he turns his back, and runs away : efpecially we 
 will find this to be with men in ficknefs, they will 
 hare mints at ferioufnefs, and fometimes flafhes 
 of forrow under convictions and challenges, and 
 fometimes flaihesof joy, that will evanim when 
 they come to health again. When we fpeak of 
 fome common work on the affe&ions, we would 
 take in liberty, and fome warmnefs of fpirit in 
 prayer, which, no aueftion, even unrenewed men 
 may find more at one time than another ; as when 
 they are in fome great hazard or ftrait, they will 
 be more than ordinary ferious in that duty, and 
 yet that may be but an effect of nature : This 
 proves a great {tumbling and neck-break to many, 
 that they think they are well enough,if now and 
 then they get utterance in prayer, as fometimes 
 they will get words beyond what they expe&ed ; 
 and when,upon reflefting.the.y find that they have 
 been in earned, tho' it hath been but with moral 
 ferioufnefs,that blows them up^fo they put pray- 
 *r in the place of faving faith,and when they pray 
 with warmnefs, they trow they believe, when in 
 the mean time they never knew what it was in 
 
 f;ood earneift to lay themfelves over on Chrift Je- 
 iis : Therefore,when we invite you to belie ve,this 
 is another thing we would bid you beware of,that 
 ye put not a flafh of fenfe in the room of faith. 
 3.There is yet a more fubtil,tho' no lefs dange- 
 rous miftake, that ye would beware of, and that 
 is, when faith is confounded with obedience, and 
 is looked on in juftification as a piece of new o- 
 bedience, with love,repentance, and other duties 
 ofholinefs: fo fome think they believe, becaufe 
 they have fome natural aw of God in their wa!k, 
 and fome fear of fin, and do perform fome duties 
 of religion, and walk honeftly, as they think, ac- 
 cording to the rule ; which is to confound the 
 covenants of works and of grace,and to make the 
 covenant of- wor,ks a covenant of grace, or to run 
 the covenant of grace into a covenant of works ^ 
 only with this difference, that tho* their works 
 be not perfect, but defective, yet wherein they 
 are defective, they think there is worth in their 
 faith to make up that want, and to fupply that 
 defe£t ; and fo, by faith they think they will ob- 
 tain the acceptation of* their works, and of their 
 perfons on account of their works: they look upon 
 ftffeir works as pleafing to God, but becaufe they 
 are not perfe&,they will believe, or exercife faith, 
 to mal^e up their defe&s ; to which the way of 
 -gtace is cjuite cqntrar y,wbicb makes the tree firft 
 
 Vcrfe i. yl 
 
 good, and then the fruit, ' This way, that many 
 take, is. not to draw the evidences of believing 
 from works of holinefs, which is warrantable*; 
 but the founding of faith, or their hope of hea^- 
 ven, op works: and the ufe they make of frheir 
 faith, is, to ward off challenges for the, imperfe- 
 ction of their works, and to make faith procure 
 acceptance Cas I juft now faid) to their works,and 
 acceptance to their perfon for their works fake. 
 4. Beware of that which ye ordinarily call a 
 certain affurance, or fure knowledge of ycur fal- 
 vatton,and that all the promifes are yours, where- 
 by ye think your felves in no hazard ; a hope and 
 affurance of heaven that ye can give »o ground 
 for, nor proof of j only ye think ye are fure of 
 pardon of fin, and coming to heaven, and that 
 ye are obliged to maintain that groundlefs hope : 
 but that is not faving faith, for it's a hope of hea- 
 ven that can give you no right to Chrift; there 
 muft firft be a fleeing to him,- and clofing with 
 him, before ye can have any true and well-groun- 
 ded hope of heaven : but your hope and confi- 
 dence is, never to queftion the matter ; ye are 
 like Laodicea, who thought her felf rich, and to 
 ftand in need of nothing, whenfhe was beggarly 
 poor ; or like thefe men, who, when God was 
 threatning them with judgment,yet would needs 
 prefume to think that they leaned on the Lord. 
 I think, among all the perfons that God hath in- 
 dignation againft, it's in a fpecial manner againft 
 thefe who have this fort of hope, and to whom 
 God difcovereth the groundlefnefs of it, and yet 
 they will ftill ftoutly maintain, and ftand fad fcy 
 their hope : it's to thefe he fpeaks, Deut. 26, 16. 
 who defpife and tufh at God%s threatnings, and 
 fay, We Jball have peace, thougb we walk in the 
 imagination of cur own hearts, and add drtfa- 
 kennefs to tbirfl ; the Lord there pronounceth a 
 curfe, and to the curfe addeth an'oath, that he 
 will not fpare fuch perfons,but will feparate ttiem 
 for evil, and caufe all the curfes of the law to o- 
 vertake them. Judge ye how, whata cor.ditioa 
 this is for perfons to be in, to be believing that 
 all the promifes are theirs, and yet, inftead of 
 that, to be (in the mean time) liable to afl the 
 curfes threatned in the word of God ; it's this 
 that we call preemption, and hope of the hypocrite 
 that willperijh, Job S. 13. the confidence of fuch 
 fhall be reje&ed and fwept away as a CpV&ct't 
 web, and fharl be rooted out of their taberna- 
 cles,and bring them to the king of terrors. They 
 think they believe always ; when they are not 
 troubled nor difquieted, they never want faith, 
 but have a great deal of it ;' which yet is but a 
 gueflin^ which carrot fuppsrt a?.d uphold them 
 
 when 
 
24- # Ifiuabft. 
 
 .when they come to a ftrait ; when they are more 
 fecufe,they believe very well,and they think when 
 they are more waken'd and difquieted, they be- 
 lieve lefs,and their fancied faith ebbeth quite on 
 them.* when they hear of any exercife of mind,or 
 trouble of confcience in others, they wonder that 
 they will not believe,and all this work is to main- 
 tain their deep fecurity and ftrong delufion ; this 
 is then the fourth thing ye would beware of, for 
 it's not the faith that will turn the away the 
 complaint, Whs hath believed our report ? and 
 yet how many are there of this fort,who fay they 
 ihall have peace, and pleafe themfelves with this 
 their good hopeiay the word what it will. O ! be 
 perfwaded,that this is nothing elfe but woful un- 
 belief and prefumption;and we preach to you ter- 
 ror and the curfe of God, tho' ye cry peace to 
 your felves; the Lord complains of fuch perfons, 
 jfer, 5.12. faying. They belied the Lord ; he fent 
 .his prophets to denounce judgments in the days 
 of Jofiah % when there was a fair profelfion of re- 
 ligion and* reformation, yet they would believe 
 and hopethat.no evil fhould overtake them. 
 
 That which we aim at in this part of the ufe, 
 is, to make way for what follows, even to give 
 you a cleanly ground for exercifing of faith on 
 Jefus Chrift, when all thefe (Tumblings and mi- 
 .ftakes are rolled out of the way; We therefore 
 exhort you, to lay your hand to your heart, and 
 narrowly totry, if ye have called, or accounted 
 any of thefe to be faving faith ;for there are hun- 
 dreds,nay thoufands,thar perifh under tbefepre- 
 texts, deceiving .themfelves, and deluding o- 
 thers, with a faith they were born and brought 
 up with,and they have no more but their ground- 
 lets hope .to .prove their faith by, and that they 
 .will flick by it, be faid to them what will ; but 
 be not deceived, for God will difcover you ; ye 
 think a ftrong prefumption is faith, and that ye 
 can by fuch a faith,drink in the promifes ; but 
 God will make you vomit them up, and ye (hall 
 be declared to be void of faith in the great day : 
 .therefore be more jealous over your faith, and feek 
 to have your grips of Chrift fickered, which is 
 done,when,from the belief of your hazard and felf- 
 cmptinefs, and of Chr i ft 's fulnefs, ye go to him, 
 and clofe with him,to make up all ye want in him; 
 and this faith is efpecially qualified by the ac- 
 count on which we go to him, and reft on him : 
 even as a confeiencious duty is that which flows 
 from a command, as obedience to it, fo one of 
 the main things that qualifies this faith, is a re- 
 ceiving Chrift asChrift,or as he is holden out in 
 the goipel : which is therefore well put in the 
 defcription given of faith in the Catschifm \ and 
 
 V ? rf * C ", , . Serm. t! 
 
 it s called a beheving onbim inborn theFather bath 
 fent, which is not to believe on Chrift' fimply, 
 but as he is holden out in the word of the gofpel. 
 Prefumption may look on Chrift and his fulnefs, 
 and few or none will readily dare to give him 
 a direa and down-right refufal, or to reject him 
 profe/fedly and avowedly, when they hear of 
 iuch happinefs that is to be had in him ; but that 
 which we fay qualifies faith,is, to defire,receive 
 and embrace him, according as he is holden 
 out in the gofpel, for wifdom, rightemfnefs,fan* 
 ttification,and redemption, 2 Cor. 1. 30. when he 
 is lippened to with an eye to the promife, and 
 when that, which makes us reft on him, is the 
 word of God : for, tho 5 Crfrift be the materi- 
 al Obje£, of faith, yet the word is the formal 
 object whereby we get a right to him ; and 
 there is no gripping or getting hold of Chrift, 
 but in, and according to his word : and there- 
 fore the generality of people (who, on the mat- 
 ter, take the Antinomian way) think they have no 
 more to do,"but to apply Chrift, and to count 
 him their own at the very flrft •, but, thro' their 
 not exercifing faith on the word of promife, 
 they mils him. This is, as 1 have faid, a main 
 qualification of faving faith, even to reft on 
 Chrift as he is holden out in the word, and by 
 the word to take hold of him, and reft upon 
 him : Saving faith doth not fimply reft on Chrift, 
 becaufe lie is merciful, and hath all fulnefs in 
 him, but it refts on him and his fulnefs, as re- 
 ceived in the word, and offered by God in his 
 word ; faith takes God's faithfulnefs in his 
 word, and lays hold on him by that : Chrift is 
 the thing that makes happy, but God's faithful 
 promife is the right by which we get a title to 
 that thing. We would never love nor like of that 
 faith, that knows not the ufe of the word ; that 
 betakes it felf to Chrift,or the thing in the word, 
 but meddles not, nor hath any dealing with the 
 word that holds them out ; when as it is only 
 this word that gives us warrant to expect that 
 his fulnefs fhall be made forthcoming for our 
 up-making, and for the fupply of all our needs. 
 Iviany defire, and expe& good of God, but get it 
 not, becaufe their expe&ation is not founded on 
 his word, and God's faithfulnefs in his word 
 is not clofed withal. In a word, I would have 
 you to think,that faith is neither an eafy, nor an 
 infuperably difficult thing, but that it is eafy to 
 go wrong, and difficult to go right ; and that, 
 without God's fpecial and powerful guiding, ye 
 cannot believe, nor exercife faith, nor walk in the 
 way of believing in him, and dependence on 
 him j that yc may be helped to make a ri^hc 
 
 Mb 
 
Serm. 6. , t ■ _] '/*<?* «• 
 
 ufe of Chrift, and to build upon him, that ye 
 
 Verfe i. 25 
 
 ftone laid in Zion> ci which fo many fall every- 
 day, and break themfelves to peices. 
 
 Hie Ol V#HH*VJ • «»* -v, m-~-~~- — r~ — * * 
 
 may not flip nor flumble,and fall on the (tumbling - 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 Ifaiah Iiii. I. Wb» hath believed our report f and t9 whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
 
 heightens the complaint, and aggravates their 
 guilt exceedingly. 2dly, It is not a complaint as 
 to one fermon, or as to one time ; but it's a com- 
 plaint frequently repeated, as to many fruitleis 
 lermons,and as to many times, yea generations : 
 Ifaiab preached long, in many kings reigns; and 
 yet all along in his prophecy he complains of it, 
 as Chap. 6. 1 1. Hovo long, Lord, Jball their eyes be. 
 blind,and their ears heavy? &c. and Chap. 28.9. 
 Wbomjhall 1 teach dottrine ? themjhat are wea- 
 ned from the milk, aud drawn from the breafts^ 
 pretept mufl be en precept, and line upon line,here 
 a little, and there a little ; and Chap. 65. 2. All 
 day long I have ftretched out my hands to a rebel" 
 lious people\nnc\ here again,JP/&0 hath believed our 
 report ? Much and long,or many years preaching, 
 much plain and powerful preaching,and yet little 
 or no trmt,tbey arc fnared and taken^and fall back- 
 wardjfor all that : and this was not inlfaiab's days 
 only, but in ChrijFs days, John 12. 27, 38. and in 
 Paul's days, Rom. 10. 16. where the fame very- 
 words in the text are repeated : nay,it runs down 
 from the iirft fpreading of the gofpel, even to 
 thefe latter days wherein we live; many hear,but 
 few receive the report, idly, Confider how many 
 they are that complain : it's not one or two,or a 
 few, but all the preachers of the gofpel; it's not, 
 Lord,who hath believed my report, but, Who 
 hath believed our report? It's complained of by 
 Ifaiah here, and in feveral other places named 
 before; it's complained of by Mic ah, Chap. 7. u 
 Wo is me, for lam as they who have gathered the 
 fummer -fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vin- 
 tage, there is no clutter to eat the good man is 
 perijhed out of the eartb,and there is none upright 
 among men, &c. It's complained of by Hofea, 
 Chap. 11. 7 . Tbo* they calTdtbem to the moji 
 High, none at all would exalt him, that is, none 
 would give him the glory of his grace, in belie- 
 ving on him; ah fad word ! as is that alfo in 
 Pfal. 81. the Lord calls, Hear, G my peopU, and 
 1 will teftifieto thee-, open thy mouth wide, and I 
 will fill it: but my people would not hearken to 
 my voice,and Ifrael would none of me. And what 
 prophet is there almoft (if I need fay almoft;but 
 hath one way or other this complaint, that tho* 
 the Lord ftretched out his hands all day long,yet 
 it was to a rebellious and gain-faying people : 
 Look foreward, and fee what our tord fays of 
 E 7*6* 
 
 IF it were not recorded in the infallible fcrip- 
 tures of truth, we would hardly believe 
 that there could be fo much powerful and fweet 
 preaching of the mod excellent inflruments that 
 ever were imployed,andyet that there fhould be 
 fo little fruit following on it ; who would believe 
 that Ifaiah, fo excellent, fo fweet, and {o evange- 
 lick a prophet, ihould have preached fo many 
 pleafant, plain, and powerful fermons to a people 
 from the Lord, and yet that he fhould have fo 
 many fad complaints as he hath ? ch.6 % 2%, and 58. 
 that he fhould be but to bring in the Lord fay- 
 ing, All the day long have I ftretched out my hands 
 ti a rebellious people, chap. 56. and that here him- 
 felf fhould have it to fay, Who hath believed our 
 report ? It's fcarce one man here or there that hath 
 favingly believed on Chrifl. And this is the 
 third thing in the words,that now we would fpeak 
 to ; and it's a very fad, tho' a very clear truth. 
 
 The Dotlrine is this, That there may be much 
 powerful preaching of the gofpel, and yet un- 
 belief generally among the hearers of it. Or, 
 take it with dependence on the former two, 
 Namely, 1. That the great work of the mini- 
 flry, is, to propofe and make Chrifl known to a 
 people. 2. That the great duty of a people, that 
 have Chris! propofed to them, is to believe on him. 
 Then this 3d follows on the back of thefe, That 
 a people may have Christ propofed to them ,br ought 
 to their heart and mouth; andtbo* it be but be- 
 lieving that is called for from them,yet that can- 
 not be obtained from mcjft of them. This gofpel- 
 duty of believing is often flighted by the hear- 
 ers of the gofpel;this is clearly holden forth here, 
 Who hath believed our report ? we have called for 
 faith,but it's a rare thing, among the multitude 
 ©f hearers, to get one that believeth favingly. 
 
 To make out,and prove this a little further, we 
 would confider this complaint,with thefe aggra- 
 vations of it, which will make it the more clear, 
 & fo the more to be wondred at;as, ift, Thefe of 
 whom the complaint is made; it is not heathens, 
 but God's own people, as the Lord complains, 
 Pfal. 8. 10, 1 1. My people would not kearken to my 
 voice and Ifrael would have none ofme\o\xt Lord 
 Jcfus complains of Jerufalem, Mattb. 23. at the 
 end, Jerufalem, Jerufalem, how often would 1 
 have gathered thee,and thou wouldsl not ! That 
 the Lord's own profeifing people fhould not be- 
 licve,nor receive the report that is made of him, 
 
26 Ifaiab «>3. 
 
 John Baptifl, and of himfelf, Whereto fb all I liken 
 this generation? it' s like children fitting in the 
 market-places^ faying one to another ■, We have pi- 
 ped to you, and ye have notdanced\we havemcur- % 
 Tied toyou.andye have not lamented^thzt is,there 
 is much preaching of men endowed with feveral 
 gifts, but none of them does the people much 
 good : John preached with much holy aufterity, 
 like one mourning ; the Son of man mod fweetly, 
 like one piping; yet neither the one nor the other 
 prevailed: there are ComeBoanerges Jons of thun- 
 der, allarming and thundering preachers ; fome 
 BarnabaJJes, Tons of confolation, fweetly comfor- 
 ting preachers;yet all gain but little on the hear- 
 ers our Lord faith, Matth 23. Jerufalem, Je- 
 rufalem, how often would I have gathered you ! 
 this is the ordinary complaint,!? would not. K\tb 
 aggravation is, if we conflder who they are that 
 meet with this unbelief and unfruitful nefs in 
 them they preach to : if it were poor coldrife 
 preachers, fuch as we, alas ! in a great meafure, 
 are, or fuch as the fcribes and the Pharifees were, 
 •r if it were they who had learning only, and 
 not piety, it were not fo great matter to fee them 
 meet with unbelief and unfruitfulnefs in their 
 bearers :but it's even thefe whom the Lord fent 
 and ftiarpened, as arrows out of his quiver, as 
 this prophet was^ it's even his preaching that is 
 fruitlefs in a great meafure : and was there ever 
 a more fweet, plain, powerful, and delectable 
 preacher than Ifaiab was ? that even the very 
 reading of his preachings may aflfeft the readers; 
 yet is there any that complains more,or fo much 
 as he doth, in the chapters before cited? It's like 
 ye will think, that \i Ifaiab were preaching now, 
 he would be as a ftone, that would not be moved 
 thereby, and yet his preaching got the fame re- 
 turn and entertainment that ours gets now *, and 
 Hofea called his hearers to the mod high, yet 
 none at all would exalt him : it was their work 
 to ftretch out their hands all the day long, but 
 they hardned their necks, and refufedto return, 
 Jer. 8. and Zech. 7. But <>thly, Confiderall thefe 
 are fervants and preachers under the old tefta- 
 ment, and you may be difpofed to think, that 
 under the gofpel, when the vail is laid by, and 
 when Ch rift himfelf, their Lord and Mafter,and 
 his apoftles come to preach the gofpel, it fhould 
 be otherwife : yet John the Bapifl, who was ' 
 thrift's harbinger, who was a burning and a 
 ihining light, a ftayedand fixed man, not a reed 
 Ihaken with the wind, (as many of us much are j 
 a prophet, yea, more than a prophet; yet,when 
 he preached, many of his hearers re jefted the coun- 
 fel of God again/} themfelves, Luke 7. John comes 
 preaching aufterely, and the fay he hath a devil \ 
 
 Ver fe «• Serm. 6. 
 
 and iftherewasany rejoicing in his light, it was 
 but ibr a feafon; and'P<*«/ that chofen veiIel,how 
 often was he perfecuted ? and he hath the fame 
 complaint, in the fame words that Ifaiab hath 
 here of his hearers, efpecially the Jews, Afls 13. 
 46. and 28. 28. and was conftrained to tell them, 
 that he and his fellow-preachers behoved to 
 quit them, and betake themfelves to the Gentiles; 
 and.how doth he complain of the Corinthians and 
 Galatians, andof their being bewitched, and fud- 
 denly feduced, and drawn away from the truth 
 and fimplicity of the gofpel> by fome felf-ieeking 
 lown minifters, coming with a glancing counter- 
 feit among them. We fhall clofe this with the 
 confideration of our Lord Jefus,\\ho was a none- 
 fuch Preacher,of whom it's \3ii&,Mattb. 7.29. that 
 He J pake with power ^and not as the fcribes, and 
 Luke 4. when he is opening that fweet text, I fa. 
 61. 1, 2, 3. it's faid, They all wondred at the gra- 
 cious words that proceeded out of his mouthy and 
 the officers that came to take him, fay, that ne- 
 ver man fpake as he fpoke ; and yet this fame is 
 his complaint, Matth. 23. 37. Htw often would 
 I have gathered you, andye would not ! and Jo. 1. 
 1 1. it's faid, He came to his own,and his own re- 
 ceived him not : Chora^in y Bethjaida and Caper- 
 naum were lifted up to heaven by the Lord's 
 preaching to them in perfon; and yet wo after 
 wo is denounced againft them,becaufe they be- 
 lieved not, for all his preaching and miracles ; 
 and it's a wonder, if we look thorow the hifto • 
 ry of the gofpel, how many a fweet preaching he 
 had, and with what weight and power he fpoke, 
 and fometimes with tears, and withal backed 
 his word with miracles, that made his hear- 
 ers acknowledge the finger of God; and yet how 
 few were brought te believe on him ? fo that he 
 was put to take up this very complaint of Ifaiab 
 here, John 12.38. Is it not a wonder, when he 
 and his apoftles have preached fo much, and fo 
 long, that the Church is fo little a flock, and that 
 believers are i^o few in number, everr-after his 
 afcenfion ? need we any further proof, that the 
 gofpel, where it comes, gets but little welcome ? 
 the carriage of many among our felves is a fad 
 proof of it ; for we are afraid that many of you. 
 do not believe to this day, tho' there hath been 
 amongft you, much, long or many years, and 
 powerful preaching of the gofpel, but are ftill 
 living without faith, and perifhing. 
 
 If this be not enough to clear the doftrine,i.Scc 
 how Chrift fpeaks of it^Mattb. 13. in the parable 
 of the fower of the feed, where there are three 
 forts of ground that never bring forth good fruit; 
 and there he fpeaks not only of the time of his 
 
Serm. 6. Ifaiah ft. 
 
 own pergonal miniftry, but of all times. 2. Look 
 to the ordinary and daily effect, or rather con- 
 fequent,of this preached gofpel,andit will prove 
 it ; Do not many periih ? do not many croud 
 thick in the broad way that leads to definiti- 
 on ? do not but very few fruits of faith appear ? 
 is there not little, lamentably little, real change 
 in the way and walk of mod to be feen ? To 
 clear it yet further, go thorow the feveral ranks 
 ofperfons, that in God's account are unbelie- 
 vers, and lay them by; O ! there will be exceed- 
 ing few believers in Chrift found. F/r/?, Then, lay 
 by the grofly profane, that are never fo much 
 as civilized : Secondly, The ignorant, ftupid, 
 and fenflefs, that never have mind, they have 
 fouls, are never feared for wrath, nor in the 
 leaft exercifed to make their peace with God: 
 Thirdly, The earthly-minded, that mind no 0- 
 ther thing fave the world : Fourthly, Thefe of 
 a civil, outward carriage, that have fome good 
 works, and as they think, good, days too, and 
 yet come not near Chrift to clofe with him .• 
 Fifthly, The hypocrites, and that of all forts', both 
 the prefuming hypocrites, that will thank God 
 they are better than their neighbours, and yet 
 lippen not to Chrift, and free, grace'thro' him,but 
 feek to eftablifh their own righteoufnefs, grofs as 
 it is ;and the legal hypocrites, that never denied 
 their own righteoufnefs, nor fubmitted to the* 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift : Lay afide all thefe,I fay, 
 and we leave it to your own consciences to judge, 
 how few will be found to have laving faith ; and 
 therefore I am perfwaded, if there be any truth 
 of God delivered to you, that this is a truth, 
 that tho' the gofpel be preached to many, yet 
 there are but few hearers of it,that doa&ually be- 
 lieve in Jefus Chrift, to the favingof their fouls. 
 Ufe 1 . The firft ufe of it is,To befeech you to 
 let this fink deep into your minds, as the truth 
 of God,for thefe reafons, i.Becaufe it'sa mbft ufe- 
 ful truth ; and if it were believed.it would make 
 folks very watchful over themfelves, and to 
 tremble for fear left they be found among the 
 multitude that believe not ; and put them to fe- 
 cure and ficker their intereft in God, and not to 
 reft on a fafhion and form of religion, without 
 obferving what fruit followeth on the gofpel. A- 
 'mong the many evils that undo not a few, we 
 think this is not the leaft,that this truth is never 
 thorowly fixed in them; they think there are ma- 
 ny Heathens and Turks without the Church,and 
 may grofs fwearers, drunkards, and others fuch 
 within it, that will perifh,but none others, or at 
 
 Verfe 1. 27 
 
 or a very few that are believers in a countryHdc 5 
 fo that, if Ifaiab were now alive to cry, Who be- 
 lieves our report ? each of them would be ready- 
 to anfwer, I believe. 2. Becaufe,for as certain and \ 
 ufeful a truth as this is, yet generally it's not 
 believed ; folks cannot think that fo few believe* 
 and that believing is fo difficult and rare a thing: 
 I would ask you this queftion, Was it ever a 
 difficulty to any of you to believe ? if not, what 
 is it that makes believing fo rare ? what fhould 
 move the prophet thus to complain, Who hath 
 believed our report ? I fhall fhortly give you fome 
 evidences that many of you do not really believe 
 this truth. Thefirfi is,That fofew of you tremble 
 at the word of God; the hiftorical faith that the 
 devils have, makes them tremble, but ye have 
 not that much ; this is given as a property of 
 a fuitable hearer of the gofpel, to whom theLord 
 will look, Ifa. 66. 1,2. that he is one who trembles 
 at the word ; but the moft part of you, that hear 
 this gofpel, are like thefe pillars on which this 
 houfe ftands, who are never fo much as once 
 moved at the word : ye either take not faith to 
 be an abfolutely neceffary thing, and that ye can- 
 not but perifh without it, or ye think that the 
 faith ye were born with will do your turn; ye da 
 not believethatye are naturally under the power 
 of the devil, and led captive by him at his will, 
 and that without holinefs, and a fpiritual gra- 
 cious frame, and ftamp on your heart and way, 
 ye fhall never fee God : what wonder then, that 
 ye come not to reft on Chrift,when the very let- 
 ter of the sofpel is not credited. A fecond Evi- 
 dence is,That there is fo little preparation made 
 to prevent your eternal hazard ; it's faid of No- 
 ah, Heb.i 1. that Noab,being warned of God, pre- 
 pared an arte and this is attributed to his faith ; 
 it's not pofllble that ye would live fo negligent- 
 ly and carelefly, if ye believed that the curfe 
 of God were purfuing you, and that ye will be 
 brought to reckon for that which ye have done 
 in the body, and that ye will meet with God as 
 an enemy ; if this were believed,tho' your hearts 
 were harder than they are, it would make yon 
 tremble, and put you to other fort of thoughts 
 and ferioufnefs. A third evidence is, That there 
 is no fruit of faith among many of you ; for, 
 where it is,it will not be got altogether fmuther- 
 ed, but will kythe and fhew it felf one way or o- 
 ther: And if ye will ftill affert your faith I 
 would fay to yon^sjame s doth to thefe to whom 
 he writes, Shew me your faith by your to oris* If ye 
 fhall fay, God knows ; I anfwer, that ye fhall find 
 that to be a truth, that he knows ; and he will 
 make you taow that he does fo ; but alas ! that 
 
 £ 2 
 
 ?«r 
 
2 1 1/aiab $3. 
 
 poor fhift will not avail you, when it comes to 
 the pufh. O try your faith then by your works ; 
 fee what mortification of lufts, what repen- 
 tance from dead works, what growth in know- 
 ledge, what fhining of holinefs in your con- 
 verfation, is attained to. Many of you, as to 
 your very knowledge, are as if ye lived among 
 Heathens, many of whom have been as free of 
 vice, and more profitable to others, than many 
 of you are. and cared as little for the world as 
 many of you do .• How comes it to pafs, then, 
 that ye have lived as if ye could have faith, and 
 yet have no fruit ? Ye mud either fay, that faith 
 is not neceffary, or that ye may have faith with- 
 out fruit; for we are fure your fruit is not the 
 fruit of faith. To live" honeftly as you call it, 
 what is that ? There are many Heathens^ who 
 have gone beyond you in that. We will not fay, 
 that moral honefty is nothing,but fure it is not all; 
 all the fruits of meer moral honefty,are but foure 
 fruits, that will fet your teeth on edge : neither 
 is it your hearing of the word only, but your 
 believing and doing of it, that will profit you. 
 It's very fad, that mod plain obvious duties are 
 not at all followed 5 as the ftudying of knowledge, 
 the exercifing of repentance, one of the very 
 firft duties, which is never feparated from faith ; 
 the humbling pf the foul before God, the loth- 
 ing of your felves for all ye have done, the love 
 of God, C5V. for there may be challenges for 
 grofs evils in Heathens ; and fear is not repen- 
 tance,but godly forrow, that caufcth repentance, . 
 not to be repented of. A fourth evidence is,The 
 want of that work of God's Spirit that accom- 
 panies faith. Faith is * fpecial work of the 
 5pirit,and the gracious gift of God;it is wrought 
 by the exceeding mighty power of God, where- 
 by he raifed Chrift from the dead ; andbythat 
 fame power he worketh in them that believe. 
 Now, knew ye ever what this work meaned ? 
 Found ye it ever to be a difficult work to believe? 
 knew ye ever what it was to have the Spirit of 
 God conftraining your heart to believe i 1 fpeak - 
 not of any extraordinary thing ; but certainly, 
 faith is not natural,nor cometh from pure nature; 
 and wherever it is, it manifefts it felf by works, 
 and evidenceth the power of theSpirit in the wor- 
 king thereof. There are fome fad evidences of, 
 and bitter fruits thatfpring from this root, to wit* 
 folks being ftrangers to the experimental know- 
 ledge of the work of faith; As, 1. When men know 
 no more difficulty to get Chrift, and to reft on 
 Chrift,than to believe a ftory of Wallace or of Ju- 
 lius Cefar. 2* When folks fay that they believed 
 all their days,and believed always fince ever they 
 knew good by ill j and tho* their faith be no true . 
 
 Verfe 1. Serm.6. 
 
 faving faith,but a gueffing, yet they will not quit 
 it;yea,it's impoflible for men to get them convin- 
 ced that they want faith. 3. When men never knew 
 what it is to be without faith ; it's one of the 
 great works of the Spirit, John 16. 8- to convince 
 of the want of faith ; folks will be eafily convin- 
 ced,that breach of the fabbath, that ftealing,thar 
 bearing falie witnefs^f. are fins,where the fpeci- 
 al work of the Spirit is not ; but how many of 
 you have been convinced of the want of faith ? 
 We are conilrained to fay this fad word,when wc 
 look on this text, that it is lamentably fulfilled in 
 your eyes, and in this our congregation: Think 
 not that we wrong fuch of you who have belie* 
 ved our report ; Ah ! it's few, even very few of 
 you, that receive and believe this gofpel. 
 
 Ufe 2» The fecond ufe is for convi&ion. If it 
 be ordinary for the great part of the hearers of 
 the gofpel not to believe, let it fink in your 
 hearts,that it is no extraordinary thing that hath 
 befallen you. Are ye not fuch hearers, as many 
 of thefe were, who heard Ifaiab and J-efmChrifl ? 
 and if fo, will not this follow, that there are ma- 
 ny, yea, even the thick and throng of the hearers 
 of the gofpel, that believe not, and who, if 
 Chrift were gathering finners by this preached 
 g6foel, would not be gathered ? If] where the 
 gqfpel comes, many do not believe ; then here in 
 this city,where the gofpel is preached to a great 
 multitude of profefung members' of the vifible 
 Church, there are readily many that do not be- 
 lieve : or, let me ask of you a reafon why ye do 
 except your felyes ; either this truth holds not 
 fo-unrverfally, or many of you muft fall under it, 
 or elfe give a reafon why you fall not under it 5 
 the truth, which Ifaiah preached, hath been 
 preached to you, and yet ye remain unbelieving, 
 and defpifers of the invitation to the marriage of 
 the King's Son,as the Jews did. We are not now 
 ipeaking of Jews ,Turks, nor Heathens* nor of the 
 Churches in general, nor of other congregations, 
 but of you in Glafgow, that have this gofpel 
 preached amongft you ; and we fay of you, that 
 there are few that believe our report. Think it 
 not our word; the application flows natively 
 from the text, not from neceffity of the thing, 
 but from the ordinary courfe of mens corruption. 
 Are not the fame evidences of the want of faith, 
 which we fpoke of, among you? how -many are 
 there in their life prophane r how many reft on 
 civility and formality V is there not as little re- 
 pentance now, as was in Ifaiab's time ? as little 
 denying of our own righteoufnefs, and making 
 ufe of Chrift's ; tho' the word be taught by 
 line upon line, here a little, and there a little ? 
 
Serm. 6. Ifaiak ft. 
 
 It may be, tho* ye think that the do&rine is 
 true in the general, ye will not, ye cannot digeft 
 the application, that among fo many of you 
 vifiWe profeffors of faith, there are but few real 
 believers ; therefore we fhall follow the convi&i- 
 on a little further, by giving you fome confi- 
 deratipns, to make it out, that we have but too 
 juft ground to make application of the do&rine 
 to you, efpecially confidering the abounding of 
 corruption that is amongft you, that ye may be 
 put to fear the wrath that attends fin, ai I J ' : e 
 to Chrift, for refuge, in time. I. Con.-'-. 
 whom it is that the prophet is fptaking, and of 
 what time : Is it not the times and days of the 
 gofpd ? had not the Spirit (in dieting this 
 text of fcripture) an eye on Scotland , and on 
 GJajgon? and do notour Lord Jefm Chrifl and 
 Paul apply in it their days ? and why then may 
 not we alfo in ours ? and when the Spirit fpeaks 
 cxprefly of the laft times, that they fhall .be 
 perilous, and of the falling away of many,fhould 
 It not give us the hotter allarm ? 2. Do not all 
 things agree to us, as to them ? is not this gofpel 
 the fame ? is our preaching any better than theirs? 
 nay, had they not much more powerful preach- 
 ing? and if that preaching,whieh was much more 
 powerful, had not efficacy, as to many, to work 
 faith in them, what may we expeft to do by our 
 preaching? are not your hearts as deceitful ? are 
 not your corruptions as ftrong?are ye not as bent 
 to kackfliding, as they were ? what fort of folk 
 were they,that were unfruitful hearers?werethey 
 not members of the viflble Church as ye are, 
 circumcifed under the Old Teftament, as ye are 
 baptized under the New ? was it not thofe who 
 had Chrift and his apoftles preaching to them ? 
 yea,they were not among the more ignorant fort, 
 who did not believe, but Scribes and Pbarifees, 
 and thefe not of the prophaneft fort only, but 
 fuch as came to CJhurch, and attended on ordi- 
 nances^ ye do j yea.were fuch as had gifts,and 
 caft out devils, and preached in Chrift's name, 
 as youmay fee, Luke 13. 6. Now,when there are 
 fo many, and of fuch ranks, who get no good 
 of the word, and of fuch, a great many that will 
 feek to enter, and fhall not be able, to whom 
 Chrift will fay, DepartJ know you not,ye work- 
 ers of iniquity; what can be the reafon that many 
 of you do fo confidently aflfert your faith, when 
 there are fcarcely any chara&ers of unbelief, 
 but ye have them ? Or, what can be your ad- 
 vantage, in keeping your felves carnally fecure, 
 when the ftrong man in the mean time is in the 
 houfe ? and to fhut your eyes, and make your 
 necks ftiiF, and to refolve, as it were, not only to \ 
 JyitilV but to die in your unbelief f I periwade 
 
 Verfe U 2j> 
 
 my felf, that many of you, ere long,will he fciade 
 to wonder, that ever ye thought your felves be«* ■ 
 lievers, and will be galled when ye think upon 
 it.that whatever was faid to you,ye would necd^' 
 maintain your prefumptuous faith. When we 
 bid you fufFer the convi&ion to fink, let none 
 put it from themfelves to others, but let every 
 one take it home to himfelF^ altho' we would 
 not have any of you calling loofe what is indeed 
 made fall and well fecurcd, nor overturning a 
 fl-nder and weak building, tho* it were, to 
 fpeak ^o y bat of two (lone height, if it be foun- 
 ded on a right foundation, on the Rock 5 but 
 we fpeak to you, that cannot be brought to fu- 
 fpe£ your felves, when ye have jufl reafon to do 
 fo : fure, this challenge and charge belongs to 
 fome, yea to many, and we would ask what 
 ground have ye to fhift it ? How can ye prove 
 your faith, more than others, that have none at 
 alPThat ye hope ye have faith, will not not do your 
 turn, that's no folid proof : Ye cannot come to 
 Chrift, except made fuitably fenfible of your di- 
 ftance ; and of that ye have never been convin- 
 ced as yet. Do ye think to roll your felves on 
 Chrift fleeping,and ye knew not how ? Certain- 
 ly, when the pins of your tabernacle come to be 
 a loofing, ye (hall iind that your fancied faith 
 fhall not be able to keep out a challenge : Ye 
 could never endure to think your felves to be 
 Chrift's enemy, or that ye wanted faith \ but 
 when death comes, confeience will awaken, and 
 the challenge will needs be in upon you, whe- 
 ther ye will or not. Many of you think that ye 
 get wrong, when your faith is queftioned or re- 
 proved, as if it were an odd and rare thing to be 
 gracelefs, or to be living as members of the vi- 
 fible Church,and yet want faith ; and it irritates 
 you, to be expoftulated with in private for your 
 lying in unblief: but fufFer this word now to take 
 hold of you, I befeech you ; and if ye could once 
 be brought to fufpeft your felves, and to think 
 thus with your felves, What if I be one of thofe 
 many that believe not ? I fear I be in hazard to be 
 miftaken about my faith ; and from that, put to 
 follow on, to fee how ye will be able to ward off 
 the challenge, and to prove your believing to be 
 found, we would think ye were far on ? O if ye 
 had the faith of this truth, that,among the many 
 hearers of the gofpel,there are but few that believe, 
 and were brought thereby to examine and try 
 your felves ! There is no truth,that Chrift infifts . 
 more on,than this,thaLS7r<«f is the gate, and nar~ 
 row is the way toheaven^and that but few find it* , 
 and that there are few that believe, and few thac . 
 be fayed. If ye did oncein earned look on/our 
 
 (elve* - 
 
$+ If alah 53. 
 
 felves as in hazard, and were brought to reflect 
 on matters betwixt God and you, it might be,the 
 
 Verfe *• Sen*. 7. 
 
 Lord would follow the convi&ion. We defire 
 him to do it, and to him be praife. 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 1. Who hath believed our report ? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
 
 IT's a fad matter, and much to be lamented, 
 when the carrying of fuch good news, as 
 is the report of Jel'us Chrift in the gofpel, be- 
 comes unprofitable to them that hear it, and 
 thereby burdenfom to them that carry it ; 
 folk would think, that fuch glad tidings, as 
 make the heavenly hod of angels to ilng, would 
 be very joyful and welcome news to fanners, 
 and alio moft heartfom to them that carry 
 them ; and where the former is, there the latter 
 will be alfo ; where the word becomes ufelefs 
 <and unprofitable to hearers, it is burdenfom, as 
 to the concomitant and effeel:, to honeft mini- 
 fters that fpeak it. Tho' Ifaiah brought thele 
 news, in a very plain, powerful, pleafent, and 
 fweet manner, to the people he preached to, , 
 and that frequently \ yet,in the midft of his fweet 
 prophecies, he breaks out with this complaint, 
 Who hath believed our report? He is crying glad 
 tidings ; yet, taking a look of the unbelief of his 
 hearers now and then, he complains of it to God, 
 in his own name, and in the name of all the mini- 
 fters of the gofpel,that fliould come after him. 
 
 We fhew, that it was a very ordinary thing, 
 where the gofpel comes in greateft plenty and 
 power, for the hearers thereof to meet it with 
 much unbelief; a truth that was verified in 
 Ifaiah his time,and that he forefaw would be ve- 
 rified in the days of thegofpel : and therefore it's 
 
 our report ; not only is it the report of Ifaiah^ 
 but it is the report of Chrifl and of Paul, who 
 
 make the fame complaint, and cite the fame 
 words of Ifaiah \ and,need we doubt of the truth 
 
 of it, when Ifaiah in tbe Old, and Paul in the 
 
 New Teftamcnt, thusVcmplain ? Not to fpeak 
 
 of their, and our Lord and Mafter, who came to 
 
 his oxvn^and his own received him not]& of whom, 
 
 when he came, they hid,Thisis the heir some Jet 
 
 us kill him t> need we, I hy, doubt of the truth 
 
 of the dodtrine, or to think it ftrange to fee it 
 
 fo in our time, and that we have the fame com- 
 
 plaint,when the means (at leaft the inftruments) 
 
 are incomparably far below what they were then, 
 
 tho' it be ftill the fame gofpel ? 
 
 The prophet's fcope is, to give advertifement 
 
 and warning to the hearers of thegofpel, for the 
 
 time to come, of this rife evil, even the aboun- 
 ding of unbelief in them that hear it ; i.That he 
 
 nay prevent the lcandal of the unfruitfulnefs of 
 
 the word where it comes. 2. That he may add. 
 a fpur of excitement to the hearers of the gof- 
 pel, to endeavour to make ufe of it, and not to 
 reft upon means, how powerful and lively fo- 
 ever they be, but to prefs foreward to the end 
 they aim and fhoot at. 3. That he may put 
 folks to the trial, and that they may be brought 
 to look in upon themfel ves, whether they be, or 
 not be, in this black roll of them that receive 
 not the report : and we think, if any thing put 
 folks to be fufpicious of themfelves, and to com- 
 mune with their own hearts about their fours 
 cftate, this fhould do it ; efpecially, when they 
 confider how this evil agrees to all times, and 
 yet more efpecially to the times of the gofpel, 
 and how it is an evil that abounds, not only a* 
 mong the prophane, but among thefe who are 
 civil,and zealous too for the righteoufnefs of the 
 law: It fhould make them put themfelves to the 
 trial, and not to take every thing to be faith, 
 that they fancy to be faith ; for either this do- 
 ctrine is not true, that wherever the pofpel 
 comes, it meets with unbelief in mod part of it's 
 hearers, and cannot be applied to this generati- 
 on ; or, that there is much faith in this gene- 
 ration that we live in, that will not be counted 
 faving faith ; If all of you were believers, there 
 were no ground for this complaint ; and if we 
 will take folks on their own word, we can hardly 
 get a perfon, but will fay, he believes ; fo that the 
 generality of mens hearts run quite contrary to 
 this truth ; and therefore we fay, it is the fcope 
 of this do&rine, and the like, to give folks the 
 allarm, and to putthemto fufpeft and try them- 
 felves. I do not mean, that any mould caft the 
 work of faith where it is indeed, for that is alfo 
 a part of our unbelief j and ordinarily, when un- 
 belief falleth on the one fide, the devil maketb 
 it up on the other, and makes tender fouls que- 
 ftion their faith,when they begin to believe,as if 
 they could mend unbelief with unbelief ; *BuC 
 it is to fuch that we fpeak; who cannot be 
 brought to fufpe& their faith. Certainly ye will 
 wonder one day, that ye fliould have heard fuch 
 a plain truth, and yet would not fo much as 
 ask your own hearts, whether there was reafoa 
 to fufpe<a your want of faith ; as it's faid, that 
 Chrift mar yelkd at their unbelief wko kar d bim # 
 
 £9 
 
Serrh. 7. V**& p< 
 
 fo may we at yours, and ere long ye fhall alio 
 marvel at your (elves on this account. 
 
 Before we profecute this ufe and the reft any 
 further, we fhall fpeak to another do&rine, and_ 
 it is the laft that flows from thefe words, ten- 
 ding to the fame fcope to make us tear at unbe- 
 belief, which the prophet makes fuch a heavy 
 ground of complaint. The doctrine then is, That 
 if there were never fo many under unbelief, and 
 never fo many who refufe to receive Jefus Chrift, 
 yet unbelief is a fin^and a moft finful fin; which, 
 tho folks had no more, will feclude them fryv 
 heaven. There were no grourd for this com- 
 plaint, if it were not fo ; even as the^ prophet 
 would have had no ground to complain of the 
 peoples unbelief, if there were not many unbe- 
 lievers ; fo unbelief is a very great fin, in whom- 
 foever it is, and makes them exceeding finful. 
 Or, take the do&rine thus, If 3 a very great ftn 
 for a people, to whom Chrifl is offered in this go- 
 fpel, not to receive him, and reft upon him for 
 falvation, as he is offered to them therein. And 
 it arifeth from this ground, That where Chrift 
 is not received, there the minifters of the gofpel 
 have ground of complaint; for it fuppofes a great 
 defect of their duty, feeing it is their duty to 
 believe, yea, the great gofpel-duty, on which all 
 •ther duties hang, and which is called for by 
 many ties and obligations : This is his command* 
 went, faith John, in his firft epiftle, chap, 3. 23. 
 that ye believe on the name ofhisSonJefusChrift, 
 therefore it mud be a great fin not to believe. 
 
 There are ihortly three things comprehended 
 in this doctrine (fpeaking now of unbelief, not 
 only as oppofite to hiftorical faith, which, we 
 commonly call infidelity, but as it's oppofite" to 
 faving faith, which we fhew is that which is cal- 
 led for here) 1. That unbelief, or not receiving 
 of Chrift, is a fin, or a thing in its own nature 
 finful : It's a fin, as well as adultery, murder, 
 dealing, lying, fabbath-breaking, CSV. are ; yea, 
 and in the aggravations of it, a fin beyond thefe: 
 it's as contrary to the word and will of God, and 
 is as contrary to the Divine Majefty, as drun- . 
 kennefs, murder, adultery, or any other fin is j 
 the pofitive command of believing beiiag as pe- 
 remptory, plain, and particular, as thefe nega- 
 tive ones are, the breach of it muft be as finful. 
 J2. That there is fuch a kind of fin as unbelief, 
 . befide other fins, and fuch a diftin& duty as be- 
 lieving, that if folks, could do all other duties, 
 if this duty of believing be wanting, they will 
 l>e ftill finful, and there will be ftill ground of 
 complaint : and if faith be a particular duty re- 
 quired, and diftinct from other duties and gra- 
 ces, as it's clear it is, Gah £• 2u then unbelief 
 
 Verfe i. 31 
 
 muft be a particular fin, diftinclt from dtter fins, 
 tho' it hath influence on other fins, as faith hath 
 on other duties ; fo, Rev. 21. 8. it's ranked a- 
 mong the mod abominable fins. The reafon why 
 we mark this, is, becaulc there may be fome, in 
 whom fome grols fins, as adultery, blood-fhed*. 
 and the like, do reign, and they get that name 
 to be called adulterers , murderers, &c. Others 
 may polfibly be free of thefe, who yet have unbe- 
 lief reigning in them ; and therefore they get 
 that name to be called unbelieving, and are rank- 
 ed with the groffcO of evil-doers. 3. That eve? 
 many in the times wherein the fcriptures were 
 written, and in every age fince, are found guilty 
 of this fin, and condemned for it, who are as to 
 feveral other things commended : hence it's faid, 
 Rom. 10. 3. of the, Jews, that they had a \eal 
 cf Cod, which in itfelf is good, though net at" 
 cording to knowledge ; yet it was their main lett 
 and obftru&ion in the way to life, that, being 
 ignorant of God's righteoufnefs, they went about 
 to eflablifb their own : For as much zeal as they 
 had for the law of Mofes, feeing they did not re- 
 ceive Jefus Chrift and his righteoufnefs by faith,' 
 it made any other good thing they had unaccep- 
 table. And the reafon why we mark this, is, that 
 folks may fee that it is not only for grofs fins, 
 and with grofs finners, that the gofpel complains 
 and export ulates ; but it's alfo for not fubmitting 
 unto, and not receiving the righteoufnefs of 
 Chrift : and therefore ye are far miftaken, that 
 think your felves free from juft grounds of chal- 
 lenge, becaufe, forfooth, ye are free of murder, 
 adultery, drunkennefs, and the like. Do ye not 
 confider, that unbelievers are in the fame rank 
 and roll with abominable whoremongers, force- 
 rers, idolaters, and dogs ? And is not unbelief 
 contrary to the command ofGod, as well as mur- 
 der, adultery, and thefe other grofs fins? And 
 therefore folks think little of unbelief, tho' it be- 
 very rife, if they be free of other grofs fins. 4. 
 We fhall add a fourth thing which the do&rine 
 implies, That unbelief, tho' there were no other 
 fin, is exceeding finful, and is, Firft, The great 
 ground that makes God expoftulate with the- 
 hearers of the gofpel, and that makes them come 
 under the complaint, John 5. 40. Te will not come 
 to me, that ye may have life ; .and Matth»2^, 37. 
 How often would J have gathered you, and ye 
 would not ! And, for fubftance, it's the Lord's 
 great complaint of mod of his profefling people, 
 Pfal, 81. 11. I amthe Zcrd thy God; open thy 
 mouth wide, and I will fill it; but my people 
 would net hearken to my voice, and Ifrael would 
 wne~of m$ ; And then follows, that wypsople 
 
 bad 
 
h 1 Ifaiabtf. 
 
 had be&rkned to my Voice ! There is no fin the 
 1 Lord complains more of than this, and it's the 
 great complaint of all his fervants. Secondly, Be- 
 hold how the Lord threatens this fin,and punifhes 
 for it ; fee Pfal. 95.7. and Heb. 3.7. and Heb. 4. 
 8. where he fwears in his wrath againft unbe- 
 lievers, that they fhall not enter into his reft ; 
 adultery and murder do not more certainly 
 keep men from heaven than this fin of unbelief 
 doth •, yea, they are clafTed together, Rev.2i> 8. 
 fee alfo Luke 12. 46. where the fevered judg- 
 ment that is executed is upon unbelievers ; and 
 in the man that had the offer of Chrift, and did 
 toot receive it, and put on the wedding -garment, 
 hlatth* 22.12, 13. fee it alfo in the words that are 
 pronounced againft Chora\in,Bethfaida,2LX\a\ Ca- 
 frrnaum, Matth* 1 1. and our bleffed Lord Jefus 
 loves not (to fpeak fo) to pronounce woes, but to 
 Hefs his people ; yet when they have the offer 
 •i life thro* him, and will not receive it, he pro- 
 Iflunces wo after wo upon them ; and of what 
 ort were they ? even beyond thefe that came u- 
 ^on Tyrus and Sidon,wpon Sodom and Gomorrah : 
 we think fuch threatnings as thefe fhould make 
 folks not to think unbelief a light, or little fin ; 
 or, that there is any ground of quietnefs, fo long 
 as they are in a fdf-righteous condition,and have 
 not their peace made with God through Chrift. 
 Thirdly, Look further,to the greatnefs of this, in 
 the ftrange names that the Lord puts upon it, 
 I John 5 . 1 1 . He that believes not, hath made Gcd 
 a liar; and is there any fin that hath a groffer 
 name, or effect than this ? for it receives not the 
 report which he hath given of his Son : he tells 
 folks that happinefs is to be gotten in him only, 
 and they think to be happy tho' they take another 
 way ; they believe not the report, for if they be- 
 lieved it, they would receive Chrift as their life. 
 See further what names are given to it, Heb.6. 6. 
 and Heb, 10. 20. which tho' they be there given, 
 with other aggravations of finning willfully \witb 
 £efpite,&c, with refpecl: to the unpardonable fin, 
 yet who are they that live under the gofpel and 
 believe not, but in a great meafure they will be 
 found capable of moft of them at leaft ? It's cal- 
 led a crucifying of the Son of God aftejh, a putting 
 him to open fhatne,f£c. and who are they that do 
 this,and on what ground ? It's unbelievers thro' 
 their unbelief; they think not Chrift worth the 
 laving, and reject all that is fpokenof him, and 
 cry, Away voith him, as the Jew s did ; and as to 
 their particular guilt, they crucifie him, for they 
 cannot refufe him, without affronting him ; and 
 can there be fuch an affronting of him, as when 
 he condefcends fo very low, to think fo little 
 
 Ver( * e u Serm.7. 
 
 of him? fourthly, Confider the expreffions, 
 under which he fets out his being affe&ed 
 (to fay fo) with this fin ; he was fo affected with 
 it, Mark 3. 5. that it's faid, He w as grieved for 
 their unbelief-. He had had many forrows and 
 griefs, and fuffered many things, but this grie- 
 ved him fome way more than all did. And it's 
 faid, Mark 6. 6. That he marveled, becaufe of 
 their unbelief', it's not faid that he marvelled at 
 their adulteries, and their grofs fins ; but that, 
 when he was taking fuch a convincing way to 
 ^emonftrate to them hisGod-head,yet they would 
 not believe on him, he marvelled at that ; %o\ 
 Luke 19,41. it's faid, that when he camenearto 
 Jerufalem, he wept over it', and why? the fol- 
 lowing words tell us, that thou had known in 
 this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace ! 
 That is, O that thou hadft believed, and recei- 
 ved the gofpel, at leaft in this thy day, (tho" 
 thou did it not before) when thou wert,and art 
 fo plainly and powerfully called to this duty ; and 
 ye may know that it behoved to be fome great 
 thing that made him to weep, when all that the 
 devil, and Pontius Pilate and the Jews could 
 do, made him not to weep. It's faid, Mattb. 1 1. 
 that he upbraided thefe cities that he had preach- 
 ed much in, on this ground ; fure, when be 
 that gives liberally, and upbraids none, does up- 
 braid for this fin, it ihews how much he was 
 prelfed with it. And, Luke 14. 21. it's faid of 
 this fin that it angred him, and he is not eafily 
 angred : Sinners need not fear to anger him, by 
 coming to him ; but when they come not, he is 
 angry. It's faid, Matth.22. 7. He was wroth at 
 this fin ; and it's on this ground, that, Pfal. 2. 
 12. we are bidden, Kifs the Son, left be be angry , 
 that is, to exercife faith in him ; for if we do it 
 not, he will be angry, and we will perifh. There 
 are other aggravations of this fin, which we 
 leave till we come to the application. 
 
 Ufe 1. Is there not as much here, tho' folks 
 had no more but their unbelief, as may make 
 them know, it's an evil and bitter thing, and as 
 may make them fear at it, and ilee from it, and 
 to fear left they be found under the guilt of it, 
 when called to a reckoning ; efpecially when un- 
 belief is fo rife, that but few iufpe& themfelves 
 or fear it; there is hardly any ill,but ye will foon- 
 • ner take with it, than this of unbelief; and 
 there is no duty nor grace that ye more readily 
 think ye perform and have, than this of faith ; 
 and it is come to that height, that folks think 
 they believe always, and know not what it is to 
 misbelieve : Do ye think that this prefumptuous 
 and fancied faith will be counted for faith, or 
 
 that 
 
Serm 7. Ifaah $3« 
 
 that Chrift, who fifts faith narrowly,, will let it 
 pafs for faving faith ? no certainly. 
 
 Ufe 2. Is there not here ground of advertife- 
 ment, wakening, roufmg, and allarming to ma- 
 ny, that think themfclves free of ether challen- 
 ges ; if the Spirit were coming powerfully to 
 convince of fin, it would be of this, Becaufethey 
 believe not, as it is, f-ohn 16. 9. and we are per- 
 fwaded many of you had need oC this convicti- 
 on, that never once queftions your having of 
 faith, or care not whether ye have it or not. 
 Put thefe two do&rines together, That unber 
 licrf is an abominable fin, and that it's notwith- 
 ftanding a very rife fin, and let them fink deep 
 into your hearts, and they will put you to other 
 thoughts of heart ; if this plain truth of God 
 prevail not with you, we know not what will 
 do it : But the time cometh when ye fhall be 
 undeniably convinced of both, that unbelief is 
 a great fin, and that it is a very rife fin ; and of 
 this alfo, that it is an abominabl« and lothfom 
 thing, and very prejudicial and hurtful to- you. 
 
 Ufe 3. And therefore, a third ufe, If it be fo, 
 let us ask this queftion, How comes it to pafs, 
 that fo many,in trying their ftate,and in ground- 
 ing of it, lay fo little weight on faith, and think 
 fo little of unbelief ? lam fpeaking to the gene- 
 rality of you, and let not others wrong themfelves, 
 nor miftake the intent of this fcripture ; how is 
 it, I fay, that the generality of you that hear 
 this gofpel come under this common and epi- 
 demick temper, or rather diftemper, to main- 
 tain your peace and confidence, when ye can 
 (in the mean time) give fo little proof of it ? 
 Think ye that faith cannot be a muling, or mi- 
 ftaken,or that it is ordinary and common, or that 
 it isindifFcrent,whether ye have it or not? we are 
 perfwaded that many of you think,that if ye have 
 a good mind (as ye call it ) and a fquare civil bo- 
 red walk, and keep dill your good hope, that all 
 will be well ; ye never doubt, nor queftion whe- 
 ther ye have received Chrift or not : but if un- 
 belief ly in your bofom,(Imean not,doubting def- 
 -'peration,or queftioning of the God-head,but the 
 not receiving of Chrift,and his righteoufnefs)tho' 
 ye had more than ordinary hypocrites liave, ye 
 will for this fin of unbelief find your felves under 
 the (landing curfe of God; for our Lord hys,Jchn 
 3.1 8. He that believes not, is condemned already ; 
 and v. 36. The wrath of God abideth on him. 
 
 In preffing of this Ufe, I fhall (hew, by a few 
 aggravations of this fin,why the Lord layeth fo 
 ouich weight upon it, and that,not fo much as it 
 oppoieth raith,asitis a condition of the covenant 
 of grace, and a mean to unite us to Chrift ; but 
 mainly as it is a fin thwarting his command : 
 
 Verfe'i. 33 
 
 And, 1. It thwarteth with both the law and the 
 gofpel ; it thwarteth with the commands of the 
 firft table, and Co is a greater fin than murder 
 or adultery, nay than fodomy, tho' thefe be 
 great, vile and abominable fins : which may be 
 thought ftrange, yet it's true •, it makes the per- 
 fon guilty of it more vile before God, than a 
 Pagan-fodomite ; the nature of the fin being 
 more hainous, as being againft the firft table of 
 the law, in both the firft and fecond commands 
 thereof ; it being by faith in God. that we make 
 God our God, and worfhip God in Chrift accep- 
 tably. Next, it's not only a iin againft the law, 
 but a fin againft the gofpel, and the prime flower 
 (to fpeak fo) of the gofpel; it comes in contra- 
 di&ion to the very defign of the gofpel,- which 
 is to manifeft the glory of the grace of God, in 
 bringing finners to believe on Chrift, and to be 
 faved through him ; but he can do no great 
 things of this fort amongft unbelieving people, 
 becaufe of their unbelief; itbindeth up his hands, 
 as it were, (to fpeak Co with reverence) that 
 he cannot do them a good turn. 2. It ftrikes 
 more narrowly againft the honour of God, and 
 of the Mediator, and doth more prejudice to the 
 miniftry of the gofpel, and caul'eth greater de- 
 finition of fouls, than any other fin. It's pof- 
 fible, notwithftanding of other fins, that Chrifc 
 may have fatisfaftion for the travel of his foul, 
 and there may be a relation bound up betwixt 
 him and finners notwithftanding of them; but 
 if this fin of unbelief were univerfal, he fhould 
 never get a foul to heaven : the falvation of fouls 
 isca.\]ed,thepleafurecftbeLord,b\itthisobftru&$ 
 it, and clofeth the door betwixt finners and ac- 
 cefs to God. It ftrikes alfo at the main fruit of 
 the miniftry, it makes them complain to God, 
 thakthe word is not taken off their hand: it fru- 
 ftrates the very end of the miniftry,and it comes 
 neareft the deftruAion of immortal fouls ; we 
 need not fay, it brings on, but it holds and keeps 
 on the wrath of God on finners for ever, He that 
 believeth net (as we fhew before from John 3.)/$ 
 condemned already, and thi wrath of God abided 
 en him* 3. More particularly, There is nothing 
 in God,(even that which is moft excellent in him, 
 if we may fpeak £0, not accepted; but it ftrikes a- 
 gainft it : it ftrikes againft hisgrace,andfruftrates 
 that ; when Chrift is not received, fome fort and 
 degree of defpite is done to the Spirit of grace ; 
 unbelievers thwart with him in the way of his 
 grace, and will have no fpiritual good from him: 
 It. comes in oppofition to his goodnefs ; for,where 
 unbelief reigns, he hath no accefs, in a man~ 
 ner> to communicate it .• It ftrikes againft his 
 p faith* 
 
34 Jfaiab fc.- 
 
 faithfulnefs j there is no weight laid on his pro- 
 miles, ij. counts him a liar .* In a word, it ftrikes 
 againll all his attributes. 4. There is no fin 
 that hath fuch a train of Tad confluences fol- 
 lowing on it : it's that which keeps all other iins 
 lively ; for none hath vi&ory over any fin but 
 the believer: the unbeliever lies as a bound'flave 
 to every fin, and it's impoilible to come to the 
 acceptable performance of any duty without 
 faith, for none can come fuitably to any duty 
 without a promifc, and can any but a believer 
 comfort himfelf in ufc making of any promife ? 
 We fliall clofe our difcourfe, with {peaking 
 a word to that which we hinted at before, even 
 to let you fee, not only the rifenefs of unbe- 
 lief, but the great hazard that flows from it, and 
 the exceeding great evil of it. If we be only 
 convinced of the rifenefs of it, it will not much 
 trouble us, except we be alfo convinced, and 
 believe the hazard of it: but if we were con- 
 vinced of both, thro' God's blcffing it might af- 
 fe& us us, more and neceflitate us to make more 
 ufe of Chrift. Ye that (land yet at a diftance 
 from Chrift, can ye endure to ly under this great 
 guilt, and ground of controverfie that is betwixt 
 him and you ? do ye think little to hazard on his 
 
 Verf e I. Scrm. S. 
 
 upbraidings and woes^even fuch woes as are be- 
 yond thefe that came on Sjdom, the heavy curfe 
 and malediction of God ? and yet we fay to you 
 who are'moft civil, difcreet. formal, and blame- 
 lefs in your converfaticn, if there be not a flee- 
 ing in earneft to Chriil:, and an exercifing of 
 faith on him, the wrath of God not only waits 
 for you, but it abides on you. O tremble at 
 the thoughts of it ; it were better to have your 
 head thruft'in the fire, than your fouls and bo- 
 dies to be under the wrath and curfe of God for 
 ever. It's not only the ignorant, prophane, 
 drunkard, fwearer, adulterer, whoremonger, C5v! 
 that we have to complain of, and expoftulate 
 with, but it's the unbeliever, who,tho' he be lift 
 up to heaven, fhall be cad down to the pit of 
 hell. If ye ask, What is all this that we would 
 be at ? it's only this in a word, we would have 
 you receiving Chrift ; if ye think that unbelief 
 is an exceeding great evil, and that it's an hor- 
 ribly hazardous thing to ly under it, then hafte 
 you out of it to Chriil ; O ! hafte, hafte you out 
 of it to Chrift ; kifs the Son, left be be angry ; 
 embrace him, yield to him ; there is no other 
 poflible way to be free of the evil, or to pre- 
 vent the hazard. 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Kaiah liii. 1. Who hath believed cur report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed I 
 
 IT's a great encouragement and delight to the 
 minifters of thegofpel, and it's comfortable 
 and refrefhing to hearers,when the meffage ofthe 
 gofpel is received, and our Lord Jefus Chrift is 
 welcomed; but on the contrary, it's burdenfom 
 & heavy, when there are few or none that believe 
 arid receive the report, when their labour and 
 flrength is fpent in vain, and when all the affem- 
 bjings of them together, that hear the word of 
 the gofpel, is but a treading ofthe Lord's courts 
 in vain : if there were no more to prove it, this: 
 complaint of Ifaiab, ipeaking in his own name, 
 and in name of all the minifters of the gofpel, is 
 lufficient ; for as comfortable meffages as he car- 
 ried (and he carried as comfortable meffages as 
 any that we hear of) yet there was a general 
 r.on-profiting by the word of the gofpel in his 
 mouth. When we meet with fuch words as 
 thefe, our hearts fliould tremble, when we conr 
 fider, how general and rife an evil unbelief, .and 
 the not receiving of Chrift, is ; how horrible 
 a fin, how abominable to God> and how hazar- 
 1 dous and deftru&ive to our felves, it is ; and 
 how-#Rf e a thing it is to fee, or find any number 
 Relieving and receiving this meflageof the gofpel. 
 
 We fpoke from thefe words to thefe doBrines t 
 Firft, That where the gofeel comes, it makes 
 offer of Jefus Chrift to all that hear it. Secondly, 
 That the great thing called for, in the hearers 
 ofthe gofpel, is faith in him. Thirdly, That yet 
 notwithstanding, unbelief is an exceeding rife 
 evil in the hearers of the gofpel. Fourthly, That 
 it's a very finful, heavy and fad thing, not to re- 
 ceive Chrrift, and believe in him. All which 
 are implied in this fhort, but fad complaint^ 
 Who hath believed our report ? 
 
 We would now profecute the ufe, and fcope 
 of this. Thelaft ufc was an ufe of convi&ion 
 of, and expoftulation with, the hearers of the 
 gofpel, for their being fo fruitlefs under it ; 
 ierving to difcover a great deceit among hearers, 
 who ( think they believe,and yet do it not;whenc<? 
 it is that fo many are miftaken about their fouls 
 ftate, and moft certainly the generality- are mi- 
 ftaken, who live, as if believing were a thing 
 common to all profeffors of faith; while as it is 
 fo rare, and there are fo very few that believe. 
 
 The next ufe is, an ufe of exhortation to you, 
 That feeing unbelief is fo great an evil,ye would 
 
 by- 
 
5erm. 8. . Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 by all means efchew it ; and feeing faith is the 
 only way to receive Chrift, and to come at life 
 thro' him, ye would feek after it, to prevent 
 the evil of unbelief : this is the fcope of the 
 words, yea, and of all our preaching, that when 
 Chrift, and remiflion of fins thro' him, is preach- 
 ed to you, ye would by faith receive him, and 
 • reft upon him, fer obtaining right 60 him and to 
 the promifes, and for preventing of the threat- 
 nings and curfes that abide unbelievers. We fhall 
 not again repeat what faith is ; only in fhort it 
 comes to this, that feeing Chrift hath fatisiied 
 juftice for finners, and his fatisfa&ion is offered 
 in the gofpel to all that will receive it,even to all 
 the hearers of the gofpel; that flnners,in the fight 
 and fenfe of their loft condition, would flee into 
 him, receive and reft upon him, and his fatis- 
 fa&ion, for pardon of fin, and making of their 
 peace with God. Is there need of arguments to 
 perfwade you to .this? If ye be convfnced of your 
 ■iinfulnefs,and of your loft eftate without Chrift, 
 and that there is a judgment to come, when fin- 
 ners muft appear before him, and be judged ac- 
 cording to that which they have done in the bo- 
 dy; and if yet have the faith of this, that finners 
 that are not found in Chrift, cannot ftand (as, 
 by the way, wo to that man that is not found 
 in him, if it were a Paul ; For even he, he is 
 only happy by being found in him, not having 
 his own righteoufnefs, but Chrift's) and with- 
 al, that there is no other way to be found in 
 him but by faith (which is that which Paul 
 hath for his main fcope, Phil. 3. 9, 10.) Then, 
 to be found in him by faith, fhould be your 
 main work and ftudy ; this is that we fhould 
 defign and endeavour, and to this we have accefs 
 by the gofpel ; and it is in fhort, to be denuded 
 of', and denied to our own righteoufnefs, as to 
 any weight we lay upon it for our juftification 
 before God,and to have no other thing but Chrift's 
 righteoufnefs, offered in the gofpel, and receiv- 
 ed by faith, to reft upon for juftification, and 
 making of our peace withGod: This is it that we 
 command you to flee to,and by all means to feek 
 an intereft in, that when the gofpel makes offer 
 of Chrift, and righteoufnefs thro' his fatisfa&i- 
 on, and commands you to believe in him, when 
 it lays him to your door, to your mouth and 
 heart, that ye would roll, and lay your felves 
 over onhim, for the making of your peace, and 
 the bearing of you thorow in the day of your 
 reckoning before the tribunal of God. 
 
 That we may fpeak the more clearly to this 
 ufc, we fhall fhortly fhew you, 1. What ground 
 a loft finner hath to receive Chrift, and to lip- 
 pen to him. 2. What warrants and encourage- 
 
 Verfe 1. 35 
 
 ments a finner hath to lean and lippen to this 
 ground. 3. We fhall remove a doubt or two, 
 that may ftand in the way of finners refting on 
 this ground. 4. We fhall give fome dire&ions 
 to further you to this. And, 5. We fhall 
 give you fome chara&ers of one that is tenderly 
 taking this way of believing. And becaufe this 
 is the way of the gofpel, and we are fure there 
 is not a word ye have more need of, or that 
 thro' God's blefling may be more ufeJul, and 
 there is not a word more uneontrovertible,which 
 all of you will affent to the truth of, to wit, that 
 there is a great good in believing, and a great 
 evil in unbelief, we would exhort you the more 
 ferioufly to lay it to heart : O ! think not that 
 our coming to fpeak and hear, is for the fafhion, 
 but to profit; caft your (elves therefore open 
 to the exhortation, and let the word, of faith 
 fink down into your hearts> confidering that 
 there is nothing you have more need of than 
 of faith, and that ye will not find it fafe for you 
 to hazard your fouls on your own righteoufnefs, 
 or to appear before God without Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnels,and that the only way to come by it is 
 faith : This may let you fee the neceflity of be- 
 lieving, and that it is of your concernment to 
 try how it is with you as to that ; and therefore, 
 again and again, we would exhort you in the 
 fear of God, that ye would not negle£ fo great 
 a falvation, which through faith is to be ob- 
 tained, but lay it to heart, as ye would not 
 have all the fervants of God, who have preached 
 the gofpel to jou, complaining of you. It is our 
 bane, that we fufpeet not our felves ; and indeed 
 it is a wonder, that thefe who have immortal 
 fouls, andprofefs faith in Chrift, fhould )-et live 
 fo fecure, and under fo little care, and holy fo- 
 licitude to know, whether they have believed or 
 not, and fhould with fo little ferious concerned- 
 nefs, put the matter to a trial : But we proceed 
 to the particulars we propofed to fpeak to. 
 
 And firft to this, That ye have a good folid 
 ground to believe on ; for clearing of which,we 
 would put thefe together. ?. Thefulnefs andfuf- 
 iiciency of the Mediator Jefus Chrift, in whom 
 all the riches of the gofpel are treafured up, in 
 whom, and by whom- our happinefs comes, and 
 who wants nothing that may fit him to be a Savi- 
 our, who is able tofave to the uttermoft all that 
 come unto God by him* 2.The well-orderednefs, 
 freenefs,andfulnefsofthe covenant of grace,w here- 
 in it is tranfa&ed, thatthefulnefs, that is in the 
 Mediator Chrift,fliall be made forthcoming to be- 
 lievers in him; and by which loft finners 3 that by 
 faith flee unto him, have a folid right to his fa- 
 F 2 tis- 
 
3 5 Jfalab ft, 
 
 tisfacYion, which will bear them out before God ; 
 by which tranfa<5Uon,Chrift's fatisfa&ion is made 
 as reallv theirs, when by faith it is clofed with, 
 as if they hadfatisfied and paid the price thcm- 
 felves, 2 Cor "J. 2i. He,wbo knew no fin, was made 
 fin for us, that we might be made tberighteoufnefs 
 of God in him. And this coniideration,of the le- 
 gality and order of the covenant, ferves exceed- 
 ingly to clear our faith as to the ground of it, 
 becaufe by this covenant it's tranfa&ed and a- 
 greed upon, that Chrift {hall undergo the penal- 
 ty, and that the believer in him fhall be recko- 
 ned the righteous perfon : if there be a reality in 
 ChrilVs death and fatisfa&ion to julHce, if he 
 hath undergone the penalty and paid their debt, 
 there is a reality in this tranfa&ion, as to the 
 making over of what he hath done and fuffered, 
 to believers in him ; and the covenant being 
 fure and firm as to his part, he having confirm- 
 ed it by his death, it is as fure and firm, as to 
 the benefit of it, to the believer in him. 3. The 
 nature of the offer of this grace in the gofpel, 
 and the nature of the gofpel, that makes the 
 offer of the fulnefs that is in Chrift; by vertue of 
 the covenant : It is. the word of God, and hath 
 his authority, when we preach it according to 
 his command, as really as when he preached it 
 himfelf in Capernaum, or any where elie : even 
 as the authority of a king is with his ambauador, 
 according to that,20r.5 penult V.We arc ambaf- 
 fadors for Cbrift-^as tbo' G od did befeech you by us\ 
 there is the lather % warrant and name interpo- 
 sed ; and for the Son's, it follows, We pray you in 
 Cbrift's flead be ye reconciled to God. Add to 
 this, the nature of the offer, and the terms of 
 it ; there is no condition required on our part, 
 as the precife condition of the covenant, but be- 
 lieving: Now,when thefe are conjoined, we put it 
 to your confcience,if ye have not a good ground 
 to lippen to, and a fufficient foundation to build 
 on ; and if fo, it ought tobe a powerfully attra- 
 ctive motive to draw you to believe in him, and 
 to bring you to reft on him by believing. 
 
 Secondly, We have alfo many warrants and 
 encouragements to ftep foreward, and when 
 Chrift in his fulnefs lays himfelf before you, to 
 roll over your felveson him,and to yield to him : 
 If we could fpeak of them fuitably,they are fuch 
 as may remove all fcarring that any might have 
 in coming to .him, and may ferve to leave others 
 inexcufable, and unanfwerably to convince them, 
 that the main obftru&ion was in themfelves, and 
 that they would not come unto him for life ; he 
 called to them, but none would exalt him. 1. 
 Do ye not think that the offer of this gofpel is a 
 fWficient warrant, and ground of encouragement 
 
 Verfe r. SeiW .% 
 
 to believe on him? and if it be fo to others,ought 
 it not to be a fufficient warrant and encourage- 
 ment to you? when he fays,P/i/. 81.10. Open thy 
 mputh wide, and I will fill it : what excufe can ye 
 have to fhift or refule the offer ? ij:ye think Chirit 
 real in his commands, is he not as real in his 
 offers ? 2. He hath fo ordered the adminiftrati- 
 on of this gofpel, as he hath purpofely preven- 
 ted any ground that folks may have of icarring 
 to clofe with Chrift •, he hath fo qualified the ob- 
 je&s of this grace in the gofpel, that thefe in all 
 the world that men would think ihould be feclu- 
 ded, are taken in to be fharcs of it ; tor it's fin- 
 nersjcfl finners,f elf- deftr oyer s, ungodly, tbefbeep 
 that have wandred, the poor, the needy y t be naked % 
 the captives, the prifomrs, the blind, &c. accor- 
 ding to that oUfa. 61, 1, i.The Spirit of the Lord 
 God is upon me *, he bath fent me to preach glad 
 tidings to the meek or poor, to bind up the broken- 
 hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, tbs 
 opening of the prifon to them tfiat are bound, &c. 
 And lfa. 55. 1. thefe, who are invited to come to 
 the cried fair of grace, are fuch as are thirfty,and 
 fuch as want money \ who among men ufe to be 
 fccluded, but in grace's market they only are wel- 
 come ; it's to them that grace fays, Ho,come,an& 
 Rev. 22,. 17. Whofoever will, let him come arid 
 tale of the water of life freely. It's not only, to 
 fay fo with reverence, thefe whom he willeth, 
 but it's, whofoever will : and (o, if thou wilt 
 come, grace puts the offer into thy hand, as it 
 were,to carve on ; to let us kn»w,that he allows 
 ftrong confolation to believers, and that either 
 the hearers of this gofpel fhall believe, or be left 
 without all excuie. He hath it to fay, as it is, 
 lfa. ^.Wbat could I have done to my vineyard,that 
 1 have not done f if ye had the offer at your own 
 carving,what could ye put more in it I it cannot 
 be more free tha~n without money, it cannot be 
 be more ferioufly preffed than with a Ho, and 
 Oyes,to come. Sometimes he complains, as John 
 5. 40. Te will not come to me, that ye might have 
 life ; and fometimes weeps and moans, becaufe 
 finners will not be gathered, as Luke 19. 41, 42. 
 and Mattb. 23. 37«Can there beany greater evi- 
 dences of reality in any offer ? A third warrant 
 is from the manner and form of ChrilVs admini- 
 ftration : he hath condefcended to make a cove- 
 nant and many promifes, to draw folks to be- 
 lieve \ to which he hath added his oath,fwearing 
 by himfelf, when he had not a greater to fwear 
 by,fbr our confirmation and confolation, as it is, 
 Hsb.6. 16, 17. And among men, ye know, that 
 an oath puts an end to all controverfy ; and what 
 would ye, or could ye feek more of God, than 
 
 his 
 
Scrm. S. V* iab K- 
 
 bis faying,writing, and fwearing ? he hath done 
 ■all this, that tbe heirs ofpromife may haveflrong 
 £(ififolation> who are fled for refuge to the bopefet 
 before them* O ! will ye not trow and credit God, 
 when he fwears ? Among other aggravations 
 of unbelief, this will be one, that by it ye make 
 Cod not only a liar, but perjured \ a heavy, hai* 
 nous, and horrid guilt on the {core of all unbe- 
 lievers of this gofpel. 4. To take away all con- 
 .troverfy, he hath interpofed his command, yea, 
 .it's the great command, and in a manner, the one 
 r command of the golpel, i- fahn 3. 2?. This is bis 
 commandment ^that ye believe en tbe name of his 
 Son JcfusCbrifi ; and therefore the offer or' the 
 golpel, and promulgation of it, cometh by way 
 of command, Ho> come, believe, &c. whereby the 
 Lord would tell the hearers of the gofpel, that 
 it is not left to their own option, or as a thing 
 .indifferent to them, to believe, or not to believe ; 
 but it's laid on them by the neceflity of a com- 
 mand to believe ; and if ye think ye may and 
 ihould pray,fan£Hfy thefabbath,or obey any other 
 command, becaufe he bids you, there is the fame 
 authority enjoyning and commanding you to" 
 believe, and as great neceflity lieth on you to 
 give obedience to this command,as to any other; 
 do not therefore think it humility not to do it, 
 for obedience is better than facrifice. 
 
 For your further encouragement to believe, I 
 would fay three words, which ye would alfo look 
 upon as warrants to believe, and by them know 
 that it is a great fin not to believe. 1. Ye have 
 no lefs ground or warrant than ever any that 
 went before you had ; David,Mofcs,? aid ,&e.had 
 no better warrant ; my meaning is, ye have the 
 fame covenant, the fame word and promifes, 
 Chrift and his fulnefs, God and his faithfulnefs 
 offered to you, the fame warrant that God hath 
 given to all his people fines ever he had a 
 -Church 5. and do ye not think but it will be a fad 
 and grievous ground of challenge againft you, 
 when ye fhall fee others, that believe on the fame 
 grounds that ye have, fit down in the kingdom 
 of heaven, and your felves as proud rebels fhut 
 out ? Whatever difference there be as to the main 
 work of grace, and of God's Spirit on the heart 
 in the working of faith, yet the ground of faith 
 is the word, that all hear who arc in the vifible 
 Church ; and ye having the fame Ground and 
 Objeft of faith in your offer, there will be no ex- 
 cufe for you, if ye do not believe. A 2d encou- 
 ragement is, That the ground of faith is fo folid 
 and good, that it never difappoints anyone that 
 leans to it ; and count the gofpel a fecklefs and 
 infignirlcant thing who will, it fhall have this 
 teftimoDyjwhich damned unbelievers ihall carry 
 
 Verfe 1, 37 
 
 to hell with them,that it vo*s thepsvtir cfGd u 
 falvation to them that believed ; and that there 
 was v nothing in the gofpel itfelf that did pre* 
 judge them of the good of it, but that they pre- 
 judged themfelves, who did not lippen to it : 
 Therefore the word is called, Gold tried i;i tie 
 fire \ all the promifes having a being from Jib*- 
 vah himfelf, .one jot or one title of them cannot 
 fail, nor fall to the ground. 3. If ye were to 
 carve out a warrant to your felves, as I hinted 
 before, what more could ye defire ? what mtfs 
 ye in Chrift ? what clauie can ye defire to be 
 . infert in the covenant, that is not in it ? It con- 
 tains pardon of fin, healing of your backflidings, 
 and what not I and he hath faid, fealed, arid 
 fworn it ; and what more can ye require ? There- 
 fore we would again exhort you, in the name 
 Of Jefus Chrift, and in his ftead, net to negle& 
 fo great a falvation, O ! receive the grace of 
 God, and let it not be in vain. 
 
 In the third p1ace,Let us fpeak a word or two 
 to foms objections or fcruples, which may be 
 moved in reference to what hath been faid. And, 
 1/?, It may be fome will- fay, that the cove- 
 nant is not broad enough, becaufe all are ncte- 
 le&ed, all are not redeemed nor appointed to be 
 heirs of falvation ; upon which ground, tem- 
 ptation will fometime Co far prevail, as to waken 
 up a fecret enmity at the gofpel : But, 1. How/ 
 abfurd is this realbning ? Is there any that can 
 rationally defire a covenant fo broad, as to take 
 in all, as neceffarily to be faved by it ? there is 
 much greater reafon to wonder that any fhould 
 be faved by it, than there is if all fhould perifh: 
 befide, we are not now fpeaking to the effects, 
 but to the nature of the gofpel ; Co that, who- 
 ever perifh, it is not becaufe they were not e- 
 le&cd, but becaufe they believed not ; and the 
 bargain is not of the lefs worth,nor the lefsfure, 
 becaufe fome will not believe : and to fay, that 
 the covenant is not good enough, becaufe fo many- 
 perifh ; ^ it's even as if ye fhould fay, it's not a 
 good bridge, becaufe fome will not take it, but 
 adventure to go thorow the water, and fb drown 
 themfelves. 2. 1 would ask, Would ye overturn 
 the whole courfe of God's adminiftration, and' 
 of the covenant of his grace ? Did he ever apri- 
 ori.ox at fir ft hand, tell folks that they were ele- 
 cted ? who ever got their eleftion at the very firft . 
 revealed to them ? or, who are now before the 
 throne, that ever made the keeping up of this fe-- 
 cret from them, a bar or impediment to their 
 believing ? God's eternal purpofe or decree * 
 is not the rule of our duty, nor the warrant 
 of our faith, but his -revealed vnllin his word. 
 
2» JJttao $3. 
 
 Let us feek to come to the knowledge of God's 
 decree of election apofleriori, or by the effects, 
 .which is a lure way of knowledge*, our thwar- 
 . ting with his word, to know his decree, will not 
 excufe,but make us more guilty j He bathjhewed 
 thee , Q man, hith^Micab « ch&p> 6,%, what is 
 good; and what doth the Lord require of tbeefoc. 
 And if any will fcruple and demur on this 
 ground to clofe'the bargain, let them be aware 
 that they provoke him not to bring upon them 
 their own fears, by continuing them under that 
 fcrupling and demurring condition. Ye cannot ' 
 poflibly evite hazard, by looking on only, and not 
 making ufe of Chrift •, therefore do not bring on 
 your own mine by your fear, which may be by 
 grace prevented, and by this way of believing 
 {hall be certainly prevented. 
 
 But 2dly, Some may object and fay, I am in- 
 deed convinced that believing is my duty ; but 
 that being a thing that I cannot do, why there- 
 fore fhould I let about it? Anfvo, 1. This is a 
 mod unreafcnable and abfurd way of reafoning ; 
 for, if it be given way to, what duty Ihould we 
 do P we are not of our felves able to pray,praife, 
 keep the Lord's day, nor to do any other com- 
 manded dutyj fhall we therefore abftain from all 
 duties ? Our ability or fitnefs for duty, is not 
 the rule of our duty, but God's command ; and 
 we are called to put our hand to duty, in the fenfe 
 of our own infufficency, acknowledging God's 
 fufficiency ; which if we did, we fhould find it 
 go better with us : and may not the fame be ex- 
 pected in the matter of believing, as well as in 
 other duties ? 2. None, that ever heard this gof- 
 pel, fhall in the day of judgment have this to 
 object ; none fhall have it to (ay, that they would 
 fain have believed, but their nicer infirmity, 
 weaknefs and inability did impede them .* ?ot y 
 tho' it be our own fin and guilt that we are un- 
 able* yet, where the gofpel comes, that is not the 
 controverfy, but that folks would not come to 
 Chrift,wou!dnotbegathered,thatw r henhewould, 
 they would not; for, where there is a will, to will 
 and to do go together: But it's enmity at the way 
 of believing, fecurity, ftupidity, fenflefnefs, and 
 carelefnefs what become of the immortal foul, 
 that mines folks ; forthe foul, that # would fain be 
 at Chrift, lhall be helped to believe .* the reafon 
 is, becaufe the nature of the covenant of grace, 
 and of the Mediator thereof, is fuch, that all 
 to whom he gives to will, he gives them alfo to 
 perform ; and his faithfulnefs is ingaged fo to 
 do. It muft therefore return to one of thefe 
 two, That either ye will not receive him, or 
 elfe ye are willingjtho' weak ;and if ye be willing, 
 
 Verie 1. Serm. $. 
 
 Faithful is be that bath called you,who alfo will do 
 it ; but if it halt at your perverfnets and wilful 
 refufal of the offer, there is good reafon that in 
 God's juftice ye ihould never get good of the 
 gofpel: Najjthere is never one, to whom the gof- 
 pel comes,and who doth not believe, but formally 
 as it were he paiTeth ientence on himfelf, as the 
 word is,Afts 3 1. 46. to judge your felves unwor- 
 thy of eternal life; which the apoftle gathers from 
 this ground, that they did not, neither would ac- 
 cept of Jefus Chrift offered to them in the gof- 
 pel : as the event is that follows on the offer, fo 
 will the Lord account of your receiving of it. 
 
 Fourthly ^,As for directions, to help and further 
 you to believe ; it's not eafy, but very difficult to 
 give them, it being impoffible to fatisfy the cu- 
 riofity of nature ; neither can any directions be 
 prefcribed, that without the fpecial work of 
 God's Spirit can effectuate the thing ; the renew- 
 ing of the will, and the working of faith, being 
 effects and fruits of omnipotent grace : Yet, 
 becaufe fomething lies upon all the hearers of 
 the gofpel as duty, and it being more fuitable 
 and congruous, that in the ufe of means, than 
 when means are neglected, believing fhould be 
 attained; and becaufe oftentimes thefe that de- 
 fire this queftion to be anfwered, to wit, How 
 they may win at believing ? are fuch as have 
 fome beginnings of the work of grace and of 
 faith ; we fhall fpeak a few words to fuch as 
 would be at believing and exercifing of faitb on 
 Jefus Chrift : And, 1. Folk had need to be clear % 
 in the common fundamental truths of the gof-* 
 pel ; they would know what their natural eftare 
 is, what their fin and mifery is, and they would 
 know the way how to win out of that ftate : Ig- 
 norance often obftructs us in the way of believing, 
 Howjhall they believe on him, of whom they have 
 not heard ? Rom. 10. 14. when folks believe not, 
 it is as if they had never heard. 2. When ye 
 have attained to the knowledge of the common 
 truths of the gofpel, as of your fin and mifery, . 
 the nature of the covenant, the Mediator and his 
 fulnefs, &c, labour to fix well the hiftorical faith 
 of them : We are fure that many never come 
 this length, to believe the hiftory of the gofpel ; 
 and,till that be, they can advance no further ; for, 
 as the word is, Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to 
 God> mufl believe that he is, and that he is a re- 
 warder of them that diligently feek him, I fay, 
 thefe common fimple truths of the gofpel 
 would well be fixed by an hiftorical faith ; and 
 yet this would not be refted on, becaufe,, tho' 
 they be excellent truths, yet they may be 
 known and hiftorically believed, where faving 
 
 faith 
 
Serm, 8. *f*'*h ?£ 
 
 faith and falvation follow not. f. Be much in 
 thinking, meditating and pondering of, and on 
 theie things; let them fink down into your hearts, 
 that the meditation of them may fix the faith 
 of them, and that they may deeply arFe& us: 
 w c would feek to have a morally Icrious feeling 
 of them, as we have of the common works of 
 the Spirit. But there are many like the way-fids- 
 bearers, who as foon as they hear the word, 
 fome devil, like a crow, comes and picks it up ; 
 therefore, to prevent this, ye would fcek to 
 have the word of God dwelling richly in you ; 
 ye would meditate on it, till ye be convinced of 
 your hazard, and get the afFe&ions fome way 
 ftirred, according to the nature of the word ye 
 meditate upon, whether threatnings or promifes. 
 The mod part are affected with nothing ; they 
 know not what it is to tremble at a threatning, 
 or fmile, as it were, on a promife, thro 5 their 
 not dwelling on the thoughts of the word, that 
 it may produce fuch an effect. 4. When this is 
 done, folks would endeavour a full up-giving 
 with the law of righteoufnefs as to their juftifi- 
 cation, that if they cannot lb pofitively and flay- 
 edly win to reft on Jefus Chrift and his righteouf- 
 nefs, yet they may lay the weight of their peace 
 with God on no other thing •, they would lay it 
 down for a certain conclufion, that by the works 
 of the law they can never be juftified,and would 
 come with a flopped mouth before God : Thus 
 tender Chriftians will find it fometimes eafier to 
 give up with the law, than to clofe with the gof- 
 pel, as to their diftinft apprehenfion of the thing. 
 5. When this is done, go (as it were) to the top 
 of mount Nebo, and take a look of the pleafant 
 land of promifes, and of Chrift held out in them ; 
 and let your foul fay, O to have the bargain well 
 clofed, to have my heart ftirred up to love him, 
 and to reft upon him ! O to have faith,and to dif- 
 cern it in its actings ! for when the life of faith is 
 fo weak that it cannot fpeak, yet it may breathe ; 
 and tho' ye cannot exercife faith as ye would, 
 fo as to grip to and catch faft hold of the Object, 
 yet effay krioufly to do that far, as to efteem, 
 love and vehemently de$re it; inthis refpe£t,the 
 will i? faid to go before the deed : tho', as to 
 God's begetting of faith, there be a contempora- 
 rinefs of the will and the deed, yet, as to our 
 fenfe, the will outruns the deed ; even as in ano- 
 ther fenfe (tho* it makes well for this purpofe) 
 the apoftle fays, To will is prefent with me, but 
 bow to perform that -which is good I know not $ 
 for we ought to have our will running after 
 Chrift, and believing on him, when we cannot 
 »Jtain to the diftinft actings of it. 
 But it may be here objected and faid, Is not 
 
 Verfe 1. 39 
 
 this preemption ? Anfw. If this were prefamp- , 
 tion, then all we have faid of the warrant of the 
 gofpel to believe, is to no purpofe ; Chrift never 
 counted it preemption to defire and endeavour 
 in his own way to believe on him, for attaining 
 of life through him. To defire heaven and peace 
 with God,and to misken Chrift and pafs him by, 
 were indeed preemption ; but it is not fo, to 
 defire thefe through him. 6. When ye have at- 
 tained to this heart's defire,ifye cannot diftincfc-- 
 ly to your fatisfa&ion act believing on Chrift, ye 
 wou'.d firmly refolve to believe, and effay it, and 
 fay, This is the way I will and muft take, and 
 no other,-' as David faith, Pfal. 16. 2. my foul, 
 thou haft faid unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord* 
 Hence the exercife of faith is called a choefmg of 
 God, Deut. 30. 19. and Jofi* 24. And ferioufly, 
 fincerely and firmly to refolve, this is our duty, 
 when we can win to do no more ; and it is no 
 little advancement in believing, when fuch refo- 
 lution to believe, is deliberately and foberly 
 come under. 7. When this is done, folks would 
 not hold at a refolution ; for to refolve, and not 
 to fet forward, will be found to be an empty re- 
 folution : therefore, having refoived (tho' ftiir 
 looking on the refolution as his gift) we would 
 fet about to perform, and believe as we may ; 
 and when wc cannot go, we would creep •, when 
 we cannot fpeak words of faith, we would let 
 faith breathe; when it can neither fpeak nor; 
 breathe diftin&ly, we would let it pant : In a 
 word, to be effay ing the exercife of faith, and 
 often renewing our effay s at it ; which if we did,, 
 we fhould come better fpeed in believing than 
 we do: Thus, tho' ye were walking under a. 
 convi&ion, that ye could do no more at this.tban. 
 a man whofe arm is withered can do to ftretch it-, 
 forth, yet as the man ^vith the withered hand,. 
 at Chrift's word of command, efTayed to ftretch- 
 it forth, and it went with him ; or, as the dif- 
 ciples, when they had toiled long, even all the 
 night, and caught nothing, yet at Chrift's word 
 let down the net, and inclofed a multitude of. 
 fifhes ; fo, tho' ye have eifayed to ad faith often, 
 and yet come no fpeed, yet effaying it again on. 
 Chrift's calling to it,it may,and wiihtbro' grace, 
 go with you. 8. When yet ye come not i'peed 
 as ye would, your fhort-coming fhould be be- 
 moaned and complained' of to God, laying open: 
 to, and before him the heart, who can change 
 it ;^ and ye would have it for a piece of your 
 weight and burden, that your heart comes not 
 fo up to, arfd abides not Co by believing : I 
 would think it a good frame of fpirit, when the. 
 not having of tiis hvarclUnding 1 f fixed & be- 
 lieving 
 
4c Jfaiah '1%, 
 
 lieving, is an exercife and a burden. 9. When 
 all this is done in fome meafure, ye would wait 
 on in doing thus, and would continue in this way, 
 looking to him, who is the Author and-Fintfher 
 of faith, for his influence to make it go with'you. 
 To look to him to be helped, is the way to be hel- 
 ped to believe ; or to pray to him to better and 
 amend faith, is the way to have it bettered and 
 amended: it's faid, Pfal. 34. 5. They looked to 
 him and were lightned, and their faces were not 
 . afbamed. And if it be faid, How can one look 
 that fees not ? It's true blind folk cannot look, yet 
 they may effay to look ; and tho' there be but a 
 glimmering, as the looking makes the faculty of 
 feeing the better and more ftrong, fo the exercife 
 of faith makes faith to increafe ; this is it that 
 thepfalmift hath, PJal. 30. w laft, Be cf good 
 courage, and he [hc-Uftrengthen your heart, all ye 
 
 Verfe ii ( Serm. gl 
 
 that hope in the lord ; that is, if ye be weak,wait 
 on,and he fhall ftrengthen you ; believe,and give 
 not over, tho' to your feme ye come not fpeed. 
 Beginners that . are looking confciencioufly to 
 their way. tho* they have but a glimmering weak 
 fight of Chrift, and be as the man that at firft 
 law men walking as trees ; yet, if they wait on 
 they may attain to a more diftinft feeing, and to 
 a more clofe and firm gripping of Chrift. 
 
 We clofe with this word ofadvertifement,That 
 as we fpeak not of thefe things as being in man's 
 power to be performed, fo neither can they be 
 gone about to purpole, but where there is fome 
 faith and love; yet, when they are at firft look- 
 ed on, they are fome way more within our reach 
 than the diftinft exercife of faith, which is a 
 great my fiery. The Lord blefs his word, and 
 make it ufeful to you. 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 1. Who hath believed our report? an 
 
 IF folks foberly and gravely confidered of what 
 concernment it is to make ufe of the gofpel, 
 and what depends upon the profitable or unpro- 
 fitable hearing of it, how fei;ious would both 
 fpeakers and hearers be ?. This fame poor, mean 
 and contemptible-like way of fpeaking or preach- 
 ing, is the ordinary way that God hath chofen 
 to fave fouls, even by the feci ijhnefs of preaching,. 
 as the apoftle hath it, 1 Ccr. 1.22. and where 
 minifters have been tender, how near hath it 
 lyen to their hearts, whether people profited or 
 not? They that will read Ifaiah, howlierefen- 
 ted and complained cf it, and how he was weigh- 
 ted with it, will eafily be induced to think that 
 he was in earneft, and that it was no little mas- 
 ter that made Mm thus cry out, Who bath belie- 
 yed our report ? 
 
 We fhew that four things were comprehended 
 
 in the words, \fl, That the great errand of mi- 
 nifters is, to bring the glad tidings of Jefus Chrift 
 
 the Saviour to flnners. 2dly, That it is the great 
 
 duty of people to belie've and receive the offer 
 
 of Jefus Chrift in the gofpel. idly, That it is 
 
 the great fin of a people that hear the gofpel, 
 
 not to believe and receive Jefus Chrift, when he 
 
 is offered unto them. The ^tb and laft thing, 
 
 which now we are to fpeak of (having gone tho- 
 
 row the firft three) is, That the great and heavy 
 
 complaint, that a faithful minifter of the gofpel ' 
 
 hath, is, when thefe good news are not received 
 
 and welcomed, when they have it to fay, Who 
 
 hath believed our report ? when it is but here one 
 
 *nd there one that clofes with Chrift. 
 
 d to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
 
 Confidering thefe words, as they hold out the 
 prophet's relentment and complaint, we fhall 
 from them draw four cbfervations, which we 
 fhall fpeak fnortly to, and referve the ufe and ap- 
 plication to the clofe of all. 
 
 Obferv. 1 . The firft is, That it's meet for, and 
 the duty of a minifter of the gofpel, to obferv e 
 what fruit and fuccefs his miniftry hath ameng 
 a people, and whether they believe or net. Ifaiab 
 fpcaks not here at random, but from confidcrati- 
 on of the cafe of the people, and as obfervino 
 what fruit his miniftry had among them : We 
 would not have minifters too curious in this, as 
 to the ftate of particular perfons, neither would 
 we have them felfy or anxious in feeking any 
 ground of boafting tothemfelves;yct they would 
 feek to be fo far diftinA and clear anent their fpi- 
 ritual cafe and condition, as they may know how 
 to fpeak fuitably to it,' and how to fpeak of it to 
 God ; that they may fay as they have ground for 
 it, that in fuch a place, among fuch a people, a 
 great door and effectual was opened to us, as the 
 apoftle faith, 1 Cor. 16. 8. and in fuch a nether 
 place, and among fuch a people, Who hath belie* 
 ved our report ? as here the prophet doth. It's 
 faid, Zuke 10. 1 7. and Mark 6. 30. The difciples 
 returned, and with joy toll Chrift all that they 
 had done, and how the devils were fubje& to 
 them; they made account what fuccefs they had 
 in their miniftry : So it's neceflfary that a minifter 
 know what fuccefs he hath among a people, that 
 he may know^ 1. How to carry before God in 
 
 re- 
 
Serm. 9. , 'Ifalah fy 
 
 reference to them, what te praife for, what to la- 
 ment for, and what to pray for. 2. It's neceflary, 
 as to the people, that he may carry right to them t 
 fer the gaining of Grangers to God, and help- 
 ing forward thefe who are entred into the way, 
 and that he may know what report to make of 
 them. 3. It's neceflary for a minifter himfclf,tho 
 not fimply as to his peace, for that depends on 
 his faithful difcharge of his office, yet as to his , 
 joy and rejoicing, to know when he labours in 
 yain, and when not, among a people. 
 
 We would not then (as a pafling word of ufi) 
 have you to think it curiofity, tho' fomething be 
 faid now and then, and asked at you, that fome 
 of you may poflibly think impertinent; for it be- 
 comes a phyfician to feek to know the (late and 
 condition of thefe whom be hath under his hand 
 and cure ; and ye would not take it ill, tho' after 
 obfervation, we now and then fpeak and tell you, 
 what we conceive to be your condition. 
 
 Obferv. 2. The fecond obfervation is, That it 
 is mofl fad to a tender minifter, and will much 
 aged: him, to fee and cbferve unbelief and un- 
 fruitfulnefs ameng the people that he bath preach- 
 ed tbegofpel to. This muft be a certain and clear 
 truth, if wc confider what it was that put Ifalah 
 to this, even to cry, Who hath believed our re- 
 port ? Tho* a minifter ihouldhave never (o great 
 czercife of gifts, never fo much countenance and 
 refpeft among a people, if he be tender, he will 
 be more grieved and weighted with theit unbe- 
 lief and unfruitfulnefs, than with ftripes and im- 
 prisonment ; there will be no fuffering to this in 
 bis efteem,nothing fo fad a ground of complaint; 
 this makes the prophet,Mif. 7.1. to cry, Alas and 
 V9.0 is me,I am as thefe who have gathered the fum- 
 tner -fruits, as the grape-gleanings after the vln» 
 tage, there is no clufter to eat, the good man is pe- 
 rijhed.and there is none upright among men\ and 
 he infifts in this complaint. How often was our 
 Lord }efus,the mod excellent and tender, preach- 
 er that ever preached, put to this complaint ? 
 All the affronts and reproaches he met with,grie- 
 ved him not fo much as the unbelief and hardnefs 
 of heart that were inthe;people;it's hi&Mark2.'$, 
 that He looked round about on them with anger , 
 and was grieved for the\hardnefs of their hearts', 
 and it's kiA^Marle. 6.6. that He marvelled,becaujt 
 if their unbeliefs it ^o affe&ed him, that (ZuJcei-j. 
 42.)i$'s faid,that when he came near to the city, he 
 wept over it, faying, that thou hadfl known, in 
 this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace ! 
 There is a fourfold reafon of this, that hath a 
 fourfold influence on thefadning of a ferious and. 
 tender minifter of the gofpel, 1. Refpeft to 
 Chrift Jefus his Mafter, in whofe (lead lie comes 
 
 Verfe 1. 41 
 
 to befpeak and woo fouls to Chrift. What would 
 an ambafTador think of perfonal refpeft and ho- 
 nour, if his mafter were reproached, and his 
 meflage reje&ed and defpifed ? and can an honed: 
 and faithful ambaifador of Chrift look on, and 
 his heart not be wounded, to fee the gofpel fruit- 
 lefs, the Lord's pleafure as it were marred, and 
 the work of gathering in of fouls, obftru&ed in 
 his hand,and his Lord and Matter affronted and 
 flighted ? 2. The refpe£ that a faithful minifter 
 hath to peoples fouls, hath influence on this. A 
 tender ihepherd will watchfully care for, and 
 wifh the fheep well, and be much affe&ed when 
 they are in an evil condition*, and where the re- 
 lation is of a morefpirituarnature,and the flock 
 of far, very far greater worth and concernment, 
 what wonder the fhepherd be more affe&ed ? 
 as Paul befpeaks the Galatians 3.16. My littlt 
 children, of whom I travel again in birth, till 
 Chrift be formed In you. To be travelling and 
 bringing forth but wind, cannot but prick and 
 wound an honed minifter of the gofpel at the 
 very heart; fo, 2 Cor. 11. 29. Paul faith, Whch 
 of ended, and I burn not? The very hazard of a. 
 foul will be like a fire burning the heart that is 
 tender and zealous of the fpiritual good of fouls. 
 3. The refpe&that a faithful minifter hatli to the 
 duty in his hand, hath influence on this : for 
 fuch a one loves to neat his duty, and to go neat- 
 ly and lively about it ; and the unbelief and un- 
 fruitfulnefs of the people clogs him in his duty,& 
 makes him drive heavily : hence it's faid, Mat. 
 13. -)8. and Mark 6. 5. that our Lord could not 
 do many mighty works ther e,or among that people, 
 becaufe of their unbelief. Unbelief ftraitens and 
 fliuts the door, and makes preaching become a 
 very burden to a faithful minifter ; thereTore the 
 apoftle exhorts, Heb. 13.17. Obey them that have 
 the rule over you, and watch for your fouls % 
 that they 'may do it with joy, and not with grlef % 
 for that is unprofitable for you j a neceffity lies u- 
 pon minifters to go about their work ; but when 
 the word does no more but buff on them, io to 
 fpeak, it makes them to cry as this fame prophet 
 doth, chap. 6. 11. How long,0 Lord ? And \thly* 
 This alfo hath influence on their being fo much 
 weighted, even the concern of honeft minifters 
 own joy and comfort. It's true, as we hinted be- 
 fore, that neither a faithful miniver's peace, not 
 his reward of grace, doth depend on it fimply ; 
 I have fpent myflrength in vain,fays Ifaiah ,chzpo 
 49. 4. yet my labour is with the Zord,aridmy re* 
 ward from my God : As to that, there is no ne- 
 ceflary connection, and it's of grace it is fo ; yet, 
 as to a minifter's fotisfa&ion and joy, there is -a 
 
4 2 '. IfaUbK. 
 
 ne&ion, as wc may fee, fbllip 2. 16. where Paul 
 faith, That 1 may py in the day of Chrift, that I 
 have nt run in vain, and laboured in vain\ and 
 from his expoftulation with the Galatians, chap. 
 4. 9, 10, 11. I am afraid ofjou, left 1 have be- 
 flowed upon you labour in vain. 
 
 I ihallnot.profecute the ufe of this neither ; 
 only fee here, that it is no marvel tho* fome- 
 times we be nsceflitate to complain of you, and 
 to expoilulate with you ; and confidering the 
 cafe of people generally, if our hearts were 
 fuitably tender, it would even make us bur ft for 
 grief, to fee Co many lleeping fecurely and fenf- 
 lefly in their fins, and in that pitiful pofture po- 
 fting to the pit, if God prevent not. 
 
 Qbferv. 3. The third ohfervation is, That a 
 miniftcr may, andfometimes will, be put to it, to 
 make report to Gid of w hat fruit his miniftry hath, 
 and fomstimes to complain to him of the unbelief 
 and unfruitfulnefs of the people among whom bs 
 bath long preached the gofpel. Ifaiah (Jure) is not 
 carried to this complaint out of hatred to the 
 people, neither from any pleafure he hath in it, 
 nor any delight to tell ill tales Cto fpeakfo) of 
 them : The Lord needs no information, yet he 
 complains, and that to the^ Lord, as we fhew. 
 from Rom. 10. 16. where it is faid, Lord, who 
 bath believed our report ? So then, prophets and 
 apoftles complain of this; it's E\ekiePs complaint 
 no doubt to God, as it was the Lord's to him, 
 This people are a rebellious houfe,andtbey will not 
 bears and Ifaiah fpeaks here in his own name,and 
 in name of other minifters of the gofpel, that 
 they may join with him in this complaint ; and 
 there is reafon for it, if we confider, 1. The re- 
 lation that a minifter (lands in to God ; he ought 
 to give'an account to him, who gives obedience, 
 and who not, and what is done by his embaf- 
 fage, there being no talent given, but a recko- 
 ning how it was imployed will be catted for. 2. 
 The fubordination that a minifter ftands in to 
 Chrift, wherein it is requifite he be kept, as 
 knowing the work is the Lord's and not his, 
 pleads for this. 3. That a minifter may be kept 
 from carnalnefs and vanity on the one hand, and 
 from difcouragement on the other ; he ought to 
 be acquaint with, and to hold up Woth the fruits 
 fulnels and unfruitfulnefs of the people to God, 
 4. It's meet for the good of the people it be io, 
 not to irritate, but .kindly t« affect the people, 
 that when he complains to God, they may be 
 convinced that it is to get the evil complained of 
 amended, if fo it may be. 
 
 This complaining will we fear be the refult 
 f>f much preaching among you ; for either there 
 null be more faith and fruits, clfe we will hare, 
 
 Verfei. Sera. 9. 
 
 the mo complaincrs, and the mo complaints a- 
 gainft you. 
 
 Objerv. 4. The fourth ohfervation is, That it 
 is and ought to be a very fad and weighty thing * 
 to a min'-jier, and alfo to a people, when he is put 
 to complain to God of their unbelief amongfl 
 whom he is labouring. It's the laft thing he hath 
 to do, and he can do no more; and it's the great- 
 eft and higheft ofwitnefs and ditty againft them, 
 when a minfterhath been preaching long,and ob- 
 ferving the fruit of his miniftry, and is outwea* 
 ried with their unfruitfulnefs, and forced to cry, 
 Lord, there arenone,or but very few,that believe 
 the report that I have brought to them ; It's the 
 heavieft and hardeft word that Chrift hath to fay 
 to Jerufalem,Mat. 23. 37. and Luke 19. 3 1. when 
 he complains of their unfruitfulnefs, harder and 
 heavier than all the woes he pronounced againft 
 the Scribes and Pbarifees , on other accounts,and at 
 leaft equivalent to them pronounced on the fame 
 account*, for the fame wo and wrath follows both, 
 0,Uithhe,tbat thou hadfl known jn this thy day, 
 the things that belong to thy peace, but now they are 
 hid from thine eye si this comes as the laft and fad- 
 deft word, holding out the defperatenefs of their 
 condition, when the powerful preaching of the 
 gofpel hath no gracious force, nor faving effect 
 following it,when directions prevail not,when no 
 fort of minifterial gifts do a people good, when ic 
 comes to th*.t,Mat.\ 1.16. W hereunto fhall 1 liken 
 this generation? its like children fitting in the mar" 
 ket -pi ace, crying to their fellows, We have piped ta 
 you,andye have not danced;we have mourned t$. 
 you, and ye have not lamented : when both the 
 fweet offers ofgrace,and the terrible threatnings 
 of the law,come forth to a people,and both are fol- 
 lowed for a long time without fruit,then comes out 
 that Yfor&JVhereunto fhall 1 liken this generatim? 
 John came neither eating nor drinking, and ye fay 
 He hatha devil; his auftere way of living and 
 preaching did you no good, ye could not away 
 withit.'Tfo Son of man came eating and drinking, 
 in a familiar way, andye fay , Behold a man glut" 
 tcneus,a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and fin* 
 nersithcy ftumbleonbothunjuftly;&foitis ftillc- 
 ven to this day,many ftumble at the mefTenger,cafl; 
 at the meifage,& then followeth the fad complaint. 
 It's meet that now we fpeak to a word of ufe\ 
 but we prefefs we know not well how to follow 
 it, there is fo much ground to complain, and we 
 are not (alas !) fuitably fenfible of our own un- 
 fitnefs to follow the complaint, which makes 
 us think that it would become another better ; 
 but,what fhall we fay ? it's the word of the Lord ; 
 and it were needful that both ye and we ihould 
 1 '. " ~? fo> 
 
Serm.a. Ifalab ^. 
 
 forget and take our eyes off men, and remem- 
 ber that it is the Lord God, and fome commif- 
 fioned from him, that we have to do with, that 
 fo we may accept of the meffage. i. Then we 
 may lay, that it is no pleafure to us to be hew- 
 ing you, and fpeaking fadly to you (the Lord 
 •knows) would to God there were mo that need- 
 ed healing medicines, and that fewer had need 
 of hewing and wounding! But the truth is, car- 
 . nal fecurity,fpiritual pride,hypocrify and forma- 
 lity,arefo rife,and become fo much the plaguy of 
 this generation,that people believe not their ha- 
 zard. Neither,2.Is it our defire or defign to fpeak 
 to all of you indifferently, and without difcrimi- 
 nation; for,asthc Lord faith, Mat. li. iq.Wif- 
 dom is jufiified of ber children : Tho* the gene- 
 rality delpilethisword,yetwe are confident the 
 Lord hath fome that he allows not to be grieved; 
 and we f&all defire, that fuch may not wrong them- 
 felves, nor mar our freedom in fpeaking the word 
 of the Lord to others. 3. We (hall not defire to 
 fpeak peremptorly as to the cafe of particular per* 
 ionsjtho* we will not deny nor conceal our fears 
 and fad apprehenfions as to many of you; only 
 what we have to fay, ye would know and beaf- 
 fured, that it is not fpokenat random by us, but 
 as having fome acquaintance with many of your 
 conditions, and we may gather from thefe what 
 is very probably the condition of others. 
 
 And now, as to what we would fay to you ; 
 fome . have been preaching this gofpel to you, 
 who are flitted and removed to another part of 
 tbe vineyard, other fome are gone to another 
 world, and fome are yet continued preaching to 
 to you ; but, what fruit is brought forth by the 
 miniftry of all ? If we were put to make a report 
 of you, as we will be put to it, what could we 
 fay ? We are afraid to fpeak our apprehenfions: 
 O how little is this gofpel, as to its fruit and 
 fuccefs, upon the growing hand among you ! 
 we fhall therefore forbear to fpeak of that which 
 we think bath deep impreflions on our felves con- 
 cerning you, but we would have you to look 
 *horow matters,how they (land betwixtGod and 
 you;and,if we may humbly lay claim to any mea- 
 sure of the judgment of difcerning, may we not 
 ask, Where is there a man or woman, amongft 
 mod of us, that kath a converfation fuitable to 
 this gofpel ? If we begin at the great folk, that 
 liave the things of the world in abundance ; it's 
 their work, for mod part, not to be religious, 
 tut to gather and heap up riches, and to have 
 fomewhat of a name or a piece of credit in the 
 •world ; this is the fartheft that many of fuch de- 
 Cfio : And if we come and take a look of the way 
 
 Verfe I* 45 
 
 of the poorer fort, they live as if they were not 
 called to be exercifed to gsdlinefs : and this is 
 the condition of the generality, to live as if God 
 were not to call them to a reckoning ; ye will fay, 
 W 7 e are poor ignorant folks,and are not book lear- 
 ned ; but, have ye not fouls to be faved ? and 
 is there any other way to be faved, than the roy- 
 al way, wherein believers have walked ? But 
 if we Should yet look a little further through 
 you, how many are there that have not the very 
 form of godlinefs, who never ftudied to be Chfi- 
 ftians, either in your fellowihip with others, 
 nor when alone, or in your families? There are 
 fome, CO / that I might not fay,many !) who are 
 hearing me, that will not once in the year bow 
 their knee to God in their families ! many of 
 you fpend your time in tipling, jefting, loofe- 
 fpeaking, which are not convenient ; yea I dare 
 fay, there are many that fpend mare time in. 
 tipling, jefting and idle-fpeaking, than in the 
 duties of religion either in publick or in 
 private. What report fhall we make of you ? fhall 
 we fay that fuch a' man fpent three or four hours 
 every day in going up and down the ftreets, or 
 in tipling and fporting, and would not fpend 
 half an hour of the day on God and his worfhip? 
 And further, how many are yet ignorant of the 
 firft principles of religion ? a fault that is often 
 complained of; and yet we would be afhamed 
 to have it heard of, that fuch ignorance fhould 
 be under half a year's preaching of the gofpel, 
 that is in this place under many years preaching 
 it, and even amongft thefe who hold their heads 
 very high, and are above others, who can guide 
 and govern their own affairs, and give others a 
 goodcounfel in things concerning the world; yet 
 if we come to fpeak with them of repentance,or 
 of faith in its exercife, of con virions and chal- 
 lenges for fin, of communion with God, of the 
 working of Gods Spirit in the regenerate, or of 
 the fruits of the Spirit, they have not a mouth 
 to fpeak a word of thefe things; and if they fpeak 
 anything, O / but it looks werfh, taftelefs and 
 theivelefe like. Put them to difcourfe of religi- 
 on, it hath no guft, (to fay Co) it relifhes not, 
 they have no underftanding of it, at leaft, that 
 is experimental : doth this look like folks that 
 have heard and received the gofpel ? Let me fay 
 it, The wifdom of this world, and the know- 
 ledge of Chrift, are far different things ; and 
 if fome of you go that length as to get the 
 <jueftions of the Catecbifm, which is well done 
 in it felf; if we put you but to exprefs them in 
 other wards, ye cannot ; which fays plainly, that 
 ye are sot matters «f your knowledge. And 
 G 2 what 
 
44 " Ifaiabtfl 
 
 what (hall we fay of others? of whom wc can- 
 not fay but we get refpe& enough from them, 
 yet how do fclfifhnefs and worldly-mindednefs 
 abound in them ? and how gracelefs and Chrift- 
 lefs are they found to be, when put to the tri- 
 - al ? We would alfo fay to you, that there is 
 great difference betwixt civility and Chriftiani- 
 ty ; fair fafhions will never pafs in Chrift's ac- 
 count for the fuitable fruits of the gofpel, and 
 will never hinder us from having a juft ground 
 of complaint againft you : How many have a 
 form of religien,and want the power of it ? who 
 think themfelves fomething, when they are in- 
 deed nothing ; and their profeffion is fo thin and 
 holled, to fpeak fo, that their rottennefs and hy- 
 pocrify may be feen through it. Tho* thefe things 
 fee but general, yet they will comprehend a great 
 many of you that are here in this aflembly ; and 
 if fo,is there not juft ground of complaint of, and 
 expoftulation with you,as a people among whom 
 this word hath no fuitable fruit t And as for you 
 that live prophanely and hy politically, what fhall 
 we fay to you ? or how fliall we deal with.you ? 
 . We bring the word to you, but ye make no more 
 life of it, than if ye had never heard it ; no more 
 religion fheweth itfelf in you, than. if ye lived 
 among heathens: Shall we fay to God, The fruit 
 of the gofpel is there ? Dare we be anfwerable 
 to God, or can we be faithful to you , to flatter 
 you over, as if all 'were well with you ? And 
 mufl not our complaint then rather be this, 
 Zcrd.they have not believed our report ? Tho' we 
 be fecklefs 3 and tho' there be ground of complaint- 
 of us, yet the word is his word, and will take 
 hold of you. I know that folks do not readily 
 ctigeft fuch do&rine well, and it may be fome 
 think that few minifters are better dealt with 
 than we are \ but wefay,that is not our complaint: 
 we conftfe, if we look from the beginning of 
 the world to this time, there will be few mi- 
 nifters of the gofpel found to have been bet- 
 ter deajt with, as to outward and civil things ; 
 but alas ! fhould that flop our mouth ? Yea ra- 
 ther, ought it not to be the more fad to us, to be 
 fo dealt with, and to live in civil love with 
 men and women, who yet do not receive the 
 gofpel, nor deal kindly with our Mailer ? Do 
 not think that we will take external refpeft to 
 us for the fruit of the gofpel : As we have no 
 caufe to complain of other things, fo let us not 
 be put to complain of this, but receive- Chritl 
 in your heart ; let him and his precious wares 
 have change and go off amongft you; make ufe 
 «f him for wifdorn, righteoufnefsj fan&ifica* 
 
 V . erfe T ' Serm.o. 
 
 tion and redemption ; and go not for the falhion 
 about the means that ihould bring you near 
 him, but be in good earned: : and this would fa- 
 tisfy us much, and prevent complaints. La/fly, 
 I would ask you, What will come of it, if we 
 ihall go on in-preaching, and ye in hearing, and 
 yet continuing ftill in unbelief ? Will 'there 
 not be. an account craved of us ? And mufl we 
 not make a report ? And, if ye think we mull 
 report, can we report any other way than it is 
 with you ? Shall we or dare we fay, that fuch 
 a man was a fine civil man, and that therefore 
 he will not be reckoned with, tho 3 he believe not 
 in Chrift? No, no, but this mufl: be the report^ 
 that fuch a man,and fuch a kind of men, tho'Chrift 
 was long wooingtrhem, would not embrace him 5 
 tho J he invited them to the wedding, yet they 
 would not come ; nay, they mocked and fpurned 
 at itjthey trode the blood of the covenant under 
 foot, and counted God a liar in all his offers •; 
 and faid by their pra&ice, that they fhould 
 be happy, tho' they took not this way ; Many 
 of yeu, who would not take it well if we 
 ihould fpeak this to you in particular., will find 
 it to be a truth one day. And. if ye lhall fay, 
 What would we be at ? The anfwer is at hand, 
 -Believe in the Lord fefus Chrift > and ye jhall be 
 faved : This is the end of the gofpel, and the 
 mean of your happinefs ; it's the great and the 
 main thing that we call for, which if it be not 
 obtained, the ground of the complaint will con- 
 tinue. And,do you think this any ftrange^hard, 
 or uncouth thing, that when we bring to you 
 the offer of Chrift in the gofpel, we bid you 
 receive it, and flee in to him, to hide you from 
 the wrath to come ? and yet this is all we feek 
 of you .* It's neither your fhame nor your 
 skaith that we feek, but that ye may take with 
 your fin, that ye may judge and condemn your 
 felves, that your mouth may be flopped before 
 God, and that ye may flee to Jefus Chrift in ear* 
 neft, and clofe with him on his own terms. As 
 therefore ye would prevent the greatly aggra- 
 vated fin, to wit, finning againft the gofpel, 
 and thecomplaintofthe minifters thereof againft 
 yo*,and the terrible vengeance of the Mediator, 
 Kifs the Son, caft open the everlafting doors of 
 your hearts, and let the gofpel, and Chrift the 
 King of glory, have accels : We pray you, (land 
 not in the way of your own happinefs, refufe not 
 to do him that much pleafure and fatisfaclion for 
 all the travel of his foul,as to give him your fouls 
 to be faved. Now, God himfelf keep you from 
 this folly and foul-de&roying madnefs. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
SERMON X. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. i. Who hath believed our report ? and to robom is the arm of the lord revealed ? 
 
 45 
 
 w 
 
 r E have fpokcn fomewhat^ thefe days part, 
 to fur.dry doctrines from this part of the 
 verfe.and particularly of the fad complaint which 
 Ifaiah hath in his own name, and in the name of 
 all the miniilers of the gof'pel, that the fayoury 
 -report concerning Jefus Chrift is not received ; 
 and that, tho' life and falvation through him be 
 offered to many, yet there are but few, fcarce 
 here one, and there one, that do embrace it ; 
 This is the fad refult, Lord, who hath believed 
 eur report ? Words that, being fpoken by fuch a 
 prophet, and fo often mentioned in the new 
 teflament, may and fhould,as oftep as we fpeak, 
 hear, or read them, put both miniilers and peo- 
 ple to a holy demur, and to look what becomes 
 of all our preaching and hearing, when this was 
 all the fruit, even of Ifaiab's preaching, as to 
 the greatefl part of his hearers. 
 
 Ere we leave this part of the verfe, it will not 
 be unmeet that we fpeak a little to thefe three, i. 
 To what may be the caufes why,when the gofpel 
 is powerfully preached, there are fo few believers. 
 2.Howit comes to pafs,leeing fo few believe,that 
 generally fo many think they believe, and Co. few 
 fufpeel their own faith. And, 3. To the necefli- 
 ty that lies on the hearers of the gofpel, to en- 
 quire at, and try themfelves concerning their 
 faith, and to have fome folid fatisfa&ion in it. 
 
 Altho' we mention no particular doctrines now, 
 yet,confidering the do&rines we fpoke to before, 
 thefe things will not be unfuitable to them, nor 
 impertinent to you. 
 
 For the Firft 9 The caufes why fo few believe 
 the gofpel : We cleared to you already, that ge- 
 nerally the powerful preaching of the gofpel hath 
 been with little fruit ; , To that Ifaiah hath this 
 fadcomplaint,Z0rrf,-R>^£0^ believed our report? 
 and our Lord Jefus hath it alfo on the matter,Afa t . 
 1 1. 1 7 We have piped to you,andye have not dan. 
 *ed\ we have mourned toyou,andye have not la- 
 ntented\ and in the fame exprefs words, John 12. 
 38. And when it is fo with fvcet Ifaiah in the 
 old teftament, and with our bleifed Lord in the 
 new, that fpoke with fuch power and authority, 
 ye may fee there is reafon for us to enquire in- 
 to the caufes why it is that fo few believe. In 
 fpeaking to which, 1. We intend not to touch 
 on all the reafons, that may be gathered toge- 
 ther, of peoples not profiting under the gofpel; 
 But 6f thefe that ye have moil reafon to look to, 
 and that are mod obflru&ive of faith in you* Ufc 
 Xho' we might fpeak of reafons on the fide of 
 
 them that fpeak to you (for, voho isfufficient for 
 thefe things? and we fhall not deny but we have 
 culpable acceffion to your unfruitfalnefs) yet it 
 were not much to your edifying to infill on thefe. 
 . 3. Neither will we fpesk to thefe fovereign cau- 
 fes on God's part, who in hisrholy juftice gives 
 up people to ur.fruitLulnefs, when they receive 
 not the truth in love. Neither, 4. Shall we in- 
 fill: on thefe caufes that may arife from the de- 
 vil, who waits on, wherever the word is preach- 
 ed, to mar the fruit of it, as we may fee,Maf. 13. 
 19. the evil fpirits, like as many crows, when 
 the feed of the word is {'own, waiting on to pick 
 it up ; and ye would know, that ye never come 
 to hear the word,but there are, as it were, flocks 
 of devils attending you ; -hence it is, that fome 
 are rocked and lulled afleep, fome have their 
 minds filled with worldly thoughts, fome forget 
 all that they hear ere they go out of doors ; thus 
 it is with many hearers of this gofpel,their hearts 
 are trode upon, as the way-fide, by devils and 
 foul fpirits,that never a word takes impreluonon 
 them. And tho' ye may think fuch exprelTions un- 
 couth-like and Grange, yet they are fadly true ; 
 Satan waited on whert'Chrift preached, and fure 
 he will fear no more to do fo at our preaching tha* 
 he did at his ; if he flood at Jojbua's right hand 
 to refifl him,he will no doubt be at ours : but we 
 fay, we will not infift on thefe ; But, 5. W T e fhall 
 fpeak a little to thefe caufes that are common in 
 you,which ye your felves might know,if ye would 
 obferve them ; and we would exhort you to take 
 notice of them,when we tell you of them. 
 
 i7?,Then, we offer, or rather affert this for a 
 caufe, the want of ferious minding the great con- 
 cernment of the work of your falvation, and that 
 this preached gofpel is the word of the Lord, 
 by which ye mud be faved. Alas ! tho" ye have 
 immortal fouls, and tho' this word be the 
 mean of your falvation, yet there are hundreds 
 of you, that never lay it to heart,that your fouls 
 are in hazard,and that this word mull be it that 
 ye mufl live by,and live upon: I appeal to your 
 continences, if ye -think upon this ferioudy ; want 
 of this emfideratien fofters fecurity, breeds lazi- 
 nefs, and makes and keeps you carelefs and car- 
 nal. I fhall inftance the want of it in three re- 
 fpe&s ; 1. Look how ye are affected towards this 
 word,. and your own edification by it ; before ye 
 come to hear k ; how few are hungering and 
 thirfting, or preparing i^t'saejit by it;or pre- 
 paring 
 
4< JfaUb 11. 
 
 paring to meet with God irrit ? In effedfc,ye come 
 not with a defign to profit ; fo that, if it were 
 known, it would be wondred at, wherefore ye 
 come to hear the word : As Chrilt fays of fome, 
 They came -not becaufe they faw the miracles* but 
 becaufe they did eat of the haves and were filled; 
 fo may we fay of you, that ye come not to profit 
 by the word, but on fome crooked carnal de- 
 sign. 2. Look how ye carry when ye are come : 
 now many deep a great part of the fermon ? fo 
 that it's a fhame to look on the face of our meet- 
 ings, when in every corner fome are deeping, 
 whofe confciences God will waken ere long, 
 and the timber and ftones of the houfe will 
 bear witnefs againft: them. Were you in any o- 
 ther meeting about ordinary builnefs, there 
 would not be (vch keeping ; hut when ye are 
 waking, what is your carriage r for ye may be 
 waking, and your heart far away, or fad afleep. 
 How leldom can ye give account of what is laid? 
 tho' your bodies be prefent, your hearts are wan- 
 dering ; ye are like thefe l'poken of.E^zk.n- 31. 
 •who jat before the prophet as God's people, but { 
 their hearts went after their covet aufnefs : how 
 often, while ye are fitting here,isyour heart away? 
 fome in their thoughts running after their trade, 
 fome after their merchandicc", fome after one 
 thing, fome after another. This is one fad inftance 
 of it, that there many of you who have had 
 preaching fourty or fifty years, that can fcarce 
 tell one note of it all ; and no wonder, for ye 
 were not attentive in the hearing of it. 3. Look 
 how ye carry after the word is heard; What 
 tmedifying difcourfe will ye be engaged in, ere 
 ye be well at the door ? how carnally and care- 
 lefly do many rufh unto, and go away from hea- 
 ring of the word ! and when ye get a word that 
 meets with your foul's cafe, do ye go to your 
 knees with it before God,defIring him to breathe 
 on it, and to keep it warm ? or do ye meditate 
 upon it ? Now, put thefe three together, your 
 carnage before, in the time, and after your hea- 
 ring the word, ye will find that there is juft caufe 
 to fay, that the moft part that hear this gofpel are 
 not ferious ; what wonder then that it do them 
 .■no good ? In the end of that parable of the fewer, 
 Mat . 1 3 . Mark 4. and Luke 8.it's faid by the Lord, 
 "Take heed how ye hear ; fer whofoever bath, to 
 him Jhall be given, &c. if ye improve well your 
 hearing, ye will get yet more ; but fo long as ye 
 take no heed how ye hear, ye cannot profit. 
 
 A 2d ground or caufe is this, That the moil 
 part of hearers never come to look on this word 
 as the word of God, they come never almofl to 
 kavc a hUtorigaJ faith of itj ix'itii&JUbm. 6. 
 
 Verfe 2. Serm. 5. 
 
 He that cometh to God,mu(l believe that be island 
 that he is a rewarder of them that feek him dili- 
 gently z But when folk do not really believe that 
 God is, what wonder they feek him not, that 
 they fear neither judgment nor hell, and that 
 they ftudy not holinefs ? They fay in their hearts, 
 theyihall have peace, tho' they walk in the 
 imagination of their own hearts, and that the 
 way to heaven is not fo narrow as minifters fay 
 it is, that God will not condemn poor chrift- 
 ned bodies ; this is the language of many hearts, 
 and of fome mouths : Need there any eviden- 
 ces of it be given ? if ye believed that the way to 
 heaven is fo (trait, and that holinefs is fo exten- 
 five, could ye poflibly with any ferioufnefs re* 
 fle& on your heart and way, and not be affrigh- 
 ted ? But the truth is, this word gets not leave 
 to fink in you as the word of God ; therefore 
 faith our Lord to his difciples,£Kfcc44.£ef ftfc/c 
 fayings fink into your ears. There are thefe 
 things I tear ye do not believe, and let me not 
 be thought to take on me to judge your consci- 
 ences, when there are (b many that profefs they 
 know God, but in vjorks they deny him, as it is, 
 Tit . 1 16. when we fee .fuch things in your carri- 
 age,we know that there is a principle of unbelief 
 whence they fpring. 1. There are many of you, 
 that really believe not there is a God, or that 
 he is fuch as his word reveals him to be, to wit, 
 holy, juft, powerful, C5c. elfe ye durft not live at 
 feud with him. - The. fool hath faid in his heart r 
 There is nit a G»d,tbey are corrupt ^2. your pra-. 
 ftical atheifm and prophanity fay ye believe not 
 there is a God. 2. Ye never believed the ill of 
 your mt\ire:Doye think&sfames befpeaks thefe 
 he writes to.cbap. 5. «,.) that the fcripturc faith it* 
 vain, The fpirit that is in you lufls to envy ? Ye 
 do not think, that your heart is deceitful and 
 defperately wicked ? Tho' we fhould preach ne- 
 ver fo much on this fubje&, yet ye lay it not to 
 heart, ye take it not to you in particular. 3. We 
 are afraid that many of you believe not a judg- 
 ment, and your particular and perfonal coming 
 to it; nay, there are among you, who are like to 
 thefe mocker sfyoken of by Peter in his fecond *- 
 piflle, chap. 3. v. 34-who \^y, Where is tbepremife 
 of his coming ? And as there were in ?aul\ days 
 fome that denied the refurre&ion, 1 Cor. 15. fo 
 there are ftill, who do it on the matter at leaft; 
 ye have the fame corrupt nature : We would 
 think that we had prevailed to fome purpofe, if 
 ye were brought really to believe, that there is 
 a God, a life to come, and a day of judgment ; 
 and if ye did fo, ye would be more ferious ia 
 duty, and would come more kungry and thir- 
 ty 
 
, ^ Jfaiab «»3. 
 
 rrjean and mids of falvati- 
 i s not believed, to wit, that the way to peace 
 in jews Chrifc, and that there 
 - 
 
 : 
 found that ye hare another mids than faith, and 
 another way than that oi holiness : And, to make 
 this, we need go no further than to your 
 pra&ice ; we arc lure many of you lire in pro- 
 phanity, and yet ye have aO a hope of heaven : 
 and what lays this, but that ye think not nuth 
 i::::::;.^:;;.:'iry. bat that yc may COOK ::> 
 heaven another way ? and this aa old fault and 
 deceit ; it was in Mtfes his days, for Qhdc are 
 brought in £>;ui. :;. i;. ^y- r 5- IJbmM ?*--e 
 peace, tbe I walk in tbe imagbtaiim :f my :rrn 
 b* art. and add drmmkemmefs titbirfi\ tho" I 
 p e -ai!y at my tour-bours,tho' I follow my lufts 
 and p'.ev/ures, ?-.i take my fiovtfa and f. .'. of the 
 world, we cannot be all iairts, £5V. Tbe L.vd wiU. 
 mstffars tbat man 3 but bis nmger and yealmfyfbaU 
 s agoinfl bimJand a 2 roe curfes that are writ- 
 • :k fbaUljnfm bim, and the Ltrd 
 will bUt cut bis name fnm muter beaven \ 
 
 bow believed, it ihall beibund 
 
 T: \ ~ : 
 
 judgment,tbat will kcow,to their coft, the truth 
 of many tilings they never believed hefbre,as we 
 £nd in that rich man,who lays to AbraboMyScnd 
 
 tbis place eft. intent ; it (ays as much, as that be 
 in his life-time did not believe how terribly- tor- 
 menting a place hell- is, and i: 
 tho' men and women have immortal fouls, yet 
 tbey go on following th;> .and believe 
 
 not that any avil lhall befal them, till God's t 
 and rir.o?ic:c overtake them. 
 A id ground or caufe is, That folk never 
 elves in hazard, nor fairer their ha-, 
 zardto aire A them, and there bek not 
 
 after the rsmrdv; hence the Jews,S:ribes and 
 F bar i fees ,re jecte d C h : i 8 ; * b j ' I h t y were rig b - 
 ^eou s p d d needed not the p b 
 
 an rand thus it B w rtl i 
 
 with it that ye are finners, but not with the 
 naedemefi c: your nature ; and this oaal i 
 that when life, ind reconciliation with God, are 
 ! •fiered ,-- alnioil none to accept 
 
 re are generally,in your own opinion, 
 good rriends with God already 
 HK>it think that ye have hatred at G. d. and lb ye 
 earelc 
 
 ■ 
 
 Cfcriil laid to them, Te bj-je th 
 w r ;*niwercd,H; tad a dzvil^pd ffrt thj vat 
 
 47 
 f:me y/Ab rab a an, mmd w er e m a t bwwiffmrwUs 
 
 ~ : . : . i >* : : . r , - ;.- ; - ;. . j, \ ; ; : _ l —.■•-.- -: - : _ • * 
 to even your leaves to hefl,ncr take with myth 1 
 were heirs of wrath, as if ye hud been born with 
 other natures than the ordinary race of irv ain )r'rfl 
 
 :i. ar.i this ire ;> .: mar* ::k-::»: .;,::;; 
 good of this gofpeK kit it fecks tanners to pardon 
 
 c r.-.i-- :-:.".:« :: r ; : . .- J. . : :i : r:. ; i- 1.": .:". : r. ; 
 
 be (ought after, nor will it £nd merchants : 1 
 
 w-:r :.-.;: :':.e r-.:r..:- :j :i*.:r '..:.-. :rei.j"prl 
 hi:z aaa» rwcet, neaoctul, ira c;x.:f:ir.c 
 words to fpeak to the man afterwards* 
 
 A _r ; ;: . ..-1 .r. I;-.: 
 
 the world, which is toe rut cfsU UL This is 
 
 i.'. r.- .-.;.- :r.a - ;._ ":.;.:..'. . : . a ;-. ; .•,•;:;:•;. 
 
 fits not, Tbej'eedis f$wa am^Mgtbrms, mmd the 
 
 tbsrus ffrimg mf mmicbtke it,tbe tares if this lift 
 
 amd detehfrnimefs if rubes, ibaked tbe wsrdz This 
 
 li -:: r?:;.^:- r.:: .'::i..-i.. '. ..: :.---; .~:~. 
 
 ••>»•.:•. » -'.: ::::.-* :.i-.- "> : ::r:.:.:^;: :.:.s:::- 
 
 fent world ; folks allowing tbemfdves toe 
 
 Carisfiaion i aes and pelf, counting 
 
 well if they have ir^and 
 
 grieved if tb ere nothing 
 
 but that to make happy ; being wholly taken up 
 
 . leaving no room :or the concerns 
 
 ::^of God, 
 
 ^ '.-.;.;. ;\sr" .:- »i:'.:;;--.:;;. '.: -£,5 .:~i :'^:;re.s ; 
 
 rich, and th; 
 
 : at end \ and : 
 chokes and fulrocates the word,that itxiever comes 
 up, that nothing ooaaes to perfeoHpa ; therelbce 
 Chria lays. Lake 21. 24. Tale beed jre be mat 
 avercbargedwitbfarfeUiMg amd drzmkem*ejs,a*4 
 t*r*s lam arraid that many mo a- 
 
 mong you, w ho are civil and c I -ious 
 
 and rrugal, flull periih 
 
 mindednefs, than fliall p. ^ 
 
 gluttony, fornication or the like ; and yet there 
 
 H*w bard is it (laj s man tt ea\- 
 
 ttr ints tbe kingdom if beaven ? and i 
 
 is he, that is taken up with riches, and places r 
 his happinefs and corner: 
 
 ■ 
 : be ufc of la\N ful th Is k it enough 
 
 ':. we cannot 
 
 ing, 
 
 it £sd ;,:. . v v fc [ [ the rTOrld D J 
 
 the 
 
4$ ffaiab'te. 
 
 the Fktbe? Wifi WW be found in you. Doth not 
 your experience tell you, that it's not an eafy 
 matter to be much taken up with the world, 
 a-nd to win at a fu-itabie difpofition for dutes of 
 religion, and to be painful Hi them I 
 
 A fifth ground is, folks little prizing of the- 
 gofpel and the benefits' that come, by it ; they 
 look not upon it as their happinefs to have com- 
 munion with God: they who-are invited to the 
 marriage of the King's Son, Matt. 22. will not 
 come, and the reafon is given, they wade light of 
 it\ the offer of the gofpel hath no weight, it 
 relifhes not : if a market of fine things at a cheap' 
 rate were proclaimed, ye would all run to it; 
 but ye delight not in the word of God,ye prize 
 riot the gofpel and the precious wares that it 
 expofeth to fale amongft you ; and to evidence 
 and make out this, I would ask you thefe few- 
 questions; and, i. I would ask you, How often, 
 or rather how feldom have you iitten down pur- 
 pofly and thanked God for fending-4;he gofpel to 
 you ? ye have given thanks for your dinner,but 
 how often have ye given him thanks that ye have 
 the gofpel, fabbath days, and week days? 2.H0W 
 little do many of you wait on the preaching of 
 it 1 were there a meftage fcnt to you but from 
 fome ordinary man, let be from a great man, ye 
 would ftraiten your ielves and your bufinefs too 
 fomewhat, that ye might hear it ; and yet it's a 
 wonder to think how fbme in this place, except 
 on the fabbath, will hardly be feen in the Church 
 from one end of the year to the other. 3. Had 
 ye any evident to draw of houfc or land,ye would 
 feek to have it drawn very well and fure ; but 
 naany of you never fought to have the evidents of 
 heaven made fure: Ye know, how interruptions of 
 threatnings to remove the preached gofpel from 
 you, never troubled you ; that bufinefs of the 
 Tender gave a proof, that if ye might bruik 
 your ea'fe and the things of the world, ye cared, 
 not what became of the gofpel and of the liber- 
 ties of Chrift's kindom among you : nay we may 
 fay, the gofpel was never lefs let by, never more 
 reproached, defpifed, and trode upon, than in 
 the time wherein we live ; and who lays it to 
 heart ? if it were well tried, there is more pains 
 taken on fecklefs particulars in a week, than ye 
 take upon your fouls in a year ; and (which may 
 be fpoken to the fhameoffome) more time ta- 
 ken up in tipling, drinking and debauching, 
 than in prayer, or any other religious duty : And 
 is not that an undeniable evidence, that ye make 
 light of the gofpel ? They made light of it, and 
 went their ways, &c. faying on the matter, Care 
 for yonder invitation who will, as for us, we have 
 . fomewhat clfe to «lo» 
 
 Vcrfe 1. Sermmo. 
 
 ■ A fixth ground or caufe, tho' poffibly it be not 
 '0 rife, is aihifting of convi&ions and challenges, 
 a quenching of any begun exercife in the con- 
 fidence; fbme of you have been made fometimes 
 to tremble as. Felix aid, but ye ihifted it, and 
 put. itoff to another time, and went away to fome 
 company or recreation, that fo ye might ftifle it, 
 and drive it out o'f your thoughts. Is there any 
 of you, but in ficknefs, or under fome other fad 
 crofs, or at a communion, ye have had your own 
 convi&ions, challenges, and frights about your 
 foul's eftate and yet ye have fmothered, extin- 
 guifhed, and put them out again, 
 
 A feventh ground or caufe (which is as largo 
 and comprehenfive as any) is folks reding and 
 fitting down, before they have any folid ground 
 to reft upon, taking a counterfeit work for a 
 realone,like thefe fpoken of, Hofea 7. 16. of whom 
 it's faid,tbey return,but not to the moflHigb.Somc 
 attain to a fort of out- fide reformation, and they 
 trow that on that account they are all well enough, 
 and in good terms with God; and when fuch arc 
 called to return, they fay as thefe do, Mai. 3*7. 
 Wherein Jhall we return? they think tfhey are re- 
 turned, and that their peace is made already ; 
 they cannot endure to be bidden believe,or to lay 
 a new foundation,for they think it's laid already: 
 in a word, as Laodicta did,ihey think themfelves 
 rich and increajed in goods, when yet they are poor t 
 blind, mifcrable, wretched and naked, but they 
 knew not, and fo are well fatisfied v*ith them- 
 felves as gracious perfons, retting on thefe and 
 the like grounds; as, 1. It may be they pray,and 
 think lbmething of that. 2. They thisk they have) 
 faith enough, if they have a hiflorical faith. 3. 
 It may be they have had fome refolutions, and 
 fits of a fort of tendernefs, and thefe they reft u- 
 pon. We fhall not infill to fhew the rottennefs 
 of thefe props, but fliall only fay, It were in fome 
 refpect good for many of you, that ye had never 
 had the little pieces of profeflion ye have ; There 
 is a fort of civil, legal, formal, fair-fafhionedmen 
 and women among us, whofe converfatiorf and 
 communication relifhes to none but theinlelves ; 
 and, fpeak the word who will, they think that 
 they are without the reach of it : I muft fay this 
 fad word, that I think many of you have as much 
 believing as keeps you from faith in Chrift; that ! 
 is, ye have as much prcfumption and fecurity as | 
 makes you that ye are never ferious with the 
 Lord to amend it, and to bring you indeed to 
 believe; fo that it's a greater diflfculty, to beat 
 you off from your rotten grounds,' than it is to : 
 get you right, tho' both require the omnipotent j 
 power of God : ye think ye believe always, and , 
 
Serm.ii. ' - " Ifajab & 
 
 ye have no doubts about it, and therefore ye 
 think ye have faith enough to do your turn ; Ah! 
 when will ye know tHat iecurity is no faith, and 
 that there is a great difference betwixt prefump- 
 tion and (o\i& retting by faith on Chrift ? 
 
 Eightly, We think that this wrongs many .of 
 you, becaufe ye are not among the wdrft fort,and 
 others efteem well of you ; ye think ye are well 
 enough ; and this makes us, that as to many of 
 you, we know not whether to be more familiar 
 with, or to (land at a dmance from you,becaufe 
 ye are readv to reft on fo very (lender grounds* 
 It is not the commendation of men, but tht com- 
 mendation of God, that ye fhould feek mainly af- 
 ter, and yet,if ye think good men efteem well of 
 you, ye apprehend ye are good enough. This 
 was it that made the foolijl) virgins fo fecure, be- 
 caufe the wile took them and retained them in 
 their company, and this is the neck-break ofma- 
 ny,efpecially when they look about them,and ob- 
 ferve fome fin in others which they have win to 
 abftainfrom ; as if it had been enough in Hersd, 
 and a fufficient proof of the reality of his religion, 
 That he heard John gladly, and did many things 
 $n the hearing of him* 
 
 A »/»f^ ground is (and it's a very poor one) 
 folks fitting down on the means when they have 
 them, as if when they hate gotten the gofpel 
 they were in no hazard, and could believe when 
 they lift. I make no queftion, but where the gof- 
 pel is powerfully in any raeafure preached, there 
 arc many more fecure and fearlefs than if they 
 had it not ; and it's very probable fomewhat of 
 this it hinted at, Luke 13.26. where fome are 
 brought in faying to Chrift, We have eaten and 
 drunken in thy prefence, and thou hafl taught in 
 ourfireets ; who when he boafts them away from 
 him at the great day,they will in a manner hard- 
 ly believe that he is in earneft,and they give this 
 for the reafon of it, that they have heard him 
 
 E reach, and they have run out to the fields after 
 im ; it were good to fear while ye have the 
 word, left ye mils the fruit of it; compare to this 
 purpofe Hcb. 3. at the clofe, withHei. 4. 1. and 
 
 Verfe 1. 4$ 
 
 we will find this commended t© us: fo we fee, faith 
 the apoftle, that they could not enter in becaufe of 
 unbelief, let us therefore fear, left a promife being 
 left us of entring into his reft, any of us Jbould 
 feem to comejhort cj it ; it's much, yea the. firft 
 ftep to faith,to get folks made fuitably afraid to 
 miis the fruit and blefling of the ordinances while 
 they have them : it's good to be afraid, to come 
 to the Church,andnotto get good of the preach- 
 ing, or to go and read a chapter of the Bible,and 
 not profit by it ; always to put a difference be- 
 twixt the ordinance and the blefling of it, and 
 to be afraid in the ufe of the ordinances to nrifs 
 the blefftng ofthem. 
 
 There may be many other caufes, and we 
 would not ftint and limit you to thefe, but fure 
 the fe are caufes -why this gofpel profits not: 
 we may add thefe few, 1. There are fome that 
 (tumble at the meffenger, fome at the meffage ; 
 fome thought Chrift a friend of publicans and 
 finnersy and faid he had a devil, and Co they 
 faid of John Baptift : There are fome that can 
 abide neither free nor fair fpeaking,and they think 
 it's not the word, but the fpeaker that they of- 
 fend at ; but prejudices againft the carriers of 
 the word have never done good, but much ill; 
 and ye would guard againft them. 2. Some- 
 times there is a (tumbling at the fpiritual truths 
 of the gofpel, and a fort of new-fanglednefs in the 
 hearers or it, that lafts not ; John's hearers re- 
 joiced in his light for a feafon ; fomething of 
 it alfo was in Chrift' s hearers, but they foon tur- 
 ned the back on him, when he tells them of eat- 
 ing his flefh, and drinking his blood, and of the 
 neceflity of it, elfe they could have no life in 
 them; Tow (fay they} if a hard faying, who can 
 Bearit?lfvfQ would confider thefe things, we 
 might fee convincing caufes of our little thri- 
 ving, and they might alfo (through God's blef- 
 fing) be made ufe of for directions to thriving; 
 and if we could once bring you to be fingle 
 and ferious in hearing, and fpiritually thrifty 
 in making ufe of every fermon and fabbath for 
 edification, we had gained a great point of you. 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 Haiahliii. 1. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 
 
 !F we would foberly confider the frame of the 
 moft part of men and women that live un- 
 er the gofpel, it would be hard to know, 
 whether it were more ftrange that fo few 
 
 lhould receive the report, and be brought to 
 believe, for all that can be faid of Jefus Chrift ; 
 tx whether that, among the generality of hear- 
 
 ers that do not receive the report, there are Co 
 few that will let it light but that they believe : 
 It's wonderful and ftrange to fee unbelief lb 
 rife, and it's as ftrange and wonderful, that a- 
 mong thefe many unbelievers there are fo few 
 that think they want faith, 
 
 H Ye 
 
<$0 Jfaiah $3. 
 
 Yc reme»ber,the laft day, we propofed to an- 
 fwer this doubt or queilion, What can be the 
 reafon that, when fo few believe, all almofl think 
 they believe? and then to fpeak a word to the laft 
 ufe that rifes from the matter that formerly -we 
 have handled on thefe words. We fhew you,and 
 we think the fcrlpture is very clear for it, that a* 
 mong the generality tfeat hear thegofpel, they 
 are very rare and thin fawn that do believe it ; 
 and yet, go thorow them all, there will not one 
 among many be found, but will aflert they be- 
 lieve, and they will (to fpeak fo) be crabbed and 
 picqued, to tell' them that they want faith, and 
 lb the mod part of hearers live and die in this 
 delufion ; a, thing that experience clears, as well 
 as the word of God, and a thing that doleful ex- 
 perience wiH clear at the great day: therefore 
 fome are brought in,faying,Z«jfce 13. 2.6 Wc have 
 eaten and drunken in thy prefence^and thou hafl 
 taught in our greets ; to whom Chrifl will fay, / 
 know you not, depart from me % which doth im- 
 port this much,that fome will come (as it were) 
 to the very gate of heaven, having no doubt of 
 their faith and intereft in God, or of their entry 
 into it, and will therefore in a manner plead with 
 Chrifl to be in, and who would never once doubt 
 of it, nor put it in queftion,but they were belie- 
 vers and in friendfhip wkh him ; Altho' there 
 will be no fuch debate or difpute after death, or 
 at the day of judgment, yet it fays this, that 
 many hearers of the gofpel have drunken in this 
 opinion, which goes to death with them, and no 
 preaching will beat them from it, that they are 
 believers, and in good terms with God, till the 
 intimation of the fentence of condemnation do it, 
 and the wrath and curfe of God meet them in 
 the face : and O how terrible a difappointment 
 will fuch meet with in that day ! May it not 
 then very reafonably and juftly be enquiredj 
 what can be the reafon and caufe, when this is 
 granted fo generally to be a truth that there are 
 few believers,that yet it fhould be as true, that 
 few queftion or make any doubt of their faith, 
 and how this comes to pafs? I (hall give you fome 
 reafons of it, which if ye would think upon, and. 
 fuffer to fink down in your hearts,ye would not 
 marvel that fo many are in this miftake and de- 
 lufion *,and it would put many of you, to have 
 quite other thoughts of your own condition 
 than ye have. We fhall only fpeak to fuch rea- 
 fons as are finful, and culpable upon your part. 
 
 The reafons then are thefe. Firfl, The mofl 
 part never ferioufly think on the matter,whetber 
 they believe or not, or they never put their faith 
 to a trial. Ifthefoolifh virgin light her lamp,and 
 never look whether there be oil in it, anci take 
 
 Verfei. Serm. if; 
 
 on a fair outward profefRon of TeKgion, and ne- 
 ver look what is within it,or how it is lined, to 
 fpeak fo,\vhat wonder ihs go up and down with 
 tbe lamp in her hand, and never know whether 
 there be oil in her vefTel or not, fince fhe never 
 ^onfIders,nor puts the matter to proof and trial ? 
 The people are expoftulated with Ufa. 44. from 
 ver. 9.) for making of images, that a man fhould 
 cut down a tree, and with one piece of it fhould 
 warm himfelf, with anotJMr piece of it fhould 
 bake his bread, and ofa#iird piece fhould make 
 a god, and fall down and worfhip it ; and this is 
 given for the ground of it,i>.i8,io.T&£y have not 
 known and un-derftood, and none confider eth m 
 his heart, or as the word is, feeth to his heart ; 
 they confider not that that cannot be a god \ folks 
 would think that natural reafon might eafily 
 difcover this folly. We are perfwaded that fome 
 of you will think your faith as great a folly, 
 when there fhall be as clear evidences to prove 
 the rottennefs of your faith and hope, as there 
 were even to common fenfe, to prove the image 
 made of a piece tree, not to be God ; when it 
 fhall be found and declared, that tho' ye were 
 never convinced of fin, nor of your mifery and 
 loft condition, were nsver humbled nor touch- 
 ed under the kindly fenfe of it, never fled to Je- 
 fus Chrift in earneft, nor never had the exercife 
 of grace, yet out over the want of all thefe, ye 
 would needs keep up a good opinion of your 
 faith and hope : We fay, the reafon why ye en- 
 tertain this conceit and opinion is, becaufe ye ne- 
 ver fit down ferioufly and foberly before God to 
 confider the matter, nor do ye put your felves 
 to proof and trial. Let me therefore pofe.your 
 confciences,ifye, who have this opinion of your 
 faith, durft affert to him, that this faith of yours 
 is the refult of your forious examination and 
 trial •, is it not rather a gueffing or fanciful opi- 
 nion that ye believe ? And do ye think that : 
 fuch a faith as that will abide the trial before 
 God, that never did abide your own trial ? It ; 
 will doubtlefs he a fore beguile, to go off the* 
 world with fuch an opinion of faith, and to have 
 the door fhut in your very teeth : Alas ! there 
 will be no amending or bettering of your con- 
 dition after death; the day comes when many 
 of you, if Godgracioufly prevent not, fhall curfe 
 your felves that ever ye fhould have been fuch 
 fools, as to have trufted to your own hearts,or to 
 have taken up this opinion of your faith with- 
 out ground : We would therefore ferioufly re- 
 commend to you the putting of you faith more 
 frequently to the trial, and that ye would often 
 rea4 and think on thatplace,2CVr. i^^.Examine 
 
Serm. it. ■ */****> w 
 
 your felves whether ye be in the faith -prove your 
 6wnfeives i &c. O / do not think that a matter of 
 fuch concernment fhould be left lying at conje- 
 cture and utter uncertainty: Wholoofeth,whenye 
 are fo palpably acceffory to your own mine, by 
 not endeavouring to put your felves to fo much 
 as a trial ? Do not fay here for excuteJVehave no 
 more grace than God gives «r,when ye never en- 
 deavoured to be fo much as at the form of the 
 duty, or to go the length ye might have gone, in 
 putting your felves to the trial : The deceit 
 then being defperate and irredecmable,if conti- 
 nued in, do not, for the Lord's fake, after all that 
 is faid to you, continue beguiling your felves. 
 
 A fecond tetfon is, folks fettling themfelves oa 
 unfound evidences and principles of peace, that 
 will not bear them thorovv before God; I do not 
 fay that they have nothing to fay in word for 
 themfelves,but that all they have to fay will be no 
 ground to prove their faith, or to bear it thorow 
 before God that they do believe indeed ; it will 
 be found at the bed to be but a lie,as it's faid of 
 that man,7/"0.44- 20. A deceived heart bath tur- 
 ned him afide\ be feeds on ajbes, he cannot de- 
 liver bis fouhHorfayJs there not a lie in my right 
 band? He may have a feeming reafon for his faith, 
 but it's no reafon indeed. If many of you were 
 going now to die, what reafon have ye to prove 
 your believing by? Some will fay, God hath al- 
 ways been good,kind, and gracious tome; I was 
 in many ftraitsand difficulties, and I prayed and 
 got many deliveries : Thus all the ground ofthy 
 faith is but temporal favours or deliveries, which 
 is as iflfrael fhould have made their receiving 
 of temporal deliveries, and their acknowledging 
 of them, and having fome fort of faith of them, 
 to be ground enough to prove their receiving of 
 Jefus Chrift favingly ; there is a doleful preof of 
 the unfoundnefs of this ground,P/.78. 34j3$j3^> 
 37. When he flev) them, then they fought him, 
 andretumed and enquired early after Cod ; they 
 remembred that God was their Rockland the high 
 God their 'Redeemer : They looked to God's by- 
 gone favours for them, when they were in the 
 wildernefs 5 and at the Red-lea, and they believed 
 that he could do fo ftill ; but they did flatter bim 
 roitb their mouth, and lied on him with their 
 tongue, for their hearts were not right with him, 
 neither were theyiledfaftin his covenant; where- 
 upon he deftroyed them, and thro' their unbe- 
 lief they did not enter into God's reft. It's alfo 
 faid a little before,in that Pfal. v. 32. -For all this 
 they finned ftill 1 there may be. many temporal 
 favours and deliveries, and thefe acknowled- 
 ged too, and yet no receiving of Chrift, for mak- 
 ing our peace with Godjfbr removing the quar. 
 
 Verfe 1^ t ^1 
 
 rel betwixt him and us,and for making us ceafe 
 from fin. Confider, if it will be a good ground 
 to plead with God upon, to fay to him, Lord, 
 thou muft bring me to heaven, becaufe 1 was in 
 ficknefs and thou raifed mc up ; I was in, this 
 and that ftrait,and under this and that crofs,and 
 thou carried me thorow, and brought me out of 
 it- The Lord will fay to fuch that have no 
 more to lay, Ye had To many evidences of my 
 power, and yet ye finned ftill ; and yet this vvii! 
 be all the pleading and reafoning that will be 
 found with many of you, and the fad reply you 
 will meet with from God. 
 
 A third realon is, folks giving an external 
 countenance to ordinances, and their formal go- 
 ing^about of them : They trow they have faith, 
 becaufe they keep the Church, and are not o- 
 pen contemners and mifregarders of ordinances, 
 as fome others are, becaufe they pray, read, 
 hear, $$c. It feems it was (bmething like this, 
 that the perfwafionofthefe,fpokcnof£a*e 13.26. 
 is buik upon;Zcr<i(fay they) we have heard thee 
 preach^and have eaten and drunken in thy pre- 
 sence ; it's not flmply, that they heard Chrift 
 preach, for many heard him preach who ftoncd 
 him; but that, when others ftoned him, they fol- 
 lowed him, and were not openly prophane,nor 
 profefled contemners of him and of his preach- 
 ing, as thefe others were ; fuch like words fait 
 fometimes from your mouths. Ye will poflibly 
 fay, What would we have of you ? ye are not 
 prophane, ye wait on preaching, and live like 
 your neighbours, and ye content your felves 
 with that ; Alas ! this is a poor, yea, a doleful 
 fruit of ordinances, and of your attendance on 
 them ; if there be more fecurity, prefumption, 
 and defperate hazarding on the wrath of God, 
 and lefs taking with the quarrel betwixt him 
 and you on that ground. 
 
 A fourth reafon is, folks hope, even fuch a 
 hope, that, contrair to the nature of hope, will 
 make the moft part of you afhamed. Ye trow 
 ye believe,becaufe ye hope ye believe;and that ye 
 will get mercy, becaule ye think ye hope in 
 God's mercy, and ye will not let any thing l/ght 
 to the contrair, nor fo much as think that ye may- 
 be deceived. They opinion that folk have of ob- 
 taining mercy, that is maintained without an/ 
 ground but their vain hope, is the rifeft, moft un- 
 xeafonable,and* prejudicial evil that is among the 
 profenors of this gofpel: hence,if any ground and 
 evidence of their peace be asked for,they will an- 
 fwer, That they believe; if it be again asked, 
 How know ye that ye believe? they anfvver, We 
 hope arid believe itisfo, and can give no ground 
 H 2 fa 
 
$i . Ifaiahftl 
 
 for it. Many^ arc like thefe fpoken of, Ifa. 57. 10. 
 Thou hafl found the life of thine hand, therefore 
 thou was not grieved ; they have a faith and a 
 hope of their own making. & this keeps them off, 
 that the word of God takes no hold on them. We 
 preach that ye are naturally at feud withGod, & 
 offer peace and reconciliation thro* JtfusChrift; 
 but ye are dea£ for ye thinlc your peace is made 
 already ; and but very few come, fenfible of a 
 quarrel with God, to this word, as to the mini- 
 ftry of reconciliation. This is wondred at (in 
 a manner) by the Lord himfelf] Micab 3. 11. 
 where we have a people whofe way is very un- 
 like the gofpel ; The heads judge for a reward, 
 and the priefls teach for hire, and the prophets 
 divine for moneys jet will they lean upon the Lord, 
 and fay , Is not the Lord among us ? none evil can 
 come upon us. It is not for real believing that 
 they are charged, but for their confident avert- 
 ing their believing, when there was no ground 
 for it : fo it is with many ; they will fay, They 
 hope to efcape hell, and to get their fin pardo- 
 ned, and to win to heaven, and they believe it 
 will be fo v when in the mean time there is no 
 ground for it, but clear ground to the contrary. 
 A fifth ground is, folks fpiritual and pra&ical 
 ignorance of the righteoufnefs of God, whereof 
 theapoflle fpeaking, Rom 10.^3. faith, Being ig- 
 norant of the righteoufnefs of God, they go about 
 to eflablifh their own, &c. that which I mean, is 
 folks being ignorant of their natural condition, of 
 the fpiritualnefs of God's law, what it requires, 
 and of the way of faith, and of the command of 
 Relieving, and the nature of it ; It's from the 
 ignorance of thefe three, to wit, of the mifchief 
 that is in them by nature, of tke fpiritualnefs of 
 the law, and of the fpiritualnefs of faith, and of 
 the exercife of it, that tkey fleep on in fecuri- 
 ty,, and think they have faith, when they have it 
 not:. And tho' fometimes they will fay their 
 faith is weak^yet they cannot be beaten from it 
 but that they believe; and their faith is up and 
 down, as their fecurity (lands or falls. This the 
 apoftle makes clear from his own experience, 
 Rom. 7. 9. where before his conversion he fays, 
 he was a living man, but after his converjfion he 
 begins to think himfelf nothing but a dead and 
 gone man ; the reafon is, .becaufe before conver- 
 sion he knew not himfelf, he knew not the law, 
 nor the nature of the covenant of grace, before 
 the law tame (faith he) / was a\ive\ he knew not 
 the fpiritual meaning of it, and therefore he 
 thought he obferved it, and fo thought himfelf 
 fure of heaven, and had no doubts nor diiput- 
 ings concerning his intered in God \ But (faitlj 
 
 Verfe I. Serm. 12; 
 
 he) when the commandment came, fin revived^ 
 and I died ; I law my felf then to be loft and 
 gone, and in every thing guilty ; that which I 
 thought had been humility, I law it to be pride; 
 that which I took for faith, I found it to be pre- 
 emption and unbelief; and my holinefs, I found 
 to be hypocrify : not that his fin grew more u- 
 ponhis hand, but the fin,that before was vailed, 
 was now difcovered, and flared him in the face. 
 This is a fad truth, yst a mod real truth : The 
 good believing (as many of you call it) and the 
 faith that ye have, is a furer ground of your 
 ftrangenefs to God,andofyourunbelief 5 than any 
 other thing ye have can be a ground whereupon 
 to conclude, ye have faith, and are good friends 
 with God : ye are yet alive, (Irangers to God, 
 flrangers to your felves, flrangers to the fpiri- 
 tual meaning of the law, and to the exercife of 
 faith. If ye would fet you felves to ponder feri- 
 oufly this one confideration, I think ye might 
 be fomewhat convinced of it: do ye not fee 
 many that underlland more of God than ye do, 
 and that are more tender in their walk than ye 
 are, who yet are lother, more difficulted and a- 
 fraid to affert their faith and confidence in God 
 than ye are? and they are often brangled and 
 put to queflion their faith : Will ye then confi- 
 der what can be the reafon that ye have fo flrong 
 a faith that ye never doubted,and they are trou- 
 bled with doubting fometimes, yea often, tho' 
 they pray more, and are more diligent in the ufe 
 of all the means, and holier in their converfati- 
 on than ye are, and ye will (it may be) fay, WelTs 
 them that are like mch a perfon? this is the rea- 
 fon ofit,they fee their fin, and the fpiritualnefs 
 of the law, and the nature of faith, and are dead 
 to the law ; but ye are yet alive in your coneeit. 
 Do ye, or can ye think, that much prayer, rea- . 
 ding, meditation, and tendernefs in folks walk, 
 will weaken faith,andoccafion doubting ? or is it 
 not rather like, that faith will be more confirmed 
 by thefe, than by the negledl of them ? How is it 
 then that ye are fo ftrong in your faith, when 
 they find themfelves fo weak and doubting? or, 
 have ye an infufed faith, without the means ? or, 
 doth God deal with you in a more indulgent 
 way,than he ufesto deal with his people? How 
 is it then,that thefe, of whom ye cannot fay but 
 they are more tender than ye are, cannot almoft 
 name faith, or aifert their confidence in God, 
 without trembling and fear that they prefume ? \ 
 and yet ye dare very confidently take a mouth- ' 
 ful of it,without any hink or hefltation, and yet 
 live carnally and without fear f Do not many of 
 you wonder what ails Come f olksj what need they j 
 
 to 
 
Serm. Ii. Vatab tf. 
 
 be fo much troubled, and why do they (land in # 
 need of fome to pray for them and with them,and 
 to anfwer their doubts,and ye (mean while^need 
 no liich thing ? and all your remedy is, that ye 
 allure your felves ye believe,and think the quefti- 
 - oning of your fecurity is the very undoing of 
 your faith. God help,ye are in a woful taking. 
 
 A fixtb reafon is, 'That folk drink in lome 
 carnal principles that have no warrant in the 
 word of God,and accordingly (quare every thing 
 that comes in their way. i. They lay it for a 
 ground, that folk fhould never deubt of God's 
 mercy. We do not fay that folk fhould doubt 
 of God's being mod real in his offer of mercy 
 to finners in the gofpel; but from that it will not 
 follow, that never one fhould doubt of God's 
 love to them, or of their coming to heaven, 
 whether they clofe with the offer or not. Are 
 there not many whom God curfeth ? and fhould 
 not thefe doufet ? A 2d carnal principle is, That 
 there is no fuch reality in the thieatnings of God, 
 as there is in his promifes ; as if he were utter- 
 ly averfe from executing a threatning, and as 
 if it were a rare thing to him to condemn any : 
 And, is there any thing more oppofite to fcrip- 
 ture than this principle is ? Hath lie not faid in 
 the fame place,to wit,£x^^34. where he proclaims 
 " himfelf to be gracious ^merciful, long- fufiering&c 
 that ke is a God that will not clear the guilty ? 
 And hath not the fcripture faid, that it's but a 
 remnant that are faved, but (as it were; here 
 one and there one, and that there are many dam- 
 ned forone that is faved? But know it of a certain, 
 that he will make you one day vomit up thefe 
 principles, with exquifite torment, when out of 
 your own mouth he will convince you of your 
 miftake and delufion. When folks want ma- 
 ny things, they fupply all with an honeft mind ; 
 this fupplies your want of knowledge, your 
 want of faith and repentance,and of every thing 
 whereof ye are faid to be fhort : Tho' ye live 
 and fhould die carnal and unrenewed, yet ye 
 think ftill ye have an honeft mind or heart for 
 all that *, and what, I pray, is your honeft mind, 
 but a rotten and prophane heart, that vails your 
 hypocrify with a pretext of honefty ?. Would 
 ye think that man honeft, fpoke of Ifa. 44. 19. 
 who with one part of the tree warmed himfelf, 
 and with another part made a god, and fell 
 down and prayed to it ? and yet, in your fer\fe y 
 he hath an honeft mind, for he followed his light, 
 which is but darknefs, and the deceit of his 
 heart carrying him away from God, tho' he 
 cannot fee it ; he, difcerns not, becaufe be con/i- 
 der,s not that there is a lie in his band, and that 
 
 « deceived heart hath led him a fide* So it is with :. 
 
 Verfe 1. 53 
 
 you ; and if many of you faw, what is latent un- 
 der that honeft mind and heart, there would be 
 nothing that would make you lothe your felves 
 more, A little time will convince you, that that 
 which ye looked for moft good from , was your 
 greateft and moft traiterous enemy \He that trujis 
 in his own heart is a fool>hithSclomon,rrc.2%. 26* 
 it fuppofes that folk are ready to lippen to their 
 heart, and to hearken to the language of it con- 
 cerning their fpiritual eftate; but it fays alfo,that 
 they are fools that fo do,fbr it betrays them : and 
 there is no folly comparable to that, whereby a 
 many betrays his own immortal foul ; and that 
 he doth, who trufts in his own heart; 
 
 Afeventh reafon is, from the deceitfulnefs of 
 our heart, and the natural corruption that flicks 
 to us : There is naturally in us, pride and felf- 
 cdnceit ; we are difpofed to think any thing 
 that is our own, tho' it be but a fhew, is as good 
 as others reality ; to think our own light and 
 knowledge, our own other parts and gifts to be 
 as good as thofe of any others, whofoever they 
 be. And with pride there is joined felf-love ; we 
 dow not abide to think evil of our felves, or to 
 fufpe& our felves : Tho' this felf-love be indeed 
 felf-hatred, and is burlove to our corruptions, 
 and makes us, that when we live in hatred of 
 God, to think that we love him *, fo that we can- 
 not be induced to think that we love him not, 
 for we know that love to God is good, and we 
 love our felves fo well, that we cannot endure ta 
 think we want it ; hence it's faid of fome in the 
 laft times,2 Tim. 3. 2, ^.Tbat theyfhallbe covetous, 
 proud,boafters,blafpbetners,difobedienttoparentSi 
 unthankful ^unholy, without natural affeftionjrucc 
 breakers ,&c. having a form ofgodlinefs, and de- 
 nying the power of it ; and the fountain of all is 
 / elf love, for (faith he) menfbaUbe lovers of their 
 own felves* And as felf-love is the fountain of 
 much evil, fo it's the fountain of felf-deceit, and 
 keeps out any thing that may make men queftion 
 their own condition ; fo that if a word come in 
 and fay, Thou haft no ground for thy faith ; the 
 heart will be ready to anfwer and fa> , It cannot 
 be that lama felf-deceiver : and felf-love, as a 
 partial judge,will offer to vindicate the man, and 
 fo makes him fhift the challenge. Now, when 
 all thefe are put together, you may fee how ma- 
 ny grounds folk have to go wrong upon \ and 
 men having hearts difpofmg andinclining them 
 to go wrong, and little pains being taken to dif- 
 cover the deceit of them, is it any wonder that 
 they think they believe, when indeed they be- 
 lieve not, and be empty and toom-handed, hav- 
 ing little or nothing to reft upon, while they 
 
 think 
 
54 if***b 53. 
 
 think they are rich and want nothing ? Thefe are* 
 net fancied and far-fetched things, but obvious, 
 and at hand, and may eafily be" gathered from 
 your daily practice ; in all which, it's our defign 
 andfeope, to bring you to try your long unque- 
 ftioned peace : Do not therefore think that it is 
 impoflible to be thus perfwaded, as many of you 
 are, a*nd yet to be miftaken, (which is another 
 ground of folks deceit; forLaodicea was very con- 
 fident in thinking her f elf to be rich and increafed 
 ingoeds^and tojiand in need of nothing', when 
 foe waa in the mean time poor, blind, miferabU, ' 
 wretched and naked : and the Galatians, as 
 we may fee, chap. 5. 8. had a perfwafion which 
 •Has not of God.) As there may be a pe*rfwafion 
 of a point of do&rine as being right, which yet 
 is an error ; fo there may be a perfwafion of 
 a man's fpiritual ftate, as being right, and 
 w Inch he will ftoutly maintain to be fo, while 
 in the mean time that perl wafion is not of God 
 that calleth him, but a ftrong delufion ; If all 
 that be faith that ye call faith,then certainly the 
 way to heaven is much broader than the fcrip- 
 ture hath chalked it out,' and minifters needed 
 not fay, Who believes our report ? for all fhould 
 thus believe it : It will then,and muft then,turn 
 to this, that your prefwafion is not of him that 
 calleth you} and if a deceit may ly and lurk un- 
 der this perfwafion of yours,ye have certainly fo 
 much the more need to put the buiinefs to trial. 
 And this is the laft Ufs, which we cannot now 
 Infift on, That feeing fo many think they believe 
 who believe not, and that there are but few that 
 believe the report, and 1 indeed reft on Chrift for 
 their falvation, as he is offered to them in the 
 gofpel *, it is of your concernment to endeavour 
 to put your felves without the reach of this com- 
 plaint, and to make it lure that ye have believed 
 and received the report. Is there any thing of 
 concernment, i( this be not, even to make your 
 calling and ele&ion fure ? and that cannot be 
 made lure as to you, till your faith be made fure. 
 If we could prevail thus far with you,we would 
 count it a bletfed fruit of this and of many other 
 preachings, even that fome of you, who have 
 
 never queftioned your faith,, might be engaged 
 iirft ferioufly to clofe with Chrift, and then to 
 put your felves to the trial, that ondiftinft 
 grounds ye may bs able to fay, / know in whom I 
 have believed, and that he is able to keep that 
 which I have committed to him againfl that day. 
 There are many of you that talk of faith,and yet 
 can not only not afiert your intereft in Chrift di- 
 ftin<ftly, but cannot fo much as give any folid 
 grounds of your believing; and Ihould not this, 
 think ye, put you to-try it ? Is there not a day 
 coming, wherein ye will all be tried, whether 
 your alledged faith was true faith, or but pre- 
 sumptuous ; and wherein the ccnfcience,which is 
 now quiet, and which it may be never kept 
 you from an hour's fleep, fhall awake and put 
 forth its fting, and fhall bite and gnaw; and ye, 
 who fhall continue under the power of this de- 
 lufion, will be put to gnaw your tongues for 
 pain and horrour under the gnavvings of your 
 confeience r Ye, that never knew all along your 
 life what thefe things meant, had need to ftand 
 the more in awe, and to be afraid when ye come 
 near death. Tho' it be a fad matter, that when 
 we ihould be preaching, and would fain preach 
 the dodtrine of faith, it fhould, by reafon of 
 your delufion, be the great p-art of our work, 
 to be thus digging you out of your preempti- 
 on, and overturning your carnal and ill-ground- 
 ed hope ; yet we hare the greater confidence,and 
 the more peace to fpeak to, and infift in thefe 
 truths, becaufe they ly fo near to the great de- 
 fign of the gofpel, and to your immortal fouls 
 falvation : and tho' we were able to preach 
 more plaufible and fweet things to you, yet if 
 thefe do&rines profit you not, thefe would not. 
 Seeing therefore they are fo profitable, we fhould 
 not weary to fpeak, and ye fhould not weary to 
 hear them fpoken of: Would to' God ye were 
 ferioufly and fincerely aimirg to be clear and 
 through in the matter of believing, and that ye 
 flood in need, and were more capable of more 
 pleafant truths ! if fo, we might have more 
 comfortable,tho' we will not fay riore profitable, 
 dojftrincs to infift upon to you. 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 Ifaiah ltii. 1. Wbo bath believed tur report ? and to whom is the arm of the Ltrd revealed ? 
 
 WE have fpoken at feveral occafions to 
 this firft part of the verfe ; and, be- 
 fore we leave it, there is one ufe, feveral times 
 hinted at already,to which there is good ground 
 to fpenk, it being the defign and purpofe of 
 
 thefe words, to hold forth of what great con- 
 cernment-believing is, and of what great diffi- 
 culty it is ; and fo many being, to the ruin of 
 their fouls^miftakcB about it, there is ground to 
 if '7~\ draw 
 
Serm. 12. Ifaiah tl* 
 
 draw thisi uje ef exhortation from it, to wit, 
 That then all the hearers of this gofpel would 
 be exhorted to advert well to this^ that they 
 make faith lure in it (elf, and that tney make it 
 lure to themfelves, feeing, as 1 faid, fo many are 
 miftaken about it, and beguile themfelyes. The 
 more preflingly that the gofpel calls f©r faith in 
 Chrift, and the more weightily the Lord ex- 
 poftulates with the hearers of the gofpel, be- 
 caufe of their unbelief, they are doubtlefs fo 
 much the more concerned to receive itin-its 
 offer, and alio to look well that they content not 
 themfelves with guefling at faith, and thai they 
 never think that things are well with them, ex- 
 cept they can give good proof and warrant that 
 they are Co, and that it is faying faith that they 
 have. Seeing there are fo many that fatisfy them- 
 felves as being believers, when yet fo few are 
 
 / believers indeed ; the fad miftake and difap- 
 pointment of many, fhould have fo much influ- 
 ence upon us, as to put us to more watchfulnefs, 
 and to a more narrow trial of our own ftate and 
 condition, that we may know how it is with us. 
 AH that we have fpoken to the doctrines of this 
 Arft part of the verfe,may be as fo many motives 
 to ftir you up to both thefe ; and would to 
 God we could be perfwaded to this, as the ufe 
 of fo many preachings, once to admit and take 
 It for granted, that it is the truth of God ; that 
 there is a neceflity, an abfolute neceflity for us to 
 be really rolled and caften over upon Jefus Chrift 
 by faith, for attaining of life through him. 
 Tho' this be a very common dcttrine, and ye 
 ■would think a very common ufe of it, yet it is 
 the great thing that God requires in the gofpel ; 
 and the negle& of it,or not receiving his Son,the 
 
 i very conteft and quarrel that God hath with the 
 hearers of it, and the caufe of the ruin of fo ma- 
 ny fouls that perifh under. the gofpel: we fhall 
 therefore propofeto youfome confiderations,that 
 may ftir you up to this ; and briefly anfwer a que- 
 ftion, in eacn of thefe two branches of the ufe. 
 
 And, Firfl, For iiirring you up to this receiv- 
 ing of Chrift by faith, 1. Confider if there be 
 not a (landing quarrel and controverfy betwixt 
 God and you for fin ; and if there be, as no 
 doubt there is, confider how that controverfy is 
 to be removed ; is there any other poffible way 
 but by faith in Chrift ? if we were preaching to 
 fuch as had never finned, and were never under 
 the hazard of the wrath of God, there might 
 poffibly be a difficulty to perfwade to a receiv- 
 ing of Chrift ; but when ye have all this in your 
 conference, that there is fin, and a curfe fol- 
 lowing fin, and that there is no other way for 
 femoYing'that curfe but by Jefus Chrift, is there 
 
 Verfe 1. 55 
 
 not reafon to expe& that ye ihould receive this 
 truth ? Will any of you think to ftand and bide 
 it out againft God ? and if not,then there-is fure 
 a necefTity of believing in Jefus Chrift, or ©f ly- 
 ing under the wrath of God for ever. 
 
 2. Confider, that this gofpel and word «f fal- 
 vation is preached to you in particular : When 
 we fpeak of falvation, we do not fay, that Chrift 
 was once preached to the Jews, or that in fuch a 
 far-off nation there is a door opened for falvation 
 in the gofpel ; but we would turn over the words 
 of the apoltle (Acts 13. 38. to you,and fay to you 
 in his words, Be it inoron to you therefore, mtn 
 and brethren, through this Mm (to wit, Jefus 
 Chrift) is preached to you remiffun of finsi &c. 
 and this brings the gofpel near you,cven to your 
 door ^ it lays before you the way of accefs to 
 God by Chrift, and puts it Co clofe and home to 
 you, that Chrift mult either have a refufaJ, or a 
 welcome from you. The firft confideration of 
 your own finfulnefs and mifery might put you 
 to feek after a Saviour, tho' he were at a great 
 diftance; but this other brings him to your heart 
 and mouth : and is it fit (thinkye)to negle& fuch 
 a fair occafion i and will it be wifdom, wke'H fal- 
 vation follows you, and cries after you,and wif- 
 dom lifts up its voice in the ftreets,faying, ye . 
 fiwple ones y horu long voiil ye love foolijhnejs ? Syr., 
 to ftop your ear, or to turn away from Chrift, 
 and to run upon your deftru&ion ? Do ye think 
 that this gofpel will be filent always, or that 
 your confeience will be deaf and dumb always / 
 There are many nations that have not the gof- 
 pel fo near them : and it's hard to know, feut the 
 day may come, when ye would be content to buy 
 an offer of the gofpel at a dear rate, and when 
 there fhall not fee a tryfter, nor a days-man to 
 be had between God and you ; and thefe days 
 will then be remembred with horror,wkich now 
 ye fecurely flip/over. 
 
 3. Confider what will come of thi»,if ye do not . 
 believe the gofpel. Know ye not that many pe- 
 rifh that hear the gofpel, and that upon this 
 fame very ground, that they did not receive 
 Chrift and falvation through him offered to thorn 
 therein,and whereof they are now deprived? Are 
 there not many this day curfing in hell, under 
 the wrath of God, that they let flip and paifed 
 over fo many golden opportunities of the gofpel 
 Without improvement f and know ye not that it 
 will come to the fame fad pafs with you, if ye do 
 not receive it ? Do men live always? Is there not 
 an appointed time for all men upon earth ? If, 
 before we have favingly exercifed faith on hkn 
 for making peace with Cod, we be drawn to a 
 
$6" Jfaiah «53. 
 
 reckoning before hts tribunal, what will come 
 of it ? and are not our precious opportunities 
 apace & always flipping by? and is not the work 
 of faith by delays ftill the more difficult ? are 
 not our bonds ftill the more ftrengthned ? and 
 doth not our indifpofition (till grow the greater? 
 and is it not very ordinary to fee thefe,who have 
 (lighted the work of faith in their youth, to live 
 ftupidin their old age, and die fenlelefs. 
 
 4.Conilder what fort of folk they are,of whom 
 the fcripture fpeaks as unhelievejrs, and whom 
 the word of God holds forth to be eternally fe- 
 cluded from the prefence of God for the want of 
 faith. Many think that it^s but the grofly pro- 
 phane, or fuch as never had fo much as the form 
 of religion, and fuch as others would fcunner 
 and lothe to hear them but mentioned ; arfli it's 
 (I fay) only fuch that are accounted unbelievers: 
 but the fcripture fpeaks of fome, that fe eh to en- 
 ter in, and Jball not be able; that defire to be in 
 heaven, and take fome pains to win in, and yet 
 are never admitted to enter into it ; and what is 
 the reafon? becaufe they took not the way of be- 
 lieving, for the obtaining oC life, and coming to 
 heaven ; they took the way of works, they took 
 the way of prayer, of purpofes, promifes and 
 refolutions to amend and grow better, quite o« 
 verlooking Chrift and the way of believing in 
 him ; and Co took the way of preemption, and 
 promifed themfelves peace, when there was .no 
 true peace, nor any folid ground for it. 
 
 5. Confider (which is of affinity with the for- 
 mer confideration) them that are fecluded from 
 the prefence of God for the want of faith : They 
 are even men and women, as we are, that lived 
 in the fame kingdom and city with us, and pray- 
 ed In the fame company with us, that thought 
 themfelves as fure of heaven as many of us do, 
 that were guilty of the fame or like fins that 
 we are guilty of, that have heard many of 
 the fame preachings that we have heard, and yet 
 they perifli for want of faith, for not believing 
 in the Son of God. Why then mould we think 
 that impoflible to us, that is fo common and 
 frequent in others ? Is not the fame nature in 
 us, that's in others ? and are not our hearts na- 
 turally as deceitful and corrupt, as thofe of o- 
 thers ? and Co, may not we be beguiled, as well 
 as others ? and is it not the fame rule that he 
 will walk by in judging of us, that he walked 
 by in judging of others ? What can be the rea- 
 fon that folk will read .and hear the word, and 
 will promife to themfelves heaven, when the 
 fame word clears it plainly, that deftru&ion is 
 that which they have to look for from the Lord? 
 It is nothing clfe> but this confident and proud 
 
 Verfe 1. - Serm. 12. 
 
 preemption that many take for faith* Let not 
 your precious opportunities flip away, and be- 
 guile not your felves in fuch a concerning mat- 
 ter as faith is ; ye will never get this lofs made 
 up afterwards, if ye mifs faith here. 
 
 Laftly, Confider the great neceflity that the 
 Lord hath laid upon all men and women, by a 
 peremptory command and charge, to believe 
 in the Son of God : he hath not with greater pe- 
 remptorinefs required prayer, nor dependence 
 upon him, nor any other duty, than he hath re» 
 quired this, 1 John 3 . 2 l.And this is his command- 
 ment, that wejbould believe on the name of his 
 Son jefus Chrift \ yea, it's fingled out as his main 
 commandment. If that great inquiry be made, 
 What Jball I do to be faved ? This is the anfwer, 
 Believe on Jejm Chrift.Do ye think that our Lord 
 (who hath fo marked and fignalized this com- 
 mand in Co fpecial a manner) will never take ac- 
 count for the flighting of it ? or do ye think to 
 fatisfy him by your other duties, without mind- 
 ing this ? It cannot be ;fuppofeye mould mourn 
 all your life-time, and your life were a pattern 
 to others, yet, if ye want this one thing,faith in 
 Chrift, ye would be found tranfgreffors, as ha- 
 ving negle&ed the main work. 
 
 Now, for the jQueftion, ye will fay, What is 
 this we are bidding you do, when we bid you 
 believe ? Anfwer> When we call you to believe, 
 we call you, 1 . To be fuitably afFedled with the 
 fenfe of your own naughtinefs, finfulnefs, and ha- 
 zard ; till there be fomething of this, faith in 
 our Lord Jefus hath no accefs, nor will ever get 
 welcome ; deep apprehenfions of the wrath that 
 is coming, and a {landing in awe at the thoughts 
 of our appearing before him, contribute much 
 to it. I am not preaching defperation to you, 
 as fome mutter ; but we would prefs upon you 
 the faith of the word of God, that tells you 
 what we are ; and livelinefs under that impref- 
 fion ; that ye may not be flopped o^letted, till 
 ye come to a thorow clofure with Chrift : the 
 mod part of hearers come never this length, and 
 this is the reafon why many ftumble in tke very 
 threfhold, and make never progrefs. 2. W T ecall 
 for,and commend this to you,that ye would ftu- 
 dy to be through and clear as to the ufefulnefs 
 a nd excellency of Jefus Chrift, as to the effica- 
 cy of his death, as to the terms of the covenant 
 of grace, whereby a finner comes to obtain 
 right to him : to be fenfible of fin and hazard, 
 without this, is only the way to make a man 
 defperate and mad; but when this is clear, it 
 makes an open door to the finner, that he may 
 fee whither to run from the wrath to come* I 
 
 di 
 
Serm. I2« Ifaiah 
 
 Ao not only mean that ye would get the Cate- 
 chifm, and be able to -anfwer to all the queftions^ 
 concerning the fundamentals of religion con- 
 tained therein, but that ye would alfo and main- 
 ly feek to have the faith of thefe things in your 
 hearts, and to have faith in God, that ye may 
 be perfwaded, that he that was and is God,died 
 for finners j and that, by the application of his 
 fatisfa&ion, finners may obtain life ; and that 
 there is a fufficient warrant given to a finner 
 to hazard himfelf upon him. The firft of thefe 
 fpeaks the neceifity of fome fenfe, the fecond 
 holds out theneceffity of a general faith,according 
 to that word, Heb, 11. He that cometh to God, 
 tnuft believe that he is, and that he is a revour- 
 der of them that diligently feek him. We mud 
 know that there is a warrant to come,and ground 
 to expe& acceptance from God upon our coming*, 
 or elfe we will never come to,nor believe in Chrift. 
 The 3d thing that we call you to } when we call 
 you to believe, is, that the linner would actual- 
 ly ftretch out that faith, as the foul's hand, for 
 the receiving of Chrift,and tor the application of 
 him to himfelf; and would actually caft himfelf 
 upon the fatisfacHon of Tei'us Chrift>f jr covering 
 that finfulnefs that is in him ; and would eatch 
 hold of, and grip to him, that is an able Saviour, 
 for keeping the finner from linking under the 
 weight of fin thathelieth under: This is the ex- 
 erciie and pra&ice of faith, when it flows from 
 the general do&rine of the neceffity or believing 
 fuch things to be truths in themfelves ; and then 
 it's extended and put forth in practice, that we, 
 who are fo certainly and fenfibly loft, muft needs 
 lhare of that falvation which we believe to be in 
 Jefus Chrift,and fo for.that,roll our felves on him : 
 the firft piece of fenfe may be in a reprobate,the 
 fecond piece of fifth, that there is a fufficient 
 falvation in Chrift to be gotten by them that be- 
 lieve in him, may be in a devil ; but this third, 
 of actual ufe-making of the fatisfadtion of Chrift, 
 for paying our debt,and rolling our (elves upon 
 him,that's the faith and exercife of it that is par- 
 ticular to a found believer, and the very thing 
 that fonftitutes a believer ; and it is that which 
 we commend to you, that ye may not ftand and 
 plcafe your felves with looking only upon Chrift, 
 but that ye may caft and roll your felves over u- 
 pon him that Chrift may get your weight, and 
 that all your burdens & wants may be upon him ; 
 which to do, ye muft be enabled by the mighty 
 power of grace,whereof the next part of the verfe. 
 The iecond branch of the ufe, which follows 
 upon this,is/rhat we would defire you,not only 
 to follow this way 'of making your peace with 
 <j©d, but to follow the trying and proving of it 
 
 $3. Verfe 1. ^ 
 
 to your own fatisfa&ion, that ye maybe warran- 
 tably confident that it is fo. There is a great dif- 
 ference betwixt thefe, to believe in Chrift, and 
 to be clear and certain that we do believe in him; 
 as there is a neceifity of the firft, without 
 which there cannot be peace with God, fo there 
 is a neceflity of the fecond, tho' not fimply, as 
 without which there can be no peace with God, 
 yet upon this account, as without which we 
 cannot be fo comforted in God .*. and feeing 
 there are fo many who do not believe, who yet 
 think themfelves to be believers ; and feeing there 
 is nothing more common among the hearers of 
 the gofpel, than to reje<£ Chrift offered in it,and 
 to misbelieve, and yet nothing more common 
 than to be. confident that they do believe ; there 
 is good ground here to exhort you to put your 
 faith to the touch-ftone, that ye may know whe- 
 ther ye can abide the trial, and whether ye may 
 confidently afTert your own faith upon good 
 ground, and akide by it. We would think,if it 
 were remembred, and ferioufly confidered, how- 
 great a fcarcity there is of believers, /and how 
 rare a thing it is to get any to receive £hrift,that 
 folk needed not be much preffed to put their 
 faith to the trial ; and when there will not be 
 one among many found, who will pafs under the 
 account of a real believer with Jefus Chrift,fhould 
 not the moft part fufped~t themfelves. Seeing the 
 moft part that hear the gofpel are the obje& of 
 this complaint,^c hath believed our report ? or 
 very few have believed it .* Ye would ftudy to 
 have fome well grounded confidence in this,that 
 
 - ye are not gueffing and prefuming, and going u- 
 pon ^rounas that will fail you at laft^but that ye 
 be in cafe to fay on folid grounds'with theapoftle, 
 / know whom I have believed, &c. There it 
 a faith and hope that will make many afhamed ; 
 and certainly in • the day of judgment, when 
 Chrift fhall have to do with thefe perfons, that 
 never once thought to be thr'uft away from him, 
 they of all men fhall be thruft away from him 
 with greateft fhame : O ! the confufion that will 
 fill and overwhelm them, who ha da profeffion of 
 Chrift .and yet had never the root of the matter in 
 them, above and beyond many others. Dare many 
 ofyou.upon the confidence yc haveJook death in 
 the face ? It's no great matter to be confident in 
 the time of health ; but will ye then be able to 
 comfort your felves in the promifes of God ? Do 
 not promifeto your felves the things in the co- 
 venant, except ye be endeavouring in God's, way 
 to be fure ye are believers indeed. Our life de- 
 pends upon our faith, but our confolatirtn de-* 
 pends much Upon our clcarnefs that we have faith, 
 and that we are in Chrift ; and therefore there is 
 
3 8 IJaiab $3. 
 
 much nerd to prefs this upon you : There is no 
 way to rid you of the terrors of God,and to make 
 you comlortably iure of your particular intered 
 in thepiomifesofGod,but by making it lure and 
 clear that ye are believers in Child indeed. 
 
 There are three or four forts of people, to whom 
 we would fpeak a little here. 1. There are fome, 
 who think, that if they could do other duties, 
 tho' they ihould never do this, to wit, to make 
 their calling and election iure, they would be 
 and do well enough. : are there not many of you, 
 that never ^o much as fet your felves to try whe- 
 ther your faith would abide God's trial or not ? 
 Ah ! Ah ! an atheidical indif&rency, a flighting 
 of the confolations of God, aboundeth amongft 
 many, (o that they think the promifes, and the 
 confolations that are to be gotten in the promifes, 
 are not fo much worth, as to be thereby put to 
 .take pains to try and fee, whether they belong to 
 them or not ; but the day will come, that many 
 of you will curfe your felves for.your neglecting 
 and flighting of this. A fecond fort are thefe,who, 
 becaufe they were never fure of peace with God 
 themfelves, and becaufe they were never fure of 
 their own faith, neither ever concernedly en- 
 deavoured to be,they think it's all but fancy that's 
 ipoken of affurance of faith, and of peace with 
 God ; they think it's but guefiing at the bed ; 
 there is fuch a fort of perfons, who think they 
 may be doing as they dow,and need not trouble 
 themfelves with fuch fancies,or nice things; but, 
 if ye ask them, what will come or them atlaft, ? 
 they will tell you, They will lip pen that to God. 
 Think ye it for nought,, that God hath laid fo, 
 many commands on you to make your calling 
 and election fure? and think ye it for nought, 
 that he hath given fo many marks to try it by, 
 and that fome of the people of God do holily 
 and humbly glory and boad fo much of their 
 communion with God, of their aflurajice of his 
 love to them,and of their fpecial interefl in him? 
 do not all the fe fay, that there is fuch a thing 
 as this to be had ? There is a third fort, that 
 pleafe themfelves with meer conje&ures abomt 
 this matter; and the greater their fecurity bc,they 
 per f wade themfelves the more that they hav.e 
 faith : This is as fad as. any of the former, when 
 they grant all, that folks fhould make their cal- 
 ling and election fure, and fliould endeavour to. 
 be fure of their faith, but in the mean time take 
 peace with the devil, and peace with their lulls, 
 for peace with God; and a covenant with hell and 
 death, for a real bargain with God: This is as 
 irueas this word oi God is,that there are many 
 that put by all challenges by this, and never fu- 
 fj>e& their faith J they hope that all Hull be well 3 . 
 
 Verfe I. Serrn/. t& 
 
 and they mud always believe ; as if that were 
 the whole duty of faith, to keep down all chal- 
 lenges. A fourth fort is^ even of tbe^eneration 
 of them that have fomething of God in them-, 
 who fear in a manner to make all fure, and think 
 it a piece of humility,and of holy and tender wal- 
 king,^ maintain doubting ; even as others think 
 it faith, to maintain prefumption : they are al- 
 ways complaining, as if all things were wrong, 
 and nothing right in their cafe, and fo fofler and 
 cherifk misbelief. There is fuch a thing as this, 
 that marreth even ferious fouls in their endea- 
 vours to make their calling and eledion fure ; 
 and, as long as this is, they cannot win to the 
 fuitable difcovery of this excellent grace that 
 God calls them to exercife,. even faith in the 
 Lord Jefus. Need we make ufe of motives to prefs 
 you to this trial of your faith, and to this gi- 
 ving of all diligence to make it fure, who have 
 efpecially hitherto negle&ed it? If ye knew any 
 thing of the vexation that unbelief hath with it, 
 and what horror in confeienoe from the fenfe 
 of diflance from God were, ye \^ould think it a. 
 great matter to be clear in this thing ;.and if it 
 were known and believed,how this delufion and 
 unfickcrnefs of faith deflroys the mod part of 
 men in the world, even of the vifible Church, 
 durfl men ly in their fecurity as mod do, with* 
 out all endeavours to make it fure on good 
 ground,that they do indeed believe ? Durd they 
 ly dill under God's curfe, if they thought them* 
 felves to be really under it,and did not foolifhly 
 fancy that it is otherwife with them ? Durffc 
 men.treafure up wrath to themfelves, if they 
 thought not that the hope they had were good e- 
 nough? Olbut prefumption beguiles and dedroy s 
 many fouls; and particularly this fame prefump- 
 tion, of folks thinking themfelves right when: 
 they are wrong,hathdeflroyed, and doth dedroy, 
 and will dedroy mo members of the vifible 
 Church, than.prophanity, drunkennefs, whore* 
 dom,thefc,defperation, or any other ofthefegrofs 
 and much abhorred evils do : This is the thing 
 that locks folk up in their fin,even their prefump- 
 tion,, when they fay on the matter, Wejhallhavc* 
 peace ^thi' voe walk in the imagination cf our or$n 
 hearti\t\ this that makes men,without fear,deal, 
 lie,and commit adultery ,Cfa that they .fay a /j not 
 the Lor&among us ? Is not this the thing that 
 keeps many of you, that ye never tremble at the 
 word of God ? We have faith in God (fay ye) 
 welippenand trud in him: Therefore, feeing. 
 prefumption is fo rife, have ye not need to try 
 your faith ? If there. were fo much counterfeit I 
 money in the country, that.it. were .a rare thing j 
 
 tc> 
 
5erm. 12. lfeuah 5 3, 
 
 to get one good and upright piece of money, ye 
 "would think your felves greatly concerned and 
 obliged to try it well, left ye were cheated with 
 fcafe and counterfeit coin ; is there not need then, 
 yea infinitely much more need, for them that 
 would be io wife as not to be beguiled about the 
 falvation of their fouls, to fearch and try whe- 
 ther their faith will abide God's trial or not i» 
 
 Ye will readily move this Qucfticn, W hat then 
 are the chara£ers or evidences of a folid and fic- 
 ker faith that will abide the trial, by which the 
 pretended faith that is among the men of this ge- 
 neration may be examined and put to juft trial ? 
 I fhall firft name fome dire<& tcriptures, hold- 
 ing out fome things effentially accompanying 
 faith ; and then fhall add others, having more 
 condefcending chara&ers,for the more particular 
 differencing of this, helping to the decifion of 
 this great queftion. m 
 
 Thefirft mar^wherebyyermytry your faith, 
 as, the ground and rife of it, or that whereby 
 It is begotten and eherifhed ; Faith comes (faith 
 the apoftle, Ram. 10. 10.) by hearing ; do&rinal 
 faith comes by the preaching of the gofpel, and 
 faring faith is wrought inftrumentally by the 
 fame word of God, it being the power if God to 
 falvation ; it being this word that is the very 
 ground of our faith. I would ask you, Where- 
 from your faith comes, and what hand the word 
 of God hath in it ? There are many thatf have a 
 fort of faith, not only without, but contrary to 
 the word of God, whereby they believe that 
 they will get heaven, while in the meantime 
 the word of God does directly exclude them. 
 Get ye your faith maintained, without ever know- 
 ing the neceffity of a promife for that erfeelf Can 
 ye maintain your peace, and not have fo much as 
 any foundation in the truth and faithfulnefs of 
 God to build it upon ? Love never that faith 
 that hungers not after the word, that is fuppo- 
 fed to be lively without being ever fed by the 
 word, that cannot claim either its rife and origi- 
 nal, or its growth from the word? I will not 
 fay from this' or that word in particular,or at this 
 or at that time read or heard,but from the word 
 °^ ^ oc * > tne word is the very foundation that 
 faith builds upon : If we look to what either ac- 
 companieth or followeth faith, there are fome 
 plain fcriptures that will make that clear,as ABs 
 ij'p.Attdput no difference between us and them, 
 furiyfing their hearts by faith (there was indeed 
 once a great difference between Jews & Gentiles, 
 but now, when he hath brought both to believe 
 an Chrift, the difference is removed) there is*n 
 efficacy in it, to circumcife the heart, to purify 
 lt > and to banifh lufts out of it j for it dofes and 
 
 Ycrfe.i. 59 
 
 unites with Chrift, and fo brings him home to 
 dwell in the heart-; and where Chrift dwells he 
 commands, and fo whatever oppofes h'm is ba- 
 nifhed. Faith gives Chrift welcome,and will give 
 nothing welcome to dwell with him, that's op- 
 pofite and difpleafing to him ; Faith improves 
 Chrift for the fubduing of its lufts.and mortify- 
 ing its corruptions \ whereas before there might 
 be a fair out-fide of a profeflion, and fomething 
 clean outwardly, and much filthinefs and rotten- 
 nefs within ; but when faith is exercifed on Chrift, 
 it purifies from all filthinefs of the fpirit, as well 
 as of the flefh ; it applies the promifes for that 
 end, even to get the infide made clean, as well as 
 the outfide ; yea,its main work is,to have the in- 
 fide, the heart, purified, that being the fountain 
 of all the pollution that defiles the man,and brings 
 the other neceffarily along-withit. Never love 
 that faith, that leaves the heart as a fwine's fty 
 to lufts, that leaves it fwarming with unclean 
 and vain thoughts, or that leaves the heart juft 
 as it was before ; or that faith, that only clean- 
 feth the outfide, and does no more \ fuch a faith, 
 however efteemed by man, will never be ac- 
 counted for true faving faith before God. I do 
 not, I dare not fay, that believers will always 
 difcern this heart-purity or cleannefs ; but this I 
 fay, that true faith will fet the man a-work to 
 purify the heart,and will be making ufe of Chrift 
 for that end, not only to have the arm of tlie 
 dominion of fin broken, but to have the foul 
 more and more delivered from the indwelling 
 power of it ; and this will be the defign that he 
 will fincerely drive, to get the heart purified 
 within, as well as the outward man ; inward 
 heart-abominations will be grievous and burden- 
 fom to him, as well as fcandalous out-breakings, 
 A fecond place is>Gal. 2. 20, 21. / am crucified 
 with Chrift ^neverthelefs I live \ytt not l,but Chrijl 
 livetb in me \ and the life^c. If ye would know 
 a companion of true faith, here is one, it hath a 
 life of faith with it : There is one life killed, 
 and another life is quickned ; the life,that is kil- 
 led, is that whereby the man fometime lived tc* 
 the law, / am dead to the Jaw (fays the apofte) 
 a man's good conceit of himfelfthat once he had, 
 is killed and taken away ; he wonders bow it 
 came that he thought himfelf holy, or a believer, 
 or how he could promife to himfelf heaven, in 
 the condition he was in. There is another life 
 comes in the place of that, and it's a life that is 
 quickned and maintained by, and from nothing 
 in the man himfelf, but it's wholly from and by 
 Chrift: The believer hath his holinefs & ftrengtl* 
 for doing all called-for duties, and Ins comfort 
 1 2 alfo, 
 
6o ' 4 Ifaiah 53. 
 
 aifo, from Chrift ; and he holds withal his very 
 natural life, his prefent being in the world,from 
 Chrift ; his all is in Chriit \ his (lock of lire, 
 ftrength and furniture,- is not in himfelf, but he 
 lives by a continual traffick, as it were, on bills 
 of exchange betwixt Chrift and him •, when he 
 wants, he lends a bill to Chrift, and it'sanfwe- 
 red in every thing that he ftands in need of, and 
 that is good for him : He is a dead man, and he 
 is a living man ; and wherever true faith is,there 
 the man is dcad>and there the man is living. Do 
 not,I pray, miftake it, by thinking that true faith 
 is but vented, puts forth it felf only in reference 
 to this or that particular, or at this or that par- 
 ticular time only \ for faith muft be exercifed, 
 not only at ftarts, as when we are under chal- 
 lenges for fin, or at prayer, but we muft defign 
 and endeavour to exercife faith thorow all our 
 life ; that is, we muft by faith look for every 
 thing, that is ufeful and needful for us, from 
 Chriil,and be always endeavouring to drive on a 
 common trade of living this wayj we muft be 
 habituating our felvestofeek after pcace,ftrength 
 and confolation, and what elfe we need, out 
 of the fulnefs that is in him : This life of faith 
 is, to fee the want of all things in our felves,and 
 yet to have all things, by making ufe of Chrift 
 in all things ; contenting and comforting our 
 felves that there is ftrength in him, tho' we be 
 weak in our felves, and that he hath gotten the 
 vi&ory over all his and our enemies, and that 
 we mall at lift, through him, be victorious in 
 cur own perfons; contenting and fatisfying our 
 felves tha« he hath compleat righteoufnefs, tho* 
 we be bankrupt and have none of our own, and 
 betaking our felves allenarly to that righteouf- 
 nefs for our juftification before God ; thus, ma- 
 king a life to our felves in him, ^ he living in us 
 by his Spirit, and we living in him by faith : O 
 fweet and defireable, but myfterious life ! 
 
 The third place is,Ga/. j. 6, I* Chrift Jefo sli- 
 ther circumcifion availeth any thing^nor uncircum- 
 cifionjbut faith that worketh by love : He doth not 
 dimply fay faith,but/«i^ that works by love ; for 
 faith is an operative grace, and this is the main 
 vent of it,the thing by which it works, it works 
 by love : faith is the hand of the new creature, 
 whereby every thing is wrought, it having life 
 from Chrift ; and we may fay that love is in a 
 manner the hand of faith,or rather like thefingers 
 upon the hand of faith,whereby it handleth every 
 thing tenderly,even out of love to God in Chrift, 
 and to others for his fake ; faith works, and it 
 works by love : that's a found and good faith,that 
 warms the heart with love to Chrift ; and the 
 nearer that faith brings the believer to him, it 
 
 Vertex. Serm. 12. 
 
 warms the heart with more love to others. And 
 theretore,love to the people of God,is given as an 
 evidence of one that is born of God, 1 Jch.^.i . be- 
 caufe, wherever true faith is, -there cannot but 
 be love to the children of God, flowing from love 
 to him that begets them. That faith,that's not 
 affected withGod'sdifhonour out of love to him, 
 and that can endure to look upon the difficulties, 
 fuflferings and affli&ions of the children of God, 
 without fympathizing and being kindly affe&ed 
 therewith, is not to be taken for a found faith, 
 but to be fufpected for a counterfeit. 
 
 The fourth place i^James 2. 14. Shew me thy 
 faith by thy works, &c. True faith hath always 
 found holinefs with it, in all manner of conver- 
 fation, in the defign and endeavour of the belie- 
 ver ; which is, withal, through grace in fome 
 meafure attained. What avails it for a man to 
 fay that he loves another, when, being naked or 
 deftitute, he bids him, Depart in peace,Be war- 
 med,Be filled.and yet in the mean time gives him 
 nothing that he ftands in need of ? would not 
 fuch a' poor man think himfelf but mocked ? E- 
 ven fo, will rrot God reckon you to be but mock- 
 believers, or mockers of faith, when ye profefs 
 your felves to be believers in Chrift,while in the 
 mean time ye have neither indeed heart- purity, 
 nor holinefsinyour out-fide converfation ? that 
 is but fuch a faith as devils may have, that will 
 never do you good. Ye would believe this for 
 a truth,that there will never a faith pafs for faith 
 in God's account, and fo there mould never a 
 faith pafs for faith in your account, but that 
 faith that fets the man a-work to the ftudy of 
 holinefs, that faith that works by love, that 
 faith that purifies the heart, and that faith that 
 puts the perfon,tn whom it is, to ftudy to have 
 Chrift living in him,and himfelf living in Chrift. 
 I promifedtoname a few fcriptures,that (peak 
 out fome more condefcending characters of faith. 
 And, i.I would think it a good token of faith, 
 to have folk feared for miffing and falling fhort 
 of the promifes : which may be gathered from 
 Jfr£.4.i.That ftout confidence,that thinks it'sim- 
 poffible to mifs the promifes,is a fufpeft and dan- 
 gerous faith, not to be loved ; it's a much bet- 
 ter faith that fears, than that faith that's more 
 ftout, except there be a fweet mixture of holy 
 ftoutnefs and fear together. It's laid Heb. 11. 7. 
 that by faith ,Noah,£<r/7z£ moved with fear prepa- 
 red an ark foe. Noah had the faith of God's pro* 
 mife,thathe mould be kept free from being drow- 
 ned by the deluge with the reft of the world.- nd 
 yet he was mourning and trembling in preparing 
 the ark j if there were much faith among you, 
 
Serm.i2. Ifaiah ft. 
 
 it would make many of you more holily feared 
 than ye are : Love not that faith the worfe, that 
 ye never hear a threatning, but ye tremble at it, 
 and are touched by it in the quick. 2. It's a good 
 token of laving faith, when it hath a difcovery 
 and holy fufpicion of unbelief waiting on it , ib 
 that the perfon dare not fo lippen and truft his 
 own faith, as not to dread unbelief, and to tell 
 Chrift of it ; there is a poor man that comes to 
 Chrift, Mark 9. 23, 24* to whom the Lord faith, 
 If thou canfl believe, or canft thou believe ? Yes 
 Lord (fays he) Ibelieve,help thou mine unbelief: 
 there was fome faith in him, but there was alio 
 unbelief mixed with it; his unbelief was fo great, 
 that it was almoft like to drown his faith, but 
 he puts it in ChriiVs hand,and will neither deny 
 his faith nor his unbelief, but puts the matter 
 lincerely over upon Chrift, to ftrengthen his 
 faith, and to amend and help his unbelief. It's 
 a fufpe& faith, that's at the top of perfection at 
 the very firft, and ere ever ye wot : There are 
 fome' ferious fouls, that think,becaufe they have 
 Tome unbelief, that therefore they have no faith 
 at all ; but true faith is fuch a faith, that is by 
 and befide fufpected and feared or feen unbelief; 
 that faith is fureft, where folk fear and fufpedt 
 unbelief, and fee it, and when they are weighted 
 with their unbelief, and cry out under it, and 
 make their unbelief an errand to Chrift, it's a 
 token that faith is there. 3. The third chara- 
 cter is, that it will have with it a fticking to 
 Chrift, and a fear to prefume in fticking to him: 
 there will be two things driving together, an 
 cagernefs to be at him, and a fear they be found 
 prefumptuous in medling with him, and an holy 
 trembling to think on it ; yet notwithftanding 
 it muft and will be adventured upon. The wo- 
 man fpoken of, Mark ^. 28. lays this reckoning 
 with her felf, If I can but touch his clothes, I fhaU 
 be whole ; and fhe not only believeth this to be 
 truth, but crouds and thrimbles in to be at him; 
 yet v. 33. when fhe comes before Chrift,ftie trem- 
 bles as if ihe had been taken in a fault, not ha- 
 ving daredto comeopenly to h\m,but behind hi m\ 
 fhe behoved to have a touch of him,but fhe durft 
 not in a manner own and avouch her doing of it, 
 till ihebe unavoidably put to it. It's a fufpeft 
 and unfound faith, that never trembled at min- 
 ting to believe ; there is reafon to jealous that 
 faith not to be of the right ftamp,that never wal- 
 ked under the imprefTion of the great diftance 
 between Chrift and the perfon, the fenfe whereof 
 is the thing that makes the trembling, I fay. not 
 defperaticn, nor any utter diftruft of Chrift's 
 kindnefs, but trembling arifing from theconfide- 
 xation of the great diftance and difproDorfcion 
 
 Verfe. 1. £ )i 
 
 that's between him and the perfon ; faith holds ' 
 the finncr a going to Chrift, and the fenfe of it's 
 own finfulnels and worthlemefs keeps him under 
 holy fear, and in the exercife of humility. Paul 
 once thought himielf a jolly man, (as we may 
 lee, Rem* 7. 9.) but when he was brought to be- 
 lieve in Chrift,he fees that he was a dead and ua- 
 done man before. I give you thefe three marks of 
 a true faith from that chapter. iy?Jt difcovers to 
 a man his former finfulnels, and particularly hii 
 former felf-conceit, pride andprcfumption,/ was, 
 faith Vaul,alive without the lajo once, &c. a man 
 living upon the thoughts of his own holinefs ; 
 but when the law came, I died \ he fell quite 
 from thefe high thoughts. Afecondm&rk is, a 
 greater reftlefnefs of the body of death, it beco*- 
 ming in fome refpeft worfe company, more fret- 
 ful, and ftruggling more,t'han ever it did before; 
 fin revived, faith Paul, tho' he had no more 
 corruption in him than he had before, but it 
 wakned and beftirred it felf more ; I dare fay, 
 that tho' there be not. fo much corruption in 
 a believer as there is in a natural man, yet it 
 ftruggleth much more, and is more painful and 
 difquicting to the believer, and breeds him a 
 great deal of more trouble; for fays theapoftleon 
 the matter, When God graciouily poured light- 
 and life into me, fin took that occafion to grow 
 angry, and to be enraged that fuch a neighbour 
 was brought in befide it, it could not endure 
 that 5 as an unruly and currifh dog barks moft 
 bitterly when an honeft gueft comes to the 
 houfe, (o doth corruption bark and make more 
 noifethan it did before, when grace takei place 
 in the foul. There are fome that trow they have 
 the more faith, becaufe they feel no corruption 
 ftir in them ; and there are others that think they 
 have no faith at all, becaufe they feel corruption 
 ftruggling more, and growing more troubleforn 
 to them ; but the ftirring and ftruggling of cor- 
 ruption^ folk be indeed burdened,and affected, 
 and afflicted with it,will rather prove their hav- 
 ing of faith than their wanting of it. Love that 
 faith well, that puts and keeps folk bickering 
 (to fay fo) in the fight with the body of death ; 
 for tho' this be not good in itfelf that corrup- 
 tion ftirrcth, yet fin is of that iinful nature, that 
 it flees always more in their f^ct that look God ; 
 and heavenwards, than of others that are fleep- 
 ing fecurly under its dominion. A third mark 
 is, when the foul hath never peace in any of its- 
 conflicts or combats with corruption, but when 
 it refolves in faith exerched on Jefus Chrift, as 
 it was Vith Paul, in that cbapter after hijfcson- 
 rcrfion: That is a found faitfe, that not only 
 
 makes 
 
62 Jfaiah^l. 
 
 1 makes peace at firft by Chrift, but that cannot 
 (to fay To) fight one fair ftroke in the fpiritual 
 warfare, nor look corruption in the face, nor 
 promife to itfelf an outgate from any aflault of 
 the enemy, but by faith in Jefus Chrift ; as it was 
 ■with the apoftle, who, toward the end of that 
 chapter, lamentably crys,0 wretched man that I 
 am> rvbo Jball deliver me from the body oftbit 
 death ? yet immediately fubjoins faith's trium- 
 phing in Chrift, / thank God thro' Jefus Chrift our 
 JLord ; he belike, before his convcrfion thought 
 he could do well enough all alone, but it is not 
 fo now, when he can do nothing without Chrift, 
 cfpecially in this fore war with his corruption. 
 That is a found faith, that makes the •{Inner to 
 
 Verfc i. Serm. *£ 
 
 make u(e of Chrift in every thing he is called to, 
 that yokes him CI mean Chrift) to work on eve- 
 ry occafion, and particularly when it comes as 
 it were to grappling and hand-blows with this 
 formidable enemy the body of death, this mon- 
 fter, whereof when one head is cut off, another 
 as it were ftarts up in its place. 
 
 For a clofe of this purpofe, I befeech and ob- 
 teft fuch of you as are ftrangers to faving faith 
 (who are I fear by far the greateft part) to con* 
 lidcr ferioufly ail I have fpokcn of the nature 
 and native evidences of it,that you may be unde- 
 ceived ofyour foul-ruining miftakes about it; and 
 let fincere and found believers, from all, be more 
 cleared, confirmed, and comforted in their faith. 
 
 SERMON XIIL 
 
 I&iahliii. i. And to wbim is the arm of the Lerd revealed? 
 
 T*Here are many miftakes in the way of f eli- 
 ligion, wherewith the mod part are pof- 
 fcfled ; and amongft the reft there is one, that ge- 
 nerally the hearers of the gofpel think it fo cafy 
 to believe, that there is no difficulty in that by 
 any thing: they think it hard to pray, to keep the 
 fabbath, to be holy ; but the moft part think there 
 is no difficulty in believing ; and yet unbelief is 
 fo rife, and faith fo rare and difficult, that the 
 prophet Jfaiah here, in his own name, and in 
 same of all the minifters of the gofpel, cries out, 
 Who bath believed cur report ? he complains that 
 he could get but very few to take the word off 
 his hand : and, becauie it weighted him to find 
 it Co y and becaufe he would fain have it to take 
 imprcflSon on his hearers, he doubles expreffions 
 to the fame purpofe, And to robom is the arm 
 cf the Lord revealed? which in fum is, There 
 is much preaching and many hearers of the gof- 
 pel, butlittle believing of it, few in whofe heart 
 the work of faith is wrought; it's but here one, 
 and there one, that this gofpel hath efficacy u- 
 pon, for uniting of them to Jefus Chrift, and 
 for working a work offaving grace in them; 
 the effeftual working of God's grace reaches the 
 hearts but of a few. 
 
 For opening the words, we fhall fpeak a little 
 to thefe three, i .To what is meant by the arm of 
 the Lord. 2. To what is meant by the revealing 
 of the arm of the Lord. 3. To the fcope and de- 
 pendence of thefe words on the former. 
 
 For the firft, In general know, the arm of the 
 Lord is not to be undcrftood properly ; the Lord 
 bein§ a Spirit, hath no arms, hands, nor feet, as 
 men have : but it's to be underload figuratively, 
 as holding out fome^>roperty or attribute of God j 
 
 by the arm of the Lord, then, we underftand in 
 general the power of God, the arm of man being 
 that whereby he executethhispower,performetk 
 exploits, or doth any work : io the arm of the 
 Lord is his power, whereby he produceth his 
 mighty a&s; as it'* faid in the Pfalms : iil. v. 15; 
 The right hand of the Lord bath dene valiantly: 
 9%. v. i. His band and bis arm bath gotten bint 
 the vitttry, And, becaufe the power of God is 
 taken either more generally for that which is ex- 
 erced in the works of common providence, or 
 more particularly for that which is put forth in 
 the work offaving grace ; we take it here in Ihorc 
 to be the grace of God exercing its power, in 
 and by the gofpel,fbr the converting of fouls, and 
 caufing them favingly to believe : fo, Rom. 1. 16. 
 lam net ajbamed of the gofpel of Cbrisl,for it is 
 the poxoer of God to falvaticn to every one that 
 believes ; not fimply as it confifts in ipeaking of 
 good, fweet and feafonable words, but as it Co- 
 meth backed by the irrefiftable power of the 
 grace of God,as the word is, iCor. 1. 23,24. We 
 preach Chrift, to the Jews aftumblingblock, and 
 to the Greeks fool ijbnefs ; but unto them robo art 
 called , both Jews and Greeks, the power of God 
 and the vsifdom if God : and that it is fo to be 
 taken here, the connexion of thefe words with 
 the former will make it clear ; forfure he is not 
 fpeaking of the power of God in the works of 
 common providence, but of his power in the 
 converfion of fouls to Chrift, even of that pewer 
 which works faving faith in the eleft. 
 
 For the fecond y the revealing of the arm of the 
 Lord : By this we do not underftand the revea- 
 ling of it ibjeRfvely, as it's brought to light by 
 
 the 
 
Scrm. J 3- Ifaiab-H. 
 
 tlie preaching of the gofpel ; for thus it's re- 
 vealed to all the hearers or the go! pel, it's in this 
 refpe& not keeped hid, but brought forth clear- 
 ly to them in the word : And therefore, idly, 1 he 
 revealing of this arm or power of the Lord is to 
 be underftoodof the fubjettive inward manife- 
 fting of it, with efficacy and life, to the heart, by 
 the effectual operation of the Spirit of the Lord; 
 as it's laid of the great things prepared for them 
 that love God, 1 Cor. 2. 10. But God hath revea- 
 led tbem unto us by bis Spirit : it's that which 
 is called, 1 Cor. 2. the demonfiration of the Spi-. 
 rit and of pow^r, which make plain and power- 
 ful to the ipirit of the hearer inwardly that which 
 the word preacheth outwardly to the ear,which 
 without this would ftrike only on the ear,and yet 
 remain dill an hidden myftery ; this is the revea- 
 ling of the Lord's arm that is here fpoken of, be- 
 caufe it is that on which believing depended], 
 and of the want whereof the prophet fadly corn- 
 plaineth, even where there was much-preaching. 
 For the third, to wit, the {cope, dependence 
 and connexion of thefe words with the former : 
 We conceive they come in, both for confirma- 
 tion and for explication of the former words. 
 1. For confirmation, there are Cas bath been laid) 
 but few that believe, for there are but few that 
 have this faving and effe&ual work of God'sgrace 
 reaching their heart; tho' they have the word 
 preached to them, yet they have not the arm of 
 the power of God's grace manifefted to them:and 
 fa he confirms his former doctrine concerning the 
 paucity of believers under the preaching of the 
 gofpel, Firfl, By afferting the rewnefs of them 
 that are brought to believe, to be converted, 
 and effectually called by the gofpel ; which comes 
 to pafs thro' their own unbelief: And Secondly, 
 "By afferting their fewnefs in refpect of God's fo~ 
 vereign applying of his grace in thegofpel,which 
 is but to few ; it's but few that believe, for it's 
 but few that he makes effectual application of 
 his grace to. 2. We fay it comes in to clear and 
 explicate the former words, whether we take 
 itjby way of a reafon, or of an anfwer to an ob- 
 jection : For if it be faid,How can it be that /far 
 iah, Paul, yea, and our Lord Jefus. Cbrifl him- 
 ielf, fhould preach fo powerfully, and yet that fo> 
 few fhould believe ? He anfwers, It's not to be 
 marvelled at, in refpect of God, as if he were fru- 
 ftratcof hisdefign ; no i~o much matter : It's be- 
 caufe the power of Jefus Chrift is revealed but to 
 few. And we take this the rather to be the mea- 
 ning of thefe words, becaufe, when Chrift is 
 preaching and many take offence and ftumble, 
 John 6. 43, 44. lie ^y%,Murmure not among your 
 fclves) no man wn cams unto ms 3 except ibeja* 
 
 Verfe 1. 6? 
 
 tber, which bath fent me,draw him', there muft 
 be an effectual work of the grace of God put forth 
 on the heart, elfe none will believe on me ; fo it's 
 hid,jfohn 12. 37,38. that they believed notcnhim\ 
 that the faying of Ifaias might be fulfilled which 
 be fpeke, Lord, who hatb believed our report, and 
 to whom is the arm cf the Lord revealed r there- 
 fore they could not believe, becaufe that Ifaias 
 faid again, He hath blinded their eyes, &:. He 
 ipeaketh not fo, to apologize for, or to excufe 
 their unbelief but to ihew the connexion that is 
 betwixt, thefe two, the nor revealing of the arm 
 ofthe Lord, and their not believing ; even fa 
 here the Lord fliews the connexion that is be- 
 twixt the efficacy of the work of grace, and be- 
 lieving or turning to God. that wr;erethe power- 
 ful and effectual work of his grace goeth not 
 forth with the preached gofpel, there will be 
 then no believing, nor conversion, no faving s 
 change of the perton from nature to grace; 
 
 .That which we would fay from thefe words*, 
 may be drawn to three doctrines, which I fhalL 
 firft propofe, and then clear and apply them for 
 ufe. The firft is, That in the work of converfion, 
 and begetting of faving faith, there is reauifitc 
 and ntceffary, befuie the preaching tf the word % 
 a difiinit, inward, peculiar, real^ immediate, ef- 
 ficacious, and powerful work tf the Spirit of the 
 Lord on the hearts of as many, hearers as are con~ 
 verted by this. gofpel. 2. That it is but few of 
 many hearers, in whom the Lord tbusejficaci- 
 cufly and effe&ualy works by his Spirit and the 
 power of his grace : It's but here one and there 
 one, a very few who are thus wrought upon and 
 converted. 3. That there is a necejfaryand infe- 
 parablc connexion befwixt this inward and effi- 
 cacious work of the Spirit, and faith or converfion* 
 Where this work of grace is not, there can- 
 not be faith ; and where it is, faith neceffariljr 
 jnuftbe, other ways thefe two could not becom- 
 menfurable, of equal extent and reciprocal, Who' 
 bath believed our report! and to whom is the arm? 
 ofthe Lord revealed ? He is not, neither can be~ 
 a believer, to whom it is not revealed ; and he 
 is and cannot but beabeliever, to whom it is re- 
 vealed. 
 
 For the firfl, We fay, There is in the work of 
 converfion and begetting of faith, befide the* 
 preaching of the gofpel, a diftincieinward, pecu- 
 liar, real, immediate, efficacious and powerful) 
 work of thcSpirit ofthe Lord requisite and necef— 
 fary for converfion and .begetting of faith, to con- 
 vince of fin,andto humble tor it, to enlighten the 
 mind in the knowledge of Chrift, 4 . to renew the 
 will & affections, .and to perfwade and enable, the • 
 
 fault 
 
64 Jfaiah <>3. 
 
 foul of the firmer to embrace and receive Jefus, 
 Chrift, as he is offered in the gofpel. We fhall 
 fir/} take notice of] and clear, fome words in the 
 do&rine ; and then confirm it. 
 
 Firfly For clearing of fome words in the do- 
 &rine,we fay, i. It is a diflinil work of the Spirit, 
 diftinguifhed and feparable from the word , tho' 
 it goes along as he plcafeth with the word, yet 
 it is not as it there were fome power infufed in- 
 to the word, and went always and neceffarily 
 along with the Word, which is the foolifh and 
 groundlefs conceit of fome ; for albeit it accom- 
 pany the word, yet it's from adiftin& agent 
 Working, and a diftinA work, and is feparable (as 
 I faid) from the word, tho' it be wrought on 
 ' the heart of the famefinner,to whofe ear the word 
 is preached. 2. It's an inward work of the Spirit; 
 for, bcfide the outward and external preaching 
 and calling by the word, there is an inward, po- . 
 werful, effectual work and calling of the Spirit 
 in the converfion of a (inner, which fpeaks to the 
 heart, as well as the 1vord fpeaks to the ear : fo 
 that this work of the Spirit, that goes along in 
 converfion, is much more than any external per- 
 iwafion of the preached word can produce. 3. 
 We fay, itVa peculiar work, to difference it 
 from what is common to the hearers of the gof- 
 pel, for it's a work that is peculiar to them w horn 
 the Lord converts,and is applied to none ether, 
 but to thofe in whom he works faith, and whom 
 he effectually calleth by his grace .• It's a peculi- 
 ar work then, and not common ; for, if it were 
 common to all the hearers of the gofpel, and not 
 peculiar to fome;thefe two could not go together 
 and be commenfurable (as we faid) Who hath be- 
 lieved our report ? and to xohomis the arm of the 
 Lord revealed? 4. We fay, it's a real work, as 
 well as powerful ; a real work of the Spirit, that 
 is not only able and powerful to produce the ef. 
 fe#, and to convert the finner ? but real and 
 powerful in producing and bringing of it about, 
 and to pafs, by a real influence of the Spirit, a- 
 etually renewing the will, infufirg and creating 
 the habits of grace,and particularly the very ha- 
 bit of faith amongil others in the foul ; which is 
 quite another thing than the fuppofing and fay- 
 ing that a man hath power to believe and be 
 converted; that there is no more requifite to his 
 converfion^but to perfwade him to put forth that 
 power or ftrength, which he hath, into exsreife or 
 practice : it's a real work of the Spirit, and a 
 powerful bringing aboufof the converfion of the 
 £nner in a phyfical way,asthey fay in the fchool. 
 5. W r e fay, it is an immediate work of the Spirit 
 on the heart,to difference it from a mediate per- 
 iwafion, or moral fwaiion (as it's called^ as if 
 
 Verfe I. Serm. 13. 1 
 
 there were no more requifite in converfion, but 
 God's enlightning of the mind,and by that per- ■ 
 fwading the will to clofe with Jefus Chrift,with- 
 out any immediate work of the Spirit on the will 
 itfelf. In this doctrine, we take in all thefe,accor- 
 ding to the fcripture, in oppofition to the feVe- 
 ral errors vented by men of corrupt minds.anent 
 the work of converfion and of laving faith: 
 God's arm and handmuft be revealed ; the work 
 and power of his efficacious grace muft be put 
 forth,for moving and inclining the heart and af- 
 fections, and for determining the will it felf. 
 
 We might further clear and confirm all thefe 
 from that famous inftance of Lydia, Afts 16. 14. 
 where Paul preaching to fome women,it's faid of 
 her whofe heart the Lord openedjhatjhe atten- 
 ded to the things which werefpoken 0/'Pau!;where 
 we find thefe things dirferenceds 1. The Lord's 
 powerful work on her heart, from PauVs preach- 
 ing to her ear ; the Lord opened her heart, 2. It's 
 an inward work, for it's on the heart, j. It's a 
 peculiar work*, it's nor all who hear Paul preach 
 whofe hearts are opened, but it's the heart ofojfp 
 Lydia. 4. It's in the nature of it a real work, 
 that makes a real inward change on her. 5. It's 
 an immediate work; for the Lord not only enligh- 
 tens her judgment, but goes down to the heart, 
 and opens itj arid works a change in it immedi- 
 ately iau\ .aching opens the 
 way of falvatlr: to all that heard him; from 
 Which, tho' m=uv go away with their hearts un- 
 opened^ yel ; rh a fecret, myftericus, 
 real-, inward tvork on tier heart, which is fcyxc&fr> 
 ted by the f xt ;fhr he not only enlightens her 
 mind, but trukes her wiltignly yield to (he call ' 
 of the gofpel, by opening of her heart. 
 
 In the fecend place, to fpeak a little for confir* 
 mation ot the doctrine, we wouid eonfidef thefe 
 four or five grounds or reafons, r.. foe • that there 
 is fuch a work of the Spirit wherever faith is 
 begotten, and that mod intelligibly in them that 
 are at age. It's clear from thefe places of fcrip- 
 ture, where there is an exprefs diilinftionand 
 difference put betwixt the outward miniicry of 
 the Word, and this inward, powerful efficacious 
 work of grace on the heart,'and wherein the great 
 weight of converfion is laid on this inward work, 
 and not on the outward miniftry of the word; as 
 Deut. 29. 4. where the Lord by Mdfes tells the 
 people, how many things they hadieen and heard, 
 and yet fays he, The Lord hath not given you a 
 heart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears ta 
 hear unto this day : . they had the outward 
 means in plenty, when they wanted in the mean 
 time the inward power ; the gift of a fpiritual 
 
 life, 
 
Serm. 13. ■ " , n '/«'?* 53- 
 
 life, and the making them fpiritually a&ive to 
 
 * cxercc it, was with holdtn, and therefore they 
 did notfavingly perceive, fee nor hear. John 6, 
 44. Murmur fat am-ng your Jslves; no man can 
 tan come untc me, except the Father which hath 
 fent me draw him: It's written in the prophets, 
 Andtbeyjha be all taught ofGod\ every man, 
 therefore, thai hath. heard and learned of the Fa- 
 ther. ccmeth unto me \ where there is very clearly 
 a difttnftion put betwixt the outward teaching 
 and the Father's drawing,betwixt the minifter's 
 teaching and God's teaching : it was one thing to 
 be taught outwardly by Chrift: as the Prophet of 
 his Church, ar.d another thing to be drawn and 
 taught inwardly ofthe Father; this inward teach- 
 ing is called drawingXo fhew that it is riot exter- 
 nal oratory or eloquence confiding in words, to 
 perfwade,that can erfeft the bulineiSjbuta power- 
 ful draught of the arm ofthe Lord reaching the 
 the heart. There are leveral other fcriptures full 
 and clear to this purpofe, nsPfal. 103.3. an£ l 
 Acts 11. 21. A feccnd 'ground, of kin to the for- 
 -mer, is from the many and various expreffions 
 that are ufed in the fcriptures for holding forth 
 this work ofthe Spirit of God in converfion,that 
 point out, not on'y an hand working, and a 
 work, of wrought; but an inward powerful way 
 of working and bringing about the work, as Jer. 
 31. 34. IwiU put my law in their inward parts, 
 and write it in their hearts. Ezek. 1 1'. 19. / mill 
 give them one heart J will put a new fpirit within 
 them, and will take away theflony heart out of 
 their flejb-JLzzk. 36. 26, 27. A new heart will I 
 give untj you, and a^iew fpirit will I put within 
 
 • you, &c. jer.32. 40. I will put my fear in their 
 heart, that theyjhall.net depart from me. It's cal- 
 led the Father's drawing, John 6. 44. as I fhew. 
 In the taints prayers, as PJaJ. 51. it^s called, 
 even as to further degrees ofthis worker refto- 
 ring of loft degrees, creating of a clean heart. and 
 renewing a right fpirit within. And many mo the 
 like expreflions there are, which fhew not only 
 man's impotency and inability to convert, or fa- 
 
 . vingly to change himfelf ; but alfo, that to his 
 converflon there is necelfary, an inward,real, pe- 
 culiar, efficacious,powerful work ofthe Spirit of. 
 grace. 3. It's clear, and maybe confirmed from 
 the power of God which he puts forth and ap- 
 plies in the begetting of faith,and in working con- 
 verflon : It's not a mediate work,whereby he on- 
 ly perfwades congruoufly, as fome love to (peak; 
 but an immediate and efficacious work, whereby 
 with mighty power he works converfion ; It is 
 
 . Cod (faith the appftle,^//. 2. 1 3.) that w<rkeih 
 in you both %p will and to do of his good plea fare ? 
 and as he not only perfwadeth, but effectually 
 
 Verfe I. fy 
 
 worketh ; fo he not only works on the judgment, 
 to the ehlightning of it, but on the will to in- 
 cline and determine it, by curing it of its crook- 
 ednefs and perverfnefs, backwardnefs, obftinacy, 
 & rebellion ; and the power whereby he worketh 
 this great work is faidj-E"/^. 1. 19. to -be that fame 
 mighty ptwer , which he wrought in Chrifl, when h$ 
 faffed from him the dead: That ye may know f 
 faith; the zupoftle.tfbat is the exceeding greatnefs 
 of his power to us-wardwho believe, according t9 
 the working of his mighty power, which he wrought i 
 
 . in\ChriJi,vsben he raifed him from the dead, and 
 Jet him at his own right handle. Ttis fuch a power 
 that works faith.and fo exercifed in the working 
 of faith,as itwas^n the railing ofGhrift from the 
 dead : Now,could there be ufe forju.ch a power, 
 if there were no more requifite to converfion but 
 an objective fwaiion, or a bare propGfal of the 
 
 . ob;ecTr, with external perfwafion to embrace it, 
 wherein the foul is left to itlelf to choofe or re- 
 fufe as it pleafeth? certainly, if there were na 
 more, confidering our Ifetural enmity at God 
 and his grace, the devil and corruption would 
 have much more influence, and a far greater ft roke 
 upon the heart to clofing up of the fame in un- ; 
 belief than any outward perfwafion would have 
 as to the owning ofthe heart, and the begetting, 
 of faith ; therefore his power is necelTarily called 
 for, and the Lord addeth it in converting fia- 
 ners, elfe the work would for ever ly behind; 
 and if men be fpiritually dead in fins and trefpaf- 
 fes (as all men by nature are) as real a power mud 
 be exerced in raifing and quickning of them, as 
 there is exefced in railing and quickning of the 
 dead. 4, It may a\fo be cleared from iome ia 
 whom this power is exerced ; as fome children, 
 fome deaf p'erfons, and others, whom we cannot 
 deny to be reached by the grace of God, and 
 yet there can be «b other way how they- ars 
 reached, but by this effeftual, efScacious, and 
 immediate powerful work of the Spirit, they 
 not being capable of reafoning or perfwafion 
 by force of argument. 
 
 We fhall only add two realbns further, to 
 confirm, and fome way to clear, whj it is that 
 the Lord works, and muft work thusdiftin&ly* 
 inwardly, really, powerfully, and immediately, 
 • in working faith, and .converting of finners* 
 The firit is drawn from the exceeding great 
 deadnefs, indifpofition, averfnefs, perverfnefs, 
 impotency, inability, and im'p'offibllity that is 
 in us naturally for the exercing of faith in ChrifU 
 if men naturally be dead in fins and trffpalfes, 
 if the mind be blind,if the affections be quite dis- 
 ordered, and if the will be utterly corrupted 
 
66 Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 and perverted \ then that which converts, and 
 changes and renews them, muft be a real, in- 
 ward, peculiar, immediate, powerful work of 
 the Spirit of God: there being no inward feed 
 of the grace of God in them to be quickncd,that 
 feed muft be communicate to them and fown in 
 them, ere they can believe, which can be done 
 by no lefs nor lower than the power of God's 
 grace : it's not oratory, as I laid, nor excellency 
 of fpeech that will do it ; it's fuch a work.as be- 
 gets the man again, and actually renews him. 
 The ftcofld is drawn from God's end in the way 
 of giving grace, communicating it to forae, and 
 not to others : If God's end, in being gracious to 
 fome,and not toothers, be to commend his grace 
 ib!ely,and to make them alone in grace's common 
 or debt *, then, the work of .grace in converfion 
 muft be peculiar and immediate,and wrought by 
 the power of the Spirit of God,leaving nothing 
 to man's free-will to difference himfelf from ano- 
 ther, or on which fuch an effecT: Ihould depend ; 
 but if we look to fcriptwre, we will find,thafc it's 
 Cod's end in the whole way and conduit of his 
 grace, in election, redemption, calling,juftificati- 
 cn, CSV. to commend his grace folely, and to 
 flop ail mouths, and cut off all ground of boaft- 
 ing in the creature, as it is 1 Ccr. 4. 7. Who makes 
 thee to differ from another? and what haft thou 
 that thou, haft not received? now ,if thou didft re- 
 ceive /?, why doft thou glory , as if thou didft n§t 
 receive ? This being certain, that if the work of 
 grace in conversion were not a diftinit, inward, 
 peculiar, real, immediate work, and did notpro- 
 duce the effeft of itfeJf by its own ftrength, and 
 not by vertue of any thing in man, the man 
 would ftill be fuppofed to have had fome power 
 for the work in himfelf, and fome way to have 
 differenced himfelf from another ; but the Lord 
 bath defigned the contrary, and therefore the 
 work of grace in converflon muft be luitable to 
 Itfs defign. 
 
 Ufe 1. The firft ufe is for the refutation of fe- 
 yeral errors, and for the confirmation of a great 
 truth of the gofpel which we profefs. 
 
 It ferves, I fay, firft, for the refutation of er- 
 rors, which in fuch an auditory we love not to 
 infift on ; yet we cannot here, the ground being 
 fo clear, and the call fo cogent, forbear to toy 
 fomewhat briefly this way,and the rather that the 
 devil hath taken many ways,and driven many de- 
 flgns to weaken the eftimation of God's grace 
 among men, and to exalt proud nature, and that 
 there is here a collection and concatenation of 
 thofe defigns. and ways againft the truth, which 
 this doctrine holds forth, vented by corrupt men. 
 fas, u, They, will have nothing to fre necelfarily; 
 
 Verfe 1. . # . Senir. 1 > 
 
 applied for the working of converfion, but the 
 preaching of the word ; taking it for £ ranted 
 that all men have univerfal or common grace,, 
 which GodH>y his fovereignty (fay they) was o- 
 bliged to give, elfe he could not reafonably re- 
 quire faith of them : and upon this comes in the 
 pleaded-for power of fpee-will,' and man's ability 
 to turn himfelf to God : Others, by pleading 
 for this notion of alight within men, become to 
 be patrons of proud and petulant corrupt nature, 
 as if there "were need of nothing to beget faving 
 faith but that common grace within, and oratory 
 x ,«r fwafion of mouth from without *, and hence 
 they came to maintain the fouleft errors, which 
 have not only been condemned by the Church 
 of-God in all ages, but have even by fome Pa- 
 pifts been abominated; and many of thefe fame 
 errors are creepin'g in,even in thefe times where- 
 in we live, the defign whereof is to tempt folk 
 to turn loofe, vain, and proud, and to turn the 
 grace of God into wantonnefs, as if they need- 
 ed not at all to depend on God and his grace, ha- 
 ving a fufficientilock within themfelves,on which 
 they can live well enough: And is's not only 
 the errors ofPapifts % P elagians^Sccinians^ Armi- 
 nians, or errors in the judgmcnt,that we have to 
 do with ; but of fuch as overturn the very foun- 
 dation of the work of man's falvation, and who, 
 tho' pretending to higher notions, do yet go be- \ 
 yond all thefe : but if it be true, that in the 
 work of converfion, befide the preaching of the 
 word, there is a diftin&, real, inward, peculiar, 
 immediate efficacious work of the Spirit, neceffary 
 for bringing about fuch an effect ; then there is 
 no common or univerfal gra*ce, that all the hear- * 
 ers of the gofpel have, nor is there any power 
 or ability in man to believe of himfelf ; other wife 
 there were no neceffity of fuch a work as this, for 
 the converting of a finner, the prophet need not 
 to cry, Who hath believed iur report? and to 
 rohom is the arm of the Lordrevealed? and Chrift 
 needed not fay,2V<? man can come unto me> except 
 the Father draw him ; for men nrght come 
 without the drawing, and believe without the. 
 revelation of God's arm : But, in oppofition to ' 
 that, we fay, and have trrade it clear, that the 
 Work of converfion is broughtabout by a diftincl, 
 peculiar, powerful, real and immediate work of 
 the Spirit on the heart, wheTeby Jie not only en- 
 lightens the mind,but renews the will,and recti- 
 fies the affections. 2. There is another error that 
 this refutes, which feerrs to be more fubtil ; for 
 fome will grant a neceffary connexion betwixt 
 the effeft and the grace of God, who yet fay that' 
 it isfwafion or periwafion (for here we take thefe 
 
 for 
 
Setm. 13* p ffaiah $3« 
 
 for the (ame)fo & fo tryfted to prevail with fome, 
 that brings about the effect or work of converfion 
 in them,and not in others where that periwafion 
 is not lo tryfted : but this opinion lays not the 
 weight of coverfjon on the arm efthe Lord,but 
 on fome circumllances accompanying the word, 
 and leaves ftill iome ground of boafting in the 
 -creature. 3. A third error, which this do&rine 
 refutes,is that of fome others,who will have grace 
 aeceffarily to go alongft with the word in the 
 working of faith, but io as it reacheth not the 
 will, but that the will neceftarily determines it 
 felf, as if the will were not corrupt, or as if that 
 corruption that is in the will were indeed no 
 corruption, as if that corruption that is in the 
 will- couid be any more removed from the will 
 without the. immediate work' of the Spirit upon 
 it,than darknefs can be removed from the judg- 
 ment without the Spirit's immediate work on it: 
 but feeing the will is the prime feat of man's per- 
 verfnefs while in nature, and the principal part 
 to be renewed ; it's a ftrange thing, to fay, that 
 in the work of converfion, other faculties and 
 powers of the foul mud be renewed,and yet that 
 this which comes neareft to the life of the foul 
 ihould be neglec"led,or not (land in need of reno- 
 vation : But from this text it is clear, that in 
 converfion the arm of the Lord mull be revealed, 
 and that there is a powerful work of grace, that 
 not only prefents reafons from the word to move 
 * the will, but really regenerates and renews the 
 will : Now, what is for the refutation of thefe 
 errors, ferves alfo to confirm us in the truth of 
 the do&rine oppofite to thefe errors. / 
 
 idly, It ferves to refute fomething in folks pra^ 
 -£Hce, and that is, their little fenfe of the need of 
 . grace. Moft part come and hear preaching,as if 
 they had the habit of faith,and as if it were na- 
 tural to them ; and pretend to the exercife of 
 , faith, never'once fufpecting their want of faith, 
 nor thinking that they (land in need of fuch a 
 work of grace to work it in them, as if it were 
 1. impoflible for them not to believe : hence many 
 think that they have grace enough ; and if they 
 pray, it's that they may do well, never minding 
 the corruption of nature that is in them ; and in- 
 deed it is no wonder that fuch perfons fall readi- 
 ly into error, when their practice fays plainly 
 they think they have grace enough already. ' 
 
 The fecond dottrine is, That this diftinlb,real, 
 inward^ efficacious, powerful work of the grace of 
 Cod in converfion, is not common to all the hear- 
 trs of the gofpel } but is a rare thing applied but 
 to jew: It's even as rare as faith is; And what 
 we touched on, to evidence the rar'ty of faith, 
 wiUfervealfo to evidence the rarity of this work 
 
 Verfei.' # _ 67 
 
 of grace in converfion \ it's <5fl as fniny as are 
 believers, and are faved, that the work of grace 
 is revealed, and no mo, fier, 3. 14. J will take one 
 of a city, and two of a family, and bring you to 
 Zior\,faitb the Lord \ it's two or three in the cor- 
 ner of a parifh,or in the end of a town, to fpeak 
 fo, who are converted, and the reft are fuffered 
 to ly in black nature. If the reafon hereof be en- 
 quired after, this might be fufficient to flop all 
 mouths, which the Lord gives, Matt.w* i6.Even 
 fo ^Father. for fo it feemethgood in thy fight^it is of 
 the Lord,who is debtor to none^and who, as it 
 is 3 Rom. y.iyjhews mercy on whom he will> and, 
 whom be will he hardens : and here we muft be 
 filent ? and lay our hand on our mouth, and anfwer 
 no morejall being found guilty,he is juft in what 
 he doth, in calling or not calling effectually, as 
 he pleafeth.And yiz } 2dly ,The Lord hath thought 
 good to call few of many, for holy and wife 
 ends; as,i.To hold forth his fo vereignty,and that 
 he is free,and will walk freely in the difpenfing 
 of his own grace ; hence,he not only takes few, 
 but ordinarily thefe that are the~moft mean,coa- 
 temptible, filly, and in a manner foolifh, of the 
 multitude of hearers \lt is not many noble } not ma- 
 ny wife according to thefle]h> not many rich> not 
 tnany learned^ihsLthe chaoleth and convertettyve- 
 ry ordinarily he hides his grace from thefe : it's 
 but feldom that he calls and takes the (lout and va- 
 liant mart, and the learned fcholar ; but it's this 
 and that poor mean man, the weaver, the ihoe- 
 maker, the fimple plough-man, &c. whom moft 
 ordinarily he calls, when he fuffcrs others to 
 continue in their .fin. 2. That he may make all 
 * the hearers of the gofpel walk in holy fear and 
 awe of him, he reveals his grace in few ; it's not 
 the multitude that believesj but here one and 
 there one, that all that have the offer of grace 
 may fear left they mifs it and receive it in vain, 
 and may be careful to entertain and make right 
 ufe of the means of grace, and may withal che- 
 rifh the Spirit in his motions,and not grieve him, 
 O/ if ye knew and believed what a rare thing • 
 the work of the Spirit of grace is, ye would be 
 feared to quench, extinguifh, or put out any 
 of his motions. 3. As to the godly,he does thus, 
 to make them admire,^ adore, and praife his 
 grace, and the power of it, fo much the more. 
 
 The ufe s are three. 1 . It ferves to move al] to 
 
 reverence, adore and admire the grace of God, 
 
 awd his fovereign way in it. Prefume not to de- 
 
 ^ bate or difpute with him,- becaufe they are few 
 
 'that believe,and few that he hath determined his 
 
 grace for ; it's an evidence of his dread,-* proof 
 
 of his fovereignty, in which he ftiould be fiWnt- 
 
 K 2 \y : 
 
\y (looked unto, and reverently adored, and not 
 difputed with : we ought to bound all our reafo- 
 ning within his good pleasure, who miglit have 
 taken many,and l«ft few,or taken none,as pleafed. 
 kin) ; and we ihould not think ftrange, nor fret 
 that the gofpel is powerful but on few; here is the 
 reafon of it thtt may quietus, the Lord hath de- 
 termined effectually to call but few, and yet he 
 will not want one of his own, All that the Father 
 Jbatbgiven to Cbriftyjbatt cvme to bim 9 tho' none 
 come but as they are drawjr> a thing that we-fheuld 
 be fenfible of, but yet calm and quiet ourfpirits, 
 rather wondring that he hath chofen and calleth 
 $one, than fret becaufe he hath pad by many. 
 
 Ufe 2. The iVcond ufe is, to exhort you that 
 $re hearers of the gofpel, and have not had this 
 diftinft and powerful work of grace begetting 
 faith in you, to be perfwacSd of this truth, that 
 faith and the work of grace is no common thing. 
 The mod part, alas /. think that they have grace, 
 and that it is not one of many that want. it. They 
 will readily fay, It's true l cannot believe of my 
 fplf, but God hath given me the grace. But I 
 would ask you this queftion, Do you think that 
 grace is fo common a thing, that it comes to you 
 and ye never knew "how, or (o common that ne- 
 ver a body wants it ? if not, how cometh it then 
 to pafs that ye think and (peak Qf grace as ye do? 
 ,We would think it a great length, if many of 
 you could be perfwaded of your gracelefnefs ; 
 it's notour part to point particularly at the man 
 and woman, tho' the deeds of many of you*fay 
 within your heart, that there is no "fear of God 
 i>efore your eyes, and that many of you think ye 
 3iave grace who never had it : And therefore we 
 would fay three or four words to you ; I. Begin 
 «mclfufpe& your felves that matters are not right 
 betwixt God and you: we bid none of you de- 
 ipair, but we bid the mod part of you be fufpi- 
 cious of your condition ; fufpeft, nay be aflfu- 
 jed, that hypocrify is not grace, and that your 
 prefumption is not faith: for,if but few get grace, 
 . then many fliould fufpeft themfelves ; and ieeing 
 £race is fo rare a thing, do not ye think it com- 
 ttVon. 2. Negle& no means that may bring y'ou 
 through grace to believe, but he diligent in the 
 Ufe of them all, ofthe word, prayer, iacraments, 
 •sneditatitfn. £5V. It's by thefe that the Lord be- 
 gets grace, and by negle&ing of them ye may 
 inake your felves gulit/.of dcllroying your own 
 .fouls* 3. Beware of quenching the Spirit in any 
 of his operations or motions, of fmothering or, 
 putting^otit any challenges or conviclions ; if the 
 be r.t any time touched, or the af- 
 nfr tickled, go not away, as the temporary 
 :.' ttg down there, without goin^ r 
 
 Verfei. Sernr. ij. 
 
 any further : fear to (Irangle the beginnings of 
 the life of grace, for grace may begin at little; 
 and if you quench any motion, convielion or 
 challenge, ye know not if e.v*er yefhaii m.et with 
 
 • the like* again, becautt when he knocked hard at 
 your heart, ye held him out and kept him at 
 the door ; and ye may be in hazard of that ter-.- 
 rible charge,^ Jx 7,31. Te uncircumcifed in heart 
 and ears, ye have always refifled the Holy Ghofl ; 
 as your fathers did, fo do ye. 4. Seeing this 
 work is-not common to all the v hearers of the gof- 
 pel, but peculiar to lb me, labour to have it 
 made fure to your felves, by putting it to proof 
 and trial in good earneft. 
 
 Ufe 3. The thud ufe is for you that are belie- 
 vers, (and would God there were many fu'chj to 
 whom I would alfo fpeak three or four words. 1. 
 Learn fr\>m this to be humble. What hafl thcu, 
 Man 9 but what thou hafl received? and if thou 
 hafl received -it, why d.fl tbou boasl, as if tbou 
 hadfl not received ? O ! but it's unfuitable to be- 
 lievers, w-foo are free grace's debtors and beg- 
 gars (whereof yet none need to think ihame) to 
 be proud and forget themfelves: Thou haft no- 
 thing, believer, to boafl of, but that he hathiha- 
 med thee with his grace ; and fhouldft thou bo 
 proud of that, as if thou had made thy felt' thus? 
 
 • Therefore guard watchfully againft all puffing- 
 up, felf-conceit, and high-mindednefs, and 
 ftudy to be humble, and to carry a low fail, 
 elfe thou mayft break out into fome fcandalous" 
 offence, and may become afhame and reproach to 
 the gofpel. We commend humility to you -above 
 many things-, for we think that in thefe days,fo!ks 
 pride is like to break their necks: for, when once 
 conceit creeps in, they begin to think they are fo 
 
 • far advanced in holinjefs, that they muft not keep 
 company with others, nor join in worfhip with 
 them; and from that they go to another thing, and 
 from that to a-fhird, that it is hard to tell where* 
 
 .they will halt or end; they grow fo giddy, that 
 they are fcarcely like to leave fo much ground as 
 themfelves may (land upon. O ! think ihame of • 
 pride ; it's a moll untolerable thing to be proud 
 of that which God hath given, wherein ye have 
 no more hand, and whereof ye can no more boair, 
 than they who never had it. 2. Be thankful',and 
 give God the' praife of that ye have gotten: It be* 
 comes the upright to be thankful; It's no littte mat- 
 ter,to have God's power manireftedin the work- 
 ing of taith, and. conferring grace; the temporal 
 throne and kingdom, and great things in the 
 world, are nothing to this, it's peculiar to the - 
 Lord's own,and not common: Many get their fill 
 of the wor'Idjwho never get, nor will get this; the 
 
Serm. H' ] f aiah 53< 
 
 world is of To little value with the Lord, that 
 (to fpeak fo) he doth not much regard who get 
 it, tho' it be exactly diUributed by his provi- 
 dence ; but converting and upbuilding grace is 
 peculiarized to his favourites. Being therefore 
 clear that he hath beftowed grace onyou;C how 
 ihould ye exult in blefling God (as David did) 
 for giving you counfel to make choice of fuch 
 a portion, and for his powerful determining of 
 your heart by his grace-to embrace it, for which 
 ye have not your ielves to thank,but God ! 3. Be 
 companionate and tender towards others, confi- 
 dering that it is only grace that hath made the 
 difference betwixt you and them, and not any 
 good nature in you, which was not in them, as 
 fome-foolifhly fancy. Be not puft up at the faults 
 
 . Verie 1. , g| 9 
 
 and falls of any, but rather mourn for them, as 
 well as for your own ; and be the more humble, 
 when ye think of the difference that grace hath 
 made, left ye fall ; and fince your ilanding is by 
 grace, be not high-minded : but fear. Ofall perfbns, 
 it word becomes you to look lightly on, let be to 
 mock at the falls of others,conjidering who, and 
 what,hath made the difference. 4. If it be fo pe- 
 culiar a privilege,tobe partakers of this powerful 
 and fpecial grace of God that is put forth in the 
 great work oi' converfion ; then fure there is 
 lomething peculiar called for in your conversation, 
 even that it may in all tfiings be as it becometh . 
 the gofpel, and anfwerable to this grace beftowed 
 on you ; O what manner of perfons ought ye to 
 be, in all-holy converiation and godlinefs ! 
 
 2£ffiwm^^%&^um^mm<m%im^m^^^mm£^ 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 
 
 SERMON xiv. 
 
 — And to whsm is the arm of the I^rd revealed ? 
 
 THE way of the grace of God is a very dif- 
 ficult fubject to be thought on,or fpoken of, 
 fuitably,and as it becomes ; grace having a fbve- 
 reign and unfearchable channel of its own,where- 
 in it runs: yet no-doubt it is very ufcful, now 
 and thereto confider it, if we knew how to make 
 ufe of it aright ;. y£a, even thefe fleps of grace, 
 that are moll crofs and contrary to carnal reafon, 
 may not a little profit, when duly pondered. 
 Thus, when the prophet hath been looking on 
 the fcarcity of faith, and on the paucity of true 
 believe'rsjhe looks a little further than on the ex-, 
 ternal preaching of the gofpel, even in upon 
 the way of God's grace ; not out of any curiofl- 
 ty, nor from a fretting humour, becaufc of the 
 unfuccesfulnefs of his miniftry, but that he may 
 thereby -get himfelf flayed and compofed, and 
 • that he may bring both himfelf and others } to re- 
 verence and adore the holy andfovereign way of 
 God therein : To wb:m (faith he) is the arm of 
 the Lord, revealed ? it's a word like that which 
 Chrift had on the like occafion, Joh. 6, 44. Mur- 
 . mure not amengyour {elves \ no man come- to me^ 
 . except the Father, who hathfentme^ draw him. 
 We opened up the meaning of ttie words the 
 laft day ; in ihort they come to this, as if he had 
 laid, How few are they that believe the gofpel, 
 and who take the word off the hand of his lent 
 minifters? and how few are they, on whom the 
 grace of God, that only can make men believe, 
 ..does effe&ually work ? the prophet pointing at 
 a higher banc than that of the minillers in the 
 mccefs and Tuitulnefs oftjje gofpel,and coupling 
 thelc tw 0. toother, the preaching of the word, 
 
 and the power of God's grace, in the working 
 of faith and converfion in iinhers. 
 _ We propoled thefe three doarines to be fpoken ■ 
 to from the words. 1. That in the work of ctnver- 
 fion and begetting of faith, befide the preaching off 
 the wcrd> there is a powerful, internal, immedi- 
 ate work cf the grace of Gcd,~exerci fed within 
 mens hearts, as well as the word is preached out- 
 wardly to the ear : Wherever- faith is begotten, - 
 thefe two go together, the word without,' and 
 
 * the power of grace within, the one of which is 
 
 . di{lin<5l-from the other. 
 
 2. That this powerful, internal and immediate 
 work of grace within, is not common to all the hen- 
 rers of the gofpel, but a rare and peculiar thing 
 tofome ; To whom is the arm of the Lord reveal- 
 ed ? it's but one, or few of many, to whom it's 
 revealed. To.thefe we have fpoken already. 
 
 > The third is (which indeed holds out the : 
 fcope of all) That there is an in fep arable connex* 
 ion betwixt thefe two* the begetting of faith m ' 
 
 . the heare^s-cf the gofpel, and the application of' 
 this powerful work of the grace of God for wrking 
 of it ; fo that, where this- powerful work of grace ' 
 is not, there is neither faith nop converfion 
 wrought ; a nd where this powerful work of grace ■ 
 M, there is faitb and converfion. The prophet ' 
 makes them reciprocal and commenfurable ; 
 Who is the believer ? He to whom the arm oi 
 the Lord is revealed ; and, ^hq is the unbelie- 
 ver ? He to whom the arnr-of the Lord is not 
 revealed j Thefe two are fo conjoined and knit 
 together ; as they are never feparated ; and fo they 
 mull (land or fall togexber r . . 
 
m JJaiab $3. 
 
 That we may be the more clear, we fhall take 
 up the do&rine in two diftind branches, the 
 Jirft vvhereofis, That except the powerful work 
 of God'§ grace concur,the moft powerful preach- 
 ing of the gofpel will never beget faith in the 
 hearts of the hearers of it. The fecond is,That 
 wherever this powerful work of grace goes a- 
 long with the preaching of the gofpel, or where- 
 -ever the Lord applies his grace with the word' 
 preached, there faith is begotten in the heart, 
 and that foul is effectually united to Chrift, and 
 favingly changed. The one of thefe branches 
 ferves to fhew the neceflity of God's grace, from 
 the conflderation of our iinfulnefs and impoten- 
 cy or inability, and of the emptinefs and ineffec- 
 tualnefs of all outward means in themfelves ; 
 and fo to ftop all mens mouths, as being utterly 
 unable to contribute any thing to their own fpi- 
 ritual good or converfion,that being, the produit 
 of the grace of God. The other branch ferves 
 mightily to commend the grace of God,as being 
 the powerful arm of the Lord that brings to be- 
 lieve, that calls and converts fuch and fuch per- 
 fons,according to a prior engagement and tranf- 
 a&ion betwixt the Father and the Son. 
 
 As for the^firft of thefe, It will eafily be be- 
 lieved among men and women, that have any 
 true fenfe and feeling of the corruption of their 
 nature, and frnd daily fomewhat of the law of 
 the members warring againft the law of the mind; 
 and we are p'erfwaded, if all that ever received 
 faith were brought to depone in this matter,they 
 would bear witnefs, that there is no mean, that, 
 without the effe&ual power of the grace of God, 
 can bring a ftranger flnner to clofe with Chrift 
 -and believe on him ; and if all that are now be- 
 fore the throne of God in heaven, were called to 
 fpeak to this great truth,they would put their feal 
 to it, and fay, Not unto us, but to thy name be the 
 glory of our believing j we bad never betievedjfit 
 had been left to the power of our own free-will, and 
 if the power of thy grace had not wrought in us the 
 very will, as well as the deed or aft of believing. 
 Yet,becaufe thisdo&rine (as we faid)fervesto dis- 
 cover the flnfulnefs and impotency of natufe,and 
 how little we are obliged to our felves in this 
 great work^ and to hold forth the abfolute necei- 
 fity of the grace of God, and how much we are 
 obliged to it in the work of faith and converfi- 
 on, and to hold forth withal the emptinefs and 
 ineffe&ualrsefs of all outward means without this ' 
 grace ; and becaufe it wants not its own conflde- 
 rable oppofition from the enemies of the truth, 
 we (hall give you fome grounds for confirmation 
 . of it. The firft whereof is. drawn from thefe ex- 
 prefs inftances of fcripture, wherein it is clear, 
 
 Vcrfe I. Serm. 1$ 
 
 that there hath been much powerful preaching, ' 
 and by the mod eminent preachers, and yet the 
 generality of people have been fruitleis under 
 it, and their fruitlefnefs hath been brought to 
 this very ground, to wit, that the work of God's j 
 grace and his out-ftretched arm went not along 
 with it. The firft.inftan.ee is, Deut. 26. 4. Thac 
 Mofes was a skill'd preacher, who Vill deny ?»he 
 being faithful in all the houfe of God ; yet fays he, 
 after much and long preaching,andafter manyfigns 
 and wonders wrought,r£<?Zm£ hath not given you. 
 an heart to perceive, nor eyes to fee, nor ears to bear, 
 unto this day ; where he not only puts a difference 
 betwixt the preaching of the word without, and 
 the work of grace within, but fhows the necef- 
 fity of the concurrence of the wprk of grace,and 
 lays the great weight of the peoples profiting,or 
 not profiting; on the wanting or having of that. 
 A fecond inftance is in this prophet JfaiabiWers 
 there any among a*l the preachers,before or fince, 
 that preached in a more evangelick (train than 
 he did ? and yet, when he hath complained of 
 the paucity of belie vers,faying,^0;W6 believed, 
 cur, report? he fixes and ftays on this as the caufe, 
 To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? And 
 Chap. 6. 9, 10. he gives all account of the fad 
 commillion he had from theL6rd,who fad to him, 
 Go and tell the people, Hear ye indeed,but under- 
 jtand not \ and fee ye indeed, but perceive not\maVe 
 the heart of this people fat, ike. where there is alfo 
 a clear diftin&ion made betwixt the inward wor- 
 king of grace,and the outward miniftry. A third 
 inftance, and one that is beyond all exception, is 
 • in our blefs'dLord )et\is,wboJpake as never mart 
 fpoke,znd. preached with fuch power and life,that 
 even carnal hearers wtndred at the gracious 
 words which proceeded out of his mouth, for be 
 preached with authority, and not as tbeScribes',and 
 yet,3^6.6. 44. when they began to.murmur at him, 
 what fays he? Murmure not at thefe things; none 
 can come to me,except the Father draw him;none 
 can believe, except the powerful grace of God 
 work faith in him ; there muft be a higher hand 
 than ought ye fee or hear, a powerful work than 
 any external preaching of mine, as Prophet of 
 my Church, ere a foul can believe on me ; and.' 
 tho' his hearers were not free of the guilt of this 
 their unbelief, but had their own finful acceffi- 
 on unto their continuing in it, yet our Lord 
 looks in on the fovereign way and work of grace, 
 and holds there, telling them that his external 
 miniftry will not do the turn, but there muft be 
 an inward, powerful, immediate work of grace 
 for the working of faith. We add a fourth in- 
 ftance, and it is of that chofen veffel Paul, who 
 
 la. 
 
Serm. 14. Ifaiah ^. 
 
 laboured more abundantly than all the reft of the 
 apoftles,and yet,when he is preaching,^ j 28.25. 
 And feme beiievejjUand others believed ^before 
 he difmiffesthe^ltitude,he adds this one word, 
 Well /pake tb'e Holy Gh:ft by Ifaiah the prophet un- 
 to our father s, f ay ing,Go unto this people, aad fay, 
 Hearing ye Jhall h>.ar, and jhaU under flan d\ and 
 feeing ycfnall fee, and not perceive, &c. where 
 he exprefly dii&renceth his external preaching 
 from God's inward working, and tells, that lb 
 long as there was a judicia-1 ftroke on the hearts 
 of the people untaken away, no external preach- 
 ing could do the turn,as to their converiion, and 
 bringing of them to believe ; which he alio does, 
 to guard againft any offence that might be taken 
 at the unfucces fill nefs of his miniftry by any who 
 would be ready to fay, What aileth thefe folk, 
 that they will not receive the gofpel f to whom 
 he anfwers, Ifaiah long before told the reafon 
 of it, to wit,that there is a plague on their hearts 
 and mkids, which God mud remove ere they can 
 receive it. 
 
 2. To thefe plain and clear inftances, we may 
 add two or three grounds or reafons ; As, 1. 
 _The exceeding greatnefs of the work of conver- 
 fion : O how great and difficult is it ! Therefore 
 it's let out by the fimilitudes and expreflions 
 of raifing the deader eating a new heart, oiremo- 
 ing theflcny heart, and the like, all tending to 
 fet out the neceflity of an omnipotent power, or 
 a pawerful work of grace, in the begetting of 
 fouls to Chrift ; and ir it be fo great a work,what 
 can the outward miniflry do, if the power of 
 God be hot added ? or what can the man himfelf 
 do here ? can a man quicken, raife, create, or 
 beget himfelf? It's true, thefe comparifons are 
 not to be extended and applied in every refpect; 
 yet they hold out, that man, being naturally 
 dead, can no more contribute to his own quick- 
 ning and raifing, and to the begetting of fpi- 
 ritual life in himfelf, than a dead man can con- 
 tribute to his own quickning and raifing to his 
 natural life ; for which caufc, the holy Ghoft 
 hath made choice of thefe expreifions, even to» 
 hold out the exceeding greatnefs of the work. 2. 
 Confider the condition that men are in when 
 this work is wrought, and we will fee they can 
 contribute .nothing to it; that they have no apti* 
 tude for it, except that they -are fubje&s capable 
 to be wrought upon, being,asit isEpb.2* i.dead 
 in fins and trefpajfes'-being^sto their fouls eft-ate, 
 jnd as to their fpiritual condition, like Adam's 
 body, before the Lord breathed in it the breath 
 of lire, and made him a living foul ; as his body 
 could not move, ftir, nor a& till then, no more 
 can. the natural man ftir or act in the, ways of. 
 
 Verfe u 'ft 
 
 God, till a new principle of fpiritual life be put 
 in him. To clear it further, we would confider, 
 that the fcripture fpeaks of thefe three in the na- 
 tural man ; 1. Of an utter inability anddeadnefs 
 as to that which is good, Dead in fins y Eph.2.i* 
 We are notjufficient (faith the apoftle, 2 Or. 3. 
 *>•) °f nir felves^as of our felves,to think any good 
 Jhing, not fo much as a good thought. 2. The 
 fcripture holds him cut, not only as unable for 
 good,but perverfe and bent to every thing thai is 
 evi\,Co1. 1.21. Alienated andenemiesin our minds 
 by wicked works, the carnal mind being enmity <*- 
 gainfi God,Skmn* 8. 7. It's plainly oppofite to any 
 thing that is good,and [q to the way of faith. 3. 
 Mart's mind is not only naturally perverfe and 
 ftufFed with enmity, but in an incapacity to be 
 healed while it remaineth {\izh,Rom.%.j t It is not 
 fubjeft to the lav? efGod, neither indeed can be ; 
 and therefore,in the work of conversion, there is 
 not only an amending,but alfo a renewing ©f our 
 nature called for ; there is more requifite than 
 the rectifying of fomething in the man, even the 
 creating o£ new habits, and the infufing of the 
 principles of fpiritual life and motion into the 
 •foul. It is true, in fome fenfe, the whole image 
 of God- is not abfolutely removed, the faculties- 
 of the rational foul (till remain ; for. man hath 
 an understanding and a will,, and fome fort of 
 reafon, but without any tendency to fpiritual 
 life, or to any action for God ; he hath an un-- 
 derftanding, but it's wholly darkned ; he hath 
 a will, but wholly perverfe, and not in the leaft 
 inclined to good ; he hath affections, but wholly 
 difordered and corrupted, and fet; wholly # upon 
 wrong objects : fo that it's with man's foul as 
 to- good, as it is withTpoiled wine ; wine,when.- 
 wholeibm, ferves to cheer and refrefh : but when. 
 it's fpoiled, it's quite another thing, not only 
 not conducing to health, but it's noifom and. 
 hurtful ; It's juit Co, wefay,,with man's foul ; 
 it's by ,the fall quite fpoiled and corrupted : if 
 is not indeed annihilated, or made to be nothing, 
 for it retains the fame faculties dill, it hath (tb - 
 fpeak fo) the fame quantity ftill ; but as to it's 
 qualities, it's utterly corrupted, and carried clofs. 
 contrary to God ; it's not fubjett to the law of 
 God, neither indeed can be : and renovation by. 
 grace, is the taking away of the corrupt quali- 
 ties, in part in this life, and wholly in the othsr 
 life;and the bringingjn qfnewqualities,fbr reco- 
 vering the beauty of that image of God which man 
 hath loit. 4.Confider the end that God hath in the 
 ad minift ration of his grace, and the glory that 
 he will needs have it getting in every gracious 
 work/ and more efpecially in the work of con- 
 
 yerfion t ; 
 
ffazab. \%* 
 ver'iion ; ana the i?Jence, as to any boafting, that 
 he will ha ve all put unto, that ihall partake of. 
 it : his end, in' the adminift ration of his grace, is 
 to bring down pride, to Hop all mouths, and to 
 Temove all groundsof boafting from the creature, 
 that he only may have the glory of converfion.; 
 that whenever that qujftion is propofed, What 
 haft tbou, Q*man, mt- wbaffbou 'baft received? - 
 and if tbou haft received f& why doft tbou be aft ? 
 roho bath made thee U differ from an )ther ? The 
 foul may anfwer, It was not external preaching, 
 nor my own free-will, nor any thing in me, but 
 the power of Cod's grace: I have nothing but 
 what I have received ; It is. on this ground that 
 the apoftle, VhiU 2. 12, 13. preffeth and en.oura- 
 geth Chriftians to their great work ; Wirk out 
 (faith he; your own f al vatic n'in fear antftrem- 
 bling-for it's God that worketo in ym bAh to will 
 and to do of bis goaLpleafare : the Lord leaveth 
 not to man the working of the will in himfelf ; 
 , And of him, forth the fame apoftle, 1 Cor. 1. 30,3 t. 
 are ye in Cbrift Jefus, who is made of Gsd unto 
 us, wifd:m > righteoufnefs, fanttificatich and re- 
 demption, that he that glorieth faculd glory in the 
 Lord, as he laid before, v. 29. that no flejhfoculd' ' 
 glery in his prejence: There is one ground of hea- 
 ding, that the Lord will have removed in a finner's 
 juftification, and obtaining the pardon of fin, by 
 the imputation of the righteoufnefs of Chrift •, 
 but there is another ground or matter of boafting, 
 that man might have, if he-could reach out the 
 hand to believe, and receive that righteoufnefs, 
 and fo put difference betwixt hiinferfand another, 
 which in effectual calling the Lord puts to fi- 
 ' lence, and quite removes ; .that man may have it 
 to fay, I have not only p.rdon of fin, but grace 
 to believe, freely beftowed upon me ; God made 
 xne to differ, and he only ; he opened my heart, 
 as he did the heart of Lydia. Thus the Lord will 
 ^ have all the weight of the whole wo*k of our fal- 
 1 vation lying on Bis grace, that the mouths of all 
 may be (lopped, and that his- grace may fhine 
 gtorioufly ; that we may have it to (ay with the 
 ffalmift, VfaU 57. 2. It's the Lord that performs 
 ■all things for me ; and withPa«/, iTim.i. 13, 14. 
 - / obtained mercy >and the grace of God was exceed- 
 ing abundant towards me. 
 
 The Ufeszrt thefe. I. It writes to us, in great 
 and legible letters/ the great emptinefs and fin- 
 fulnefs of all flcfli, who not only dp not good, 
 but have finned themfelves out of a" capacity to 
 <do good ; all man and. women have brought them- 
 felves thus lamentably low by fin, 'that now, if 
 ; heaven were to be had by a wifli fincerely and 
 -fmgly brought forth, yet it is not in their power 
 petofiirai tl^at condition j and tho' it now 
 
 Verfe 1. Serin. 14. 
 
 (lands upon 'the ftretching forth of the hand of 
 faith to receive Jefus Chrift, yet of themfelves 
 they cannot even do this. How blight then fin-* 
 ners to be deeply humbled, who hav.e brought 
 themfelves to this w-ofu.1 pais ? I am afraid tnat j 
 many of you do not believe that ye are fried as 
 cannot believe, nor do any good, till his grace 
 
 - work effectually in you. 
 
 2. It teacheth you not to idolize any inftru- 
 ment or mean of grace; how precious and pro- 
 mifing foever : No preaching, if it- were of a 
 prophet, or an apoftle, yea of an angel, will do 
 the turn, without grace come with it ; there is 
 a neceifity of the revelation of God's arm, and 
 of the aifiilance of his grace, not only to your . 
 converfion, tut to every duty ye go about : Ye 
 Ihould therefore fear and tremble, when ye go 
 about any ordinance, left the aVm of the Lord 
 be not put forth in it. 
 
 3. it Ihould make you more ferious in dealing 
 with God for his effectual bleiHng. to every'mean 
 and ordinance, feeing without that no ordinance 
 can profit you. 
 
 4. It l'ervesto reprove and reprefs pr'ide, and 
 to promove humility in all lueh.who have got- 
 ten good by the gofpel. Have ye faith, or any 
 meafure of hoKnefs * what have ye, but what 
 ye have received P : from whence came your' faith 
 and your holinefs ? ye have them not. of your 
 felves-; thefe^re not fruits that grow upon the 
 tree of nature, or in its garden; but on the tree, 
 and in the garden of free grace, and ye have 
 not your felves to thank for them. 
 
 5. The main Ufe of it is for confirming and e- 
 ftablifhing you in the faith of the truth pro- 
 poned in the do£rine, and for confuting and 
 overturning the contrary error, that, as it were, 
 in contempt of the grace of God, fcxalts proud 
 nature,and gives man's free-will fo great a hand 
 in the work of converfion, that thj-main thing 1 -. 
 that makes the difference fhall not be attributed 
 to the grace of God, but to the free-will of the 
 feature, which of it felf choofed the grace, of 
 God offered, when another rejected it. It may 
 indeed feem ftrange, that the devil fhould fo far 
 have prevailed with Chriilians, that profefs the 
 faith of original fin, and of the neceifity of a Sa- 
 viour, as to make them look at grace as ufelefs 
 in this prime ftep of converfion and renewing 
 of a finner, that when the grace of God and 
 man's. free-will come to be compared, man's will 
 fhould have the preference and preheminence,the 
 higheft place and commendation in the work, 
 and that the'great weight of it fhould ly there, 
 and that proud nature fhould be thus bolftered 
 
 up, 
 
Serin. 14. Ifaiah 53. 
 
 up, that it mall {land in need of nothing for the 
 man's converiion, but the right ufe making of 
 what it hath in it ielr : and yet it's no wonder 
 that the devil drive this defign vigoroufly ; for 
 what fhorter cut can there be taken by him to 
 ruin fouls, than to make them drink in this er- 
 ror, that nature and free-will will do their turn, 
 and To take them off from all dependence on 
 free-grace, and on Jefus Chrift, and £ve them 
 ground of heading in themfelves ? for when it is 
 thus, of neceffity they muft ruin and perifh : 
 thisfhould, fure, make you lothe this error the 
 more ; and we are perfwaded, that the day is 
 coming, wherein the truth oppofite to this er- 
 ror, fhall be confirmed on the fouls andlconfci- 
 ences of all the oppofersof it, and wherein the 
 maintaining of this error fhall be found a con- 
 firmation of man's enmity at God's grace,which 
 is not fubject to his law, nor indeed can be. 
 
 But there are three queftions that may be 
 moved here, to which we would fpeak a word. 
 I. If the preaching of the gofpel cannot beget 
 faithjwithcrut the powerful work of God's grace, 
 what is the ufe of the gofpel, or wherefore 
 Terves it ? 2. If men cannot believe without 
 the work of grace, which the Lord fovereignly 
 difpenfeth,. why doth he yet find fault and ex- 
 pollulate with men for their not believing ? 3. If 
 grace' perform all, and men can make no mean 
 effectual, nor do any good without it, what then 
 fhould men do to come by believing, and this 
 work of his grace ? 
 
 For the frfl, We fhall not fay much unto it • 
 only, feeing the Lord hath made choice of the 
 Gofpel to*be the ordinary external mean of grace, 
 and of the begetting of faith, there is no reafon 
 to fay that it's ufelefs ; for tho' it be not the 
 main and only thing that turns the iinner, but 
 the Lord hath referved it to himfelf as his own 
 prerogative, to convert and change the heart of 
 a rebel finner,yet he hath appointed it to be made 
 ufe of,as he hath appointed baptifm andtheLord's 
 fupper; for many good and notable ends, ufes, 
 and advantages, that are reached and come at by 
 the preaching of it: As, t. By it the righteouf- 
 nefs of God is. manifefted,that before lay hid ; ye 
 may by the preaching of the gofpel come to the 
 knowledge of the covenant of redemption, and 
 of the great defign that the Lord hath laid down 
 for bringing about the falvation of loft finners, 
 Rom. 1. 1 j. Therein is the righteoufnefs of God re- 
 vealed from faith to faith. 2. By it the Lord re- 
 vealeth the duty he calleth for from men, as well 
 as his will concerning their juflifieation and falva- 
 tion ; he lets them know what is wrong, what is 
 right, what difpleafeth him, and what plealetb 
 
 Verfe 1. 7$ 
 
 him. Yea, 3. By the preaching of the gofpel,he hol- 
 deth out what mens ability is, or rather what is 
 their inability, and by his external calling gives 
 them in it occafion to know their inability in not 
 giving obedience to his call : and this is no fmall 
 advantage,when by it they have oca/ion to knovf 
 the neceffity of a Mediator,and to feek after ano- 
 ther way of juftifi cation than by their own works: 
 for fo it proves a notable mean to humble men, 
 to flop their mouths, and to make them plead 
 guilty before God. 4.1t's profitabIe,as theLord is 
 pleafed to make ufe of it, to call and gather in fi» 
 many as he hath ordained to eternal life ; for 
 ' tho' in it feif it be not able to convert,having the 
 power of God going along with it, it is the in- . 
 itrument of converiion, and the Lord ordinarily 
 makes ufe of it to the begetting of faith in them 
 that believe, as it is Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by 
 hearing v and hearing by the wordofGodftteachedf 
 & 1 Cor, 1. 24. it's called the power of God to falva- 
 tion*, & it hath pleafed God, by the fiolijhnefs of 
 preachingjo fave them that believefox tho' God 
 can work without it,yet he hath thought good td 
 make ufe of it,to inform the judgment, and to ftir 
 up the affections of hearers, and fo it proves in- 
 ftrumental to the begetting of faith in them. $• 
 If it do not promove the falvation of all the hea- 
 rers of it, yetitpromovesitin all theeiect, and 
 ferves to make others the more inexcufable; & iit 
 this refpectit triumphs al way s,2Cor. 2. 15,1 6.1a 
 fome it is the favour cflife unts life, in others the* 
 favour of death unto death ^leaving them the more, 
 inexcufable, and the more obnoxious to wrata 
 by their rejecting of the counfel of God againft 
 themfelves. 
 
 I know this will be excepted againft ; we come 
 therefore to confider the fecond qaefUon, which 
 is this, How can the call of the gofpel make men 
 inexcufable, feeing they cannot without the effe- 
 ctual power of the grace of God believe?as Chrift 
 faith, John 6. 44. No man can ccme to me, that is, 
 no man can believe in me, except the Father wh$ 
 hath fent me draw him \ ye? .why doth God find 
 fault with men for their unbelief? For anfwer, It 
 hath been no new thing for men to ftart queftions 
 and objections againft the grace of God, and to 
 be always ftriving to rub affronts and difgrace u- 
 pop it : (ee Rom. 9. 13, 14, C5V. where this fame 
 objection is flarted and anfwered again and again; 
 for when the apoftle hath laid, v, 13. Jacob hays 
 I loved, and E'fau have J hated ; the objection 
 is moved, Is there umightecufnefs with God 
 then ? Folks readily think that there is a fort of 
 unrighteoufnefs in God, when he takes one, and 
 leaves another 5 efpecially coRfidering, that the 
 L leaving 
 
}4 . *f*M 53. 
 
 leaving ©f the other infers (tha* it be not any cul- 
 pable cauie of) the ruin of the man's foul : He 
 anfwers^r/? with a God forbid, as if it were an 
 abfurd thing fo to aflert ; and then endeavours 
 to anfwer it from God's fovereignty, as being 
 debtor to none,/ will have mercy on whom I will 
 have mercy •, and it's not in him that willeth.nor in 
 him that runneth,but in God thatfbews mercy: In 
 Clod's adminiftration of grace, he is debtor to 
 110 man, nor hath he any rule by which he pro- 
 ceedsth,but his own fovereign will. And it it mail 
 yet be laid, if God doth walk by his own fovereign 
 will in giving grace^F^y doth heyetfi»d fault ,or 
 condemn ? for, who bath refifted his will ? W hy is 
 God angry that men will not believe, fince none 
 can come to Chrift againft the will of God? His in- 
 dignation rifeth at this proud and petulant oh je<5li- 
 ©n,and he anfwers,.B#f who art tb?u,0 man, that 
 teplieft againftG odlfhallthe thing formed fay to him 
 that formed it,Why haft thou made me thus' hath 
 pot the Potter power over the clay, to make, of the 
 fame lump-jnc veffel to honour, and another to dij- 
 faonour\¥>y the apoftle's doubling of this anfwer, 
 and his not fetting of himfelf to latisfy carnal rea- 
 fon and curiofity,there is ground given to filence 
 lis here: It's the Lord,he is our Potter,and we the 
 clay \ it's he in whofe hand we are, who can do 
 lis no wrong ; and this may fuificiently ferve to 
 yut a flop to all reafoning and difputing againfl: 
 tim* Yet we may add a word further, feeing the 
 Apoftle proceeds to another reafon ; therefore, 2. 
 Confider whence it is that this inability to be- 
 lieve,or turn to God, doth come : Not from God 
 lure ; for, if he had not made man perfe&,there 
 might be fome ground for the obje&ion*, but,fee- 
 ing be did make man upright, and he hath fought 
 tut many inventions, who is to be blamed ? hath 
 the Lord loft his right to exa<& his debt, becaufe 
 jnan hath played the bankrupted debauched, and 
 turned dyvour, and unable to pay? doth not this 
 ▼ery obje&ing prove us guilty, and evidence that 
 ive have loft that which God gave to us, and made 
 us with at the beginning? When God made- A- 
 tlam.hehad power tobelieve,and giveGod credit 
 as to every word revealed or to he revealed ; and 
 Jthat, now after the fall, he and his pofterity want 
 that power, they have not this privation from 
 God's creating of them, but from their fall, they 
 %>y their fall utterly incapacitating themfelves for 
 thefe duties that they owe to God, and for this 
 among the reft. 3. If there were no more but 
 jKmple inability among tbem that hear thisgofpel, 
 they might have fome pretext or ground of ex- 
 cufe, tho* it were not any real nor juft excufe, 
 as hath been ihewed ; but it never comes to this, 
 as tJle only or main caufe of tUeir not believing 
 
 V«fe «• " Serm. 14. 
 
 there is always fome mahcioufnefs, perverfnefs, 
 and pravity in the will : it's not, I cannct, but, / 
 will not •, it's a wilful,and fome way deliberate,re- 
 je&ing of the gofpcl, that is the ground of folks 
 not believing : And what excufe, I pray, can ye 
 have, who do not believe the gofpel, when it fhall 
 be found that ye malicioufty & deliberately choo- 
 ied to rejeft it ? To make this out, confider but 
 thefe few things. 1. Mens neglecting of the ve- 
 ry outward means, that through God's bleifing 
 prove inftrumental in the begetting of faith, as 
 of hearing, reading, prayer, meditation, felf- 
 fearching, ftirring up themfelves to repentance, 
 ®c. whereby the Lord ordinarily brings about & 
 furthers the work of faith. 2. Confider the car- 
 ral, careiefs, and lazy manner of mens going a- 
 bout thefe means and duties, which,, to their own 
 conviftion, are within the reach of that power 
 which they have : ye might hear oftner and 
 more attentively, ye might pray more frequent- 
 ly and more ferioufly than often ye do ; ye want 
 even much of that moral ferioufaefs in hearing, 
 prayer, reading. 25V. that ye have in other things 
 of lefs concernment ; ye will hear a proclamati- 
 on at the crofs with more attention than a preach- 
 ing of the gospel, ye will hear a threatning from 
 man with more fear than ye will hear a threatning 
 from God's word, ye will be more ierious in 
 feeking fomewhat from man, than inaskmg a race 
 from God; the reafon is,hecaufe your heart is more 
 to the one than to the other : Can ye then ratio- 
 nally think that ye are excufable, when believing 
 is not a thing that is in your heart, and that takes 
 you up, but ye go about the means that lead to it 
 unconcerned ly,carelefly and negligently ? 3. Con- 
 fider how often ye do willingly choofe lome other 
 thing than Chrift \ to fpend your time, and ft 
 your affe<ftion.s,upon laying obftru&ions and bars 
 in the way of God's grace, fetting up idols in the 
 heart, and filling Chrift's room before h .nd with 
 fuch things as are inconiiftent with his company 
 and all this is done willing !y and deliberately • 
 ye have laid in your hearts.as thefe vd. jkr. 2.2 <.* 
 We have loved ftrangers> and after them we will 
 go: \ndvilttye,or dare ye make that an excufe why 
 ye could not come to Chrift, becaufe your hearts 
 were taken up with your iufts and idols? So then 
 •the matter will not hold here, that ye were uni 
 able, and had not power to belie ve ; but it will 
 come to this, that your conf:ience will have it 
 to fay, that ye willingly and deliberately choo- 
 fed to ly ftill in your unbelief, and that ye pre- 
 ferred your idols to Chrift jefus. 4.Confider,tha| 
 fometimes ye have met with fome more than an 
 ordinary touoh, motion, and work of the Spirit, 
 
 ffet 
 
Serm. i«J. V***l ?*. 
 
 that hath been born in upon you, which ye have 
 fligh.ed ana negle<5led , if not quenched and put 
 outjW'-nch is your great guilt before the Lord : Is 
 there any of you but now and thcn.at preaching, 
 or wh-nin fom? great hazard, or under ficknefs, 
 or fottie other fad crofs,ye have been under con- 
 victions of iin,and have had fome little glances of 
 the hazard ye were in of the wrath of God ; more 
 than oraiwarily ye had at other times?and i would 
 ask you, Have thele been entertained and cheri- 
 fhed^ or rather have they not been flighted and 
 worn out by you r 4 and may ye not in this refpe& 
 be charged with the guilt of refilling th« Spirit of 
 God, and marring the work of your own conver- 
 fion and ialvation ? Thefe things, and many 
 mo, which will cry loud in the confidences of men 
 and women one day, will quite remove and take 
 away this ohj;<5tion, that ye could fUl do better : 
 ye rr.i^ht have done better than ye did; ye might 
 
 Verfc r. ^ 7$. 
 
 have abftained from many evils that ye commit- 
 ted, and done many duties that ye omitted, an$ 
 done them with more moral ferioufnefs than yes 
 did ; but ye were perverfe, and did willingly andk 
 deliberately choole to continue in your natural 
 condition, rejecting Chrift, and the offer of (a!- 
 vation through him.This alfo ferves to refute and 
 remove that prophane principle or tenet, thae 
 many have in their minds and mouths, That thef 
 have no more grace than God hath given them $ 
 Will ye dare to eome before God in the great da^ 
 with any fuch .objection ? No certainly ; or, iFye. 
 dare, God v/ill aggregc your guilt by it, and 
 beat it back again into your throat : Then, Q 
 then, all fuch futfterfuges will be no fhelter 
 to you before him, nor in the lead able tfr 
 infeonce your fouls againft the flrong batteries 
 of the wrath of God, that will be as a florm 1- 
 gainfi: the wall. 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. I. 
 
 MTnifters have not done with their work 
 when they have preached, and people 
 have not done with their work when they have 
 heard : That which is of greateft concernment 
 follows, which either hath, in the want of it, in- 
 fluence on the fadning of both minifters and 
 people ; or,in the obtaining of it, on their confo- 
 lation. This is the things that we find Jfaiah upon 
 here, who, hav-ng preached the gofpel, looks 
 what fruit it hath, and it had in his own time, 
 and ihould have in our time : it weights him ex- 
 ceedingly ; and indeed it's very fad that Ifaiab 
 fliou d be fo much weighted in forefeeing the 
 unfruitfulnefs of the gofpel in our days, and that 
 we our ielves ihould be Co little weighted with 
 it, lland fo fentlefs under it. 
 
 He cads in this word, To whom is the arm of 
 the Lord revealed ? partly to confirm the former 
 Word,W,br hath believed our report ? and partly to 
 help to make the right ufe of it, by drawing men 
 to the diil-overy of thefovereign hand of God in 
 the matter,and of the neceffity of his grace for ma- 
 king the gofpel effectual in the hearers of it, 
 wherever it comes \ Who (faith he) hath believed 
 tur report? To whom is this preached gofpel made 
 effectual for faith and falvation ? It's but to very 
 few, even to as many as have .the arm of the 
 Lord, the effectual power of his fpecial grace, 
 revealed to them and no mo. 
 
 The laft Dcftrine we propofed, and began to 
 fpeak of as the fcope, was That believing and re- 
 ceiving cf the gofpel, and the Lord's exer cing 4 
 powerful work of if is grace with it, art ever ftill 
 
 And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? 
 
 knit together \ they are of equal extent. As mi* 
 ny believe, as be flretched out his hand of powec 
 with the word to work faith in them ; andUas 
 many ly ftill in unbelief, as his hand of power is 
 not revealed unto .• This is his fcope. 
 
 We took up this Dottrine intwobranches,i?r/F, 
 That the m oft powerful means cannot work nor be- 
 get faith in the hearers of the gofpel, except there 
 be an inward powerful work of grace on their 
 hearts accompanying them : And this we cleared, 
 and fpoke a little to two Queftions in trie Ufe 9 
 and left at a third, to wit, What the hearers o£ 
 the gofpel fhould do, that have the call and offer 
 of the gofpel, feeing without the effectual work 
 of the grace of God they cannot believe ? which 
 we fhall forbear to fpeak to, till we open the 
 fecond branch of the'Dottrine, becaufe this que-, 
 ftion relates to both. 
 
 The Ceconcl branch then of the Deftrine is*' 
 That wherever the Lord applietb the powerful 
 work of his grace, there necejjarily faith and con- 
 verfion follow ; or, The ftr etching forth cf God's 
 arm in the work of his grace , hath always the 
 voork of faith and convcrfton* and the engaging 
 cf the foul unto Jefus Chrift, following on it. 
 And indeed, if it be true that we cleared before, 
 to wit, that there are as many unbelievers as 
 there are perfons on whom grace doth not thus 
 powerfully work, or that they are all fuch that 
 this work of grace is not manifefted on, then 
 the work of converfion and believing is as broad 
 as this work of grace is-, for the prophet maketk 
 
 L2 
 
 thei* 
 
7$ JJaiah^l* 
 
 them of equal extent ', Who is he that believeth? 
 Even he to whom the arm of the Lord is reveal- 
 ed: and on the contrary, Who is he that bclieveth 
 not? Even he to whom the arm of the Lord is 
 not revealed, and on whom this work of grace is 
 not manifeftud. By which we may fee it to be 
 very clear, that the prophet hangs the believing 
 of the gofpclon the Lord's manircfting his arm ; 
 fo that, where it is -not manifefted, this work of 
 faith is not brought forth ; and where it is mani- 
 fefted, necelfarily it is brought forth. 
 
 This being a d. ttrhie concerning the efficacy of 
 Cod's grace, which ought not to ly hid from the 
 Lord's people^ we ihall a little, -Fir/t, clear it; and 
 then, Secondly, confirm it to*you. 
 
 Firft, For clearing of it's meaning, i. Ye would 
 not take up our meaning in it to, as if we made 
 every common w T ork,that lively means may have 
 on the hearers of the gofpel, tt) be converfion; the 
 preaching of the word will fometimes make folks 
 tremble, as we fee in Felix, and will Waken con- 
 victions and terrors in them, and put them into' 
 an amazement, and yet ft leave them there ; for all 
 thefe convi&ions may be, and are often refitted., as 
 to any faving fruit at lead ; which we conceive to 
 be that which Stephen points at, Atls 7. <$ 1 . while 
 hzfaith,Te ftiff-necked and uncircumcifedin heart' 
 and ears, ye do always refift the Holy Ghcfl ; as 
 your fathers did, fo do ye : and what he means by 
 this, is explained in the words following, Which 
 cf the prophets have not your fathers perfecuted?^ 
 &c. even their contending with the word of the 
 Lord in the mouthsofhis Servants :> yea, in that" 
 fame place., where 'tis kid ,Tbeygn aped uponhim 
 with their teeth, 'tis infinuated that they came 
 over the belly of the cutting convi&ion,which his 
 preaching had upon them. Nor do we, 2. mean, 
 That every common operation of the Spirit, 
 whether illumation of the mind, or a touch on 
 the affections (fuch as may be in temporaries and 
 apoftates, as is clear, Mat(h. 13.20,21. Heb.6, 
 4. and downward) is converfion •, there is a great 
 difference betwixt a common work or gift of the 
 Spirit (which in a large fenfe may be caMedGrace, 
 fcecaufc freely given) and the faving work of grace, 
 which before we called a peculiar work : and oft- 
 times that common operation of the Spirit is 
 quenched and>put cur, therefore the Apoft'e, 
 jThejf.')'i 9. exhorteth thus,<Quench not tbeSpirit, 
 3. When we fpeak ot an effectual bringing forth of 
 faith by this grace of God, we wouVl not have you 
 thinking,that v et'uppofe no re!u£ancy to be in the 
 man in fo far as he is unrenewed : tor tho', where 
 grace effectually worketh, faith follows necef- 
 iarily ; yet corruption being in the man, 'tis 
 iilpofc4 and apt to thwart with, and to oppole 
 
 Verfe u Serin- if. 
 
 grace ; and the will hath its averfrefs to y kid : 
 but the meaning of the do&rine is this, that 
 tho' there be fuch a flrong power of corrup- 
 tion in the man to whom grace comes, and on 
 whom it is put forth, yet the"power of grace is 
 fuch, that it powerfully matters and overcomes 
 corruption, and wins the heart to believe in 
 and to engage with Chriil ; tho' (to fpeak fo) 
 
 there be fomething within that* it lives to keep 
 the door fhut on Chriil, yet when it comes to 
 that, Cant. «$. 3. He puts in bis fingers by the hole 
 of the lock, and makes the myrrbe to drop, the 
 heart is prevailed with fo, as it is effectually 
 opened, as the heart of Xydia was to receive 
 the word that Paul preached. Thus, notwith- 
 standing of corruption's oppoiition, grace gains 
 its point; and the Lord never applies his grace 
 of purpofe to gain a foul,but he.prevcrils. 4. v\ hen 
 We fpeak of. the power and effe&ualnefs of grace 
 in conquering and gaining the heart' and will of 
 the finner to believe in jefus Chriil, we do not 
 mean that there is any force or violence done 
 to the will, or any exerting of a coaftive pow- 
 er, violenting the wijl, contrary to its efTential 
 property of freedom, to clofe with Chrift : "but 
 this we meanthat tho' corruption be in the heart 
 yet grace being infufed and afted by the Spirit* 
 the pravity in the will isfweetly cured, and the 
 will is moved and made to will willingly, and 
 upon choice, by the power of the Spirit of grace 
 taking in the flrong hold ; this great work is 
 wrought by an omnipotent fwavity, and by a 
 fweet ©mnipotency ; and it needs not at all feint 
 flrange ; for if man, in nature, be, by the pow- 
 er of habitual corruption, made neceffarily to 
 will evil, io that notwithstanding he doth freely 
 and willingly choofe evil ; why ihould it be 
 thought flrange or abfurd to fay, that when a 
 principle of the. grace of God is infufed into the 
 iaul, and acled by the Spirit of God,it hath that 
 much influence, power and efficacy, as to prevail 
 with the will, it keeping ft ill its own freedom, to 
 make it willing to embrace Jefus Chriil, and yet 
 not at all thereby wrong that efTential property 
 of the will? Sure grace is as powerful as corrup- 
 tion, and the Lord is as'dexterous a worker, and 
 can work as agreeably to the nature of the crea- 
 ture in this gracious work, as the creature can 
 in its own finrul a&ings. So then, we fay, when 
 the Lord is pleafed to apply the work cf his 
 grace to convert a finner, that work is never 
 hultrated, _ out it always hath neceifarily the 
 work of faith, renovation, and converfion fol- 
 lowing on the back of it. 
 
 Secondly ,YVe ihall a little confirm the doctrine ; 
 
Snrm. ■ i«." . '/*"*«•' 
 
 and the grounds of confirmation are thefe, the 
 a w h er ^ f is the expreCs fcriptures wherein 
 this truth is aiferted, as John 6. 44, 45- It is (aid 
 in the 44 verfe, No man can come to me, except 
 the Father draw him', and one the contrary, it is 
 
 father cometh unto me : And this being contradi. 
 ftinzuifhed to external preaching and being that 
 which is called drawing v>U- he knits believing 
 to it and makes believing, called coming* a ne- 
 ceifary erfe&ofit, that to whomsoever God gives 
 that inward leffori, they (hall come : which con- 
 firms the do&rine, that whomibever! the. Lord 
 teaches and fchools by his grace, and calls effe- 
 ctually, they do neceffarily believe. Another 
 paffage we have Phil. 2. 12,13- Work out the work 
 ef your falvation in fear and trembling ,for it is 
 $ed that voorketh in you both to will and to do of 
 his good pleafure: Where the apoftle makes the 
 work of grace not only to work ability to wijil 
 and to do, but to work alfo to will and to do a- 
 aually ; and grace never worketh to will, and 
 leaves the man unwilling . but neceffarily fuppo- 
 feth the man's clofing willingly withChrift,with 
 whom he worketh thus. A 2d ground of coniirma- 
 tionis drawn from thefe expreifions whereby this 
 work is fet forth, and the promifes comprehen- 
 ding it in God's covenant, wherein it's called 
 the giving of a new heart, a heart of ftejb 3 tbe 
 writing of the law in the heart* the putting of bis 
 Spirit within his people*and caufing them to walk 
 in bis ftatutes* &c. Jer. .31. 33* Exek. ?6« 26, 
 27. and it is impoflible to conceive aright of the 
 fulfilling of thefe promifes, without the including 
 of theerfcdf. The giving of a new heart, is not 
 only a perfwading to believe, butthe actual gi- 
 ving of the new heart, whereof faith is a fpecial 
 part; which promife is peculiar to the cleft, tho' 
 the offer of it be more large, and be further ex- 
 tended : And what can that promife of God's 
 writing the law in the heart be, but an eflfe&u- 
 al inclining of the heart to the will of God, or 
 inward renovation, contradiftinguifhed to the 
 external miniftry, that can only hold out his will 
 in a book, and fpeak it to the ear ? 3. This may 
 be cleared and confirmed from the nature of the 
 work of grace, which is fuch a mighty work,and 
 Co powerful, as it is impoflible it can be fruftra- 
 ted, or difappointed; unlefs we could fay, that 
 grace in God, or the grace of God,is not fo pow- 
 erful as corruption in us, which were blafphemy: 
 to this pu^pofe the Apoftle prayeth in behalf of 
 thVChriftian Ephsjians* Chap. 1. 19, 20. that they 
 m ay kmw what is tbi exceeding greatmfs of his 
 
 Verfe r» : 77 
 
 power to us-ward who believe, according to the 
 working of his mighty power* which he wrought 
 in Cbrift when he raifed him from the dead ;"he 
 ipeaketh lb in this high drain, to fet out both the 
 exceeding ftubbornnefs of our nature that needs 
 iuch a work, and the exceeding great power of 
 the grace of God that worketh irrefiftably, not 
 only in the converfion of the Elo& at firft, but 
 in all the after-a&s of believing; fo Eph. 3. 7. the 
 
 fame Apoftle hath it, .according to the gift of 
 
 the grace of Gcd given unto me, by the effc&ujtf 
 working of his power'* and Cd. 1. 29, according 
 to bis w irking which worketh in me mightily. The 
 power, that worketh in. believers,. is God's om- 
 nipotent power, which worketh erFe&ually and 
 mightily * and if this power be exercifed in the 
 continuing and promoving of faith^as is faid be- 
 fore, it muft be much more exercifed in the be- 
 getting or faith ; yea, and what need is there that 
 he ihould exercife it, if not for this end, that 
 where he cxercifeth it,it may alio prevail f A ojth 
 ground of confirmation may be drawn from the 
 Lord's great end which he hath before him in 
 this work, and that is the gaining of glory to his 
 grace, and to have the whole work of converfi- 
 on attributed to it ; and if this be his end, he 
 muft and will prevail by his grace in throughing 
 the work, in order to this end : If it were left in- 
 different to man, to yield, or not to yield to God, 
 as he p'eafeth, the whole weight of the work of 
 converfion fhould not ly upon grace, man's 
 mouth fhould not be flopped ; but when that 
 queftion fhould be &ske&,Wbo hath made thee to 
 differ! and what haftth:u* man* but what thou 
 baft received ? he fhould it ill have fomething to> 
 boaft of* and the work of his converfion fhould at 
 beft be halfed betwixt grace and his own free- 
 will * this would neceffarily follow, if grace did 
 not through the work, and fb God fhould mifs of 
 his end. A 5^ ground of confirmation is taken 
 from the confideration of God's decree, of the 
 covenant of redemption betwixt Jehovah and the 
 Mediator, and of the power and wifdom of God 
 in carrying on this work, which we put together 
 for brevity's caufe : From all which it will be 
 clear, that there is, and muft be a neceffary con- 
 nexion betwixt the work of grace on believers, 
 and the erfeel: ; and that it is not in the power of 
 man's free-will to refift it, which indeed is not 
 freedom, but bondage. 1. Then, we fay, that it 
 we consider the decree of e!e&ion, we will find, 
 'that where grace is applied, faith and conver- 
 fion muft follow • othei wife, if the work of 
 grace were not effe<ftual to convert, God's de- 
 cree fhould be fufpended on the creature's free- 
 
 wHl, 
 
7& Ifaiakte. 
 
 will, and be effe&ual, or noteffe&ual, according 
 as it pleafed ; and is that any little matter, to 
 make his decree depend upon and be e$?&ual, 
 or not, acord.ng to man's pli ante r I hat which 
 fickercth his decree, and makes n infruttrably to 
 take effeft, is, that he h :th e?f ctaal means to 
 bring about his decree. 2. If -we coruider the 
 covenant of redemption, betwixt Jehovah and 
 the Mediator, we will find, that Upon the one 
 fide the Mediator particularly undertaketh for 
 them that are given to him. that be fliajl ] ofe none 
 of them; and upon the other fide, We have (to 
 fpeak with reverence of the Maj icy. of God af- 
 ter the manner of menj the lather's obligation to 
 make fuch perfons in due time- believers, that 
 Chrift the Mediator may fee of the travel of 
 his foul, and be fatisfied, according to that pro 
 tnife made to him, Pfah I to. 3- In the day .f toy 
 power thy p a <pleJ1jall be willing ; and that other, 
 If a. fa. 11. Ke Jhall fee of the travel of bis foul ', 
 and be fatisfied By bis knowledge Jhall my righ 
 teous ftrvant jufiifie many, &c. and accordingly 
 blmfelf faith, John 6. 37. Allthatthe hat her bath 
 given to me, fliall come unto me \ where it is 
 clear, that thefe who are given muft neceffarily 
 come .* and he alfo faith, John 10. 16. Other jheep 
 have /, which are net of this fold, them alfo I muft 
 bring ; and it cannot be 'uppofed, without hor- 
 rour and blafphemy, that this determinate, 
 folid, and fure tranfa<5Hon, having all its midles 
 included in it, and being. as to its end,fo peremp- 
 tory, fhall, as to thefe midfes, and that end, and 
 as to their throughing, not be in God's hand, 
 but in the hand of man*s free-will ? If it were 
 there, O how unficker and loofe would the 
 bargain, and God's defign in begetting faith, and 
 in bringing fouls through grace to glory, be/ 3. 
 If we confider the Lord's power in beginning and 
 promoving, and his wifdom in carrying on of 
 this work, his power whereby he raifeth the 
 dead, and his wildom whereby he leads from 
 death to life; is it poffible to conceive or ima- 
 gine thefe to be applied by the Lord in the con- 
 verfion of a linner, but this do&rine muft needs 
 hold, that the work of his grace powerfully ap- 
 plied, hath always faith and converfion follow- 
 mg on it ; and that the Lord leaveth it not to the 
 option of eleft fouls, to believe, or not to believe, 
 as they pleafe ? He muft not, he ^annot be fru- 
 itrate of his end and defign, but he muft bring 
 them to a cordial clofure with Chrift by faith, 
 in order to their faivation. 
 
 Ufe 1. The firft ufe ferves to fix you in the 
 faith of this great truth : And tho' we ufe not, 
 neither is it needful to trouble you with long 
 ^ueilions and debates 5 yet whea the like of th*« 
 
 Verfei. Serm. 1$. 
 
 doftrine comes in our way, efpecially in fuch 
 a time wherein the pure truths of God, and this 
 among the reft, are troub'ed and called in que- 
 ftion, it is requifite that a word be fpoken for 
 your confirmation and tftabiiihment : and we 
 would hence have you fixed in tin raith of thefe 
 two ; 1. Of th- in potenc) of nature in the be- 
 ginning or promoving oug ht ofthe work of grace; 
 which belongs to the firfTbranch ol the doilrine. 
 2. Of the efr'.aualnefs and irrciiftablenefs of 
 grace ; that wherever God begets and brings in 
 a foul, he does it by his own powerful grace ; 
 and wherever he applies that work, faith and 
 converfion neccflarily follow; which belongs to 
 the fecond branch of the doctrine ; And we* 
 wou * the rat' erfpeaka litt^ to this,hecaufe it is 
 qu. (fun d b> the enemies ofthe grace of God, 
 than vhi h there is nothing they let the mfdves 
 more to dethrone and deb.de, and to txa>t and 
 cry up nature and freewill, as if it did lit on 
 the throne, and grace behoved to come anr- fup- 
 plicate it, and as if it might accept or reject: ts 
 bill at pleaiuie, as to the converfion of a tinner: 
 In oppoiition to which, this doctrine boldsgood,. 
 that wherever the Lord applies his grace-, he. 
 erF„&ually throughs the work of faith and con- 
 verfion, and there is no foul that can utterly re- 
 fill .t ; and wherever the Lord app'iesthis grace, 
 the grace that converts one cannot be fruftrated 
 by another: Thefe things we hold, in oppofi- 
 tion to the dire& aflfertion of the enemies of 
 grace, whereby they make the work of conver- 
 fion, not ultimatly to terminate on grace, but 
 on man's free-will ; and how dangerous and dam- 
 nable this error is, may eafily appear : For, 1. It 
 overturns and runs crofs to the whole ftrain of 
 the gofpel ; for if we loofe but this one pin, in 
 making faith and converfion not to depend on 
 grace but on free-will, then the whole fabrick 
 of grace falls down flat ; then God fhould ele<ft us 
 becaufe .we were to elecT: him, contrary to the 
 fcripture, which tells us, that he elefts us, not 
 we him ; and that our clofing with him by faith, 
 depends on his e'efting of us. It overturns 
 our free juftification by grace ; for, fuppofing 
 faith comes in in jufttficatiomas it doth, none be- 
 ing juftified but by faith, and that believing is 
 of our felves.and that it is in the power ofm.m's 
 free will to clofe the bargain, all is not here of 
 grace, our juftification is not free, but fome- 
 way depends on iree-will. It overturns the per- 
 feverance ofthe faints; for, if believing depend 
 on free-will, then our perfeverance depends on 
 it alfo ; for, if the man's free-will change, he may 
 fall back, and break his neck in a manner at the 
 
very threshold of heaven : whereas if it be the 
 work of grace (as indeed it is) that brings forth 
 faith, and carries it on, and if this work of 
 grace cannot be fruftrated or reftrained by the 
 malice and hardnefs of any heart to which it is 
 applied, becaufe it cures the hardnefs,and removes 
 that malice •, then certainly this error cannot 
 ftand. And we are perfwaded, when we plead 
 thus for grace, .we have the bed end of the de- 
 bate, and the fureft ground to go upon, moil for 
 God's honour, and moil for the comfort of be- 
 lievers. 2. This error thwarts with the glory of 
 the grace of God \ for it is an error that ftrikesat 
 
 .the richeft and mod radiant diamond of the crown 
 of the glory of Chrift, it han^s election and the 
 
 .effe&ualnefs of God's decree, as to effectual cal- 
 ling, faith, juftification, and perfeverance, on 
 the perfon himfelf, and makes God and Chrift 
 to be in man's common debt, and reverence, to 
 make his decree efFe&ua! : whereas it is the glo- 
 ry of grace, to have all ilefh allenarly in its debt 
 
 and common, as having loved freely, ele&ed,cal- 
 led, juftihed, fanctified, and carried on the work 
 of grace, till it end and be perfected in glory, 
 freely ;whieh is the fong of the redeemed, Rev. 
 I. <5 , 6. Unto him who hath loved us, and wajhed 
 us from our fins in bis own blood, and hath made 
 us kings and priefls unto God and his Father, to 
 b'tm be glory and dominion. *f eternal love be 
 free, then theexpreffion or manifeft .tion of it, in 
 making us kings and priefts unto God, is alfo 
 free. 3. This error is exceeding deftru&ive to 
 the confolafon of God's people ; Is it not a com- 
 fort'efs do&rine, that founds their be!iev:ng and 
 perfeverance on their own free-will ? If ye were 
 to make the bargain of grace, whether would 
 ye think it more comfortable and fure, that the 
 erR&ua'.nefs of believing and perfeverance fhould 
 hang on the grace of God, or on your own tree- 
 
 • will efpecially confidering the pravity of your 
 willi > Doleful wou'd your condition be, if free- 
 will were the ba'e or foundation, and God ufed 
 no more but external perlwafion : How fpecious 
 foever this opinion feem to be, becaufe it puts 
 it in man's option to believe, a?nd convert him- 
 felK or not, as he pleafeth ; yet it overtu-ns 
 the who^ ftrain of the gofpel, and quite eclip- 
 feth the glory of grace, and cuts the very throat 
 of your conio'ation, and is the great ground of 
 Popery, Velagianifm, and Arminiam\m : to 
 which ye would therefore fo much the more ad- 
 vert ; and we do the rather fpeak to it, that ye 
 
 - may be guarded ag^inft it, and that ye may be fet- 
 tled in the truth, efpecially fince the fame errors 
 are a reviving in another fhape in thefe days, as is 
 wamieft in that foolry of gutters, who talk of a 
 
 Verfe I. 79 
 
 light within them, and talk fo of that light, as 
 if it were of power fufficient to convert and guide 
 them, if it be not refitted. As alio that other 
 conceit of being above ordinances, implies fome- 
 thing of the fame error ; which ye would fet 
 your felves to abhor, as that which the devil is 
 again labouring to fow the feed of amongft us, 
 and labour to be confirmed in the truth : For 
 if there be any truth at all in Chriftianity, thefe 
 are two main truths, the utter inability that is 
 in mens hearts by nature to exercife faith in 
 Chrift, and the efficacious and irrefiftable power 
 of the grace of God, in the begetting of faith, 
 where it is begotten ; which, when we (hall all 
 appear before the tribunal of God, will be found 
 to be fo, and none will have a mouth opened 
 to oppofethem. And what abfurdity, I pray, is 
 there here, notwithstanding all the clamour of 
 corrupt men, that God hath referved this work 
 of converting finners by his grace to himfelf^ 
 and hath not put it in the hand of their own 
 free-will, which fuppofeth men to have a (lock 
 witiiin themfelves, and hath many fearful effects 
 following it, tending to the depreciating of the 
 grace of God, and to the drawing men off from 
 dependence on Chriit, and tothe giving of them 
 ground of boaftin^ in themteives and of vani- 
 ty and fceurity ah which this do&rine of God's 
 grace overthrows and flops the mouth of the 
 creature from ali vain boafting, to the high ex- 
 altation of God's tree, fovereign, and efficacious 
 grace, and to the &k at comfort of his people? 
 CJf& 2. The fecond ufe ferves to commend the 
 grace of God to the hearers of the gofpel, and 
 efpecially to believers : Tfiere cannot be a great- 
 er commendation given to it, than this, that it 
 works effectually ; and indeed it could not be cal- 
 led; g*ace, 1 mean, faving grace, if it fhould 
 want this ■ effect, even to fave fuch as it is appli- 
 ed to *, but this highly commends grace, that if 
 there be mighty corruption in us, there is at 
 ftrong arm of grace put forth by him, for per- 
 fecting that whi:hconcernsus,notwithftandingof 
 this great ftrengthof corruption*- And if ye think 
 your lelves not to be believers, and think- this 
 doctrine to be hard, that ye cannot believe with- 
 out this grace, and yet would fain believe^ con- 
 fider, that as none can believe, neither can belie- 
 vers ftand without grace; fo grace can help you 
 to do that which ye cannot do, which is to the 
 commendation of grace, and fhould make it more 
 lovely to you : This gives encouragement to any 
 poor foul, that is as it were in the place: of the 
 breaking forth of children, and l'ayeth greater 
 ground of confideBce that tbej ftaU com* fpeed, 
 
fco ... Ifalah {%. 
 
 than if they had it in their own hand ; and ferVes 
 to obviate that grand objection .of fouls that 
 would fain be at clofing with Chrift, and cannot 
 come to him ; here is a powerful arm reached 
 forth to draw them. 
 
 Ufe 3. The third aife ferves to humble belie- 
 vers who have any thing of the work of grace, 
 and Co tq work them up^to thankful nefs to him 
 that hath communicate ought of it to them. -1 Is 
 there any of you that have grace ? who hath made 
 you to differ from others? it was not your felves, 
 hut free grace; and therefore ye have reafon to 
 acknowledge it with thankful nefs, and to fay, If 
 this fame doctrine had not been true, I would 
 have been a (hanger to God all my days, and 
 remained under the dominion of Satan and fin 
 with thefe that are in nature ; and with David, 
 Tfal. 16.7. to fay, 1 blefs the Lord> who hath 
 given me counsel ; my reins alfo inftrutt me in 
 the night- ft af ens : This counfel was not the com- 
 mon advice that all got from the word preached, 
 but the inward counfel of the Spirit, that made 
 his reins inn-met him, and made him inwardly 
 to follow the advice that the word gave him out- 
 wardly : and it is this inward work of the Spirit 
 that keeps in the life of grace, as well as begets 
 it, as it is, Tfal. 73. 23 — 26. NevertheJefs I am 
 continually with thee : Thou haft holden me by 
 tny right hand. Thou (halt guide me with thy 
 counfel, and afterward receive me to glory. 
 Whom have 1 in heaven but thee ? &c. My flejh 
 and my heart fail eth : but God is thejlrength of 
 Tny heart, and my portion for ever. The pfal- 
 mift glorieth in this,that the work of his through- 
 bearing did not depend on his own flefh & heart, % 
 but on God, who was the ftrength of l)is heart, 
 and his portion for ever. If believers would con- 
 sider what they were in their natural condition, 
 and how much they are obliged to the grace of 
 God, that with power was applied in their con- 
 verfion, it would flop their mouth as to boafting; 
 make them admire grace, and found forth its 
 praife : and they would think grace's fvveet way 
 of prevailing, to be no coactive forcing of their 
 will, but the greateft part of their freedom ; and 
 fo far would it be from being look'd on as a vio- 
 lating or wronging of their will, that it would 
 be efteemed their trued and greateft liberty. We 
 are perfwaded that the faints in heaven count it 
 ra) bondage, that God hath fo fully freed them 
 from all corruption, that they ferved him with 
 delight, and do lb necelfarily ; and fhall any fo- 
 journing4aints here below, count it a wronging 
 of their will, that God takes fuch pains on them, 
 t« ftibduc corruption, and t© bring them to feme 
 
 Ver k if ' Serin. *?; 
 
 meafure of conformity to them who are above? 
 God fcrbia. 
 
 Ufe 4. The fourth ufe is, To let us fee, what 
 great ground of encouragement there is-here for 
 thehearers of the gofpel to fet about the work of 
 believing, and what ground there is to make 
 them all utterly inexcufable. who fhall continue 
 in their unbelief; which may be thought fbme- 
 \ what ftrange, when we fay that no me^ns can be 
 ' effectual for working of faith, without the effe- 
 ctual grace of God be applied : But let thefe two 
 be put together, 1. That tho' we beinfufK:ient 
 of our felves, and tho 5 all outward means be of 
 themfelves inerfe&ual, that yet there is a fuffici- 
 ency in the grace of God : And, 2. That this 
 grace fhall be powerful to work faith in the hear- 
 ers of the gofpel, if they make not themfelves 
 guilty of fruftrating this grace in the offer of it 
 (as they may do) Thefe then, who will not be- 
 lieve, will be found mod inexcufable. But to re- 
 turn to the main intent of this ufe, we fay, that 
 the encouragement lies here, that tho' we be urt- 
 - able, we have an able Mediator, and grace is 
 powerful ; and therefore we fhould with the 
 • greater encouragement fet about the work of be- 
 lieving, as the Apoftle reafons, Phil. 2. 12, 13. 
 Work out your own falvation with fear and trem- 
 blings for it is God that worketh in you both to 
 will and to do of his good pleafure. Ye might 
 poffibly think it had been more encouraging to 
 have faid, Ye are able of your felves to will and 
 to do ; but certainly, grace is a more encouraging 
 motive than any thing in the creature : Say not 
 then, ye cannot will nor do, for that excufe is ta- 
 ken away by God's offering to work both in you 
 by his grace ; but let me exhort all, both thefe 
 that are begun to be believers, and thofe that are 
 to begin to be believers, to be Co far from difpu- 
 ting themfelves from it,as that the}- rather encou- 
 rage themfelves to work out the work of their 
 own falvation with fear and trembling, becaufe 
 God's grace, which ye have in your offer, is fb 
 powerful to work the work, and will admit of no 
 utter oppofition from corruption in you,if ye re- 
 ceive not the grace of God in vain that is offered 
 to you in the gofpel. If grace were Co weak as we 
 might call: it back at our pleafure, and if it were 
 but a helper in the work of faith and converfion, 
 as Arminians make it,what encouragement cculd 
 we have from it ? And as to practice, is not this 
 doctrine as encouraging? What advantage or com-, 
 fort is it to undertake anything in our own ftrength 
 which is none at all ? Is not this much more en- ' 
 couraging,to undertake in the ftrength of God's 
 grace, knowing that the fame work of grace, that 
 
 begets 
 
then., and take a proof of it, aii3 ye ffiaH find it 
 ftl. The Lord himfeif give you wifdom 
 [JJ for your falratiori and confolatic 
 
 5e;m. 16*. Jfaiab' ^. Verfe i. § r 
 
 begets faiths is as erTe&ual to carry it on, and 
 to make us to perfevere in it, and to enable us 
 to every good word and work : Let grace work 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 
 Ifeiah Kit. i. ; m is pbt arm of the Ztrd revealed? 
 
 fome, and to fome this do&rine was made the fa? 
 vour of life untolife, tho-' to others' (thro' their 
 enmity and corruption) it became the favour of 
 death unto death : To conclude therefore, the in- 
 .tency, or to deny the confhleacy of thefc 
 two, to wit, of the neceffity of preaching the do- 
 ctrine of grace, and of the premng in preaching 
 the pra&ice of holy dut: ule of ordi- 
 
 nary appointed means, would reach this dreadful 
 length,even to condemn the prophets of old, yea* 
 and our blefTed Lord Jefus himfelf,who kyz,j r obn 
 6. 44. after he had preached long. No man can. 
 come to me, exaept the Father who bath font ms 
 draw him : And ver. 65.- -Therefore I faid unto 
 you, -that no man can come to me, unlefs It be gi- 
 ven him cf my Father. And will any think that 
 his hearers, who accounted this^with ibme others, 
 hard fay fogs, and from that time went baci % 
 and walked no more with him, were excufable 
 in their doing fo? or that his preaching was ufe- 
 lefs, needlefs, or impertinent, as having a tenden- 
 cy to tempt men to abandon all" ufe of means, 
 becaufe he preached this do&rine of the impof- 
 fibility of believing in him, without this pull 
 and draught of his Fathers aim ? 
 
 But, Secondly, We fhall a little more particu- 
 larly, in anfwcr to the queftion,' fpeak, 1. To 
 what ufes folk would not make of this doctrine, 
 or what things they would abftain from, as ten- 
 ding to a wrong ute of it. 2. To fome confide- 
 rations for preffing this ddj^ine, and removing 
 from it the conftru&ion of hardnefs that we are 
 ready xh put upon it. 3. To what is the native 
 ufe it calls for. And, Laftly, To fome confide- 
 rations to prcfs this. 
 
 For the fa ft, When we fay to all t hat hear this 
 gofpel,that there is i neceffity ©fa powerful work 
 or gra:e ; ere this word can be profitable; ye 
 Would, I. and lay rJide curiofity,- 
 
 in feeking tatisfyiifrg anlVers to all rbeittpbje&ions 
 that are moved againft it and absurdities that it's 
 loaded with by tne devil and man'sproud nature, 
 and learn to (loop to, and reverence the fovereign 
 dominion of God, and his deep and untearchable 
 wifdcm and knowledge, in this fovereign way of 
 his grace, as the apoftle doth, Rom. 11. 33V Q 
 the depth of the riches both of the wifdcm and 
 
 IT's much to walk evenly and fledfaftiy ur.dcr 
 . and neither , 
 1 give way to loofnel 
 ecome faint and diicou- 
 rearlii of God. O 
 
 •e is ready t beft things : That 
 
 Pet. 3. 16. that there are 
 and pervert the feriptures ta 
 their • •' n- holds true, not only of 
 
 doc^rl alfo true in refpeft 
 
 of me - or practical errors ; 1or fome, 
 
 ng oi~ the irripot^ncy of nature- and of the 
 r~and perfe&ion of grace in bringing about 
 its d< figned effect, arc ready to think" that they 
 need to do nothing, alledging, that if grace un- 
 dertake the work, it will be wrought ; and if 
 not. it will not be wrought: and thus atheimV 
 and profenit) fteal in fecretly upon the heart, 
 1 and the fwect do&rhie of ^race is abufed and 
 perverted by iuch, to their own deurucHon. 
 There are otheis a^ain, who it tnay be will not 
 date lb to topv.ith God, who yet have their 
 own fainting and difcouragement when they hear 
 of this do&rintj, and think it hard that they 
 themfelves can do nothing, and fear that they 
 will never win to believe, becaufe they cannot 
 do it of themfelves \ theie alfo fail, and make not 
 , the right ufe of grace. 
 
 Y* remember the queflion which we propofed 
 to fpeak a little to on the laft doctrine, to wit, 
 That feeing both thefe branches of it are true, 
 That except g/^c- concur, the moll powerful 
 preaching of. the gofpel will -not beget faith; 
 and, 1 hat v he rever the v. e-rk of grace goes along 
 with the gofpel, there faith is begotten; What, 
 is called for from the hearers of the gofpel, as 
 the ufe of this doctrine ? 
 
 Before we come to anfwer this queflion more 
 particularly, we would, 1. Prettiit this word in 
 general. That none would account the pf cach- 
 ing or hearing of the word of God to be ufelefs 
 or tiruitle&aibeit that without the work of grace 
 men cannot yield the fru't which it calleth for 
 from them ; for cur b'efTed Lord Jefus Jfaiah and 
 Paul preached this doctrine of graee,and the ne- 
 .ceflity of the Lord's arm to be revealed in thecon- 
 verficn of ibuls; and yet they taught the word in 
 feafpn ; and out of iealbn, and were gathering in 
 
82 } f a ' ia i> *>i\ 
 
 knowledge of God ! how unfearchable are his 
 judgments, and his ways paft finding out ! Ye 
 would alfo confider that other word, Rom. 9.20. 
 Who art thou that replieft againfl God ? or expo- 
 ftulateth with him ; Shall the' thing formed, fay to 
 him that formed it, Why baft thou made me thus? 
 It's good to enquire & to feek to know the ufe the 
 Lord calls for of this do&rine with fobriety: but 
 there is an enquiring to fatisfie curiofity, which 
 the Lord abhoreth; as we may gather from Exod. 
 19. 21. where the Lord, being to deliver his will, 
 faith to Mofes, Go dovin, charge the people, (a word 
 of peremptory command) left they break tborow 
 ■unto the Lord to ga\e, and many of themperijb : 
 The Lord is not difpleafed that his people Ihould 
 endeavour to behold, and take him up aright ; 
 but when their end is not good, but to fatisfie 
 an itch of curiofity, it difpleafeth him. This 
 may be ufeful in many cafes, and particularly in 
 this we have in hand, to teach us lbbriety in 
 - feeking to know the way of God's grace, as the 
 Lord would have his people, Exod, 19. waiting 
 for as much of his mind as he thought fit to 
 acquaint them with, and to write on the two 
 tables of ftone : but he would not have them 
 breaking in over the boundary or match which 
 be did let to them, left he ihould break thorow 
 ©a them, and they fhould be made to perifh. So 
 wpuld he have men, in their ftudying the know- 
 ledge of his ways, and particularly of the way of 
 his grace, to keep his meafures, and to contain 
 themfelves within the limits that he pleafeth to 
 fet them. 2. Abftain from carnal freting at, and 
 cxpoftulating with the way of God, whether in 
 the higheft degree of upbraiding grace and mar- 
 ling at it, that ye ihould not have the {lock in 
 your own hand ; or in an inferior degree, having 
 a heart inwardly difcontent, that ye are not more 
 able of your felves than ye are to believe, which 
 is the thing that the apoftleoppofeth, Rom* 9. 20, 
 ai. Should thi thing formed fay to him that for- 
 med it, Why haft thou made me thus f Hath not 
 ike Potter power ever the clay,&c. efpecially fince 
 none can anfwer that queftion with any juft re- 
 flexion upon God. Vv ho is to be blamed for that 
 deft& or inability ? or whence did that inability 
 or defe& in man's nature proceed ? God was 
 gracious, free and liberal, in making man per- 
 fect ; and whofe fault is it that it is otherwife ? 
 3. Abftain from, and beware of drawing defperate' 
 conclttflons as to the giving over the ufe of the 
 means, or of becoming more lazy and fecure 
 in the duties of holinels, and in the pra&ice of 
 piety, becaufc of the neceflity of his grace ; but 
 on the contrary, be the more diligent and ferious, 
 tkxi y* haye j<> siuch need of grace, and that of 
 
 Verfe t. ( Serm* io'. 
 
 your felves ye can do fo little, or rather nothing 
 that is truly good without it. 
 
 I know that profane h -rtsare very fertile and 
 broody of arguments to plead this point of ne- 
 glect of means, and will readily fay, What is the 
 fruit of diligence, and the prejudice of lazinefs? 
 the one will do us no good, and the other can 
 do us no ill, feeing it s grace that doth all the 
 work. But, 1. By your lazinefs ye mar your 
 own fruitfulnefs, and -that through your own 
 fault, and make this addition to your guilt, that 
 ye not only continue gracelefs, but do fo thro' 
 your fin wilfully. 2. Ye may draw on to your 
 natural impotency, habitual and judicial hard- 
 nefs of heart, and blindnefs of mind : It's on 
 this very ground that many ears are made heavy, 
 many eyes made blind, and many hearts made 
 
 . fat ; and is that a little or light matter ? 3. Tho' 
 ye may think this little, yet that which will bear 
 the weight of your fentence at the day of judg- 
 ment, will not be your natural impotency, or 
 that grace was not made efficacious to your con-* 
 verfion ; but this will be it, that when God fent 
 out his word to win you, and offered his grace 
 for enabling you to yield, ye did malicioufly 
 and deliberately rejeft it. So that it will never 
 be fufFered to come to this, I was unable • be- 
 caufe the word was wilfully rejected before it 
 came to this. 
 
 But, Secondly, Becaufe there are fome others 
 poflibly that have more ferioufnefs in the ufe of 
 means, who, tho' they dare not quarrel with 
 
 I grace, yet it weights and difcourages them be- 
 caufe they can do fo little, and they are made 
 heartlefs to effay, and hopelefs to come fpeed • 
 and it may be that this is in feme whom the 
 Lord allows not to draw any fuch conclufion, but 
 would rather have encouraged : We would fay 
 to fuch, that they w r ould beware of fainting or 
 being difcouraged, as If that were impoifible to 
 God and his grace, which is impoflible to them* 
 they would by all means beware of fitting up, 
 and flacking their hand in duty, becaufe they 
 can do fo little. We know there are Come that 
 need not much to be fpoken to, for fatisfying of 
 them in this point ; but there are others, who are 
 weighted with this doctrine, to whom the Lord 
 allows more tender ulage, and would not have 
 them to faint, nor be difcouraged : You that 
 are fuch ( if any be) may know that there is 
 ground for us to prefs this, and that we may re- 
 move the conftru&ion of hardneis from the fo- 
 vereign w T ay of God's grace, wherein he hath 
 thought fit to draw men unto an abfolute depen- 
 dence en hjurctfelf* In tkc difpeniing of it, we 
 
 ifaajl 
 
Serm. 16. . J f atah 5?* 
 
 fhaii propofe thefe few confiderations ; i. That 
 (which wat hinted at before) never a man that 
 hach heard this gofpel, when he comes to count 
 with God, fhall have it to fay, that the reafon 
 why he did not receive and embrace it, was his 
 impotency and inability, but the real reafon 
 fhall be found to be his wilful rejecting of it : 
 And upon the contrary it fhall be found, that 
 there was never one that would in earned have 
 had ftrength to run the way of God's command- 
 ments, and faith to grip to and embrace Jefus 
 Chritl offered in this gofpel, that for want of a- 
 bility came fliort ; and if lb, what reafon is there 
 to complain f If none want faith, but fuch as 
 would not have him, and if none that would 
 have him complain of their want of him, u- 
 pon thefe two we have great ground of encou- 
 to them that have a flncere affection to be at 
 him,-and there is no ground for folk to fit up, 
 or fall lazy in purfuing after union and commu- 
 nion with him in the ufe of means. None fhall 
 have caufe to complain of their want of him, 
 but fuch as with their own confent gave him o- 
 ver 5 and any that would fain have had him, fhall 
 not mifs him ; for this real willingnefs to clofe 
 .with Cbrift, being'a.work of the grace of God, 
 and it being no lefs power that works this will, 
 than the rjower which doth effectuate the work 
 of converfion, and bring ^ to perfection, he 
 that begins the work will perfect it : and there- 
 fore, in this cafe, folk had more * need to re- 
 flect upon their unwillingnefs to have Chrifl:, 
 and to clofe with him on his own. terms, 
 than to difpute their impotency and inability* 
 2. Confider what they have been, whom the 
 Lord hath brought thorow : Were they not fuch 
 as had as much need of grace as ye have ? had 
 they not the fame corrupt nature that ye have ? 
 were they not as impotent and unable to do for 
 themfelves ? could any of themfelves do more 
 than ye can? Confider them all that are be- 
 fore the throne : Was it not this lame grace of 
 God, and not their good nature, nor their free- 
 will, that did the work ? and they were not ex- 
 .preily, or by my name, included in the promi- 
 ses more than ye are ; and ye are not exprefly 
 excluded more than they were : The Lord brought 
 forward the work of grace in them that fame way 
 that he dealeth with you; by the preaching of his 
 word, he brought them firfl to know their fln- 
 fulnefs, impotency, and weaknefs ; to know 
 that there was need of a Saviour, that their fal- 
 vation was not of themfelves, neither was it in 
 them to make right ufe of the Saviour, and falva- 
 tion offered, but in the power of his grace ; and 
 what if he be doing fo to thee f and if that con* 
 
 Verfe I. 8$ 
 
 dition be hard and hopelefs now, it had been a 
 hopelefs and hard condition to thefe many that 
 are now before the throne. 3. Confider, That 
 there is no queftion but grace is effectual to car- 
 ry on the work, and to make it go thorow : All 
 the difficutly and diffatisfaction is, becaufe God 
 keeps the application in his own hand, which the 
 man's heart wouid have in its hand ; and which 
 of them, do ye think, is mofl fure and encoura- 
 ging ? all your tainting and difcouragement re- 
 i'olveth in this, becaufe ye can do fo little ; if ye 
 be in good earneft defirous to have grace thro* 
 the work of faith and converfion^ would ye pof- 
 fibly make choice of another, or better hand than 
 God's to put it in ? Is it not as fui table and fure* 
 that his wifdom fhould contrive and lay down 
 the way, as it is to his power to. fet it forward, 
 and to the freedom of his grace to make appli- 
 cation of it, and all more fuitable and fure than 
 if it were in your own hand ? May ye not think 
 fhame to be difcouraged on this ground, becaufe 
 any thing ye do ye mud needs get it from God, 
 and that that fhould be an obflruction in the way 
 of godlinefs, which is a main encouragement. to 
 it ?. Is the Lord an upbfaider ? is there any that 
 can quarrel him as nigardly in difpenfing of his 
 grace ? Doth he not giv-e to all men liberal* 
 Iji and upbraideth no man? and doth it not be- 
 come him well to have the conduct and guid- 
 ing of his own grace ? 4. Confider how many 
 the Lord hath given grace to already ; and how 
 he' hath given it freely, furprizingly, and unex- 
 pectedly : If ye could bring forth any proof that 
 never one got good of God, ye might have a pre- 
 text for your difcouragement and icarring ; but 
 when as many as are before the throne are proofs 
 of his being gracious to finners, when fo many 
 have gotten good of God before you; and when 
 there are feveral, who, to your own certain know- 
 ledge, aredaiiy getting good of him fenfibly'/ree- 
 ly, and unexpectedly, who were as undifpofed to 
 believe as ye are, and as much tainted and difcou- 
 raged as ye are ; and when he fays, that he is found 
 of them that fought him not •, is it not as likely 
 that a poor body, that is longing for his grace, 
 fhall be fatisfied as well now as ever ? according 
 to that word, Mat. 5 . 6. Blejfed are they that 
 hunger and thirft for right eoufnefs y for they ft a& 
 be filed ; the foul, that fain would have holinefs, 
 fhall get it. I know there will be a buiinefs made 
 here, and a new objection flarted, Whether this 
 longing or hunger be real or not ? But if your 
 longing and hunger be not real, it will not trou* 
 ble you much to wane ; it is not to encouraoe or 
 comfort fuch, that have no real lcnging^that 
 M 2 % \\ 
 
$4 t IjaUb ^3. 
 
 all this is fpoken ', we know there is more need 
 to make fome vomit up the conceit of their abi- 
 lity, than to encourage them againft any Teen 
 and felt inability. There are many, alas ! that 
 think little of the grace of God ; with whom the 
 error anent univerfal grace would agree well, 
 they having a prefumptuous conceit of faith, 
 and that it is not fo difficult a thing to believe 
 as is alledged : We muft profefs, that we have not 
 xnuch to lay to filch for their encourajment.; 
 only we would let them know, that there is a 
 time coming, when .God will refute and filence 
 them : But as for fuch as fee their inability, and 
 are put to any mealure of fuitable ferioufnefs 
 .and longing in earned after believing, the Lord 
 allows that they be ftrengthned and encoura- 
 ged ; and to fuch we would lay this, If their 
 milling of Jefus Chrift weight them, if it be their 
 burden, that they cannot believe, and if their 
 longing, hunger, and third be fome pain and 
 piece of exercife to them, fo. as other things re- 
 lifn not with them, they are (^0 taken up with 
 that ; and if they had their fouls choice, it would 
 he this, even a fatisfying fight of union and com- 
 munion with him ; their longing and hunger is 
 real, and we may turn •over that juft now cited 
 word to them, Blejfed are they that hunger and 
 thirfl after righteoufnefs, for they ]b all be filed ; 
 this hunger and thirft was never begotten with- 
 out fome fpiritual phyfick from Chrift the great 
 Phyfician, who hath provifion for fatisfying it : 
 and as we ufe to fay of the natural life, he fent 
 never the' mouth but he fent the meat with it ; 
 fo we may fay of this hunger, he that gives this 
 fpiritual mouth, gives always the meat with it. 
 Would to God there were many enlarged appe- 
 tites to receive ; our Lord would no doubt be 
 found ready to fatisfy them all : If the mouth 
 were wide opened, the a/Fe&ions enlarged, and 
 the foul fick under hunger and thirft for Chrift 
 and holinefs, that fr.knefs fhould not be found 
 to be unto death, but to the glory of the grace 
 of him who is the great Healer. 
 
 For the third thing that' we propofed, to wit, 
 That feeing there are many ways how folk may 
 go wrong, and yet none fhould give over hope, 
 what is the native ufe and exercile that this do- 
 ctrine calls for ? I (hall fpeak to this firft in gene- 
 ral, and fee on dly, in fome few fteps or particular 
 dire<£Hons. \ft. Then in general, Ye would con- 
 sider that place, Vhihl* 12, 13. Work out the 
 roorh of your even falvation with fear and trem- 
 bling, for it is Gcd that worketh in you both to will 
 and to do of his good plea fur e : where it is clear, 
 that the exhortation given to them, to work out 
 their falyatign a is drawn from this fame doftrine 
 
 V P\ feI V . Serm.16. 
 
 of the efficacious work of God's grace working 
 in them to will and to do, as the great motive • 
 God, faith he, worketh in you to will and to do' 
 therefore work ye out the work of .your own fal- 
 vation : There are in this general exhortation 
 four things implied ; The firft is the very entry 
 or beginning of the work of falvation, that is, 
 the exercifmg of faith in Jefus Chrift ; it is of 
 Qod, therefore work at that work ; as if he had 
 faid, Believe to the faving of your fouls, as the 
 word is, Heb. 10. u!t. Fsr it's God thai works 
 the will inyou. The fecond is the work of repen- 
 tance, this is alio taken in here ; for his bidding 
 them work in fear and tremblings refpe&s their 
 finfulnefs, and neceffarliy implieth repentance. 
 The third is their aiming atperfe&ion in holinefs, 
 the putting^ forth themfelves in improving of all 
 means, and in the exerciling of all duties for that 
 end; Work out, fays he. And, fourthly, It looks to 
 the manner, that it be not, carnally, or in carnal 
 confidence, but with fear and trembling \ and if 
 it fhould be asked, How doth that conclufion flow 
 from this do&rine, It's God's work, or he works 
 in you to will and to do, therefore work ye out 
 your falvation ? Folk would rather think that the 
 conclufion fhould be, Since God doth all this, do 
 ye nothing: No, but the juft contrary conclufi-"- 
 on is drawn; and it hangs an thefe two, 1. On the 
 efficacy of grace, it's God that works to will and 
 to do, it's his grac%that ftrengthneth you ; and 
 where he works the will,he works the deed;where 
 he begins a work, he will alfo through and ef- 
 fectuate it, therefore take ye encouragement to 
 work; as if he had faid, Fight well, for ye have 
 a brave fecond, tho' it be not proper to call grace 
 a fecond ; fet your felves to the exercife of holi- 
 nefs in earneft, and God will make it go with you. 
 2. On the consideration of finfulnefs and weaknefs 
 in them, which fhould make them work in fear 
 and trembling; as if he had faid, Seeing it is God, 
 and the efficacy of his grace, that doth the work, 
 be not ye vain and prefumptuous : the firft part 
 fays, It's God that works, and not ye,therefore be 
 ye the more holily confident ; the fecond parf 
 fays, It's not ye, but God, and therefore do the 
 work with fear and trembling ; and both tend ta 
 this, that folk would be ferious in minding and 
 profecuting the work of their falvation, from the 
 firft ftep to the laft, in fear and trembling, on 
 this ground, that tho' they have nothing in them- 
 felves, yet there is enough in God and in his 
 grace to do their turn. How is it then, or what 
 can be the reafon, that we in our kearts do draw 
 the juft contrary conclufion to that which the 
 Spirit of God draws here from this-ground? When 
 
 wc 
 
Serm. 16. !f**** *>3. 
 
 we have the offer of grace, and hear of the power 
 and efficacy of it, it ihouldas to our part provoke 
 us to be more bufy, reafoning thus with our 
 felves, that tho' our corruption will foon over- 
 come us, yet it Will not, it cannot overcome 
 grace ; and tho' the exercife of faith be above 
 our reach, yet it is not above the reach of grace; 
 tho' we be weak, yet grace is ftrong, and there- 
 fore we will work it out. And uponthe other 
 fide, we ought to continue humble,and in fear and 
 trembling work it out, becaufe it's not we, but 
 grace, that doth the work ; If grace were well 
 confidered, there is nothing that would more 
 ftrengthen folks hands to work ; and upon the o- 
 ther hand, there is nothing that would make folks 
 more watchful, and to walk in holy fear, confi- 
 dering that we are poor beggers, and through 
 cur unwatchfulnefs,or conceit and prefutnption, 
 may mar the outlettings of his grace, efpecially 
 if we grow fecure,and ungrately forget what we 
 receive from him. 
 
 idly, I come now to fome fteps or particular di- 
 rections implied in this Ufe, becaufe it will be 
 asked, What then fhould folk do ? And before I 
 touch on particulars, take thefe two caveats in 
 the entry to them, I. That we can propole no- 
 thing to be done by you, neither can ye do any 
 thing of your felves, that is a gracious act or deed. 
 2. That we under ftand not that any thing can t>e 
 done by men in their natural ftate, that doth in- 
 fer or procure, and far lefs deferve the giving of 
 grace to any ; but feeing God hath given directi- 
 on to us how to walk in order to the working 
 out of our fal ration, we fay,(i.)That it's fafe to us 
 \ to walk in the way he hath directed us to walk 
 an,and in the ufeofthe means hehathprefcribed, 
 and much more fafe than to lay them afide. (2.) 
 That there is greater fuitablenefs betwixt the ufe 
 of the means, and the finding of grace, than 
 there is betwixt the neglect of means and the fin- 
 ding of it. C30 That it agrees well with God's 
 way in' bringing about the converfion of finners, 
 to bring them piece and piece forward ; fome- 
 times bringing them to the ufe of external means, 
 and to the performance of outward duties; fome* 
 times convincing them of fin, and letting them 
 fee their need of Chrift ; fometimes difcovering 
 . the* worth that is in Chrift, #and bringing them 
 to fall in love with him, ere they actually clofe 
 with him ; and making them in their practice 
 to follow ary peep or glimmering of light that 
 is let out to them, and to go the length that 
 light difcovereth the way, and makes it plain 
 as to their duty. 
 
 Now, for particular directions, we would, 1. 
 Bid you ftudy to be fixed and eftabliihed in the 
 
 Verfe 1. 8< 
 
 faith of thefe general truths that relate to man's 
 fintulnefs and mifery, and insufficiency in hirofelii 
 that in us, that is, in cur fi:jh, dvoelleth n. g :d 
 thing ; that naturally we arc dead in fins and tref- 
 pafles.and cannot quicken our felves ; and in the 
 faith of the nece'ifity and powerful nefs of grace, 
 and that it's Chriit that mud give and work faith, 
 and that grace can do the turn, and prevail,whcre 
 ' it is put on work. ' Ye would alfo confider, and 
 believe the great hazard of milling grace, and 
 the advantage that cometh by it : ye. would me- 
 ditate on thefe things, and on the fcriptures that 
 hold them out, and en th^ experiences of the 
 taints that confirm them, that ye may not only- 
 have a glance and traniient view of^em,but may 
 be confirmed in the faith of the trutri of them. 2» 
 Content not your felves with a general faith'of the 
 truth of this doctrine, but labour to be fuitably 
 affected with thefe things that ye believe; and tho* 
 every affectednefs be not fpecial grace, yet I 
 fpeak to them that are ready to lay the blame and 
 fault on the grace of God, and yet were never 
 affected with their own gracelefnefs. Ye would 
 ftudy to be affected with the gracelefnefs of your 
 nature, and let it put you to fome ianftified 
 difquiet and trouble, till, with Epbraim, ye be 
 made to J mite upon your thigh, and till ye be put 
 to a holy deliberation and confultation about your 
 own condition. A man that is under tke hazard 
 of a civ^ penalty, will think on it again and a- 
 gain, it will affect him, and he will not beat 
 reft till he be without the reach of it ; much 
 more fhould ye be with the hazard that your fouls 
 are in through fin-jrfe are not exculable, io long 
 as ye come not this length. 3. Add to this, di- 
 ligence in the ufe of all outward means and du- 
 ties, whereby, and wherein, the Lord ufeth to 
 communicate his grace, abounding always in the 
 work of the Lerd, astheapoftle exhorteth, 1 Ccn 
 15. 58. Be diligent in fecret prayer, reading, 
 meditation, conference, felf-examination, bea- 
 ring, keeping good company, and the like ; 
 which indeed hypocrites may do, yet they ceafe 
 not for that to be duties. 4. Be fincere and fe- 
 rious in the life and performance of thefe means 
 and duties ; that which I mean, is a moral fince-* 
 . rity and ferioufnefs, fiich as a man will readily 
 have in a civil caufe that he hath depending be- 
 fore a civil judge, or in hearing of news, or the 
 like, which is a thing that may be, and. is often 
 found in men that are void of a principle of 
 grace ; and yet folk are very often defe'&ire 
 in this, and make themfe'ves exceeding guil- 
 ty before God, becaufe they come not this 
 length. 5. Take heed and beware of entertain- 
 ing 
 
SS Ifaiah $j. 
 
 ing any thing that holds and bars out grace, or . 
 ot doing any thing that may mar or quench the 
 working or moving of grace : If ye cannot get 
 Chriil entertained in your heart as ye fliould, be 
 fure to give it to no other ; if ye cannot get cor- 
 ruption thruft out, nor mortified, watch againd 
 the riling or harbouring of that which ye know 
 to be corruption, and againd the incoming or 
 rifing of fuch evils, as ye know will keep or put 
 away the Beloved ; guard alio againd the negle- 
 <fting of fuch means, as by the negleel whereof 
 ye may grieve his Spirit. 6. Study and feek 
 after a compofed frame of fpirit if? your ordina- 
 ry walk, and efpecial in duties of worfhip. Car- 
 nal mirth and jollity, loofe company, and fuffe- 
 ring the heart to go a-whoring after the things of 
 the world, do not only provoke Chrid as they 
 are fins, but indifpofe us for duty, and mar the 
 cxercife of grace where it is, and keep it back 
 where it is not; therefore the wife man faith, Ecch 
 7. 3. That forrow is better than laughter > for by 
 the fadnefs of the countenance the heart is made 
 better. Carnal forrow is not to be commended, 
 but fober .fadnefs, or a grave and compofed 
 frame of fpirit, is better than a light and unfet- 
 tled frame ; it being very hard, if not impoflible, 
 to keep the heart right, even where there is 
 grace, but where there is fome counterpoife or 
 wither-weight ; and it mud be far more impofli- 
 ble to keep it right, where the work of^race is 
 not, or but in the very fird beginnings of it ; 
 and tho' 1 do" not call this compofednefs of frame, 
 Grace , yet it keeps folk in, fome capacity, as is 
 were, to receive grace. It's faid, Lam. 3. 27, 
 28. That it's good for a man that he bear the yoke 
 in his youth , he fitteth alone and keepeth filence, 
 becaufe he hath bom it upon him \ he puts his 
 mouth in the duft, if fo be their maybe hope. 
 For tho' croffes are not always bleffed to conver- 
 flon, yet we may fee now and then that fad 
 times are the beginnings of better times, and e- 
 ven in hypocrites their fad times ordinarily are 
 their bed times. I neither defire nOr allow any 
 to bring crofTes upon themfelves, yet I would 
 defire all to make the bed ufe of any crofs they 
 are under, and to be acquainting themfelves with 
 their fin and infirmities, ana with their ha- 
 zard, and with fuch o'ther things as may weight 
 and compofe them, without foftering difcourage- 
 mcnt and anxiety ; and to love as well to fpeak 
 and hear fuch things fpoken of, as may provoke 
 to fighing and fadnefs, as thefe that may provoke 
 to laughter *, I faid of laughter, (faith Solomon, 
 Ecch 2.2.) It is mad; and of mirth, What doth 
 it? and Prov. 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart 
 is forrowfvl, and the end of that mirth is 
 
 Verr e *• , . Serm. i<<3 
 
 heavinefs : tho* oft-times our laughter may not 
 be fo finful, y^t it readily more indilpoleth us 
 for any fpiritual duty than forrow doth ; the 
 heart is like a clock, -when- of; when the inner 
 wheels are fet a reeling, it is not foon righted 
 and fettled- 7. 1 would propofe Eporaim's ex- 
 ample to you, Jer. 31. 18, 19. and defire that ye 
 would, in the fight and fer.fe of your finfulnefs, 
 weaknefs, and fecklefnefs, be b.moan- : ng your 
 felves and your fad condition to God, putting 
 up that prayer to him, Turn th:u me, and I 
 Jhall be turned ; thefe words, flowing from i una- 
 ble fenfe, are good ; and then follows. After that 
 I was turned, 1 repented. It's obiervabie, ihat 
 in the very entry he is gracioufly taken notice of 
 by the Lord ; Surely I have heard Ephraim be- 
 moaning himfelj thus",{~o it is with God's people, 
 when they confider how great drangers they have 
 been to God, how finful and dubborn, and how 
 impoflible it is for them to mend themfelves of 
 themfelves, they retire themfelves into fome cor- 
 ner, and there bemoan their cafe, and cry out,0 
 what a finful nature is this ! and when will it be 
 got amended ! / am as a bullock unaccuflomed to 
 the yoke, fays Ephraim ; and the Lord tel ls,he heard 
 and obferved it ; when poflibly he thought he was 
 fcarcely (if at all) praying, but rather fighing 
 out as it were a fhort ejaculation to God, O 
 that I were amended / the lad word of his prayer 
 is, Turn thou me,and 1 fiall be turned \ or, Con- 
 vert thou me, and I ihall be converted : he fees, 
 that when all is done, he mud cleanfe his hands, 
 and leave the matter to God ; I cannot^ but thou 
 cand work the work : And it ends fweetly in 
 words of faith, for thou art the Lord myGod\ and 
 where words of faith are after ferious exercife, 
 that exercife hath oft-times faith going alongft 
 with it : hence are thefe words, Lam> 3. 20. Iff 9 
 be there may be hope. Pfal. ny.lncline mine heart, 
 open mine eyes y &c. and, Luke 9. 1 3. How much 
 more will your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit 
 to them that ask him ? It's good to pray for the 
 efficacy of grace, and to offer our felves fubje&s 
 to be wrought upon, and objects to receive what 
 grace offers to us. 
 
 As we began thefe directions with a word of 
 caution, fo we would clofe them. Do not think 
 that thefe things in a natural man, following his 
 finful cou^will bring forth grace; neither con- 
 clude* that where thefe things only are difcer- 
 ned and no more in fome perfons, that there 
 grace is wanting, it being to help fuch forward 
 that we mainly fpeak to them : Only in fum, 1. 
 Keep clean and clear the light ye have. 2. Im- 
 prove the ftrength bedowed. And, 3, What ye 
 
 have 
 
Serm. 17. Ifaiab ^. 
 
 have not, put it over on God, and feek from him, 
 who hath grace to give for working that in you ; 
 und it would feem, that inreafonye inould refufe 
 none of thefe three. O0 Wefa y> Keep clean and 
 clear yeur light ; for if ye detain the truth of 
 God in unrighteoufnefs, and make as it were a 
 prifoner of it, by fetting a guard of corrupt af- 
 fections about it, ye may bring on blindnefs. 
 (2.) Improve what ftrength ye have ; for if ye im- 
 prove not your ftrength, were it but in natural 
 parts and endowments, that makes you inexcu- 
 fable.when fpiritual and gracious qualifications are 
 denied to you : for ye have procured this to your 
 felves. Are there not many things that ye thought 
 your felves able for, that ye never ferioufly once 
 efla) ed ? much more might have been done as to 
 repentance, love to God, charity to others, and 
 the like ; and when ye have not ftretched your 
 felves- to the yondmoft in thefe, there are fure 
 man/ things left undone that ye might have done. 
 (3. ) What ye dow not do, or find your felves un- 
 ableto do,put iton God to do for you, ferioufly, 
 humbly, lingly, and felf-deniedly 5 for if ye come 
 not to God with that which y£ are unequal and 
 unable for,ye are ftill on this fide your duty, and 
 
 Verfe 2, 3. # % ? 
 
 without excufe. Take thefe then together, Im- 
 prove any ftrength ye have, according to any 
 meafure of light God hath given you, and come 
 to God. through Jefus Chrift, feek that ye want 
 from him, and leave the acceptation of your per - 
 fons and of your performances en him : this is the 
 refult of all that we have fpoken of this doctrine of 
 grace, that ye may not take occafion from the 
 way of God's difpenfing grace,to continue grace- 
 lefs ; which if ye do, it will be ground of a moft 
 grievous challenge againft you : But that ye may 
 lee an excellent confiftency betwixt the iovereign- 
 ty of grace, and your going about the means ap- 
 pointed of God, in order to faith and conveifion, 
 and the ftudy of holinefs ; and that ye may go on 
 in the ufe of thefe means, with an eye to grace, 
 in the fenfe of your own iniufficiency to think, as 
 of your felves, fo much as a good thought, 
 leaving all your duties at Ch rift's feet, walking 
 before him with a flopped mouth * % when any- 
 thing is wanting, {landing at his door, and beg- 
 ging it from him ; and when any thing is re- 
 ceived, cleanling, to fay fo, your own hands of 
 it, and giving him all the thanks, praife and glo- 
 ry of it. To him be praife for ever. 
 
 SERMON XVIL 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 2. For he foall grow up befcre him as a tender plant ^ and as a root cut of a dry ground : he. 
 
 hath no form nor comelinefs \ and when wejhallfee himjbere is no beauty that wefljould defire him* 
 Verfe 3. He is defpifed and re jetted of men> a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief \ andw& 
 
 hid as it roe our faces from him \ he was defpijed> and we- efteemed him not, ' 
 
 IN the former Verfe, the prophet hath afTerted To open the words a little, we fliall firft con-, 
 
 the rarity and fcarcity of believing the gofpel, iider the matter of this reaion, .and then the con- 
 
 and receiving of jefus Chrift offered therein ; 
 Who hath believed our report? faith he, Who hath 
 made Chrift welcome? And to whom is the arm 
 cf the Lord revealed? To whom hath this gof- 
 pel been made effectual by the power of God for 
 the engaging of their hearts to him ? 
 
 In thefe two Verfes. 3 \iQ gives a reafon as it were 
 of this, which runs upon thefe two, 1. The low ' 
 appearance of our Lord Jefus Chrift, inrefpefl of 
 his outward condition *, it hath no outward beau- 
 ty, fplendor nor greatnefs to commend it ; but is 
 attended with much meannefs, and with many af- 
 flictions. 2.The itching humour of men, who are 
 taken up with worldly grandeur, or greatnefs 
 and glory, and make little account of any thing 
 that wants that; as if he laid, It is no wonder 
 that Chrift get few to believe on him, and that 
 few receive this gofpel; for he will not gome With 
 xftuch worldly pomjxand grandeur, which the 
 men of the world greatly affect^ and are xnuch 
 ♦s&enup with* 
 
 fequence of it ; or what influence it hath on 
 mens offending at Chrift, and continuing in 
 their unbelief: only we lhallpiemit twoor three 
 words to both. 
 
 That which we premit, Fir/}, is this, That the 
 He> that is here fpoken of, is our Lord Jeus 
 Chrift, who in the ; 'ew Teftament hath this text 
 applied to him ; for albeit there be no He fo ex- 
 prefly mentioned in this chapter before,yet in the 
 13th Verfe of the former chapter, to which this 
 relates, the He> that is fpoken of here, is called 
 the Lord's Servant ; and it is faid of him, that He 
 fhallbe exalted and extolled. and made very high: 
 And it is not unu ual to fpeak of Chrift finguiar- 
 ly by a relative without an antecedents Cant. 1.2* . 
 Let him kifs me with the Yiffes of his mouth ; be- 
 caufe Chrift to believers is fo lingular an One,thafc 
 whenever he is fpoken of by way of eminency 
 and excellency, as- here, they cannot miftake 
 iUBfe or take, another for hiai* ~ %dlfo This want 
 
$3 Jfaiah ^. 
 
 of form and esmelinefs is not to be underftood of 
 any perfonal defecft in our Lord's humane nature, 
 but in refpeft of, and with reference to the trait 
 of his life, and what accompanied his humiliati- 
 on, to wit, that it was low and mean, without 
 that external grandeur, pomp and fplendor of 
 outward things, which the world eileem to be ™ 
 comelinefs and beauty. idly, Where it is laid, 
 
 . He fl ill grow up before him, &c. it relates to 
 the hearers of the report of the gofpel concer- 
 ning him, or to the man that believes not the re- 
 
 . port fpoken of before ; and fo relates to the 
 words of the firft Verfe, Who hath believed cur 
 report ? which is certainly meant ofthe man that 
 hears of him, and to whom he feems^ nothing 
 worth, becaufe of his mean and low outward 
 condition ; for if we fhould apply it to God, we 
 cannot fee how it will fo well infer the (cope, and . 
 be the reafon of the unbelief aiferted formerly, 
 for which end it is brought in here. 
 
 'We come now to open, ilu words a litt e ; and 
 here we would know , that thrift's low condition 
 is two wa; s fet down in thefe two veriest I. In 
 the fecond verfe, in re.ff z& o;_bis"\vatft ofthe a- 
 bundance ofthe thir r y, of this world, u. In the 
 the third verfe . in re' r cdt of the acceftion of out- 
 ward croffes and afflictions ; for not only doth he 
 want credit, refp & and effceem, but he hath 
 contempt, defpite and reproach'} not only wants 
 he great riches , but he hath poverty, and is in a 
 poor and lov/ve<;-d ; tion. The firft verfe expref- 
 feth him Iv , to be no worldly great Man; 
 
 .'th him pwitiyely to be 
 % 1. Then thefe words, 
 He flail, ?/uw up as a, plant out of a dry gt 
 are expounder' by the words following, He hath 
 no form nor comelinefs ; for as (hrubs 'or fcrogs 
 growing up out of &\y ground cryn and wither, 
 planted in a fat foil are freih, fair and 
 
 r beautiful; lo fhall it be with Ch rift, when he 
 cometh forth, (faith the prop], yes of 
 
 thevvorid, hefha ! f as if. : e afcrabin 
 
 a moor-ed^ Our Lord had perfonal and, much • 
 divine comelinefs in him., as" we may fee, fohn 1. 
 14. v, : the Word was flt*de ftcjby 
 
 and dwell anting us and we beheld bn glory ,tb~e 
 glory as ?f th ■ vrilj H.egi tten of i ' full of 
 
 grace and truth \ but the cons fpoken 
 
 of is that outwafd ft ate. pomp and fpli 
 
 \i grcM men in the world ufe to have, which 
 Chrifl wanted : .this is confirmed by the follow- 
 ing words, And when we flail Jee bim, there is no 
 '7 thai we flould defire him. There is in 
 men naturally a delight and complacency in that 
 I to the natural eye ; but (faith 
 
 i w bej there fhdl be no iuch thing, (ten in 
 
 Ver. 2, 3v Serm. if* I 
 
 Chrift when he Cometh ; and therefore no great i 
 wonder that few believe en him. And that he | 
 faith We y it is either according to the phrafe ufed 
 in fcripture, to make fome hard thing digeft and | 
 go down the better with the hearers, whereof the 
 ipeaker is not guilty ; or it is his ex pr effing what ! 
 is the humour generally in all men naturally ; as | 
 iad 'laid, Had even we who are ele& and 
 ore but carnal eyes, we would think 
 no more of Ch ift t-Van other folk do ; for we 
 fhoulo ... .; Hon to carnal region. 
 
 The lecond thing, whereby his low condition 
 is fet out, is in thefe.words, He is defpifed and 
 '. 'fmen., &c. Not only fhall he- want that 
 which carnal' hearts and eyes feek and look after, 
 but he fhall be Co very low, that mm fhall fet 
 him at nought, mock and reject him : and what 
 wonder then that he be not believed on 1 A Man 
 offtr*ws\ as for the trad of his life, it fhalt 
 be 1 pent in forrows : and acquainted with griefs 
 he fhall not be a Man that fhall be a ftranger to 
 croffes, griefs and heavin.efs, but he ihall be fa- 
 miliarly a quainted with them, and they with 
 him. And we hid as it were our faces from htm\ 
 a conjecjiunt o tne former .♦ as men will not give 
 their' jpuntenance to them whom they defpife; 
 fo, faith he, we iba'l think ihame to fee or look 
 at him: he ihall be the Ofcje<$ of mens contempt 
 and fcorn, and we (hall not fo much as counte- 
 nance him; he fhall be de.f p-i fed and fet at noughfi i 
 byHerod and the Roman foldiets and we efteem- 
 ed him not ; this is we the people of the JewSy 
 who owe him more refpe&, efteemed him not : 
 and hence he concludes, that itis no wonder that 
 but few believe on him. And fo in the words fol- 
 lowing he goes on to defer ibe his humiliation, 
 and to remove the oiFence that might be taken at 
 it, Surely he hath -bom our griefs, &C as if he had 
 faid, There is no fueh caule to skar and ftumble 
 at Chrifl: for his lownefs and bafe outward condi- 
 tion ; for it was not for himfelf, lout for us, thafc - 
 he became fo low ; and therefore it did not be- 
 come us to think lo little of him. His griefs and 
 forrows are humane infirmities, that he fubje&ed, 
 himfelf to for our fake ; for the wrath of God, 
 which he fufFerd for us, is fpoken of afterwards. 
 And becaufe there is great difference betwixt 
 Child's bearing of infirmities, and our bearing 
 of infirmities, he being like to us in all tilings, 
 except fin ; I ihall, for clearing of this, name 
 three diftin&ions given by Divines; when they 
 difcourfe of this purpofe. 
 
 ' (1.) They diftinguifh and put difference be- 
 fwixt the takiuf on of infirmities,and the contrail* 
 ing of infirmities; the taking oi\ of infirmities, is 
 
 'the 
 
Serm. 17. ffaiab'^. 
 
 the afluming of theetfeel: without the cauie,of die 
 infirmity without the finful defe& ; contra&ing 
 of infirmity, is the drawing on of the defe&,with, 
 and by the caufe : now, we draw on the cauic 
 with the eife& ; Chrift took on the effett, but he 
 had no finful defeft in him to draw on fuch in/iK 1 
 mities : he might have taken on the nature of 
 man without the infirmities, if he had fo pleafed ; 
 but he took on the nature and infirmities, with- 
 out the caufe. (2.)They diftinguifli betwixt thefe 
 infirmities which are limply natural, fuch as 
 a man might, have had, though he bad never fin- 
 ned ;-and thefe infirmities which flow from man's 
 nature, as fallen and corrupted. The fir ft fort may 
 be called Paffive, and lock to fuffering, as to be 
 hungry, thirfty, weary, fen able of that which 
 hurts the body : The fecond lort may be called 
 tfftive, and are finful, as flowing from fin, and 
 fending to fin; as inclination to ill, andindifpo- 
 fition to good ; dulneis as to the uptaking of God's 
 mind, &c . Our Lord took on the firfl fort of in- 
 iirmities, that are fimply natural, and may be 
 without fin ; 'but he ^w as free of the other, that 
 imply corruption in the nature ; He was in all 
 points tempted like as we are, jet without fin, 
 faith the Apoflle, Heb. 4. I<>. (3.) They di- 
 ftinguifli infirmities, in thefe that are called na- 
 tural and commm to all men as men, and thefe 
 that are per final and a?quired, as flowing from 
 fome dete& in generation, or are drawn on by 
 fome intemperance, gro'fnefs in the life and con- 
 vention ; as fome families are fubjeft to difeafcs 
 that come by generation ; others draw on dif- 
 cafes by whoredom, drunkennels, and the like: 
 now our Lord was free of thefe laft, becaufe, be- 
 ing conceived by the Holy Ghofl: in the womb of 
 the virgin, there was ho defeat in his generation ; 
 and being blamelefs in his life and converfation, 
 he could acquire none of thofe infirmities : and 
 therefore the infirmities which he bare are of the 
 firft fort, that is, fuch as are common to all men, 
 and to men as men. And hence we think it pro- 
 bable, which fome fay, that as our Lord was not 
 fick, fo he was not capable of ficknefs, being fo 
 perfeft in his conftitution or complexion ; which 
 makes for the glory of grace, and faith, That our 
 Lord behoved to die a violent death, there being 
 no principle in him tending to a natural death, 
 tho' notwithftanding he died moil: willingly to fa- 
 tisfy juftice for finners. And this may ferve to 
 explain thefe words, That be was a man of for- 
 tjows, and acquainted with grief- 
 
 We come now to cbferve fome things from the 
 words. And, \fl y From the condition our Lord 
 is deferibed to come to the world in, obferve, 
 That the Me&ah, the Lord's Servant that was to 
 
 Ver. 2, 5. g$ 
 
 redeem his people, Was t« become Man », this is 
 here fuppoied and prophefied of, ( as thefirft (lej* 
 of his humiliation, he is called a Man ; and it is 
 an aggravation of it, that he was to be a Man cf 
 forrows : or, taking our Lord Meffiah to be al- 
 ready come, we may take the Observation thus ; 
 That the Lord Jefus Chrift, the eternal S n of the, 
 eternal Father t is alfo a true andreal Man : A 
 common truth, yet a truth fundamental to the 
 gofpel, whereofwe are not to think the lefs or the 
 worfe, becaufe it is a common truth ; When the. 
 fulnefs cf time came (faith the Apoffcle, Gal. 4. 
 4.) God frat forth his Son, made of a woman % 
 made under the law : Who, as it is, Phil, 2. 6. 
 thought it no robbery tc be equal with God, yet 
 took upon him the Jhape of a fervant, and was 
 made in likenefs of men ; and being found in 
 fafluon as a man, be humbled bimfelf, and be- 
 came obedient, &c. So 4 Heb. 2. 14. 'tis faid of 
 him, That firaf 'much as the children are par- 
 takers ef flejb and blood, be alfo himfelf like- 
 wife took part of the fame, &c. And v. II. Both 
 be that fanttifietb and they that are fantlifiett 
 are all cf one, for which caufe he is not afijamedr 
 to caUthem brethren, And, v. 16. He took not oft 
 him the nature of angels, but be took on him 
 the feed of Abraham; wherefore in all things 
 it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren* 
 He was made even like unto us in all things, ex- 
 cept fin. And if we look to the way of grace, 
 there was good reafon for this,that the Redeemer 
 of finners behoved to be Man, 1. If we confider 
 the inter pofed or adjoined threatning to the co- 
 venant of works, The day thou eatefl thcu Jball 
 furely die ; there muft be a fatisfa&ion to jullice^. 
 and the curfe threatned mull be born. 2. The? 
 curfe muft be born by man ; the nature that fin- 
 ned mud die, the party offending mud fatisfy in 
 his own perfon, or in a cautioner. And, 3. By 
 our Lord's b~comingMan, (i.)He came to have a 
 right, as being near of kin to firm, rs, to redeem 
 them. And, (2.)By this the law hath right to pur- 
 fueand exaft the debt of him. A nd . (3.) By this, 
 grace hath accefs to commend the Redeemer of 
 finners to finners, Heb. 2. 17, r8. & 4. 15, 1 6. 
 Wherefore in all things it bfh.ved him to be made 
 like unto his brethren.that he might be a merciful 
 arid faithful High Prictf, &c. And that we have 
 fuch aJRedeemer, it makes God, to fay fojtryftable, 
 and grace to have a:ce(s, 1 T/w.2.5. There is one 
 God, and one~ Mediator between God and men 9 
 the Man C/jrifl Jefus ; and tlvs gives man accefs 
 to ftep in to God. (4.3 i his makes the myflery 
 of godiinels to ihine the more radiantly, and the 
 wifdom and love of God to fhine the more cort- 
 N fpi- - 
 
$p Ifalah ^ii 
 
 fpicuoufly thorow it, i Tim. 3. \6. Without con- 
 iroverfy, great is the mj'Jlery of godlinefs, God 
 tnanijefted in the fiejl). And John 1. 1 4. The Word 
 was made flejl), and dwelt among us\ and rve 
 beheld his glory, &c. 
 
 Ufe \ft, It ferves to be a prop and foundation 
 to our faith. We may fey of this truth, as the 
 Apoftle, fpeaking of the refurre&ion, 1 Cor. 1.15. 
 Jays, // Chrift be not rifen, then cur preaching is 
 vain, andyiur faith is vain : ' If Chrift were not 
 Man, our preaching and your hearing were in' 
 . vain. 1. By this we have an evidence that our 
 Lord isthetrueAfy7w£,who was to become Man.' 
 2. By this we fee a clear way how he was liable to 
 our debt, and how his fatisfa&ion is communi- 
 cable to us. And, 3. In this alfo we fee a main 
 and moil attraftive argument to draw finners in- 
 to Chrift for the a&ual application of his pur- 
 chafe : our Lord Jefus is Man, our Brother, and' 
 made of woman, made under the law ; O ! this 
 ■puts a fweetnefs and lovelinefs on the Mediator, 
 to commend him to finners, for the ingaging of 
 their hearts to him. 
 
 And therefore, as afecond ufe of it,Seeing thens 
 is a Man Mediator, 1. We pray pray you, men 
 and women, negleft not fuch a falvation as is to 
 be had by his becoming Man ; but let this argu- 
 ment prevail with you to make ufe of him, that 
 he is a true Man : and we may fay, when this 
 Son of man comes in the clouds to judge the 
 world, it will be one of the greateft aggravations 
 of the fin of unbelievers, that he came thus low 
 2S to be a Man for the good of men, and yet was 
 not made ufe of by them. 2. Sinners, that would 
 he at him, may on this ground be confident and 
 cheerful : The Steward of grace is a Friend, he 
 is a M an 3 their Brother, and claims kindred to 
 them, that honeftly aim to do the will of his 
 Father ; Wbofever Jhall do the will of my Father , 
 faith he, Mat. 12. the fame is my brother , fifter 
 and mother. Sinners wrong Chrift and them- 
 ielves oft-times, when they fear at this cordial 
 confo-ation that by Chrift' s becoming Man is al- 
 lowed on them : indeed if we were immediatly 
 to go to God, who is a confuming fire, it were 
 no wonder that we flood at a diftance ; but when 
 God is in the Mediator Chrift, God-man to re- 
 concile the world to himielf, as the word is, 
 nCor* 6.. Let us> as the apoftle faith, Heb.4.. ult. 
 tome baldly unto the throne cf grace, that we 
 tnay obtain mercy ', and find grace to help in time 
 of need. O ! make this ufe of it, becauie lie is 
 a Friend that fits on the throne. 
 
 idlyy Obferve, That our Lord jefus did not 
 cnly become Man, but a Man in an exceeding low 
 smd afflifted unditm, Jt bad been much to ths 
 
 Ver. 2, 3-. ^ Serm. 17* 
 
 Son of God to.havecome in the fliape of a Man, 
 tho' he had been Emperor of the whole world, 
 but he thought not that meet \ for finee it was 
 his errand in his firil coming, not to judge, but; 
 to lave the world, he came not to be miniftred 
 unto, but-to mim{ler|. arid therefore, John 12. 
 12. he wafheth the feet of his difciples. W~ 
 may take both the branches of the doarine to-» 
 gether ; our Lord Jefus not only became Man, 
 but he was a Man without all worldly grandeur 
 and pomp, in a low and. mean condition ; and not 
 oniy did 'he want that grandeur, but he had 
 much afRiclion.. lhame and forrow in the place 
 of it. Need we to prove this? Any who are 
 acquainted with the hiftory of the Gofpel know 
 it: he was for the whole tradl of his life, not 
 only in a low condition, but a Man of forrows, ; 
 griefs, and affli&ions ; under much perfec- 
 tion, contempt and reproach. We might in-' 
 ftancethis, 1. In his birth, 2. In his life, and 
 3. In his death. The meannefs and lownefs of 
 his condition, and the affli&ions he met with, 
 appear clearly inallthefe, wherein ye may be- 
 hold the glory of grace and of truth; for the 
 more low he became, the more doth the glory 
 of grace fliine, and the more alfo doth the glo- 
 ry of truth, in that he fulfilled all righteoufnefs. 
 Ci.) Then, for his low condition; and that, 
 1. In his birth, He was not born of any of the 
 greateft queens ; however the birth of Mary was 
 noble, yet fhe was in a mean condition, for the 
 time efpoufed to a carpenter ; he was not born 
 in a great palace, but in a common inn, which 
 too being taken up with guefts, his mother 
 was thruii out, or conftrained to betake hsrfelf 
 to a ftabie, where our blefTed Lord is brought 
 forth, and laid in a manger, xrib or ftall, out 
 of which the beads eat their meat, for his cradle ; 
 there the Lord and Heir of all things is laid, 
 and hath no other cradle, neither was the room 
 hung with rich hangings and tapeftry, as the 
 rooms of great ones ufe to be. 2. In his life 
 he was low : for no fooner is he born, but his 
 mother is forced to ilee away with him to Egypt ; 
 he dare not be feen : And when he returns, he \ 
 cohabits with, and ferves his fuppofed father 
 and his mother, was -obedient to them, ran 
 their errands, and wrought their work ; there- 
 fore he is called, .Mark 6. the Carpenter; there 
 is no outward nor worldly pomp and grandeur 
 here ; and thus he was for the fpace of 30 years : 
 and then, when became to his publick miniilry, 
 he hath no great folks for his his followers 
 and ,diiciples, but a few poor fifher-men ; over 
 and above whom he exalts not hitnfelf leftily, 
 
 but 
 
Serm. 17. #*"*£ **■ 
 
 but humbles himfeif to wafh their feet, and 
 to ferve them. And to hold this forth a little fur- 
 thef,ye may take notice of fome fcripture-expref- 
 fions to that purpole ; as namely that of Luke, 
 Chap. 9. j%. Foxes have holes, and the birds of the 
 air have nefis y 'but the Son of man hath not where 
 to lay his bead; That ofjM#,Chap. 1. io,iuHe 
 was in the world,and the world was made by him, 
 and the worldknewhim not] he came unto his own, 
 and his own received him net* Tho' he could have 
 made a thoufand worlds at a word ; yet fo low was 
 he, that he bad not afoot of ground to lay claim to, 
 or to lean his blefTed head on : and if we look to 
 Luke 8. we will find that he was provided for in 
 his neceffity by fome few women, fuch as Mary 
 Magdalene, Jo anna, Suf anna and others, who mi- 
 niflred to him of their fubjlance : He Jived upon 
 the charity of others 5 and yet, 2CV.8. %.By bis po- 
 verty be made many rich: And when he went from 
 place to place,his diet was often a feeking, neither 
 do we read of any great cheer he had, but of fome 
 barley-loaves and fifties; and often the difciples 
 were fent to feek for meat to him. And, 3. When 
 it comes to his death, O how very low is he 
 brought there ! When he is crucified, they hang 
 feimup betwixt twothieves,as the moft notorious 
 malefa&or of the three; and he could hardly come 
 under greater reproach than was caft upon him 
 at his death : And as a dead Man, being really 
 dead,he is laid in the grave and buried,as if death 
 had gotten the vi&ory over him ; and fo he dies 
 a moft ihameful death, after he had lived a moft 
 mean and abjeft life. 
 
 (2.) For his affli&ed condition, it is clear, if 
 we cor.fider, what troubles did accompany him 
 in his life, and at his death. No fponer was he 
 born, but (as I faid) he is perfecuted by Herod, 
 fo that himfeif and his parents muft needs flee 
 down to Egypt ; and they, being but poor folks, 
 behoved in fo long a journey to meet with ma- 
 ny difficulties : that they were but poor, may be 
 feen by Mary's offering after her purification. 
 And when he came forth in his publick miniftry, 
 at his very entry to it, he was moft terribly 
 tempted of the devil, taking occafion of his hun- 
 ger alter long faftiflg ; and all along the exercife 
 of it, what contradiction did he meet with from 
 the Scribes and Vharifees ? How did he travel on 
 bis feet from place to place ? often fubjeft to wea- 
 riaefs and fainting; fometimes men will not fo 
 much as give him lodging, which he fuffers pati- 
 ently, vind rebukes his difciples for their impati- 
 ence and prepofterous zeal,X#&e 9. Many calum- 
 nies and reproaches were caft upon him ; He was 
 called Beel^ebub.a deceiver, a friend of publicans 
 and fw&crs •' How did fome of his. friends ac- 
 
 Verfe 1, ££ 
 
 cording to the flefh fnarl at him, and offef to bind 
 him as a mad- man ? What (plots and confpiracies 
 were laid and made to take away his life? And 
 when it came to the upfhot of a\],Peter fhametul- 
 ly denied him, and all the other difciples forfook 
 him'and. fled: Many other things befel him,as may 
 be feen in the hiftory of his furferings,written by 
 the evangelifts.We read that he wept thrice,to let. 
 us know that it was his frequent and familiar ex- 
 ercife; and a little before his death we read that 
 he was in a great agony, and did therein fweat 
 blood, and offered prayers with ftrong cries and 
 tears : but we read not that he did laugh, or that 
 ever any worldly mirth was found in him ; which, 
 clearly makes out this ' truth, *Tb at he was a Matt 
 of forrows, and acquainted with grief. 
 
 For Ufe, It would take the tongues of men an<£ 
 angels to fpeak of it, it being the moft remarka- 
 blefand foul-refrefhing fubje&that ever the^world 
 heard of, even that of which the angels fing,Z«fca 
 2. 10, 11. Good tidings of great joy which ijhall be 
 to all people, that unto you is born in the city of 
 David a Saviour, which is Chrifi the Lord. An& 
 thisjhallbe afign toyeu,yejhallfind the babe wrap- 
 ped in fwadling- clothes, lying in a manger. Sure 
 we ihould notfing lefs,but more than angels,men 
 being more concerned than angels in thele things; 
 and therefore, ifl y Behold, believe and wonder, 
 that he that was rich became poor, that we through 
 his poverty might be maderich\ Thztbe,tbat was 
 Lord of all.became Servant to all ! That h<z,\tha£ 
 was the infinite God, the exprefs image of his Fa- 
 thersperfon,and thought it no robbery to be equal 
 with God, yet humbled himfeif and became of ' n* 
 reputation, an A took on him the form ofaServant % 
 &c. Behold (we fay) believe, and wonder at this*' 
 1. In refpe& of the caufe it came from, to wit, 
 everlafting love : he did and fuffered all this 
 moft willingly, there was no conftraint on him ; 
 but, as it is, Ffah 40. He delighteth te do his Fa- 
 tbers will ; he had power to lay down his life* 
 and to take it up again. 2. In refpe& of the end t 
 It was not to add to his own glory ; for, a& 
 God, his glory being infinite, it was not, nei- 
 ther is capable of diminution or addition : but 
 he become poor,that we might be made rich ; he 
 was a Man of forrows, that we might be made tot 
 rejoice ; he wept, that we might laugh ; he wan- 
 ted, that we might have : Is not this love, (loop* 
 ing thus low, to be wondered at ? Was there c- 
 ver the like heard of, that God, the great Party 
 oflfen Jed>ihould come fo low to recover the defpfJ 
 cable parties offending, and that even while 
 they were rank enemies to him f God comment 
 detb his love to us, faith the apoftlc, &>#/, 5. %• 
 N 2 th» t 
 
fl Ifuiah ^3. 
 
 that while xfi were yet [inner s, Chrifldied for rts: 
 and faith himfelf, John 15. Greater love hath no 
 man than this, that a man lay down bis life for 
 his friends', but when we were' enemies, Chrifl 
 died for us* Were it then an undatable ufe of 
 this do&rine, to be beholding, believing, and 
 wondring at his love, and to be often thinking 
 and faying, What is man, that Gtd ' jh:uld he jo 
 tnindful of him , as to fend tfee Heir of all 
 things, his own Son, into the world, as his great 
 AmbalTador and Commiifioner, to negotiate a 
 peace betwixt himielf and rebel-iinners, which 
 he was- to purchase by becoming fo very low, 
 and by Suffering fo very touch ? 
 
 ld>iy, See in this the great evil and hurt of fin, 
 ana the difficulty of making peace betwixt God 
 and 'a- firmer who hath provoked God : is it a 
 little matter, that made our Lord condefcend and 
 ftoop fo low I O ! if folk knew the evil of fin, 
 and that, ere juftice could be fatisfied, the Son 
 cfCod behoved to become Man,and a deeply hum- 
 blsd Man ; the fword of his avenging juftice be- 
 hoved to awake againft him, and fmite the Man 
 that was his Fellow, rather than that fin fhould 
 go .unpunifbed, and juftice fhould want facisfa- 
 <ftion.. Beware lightly to boaft and brag of mer- 
 cy, or to think it eafy to make your peace with- 
 *Gcd ; And remember that it is a- fearful thing 
 tq fall into the hands of the living God. 
 
 'idly, See in this ^ much condescending in our 
 Hefted Lord Jtfus; and a motive as well as a, 
 copy of patience in him, w.ho is- content to be 
 m3.de of a woman, made under the law, who fub- 
 snits himfelf unto the law, and takes on a mean . 
 9Sm affli&ed ftate of life in the world : it's a won- 
 der that Chrift's members fhould take fo ill with 
 a. mean, furFering aiid hard lot, feeing their lot is 
 feiy very far from the contempt, reproaches, lor- 
 jows, weights and griefs that accompanied their 
 Head and Lord ; and it's a fhame that believers 
 xnindsand hearts fhould be let i'o much on. thefe 
 Jtleings,, that he, who w T as and is their Lord and 
 !Mafter, and the Heir of all things,, poflefTed io 
 rktle of ; or that they fhould place their happi- 
 n^Cs in whole or in part in the enjoyment of thefe 
 tbings,or their miit'ry in the want of themrmore 
 patience under the crofs, under watchings,weari- 
 jBefs 5 repr-oaches,C2/. would become us much bet- 
 fte.r ; o\xr bleffedLord Jefus had a great many mo. 
 
 S E R M.O N. XVIII. . 
 
 Ifaxah liii. 1* I'or ho JhallgroTV, up--.be fore him as a tender plant, and>&s areot cut of a dry -ground: h& • 
 hi.th no fortpwr comelintfs ; and wbes.wefhaU fie b\m, there is no- beauty that we-jhould drfire h'm> 
 ^erfe.:^ Hs, h defpifedand rejett?djfia?ep$ awan.of : fofrcv&y. and c&q;ta.i?tted.79iirb grief ; and 7^ 
 
 biA a* it ■jrsrj fgrfffif f$m blm % be wm. Asfi ';f$&$m& nc *jj&msA bm mtx , U 
 
 Verfe 2, 3. ^ Serm. i«.. 
 
 tfhly, See this to be not only a motive to pati- 
 
 • ence in refpedt of outward thing?, but a ftepping- 
 ftone and ground' oh encouragement to go for- 
 ward to Chrift with every want fpiritual and tem- 
 poral* It's much that our Lord became Man, but 
 it's more that he became a Man under griefs, 
 afflictions, ibrrows> and temptations, and was 
 fubje& to death it felf : and that he hath bowels 
 of lympathy, from^xperience or thefe temptati- 
 ons, vexations and Sorrows, as they are finlefs, 
 as is clear from Htb, 2. 4. at the clcfe ; he knows 
 whathunger,thirft, poverty contempt, reproach, 
 and perfecution are ; he knows what it is to be 
 fet upon with the violence of a temptation, tho' 
 there was no fin in him to comply with it. 
 
 <>thly, See here a molt real Saviour, iince he is 
 a furFering Saviour; Why did our Lord become 
 thus low, but that he might come under the 
 curie, in the feveral degrees of it, for the Satisfy - 
 ing of juftice for our fins ? And fee, in every 
 piece of Chrift's iufFering, a reality of the grace ■ 
 and love of God,a reality in the covenant and bar- 
 gain of redemption^ reality in Chrift's Satisfying . 
 of juftice, and performing his engagement accor- 
 ding to the tenor of that tranfaftion : And feeing, 
 there is a reality in this- Saviour, and in his IufFe- 
 ring and fatisfying of divine juftice^ and in the 
 pri :e that he paid to the full ; Put not this Savi- 
 our again to openjbame, as the word is>Hcb. 6. 6. 
 Tread not the Son of God under foot, neither ao- 
 count the Blood of the covenant an unholy thing ; 
 dj not dejpite to the Spirit of grace, as it is, Hcb. 
 10. 29., He hatlifuffered enough already, let him 
 not .be "a -Sufferer again : O ! grieve him not by 
 your unbelief, but give him credit, by adventu- 
 ring your fouls on him upon his own terms; your 
 felves will have the advantage, and he the glory. 
 This is the pure fimple truth of the Gofpel ; do 
 not only receive it as a truth, but receive him that 
 it holds forth, and let your hearts clofe with him, 
 and your faith feed upon him,wbe bscamepoorjhat 
 ye through his poverty might be made rich. Hap- 
 py they for evermore,whoare made rich through 
 his poverty; and mifcrable are they, and much 
 more miferable eternally will they be, whofe 
 pra<5Uce faith, that they think they have another 
 way to be happy than by his furFering and fatis- 
 fa&ion, and in difdain <reje<5i-both him and it» 
 
S*rm. 18. , Ifatah K. 
 
 IF our hearts werefuitahly tender, the reading 
 of tliefe words, knowing of whom they are 
 ipoken, would fome way prick and wound them : 
 it's hard to determine, (tho' it maybe we fhould 
 not make the companion; whether there is more 
 orace in our Lord's condefcendence, or more wic- 
 kednefs and perverfnefs in the unkind and evil 
 meeting that he gets from finners ; but furdy 
 there is much grace on the one fide in his coming 
 fo low, and much wickednefs and perverfnefs on 
 the other fide ; for what meets he with,even blef- 
 fed Jefus, who is the glory and praife of all his 
 taints, yea the bright nefs of his Father's glory ? he 
 is defpifed and rejeBed, and we efieemed him 
 not \ even when he thus humbled bimfelf, and 
 took on our nature, and was and is profecuting 
 the work of our falvation, and evidencing his 
 grace in .an inconceivable manner. 
 
 Thefe are the two things that are fpoken of 
 here, his condefcending to be a Man, and a mean 
 . Man ; and, which is yet more, a Man efforrows 
 and acquainted with grief; which if we bette- 
 red, and knew really what he were, that it was e- 
 ven he, by whom all things were created, who is 
 the beginning of the creation of God, tkefirft-bcrn 
 - of every creature, yea, he fcr whem all things 
 -were created, for whole glory the world and all 
 things in it were made and continue, he for whom 
 all things are as their laft end, and thro' whom 
 they are preferved in their being, and governed 
 in their operations, and {hall be feen to tend to 
 his glory in the clofe ; we would certainly won- 
 der more at this his condefcendence : And yet, 
 alas ! it is he that is defpifed and rejected, and 
 that we hid as it were our faces from, and would 
 not give our countenance : It is he by whom the 
 w r orld was made that is defpifed, and we efteem- 
 * ed him not : And this is the fecond thing in the 
 words, which we are now to fpeak to, even the a- 
 bominabiy unfuitable meeting that men give to 
 our Lord jeius, who hash fo far condefcended,as 
 to leave fome way his Father's glory, not to re- 
 ceive a kingdom of this w r orld, but to be trode u- 
 pon in it as a worm : he is defpifed and rejected, 
 and we will not entertain him, nor make him 
 welcome when he cometh ', V/e efteem him net. 
 Only take this advertifanent, for clearing of 
 the words, and for grounding of the doftrine, 
 That this, that is fpoken of Chrift's humiliation, 
 and man y s : (tumbling at it, is not precifely to be 
 reftri&ed to. his humiliation in his own perfbn 
 only, and mens (tumbling at that - ? for it is given 
 as the reafon of men their {tumbling and oifend- 
 ding arChrift in alltimes-: But is to be extend- 
 ed to Chrift m his gofpel and ordinances-through-, 
 out. all ages ? and lb it comes in as the reafon whyv 
 
 Vcr. 2, 3. . 9 .f 
 
 fo few believe on him. If ye ask the reafon why 
 men do not now believe and receive Chrift in 
 the offer of the gofpel ? here it is, For we e- 
 ficemed him net, \ or he ft all grow up before him 
 as a tender plant : he fhall be mean* and contemp- 
 tible-like to the men of the world, and in an at- 
 ili&ed condition ; therefore he is not efteemed, 
 therefore he is not believed on. 
 
 Thefe two are the main dotlrines to be fpokeri 
 to here, I. That Jefus Chrift, who thus conde- 
 fcends and humbles himjelf for the falvation of 
 loft finners, is not efieemed of, but defpifed and 
 undervalued ; which is implied in the words, 
 When we fhall fee him, there is no beauty that 
 we fbculd defire him \ and is more clearly hold- 
 en out in the following words, He was defpifed, 
 and we efieemed him nk. 2. That this undervt- 
 luing and little efteeming of Jefus Chrift, is the 
 great ground of folks unbelief \ or the reafon why 
 men do not believe on him-, even becaufe they 
 think him not worthy the receiving ; Two very 
 clear truth* in the words and in experience, 
 tho 5 as fad in their confequents. 
 
 As to the ift, which is this. That our Lord Je- 
 us Chrift is ufually and ordinarly exceedingly 
 undervalued, and little efteemed of : by the men 
 of the world, to whom he is offered in the gof- 
 pel ; There are two things implied and fuppo- 
 fed here, in and about the do&rine,that will clear 
 it, and be as two reafons of it. 1. That he hath 
 no form nor comelineis, and no beauty wherefore 
 he fhould be defired ; which holdeth out this, 
 that men are ordinarly taken up?with, and feek 
 after worldly grandeur or greatnels, fplendor 
 and beauty *, that's it that filleth mens eyes, and 
 is that which Chrift wanted : This.w r e fay,is one 
 reafon why Chrift is fo little thought of, even be- 
 caufe he cometh not with external pomp, obler- 
 vation and grandeur, nor with great temporal 
 gifts to his followers. That which mainly is de- 
 hreable to natural men, is that which hath earth- 
 ly beauty in it ; a very 1 deceitful consideration 
 and ground, tho J fuchan one as men are often car- 
 ried away with, and therefore they defpie and 
 reject the Saviour. 2. Which is another reafon of 
 the doctrine, and alfo clearly implied, That our 
 Lord Jefus Chrift's humiliation and coming 1b- 
 Iow for man's fake, his very condefcending and 
 {looping for their good, is the great ground of 
 their (tumbling at him, and becaufe of that he 
 is the lefs thought of ; even the very height of 
 his grace, and that- great ftretch thereof, that the 
 Son of God became thus low a& to become Mar., , 
 a mean Man; and a Man efforrows, is ■a'greater 
 ground of ^umblicg^td menf than if :fce -had ne- 
 
94 Ifaaiah fe 
 
 ver become thu:Iow. Nowthefetwo ;. g iup- 
 pofed, and thus explained, the dottriw is clear, 
 to wit, That Jefus Chrift, that became ManJ and 
 performed the fatisfa&ion due to the juftice of 
 God for our fins, is ufually and ordinarily dif- 
 efteemed and undervalued by them to whom he 
 is offered in the gofpel. (i.) It wasfo under the 
 old teftament, and is fo likewife under the new : 
 what is almoft all the gofpel fpent on, but to hold 
 out Chrift upon the one fide to be a Man of for- 
 rows, and upon the other fide to fhew that men 
 efteemed him not ? How was he undervalued at 
 his birth, when his mother was thruft out to a 
 {table, and he laid in a manger ? and no fooner 
 doth he appear in the exercife of his publick 
 miniftry, but his friends offend at him. and look 
 on him as a dift rafted man, Mark 3. his country- 
 men contemn him, and were offended at him, 
 Mark 6. Is not this (fay they) the carpenter, the 
 fon cfMary, the brother of James and jofes ? And 
 how was he efteemed, or rather difefteemed and 
 undervalued, at his death ; fo that it is faid, 
 JL&s 13. 14. They denied the holy and jufi One, and 
 defired that a murderer Jbculd be granted unto 
 them. They rejefted the Prince of life, and choo- 
 fed JBarabbas •, and judging him not worthy to 
 live, they cry, Away with him : Kence our Lord 
 faith, Mat, 11. Blejftd is he that is not offended 
 in **e,which infinuates that there were but very 
 few to whom his humiliation proved not a Hum- 
 hling-block. (2.) If we confult experience, we 
 will find this to be true. How little is he thought 
 of among Turks, amongft whom his precious name 
 is blafphemed, tho' they pretend more refpeft 
 to him than meer heathens do ? How little is he 
 thought of among the Jews, who call him a de- 
 ceiver ! And ifwe come nearer, even to the Chri- 
 flian Church, and to fuch as profefs their faith 
 of his being the eternal Son of God, equal with 
 the Father, that he is Judge of quick and dead, 
 and they that look for falvation through him ; 
 yet, if it be put to a trial, how few are they that 
 will be found to efteem of him aright ; fince 
 there are but few that believe the report that is 
 made of him, but few that receive him as he is 
 offered in the gofpel, few that have but fuch 
 refpeft to him as to prefer him to their idols, 
 and that give him the firft and chief feat in their 
 hearts? And ifwe confider how little eager pur- 
 suing there is after him, that he may be enjoy- 
 ed ; and how indifferent folks are whether they 
 have or want him ; how many things men dote u- 
 pon and prefer to Jcfus Chrift, as the Lord com- 
 plains, Jer. 2. 13. My people have committed two 
 evils, they have for faken me the fountain of living 
 totters, and have digged, to themfelya (ifterns* 
 
 Ver - 2, 3; .1 Serm. rS. 
 
 even broken cifierns that can hold no water, the 
 thing will be clear beyond all debate. We may 
 take in another branch of the do&rine here, when 
 he faith, we efieemed him not; and it is this,That 
 even believers are, in Co far as unrenewed, incli- 
 ned, and not without culpable acceffion, to this 
 fame fin of undervaluing Jefus Chrift. It's in- 
 deed true, that the apoftle Peter faith in his 
 \ft Epiftle,Cbap. 2. Vtrfe 7. To you that believe 
 he is precious ; Which place, tho* it confirm 
 thefirft part of this do&rine, that to them that 
 believe not he is net precious, but a ftone of 
 Humbling, and a rock of offence ; albeit that be- 
 lievers, being compared with unbelievers, have 
 fome precious efteem of Jefus Chrift, yet if we 
 confider the corrupt nature that in part cleaves 
 to them, the degree of their eftimation of him, 
 and that it's but very little and low, in refpe& 
 ofwhat it fhould be ; and the many peevifh fits, 
 to's and fro's, up's and down's that they are fub- 
 je& to, with the many fufpicions and jealoufies 
 they have of him •, fo that, tho' they were juft 
 now frefti and lively in the exercife of their faith 
 and of their eftimation of Chrift, yet within a 
 little, even by and by, they give way again to 
 their jealoufies ; the do&rine will alfo hold true 
 of them, we efieemed him not. 
 
 We fhall give the fecond dottrine (and then 
 fpeak to the ufe of both jointly) which is this, 
 That there is nothing more culpably accehVory 
 to the abounding of unbelief than the poor 
 thoughts and little eftimation that men have of 
 Jefus Chrift ; The undervaluing of him is the 
 great ground and reafon why they believe not 
 on him: And on the contrary, if the hearers of 
 the gofpel had higher thoughts, and a more pre- 
 cious efteem of Chrift, and valued him accor- 
 ding to his unvaluable worth, there would be 
 more believing in him than there is. When the 
 gofpel comes to invite men to the wedding, Mat, 
 22. when Chrift is roofed and commended, as to 
 what he is, what he hath purchafed, and what he 
 freely offereth to finners *, it's faid, that thofe who 
 were bidden made light of it, and went aw ay, one 
 to his farm, another to his merchandhe, &c. When 
 Chrift was fpoken of, and the offer of life thro' 
 him, they undervalued and defpifed it, and made 
 light of the offer, and therefore turned their backs 5 
 for they thought more of the houfe,. oC the oxen, 
 of the farm, and of the married wife, than they 
 thought of him : Acis 17. when Paul is preach- 
 ing Chrift at Athens, the philofophers and or'a- 
 . tors, thefe learned heads, defpile and difdain 
 him, as a fetter-forth of fome ftramge and un- 
 couth &q4 .' Jl we compare this with it's con- 
 trary, 
 
Serm. 18. . J J alah }% 
 
 trary, it will be further clear, to. wit, wherever 
 there is eftimation of Chrift, it proves a help to 
 faith, and a ground of it : fo, wherever Chrift is 
 Hghtlied,difefteemed and undervalued; it breeds 
 in folk, and is a ground to them of thefe three, 
 i. It cools, or rather keeps cool, their love and 
 affe&ion to him ; where he is difefteemed and 
 undervalued, he cannot be loved ; and people in 
 that cafe become like thefe that are brought in, 
 Jer. 44. 17. faying, It was better with us vchen 
 we did bale cakes to the queen of heaven : The 
 Lord is counted by them to be as a wildernefs 
 and land of darbiefs 5 and they fay, as ijt is.Jer. 
 2. 21. We are lords, and will come no more unto 
 thee. And when men efteem not Chrift, they 
 feek not after him, they care not for an intereft 
 in hirn, they truft not to him : when a man va- 
 lueth a pearl, he will readily fell all that he hath, 
 that he may buy it; but that which is not eiteem- 
 ed, there will be no care to come by it, 2. It 
 Hath influence to obftru& folks giving him credit, 
 which is of the very effence of faith ; io then, 
 wkere he is not efleemed of, he is not, he cannot 
 be believed on ; The former fays, that we will 
 not marry him ; this fays, we will not trow him, 
 nor truft the reality of his offer : Where he is 
 not efleemed of, he is not taken up to be real, in 
 good earneft, and faithful in what he fays ; his 
 offers are looked upon as having neither folidity 
 nor reality in them : Therefore, Rev. if. thefe 
 two are put together, fir ft it's faid, BleJJed are 
 they that are called to the marriage -/upper of the 
 Lamb ; and then it is fub joined, Thefe are the 
 true and faithful fayings ofGcd: So that, when 
 Chri'ft is not elteemed of,he is not thought worth 
 the crediting and lipning to; and it's on this 
 ground that the Lord founds his controverfy 
 with his profefling people, Jer. 2. 5. What ini- 
 quity have year fathers found in me, that they 
 have gone far from me, and have walked after 
 vanity t and are become vain ? They undervalued 
 his word,they thought him not worth credit.and 
 therefore they turned the back on him ; the fame 
 is infinuated by the Lord,Ai*V. 6. 3. my people, 
 what have I done unto thee ? and wherein have 
 I wearied thee ? teflify againfl me. 3. This little 
 efteem of Chrift -weakens hope or expe&ation of 
 any good that men may have from him : When 
 we efteem him nct,there is no expectation of get- 
 ting our need fuppUed, and our wants made up 
 by him, nor of attaining in him the happinefs 
 thatwewouM be at; and therefore there are no 
 ferious addrefies made to him for the fame : thefe 
 three, love to him, truft in him, hope from and 
 through him, being the prime graces in a ChrK 
 (Han, v>2ien they aje weakned, unbelief jnoft cer- 
 
 Ver. 2, 3, " 95 
 
 tainly in fo far prevatleth ? and it being Chrift's 
 worthinefs, and the eftimation thereof, that gives 
 ground to all thefe ; then fure y when he is not 
 efteemed,but undervalued, thefe muft alfo fail in 
 their exercife, and be in utter nonentry, where 
 he is altogether undervalued. Now, laying all 
 thefe together, there can hardly be any thing 
 more culpably acceffory to the abounding of un- 
 belief than the undervaluing of precious Jefus 
 Chrift ; it's impoffible that" he can be cordially 
 welcomed, where he is not at all i-fteemed of! 
 
 As fjbrufes of thefe doctrines. they are of large 
 extent, ferving to make manifeft a root of bitter- 
 nefsj and a great neck-break of a multitude of 
 fouls, and which men and women will not eafily 
 be perfwaded to believe. Let this therefore be 
 the firfi ufe of it, To difcoyer a great fin that is 
 incident to the hearers of this gofpel : Among 
 many other things that may be charged on them, 
 this is one, and not the leaft, even little eftima- 
 tion of Jefus Chrift ; fo little, that when he is 
 fpeaking, they count him fcarce worthy the hear- 
 ing: hence is the flumbring and ileeping of fo 
 many, when he is preached of ; which holds out 
 fomething of the nature of all men and women. 
 This defpifing, undervaluing, and thinking little 
 of Chrift, is a fin that may for a long time cleave 
 faft and clofe to the hearers of the gofpel, and 
 doth fo to many to their dying day. It may be 
 ye will think this a ftrange and uncouth charge, 
 and that whoever difefteem him, ye do certainly 
 efteem him much ; but it were better ye were 
 ferioufly and humbly laying with the prophet 
 here, He was defpifed, and we efleemed him 
 not. There are many who never once fufpe& 
 themfelvesas guilty o\\ or chargeable with this 
 evil ; for whole conviction, let me fpeak but a 
 few words : Is there not fuch a bitter root in you? ( 
 If it be natural to all men and women, how comes 
 it to pafs that ye are free of it ? Is there nothing 
 of the^ feed of the ferpent in you ? and if there 
 be, will there not be hatred at the Seed of the 
 woman in you ? Are ye any other fort of hearers 
 than they were to whom this is fpoken ? were 
 they not hearers of the gofpel as well as ye ? nay, 
 he {peaks here of hearers- of the gofpel in all. ages, 
 and yet ye will difdain to take with this fin, an4 
 will account it to be an uncouth, if not an unjuffc 
 charge and imputation, to fay of you that ye are 
 undervaluers and defpifers of Chrift: but the 
 reafon of it is twofold, the firft whereof is, Be- 
 cause ye know not what Chrift's worth is, and 
 therefore ye 80 neither efteem him, nor know 
 that-ye difefteem and undervalue him ; whereas 
 they, who have won to feme knowledge of his 
 
 worth, 
 
p'5 Ifa'iab 53. 
 
 worth, are always, or very often, complaining 
 that they cannot get him fuitably thought of and 
 efteemed. The fecond reafon is, Beeaule ye know 
 not your felves, and therefore ye take felf-love 
 and eftimation of your felves to be love to him 
 and eflimation of him ; ye think your felves fo 
 well, that ye cannot endure to think that ye want 
 any grace or good thing ; and eflimation of 
 Chriil being a good thing, and ye thinking that 
 ye could not hold up your face and own the re- 
 proaching and defpifing of him, ye will not let 
 it light that ye want this grace and good thing, 
 a precious efteem of him : But there is no great- 
 er evidence that ye are lying under the power of 
 the deceit and delufion of your own hearts, that 
 your natural diftemper and fever is not cooled 
 and calmed, but that ye are dill roving in na- 
 ture ; and therefore, tho' ye be living in enmity 
 at God and Chrift, yet ye cannot be made ien- 
 fible of it. We really think it fomewhat ftrange, 
 that men and women fhould live twenty, thirty, 
 forty or fifty years under the gofpel, and yet 
 never be brought to groan under this enmity, 
 nor to lay to heart this fin of undervaluing of 
 Chrift : But if it be a truth that none naturally 
 do love and efteem him, then certainly many of 
 you are grcfty miilaken, that think ye efteem 
 highly of him; Ah ! your fancied efteem or him 
 will be counted an undervaluing of him. 
 
 And if ye ask, What is that to undervalue 
 -Chrift ? or, When is he undervalued ? I anfwer, 
 He is undervalued, 1. When he is not matched 
 with, or married ; when the match with himfelf, 
 whereof he maketh offer, is not clofed with upon 
 Lis own terms : For what I pray can hinder the 
 ending of a bargain, or finifhing a matriage-con- 
 tra&, efpecially when it's fo full, free, and rich 
 en the Propofer and Suiter's part, but either that 
 folk think it is not fit for them,or that they think 
 nothing- of it at all ? and this is it that hinders 
 clofing with Chrift,' Mattb. 22. They made light 
 cfit.and went atoay^c and Pfal. 81. My people 
 would pot hearken to my voice , and lfrael would 
 none of me, 2. When any thing is made equal to 
 Chrift,much more when any thing is preferred to 
 him,he is undervalued and not efteemed of; when 
 he gets little or none of folks care & labour, little 
 -of their time, little of their love and delight, few 
 or none oftheir thoughts, &c. but -they are quite 
 carried away after other things ; \or where the 
 treafure i$, there the heart viilb-e a'lfo t and were 
 Chrift ourTreafure,& precious in ourefteem,our 
 hearts would be more fet on him; but it's ftrange, 
 iad,and even aftoniihing, to think, how little our 
 ipirits are exercifed with the thoughts of Chrift: 
 fccw little they are takea up with longing for hira, 
 
 Ver. 2, 3. # Serm. it. 
 
 and delighting in him, and yet we will think that 
 we efteem him. 3. Our Lord is undervalued, 
 when he is not made ufe of, and imployed, and 
 lippened to, as an able and fufficient Saviour. If 
 there be a learned and skilful phyfician in a city 
 in all or mod difeales, or an able lawier to plead 
 all clufes ; if folk have difeales to be cured, and 
 caufes to be pleaded, and yet do not imploy fuch 
 a phyfician or fuch a lawier, but go to fome o- 
 ther, tho' far lefs skilful and eble, they under- 
 value him.* it is even fo here, when folks have 
 many fins, and they feek not to him for pardon ; 
 many, not only temporal wants, but alio (and 
 mainly) many fpiritual wants, and do not ac- 
 knowledge him in them, neither feek to him' for 
 fupply of them ; many predominant evils, and 
 they feek not to him to mortifie them ; many 
 fnaresand temptations, and they do not make ufe 
 of him to prevent ard lead them by them ; and 
 many fpiritual caufes to be pleaded before God, 
 or at his bar-, and they do not imploy him as Ad- 
 vocate to plead for them. 4* He is undervalued, 
 when folk think not themfelves happy enough in 
 him, nor ficker enough in bargaining with him, 
 and when he doth not fatisfy and fully content 
 them, as if he were yea and nay, and as if all the 
 prcmifes were net yea and amen in him : when 
 he is not credited intirely,and refted upon, he is 
 not efteemed of: hence he complains, John 5. Te 
 will not come to me that ye might have life : and 
 Mat. 23. How would 1 have gathered you^and ye 
 would not! he would, to fay Co with reverence, 
 fain do them a good turn, but thay will not lip- 
 pen to him. O how much of undervaluing of 
 Chrift is there among believers, when they hold 
 and draw with him, entertain jealoufies and iuf- 
 picions of him, fcarcely credit him, and when 
 they do at any time credit him, are in a man- 
 ner ready to take back their word again ! How 
 often are creature-comforts overvalued by them? 
 And. how often are the confolations of God final! 
 with them? Thefe and many other ways are they, 
 even they, in fome confiderable meafure and de- 
 gree, guilty of undervaluing of Chrift. 
 
 Ufe 2. Take with this fin, acknowledge and 
 feek pardon for it ; it were a good token of fome 
 tendernefs, to be mourning tor enmity againft 
 Chrift, and for undervaluing of him, as w r ell as 
 for drunkennefs, fornication, theft, or any ether 
 grofs fin : And where that gracious and right 
 mourning, that isfpoken o^Zech. 12. 10. comes, 
 it will be in fpecial for this undervaluing of 
 Chrift to the height of piercing of him ; We 
 would ask any of you that think ye repent, if this 
 fin of .flighting him have pierced you, as it did 
 
 thefe 
 
Sermi 1$. lfaiah <$3. 
 
 thefe,^ii. 2.? It maybe, Tome think themfelves 
 fo cleanly and perfe<ft, that ye have not many fins 
 to mourn for ; O dreadful miftake ! but tho* 
 ye had no more, is not this enough that ever there 
 Jhould have been enmity in your bofomat Chrift? 
 And fhould not this prick you at the very heart, 
 that ever ye ihould fo undervalued him i But 
 readily they that fee feweft fins in themfelves, 
 will fee and take with lead of this fin. 
 
 Ufe 3. It ferves to be a warning to all men in 
 riature t© confider what their condition is. Do 
 ye that have this enmity, and are undervalues 
 of Chrift, know what is in your hearts ? and do 
 ye confider what .pofture ye will be found in, if 
 grace make not a change, in the day of Chrift ? 
 ye will be found amongft thefe defpifers and ha- 
 ters, that would not have him to reign over them : 
 How will ye dare to appear, or in what poflure 
 will ye appear before him, when he, whom ye 
 •defpifed, fhall come in the glory of his Father, 
 with all the holy angels with him, and fhall fit 
 upon the throne of his glory ? and yet appear ye 
 muft : How will the confeience then gnaw, and 
 the heart be affrighted ? how will challenges wa- 
 ken, yea, (ling and prick you, on this ground, 
 that the Son of God, the Heir of all things, the 
 Lord of lords, and King of kings, who propofed 
 marriage to you, was undervalued, and marriage 
 with him made light of, and that a thing of 
 nought was put in his room and place ? will 
 not this be a horrible challenge in that day ? and 
 if ye would confider what will be their pofture 
 that mocked and buffeted him, and plucked off 
 his hair, that nodded with the head, and cried 
 Aha, and bad him come down from the crofs, 
 that did fcourge him, and hang him upon the 
 crofs betwixt two thieves ; fuch a pofture will 
 all of you be in, who have defpiled and dife- 
 
 ; efteemed him ; ye will meet with that fame fad 
 
 I fentence, Bring eat thefe mine enemies, that 
 -would not that I flould reign over them, and flay 
 
 1 them before me. O what a ftrange punifhment, 
 fuppofe ye, will that be, when the Saviour of fin- 
 ners fhall (land by and look on, till he fee ,> ven- 
 geance execute on finners that defpifed him. 
 
 ' Think on it, for there is fuch a day coming, 
 when ye will all appear before him, and when 
 your reckonings will be caft up ; fuffer not your 
 felves to be cheated into an opinion, that it will 
 be accounted a little fin to be found under this 
 guilt of defpifing Chrift ; and let not one of you 
 put it off himfelf, & over upon another: they will 
 be found defpifers of him, that would never let 
 it light ; nay, even many that have preached 
 him, and that would have been angry at propbani- 
 ty in others^ as may be gathered from Mat, 7.22. 
 
 Ver. 2, 3. 9 £ 
 
 The 4th Ufe ferves to commend this to you as 
 a piece of your duty to ftudy to know Chrift, 
 and to have the fuitable impreflion of Chrift and 
 of his worth, as the great mea*i contributive f 
 the bringing you to credit him, and believe on 
 him, and to the removing a main obftru&ion that 
 hinders your faith, and that is the undervaluing 
 of him: For if undervaluing of him be the 
 great caufe of unbelief, and that which mainly 
 obftru&s faith, then theefteeming of him, front 
 a due impreflion of his worth, muft be a great 
 mean o£ and help to faith; ana the more he be 
 efteemed of, the more will he be believed o» : 
 It hath an attra&ive vertue, to draw finners f 
 love him ; a fcrewing vertue, to fcrew up the af-. 
 fe&ions towards him ; and withal a fixing an! 
 cftablilhing vertue, to fettle and ftay the foul u- 
 pon him by believing : the foul that, from the 
 right Impreflion of his worth, efteems of him, 
 knows that it may lippen to him, for he is holy 
 and true ; and hence it is, that the great thing 
 that believers take to ground their prayers u- 
 pon, is fome excellency in God, fomeoneor o- 
 ther of his titles and attributes upon which they 3 
 fix, to bear them up, under, and againft any 
 difficulty that prefTeth hard upon them ; this 
 fixes alfo their hope and expectation of attaining* 
 of any good thing that they want through him: 
 and therefore, upon the one fide, we would 
 commend to you the ftudy of Chrift's worth, 
 and upon the other, an high eftimation of him, 
 as that which will fix your faith, and love, and 
 hope on him ; this we fee to be in a high de- 
 gree in Paid) Philip. 3. I account a3 things 
 (faith he) to be but lefs and dung for the excellen- 
 cy of the knowledge ofbim, and his tranfeendent 
 worth. Ye would not think it loft labour, t* 
 read and ftudy thefe places of fcripture, that fhew 
 what our Lord Jefus is, in his perfon, natures, 
 and offices, that ye may have the faith of his 
 Godhead fixed, and may be clear as to" the ex- 
 celling fulnefs that is in him ; as namely that «f 
 If a. 9. 6. lo us a Child is born, to us a Son is 
 given, the government 'flail be upon his flouU 
 ders, and his name (kail be called Wonderful) 
 Counfeller, the Mighty God, the Everlajiing Fa- ■ 
 ther y the Prince of Peace, ofwhofe kingdom and 
 government there flail be no end: And to ftudy 
 his excellent proprieties, his Eternity, Omnipo- 
 tency, Euthfulnefs, Mercy, 15 c, common to him 
 with the Father and Holy Ghoft ; and the ex- 
 cellent qualifications that as Mediator he is re- 
 plenimed with; being full of'grace and truth, and 
 in all things having the preheminency; fee Coh 
 1. John 1, 14. and Heb. u 2, 3. {5c. Therein 
 
$8 Jfalah <J3* 
 
 why we prefs you to this, is, not only that ye 
 may have more cle-;r theory and contemplation } 
 but alfo, and mainly, that your aife&ions may 
 be delighted in him, and that your faith may, 
 without hink or hefitation, come to give him; 
 credit.. Ignorance of Chrift breeds. diteilimati- 
 ©n, and difeflimation makes you not to give him. 
 credit, and thus ye are kept at a dillance from 
 him ; there is no fludy more pleafant, more 
 precious, and more profitable : There is here 
 th.n a task for you, that ask what ye ihall do ? 
 Even to rtt-dd and fludy the excellency of Jems 
 Chrifl, and to labour to have it Well fixed in the 
 imagination of the thoughts of your hearts ; it 
 Will give you notable direction what to do, even 
 that which is well-pleafing to God, and may be 
 ▼.ery profitable to you through his blefung. 
 
 Ufe 5. See here the great neceffityand conve- 
 Diency. of fludying the difeflimation of Chrifl 
 that is in us, as well as of fludying the worth that 
 is, in him, and what he hath out of love fufFered 
 fpr us; thefe two are put together in the text, 
 Ifc being needful for us to be as well acquainted 
 With the one as with the other. We fhall give 
 you this ufe in two fhort doctrines ; the fir ft 
 whereof is, That it is a necefTary duty for the 
 bearers of the gofpel to fludy throughly, and to 
 be convinced of, and clear in their difeflimati- 
 on of Chrifl, as well as of his worth and excel- 
 lency, becaufe it wakneth up repentance, and 
 maketh it flow, and thorowly humbleth the fin- 
 Uer, when he findeth this defperate wickednefs 
 stnd perverfnefs to be in himfeti, and maketh him 
 Itindly. to lothe and abhor himfelf ; and unlefs 
 this dpfperate wickednefs be feen and relt, that 
 ^reat. and bitter mourning, fpoken of, Zecb. 12. 
 10. will never flow forth. 
 
 Ver. 4, «;. Serrn. 19. 
 
 The id is, That where folk have any jufr. efti- 
 mation of Chrifl and of his worth, and are ien- 
 fible of the evil of unbelief, there will alio be 
 fome fenfe of the fin of undervaluing of him ; 
 and the more fenfe they have of the evil of unbe~ 
 lief,- they will be the more fen/ib'e or their un- 
 dervaluing of him, and will with the propfcet 
 here cry out, He was defpifed. and we ejieemed. 
 him not. And from both thefe ye may tee the 
 neceffity of ftudying to find out this corruption; 
 the fearch and difcovery whereof will imignt you 
 in the evil and perverfnefs of ) our nature, and. 
 fo deeply humble you, and a'fo ferve highly .to 
 commend Chrifl and his grace to you; and with- 
 out the difcovery of this corruption, it's im- 
 poflible ever to be humble thorowly, or to have 
 right thoughts of Chrifl: and of his grace. 
 
 Ufe 6. It ferves to let us fee the nrcefiity of 
 believing in Ghrifl,and of the imploying of him 1 
 becaufe there is no other way to be free of the 
 challenges of mifprifingandnot eileemingof him, 
 but by receiving of him, and believing on him. 
 
 A yth Ufe may be added,and it's this,That the^ 
 mo there be that defpife Chrifl, and the greater 
 difficulty there be in believing on him, the more 
 reaibn have they to be thankful that he graciouf- 
 ly works any fuitable eflimation of himfelf in 
 and brings them to believe on him : Thefe who 
 have gotten any glimpfe of his glory, which 
 hath lifted him high in their eflimation, to the 
 drawing forth of their faith and love after him 
 would praife him for it : It's he,and only he, th;<t: 
 opened your eyes to fee him, and gave you that 
 eflimation of him, and circumcifed your hearts, 
 to love him ; let him therefore have all the praife 
 and glory of it. This is the word of God, and 
 himfelf blefs it to you through Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 SERMON XIX. 
 
 Ifaiab.liii. 4.. Surely he hath bora our griefs , and carried cur forrows :. yet w-e did efteem him 
 
 f\\ icken, fmitten of God, and. afflicted, 
 y.erfe 5. But he was wounded for cur tr an fgr efforts, be was bruifed for our iniquities: the cba^ 
 
 Jfifewcnt of our peace was upon him, and with his flripes we are healed. 
 
 we defpifed him, and efleemed him not, even 
 becaufe of his lownefs. 
 
 In the words now read, and forward, the pro- 
 phet lets himfelf to remove the offence that men 
 took at our Lord's humi'iation,by mewing them, 
 that although he became fo low. yet he was not 
 to be the lefs eileemed of for that .*. And the 
 ground which he lays down to remove the of- 
 fence, is is in the firft' words of the text, which in 
 
 THIS is a moil wonderful fubjedl that the 
 prophet is here difcourfing of, even that 
 Which concerneth the fufferings of our blefTed 
 Lord Jefus, by way of prediction feveral hun- 
 dreds of years before his incarnation : It was 
 much that he was to be a Man of forrows > and 
 mtqua'mted with grief ; but this was more, that.. 
 he> was< defpifed; and we eftcemcdi him noti. 
 Xhere is wonderful grace upon the one fide,, 
 
 that our Lord became (o very low ; and wonder-- fttmis this,. Thar there, was^othing^in himfelf, 
 ft*] coniemjp^aud^eomit^ on the. other; iide^tbatc where-- 
 
Serm. 19. t Jfaiah ^ 
 
 wherefore he fliould nave been, brought fo low; 
 there was no fin in him, neither was there any 
 guile found in his mouth ; but he was gracipufly 
 pleafed to take on him that which we lhould have 
 born: and therfbre men ought not to ftumb)e,and 
 offend at his (looping to bear that which would 
 with its weight have crufhed them eternally, and 
 thereby to make their peace with God. In the 
 6. ver. he lhcws how it came to pafsthat he {loop- 
 ed fo low, AU we (laith hej Iikejheep have gone 
 aftray, and turned every one of us to cur own 
 vay, and the Lord laid en him the iniquity of 
 us all: we had loft ourfelves, but God, in the 
 depth of his eternal wifdom, love, and good-will, 
 found the way to fave us ; wherein ('to fpeak fo) 
 a covenant was tranfa&ed betwixt God and the 
 Mediator, who becomes Cautioner for our fins, 
 which are transferred upon him. From the 7 
 ver. to the 10 ver. he goes on in fhewing the 
 execution of this trantaclion, and how the Cauti- 
 oner performed all according to his engagement; 
 and from the 10 ver. to the clofe, we have the 
 -promifes made to him for his fatisfadtfon : The 
 fcope is, as to remove the fcandal of the crofs, 
 fo to hold out our Lord's purfuing the work of 
 fatisfa&ion to the jullice of God for ele& iinners, 
 ' and the good fuccefs he had in it. 
 
 In the 4. and 5. verfes we have three things ; 
 I. This ground aiferted, Surely he hath born our 
 griefs, and carried our forrows. 2. Mens enmity 
 aggreged from this, yet roe did efteem himflric- 
 ken, /mitten of God, and affliftcd : In the very 
 mtan time that he condefcended to ftoop lo low 
 for us, and to bear that which we fhould have born, 
 we efteemed but little of him, we looked on him 
 as a plagued Man. 3. This is more fully explai- 
 ned, ver. <j. But he was wounded for cur tranf- 
 grejfuns, be was bruifedfor our iniquities; he was 
 lb handled for our fins, & the chaflifement of cur 
 peace was on him, that which made our peace with 
 God was on him; By hisflripes we are bealed,the 
 flripes that wounded and killed him cured us. 
 
 We have here then rather as it were a fad nar- 
 ration, than a prophecy of the gofpe), holding out 
 a part of our Lord's fufferings •, yet a clear foun- . 
 dation of the confolaticn of the people of God, 
 it being the ground of all our faith of the par- 
 don of fin, of our peace with God, and of our 
 confident appearing before him, that our Lord 
 was content to be thus dealt with, and to give 
 bis back to the fmiters, and bis cheeks to them 
 that plucht off the hair. 
 
 We fhall clearthewords in the affertion, which 
 will ferve to clear the words of the whole chap- 
 ter, and alio of the doctrines to be drawn from it. 
 1. The thing that Chrift bare, is called griefs 
 
 Ver. 4, «*. pf 
 
 and forrows \ by which we underftand the ef- 
 fects that fin brings on men in the world, for 
 it's the fame' that in the 5 verfe is called his being 
 wounded jcr cur trarijgreffi.ns, and bruifed for 
 cur iniquity ; it's a wounding that iniquity cau- 
 feth, and meritorioufly procurtth : It's not fin it 
 felf, but the effect, of fin, to wit, the punifhment, 
 the iorrow and grief that fin bringeth with it, 
 called griefs and frrews , partly becaufe grief 
 and forrow is necclfarily joined with fin; partly 
 to fhew the extremity and exceeding grcatnefsof 
 this grier and forrow, and the bitter fruits that 
 fin hath with it. 2. How is it faid that Chrife 
 hath b^rn and carried their griefs and forrows ? 
 By this we underftand, not only Chrift's remo- 
 ving of them, as he removed ficknefTes and diG- 
 eafes, as it is faid, Alat.%'.\6, 17. but alfo,and 
 mainly, his actual and real enduring of them, as 
 the phraie is frequently ufed in the fcripturef 
 That man frill bear bis iniquity, or he fhall bear 
 his fin, Lev. 5. and many other places; it felt 
 out a real inflicting or the punifhment that &m 
 deferves, on him. 3. That it is faid our griefs, 
 and cur forrows, it is not needlefly or fuperflu- 
 oufly .et down, but to meet with the offence that 
 men take at Chrift's humbling himfelf fo low| 
 as if he had faid, What aileth you to (tumble at 
 Chrift's coming fo low, and being fo afflicted ? 
 It was not for his own fins, but for ours, that he 
 was fo handled t And they are called cur griefs 
 and forrows, 1. Becaufe we by our fins procured 
 them, they were our deferving, and due to us \ 
 the debt was ours, tho' he as our Cautioner took 
 it on himfelf. 2. Becaufe, tho' the elect, have . 
 diftinct. reckonings, and peculiar fi?5s, fome mo, 
 fome fewer, fome greater, fome leffer ; yet they 
 are all put on Chrift's account ; there is a com- 
 bination of them, a gathering of them all on him, 
 as the word is, ver. 6. He bath laid en him, or 
 made to meet on him, the iniquities of us all* 
 
 The meaning then of the affertion is this. Sure- 
 ly this is the caufe of Chrift's humiliation, and 
 this makes him not only to become Man, but to 
 be a mean poor fcan,- and have a comfortlefs and 
 afflicted life in the world, that he hath taken on 
 him that punifhment, curfeand wrath, that was 
 due to us for our fins ; and therefore he ought 
 not to be^offended and ftumbled at. 
 
 Now, becaufe Sccinians, the great enemies of 
 Chrift's fatisfaction, and of the comfort of his 
 people, labour to elude this place, and to make 
 Chrift only an exemp'ary Saviour, and deny that 
 he really and actually did undergo thefe griefs 
 and forrows for the fins of the ele<ft ; W T e fhall 
 a little clear and confirm the expofjtion we have 
 O 2 .S^ Te % 
 
given; thequeftion is not about the taking away 
 •ffin,but about the manner of removing it: They 
 lay. That it is by God's pardoning of it without 
 a fatisfaftion; we fay, it is by Chrift 's fatisfa&ion; 
 lb the difficulty in expounding the words is,whe- 
 ther to expound them of Chrift's- removing our 
 forrows and griefs from us, or of his bearing of 
 them for our fins, and fo really taking it away. 
 And that this fcripture means not of a flmple re- 
 moving of them, as he did ficknefs, Mat. 8, 17. 
 but by a real taking them on himfelf, and bear- 
 ing of them, in order to the fatisfaction of the 
 jufticeof God for our fins ; We fhall give thefe 
 reafons to confirm it : 1.. Becaufe thefe words are 
 , to be underftood of fuch a bearing of forrows and 
 w griefs, as, made Chrift to be contemptible and 
 defpifed before others: This is clear from the 
 JJcope ; for they are given as a reafon why Chrift 
 ■was reje&ed and deipifed, as a Man of forrows, 
 and acquainted with grief, and why men fhould 
 ; not ftumble- at him for ail-that, becaufe it was for 
 .them* Now, if he had only removed forrows from 
 ehem, as he did fic&nefs, it had not been a caufe 
 x>f his forrow and grief, nor of any man's (tumb- 
 ling at him, but had rather been a caufe of his 
 •saltation in mens efteem: But it's given here as 
 a. caufe of that which went before in the firft part 
 tsi the 3 verfe, and alfo a reafon why men fhould 
 rtot ftumble at him, and withal as an aggravation 
 of their guilt who did ftumble at-him. Now it's 
 clear, that the ground at the Jews defpiflng.and 
 crocking of him, was not his removing of fick- 
 »efTes and difeafes, but his feeming to be given 
 met unto death's power. 2. Becaute that which 
 is called here, bearing of forrows and griefs, is in 
 the words following called, a being wounded for 
 sur tranfgrefftons ; which imports not only that 
 lie was wounded, but that our iniqnites were the 
 caufe of his being wounded, and that the defert 
 ®i them was laid on him. 3. This wounding is 
 jfeolden forth to be the ftripss whereby we are 
 healed ; and all we like Jbeep have gone aflray, 
 wd the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of 
 ■.us aU\ we did the wrong, but he made the a-. 
 iraends." And it was fuch a wounding, as proves a 
 «*Lre to us> and makes way for our peace and re- 
 conciliation with God ; and fuch, as without it 
 Vfibre is no healing for us, for by. his flripes we 
 •aje healed ; it's by his fwallowing up of the ri- 
 ver and torrent of wrath that was in our way, 
 and. would have drowned us eternally, had not< 
 he inter pofed for us, that we efcape. 4* Cot> 
 i$er the parallel places to this-in the new tefta*. 
 3sj.ent, and we v. ill find that this- place holds out 
 iCihrift's- real and 2 &ual bearing cf our 'forrows 
 ^jrrirCl" I ihali .only, same tltfee.j ,The JiriU 
 
 is that of 2 Cor. 5. 21. Jft hath made him to be 
 fin for us, who knew no finj hat we might be made 
 the rigbteoufuefs of God in him-, which can be 
 no other way exponed, but of Chrift's being made 
 an offering and facrifice for our fins : He not be- 
 ing a finner himfelf, but becoming our Cautio- 
 ner, and engaging to pay our debt, and to tell 
 down the price for the fatisfadlion of divine 
 Juftice ; he, is reckoned to be the finner, and our 
 fins are imputed to him, and he.is dealt with as 
 . a finner. A, 2d place is that of Gal. 3. 13. chrift 
 bath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, by 
 being made a curfe for< us ; as it is written, Cur- 
 fed is every one that bangetb on a tree. The for- 
 rows and griefs that Jfaiah fays here, he fhould 
 bear, are there exponed by the apoftle, to be Ms- 
 being made a curie, or his bearing of the curfe 
 that we fhould have born; it's not meant. fi trip- 
 ly of his removing the curfe from us, but it alfo 
 . fets out the-manner how he removed it, to wit, by 
 his own bearing of it himfelf, being nailed to the 
 crofs, according to the threatning given out be- 
 fore. The id place is that of 1 rgf.2. l^Who his 
 own felf bare our fins in his own body on the tree\ 
 where there is a direel reference to this place of 
 lfaiah, which is cited for confirmation of what 
 the apoftle faith: and every word is full,and hath 
 a fpecial fignification and emphafis in it ; He bis 
 own felf bare, the fame w©rd that is here, and our 
 fins and in his own body and on the tree ; intima? 
 . ting the loweft ftep of his humiliation, by whofe 
 flripes. ye were healed ; for ye were as [beep 
 going ajiray, &c. by his bearing of our fins, the 
 burden of fin was taken off us,and we are fet free. 
 I know that place of Mat. 8. 17. hath it's own . 
 difficulty, and therefore I fhall fpeak a word for 
 clearing of it ; he hath fpoken, v.. 16. of Chrift's 
 healing all that were fick, and then fubjoins in 
 the 1 7. verfe, That it might be fulfilled which 
 was fpoken .by ' Ifaias. the prophet, faying, Himfelf 
 took our infirmities, and bare, cur fickneffes ; 
 whereupon thefe enemies of Chrift would infer, 
 that this place of fcripture hath no other, nor 
 further meaning, but of Chrift's' curing of fome 
 fick folks, and of the deputed or committed power 
 which he hath to pardon fins-: but we fuppofe, 
 that the reafons which we have already given* 
 make it clear, that this cannot be the meaning of 
 the place; to which we fhall add firftz reafon ortwo^ 
 and fecondly give you the true meaning of it. 
 
 The. reafons why this cannot be the meaning 
 of the place, are, 17?, Becaufe, A&* %. 32. this 
 fcripture isTpokerrof as 'being daily a . fulfilling 
 by Chrift* and:therefore it could not he fulfilled 
 in £befeJew4aysLwhereinhe,wa& ip the jlefh upon 
 
 .ca*tfck, 
 
Serm. iju' ; • #*'*&53. 
 
 earth. 2. Becaufe this bearing of our griefs 
 and iorrows is fuch a piece of Chrift's humilia- 
 tion, as thereby he took on all the griefs and 
 forrows of all the elect at once, both of thefe 
 who lived in Jfaiab his time, and of thefe who 
 lived before, and fince his time ; and therefore 
 cannot be reftri&ed to the curing of temporal 
 difeafes in the days wherein he was on earth, nay, 
 not to the pa»doning of the fins of the elett 
 then living, there being many elect before and 
 fince comprehended in this his fatisfaction, which 
 was moll certainly a fatisfaction fo* the fins of the 
 elect that were dead, and to be born, as well as 
 for the fms o^ them that were then living. 
 
 idly, For the meaning of the place, i. We are 
 not to look on Cbrift's curing of fickneffes and 
 •lifeafes, Matth* 8. 16. as a proper fulfilling of 
 this place, I fa. <$ 3 • 4. but as many fcriptures are 
 fpoken by way of allufion to other fcriptures, fo 
 is this 5 there is indeed fome fulfilling of the 
 one in the other, and- fome refemblan.ee betwixt 
 the one and the other, and the refemblance is 
 this, even to fhew Chrift's tendernefs to the out- 
 ward condition of folks bodies, whereby he evi- 
 denceth his tendernefs and refpe& to the inward 
 Tad condition of their immortal fouls, wherein. 
 to they were brought through their fin ; the 
 great thing aimed at by the prophet. 2. If we 
 confider the griefs and forrows that Chrift bare 
 and fu#ered,complexly 3 in their caufe and effects: 
 He,in healing of thefe difeafes and ficknefTes,bare 
 our griefs, and carried our forrows, becaufe, 
 when he took on our debt, he took it on with all 
 the confequences of it ; and Co, tho 5 Chrift took 
 on no difeafe in his own perfon, for. we. read not 
 that he was ever fick, yet in taking on the debt 
 in common of the elect, he virtually took on all 
 ficknelfes and difeafes, or what they fuffered in 
 the difeafes, or fhould have fuffered, he took it 
 on together.; and hereby he had a right, to fpeak 
 fo, to the carrying of all difeafes, and in carrying 
 of them he had refpect to the caufe of them, to 
 wit, fin : therefore, to fuch as he cured, he fays 
 very often, Tby-Jins.be forgiven. thee ; he ftudied 
 to remove that in moft of them, he did deal 
 with : And fo, looking on, our Lord as taking on 
 our fins complexly with the caufe, 2nd as having 
 a right to remove all the effects of fin,- eviden- 
 cing it. felf in the removing, of thefe difeafes, 
 whereof fin was the caufe, thefe words may be 
 thus fulfilled; and fo they are clear, and the do- 
 ctrine alfo. We have here no meer exemplary Sa-- 
 viour,that hath done no more but confirmed his 
 doctrine, and given us a copy how to do and be- 
 have ; but .he hath really and actually born our 
 farrow 5 .and griefs,. and. removed cur deb v by • 
 
 Ver. 2,3. lor 
 
 undergoing the punifhment due to us for fin. 
 Ohferve here, 1 . That fin, in no fiejb, no not 
 intbeelefh tbemf elves, is without forrcw and 
 grief ; tribulation and anguifh are kflit to it, or 
 it hath thefe following on it : Or take the do- 
 ctrine thus. Wherever there is fin, there is the 
 caufe of much forrow and grief; no more can the 
 native caufe be without the effect, than fin can be 
 without forrow and grief: It's the plain affertion 
 of fcripture,R0/#. 2. 8, 9. Indignation and wrath, 
 tribulation and angulfi upon every foul of man 
 that doth evil \ which one place, putting the four 
 words together, fays, 1. That there, is forrow 
 mod ccrtainly,and infeparably on every foul that 
 hath finned.And,2.That this lorrowis exceeding 
 great (which may alfo be the reafon why this 
 forrow is fet out in two words in the text) 
 therefore four words are ufed by the apoftle to 
 exprefs it. It's not our purpofe here to difpute,. 
 whether God in his juftice doth by neceffity of 
 nature punifh the finner ? Thefe three things 
 confidered, will make out the doctrine, which 
 is, That there is a necefTary connexion betwixt 
 fin and forrow ; and that this forrow muft needs 
 be very great, 1. If we confider the exceeding 
 unfuitablenefs of fin to the holy law of God, and 
 how. it is a direct contrariety to that moft pure 
 and perfect law. 2.1fwe confider the perfectly holy 
 nature of God himfelf; The righteous LotdfiXm 
 the Pfalmift,/'/*/. u. 7. loveth rigbteoufnefs) and 
 the prophet Hab. 1. 13. fays, He is of purer eyes- 
 than he can behold evil, and be cannot look upon 
 iniquity. And tho' we need not to difpute God's 
 fovereignty, yet it is clear that he is angry roitk 
 the wicked every day, Pfal.7.1 i.and he will by no 
 means clear the guilty ,Exod. 34. 7. and that there 
 is a greater fnitablenefs in his inflicting , forrow 
 and grief on a finner that walks- contrary to him, 
 than there is in fhewing him mercy ; and there 
 is a greater fuitablenefs in his fhewing mercy, to 
 a humbled finner, that is aiming to walk holily 
 before him. . 3. If we confider the revealed will 
 of God in the threatning, who hath faid, The 
 day thou eat eft tboufljalt furely.die- y We may fay, 
 there is, as they fpeak in the fehool,a hypothetic^ 
 necefTity of grief and forrow to follow on fin, 
 and that there is a necefTary connection betwixt 
 them : and this may very well ftand with the 
 Mediator his coming in, and interpofing to take 
 that grief and forrow from oSf us,and to lay it on 
 himfelf; but it was once ours, becaufe of our fin. 
 If it be asked, .what grief and forrow this is ? 
 We faid, it's very great, and there is reafon for 
 it : for tho 5 our act of fiv.y 1, As to -the fub- 
 je& th^tiinsy man, and, 2* As to the acVof fla • 
 
 a* 
 
tc!2 I fat ah ft. 
 
 it ietF, a fulfill thought, Word or deed, that is Toon 
 gone, be finite ; yet, if we confider fin, (i.) In 
 refpe& of the Objeft againft whom, the infinite 
 God:(2.)In refpe<ft of the ablblute purity of God's- 
 law, a rule that bears out God's image fet down 
 by infinite wifdom, and that may be fome way 
 called infinitely pure ; and fin, as being againft 
 this pure rule, that infinite wifdom hath fet 
 down ; and^.jlf we confider it irf refpect of it's 
 nature, every fin being of this nature, that tho' 
 it cannot properly wrong the majefty of God, 
 yet as to the intention of the thing, and even 
 of the finner, it wrongs him ; fin in th'efe refpe&s 
 maybe called infinite, and the wrong 4one to the 
 majefty of God thereby, may be called infinite, 
 as thefe who built Babel, their intention in that 
 work breathed forth infinite wrong to God, as 
 having a dire& tendency to bring them off from 
 dependence on him": and fo every fin, if it had 
 its will and intent, would put God in fubordi- 
 nation to it,and fet it (elf in his room : and there- 
 fore fin in fome reipeft, as to the wrong againfl: 
 God, is infinite. 
 
 2.0bferve,T£at the real and very great for rovr 
 that the fins of the elett deferved, our Lord 
 Jefus did really and atlually bear andjuffer. As 
 we have exponed the words, and confirmed the 
 expofition given of them, ye have a clear confir- 
 mation of the do&rine from them. i. Griefs and 
 forrorvs, in the plural number, fhew inteninefs of 
 forrow and grief. 2. That they are called ours^it 
 fhews our propriety in them. And, 3. That it's 
 faid Chrift bare them ; thefe concur to prove the 
 do&rine, that the lame forrow which the fins 
 of the ele& deferred, Chrift bare : It not only 
 (ays, that our Lord bare forrows, but the fame 
 for rows, that by the fins of the ele& were due 
 to them ; and fo there was a proportionablefs 
 betwixt the farrows that he bare, and the for- 
 rows they ihould have endured ; he took up the 
 cup o? wrath that was filled for us, and that we 
 would have been put to drink, and drank it out 
 himfelf. Suppofe that our Lord had never died 
 (as bleffed be his name, there is no ground to 
 make the fuppofitionj the cup of forrow that the 
 ele<£ would have drunken eternally, was the fame 
 cup that he drank out for them, ft is true, W« 
 would diftinguifh betwixt thefe things that are 
 §fJenti*Uy due to fin as the punifhment of* it, and 
 thefe things that are only accidentally due to it ; 
 the former Chrift bare, but not the latter. To 
 clear both in a word or two, Ci.)Thefe things ef- 
 fentially due to fin, as neccfTarly included in the 
 threatning,T£e day thou eatefttbeujbaltfurely die\ 
 and in the curfe of the law 5 according to chat,C»r- 
 JcA is every one that abides net in all things that 
 
 Verfe 4, f. Serm. 19.' 
 
 are written in the bock of the law do them ; are 
 death and^ the curfe \ thefe are effentially the 
 de-lert of fin ; in which refpec*t it was not only 
 neceffary that Chrift ihould become Man and fuf- 
 fer, but that h lhuld furFer to death, or fhould 
 d : e ; and not only fo, but that he fhould die the 
 curfed death of the.crofs, as the threatning and 
 curfe put together hold out: And as to all thefe 
 things that he underwent, and met with before, 
 and at his death, they were the accompiifhment 
 of the theratr.ing due to us. and fulfilled in & by 
 him in our room ; fo that,ashe himielffaith.l^ie 
 24.2^. fools >andjlm of heart to believe all that 
 the prophets have fpeken, ought ntChriji to have 
 fuffsred thefe things , and to have entred bite his 
 glory ? therefore he behoved to be in an agony, and 
 to fweat great drops of blood, to be crucified, and 
 die, and. to be laid in the grave. (2J.Thefe things 
 which we call acecidently due to fin, are main- 
 ly two. ij#, That Horrible defperation of the 
 the damned in hell, where they gnaw their 
 tongues for pain, and blafpheme God ; this, we 
 fay, is not properly and elfentially the defer.C 
 of fin, but only accidental ; 1. In refpe& of the 
 creature's inability to bear the wrath that fin de- 
 ferred! ; and hence arifeth not only a finlefs hor- 
 ror which is natural, but a iinful defperation. 
 2. Add to this inability of the creature, the en- 
 mity thereof, whereby it cometh to thwart with 
 and contradict the will of God ; hence the de- 
 fperation not only arifeth,butis increafed:now,©ur 
 Lord Jefus not being fimply aCrtature or a Man, 
 but God and Man in onePer fon,he was able to bear 
 the forrow and wrath due to the ele& for their fin; 
 and there being no quarrel, nor ground of any 
 quarrel, betwixt God, and him on his own^ac- 
 count, tho' he had a natural and finlefs horror at 
 the cup of his Father's difpleafure, when put to 
 his head ; yet he had no finful defperation. The 
 id thing, accidentally due to fin, is the eternal 
 duration of the wrath, or of the curie ; becaufe 
 the finner, being a meer creature, cannot at one 
 fhoke meet with the infinite wrath of God, and 
 iatisfy juftice at once ; therefore the-Lord hath, 
 in his wifdom and juftice, found out a way of 
 fupporting the creature in its being, and con- 
 tinuing it for ever under wrath, becaufe it can- 
 not, being finite, fatisfy infinite juftice : but our 
 Lord,being God and Man, being of infinite worth 
 or value, and of infinite ftrer.gtb, was able to 
 fatisfy juftice, and bear at once, that which the 
 ele& could never have born ; yet he had the ef- . 
 fentials of that which fin deferved, to wit, death 
 and the curfe,to meet with,and did actually meet 
 with them j as. the hiding of his Father's face,and 
 
 the 
 
Serm.20. . . .. Jfaiab ^ 
 
 the Appending and keeping back of that coniola- 
 Sob, that by vertue or the perfonal union flowed 
 from the Godhead to the Man iiead : and he ai- 
 fp had the actual fenfe and feeling of the wrath of 
 God, the awaked fword of the jutlice of God 
 actually fmiting him j fo that men wondered 
 how he could be dead fo foon. We iha'.l only add 
 a word or two of reafons for clearing and confir- 
 ming the doctrine \ and for proof of it, thefe 
 three things concur, I. That iin's deferving, by 
 God's appointment, is to have forrow following 
 ©nit. 2. That by God's appointment, ac:or- 
 ding to the covenant of redemption, the Son of 
 God undertook that fame very debt that was 
 due by the elect. And, 3. That it was God's de- 
 sign not to pafs one of their fins, without fatis- 
 faction.made to juitice,butto put atthcCautioner 
 for them a' 1 , for the declaration of the riches and 
 glory of the free grace of God, when the finner 
 is liberate,/ av ( d not put to pay, and for the de- 
 claration of the holy feverity and jullice o: God, 
 when not one farthing is owing, bur the' Cautio- 
 ner mull: needs pay it ; and that both thefe meet- 
 ing together, there may be, to all generations, 
 a Handing and fliining evidence of the unlcarch- 
 ab!e riches.both of God s grace, and or his juftice. 
 
 This is a fweet doctrine, and hath many maf- 
 fy, iubflantial, and (oul-refrefhing ufes: Out of 
 this eater comes meat, and put of the ilrong 
 comes iweet, this being the very marrow ofrhe 
 gofpel, holding out not oniy Chriil's iurTerin^s, 
 but that he differed not at randum, -or by guefs, 
 but that he fuffered the (orrows and griefs that 
 we fhould have luffered : and tho' the equivalent 
 might have been received, yet he would needs 
 undergo the lame fufferings in their eifentials ; 
 which may exceedingly confirm the taith and 
 hope of believers in him, of their exemption and 
 freedom from the wrath and curfe of God, feeing 
 he furfered the fame that they fhould have furfe- 
 red, had not he interpofed betwixt them and it, 
 as their Cautioner and Surety. 
 
 Ufe 1. Hereby we may know what an evil and 
 bitter thing fin is, that hath fuch effects 5 would 
 God we could once prevail thus far with you, as 
 to make you take up and believe, that fin hath 
 forrow and- grief infeparably knit to it, and that 
 the finner is miferable, and liable to death, and 
 to the curfc of God ; and there is no difference 
 but this, that fmners are infenfible how mife- 
 rable they are, and fo in greater capacity to be 
 made obnoxious to that mfery .• Do ye mind 
 this, O finners, that Gcd is angry with feu every 
 day ? That indignation and wrath, tribulation* 
 and anguijb, is to every- feu I *f man that does e- 
 *&*T$titGfid mU by no meewsjkar t be guilty I 
 
 1 remble to think upon it ; many of you pafs as 
 gay honelt folks, who will be iound in this roll : 
 and would ye know your conditioned thei.azard 
 that ye run r 'lis of wrath and the curfc of God 
 eicTTiZl'}', 'Vlth delpeiation and Li a! plumy ; and 
 ir that be mifery, fin is'mifery, or brings it : and 
 the day comes, when there ihall be a ftorm from 
 heaven of fire and thunder, that will melt the e- 
 lements above you, and not leave a ftoiie" upori a 
 flone or thefe {lately buildings on earth about 
 you ; in which day, iinners will be confirmed in 
 the belief of this truth, That it is an evil and 
 bitter thing to depart frcm the living Gcd, 
 
 To prefs this Uje a little, there are two forts 
 of finners,, who, if they would foberly let t e 
 truth of this doctrine fink in their minds, they 
 would fee their folly :The firft fort are thefe who 
 ly quietly under bygone guilt -unrepented of, as 
 if the forrow were pall, becaufe the act isfo ; but 
 think not fo : Will the jull God avenge fin on his 
 Son, and will he let it pals in you ? Ye that will 
 grant ye are iinners, and are under convictions of 
 fin, ye had need to take heed what is following 
 it ; as ye treafure up iin, ye are treafuringup 
 wratb againfl the day of rvratb : O wrath is a 
 heaping up in ltoreforycu. A fecond fort are 
 thefe that go on in fin, whatever be laid to the 
 effects of it, and will confidently put their hand 
 to it, as if there were no fling in it at all, and 
 drink it over as fo much fweet liquor : But thefe 
 ilolen drinks, that ictm fweet in iecret, will be 
 vomited up again with pain,torment and forrow; 
 and either it ihall be grief and forrow to you in 
 the way of repentance,or eternal grief and forrow, 
 when the cup of God's wrath ihall be put in your 
 hand, and held to your head for evermore. 
 
 Ufe 2. By this ye may fee a neceffity of making 
 ufe of the Mediator Chrift jeius; 'tisCod's great 
 mercy that he hath given a Mediator, and that 
 the Mediator is come, and that he hath taken on 
 our debt. What had been our eternal perilhing 
 and wallowing, in hell's torments with devils, 
 to his fufferings ? Always this Dodirine faitn, 
 that there is a necefnty of making ute of him. and 
 receiving of him ; and therefore, eit. er r 'olvt to 
 meet with this forrow in your own p rons. or 
 betake you to him, that by his inter poiing it 
 may be kept oif you. Weigh thefe two that >>r- 
 row, death, and the curfe neceftarily roilov. lin ; 
 and that jefus Chrill hath died, and undergone 
 that curfe for the ekct ii.mers : and th.n ye will 
 fee a neceffity of being found in him, that ye may 
 be free of the curie ; which made Faul make 'hat 
 choice,, FhiU 3 8, 9. / count alt tbhtgs. dung that 
 IfnajwnUjriJ}^ md'ot found in bim*< Gtonaes- 
 
 she- 
 
i 04 7 /*^& 53. 
 
 -the allurements of tile gofpel prevail not to 
 bring iinners to Chrift ; but if its allurements 
 do not prevail, will not the consideration of the 
 vengeance of God pcrfwade you ? However, in 
 theie two doctrines ye have in fu'm this, th? curfe 
 of God following fin„ and a free and full Saviour 
 holdcn out to you, by v. h. fli ye a 
 
 Ver ;^> . I i Serm. 2o : 
 
 curie: ye are invited to make hjm welcome- 
 choofe you, death and lite are fet before you* 
 whereby you are put to it, whether ye will ad- 
 venture to meet with the curie, or to make hint 
 welcome. Now, God himielf make you wife 
 to make the right choice. 
 
 E R M ON XX. 
 
 ftaiah liii. 4. Surely he bath born cur griefs'* and carried cur J 'or rows : yet we did efieem him 
 
 flriclen, [mitten of God, and ajflitied. 
 Yerfe 5. But he was wounded for our tranferejftons, he was bruifedfor our iniquities ' the cha- 
 ! fiijernent of our peace was upon him, and with hisflripes we are healed, 
 TF we had 'the faith of that which the prophet bruifed him, even fuch as made him become 
 
 fpeaks here, and the thorow conviction, who 
 is of whom he fpeaks, we would be in a 
 holy tranfport of admiration andafton ; fhmentat 
 the hearing ©fit ; that 'tis he, who is the/Prince 
 of life, that w r as bruifed and wounded ; and that 
 thefe bruifes, wounds and ftripes are ours, were 
 for us, and the price and fatisfaction for our ini- 
 quities to divine juftice ; and yet, that even he, 
 in the* performing of all this, |S vilipended and 
 defpifed by thofe, whofe good he is thus purfa- 
 ing and feeking after : Oh, how fhould it be 
 wondered at 1 
 
 Thefe words (as we lhewj,hold forth thefe 
 three, 1. Thecaule or end of ChrifVs fuffering, 
 Surely he bath born our griefs, and carried our 
 forrows ; which is to remove and take away the 
 fcandal that might arife from Chrift's humiliati- 
 on, defcribed in the foregoing words: he was low 
 indeed,but there was no guile found in his mouth; 
 it was for no quarrel that God had at himfelf, but 
 he undertook our debt, and therefore carried our 
 forrows* 2. The aggravation of mens enmity 
 anddefperatewickednefs; that yet, notwithftan- 
 ding of all this, We efieemed him f mitten of God, 
 and afflifted. 3. We have the exposition of the firft 
 part more clearly fet down, But he was wounded 
 for our tranfgreffions, be was bruifed for our ini- 
 quities y &c. where more fully he expounds 
 yvhat in the beginning of the 4 v. he afferted. 
 
 Wc expounded the firft part of the words, and 
 fliew, that thefe griefs and forrows held forth the 
 due defert of fin ; called ours,becaufe they are the 
 due and particular defert of our fins, and that 
 which they procured : and that Chrift's bearing 
 of them was not only meant of his taking away, 
 ©r removing from us of forrows and griefs, as he 
 did difeafes, but of his real undergoing of that 
 which we fliould have undergone, even fuch a 
 bearing, as made others think him {"mitten and 
 £la£¥t>d tf G<?d» and ftfel as weunded and 
 
 curfe for us, and fuch as procured healing to us : 
 All which which proves, that it was a real under- 
 going of ibrrow and grief. 
 
 We fpoke to two doctrines from this part, i.' 
 That fin hath forrow necefTarily knit to it, and 
 never wanteth forrow following it. 2.That Chrift 
 Jefus undertook the lame forrows, and really 
 bare thefe fame griefs that fin procured to the 
 elect, or that by fin were due to them. 
 
 That we may proceed to obferve fomewhat 
 more ; and for clearer accefs to the doctrine, we 
 fiiall fpeak a word to a queftion that may be'mo- 
 ved here, 
 
 What is meant by thefe words, cur, wf,and us? 
 He hath born our griefs, the Lord hath laid on 
 him the iniquity of us all, by his ftripes we are 
 healed i And the rather I would fpeak to this, be- 
 caufe throughout the Chapter we will find thefe 
 Pronouns very frequent. We know, in fcripture, 
 our and us are fometimes extended to all man- 
 kind; fo we are all loft in Adam, and fin hath a 
 dominion over us all : and that part of the words, 
 v. 6. All we likejheep have gone aflray, may well 
 be extended to all mankind. Sometimes it is to 
 be reftri&ed to God's elect, and £o all compre- 
 hends only fuch,and all fuch: And in this refpect, 
 our, us and we, and all, are contradiftinguifhed 
 from many others in the world, and take not in 
 all men, as Gal. 4. 26. ferufalem which is a- 
 hove is free, which is the mother of us all; which 
 is fpoken, in oppofition to the bond-woman and 
 her children fpoken of before , fo that this our, 
 us and we, are not to be extended to all individu* 
 al men in the world, as if Chrift had tatisfied the 
 juftice of God for all ; but it is to be applied to 
 God's elect, feparate in his purpofe from others, 
 and in God's defign appointed to be redeemed 
 and.fatisfied for by Chrift. And the words being 
 thus expounded, they lead us to this Doctrine, 
 
 That 
 
Serra. 20. . f ,Jf*J abt >} 7 
 
 that Jcius Chrift, in bearing the pumfhment of 
 fin, had a particu'ar and diftinft refpe&to lome 
 definite Tinners. For confirmation of it, we fhall 
 not go oat of the chapter, the fcope whereof we 
 would clear a little ; and if we look thorow the 
 chapter, we will find live grounds, to clear that 
 thele woids are to be thus reftri&ed. 
 
 For, i. We are to expound this univerfal,with 
 sefpeft to God's purpoie and covenant, the con- 
 trivance of the eiefts redt mptton,and to the death 
 of Chrift,the execution of it-, and fo thefe words, 
 cur, us, we, all, are and mult be reftri&ed to 
 thefe; and in themwc are to find out, who they 
 are ; Now, who thefe are, we find clear, f:bn 
 6. 37, 39. in the 37 v. where he faith, AU that 
 the Father hath given enejball come unto me\ and 
 v. 39. This is the Fat bet's will which hath fent 
 tne\ that of all vobicb.be bath given me J Jhould 
 I : fen thing : it's in a word thefe whom the Fa- 
 ther hath given to Chrift, and as many as are gi- 
 ven will beiieve; aid certainly thefe that are gi- 
 ver, toChrifc,to be redeemed b) him, are the fame 
 whole iniqutti- stheFather makes to meet or. him: 
 and thefe are dittinguilhed from thefe not given, 
 Jehu 17.6,11- and are called bisfteep, jf^.iO.15, 
 and 17. Therefore doth my Father love me, be- 
 cauje I lay d.rm my life, to wit, fir my'Jbeep. 
 And all the (train of this chapter being to ihew 
 God's \>ay of contriving and profecuting the 
 work of rede mption,and Chrift's executing there- 
 of, according to the covenant of redemption ; all 
 this fpoken of Chriil's furfering mud be expoun- 
 ded according to that ingagement. 2. Whereas 
 it is (aid, v. b. For the tranfgreffv.ns of my people 
 rva? heftricien: it is certain, this cur, and us, 
 and we, for vhom Chrift was ftricken, muft be 
 reftnclcd- to God's people, that is his peculiar 
 people, who are his, by elefting love, as Chrift 
 faith, John 1 j. 6. Thine they were* and thou ga- 
 vefl them to me : they are not his, as all the 
 world are his, but are contradillinguiihed from 
 the world, as his .own peculiar, purpofed, de- 
 figned people; fure all the world are not God's 
 people in this fenfe, therefore they are called bis 
 fieep. and contradiflinguilhed from thefe who are 
 not his fheep, Jobn 10. 17. And therefore we are 
 to look on thefe words, our, us, and we, as of e- 
 auivalent extent with the peculiar people of 
 God ; he carried the pun'fhment o the fins of all 
 God's people, -that are- his peculiar ele&ion. 
 r. So, v. 10. When thou Jbalt n:ak'e bis foul an 
 fikering for fin, he ft all fee bis feed : hence we 
 gather this. That thefe, whofe iniquities Chrift 
 bare, are Chrift's feed; and for thefe he purpefeiy 
 laid down his life, r^s thefe v horn he exieftetf 
 jhould be faved, for fatisfyinj of him for the tra- 
 
 Ver. 4, y to< 
 
 vel of his foul, and for no mo ; and thefe can- 
 not certainly be all the world, there being fuch 
 contradiftin&ion betwixt Chrift m>ftical, or his 
 feed comprehending the ele<5t, and the feed of 
 the fcrpent comprehending the reprobate and 
 wicked, who arc faid to be of their father the 
 devil ; thefe are Chrift's feed, who are fpirituaV 
 ly begotten offline and thefe doubttefs are not 
 all the world, and for thefe only he fuffered ; fo 
 that cur fins here are the fins of all the feed.* 
 4. Look to v. 11. where it is faid, By his know- 
 ledge fh all my righteous Servant juftify many ;fcf 
 be Jhall bear their iniquities' where it is clear, 
 whofe fins they are that Chrift bears ', it's theirs 
 who are juftified by his knowledge, or by faith in 
 his blood ; and justification by faith in his blood, 
 and redemption by his blood, are commensu- 
 rable, and of equal extent. Now, it being certain 
 as to the event, that not all the world, nor all 
 in the vifible Church, are juftified by the faith 
 of Chrift, it muft aifo be certain, that the fins o f 
 others, who are not, nor fnall not be juftified, 
 were never purpofely born by Chrift. And this 
 ground, as all the reft, will be the more clear, if 
 we confider. that it is given as an argument 
 why they muft be juftified, becaule he hath bora 
 their iniquities. A fifth ground may be gathered 
 from the laft words of the Chapter, He made in- 
 ter ceffton for the tranfgrefjers; whence we may 
 • reafon, that Chrift's interceffion and his fatis- 
 faftion, are of equal extent, he fatisfies for no mo 
 than he interceeds for. Now, it was not for all 
 the world, nor indefinite'} 7 , and by gueis, f6r aU 
 in the vifible Church that Chrift did intercecd, 
 but for them that the Father had given him out 
 of the world, ^ohn 17. ver. 6. & 9. Thine they 
 were, and thougaveji them me; and v. 10. AU 
 mine are thine, and thine are mine \ Chrift's 
 death being the ground of his interceffion, and 
 it being by vertue of his death that he interceed- 
 ed, his death and interceiTion mull be of the fame 
 extent ; he interceeds for fuch and fu:h finners, 
 becaufe he hath paid a price for them, that there 
 may be a good account made of-them at the laft 
 day. 
 
 The ifi Ufe of it ferves to clear a great and 
 precious truth con:erning God's covenant, and 
 difcri minating love, whereby he hath put diffe- 
 rence betwixt iome and others. 2. It ferves to ftir 
 them up, who are thus differenced, to admire at, 
 and to commend his love, v. ho hath been graci* 
 cully mindriil of'thrm, v. hen others are paft by. 
 3. It ferves a-'b to dear the oth?r Scriptures, 
 and this. fame Chapter, and to t>'aeh us, not to 
 make coKiRior. tw all. the privileges beftov.ed oa 
 P low* 
 
rod* Ifaiab $3. 
 
 fome peculiar ones, and to guard us againil the 
 vi.ifying and prophaning of our Lord's fuife- 
 rings, as if he had no fpecial and peculiar defign 
 in them, or as if they might* be fruft rated in the 
 defign of them, contrary to the promife made to 
 him of the Father. 
 
 And therefore here, to obviate an obje&ion, 
 which, is made from the 6 v. All we i/ke Jheep 
 have gem aflray , whence fome would infer, that 
 it's all who like weep have ftrayed, whole ini- 
 quities Chrift hath born : we lay, That that All 
 is not meant to comprehend them whofe iniqui- 
 ties Chrift hath born only, but, to hold out the 
 extent or ftraying; or the meaning is not to ihew, 
 that his iurFering and fatisfying of juftice exten- 
 ded to all that ftrayed, but to ihew, that the 
 elect 1 or whom he fufFered had all. of them ftray- 
 ed, as well as others •• and this is like the reafo- 
 rjing which the apoftle hath* 2 Cor. 5. 14. If one 
 died for a!!, tbsn were all dead ; the meaning 
 whereof is not, that Chrift. died for all that were 
 dead, but this is the meaning, That all for whom 
 Ghrift died were once dead : fo here, while it's 
 faid, All we like Jheep have gone aflray> it is to 
 ihew, that the ele& ftrayed, and eiteemed him 
 not; as well as others, and had God's curfe 
 lying on them as their due, till Ghrift interpo- 
 fed, and took it off them. The point might 
 have alfo ufe for confirmation, but we do not 
 follow thefe. 
 
 2. Surely be hat b born our griefs, and carried 
 tur fcrrrowsy that is our griefs and forrows who 
 su:e his elect, his people, his feed, who flee to him 
 for refuge, and are juftified by his knowledge, 
 ©x by faith in him, and for whom he maketh in- 
 tercelfion : hence obferve, That believers would 
 endeavour the (lengthening of themfelves in the 
 faith' of this, that Jefus Chrift hath born their 
 griefs and forrows, and hath fatisfied juftice for 
 them in particular ; they would ftudy to be in 
 safe on good ground, with the prophet, to fay, 
 Surely be hath born our griefs, and carried our 
 forrows ; to make it fure, that they are in the roll 
 of eltcY. believers, and juftified perjbns ; to fay 
 with the Apoftle Paul Gal. 3. 13. He was wade 
 a^curje for us \ and with the fame apoftle, 2 Cor. 
 5. ult, to fay, He was made fin for us, that we 
 wight be made the rightecus of God in bim>\ and 
 to. fay with the apoftle Peter , 1 Pet. 1.24. Who. 
 bis.ownf elf bare our fins in his own body on the 
 tnee. They fp.ak always by way of application. So 
 thele places, whereby we confirmed the doctrine, 
 ■ That Chrift really, bare thafpuniihrnent of the 
 fijjs joF the eleclj are expreis in an applicatory. 
 way: And that notable place, Gal 2. 20. where, 
 
 Ver. 4*5; Serm. 20. 
 
 gave himfelf for us, he draws it nearer and more 
 home, and faith', who loved me , and gave bin? [elf 
 for me : but that ye may not milake the p.int, 
 my meaning is not, that every body off-hand 
 fhould make application of Chrift's death : O 
 the prefumption and dclperate fecurity that de- 
 ftroys thoufands of louls here, as if there were no 
 fuch diftinctionas we held forth in the firft doct- 
 rine, nor 'any bar to be. put in the way of that fan- 
 cied uniyeilal application or "Chrift's dying for all 
 finners/ whereas we fhew, thatit was for his iheep, 
 and thefe given to 'him of the Father only, that 
 he died, and for no mo : but this is my mean? 
 ing, that (as it is, 2 Pet. t. 10.) ye would givs 
 diligence ^ to make y cur calling and elecHon fure, 
 and that in an orderly way, ye would fecure and 
 ficker your intereft inChrift's death : not to make 
 this thefirft thing that ye apprehended for the 
 foundation of your faith, that he died for you in 
 particular, for that were to coma to the top of. 
 the ftairs, before ye begin to fet foot on the hrft 
 ftep ; but the orderly way is, to make fure your 
 fleeing to Chrift in the fenle of fin, and yo ir clo- 
 fing with him on his own terms, and your having 
 . the chara&ers of his people ingraven on you ; and 
 then, from fuch premilfes, ye may draw this con- 
 clufion, as therefult thereof, Surely he hath born< 
 our grief s y and carried our forrows ; then ye may 
 be fatisfied ly confirmed in this, that w r hen Chrift 
 tranfa&ed and bargained with the father about, 
 the eledlr, when he prayed, and took the cup of. 
 his Father's wrath, and drank it out for them, 
 he minded your names, and was made a curfe in 
 your room : the realon is drawn from the advan- 
 tage of fuch a doctrine, as having hanging on it 
 the confolation of all the pro-miles of Cod ; for 
 we can never comfortably apply, nor be deligh- 
 ted in the promiles, till we come to make parti-- 
 cular^p plication ot Chrift's purpofe and purchafe 
 in the work of redemption. This is it that rids- 
 marches, and draws a line betwixt us and repror- 
 bate ungodly men, and that keeps from the fear 
 of eternal death that purfues them : and it gives 
 fome ground of hope to lay hold on. and grip to, . 
 as to our enjoying of Chrift's purchafe. I know 
 there is nothing that folk had more need to be . 
 fbber and warry in the fearch of, and in the fecu- 
 ring. themklves in, than this : yet by the fame 
 command that enjoineth us to make our cove- 
 nant-ftate, our calling and election fure, we are 
 bound to make our redemption lure-, and hal- 
 ving at fome length fpoken of the way of making 
 fure our believing, on the 1 v. we may irfift the 
 lefs on this, of making fure out redemption by. 
 ChriiL, 
 
 The.- 
 
Serm. 2o. Ifatah $3. 
 
 The ft C//eferves for information ; to let you 
 .know, that there are rc,any profeiTmg Chriftians, 
 that account this a curious, nice, and conceity 
 thing, to ftudy to be lure, and to make it lure, • 
 
 ! that bhrifi in his death and fufferings minded 
 them in particular } others may be think it im- 
 poihnle ; and all may think it a right hard and 
 difficult thing, and indeed fo it is: But yet we 
 would have you to confider, 1. That fimply it is 
 not impoffible, elle we mould fay, that the com- 
 fort of the people of God were impoffible. 2.That 
 it is no curious thing •, for the Lord doth not lay 
 the obligation to curiofky on any, tho' we would 
 wilh that many had a ho;y curiofky to know 
 God's mind towards them, that they might not 
 live in the dark about fuch a concerning bufinels. 
 3. That the fecret cf the Lcrdis witio them that 
 fear h'tm y Pfal. 2<. 14. and even this lame fecret 
 concerning reaemption is with them, and he will 
 fhew them his covenant : And indeed it were no 
 foiall marttr to have this manitefted. 
 And therefore, as a zd Ufe ofthepoint,we would 
 
 I commend to you the lfudy or -making this lure; 
 for it hath many notable advantages attending it : 
 Itwouid provoke to humility, and tothankfunefs 
 to him that loved us, and wajhed Us from our fins 
 in his own bind •, it Would mak a comfortable 
 an ; ; ch arfui Chriitian lite •, it would warm the 
 heart with love to God, and to fefus Ch. ift, who 
 hath thus loved us,asto-givehimfelf for us. When 
 we commend this to you, it's no uncouth, nice, 
 needleily curious, or unattainable thing ; nor 
 would we have you, when ye cannot attam it. to 
 fit down difeouraged ; neither would we have 
 you take any extraordinary way to come by it ; 
 nor waiting for any new light, but that which is 
 in the Bible ; nor would we have ) ou revolving 
 to do no other thing till ye attain to this : But 
 this we would have you to do, even to make faith 
 in Chrift fure, by fleeing to him, and calling your 
 burden on him, by cordia- receiving of him, and 
 acquieicing 'n him ; and then ye make all fure. 
 The committing of your lelves to him, to be 
 ■faved by his price paid to divine juftice, and 
 retting on him as he is holden out in the gofpel, 
 is the way to read your intereft in his redempti- 
 on ; and this is it that we have Gat. 3. and 2. 19. 
 where it is d : fputcd at length, that we are heirs 
 of Abraham by believing 5 and. By the law (faith 
 the apoffltyl am dead tctbelaw, that I might live 
 unto God : / am crucified with Chrift-, neverthe- 
 less I live, yet n:t /, but Chrift lives in me, and 
 the life which I live in the flejh is by the faith of 
 the Sen cf God : Hence he concludes, Who lov- 
 ed me, and gave himfelf for me ; And this he 
 proves in the lafl words, / do nA fruftrute the 
 
 Verfe 4, 5. 1C > 7 
 
 grace of God, I do not difappoint it, I mar it 
 not in its end and deiign ; it is (as if be had 
 faidj feeking a loft finner to fave, and I give it 
 a loir, finner to»be faved : For tho' God's decree be 
 the firil ftep to fa!vation,and the work of redemp- 
 tion follows on it, and then believing on both; 
 yet to come to the knowledge of God's decree 
 of election, and of our concern in the covenant 
 of redemption, we look downward, and feek firft 
 to know, if we have a right to make application 
 of that which was thought upon long fi nee con- 
 cerning us ; and this we do,by reflecting on the 
 way we have come to believing : If we have 
 been convinced and made fenfible of fin, and oi 
 our loft condition by nature ; if we have not ' 
 fmothered that conviction, but cherifhed it ; if 
 we have not run to this or .that duty for fatisfy-. 
 ing of divine juftice, and for making of our 
 peace thereby, but were neceffitate to betake cur 
 ielves to Jefus Chrift made offer of in the gofpel 
 for the falvation of fmners •, and if we have 
 clofed with him as he was offered; and if we have 
 done fo, we may thence conclude that he hath 
 loved as, and given himfelf to fave ua : Becaufe 
 he hath humbled me for fin (may the ferious 
 ferious foul fay) and given me this faith to believe 
 in him ; and this is his promife which I reft upon, 
 that 1 fhall be faved. Or thou mayft try thy 
 intereft in his redemption thus ; Whether am I 
 one of God's people or no ? Whether do I walk 
 like them ? and fo go thorow the marks and 
 fignsot holinefs, asking thy felf, What fincerity 
 is there in me ? what mortification ? what bu- 
 milty, meeknefs, loveto God and his children? 
 and what fruits of faith in new -'obedience ?Thefe 
 two, faith and holinefs, are the pillars that 
 bear up the houfe of alfurance ; working and 
 not retting on it, believing and yet not grow- 
 ing vain and light becaufe of it, but fo much the 
 rather ftudying holinefs ; and to go on betwixt 
 and with thefe two, till we come to read God's 
 mind about our election and redemption : For 
 neither believing nor hotn fs can make any ■ 
 alteration in the bargain of redemption, yet 
 it will warrant our application of the bargain, 
 and cle«r our intereft in it ; as the apoftle Pe- 
 ter plainly iniinuates, when he thus exhorts, 
 Give diligence to maie ycur calling and eittti- 
 on fure : How is that ? Will diligence make 
 God alter his decree of election, or make it any 
 furer in it felf? No, by no means/but it will 
 alTure us of it ; for Jby fo dcing an entrMms 
 fhall be miniflred unto us abundantly into his 
 everlafiing kingdem \ by giving all diligence t» 
 add one grace fo another, and one degree of 
 f* 2 graCt 
 
toS. Jfaiab <)}. 
 
 grace to another, there fhallbe a wide door open- 
 ed to us to go into heaven by *, and trure is no 
 hazard in commending this do£rine to you all, 
 even the ftudy of faith and holinefs, thereby to 
 come to the knowledge of God's iecrct counfel 
 concerning you. 
 
 And therefore, as a third Ufe of this point, 
 Know that all of you, that prejudge your fjlves 
 of this comfort of your intereil in Chrift's pur- 
 chafe-, do bring the blame of it on your felves. If 
 any ihall prophancly objecl, h God hath purpofed, 
 fo many iha: ! get good of Chrift's iuffevings,and 
 no mo, what will my faith and holinefs do, if 
 I be not elected ? nd w hat can. my unbelief 
 and., negligence prejudge me*if I be elected ? We 
 fhew, in tlie former Ufe wh..t faith and holinefs 
 wiii do ; ana we tell you here,, what your un- 
 belief and ne^.igence wiil do, and it's this, it 
 Will feclud- you from all the bleflings of the 
 covenant, and bring you under the fentence of 
 condemnation : tor as the conditional promife 
 looks to the believer and unbeliever ; io it is 
 not Chrift's purchafe, nor the difference God 
 hath made in. his purpofe of ele&ion, that is the 
 caufe why ye are damned and not juftilied ; but 
 yearedamned)becauie ye tranfertued God's law, 
 and when falvation was orferea to you through 
 Chrift, ye would not clofe with" the offer ; and 
 ye are not juftified, becaufe ye betook not your 
 fclv.es to him for righteoulnefs, but continued in 
 your fin^and in feeking righteoufnefs by the law: 
 To*altho'thisuniverfal be not true> That Carifi 
 died for all men ; yet this univerfal is true, that 
 they are all ju/iijied that by faith flee unto Jefus 
 Ghriji for refuge : Hence thefe two are put toge- 
 ther. Job* 6.%-j. All that the Father hath given me y 
 Jkall eome unto me \ and him that comet b J will in 
 up -wife cafl out: Fcrlcame dcvon.fr cm heaven n*t 
 tt dg my twn will, but the bather's will that ft nt 
 me, if itfhould be asked, V\ hac is the Father's will? 
 He anlwers,2Ai$ is the Father's will that Cent mg, 
 that «f all that be hath given me J Jhwld I fe no- 
 thing.', there are (as if he had faid) fome commit- 
 tied to me, to be redeemed by me, and I will lofe 
 »one of them. And left itfhould yet be obj c^ted, 
 But I wot not if I be given to Chrift to be redee- 
 med by him; he adds,slnd this is the will of him 
 that fent me, that every one that feetb the Sen, 
 and believeth on him, may have everlafting life: 
 I)i wbich words, we have two wills, to lay fo, 
 ©oth having the fame promife and erfeft ; the 
 firffc relates to the fecre't pa&ion of redempti- 
 on verfe 39. and the fecond is his revealed 
 will,pointing.atour duty, verfe 4.0. And fo,ifany 
 fhould fay, I know not if I be given, to Chrift, 
 \ kwvt. Bdt. if I be ele&ed.; This^afifwer is Utre 
 
 Ver. 4, <j. Serm. 20. 
 
 given, What is that to thee ? it's not to be karch- 
 . ed into at. the fir il- hand, and broken in upon 
 • per faltum, and at the broad-fide J. that is God's 
 iecrct will, and that which is his revealed will 
 belongs to thee, and that is, to fee that thou be- 
 lieve ; and if thou believeft, the lame promife 
 that is annexed to believing is annexed to ele<fti- 
 on, and they fweetly tryft together, and are of 
 equal extent, to wit, believing, and to be given 
 to Chriil ? And therefore let me commend it to 
 you, to hold you content- with God's revealed will; 
 for it is not the ground of your faith, I nxan as 
 to it's fir It doling with Chriil, that of all given, 
 to Chrift, he ihall lo!e none ; but this is the 
 ground of it, That every one that ieeth the Son, 
 and believeth on him, ihall have ever'afting life: 
 And we may add this word ,as one motive amongil 
 others to.faith and holinefs, That by your ftudy. - 
 ing of thefe, ye may turn over the words of the 
 prophet here to your felves,and fay purely he hath 
 born our griefs, and carried cur ftrrews; and that 
 of theapoftle,<jtf/.2.lf&;/ loved me^and gavebimr 
 felf for me ; • alfo that w r ord of Piter cited before, 
 His own felf bare our fins in his own body on the 
 tree: And O what conlolation is here ! 
 
 The4f£ Ufe of it is, To commend the practice 
 of this to the believer that hath indeed fled to 
 Jefus Chrift ; and to fhew the great privilege 
 that they have who are fuch ; The pja<*tice of it 
 is, that believers fhould feek to beellablilhed and 
 confirmed in the particular app'i ration of Chrifl's 
 death to themfelvts, not only to know that he 
 Aiifered for the ele<ft and for. believers,- but for 
 them in particular, that, as it h.Htb. 4. \6.1hey 
 may c^me with bcldnefs to the throne of God. and 
 confidently aftert their int. reft •, and as it is.Hdb. 
 6. they may grow, up h the fill ajjurance rfbepf 
 unt: the end* We iuppofc there are many behe- 
 vers 3 that dare not.difclaim the covenanted their 
 intereft inChrift,who yet are fearful to make this 
 particular application, Jefus. Cb>ijt hath loved 
 me,and given bimjelj fr me : t-ut if they could 
 knit thee:fcds,with the cauie Irom whence they 
 came, they might attain to it ; for the man that. 
 can lay, i am fled to Chrift lor refuge, he may 
 alio fay, that he purpofely laid down his life to 
 pay my debt*, ana-be is warranted of Chrift to 
 make this application of his particular intention, 
 towards him. Upon the other fide, the more 
 confolation be in this to believers, it fpeaks the 
 greater ground of terror to unbelievers, becaufe 
 of the prejudice theyfufain by the want of this; 
 and as many of you as make not faith and holi- 
 neis your ftudy, ye ly out of the reach of this 7 
 conlglauoa that flows from (thrift's bearing the 
 
 grieii 
 
5erm. 21. Ifaiab -53. 
 
 griefs and (orrows of his own : And therefore 
 let the profane, fentlefs multitude, that know 
 not what it is to die to the law, or to live to ho- 
 linefs, as ye would not commit facrilege, (land 
 a-back, and not dare to meddle with this redem- 
 ption, till ye ftoop and come in at this door of 
 
 Ver. 4, <5. ■ . 109 
 
 faith and holinefs : and let* as many as are in this 
 way admit of the confolation, for it's the Lord's 
 allowance upon you ; but for others, if ye pre- 
 fume to take hold of it, the Lord will wring it 
 from you, and let you know to your coft that ) e 
 had nothing to do with it. 
 
 SERMON XXL 
 
 IfaUh liti. 4. Surely be bath born cur griefs* and carried vur for rows : yet roe did efteem him 
 
 flrickcn, [mitten of Gcd^ and afflicied. 
 Verfe 5. But be was mounded for our tranfgrefft.ns, be was bruifed for our iniquities : the cba- 
 
 ftifement ,f our peace was upon him, and with bis ftripes we are healed, 
 1HE5E words, and all this chapter, look fiah that was prophefied of, and promifed t<5 
 
 liker a piece of the hillory of the gcfpel, 
 than a prophecy o? the old teitament *, the Of- 
 ferings or the Meffiah being fo directly pointed 
 at in them. We ihew that this firli part of the 
 4 verfe holds forth the caufe of his.fuffcrings, 
 and it is applied to our Lord, Matth. 8. 17. and 
 1 Pet, 2. 24. As for the fecond pare of the verfe 
 in thefe words, Tet we efteemed him [mitten of 
 God, ftricken and afflitled; any who are ac- 
 quainted with the goipel, cannot but know that 
 it was fulfilled in him : and it is an aggravation 
 of their fin who did fo undervalue and defpife 
 him,, that tho' he condefcended to come fo low 
 for us, yet we flighted him ; and even then, 
 when there was greateil: love let out, we ahufed 
 it, and made it the rife of the greateil malice : 
 And for the 5th verfe, it is app'ied by Peter \ 
 1 Pet. 2. 24. This whole chapter then being fo 
 gofpel-iike, and having a dire& fulfilling in 
 Chriil, we may draw this general do&rne from 
 it, Tbat our Lord Jefus Cbrift, who was hern 
 of the Virgin Miry, fuffered under Pontius 
 Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, 
 and rcfi again the third day ; is the very fame 
 Meffiah that was pr phtfied of in the eld tefta- 
 tuent, and was pr.mifed to Abraham, ffaac and 
 Jacob, wh:m the fathers before his coming in 
 the flefh were waiting fr. And tho* this may 
 be looked on as but a rery common and ulelds 
 do&rine, yet it is the main ground and founda- 
 tion of our faith : we may take many things for 
 granted, wherein if ve were well tried and put- 
 to it, we would be found uniicker, and in this 
 among the nlL ?'ow, for confirmation of it, 
 this fame one argument will make it out*, ve 
 jhall not follow it at length, but in the profecu- 
 tirg of it ihall adrift our fdves to this chapter: 
 The argument runneth thus, If in Chriil jefus, 
 that which was proph.fied of the Meffiah, and 
 pjotrifed to t; e ^.t^ers, have its fulfilling and 
 accoropliihmerit 7 then he mull .be- the fam* Mef* 
 
 them ; for thefe things fpoken of the one. and 
 alone Meffiah, can agree to no other : But what- 
 ever was prophefied and fpoken, or promifd 
 of the Meffiah to the fathers, to the leatt circum- 
 ilance ot~ it, was ail fully a:complifhed and ful- 
 filled in Chriil ; therefore the conclufion laid 
 down in the do&rine follows, to wit, That our 
 blelled Lord Jefus is the fame Meffiah that was 
 prophefied of, promifed to the fathers, and 
 whom they before his coming were looking for: 
 So that that queftion needs not now be propofed, 
 Art thou be that Jhould come, or do we look for 
 another ? Go, fays Cbrift, Mat. 1 . 4, 5 , 6. and 
 tell John, The blind receive their fight , the lame 
 walk, and the lepers are cleanfed, the deaf 
 hear, and the dead are raifed, and the po.r 
 have tbegofpel preached to them, and blefjed /V. 
 he whofoever Jhall not be offended in me ; Blef- ' 
 ibd is he, who becaufe of my humiliation is not 
 (tumbled. Now, not to make a rehearfal of the 
 general prophecies in- fcripture, all of which, 
 have their exact fuelling in Chriil, we fhall 
 only (peak to two things here for making out o£ 
 the argument propofed, 1. That this chapter 
 fpeaks of the Meffiah. 2. That which is fpoken 
 in it, is literally fulfilled in Cbrift. 
 
 1. That this chapter fpeaks of the Meffiah ; 
 tho* of old the blinded Jews granted it, yet 
 now they fay that it fpeaks of tome other : But 
 that it fpeaks. of irim, tbefe things will make it: 
 evident, 1. If we look to the 13 v. of the former 
 chapter, where it is aid. My Servant floall deal 
 prudently, he Jhall be exalted and extolled, and 
 be very high : There our Lord Jefus is fpoken of 
 as the Father's Servant or gr^at Lord-deputy; 
 and the Jews themfrlv.s grant that this is meant 
 of the Moffiab ; and there is nothing more clear 
 than that what is fpoken in this chapter relates 
 to him,- who is called the Lord's Servant in 
 the former chapter* as we fhewec? .at our en~ 
 trine to. fceak of is*. 2. If we lo«k to the dc- , 
 
 fefc 
 
110 t Jjaran «, $. 
 
 fcripticn of his perfon, it ran agree to no other ; 
 for it's laid, itiere was no guile found in. bis 
 mouth, he was bn tight as a lamb to the {laugh- 
 ter, and m a jheep before the fbearer is dumb, 
 fo be opened not his mouths &C. He had no fin 
 of his own, which can he laid or no other ; there- 
 fore this chapter freaks of hi rt. 3. Irwe confider 
 the ends and effects or h.s UifFerfngS they do ai- 
 fo clear it? The end or his fufFeringjs, for ;t's 
 for the tran r grefiions of 5l is people ; and as it is, 
 Dan. 6 27. H was to be cut ff cut not f r bun- 
 felf: The erfcc**. He fhaUfee bisfeedj and by 
 his knowledge jaftifie many. And the*new tefta- 
 ment is full to this puirpoJe, there being riofrrip- 
 ture in all the o'd t :H-r pt more ma .e ule of, 
 nor oFtner app'ied v Chtiit than th.s is. 
 
 2. What isfpoki n in th s chapter h really and 
 literally fulfi led inChrift; and we may fii 
 draw what is <n it to th. ... five heads all-whicn 
 .We .will, find clearly ru filled in him. 1. To his 
 TufFerings* 2. To the ground of his furferings. .3. 
 To mens account and eiiimation of him. 4. To 
 the promites n.ade to him. 5. To the e£Fs&s that 
 followed on his luiferings. (1.) For his TufFerings, 
 it's faid, that he ihould he a man cf farrows and 
 acquainted with grief \ that he ihould be defpi- 
 fed and rejected cf men, and nt be efleemed; 
 that he ihould be looked on, as flricktn, f mitten 
 of God and ajfiicled\ that he fnouid bear our for- 
 rows and griefs, and be wound? d for cur tranf- 
 greffi :n$\ that he ihould beoppreffed andaffli&ed y . 
 and brought as a lamb to the {laughter $ that he 
 Ihould be numbred amengft the tranjgrejfors \ and 
 that he fhould die, and be buried, make bis 
 grave with the wicked and with the rich iu bis 
 death ' y all which are clearly fulfilled in him: 
 And the clearing of his fufFerings, whereof we 
 fpoke before, clears this, that not only he fur- 
 red, but that he was brought fo low in fufFering. 
 2. For the ground of hi* fufFerings, it's faid to 
 be the fins of his own elt& ; He bare cur griefs, 
 and carried cur Jorrows ; he was wounded for 
 our tranfgreffions, and bruifed for our iniquities \ 
 there was noguile found in bis mouth : The great- 
 eft enemies of our Lord could impute nothing 
 to him •, Pilate was forced to fay, that he found 
 no fault in him; all which fhew that it was for 
 the tranfgreflions of his people that he (ufFered. 
 (3.)\s for mens little efLem of him,it is'alfo very 
 clear; for he was defpifed and rejected of men ; 
 we hid as it were our faces from him; he was 
 defpifed, and weefteemedhim not: The world 
 thought little of him, and we that are ele& 
 thought but Tittle of him ; and what is more clear 
 in the gofpel than this, where it is told, that he 
 JWis reproached, butfbjted^ fpitted 0% defpifed ? 
 
 *cr. 4,.-^. oerm. 21, 
 
 they cried, Away with him, .crucife him ; he 
 trufied in Gcd. let him deliver him\ but God 
 hath flrfaken Sim. (4.) As for the promiies 
 made to him, Hejhall fee bis feed, he JhaUprc- 
 I long his days, and the p leaf ure of the L rdfiaB 
 ■projper in bis bands ; he fl) all fee of the travel of 
 his foul, and be'jatisfied ; and by bis knowledge 
 Jhuiimcny be JKfiified&c. what mean all theie,but 
 ti-.at he in :il die, and rife again, and have many 
 converts ; that God's work lhail thrive Well ifl 
 his hand, and that he fhall have a glorious king- 
 dom ar,d many fu'jj&s? which is called after- 
 ward his having a p rticn with the great, and 
 his dividing of the/pAl with thefirong : All this 
 was accomplished in Chrift, when after his refur- 
 tecfion many were won and brought in by the 
 gofpekto believe on him; and tho' the Jews and 
 Meat kens concurred and confpired to cut ofF all 
 Chriftians, yet his kingdom fpread, and hath con- 
 tinued thefe iixteen hundred ytars and above. 
 Cs.) A* for the efFe&s that followed on his fuffer- 
 ings,or the influence theyjhave on theeleft people 
 of God ; as many converts as have been and are in 
 the worM, as 'many witneJles are there, that he is 
 the Mcffiab) every converted, pardoned and re- 
 conciled foul fealsthis truth; Hence, 1 Jibn 5, 
 7, 8. it is faid, There are three that bear witnefs 
 in heaven, the Father, the Wcrd, and the Holy 
 Gbf}, and tbefe three are one ; and there are three 
 that bear witnefs on earth, the Spirit in his effi- 
 cacy, the Water in the ian&ifying vertue of it, 
 in changing & cleanfing his peop.cand the Bkod 
 in the Satisfying and juftifying vertue of it ; and 
 thefe three agree & concur in one,even this one,to 
 wit, that jefus Chrilr. is the Son of God: and then 
 
 and fay, Truly Chriil is the Meffiah. 
 
 The Uje is, To exhort you to acquaint your 
 felves with thefe things that ferve to confirm this 
 truth ; the book of the Atls of the Apoftles, and 
 the Epiftle to the Hebrews, are muchfpent upon 
 it, even to hold out, and to prove Chrift Jefus 
 to be the true MeJJiab, and Saviour of his people? 
 if this be not made fure and fieker, we have an 
 unftable ground for our faith ; and thr ugh it be 
 fure in it ie\t\ yet fo long as it is not fo to us, we 
 want the confoiaticn of it : and there is a two- 
 fold prejudice that cometh through folks want 
 of thorow clearness in, and afTurance of this 
 truth. 1. To the generality of hearers, there 
 is this prejudice, that the> are lo carelefs and 
 little folicitous to reft on him : And as it made 
 the Jem to rejed him, who to this day ftumble 
 
 at 
 
Serm. 21. 1 lfaiab j?. 
 
 at him on this very lame ground, mat they 
 know him not to he the Mefftab t the Chriit of 
 God ; in whom is accompliihed all that was lpo- 
 ken of the Mejfiab : fo Chriitians not being 
 through in it, they do not reft on him, nor dole 
 with him as the true Meffiab . 2. There is a pre- 
 judice alfo from it tohelievers.who having only a 
 glimmering light of Chriit's being the Mejfiab, 
 -come fhort ot that conization that they might 
 have, it' they were through in the faith of it; 
 there is this great evil among Chriftians, that 
 they ftudy not to be folialy clear and through 
 in this point, (o that if they were put to reafon and 
 debate with a Jew, if there were not a witnefs 
 within themfelves of it, the truth of the faith of 
 many would be exceedingly fhaken. 
 
 From this, that he never ipeaks of Chrift's fuf- 
 ferings, but he mikes application of them, he 
 carried our griefs, he was wounded for our tranf— 
 greflions, S5c. Obierve, That believers would 
 look on Cbrifl's fufferings as undergone for them, 
 and in their room and place* We cleared before, 
 1. That Chrift fuffered for fome peculiarly, and 
 not for all: and, 2. That believers would endea- 
 vour the clearing of their own intereit in hisfuf- 
 ferings, and that they have a right to them. 
 Now we ihortly add this 3d, of kin to the former, 
 That believers, and ftfch as are fled to Chriit for 
 refuge, would look on his fufferings as come un- 
 der forthem ; and theie fame icriptures which we 
 cited to confirm theie, will confirm this. The 
 reaion why we wou'd have you confirmed in this, 
 is, becaule, (1.) It is only this that- will make 
 , you fuitably thankful-, it is this which is a notable 
 ground of that long of praife, Rev. 1- 4. To him 
 ' that hath hved us, and wajhed us frm our 
 fins in his own bloody &c. (2J This is a ground 
 or" true, foiid, and itrong confolation, even to 
 be comforted in the applicative iaith of Chriit's 
 purchafe. (.3*0 * c is tlie V or d >s allowance on 
 his people, which they lhould reverently and 
 thankfully make life of, even to look on je- 
 fus Chrift, as wounded, pierced, and lifted 
 up on the crois for them; and by doing this, 
 according to his allowance, there is a payed 
 way made for application of all the benefits of 
 his purchafe. % 
 
 3. From the fcope (looking on the words as 
 fpokento removt. the fcandal of the crofsj otfferve, 
 (which may be a reafen of the former) That fclk 
 voill never takz up Cbriji rightU in bis fujje. ings, 
 except they take him up as fuffering for ibtnt, and 
 
 Ver. 4, 5. in; 
 
 finners errand, according to the ancient tranfacti- 
 on in the covenant of redemption, as he i* brought 
 in, faying, Pfal 40. Lo, I corneal the volume of 
 thy b*o\L it is written of me, I delight to do thy 
 will, God. 3. It leads to a Hayed look of God's 
 holinefs, juftice and goodnefs, in exacting iatisfa- 
 e>ion of his own Son, and in accepting of that 
 fatis faction. 4. It gives a right view o*- the way 
 of grace, and leads in to fee it to be a moil real 
 thing; God the offended Party accepting of the 
 price, and Cnriil paying it : thus the believers 
 faith gets a fight of Chriit fatisfying, as if he (aw 
 his own debt latisfied by himfelf ; it fees him 
 undergoing the curfe, and juftice inflicting it on 
 him, that the believer may go free. 
 
 The Ufe is> To ihew the neceility of ftudying 
 the well grounded application of Chrift's fuffer- 
 ings as for us : Much of the reafon, why Chrift 
 is not more prized, lies here, that he is not look- ■ 
 ed on as paying our debt; otherwife, when chal- 
 lenges ot the law and of juftice take hold on 
 the foul, if Chrift were feen interpofing, and fay- 
 ing, A body haft thou prepared unto me ; and if 
 juftice were feen exacting, Chrift performing, 
 and God accepting his fatisfadtion ; and that, in 
 fign and token that juftice is latisfied, he is raifed i 
 from the dead : julbfied in the Spirit, and is en- 
 tred in poireifion of glory, as believers Fore-run- 
 ner in their name ; it would afford precious and 
 lovely thoughts of Jefus Chriit, and humbling 
 thoughts of our felves : Therefore there is a ne- 
 ceflity. if we would confider his fufferings aright, 
 and prize and efteem him, that we endeavour to 
 make particular application of them to our felves 
 on good grounds. 2. Upon the other hand, 
 know, ye who have no ground to make this ap- 
 plication, that ye cannot eiteem aright of him 
 or his fufferings, nor of the grace that fhined in 
 them, becaufe ye have no title to, nor can, while 
 fuch, have any clearnefs of intercft in them. 
 3. For you that would fain have a high eiteem- 
 of Chriit, and yet are all your days calling at 
 this foundation, never think nor expect to win 
 rightly to efteem of him, ^o long as ye f~ar to 
 make application of his purchaie ; and therefore, 
 that ye may love and praife him, and efteem > 
 riahtly of him, labour to come up to the mak- 
 ing o? this application on folid and approved' 
 grounds. 
 
 4. More particularly, from this part of the ag- - 
 gravation, Tet we efieemed him jhicken, fmiiten *■ 
 of Cod, and ajjiicted ; We have a fourfold corw 
 
112 \Ifaiab J3« 
 
 in his fuflferings, fo as onlookers thought him a 
 
 mod defpicable Man, and one that was flricken 
 
 and {mitten of God, and afflidted : Of this we 
 Tpoke on the beginning of the 4 ver. (2.) We 
 have here an evidence of the exceeding great free- 
 nefs of grace, and of the love of Chrift in his fuf- 
 ferings, in (o far as he hare their farrows, and 
 paid their debt that counted him fmitten ; there 
 ■was no good thing in us to detei ve or procure 
 his furferings, but molt freely he Uriderwent thefe 
 fufF.rings, and undertook our debt, Row, 5. 8. 
 God commends his love towards usjn that while 
 tve were yet finners, Cbrifl died f r us* And 
 
 • v. 10. While roe were yet enemies , me were re- 
 conciled by the death cf his S n. Can there be 
 a greater proof of infinite and free love, than 
 appears in our Lord's furferings ? There was not 
 only no merit on our fide ; but on the contrary, 
 defpifing, rej dtir.g, being afhamed of him, re- 
 proaching him, kicking again!! him,' and rubbing 
 
 •of affronts on him ; Paul and others having their 
 hands hot in his blood. 
 
 Ufe 1. Confider here, behold, and wonder at 
 
 -the free leve of God, and rich cordefcending h ve 
 of Chrift : He {lands not at the bar and prajs for 
 them that were praying him to pray for them ; 
 but a? it is in the end of the chapter, it was for 
 
 ^tranfgrelfors : It was even for fome of them that 
 were lecking to take away the life' of the Prince 
 
 . of life, and for other tranfgreffors. 
 
 2. Know, that in them to whom the benefit of 
 
 -Chrifl's death is applied, there is no more worth 
 than there is in others who do not fhare of the 
 benefit of it, It's .the opinion not only of heri- 
 ticks, but fome way of many ignorant profeffors, 
 that thefe for whom Chriil died were better than 
 other's; but here we fee a proof of the contrary ; 
 he dies for them that accounted him fmitten of 
 God: And this he doth for two reafons, 1. To 
 ihew.the riches, and freedom of his grace, that 
 could overcome man's evil and malice, and out- 
 reach the height of the defperate wicked nefs that 
 is in man, and that flands not (to f peak To) on 
 depping-flones, but com^s over the greatefl 
 guilt of fin and enmity in the creature. 2. To 
 •comfort and encourage his followers, when en- 
 gaged to him, agalnft and out-over their groffeft 
 failings'and greatefl mil;arriages : He that lov- 
 ed them, when they were defpiling and rejecting 
 him, and fpitting in a manner in his very face, 
 willhe now give up with them, when they have 
 fome love to him, for this or that corruption that 
 ftirreth or breaketh forth in them ? Thus the a- 
 poflle reafons, Rem, $, 10. If when we were ene- 
 mies we were reconciled t)G d by the death of 
 b* Son^much mors beiag reconciled wejhail be fa- 
 
 Ver. 4, «5. ( Serm. 21. 
 
 ved by his lifetWc were enemies whenChrifl gave 
 himfelf for us ; but thro' grace we are foiv.eu hat 
 better now : Enmity and defpite in us was then 
 at an height ; now it isweakned, reflraincd, and 
 in feme meafure mortifi d : And if while we! 
 were at the height of t nmity againfl hiai, he di- 
 ed for us to recoricie as to God, how much more 
 now, being reconciled, may. we expert p.ace 
 and fafety, and all the benefits of his purchafe 
 thorow him? Thus there is a notable coniza- 
 tion, from this bent of malice that was fometime 
 in us, compared with the vidlcry that grace hath 
 now gotten over it ; and thegradition is always 
 comfortable, to wit, that thefe lulls that onee 
 did reign, and were without any gracious oppo- 
 iition made to them, or any protection entered 
 againfl them, prevailing it may be publickly, 
 are now oppofed and protefled againft : And i£ 
 Chrifl flood not on the' greater,' will he ftand 
 ontheieffer? And our Lord allows this fort of 
 reafoning io mu"h the more, that he may there- 
 by ft rongly engage the heart of the believer a- 
 gainft fin, and to the admiring of grace, and 
 withal |d the ferious fludy of holinefs.- 
 
 3. [t ferves to let you know how much ve 
 believers are engaged and obliged to grace, and 
 what thanks you owe to it. (1.) Look to what 
 fatisfies for your debt ; ye pay not one farthing 
 of it, our Lord jefus paid all. (2.) Look to the 
 moving caule, it's to be attributed to nothing 
 in you, but altogether to free grace : Some poor 
 dyvour may by his pleading prevail with an 
 able and pitiful hearted man to pay his debt ; but 
 there was no fuch externally moving caufe in 
 you to procure this of him, but he freely and wil- 
 lingly, and with delight paid your debt, when 
 ye were in the height of malicious oppofition 
 to him, doing all that might fear him from it : 
 And had it been poffible that man's malice, defpi- 
 fing and defpite could have fcarred him, he had 
 never died for one finner ; but he triumphed 
 openly in his grace ©fer that, and all that flood - 
 in his way. 
 
 4. We have here a confirmation of th'at truth, 
 that holds out man's malice and defperate wic- 
 kednefs ; ani can there be any thing that eviden- 
 ced! man's wickednefs and nia^ce more, than, 1. 
 To have enmity againfl Chriil ; 2. To have it at 
 
 .fuch an height as to defpife him, ard count him 
 fmitten and plagued of God ; And. ?. To beat 
 the height of malice, even then when he out of 
 love was condefcending fo low as to furFer and fa- 
 tisfie juflice for him ? Ye may pofFih'y think that 
 it was not ye that had fuch imKce at Chriil ; but 
 faith not the prophet. We e/hemed him [mit- 
 ten 
 
Serm. 21. Ifaiah 53. 
 
 ten of. God ! Taking in himfelf and all the ele&. 
 Which might give us this Obfervation, That 
 there is nothing more defparately voided, and fi- 
 led with more enmity againft Chrift in his conde- 
 fcending love, and againft God in the manifefta- 
 tion of his grace, than when even eleft fouls, for 
 reborn be bath fuffered, defpife him, and count 
 bim fmitten of God and afflitted. It's indeed ve- 
 ry fad, yet very profitable, to walk under the 
 deep apprehenfion and foul preflfure of heart- en- 
 mity a fa ainft God and Chrift : Are there any of 
 you that think -ye have fuch finful and wicked 
 natures, that difpofeyou to think little of Chrift, 
 to defpife and reje& him and his grace ? God's 
 elect, have this enmity in their natures ; and if 
 fuch natures be in the elect., what mud be in the 
 reprobate, who live and die in this enmity ? If 
 this were ferioufly confidered and laid to heart, 
 O but folk wouid be humble; nothing would af- 
 fect the foul more, and ftound to the very heart, 
 than to think that Chrift lufFered for me, thro' 
 grace an elect, and a believer ; and that yet not- 
 withstanding i fhould have fo defpifed and reje- 
 cted him, and accounted him fmitten of God. 
 and afflicted. Let me .exhort all of you to look 
 back on your former walk, and to lay this enmity 
 to heart; for the day is coming, when it will be 
 found to b^a biting and confeience-gnawing-fin 
 to many. 4. In that he aggravates their enmity 
 from this, ebferve this truth, which is alfo here 
 confirmed, That there is nothing that gives fin 
 a deeper dye, than that it is againfl grace and 
 fondefsending love, that is , againft Chrift when 
 fuffering for us, and offered to us. O ! that 
 makes fin to be exceeding finful, and wonderful- 
 ly abominable ; and thus it isaggreged, Heb. 2. 
 as greater than the contempt or Mofes his law ; 
 & Heb.6. it's accounted to be a crucifying theSon 
 ef God afrejh, and ^.putting him to an openjhame ; 
 and Heb, 10. it's called a treading him underfoot, 
 an accounting the blood of the covenant to be an 
 unholy thing, and a d ing dtfpite to the Spirit of 
 grace. Thei'e two lad fcriptures look mainly 
 to the fin againft the Holy Ghoft. yet fo as there 
 is fomewhat of that which is faid in them to be 
 found in all unbelievers their defpifing of Chrift: 
 it's a fin fomeway hateful, even to the publicans 
 and finners, to hate them that love us, to do ill to 
 them that do^ood to us ; how much more fin- 
 ful and hateful is it to defpife and hate him who 
 Joved us, fo as to give himfelf for us, and when 
 he was giving himfelf for us ? There are many 
 fins againft the law that will draw deep, but 
 this will draw deeper than they all, even finning 
 againft grace, and the Mediator interpofing for 
 iinncrs, and inanifefting love to them ; And the 
 
 Ver. 4, 5- . v *f& 
 
 reckoning will run thus, Chrift was manifefted 
 to you in this gofpel as the onl^remedy of firt,. 
 and fet forth as crucified before your eyes, and 
 made offer of to you in the gofpel ; and yet 
 ye defpifed him, and efteemed him not .•* And 
 let me fay it to believers, that it's the great- 
 eft aggravation of their fin. It's true, in (ome 
 refpec?, that the fins of believers are not fo 
 great as the fins of others, they not being com- 
 mitted with fuch deliberation and full benfil of 
 will, nor from the dominion of fin ; yet in this 
 refpe<& they are greater than the fins of others, 
 hecaufe committed againft fpecial grace and love 
 aitually communicated ; and therefore when the 
 believer confiders, that he hath requit Chrift 
 thus, it will a#e<ft him moft of any thing, if there 
 be any fuitable tendernefs of frame. 
 
 5. From confidering that it is the prophet 
 that expreffeth this aggravation, we may obferve, 
 That the believer that is moft tender., and bath 
 beft right to Jefus Cbrift and bis fatisfattion, 
 and may upon beft ground apply it, voill be mjsJ 
 fenfible of bis enmtty y and of the abominable 
 guilt that is in defpifing and wronging of Je- 
 fus Cbrift : Therefore the prophet brings in 
 himfelf as one of thofe that by Chrift's ftripes 
 were healed, taking with his guilt ; we defpifed 
 and rejected him, we efteemed him not, we 
 judged him fmitten of God : the reafon is, Be- 
 cause intereft in Jefus Chrift makes the heart 
 tender, and any wrong that's done to him to 
 afre& the fooner and the more deeply, the fcurf 
 that fo meti me was on the heart being in a mea- 
 fure taken away ; and intereft in Chrift awake- 
 neth and raifeth an efteem of him, and produ- 
 e'eth a holy fy mpathy with him in all the con- 
 cerns of his glory, even as the members of the 
 body have a fellow-feeling with the head. Make 
 a fuppofition, that a man in his madnefs fhould 
 fmite and wound his head, or wrong his wife, 
 his father, or his brother; when that fit of 
 madnefs is over, he is more affected with that 
 wrong, than if it had been done to any other 
 member of his body, or to other perfons, not 
 at all, or not fo nearly related to him : There 
 is fomething of this pointed at, Zccb. 12. 10. 
 They Jhalllook upon him whom they have pierced^ 
 and mourn for bim, as a man doth for his only 
 fon ; as if he had (aid, the ftrokes they have gi- 
 ven the head ihall then be very heavy and grie- 
 vous to be born, and will be made to their feel- 
 ling to bleed afrefh': they thought not much of 
 thefe wound.ings and piercings of him before ; 
 but fo foon as their intereft in him is clear, or 
 they conic cordially to believe in him, they arc 
 4 (^ . kind- 
 
H4 . Ifaiab ft. Verfe <;. .V ^ Serm. 22. 
 
 kindly affected with die wrongs done to him. 
 
 The Ufe is, That it's a mark, to try if there 
 lie indeed an intereft in Chriil, and if it be clear. 
 T he man whole inte ell is cleared, i. His wrongs 
 dene to Chriil will prick him moil : If the 
 Wrongs be done by others, they atfecl him ; if by 
 himleir, they ibme way taint him. Wholeness 
 ©f he-art, under wronging of Chriil, is too great 
 an evidence that there is little or no ground for 
 amplication of his Satisfaction ; but it's kin tly 
 like, wnen wrongs done to Chriil afFjcl moil. 
 2.. When not oniy challenges for fin againll the 
 law, but for fins againll Chriil and grace otte- 
 red. in the goipel, do become a harden, and the 
 greateil burden. 3. When the man is made to 
 mind fecret enmity. at Chriil, and is difpoled to 
 mailer up aggravations of his (infill nefs on that 
 arcount, and cannot get himfelf matle vile e- 
 nough; when he hath an holy indignation at 
 himielf, and with Paul counts himfelf the chief 
 vf firmer s ; even tho 5 the evil was done in igno- 
 rance, much more if it hath been againll know- 
 ledge. It's no evil token, when fou.s are made 
 tp heap up aggravations©? 1 their guilt for wrongs 
 done to Chriil, and when they cannot get Suitable 
 exprellions fufn. iently to hold it out, as it is an 
 eryil token to be foon fatisfied in this : There are 
 many that will take with no challenge for their 
 wronging Chriil j but beho'd here how the pro- 
 phet infills, both in the words before, in thcle, 
 and in the following words : and he can no more 
 win off the thoughts of it, than he can win oif 
 the thoughts of Chr ill's fuffe-rin^s. 
 
 6..Whiletne prophet faith, when Chriil was 
 fuffering for his own, and for the red: of his 
 peoples iins, Wc efitemed htm n.t, but judged 
 
 ^^•^#4- ^^ •£ # ^« ^^- ^ 
 
 S E R M O N XXII. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. «;. But he was wund-'d f r cur traafgrejji.nsy he was bruifed for our iniquities: the 
 chaflifement of our peace was. up- a bim, and with tits ftripes we are healed. ' . 
 
 "TT's hard to tell whether the fubj^t of this the occafion of much flnging to man here below, 
 JQ verfe, and almoft of this whole chapter, be and is the caufe and occafion of Co much finging 
 
 among the redeemed that r.re this day before 
 the throne of God : and as the grace of God hath 
 overcome the malice of m- n, lb we are perfwad- 
 ed this cnule or rejoicing hath f^'eetnefs in it 
 be>ond the ladnefs, tho* orten we mar our own 
 
 fm'itten of God ; Obferve briefly, because w 
 haien to a elofe, "I bat Jefus Cbrift is often ex- 
 ceedingly miiialen by men in his m.flgUruus and 
 gracuus works. Can there be a greater miliar 
 than this ? Chrifl fuffering for cur fins, and yet 
 judged fmitt n and plagued o' God by us; or 
 more home, even Chnll jcius is often fham fully 
 miftaken in the work ot his grace, and in the ven- 
 ting of his love towards them whofegood he is 
 procuring, and whole iniquities he is bearing. 
 
 The Uje of it ferves, 1. To t^ach us, when we 
 are ready to pals cen'ure on Chr ill's work, to 
 ^and flill, to animadvert on, and to correct our 
 felves, left we uniuitably conllrudl of him : Ke 
 gets much wrong as to his pubhek work, as if he 
 were cruel', when inded he is merciful ; as if he 
 had forgotten us, when indeed he remembers us 
 ilill : And as to his private w r ork in particular 
 p.rfons, as if he did tail in his promife, when he 
 is mod faithful, and bringing it about in his own 
 way. And, 2. (which is of affinity to the for- 
 mer) It's a warning -to us, not to take up hard 
 conllrucVons of Chriil ; nor to mifcon(lru<fl his 
 work, which when mif:onftru&ed, himfe'fismi- 
 ilaken and mifconflru£led. How many think that 
 he is breaking,wh- nhe is binding up ; that he is 
 wounding, when he is healing ; that he is de- 
 ftroying, when he is humbling ? Therefore we 
 would fu'pend' paTing cenfure till he come to the 
 end and dole or h s work, ard not judge of it 
 by halves •, and then we ihalJ fee there was no 
 iuch ground for m : f.;r>n'l,-uc>ing of him who 
 is every day holding on ; nown his way, andited- 
 d.dy purluing the fame en-: that hedidfrom the 
 beginntng - y and let him be doing fo. To him 
 praifejbi ever. 
 
 J^L's hard to tell whether the fuhj <5t of this 
 4 verfe, and almofl of this whole chapter, be 
 more fad or more fwert: it's indeed a fad fub- 
 je<5l to read and hear of t le great fuflferings of 
 our bleued Lord jelus, and of the defpiterul u- 
 iage that he met with, and. ro f»e fu.-h a fpeat of 
 malice fpued and fpitted out en thafrgloriousfecej 
 fo. that, when he is bearing our grie s nnd car 
 frying our forrows, we do even then account him 
 plagued, fmitren of'God, and afflicted, and in a 
 manner look upon it as well bellowed : Vet it's- 
 a mofc.fweet 'ubj..ci« it we either confer the 
 love itcomes fro-m., or the cqmfo table e^. els that . 
 jLllowa; that h»Ui bceu the xii-, the caufe, aud, 
 
 fpiritua' mirth, and know not how to dance when 
 he pipes unto us. 
 
 TrKfe words are an-explication of the 4th ver 3 
 where it is alferted, that thrift's furTerings were 
 not for himfelf, but for us: From, and by which, . 
 she prophet having aggreged m«D5 .malice, w ho 
 
Serm. 12. If***b 13* 
 
 notwithftanding thereof efteemed him not, yea, 
 judged him (mitten of God *, he corns ag in, 
 for iurti.tring and carrying on of this fcope, to 
 fhew more particularly the ground, end, and ef- 
 fects or ChritVs furferings : Where ye v. ould re- 
 member what we hinted before in general* That 
 folks will never think nor conceive of Chritl's 
 fiifferings rightly, till they conceive and take 
 him up as fufYering tor them ; and when we con- 
 sider this, we think it no wonder that the moil 
 part efleem but little of the iufferings of Chriit, 
 becaufe there are fo few that can takebim up 
 under this notion, as (landing in their room, 
 and paying their debt, and as being put in pri- 
 fon for them, when they are let go free. 
 
 In this 5 verfe, we have thefe three, i. A fur- 
 ther expreflion of Chrift's fufferings. 2.The caufe 
 of them, or the end that he had before him in 
 them. 3. The benefits & fruits or effe&s of them. 
 
 There are in the words four expreffions which 
 I fhall clear.(i.)He was wounded, to (hew the rea- 
 lity that was in his fufferings ; he was actually 
 pierced,or(as the word is rendred in the margin) 
 tor merit ed^no\ the caufe is our tranfereffuns .-and 
 while it is faid. He was wounded for our tranf- 
 greffionsy he means, 1. That our tranfgrefuons 
 procured his wounding ; and, 2.That his woun- 
 ding Was to remove-them, and to procure pardon 
 to us. (2.) He was bruifed, that is, preifed as 
 grapes in a wine-prefs, he underwent fuch a 
 wounding as bruited him ; to fhew the great de- 
 fert of fin, and the heavinefs of wrath that would 
 have come on us for it, had not he interpofed : 
 and the caufe is our iniquities. And. thole tw r o 
 words, tranfgrejjions) and iniquities, fhew the ex- 
 ceeding abominablenefs of fin \ tranfgrefflons or 
 errings, pointing at our common fins *, iniqui- 
 ties or rebellions, pointing at greater guilt. [3.) 
 The chaflifement (or, as the words bear,* the dif- 
 cipline) of our peace: was upon him : 'tfuppofes, 
 1. That we by nature were at feud with,and ene- 
 mies to God. 2. That, before our p.-ace could 
 be procured, there behoved to be a 'atisfa&ion 
 given to juftice, the Mediator behoved to come 
 under difcipline and chaftiferaent. (4.) And by 
 his flripes we are healed; he was fo whipped, 
 that (to fay fo) the marks of the rod remained 
 behind. The firft benefit looks to pardon of fin, 
 and peace with God, in the firft three expreiu- 
 ons ; the fecond, in this laft expretfion, looks to 
 our fan&ification, and purging from the do- 
 minion and pollution of fin: By Chrift s beco- 
 ming fin for us, there is a way made to wafh us 
 from all the guilt of fin, and from all the foul 
 fpots and ftains that were on us by fin; and he 
 fcach thus procured hoJinefs to us *. we come ca- 
 
 Verfc *. „; 
 
 fily by it, but it coft Chrifl dear, yea very dear. 
 • Thefe very fad, but moil fweet, and foul-fola- 
 cjng words, hold out a fhort turn of the fubflance 
 and marrow ot the gofpel ; and becaufe they dm 
 f>, we fhall fpeak ot them fummarily together : 
 and ye would the moreferioufly attend,elpecially 
 fuch as are more ignorant, that by the reading 
 and opening up of this verfe ye may be brought 
 and kept in mind of the fum of the heads of the 
 gofpel. And to make the matter the more clear* 
 I fhail endeavour to make the doctrines dra\va 
 , from it, as fo many anfwers to fix or feven questi- 
 ons : as, 1. What is man's condition naturally, 
 and what is the condition of all them that get not 
 benefit by Child's death ? 2. How is man re>- - 
 deemed and freed from that condition ? 3. By 
 whom is he freed, or who makes the fatisfaftion' £ 
 4. How doth he perform that fatisfa&ion r* 5. 
 What are the benefits that flow from, and come 
 to us by the fatisfa&icn performed ? 6. Who are 
 the perfons for whom Ghrift hath performed the 
 fatisfaction, and to whom he hath procured thefe 
 benefits? 7. What is the way how thefe bene- 
 fits are transferred or derived to thofe perfons ? 
 And putting thefe feven together, we may have 
 a fhort catechifm in one verfe. 
 
 ifl then, What is man's condition by nature-? 
 1. He is under tranfgreuions. 2. Under iniqui- 
 ties. 3. At feud with God. And, 4, Under 
 wounds and moil lothfom difeafes of a finful na- 
 ture. In a word, Man by nature is a finner, 
 guilty, greatly guilty, under God's wrath and 
 curfe; and at feud with God ; of a molt finfu! 
 and abominable nature, even fi:k of" and lothfom 
 becaufe of fin. The fir ft is implied in this word, 
 He was wounded for cur tranjgrejficns, that is, 
 our common fins ; the fecond is holden out in the 
 " next word, He was bruifed for our iniquities, 
 or rebellions, which holds out great guilt ; the 
 third in that word. The chaflifement of our peace 
 was en h'm, which fup'pones that we were once 
 without peace with God; the laft word, By his 
 flripes we are healed, fuppofeth that we continue 
 in that condition filthy and polluted, and pollu- 
 ting cur (elves more and more, greedy to drink 
 in fin, and wounding and fickning our (elves by 
 fin : Now, lay thefe four words together, they 
 clear this truth to our judgment, and ierve t© 
 point out to us the neceffity of a Mediator. A- 
 gain, confid'er them in a fecond notion, and they 
 tell us, that even the eleft themfelves are by na- 
 ture in the lime finful and rebellious conditio* 
 with oth«*s, at feud with, and under the curfe 
 of God, and abominably polluted, before they 
 be v/afhed and healed ; as the aboftle afferts, 
 Q. 2 &&, 
 
ii 6 If at ah $3. 
 
 Efh. 1,We art by nature children of wrath even 
 +s others ; and here it is plainly declared,//*? was 
 "wounded f:r our tranfgreffionsJoe was bruifed fir 
 lur iniquities, &c. Some are ready to think (as 
 was hinted before) that the ele<ft by nature were 
 better than others, or that God forefaw they 
 would be better than others; and therefore he e- 
 le&ed them. This piece of Arminianifm is in all 
 naturally ; but this text, in downright contiadi- 
 &ion to fuch a groundlefs conceit, anlwers and af- 
 ferts,that by nature they are even like others,as the 
 apoftle faith, Rom. 11. 32. Gcd hath concluded 
 them all under unbelief, that he might have mer- 
 cy en all ; all the ele<ft,as well as others, are con- 
 cluded under fin and wrath, that the way of ob- 
 ta : ning any lpiritual good, might be by mercy 
 and free grace alone. 
 
 2. How are folks freed from this finful and mi- 
 serable condition? Anfwer, l.In general, before 
 the quarrel can be taken away, and their peace 
 can be made, there mud be a fatisfaitton, which 
 is implied in thefe words, the cbaftifement of 
 tur peace was en him ; which fuppones the necef- 
 fity of a fatisfafUon made or to be made, in ref- 
 pect of God's decree and commination, who 
 laid, The day thou fins, thou foalt die, and ,Curfed 
 is every one that continues not in all things writ- 
 ten in the law to do them, 2. And more par- 
 ticularly^ there muft be a Satisfaction, becaufe 
 there is, 1. The juftice of God that hath a claim 
 by a (landing law. 2. The holinefs of God, that 
 muft be vindicate. And 3. The faithfulnefs of God, 
 that muft caufe be performed and come to pafs 
 what it hath impledgedit felf for, as well in refe- 
 rence to the threatning as to the promife;for thefe 
 words, Hath he faid,and will he not do it? relate 
 to the one, as well as to the other. There is a 
 great miftake in many, while they leap immedi- 
 ately to mercy, without minding the neceffity 
 of a fatis faction to provoked juftice,. and on this 
 ground, that God is merciful ; which if it were 
 an argument good enough, it would fay, that 
 aJT, even the reprobate,may get mercy : but we 
 would confider the way that God hath laid down 
 £cr linners coming to mercy, and how that,be- 
 fore peace can be made, he will needs have fads- 
 faction to his juftice. 
 
 3.. Who maketh the fat'sfacHon ? The text fays, 
 it'sJfr and Him \ He was wounded for our tranf- 
 greffions, the chaftifement of our p^ace was on 
 Him : and who is this He and Him ? It's in ge- 
 neral the Mejfyab,v>h<\ was thtn to cojge ; he who 
 was conceived by the Holy Ghoft, born of the- 
 itirgin Mary ; who fufFered and was crucified, 
 TlJiQ died and was bu.iied 3 androfe the. third day j 
 
 Verre ■)• . . , 5erm. 12, 
 
 even he, who having the nature of God and our 
 nature united in one perfon, He his own Jelf bare 
 our fins in his body tn the tree, as is faid, 1 Pet, 
 2. 24. and he, who knew no fin.was made fin fcr 
 us, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of 
 God in him, as it is, 2 Cor. ymt. even he of whom 
 the apoftle hath been fpeaking here, while he lays, 
 We as ambaffaddrs fcr drift, as though Gcd did 
 be feech you by us, we fray you in Chrift y s fteadbe 
 ye reconciled unto God. And when we fay it is 
 Chrift that is mean'd of, we arc to underftand it 
 as well negatively and exclufively, excluding all 
 others ; as pofkively, including him : When we 
 make him to be the only Saviour, we exclude all 
 that men can do, with their penance, prayers, 
 good worsts , and all that a-ngels c«n do : neither 
 man nor angel could fatisfie divine juftice, and 
 make our peace with God ; and therefore it's 
 faid, Ails 4. 12. Neither is there falvatirn in a- 
 ny ot her \fjor there is no other name under heaven 
 given among men, whereby we muft befaved, but 
 the name of Jefus, where it's dear that all others 
 are excluded, as it is Pfal. 40. 6. Sacrifice and of- 
 fering thou wculdft not, &c. neither penances, 
 performances, nor any other thing will do it; but 
 it's, Lo,Icome,in the volume of thy book it's writ- 
 ten of me, I delight to do thy will, my God. 
 Take this then as another ground of laving know- 
 ledge, thn it is our bleffed Lord Jefus that fa- 
 tishes jufKee, even he who, being God, was con- 
 tent to become Man, and is God and Man in one 
 perlon •, he, and he only, undertaking the debt, 
 fatisfies juftice. 
 
 4. How does he fatisfy juftice ? Anfw. He was 
 wounded for cur tranfgrefftens, he was bruifed 
 for cur iniquities, the ehafti fement .four peace 
 was en him, and by his ftripes we are healed : 
 In which words, ohferve thefe three things. 1. 
 In Chrift's fatisra&ion for us, there is an actual 
 undertaking, he becomes Cautioner, and enters 
 himfelfin our room; wben all other things are 
 caften, angels, men with their fa :rifices,thoufands 
 . of rams, ten thoufand rivers or oil, and the fruit 
 of the* body, then our Lord Jefus comes in and 
 undertakes, Pfal. 40. 7. Lo, I come, he fatisfies for 
 our trnnfgreilions ; which fuppofes that juftice 
 could not have fought our debt of him, if he had 
 not undertaken it ; therefore, Heb. 7. 24. he is 
 called the Surety of a better ttftament, for he 
 comes in our room and place, and undertakesto 
 pay our debt: Even as if a man under debt were 
 a carrying to prifon, and another ab'e rich man 
 ihould undertake to pay the debt; a'though the 
 debt fhould ly over for a whi'e unpaid, yet the 
 creditor will ^et a decreet on thecautcDer for 
 
Sermr20. Ifaaiab $3. 
 
 payment of the debt, when he pleafes to put at 
 him ; fo jefus Chriil enters Cautioner for our 
 debt, and becomes liable to the payment of it* 
 
 2. Chris's performance and payment of the debt 
 according to his undertaking, implies a covenant 
 and tranfa&ion on which the application is foun- 
 ded; which we (hew was alfo implied in the fore- 
 going words, v. $.He hath born cur griefs, and 
 carried our forrows* God the Father, Son and 
 holy Spirit, are the Party wronged by. fin ; Jefus 
 Chrift, confidered perfonally and as Mediator, is 
 the Party undertaking; The terms are, That he 
 fhall fuifer, and fatisfy juftice for us, and that 
 we fhall go free, that his paying fhall be our free- 
 dom, tint the debt which he pays for us, fhall 
 not be exacted off us our felves, 2 Cor. 5. ult. He 9 
 who knew no fin, was made fin for us, that we 
 might be made the rigbteoujnefs ofGcd in him : 
 and here,tbe cbaflifementvf our peace was on him*, 
 it was transferred from us to him, that by bis 
 firipes we might be healed ; by his ftripes and 
 blanes, health was procured and brought to us. 
 
 3. Our Lord [efus, in fulfilling the bargain, and 
 Satisfying juftice, paid a dear price ; it was at a 
 very dear rate that he bought our freedom ; he 
 was wounded, bruifed, fufFered ftripes and pu- 
 nifhment : So that ye may take the anfwer to the 
 queftion in lum to be this, Our Lord Jefus per- 
 formed and fatisfied for all that was due by us, 
 by undertaking our debt, and paying a' dear price 
 for finners,according to the covenant of redemp- 
 tion ; he came under the law, and the law ftruck 
 at him as Cautioner, and he anfwered the law's 
 demands, and fully and condignly fatisiied the 
 juftice of God for us. 
 
 As for that Queflion, Whether Chrift: might 
 not by one drop or his blood have fatisfied ? and 
 fuch like ; we think them very needlefs, too 
 curious, and little or not at all edifying : But if 
 it be asked, Why Chrift paid io much r 1 We an- 
 fwe*, 1. It behoved Chrift to pay a condign price, 
 to give a condign fatisfa&ion to juftice. 2. It was 
 meet that he fhould pay all that he paid. F irfl, 
 Ws fay, it behoved to be a condign fatisfa&ion ; 
 For, ( 1.) It behoved to be a price equivalent to 
 all that the eletft fhou/d have fufFered, had not he 
 interpofed. (2.) it behoved to be proportionable 
 to the juftice of God ; for God having laid down 
 fuch a way of fhewing mercy, that his juftice 
 Jhould be falved, there behoved to be condign fa- 
 tisfa&ion, for the vindication of juftice; which 
 ' W'asdone'by Chrift 's fuffcrvng to the full undoub- 
 tedly ; if we confider, i. The excellency of the 
 Perfon that fufFered, God and Man in one Perfon. 
 2. If we confider tire nature of his fufFerings. that 
 they were exceeding great, heavy, and prefTing, 
 
 Ver. &.'-'*-/; 117 
 
 And, 3. If withal we confider the manner of his 
 fufFerings, that it was with much readinefs and 
 cheerfulnefs of obedience to the Father's will : 
 That fuch and fo excellent a Perfon fhould fufFer, 
 and furFer io much, and fuffer in fuch a way, 
 this fure makes condign fatisfa&ion ; and fb ju- 
 ftice is fully thereby fatisfied, and made as glo- 
 rious as if all the ele<St had fufFered eternally * 
 therefore we fay, that his fufFerings were a con- 
 dign and proportionable fatisfa&ion to juftice for 
 them whofe debt he paid ; by this, juftice iscom- 
 pleatly and glorioufly fatisfied. .Sfrciufy, We faid, 
 that it was meet that he fhould pay all that he 
 paid ; and fo it is, if we confider, (i.)The excel- 
 lency of immortal fouls; a little price (as all that 
 men or angels could have, paid would have been, 
 the fineft gold, filver, or precious ftones) could 
 not have done it; The redemption of the fcul is pre- 
 cious, and ceafethfer ever, to wit, amongft ail the 
 creatures,P/a/.49.8.(2.)The feverity of juftice on 
 the juft account of fin, called for fuch a price.(3.) 
 God's end, which was to make both his grace and 
 juftice glorious, required, and made it meet that 
 our Lord fhould furFer condignly, and in his fuf* 
 ferings fufrer much,even all that he d : d fufFer;and 
 in this ye have an anfwer' to this queftion, Why 
 Chrift fufFered fo much as the lofs (to fpeak fo) 
 of his declarative glory for a time, outward fur- 
 feringsahd inward fufFerings, even the bruifing 
 and iqueezing that his foul was under,which made 
 him to fay, that it was heavy unto death, and 
 exceeding forrowful ? Let not finners then think it 
 a little or a light thing to get a foul faved, the re- 
 demption whereof ceafeth for ever as to us- or any 
 creature : Behold herein the glory of grace emi- 
 nently fhineth forth, when there is fuch a price 
 paid for that which in fome refpecF is of io little 
 worth; and alfo the glory of juftice, when .fo great 
 a price is demanded and paid down for its fatis- 
 fa<5Uon> by fo worthy and excellent a Perfon ; 
 and let none think little of fin, the guilt whereof 
 could not be otherwife expiated, the chaftifement. 
 of our peace behoved to be on him. 
 
 «y. What are the benefits that come by thefe 
 fufFerings? Anfv». 1. The benefits are fuch, that 
 if he had not fufFered for us, we fhould have fuf- 
 fered all that he fufFered our felves. 2. More par- 
 ticularly, we have (1.) Peace and pardon of fin. 
 (2.)Healing by his lufFering ,fo that if it be asked, 
 What procured pardon of fin and peace with God? 
 We anfwer, It's Chr-ift's fufFerings :or if it be af- 
 ked,^ hat is the caufe of God's juftifytng Tinners? 
 We anfwer, It's Chrift's fctisfrftion or. fufrering.. 
 And it is (by the way) much to be regrated, 
 that fuch is the ignorance of fome, that if a que- 
 stions 
 
ti8 Jfaiab «53. 
 
 ilion be proponed in divers words or exprelfions, 
 as if it lhould be asked, Wherefore are we par- 
 doned ? Wherefore are we jullified ? which is 
 one and the Tame ; they know not how to anlvver : 
 but here ye are called to remember, that Chrifl 
 being wounded, and his bearing the chatlitement 
 due to you, is the caufe of your pardon and ju- 
 stification. 2. Healing looks to fanetification, as 
 webinted in the exposition; fo that if it be asked, 
 How comes it to pafs that a finner is made holy? 
 we have it here anfwered, that tho' efficiently it 
 comes by the Spirit, and be hiswor.k, yet meri- 
 toriously it comes by ChrifVs iufferings,he bought 
 it, by bisflripes we are healed : and under thefe 
 two words, peace and£e<z/i//£,wetake in all things 
 needful or pertaining to lite and godlinefs ; for 
 by peace the feud and enmity is taken away, and 
 we are reconciled to God, as Epb.2. 14.be is laid 
 to be our peace, and he who came to /peak peace 
 to all that are afar off and near-band \ and alfo 
 by peace we under (land all the effects of peaee.(i.) 
 Pardon of fin, juflification.. adoption, communi- 
 on with God here and hereafter ; peace with 
 our own confeience, and with the creatures ;. e- 
 ternal peace and glory, and all good things 
 purehafed by Chrifl's death : For the Hebrews, 
 .under peace, comprehended all thefe good things. 
 And under be aling five take in fanctification(as di- 
 {Hnguifhed, tho 1 not divided, from thofe other 
 things mentioned) dying to fin, and living to 
 righteoufnefs, with the feveral degrees of their 
 advance and progrefs, and the making of us to be 
 without fpot and wrinkle, or any luch thing ; 
 •fo that folks have much advantage by Chrift's 
 purchafe, and much prejudice thorow the want 
 of it. By his death we are kept out of hell, and 
 admitted to peace with God,and every thing that 
 is good ; we have liberty to pray for all that is 
 good, and are brought in his own way and time 
 to thepoffefllon of it : it's by the blood of fprink- 
 ling that we have a new and living way. made pa- 
 tent to us unto the moil holy, and holinels, in 
 the way whereof we enter in thither. 
 
 6. To whom hath Chrifl procured all thefe 
 good things? The text faith, It's our and we, the 
 chaflifement of cur peace was on him, -and by his 
 ilripes we are healed, to wit, the elect. Whence 
 obferve, 1. That the benefits of Chrifl's purchafe 
 redound only to tbeelefl : There is a certain felcct 
 number to whom they are applied, and not to all 
 indifferently ; it's only of as many as are healed, 
 whofe chaflifement he hath, born ; it's only they 
 whom the Father hath given him, to them he 
 gives eternal life>and they faall never perifh,^^. 
 10. 28. They are effectually called, juftified and 
 • &»ftifie4. 2. Obferv*, That mk*t Cfcifi Jcfus 
 
 Ver- 4, jf Serm. 22. 
 
 hath purehafed, and the benefits of his purcbaje t 
 redound. and a>e extended to them toat are Quil- 
 ty of tiainousfins ; to them that are under tranf- 
 grelfions and iniqirties, that are at feud, with 
 God, .and under many pollutions, and :110ft loth- 
 Tom fpidtuat dilates ; to them who -contemned 
 and defpifed Chriil, and judged him fmitten and 
 plagued of God, as is clear from the foregoing 
 words:and to them which have gone ft raying like 
 loit iheep, as is clear from the words following 
 
 This points at thefe two or three things very 
 ufeful, 1. That the elect are by nature, and be- 
 fore Chrifl; do them good, no better tlian others, 
 2. it fhews the freedom of the grace of God,that 
 comes over that, and freely gives pardon, peace 
 and heaiing to them. And, 3. it ferves to* 
 ftrengthena Tinner's faith, who isTenhble of his 
 enmity and finfulnefs, and to be a ground of en- 
 couragement to him tojlep to, and lay hold on 
 ChrilVs purchafe, becaufe itwasforfuch thatjhe 
 died ; he may humbly, yet confidently fay, Chrifl:- 
 died even ror iu :h as me, for them that wounded 
 and pierced him by their tranfgrtflions and ini- 
 quities, for the'm that were at enmity with God, 
 &c. and alas ! I am fuch, and will therefore on 
 the call of the gofpel come to him, and on his 
 own terms endeavour to cafl my felf on him. 
 
 7. Kow are thefe benefits, this j unification, 
 pardon of fin, peace and healing, and all that is 
 comprehended under them, derived from Chrifl: 
 to the finner that by faith fleeth unto him for re- 
 fuge ? Anfwer, Thefe two generals will clear it, 
 I. They are derived to us juilly and in a legal 
 way *, Chrifl: fleps in in our room, that we may 
 come in his room. 1* They are derived to us 
 freely \ he was wounded and bruited, that we 
 might go free ; he endured ftripes,that we might 
 he healed ; he got the buffets and bare the burden, 
 and we get the benefits \ there is not a grain- 
 weight of it laid on us, as it is fatisfactory to di- 
 vine juflice.. To clear this a little more,- anent 
 the deriving the benefits of Chrifl's purchafe to 
 us, there mufl be a refpect had, 1 . To the cove- 
 nant of redemption, the ground of his filtering 
 for us. 2. To the covenant of grace and recon- 
 ciliation, wherein the offer of thefe fufFerings, 
 and the benefits purehafed by them to us, and 
 the terms of both, are made. 
 
 (i.)l fay, that refpect mufl be had to the cove- 
 nant of redemption, wherein it was acted in the 
 council of the God head,that theSon of God mould 
 become Man,and fuffer, and condignly fatisfy di- 
 vine juflice by paying the price due by the elect; 
 and that that price being laid down, it fhould be 
 made forthcoming for Uiein for whom he paid 
 
Serm. 22.' , x • r V***\Sl* 
 
 h 5 andbe reckoned theirs, and they fetactuall) at 
 liberty, when having recourie thereto by faith: 
 and here there is a legal groand -for transferring 
 Chrift's purchafe to and upon us-, the Cautioner fa- 
 tisfying, we the debtors are on that account abfol- 
 ved in his own order-and method , and have a righ t 
 to feek the application of the price, and the bene- 
 fits purchafed by that price : Chriit (lands in our 
 room atthebar, and fentence palled on him to pay 
 our debt ; he fatistied according to his undertaking 
 for us : and upon the other hand, we are brought 
 in, and the fentence of judication patted on us on 
 that account; He, faith the apoille, who knew no 
 fin, is made fin tor us, that in him we may be ac- 
 counted righteous, and may be declared free ( as 
 we are ) by vertue of his atisfa&ion. 
 
 But it may be obje&ed here , YV hat, are we then 
 abfolved from the very time of Chriil's death,and 
 forewaid ? For anfwer, we would diilinguifh. be 
 twixt a right to the thing; and a rig it in the thing 
 (as we ufe to fpeak) betwixt \us ad rem and \us in 
 re ; the ele& from Chriil's death t'orev.ard, and 
 before too, have a right to the thing, but not in 
 the thing.as to the application or it to themfelves; 
 aneleft pcrfon, by vertue or Chriil's iat.sfadtion, 
 hath a legal right to his purchaie before believing; 
 but when he comes to believe, the obilrua'on is 
 taken away that hindred his application, and then 
 he hath a new right, not Only to, but in Chrill's 
 purchaie ; even as a perfon that is miner or mad, 
 may have a right to' a great pviVemon, but by the 
 law he is fecluded from the ufe or it, till he come 
 to may.iity. and have the ufe of reafon \ and this 
 dirtin&ion we have, as one of the claues of the 
 covenant folm 6. 39,40* where, t. In the 391/. 
 Chriil fays, This is the Father's will thatf.nt me, 
 that cfall that be hath given me, /Jbould left no- 
 thing, but fiKutd raife it up again at tje Ittjf day : 
 it's the bather's will that eternal i ire be given to 
 as many as are given to Chriil: on his fatisfa&ion, 
 and Chriit hathTpurchafed it to them by his fatis- 
 fa&ion abfeluteiy as to the event ; and therefore 
 tliey have an acceifibhneis to it, a right to it. and 
 cannot: ut partake of it, yet nor fimply, but inthe 
 way that he hath laid down: an therefore, 2. ; .nthe 
 4c v he faith , This is the will of him that fent me, 
 toat every me that jecth the Son andbdievetb en 
 him, may have eternal ltfe\by believing they come 
 to the appli ation of that to thtmfelves, which 
 they had * legal pghr to before by Chriil's de^th. 
 
 (2.) Refp ct mutt be had to the covenant of 
 £.ra?e, which is not tf&ite another thing than the 
 cov nant of reclemptionv but the making offer of 
 it, and the benefits cont.iined in it, in the preach- 
 ed go: pel,' when Chr id fends out his .ambaiTadors- 
 to v. 00 .and invite finntrt to Chriil^ and to brings 
 
 Verfe 5. fie- 
 
 them to the application of his purchafe : and it 
 is by cloiing with, and receiving of Chriil's ofc 
 fer, that the actual cure comes, and that bf 
 Chritl's flripes our fores are healed; even as 
 when a Child that was miner becomes majr, he 
 comes to hav^a right to poftlis the fame lands or 
 fums of money, by the fame law that gave him 
 a iegal or fimple right to them before; or he 
 comes to have a right in that, which before he 
 had a right U\ fo ele& fouls, that have aright 
 to Chrill's purchafe before believing, while they 
 are mad in nature ; are under the curie and wrath' 
 
 • threatned in the word of God for not believing ; 
 but when they come to believe, they come to 
 get an extract from the lame word of their right 
 in Chriil's p irehate, becaufe the word fays, He 
 that believes, is pafl from death to life, and 
 Jhall not cone into condemnation : and fo the 1 me 
 word that did condemn before believing, doth 
 now abfolve upon a finners believing ; and we 
 come at this abfolution, by receiving of Chriil's 
 offer in the covenant of grace. And it it be ask d,. 
 How comes it, that the receiving of Chr iVs free 
 offer in the covenant of grace ^ives a right to 
 Chrift's purchafe P We anfwer, Jt is by vertue of 
 the covenant of redemption, wherein it is fo 
 tranfa&ed betwixt God and the Mediator : fo 
 that there is the orFer or the covenant received, 
 and the covenant it 1'e'f that concur for making 
 over and deriving a Complete ri&ht to wretched 
 finners in CbriiVs purchaie. 
 
 Let tHe ft Ufe of this he for your inftru&ion 
 and information, which is the end wherefore we 
 have chol-n, in this way, by this fhort view, to 
 give you, in a very fhort fum the marrow of the 
 gofpel ; -and it ye remember thefe few qaeflions, 
 ) e may be in a capacity not only to anfwer us^ 
 but througtarace toexercife fVth on Chriil : and 
 we think ) e will all readily grant, that thefe who 
 cannot at all anfwer them, fhouldnotgo to the 
 communion ; and therefore, that ye may take 
 them with you, we- fhall fhort'y reiume theflU 
 
 1. "v\ hat condition 's man in by nature r Anfwer, 
 Under fin and mifery, even under the curfe of 
 God: or thus, eye:y man is a Unn r, and hath 
 a iinful nature; or. he is urder tranfgreifions 
 and iniquities, is naturally icthfom, v.arts 
 peace with God, and hath need of healing r let 
 this, in the- fir ft p'ace. fink in your hearts. 
 
 2. How is nan freed from this finfulnefs and mi- 
 fery ? Anfwer, . He cannot be free from it. ffll 
 there be a condign fatisfa&ion made to divine vx~- 
 flice; wounding and bruifing mull be to procure 
 pardon, and ftripts n utl be to procure healing, ■ 
 and cbaftife»ttn$'-inuis<. be to brin^ about our 
 
 psacs *' 
 
: \2d Ifarab 43. 
 
 peace: That Word, Exed. 24. Who will by no 
 means acquit the guilty, would always be remem- 
 bred, and faith would look to a Saviour for fatis- 
 faction. 3. Who can fatisfy ? Anfwer, Neither 
 man nor angel can do it, no penances, no prayers, 
 nor performances of any mere creature will do it, 
 but he only that was wounded and bruifed, he 
 who by nature is the :>on of God, the exprt fs I- 
 mage of the Father's Perfon, and who, in refpect 
 of his humane nature, was born of the Virgin 
 Mayfy like to us in all things exc. pt fin ; it's he 
 thatfat : sfies juftice, and' it's by no other way 
 that we get pardon, and peace with God, and ho- 
 lin-fs. 4, What way doth Chrift fatisf) juftice, 
 
 . and makepeace betwixt God and firmer*? An- 
 fwer, He entred himfelf in our room, and as 
 Cautioner undertook our debt, fuffered the con- 
 sign puniihment that was due for our fins, and 
 paid the price that we fhould have paid ; he in a 
 manner le»t heaven, and became Man, had a mean 
 life in the world, drank the cup of his Father's 
 wrath, was wounded, bruifed, chaftifed,and died 
 a curled death, whereof his hanging on the crofs 
 Was but a fign. 5. What beneiits come to us by 
 
 . bis fufferings? Anfwer, Fardon of fin, peace with 
 God, and healing ; theconfeienceby his blood is 
 fprinkled from dead works, the perfon abfolved, 
 reconciled to God, made whole, and made at laft 
 to be without lpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; 
 and this is not, as Papifts blafphcmoufly fpeak, a 
 putative effect, but a moil real one. 6. Who are 
 made partakers of this pardon, peace and heal- 
 ing ? Anfwer, The elect haveright to it, and by 
 believing they make the application ; therefore 
 it's faid here, our and we ; and we may look upon 
 the prophet, fpeaking in the name of all the elect, 
 or in name of the believing elect, who on belie- 
 ving are actually healed : the elect then are heal- 
 ed ; and the way how, is by faith making appli- 
 cation of Jefus Chrift. 7. How in juftice can he 
 tbe condemned, that was free of fin ? and how can 
 we be abfolved, that were guilty ? Anfwer, He in 
 juftice was condemned, becaufe, as our Cautio- 
 ner, he came in our room, and undertook to pay 
 our debt ; and on the fame ground, we wretched 
 iinners may in-this way make application of his 
 purchafe, becaufe it was on thefe terms -that he 
 undertook the debt, that we might be fet free ; 
 and it's on thefe terms that it is offered in the 
 gofpel, that feeing he hath paid for elect finners, 
 they may, upon the hearing of the offer, clofe 
 with it. Bur how may the finner apply it " 
 
 Verfe fc, Serm. 2*. 
 
 iwer, Not only becaufe it's free, and freely offe- 
 red, but by gripping to it by faith, as the pro- 
 phet doth here ; it's not only to apply it funply, 
 but to ftep in, and reft upon it, in the terms it is 
 made offer of. So that as, on the one part, Jetus 
 Chrift became really liable. to fuffering, and fa- 
 tisfied for our fins, when he faid, Lo, lc.me, in 
 the volume of thy book it is written 'of me ,/ delight 
 to do tbj will: $0 upon the other part, the be- 
 lieving finner comes to apply the price paid, by 
 imbracing the price, and acquieicing in the fa- 
 tisfkaion, and gripping to it as his own, and by 
 his being brought to fay in faith,Let his wounding 
 be my pardon, let his chaftifement be my peace, 
 and let hisftripes be my healing. By this means, 
 as the law had a right to Chrift for his paying the 
 tier's debt, fo they, by believing, get a right to 
 the promife of pardon and healing ; for if the bar- 
 gain w as ficker on the one fide, to procure woun- 
 ding to Chrift, as if he had been the finner him- 
 felf ; lo on the other fide, the bargain is as fure ; 
 the believer is let free, rind may be as realty com- 
 forted, as if he had a righteoufnefs of his own, 
 or had never finned. 
 
 Ufe 2d. Therefore there is here wonderful mat- 
 ter of confolation to believers, that what was ju- 
 ftice to Cfi! 1ft, is grace and mercy to us ; that 
 which was pain to him,' is pleafure to us; his 
 forrow our comfort/ his w ounding our pardon, 
 his ftripes our healing, &c. 
 
 Ufe id. As ye would not prejudge your felves - 
 of thefe benefits which Chrift hth purchafed, 
 make your peace with God through Chrift. ; if 
 your pardon and peace be not obtained this way, 
 ye will never get it, but ye fhall be made to pay 
 your own debt, and be liable to wrath eternally, 
 becaufe of inability to pay your debt to the full : 
 therefore ftep to, and make the offer welcome, 
 how finful and undone foever ye be ; the moTe 
 fenfible ye be, ye are the more welcome. This 
 is the particular ufe of the doctrine. O let thefe 
 things fink in your hearts, that ye are finners, 
 great finners, under wrath, and at feud with 
 God; that Jefus Chrift is the Saviour of loft 
 finners, and that there is no way to pardon and 
 peace, but by clofing with him, and laying hold 
 on his fatisfaaion, that ye may be drawn to caft 
 your felves over on this everlafting covenant, for 
 obtaining the benefits that Chrift hath pur- 
 chafed. And himfelf blefs what hath been fpokea 
 for this end and ufe. 
 
 An- 
 
 I SERMON, XXIII. 
 
 Jfaiah Hit. 5. But he was wounded for our tranfgreflions, he jvas bruifed for our iniquities : the 
 chaftifement of our peace jp as upon him, and with hisftripes we are healed, IT 
 
Serm. 2*. lfaiah^ 
 
 IT were no fmall progrefs in Chriftianity, to 
 know and believe the truths that are implied 
 and contained in this fame vcrfe > the Lord, by 
 the prophet, is giving a little compend of the 
 work of redemption, by his faving of finners irom 
 death, through and by the wounding of the Me- 
 diator, We did a little open the meaning of the 
 words, and gave a fum of the do&rines contain- 
 ■ed in them, at lead of fome of them > which do 
 
 • contribute to this fcope. 
 
 The prophet is here fpeaking of ChrifVs fufe- 
 ' rings, with a refpe& to the caufe of them, and 
 the effed that followed them ; and flievvs how 
 this was indeed the miitake and blafphemous 
 imputation that we had of and were ready to put 
 on him, even to judge him imitten and plagued 
 of God for his own iins, whereas God hath ano- 
 ther defign: he was altogether without fln,but he 
 
 • was wounded for our tranfgreflions,he was bruifed 
 for our iniquities ; we were at feud with God, 
 and he took on him the chafiifementof our peace ; 
 and this is the efFeft, to procure healing to us* 
 
 We Ihall now fpeak a word to three dotlrines 
 further, befides what we lpoke to the lafl day, 
 which are thefe, i. That there was an eternal de- 
 fign, plot and tranfa&ion betwixt God and the 
 Mediator, as to Chrift's furfering for the re- 
 deeming of ele& finners, befo're he actually fuffe- 
 red. This the prophet fpeaks of as a thing cenclu- 
 <ied ; for the caufe of his furFerings was condefcen- 
 #ded on 3 and the end and fruit of them was deter- 
 mined, which implies an antecedaneous tranf- 
 action betwixt the father and him, for putting 
 him in the room of finners : and by this tranf- 
 action, juftice hath accefs to exact the payment 
 of this price ; he interpofed, and the Father ex- 
 acts of him the payment of their debt, and feeks 
 Satisfaction, from him for all that he bargained for. 
 
 2. That this tranfaction or defign, concerning the 
 redemption of elect finners, is, in refpecc of 
 Chrift's fuffering and fatisfying of juftice", fully 
 and actually performed ; he undertook to be 
 wounded and bruifed, and he was accordingly 
 actually wounded and bruifed: the tranfaction, as 
 to the engagement in ic, and efficacy of it, took 
 place in Jfaiab's time, and before his time ; but 
 as to the actual performance of what the Media- 
 tor engaged himfelfto fufFer, it is fpoken of pro- 
 phetically by him, as a thing done, becaufe to be 
 done ; and now it is done, and indeed long ago. 
 
 3. That the fatisfying of juftice,by the Mediator's 
 lufrerings, according to his engagement, proves 
 as effectual to abfolve, juftify and heal thefe, 
 even the groffeft finners, that come under this 
 bargain and tranfaction, as if they had actually 
 buffered, and paid and fatisfied their own debt 
 
 Verfe?. % '{& 
 
 themfelves .* -their fins are pardoned through his 
 . fufferings, their deadly wounds are healed by 
 his ftripes,as if they had never bad a wound; their 
 count is daihed and fcored as clean out, as if 
 they had never had any debt ; they are acquitted 
 and fetfree, as if they had never been guilty. 
 
 Thefe three dottrines \y very near the life of 
 the gofpel ; and the prophet, in this chapter, and 
 particularly in this verfe, is often on them. Ouc 
 purpofe is only fhortly to explicate them to you, 
 as a fhort fum and compend of the tract of the 
 covenant of redemption ; the fir/} of them fhews 
 the rife of the work of redemption ; the feeend 
 fhews the mids by which it is executed; the third 
 holds out the effect and confequence, and the 
 end of all; 
 
 ?ct and 
 n, there 
 
 For the firfi then, theVe is Cwe fay) an eternal 
 tranfaction betwixt God,and Jefus Chrifl theMe- 
 diator,concerning the redemption of finners ; his 
 actual redeeming, by being wounded and bruif- 
 ed, fuppofeth this ; for the Son is no more liable 
 to fuffering (not to fpeak of his fuitablenefs) than 
 any other of the Perfons of the bleffed Godhead, 
 had there not been an antecedent tranfaction ; 
 there was no obligation nor ty e on him to be woun- 
 ded, and to enter into the room of finners as their 
 Cautioner, for payment of their debt,if there had 
 not been a prior engagement ; neither could his 
 wounding and bruifing have proven ufeful, or 
 hav« brought healing to us, if this prior engage- 
 ment bad not been ; and this is it which we call 
 the covenant of redemption, which we would not 
 extend ft) as, in all things, to ftretch it to the 
 properties of thefe covenants and bargains which 
 are amongft men, it being in fome refpeA an ex* 
 preffion ufed to make grace more difcernable to us, 
 that can conceive fo little of grace's way. This 
 tranfaction, or covenant of redemption, is fame- 
 times called the Father's will,znd his Iaw,zs ?fal. 
 40. 8. I delight to do thy will, my God, yea thy- 
 law is within my heart ; and John 6. 38. it is 
 called fo, / came from heaven, not to do mine own 
 will, but the will of him that fent me ; fo alfo, 
 John 17. 14. it is called the . Father's work in 
 one refpe&, and the Son's work in another 
 refpect, / have fnijhed the work thou gaveft me 
 to do ; which is the profecution of, the fame con- 
 trivance, ufually called a covenant, becaufe, as to 
 the eflfentiais, it hath the nature of a covenant, to 
 wit, two parties agreeing, and terms whereupon 
 they agree, and is well ordered in all things for 
 profecuting and carrying on the defign of faving 
 loft finners, called, Afts 2. 23. the determinate 
 counfel and fore -hi owl edge cf God ; there was a 
 plot and delign in God's counfel, concerning 
 R ChrilVs 
 
'1*2 Ifaiah ^ 
 
 Chrift's fuiferings, whereof his fufferings w re 
 the execution. 
 
 To clear it a little, we would confider thefe 
 five things in it, I. The Parties, 2. The matter 
 about which it is, 3. The rile and occafion ofit, 
 4. The terms wherein the form of it (lands, or 
 the'midfes whereupon it is undertaken, 5. Some 
 properties of this covenant. 
 
 1. For the Parties; upon the one fide isGod ef- 
 fentially confidered, or all the three Perfons of 
 the glorious Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy 
 Gholt, who are all concurring in this covenant, 
 it being the aft of the determinate counfel of 
 God ; and in this reTpeft God is the Party to 
 
 whom the.fatisfaction for loft finners is made^and 
 he is alfo theParty condelcending to accept of the 
 Satisfaction: and upon the other fide, the Party 
 engaging to make fatistaction, is Jefus Chrift, 
 the fecond Perfonofthe bleffed, dreadful, and a- 
 dorable Trinity, perfonally confideredj now be- 
 coming the Head of the elect, that he may have 
 them all with himfelfto be one myftical body ; in 
 the fir ft refpect, all the three Perfons, that fame 
 onebleifed God, give the command or require a 
 Satisfaction as God, and concur, as the infinitely 
 wife Orderer of the decree , and in the fecond re- 
 fpect, Jefus Chrift, as Mediator, undertakes to 
 make fatisfaction, PfaJ. 40. 6, 7. Sacrifice and of- 
 fering thou, d'tdft not defire ; God, as it were, 
 making the offer, What can, or fhall be given to 
 me, for the redemption of finners ? Sacrifice and 
 offering will not pleafe, nor are accepted by me. 
 Then follows the Mediator's part, Lo, J come, in 
 the volume of thy book it is written of me J delight 
 to do thy will, my God: for tho' in the firft re- 
 fpect, all the Perfons in the Trinity be on the one 
 fide, being of one will ; yet in the other refpect, 
 Chrift Jefus, as Mediator, comes in on the other 
 fide, to do his will. 
 
 2. As to the matter about which this covenant 
 is : it's about the fatisfying of juftice, and making 
 of peace between God and loft finners ; it's that 
 we might be pardoned, jutlified, have peace 
 made with God, and be healed. It is true, there 
 is an end above and beyond this, even the glory 
 of God's rich grace, and condefcendin^ love, 
 that ftoops ^o low to fave finners ; but finners 
 pardon, and peace with God, and their healing, 
 5s the immediate end : or, if we come nearer, the 
 matter about which it is, is the redeeming of the 
 elect ; for thefe words in the text, to? and us, are 
 of equal extent with them that ore juftified and 
 reconciled, and whom he actually heaicd by his 
 wounds and ftripes ; lb that whoever they be who. 
 are never juftified and lnaled, they are not com*. 
 #:eiiended in this bargain* 
 
 Verfe <$. ' _ Serm. j; 
 
 3. The rife and occafion of thiscovenanfmay 
 be gatheredl from thefe three. 1. There is the 
 fuppofing of man's fin and fall*, for, whatever e- 
 lection doth, redemption doth moft certainly 
 fuppol'e man to be loft, and under fin. 2. There 
 is God's decree, not to pardon fin without a la- 
 ttsfaction. 3. There is God's election preceed- 
 ing, or his purpofe to fave fome,for the glory of 
 his grace, which are the elect, who are faid to 
 he given to Chrift. Thefe three are the rife and 
 occafion of the covenant of redemption ; man 
 hath finned, the threatning muft be executed, 
 and juftice fatisfied ; and yet God hath, for the 
 glory of his grace, elected a certain number to 
 life, and that -muft needs ftand firm : and thefe 
 three feeming to thwart one of them with another 
 gives the occaiion and rife to the excellent and 
 admirable, contrivance of this way, how the loft 
 finner ihalllje laved, yet fo as juftice fhall be fa- 
 tisfied, and not wronged in the leaft, and juftice 
 fo fatisfied, that yet the decree of election by- 
 grace fhall ftand. 
 
 4. As for the terms ( wherein the form of the 
 covenant ftands) and the midles by which thefe 
 ends may be brought about, to wit, how the 
 redemption of loft finners may be attained, ju- 
 ftice may be fatisfied, and the glory of grace 
 made to ihine, and how any thing that makes 
 thefe feem to juftle and thwart might be guar- 
 ded againft ; and that was it, which ( to fpeak fo 
 with reverence; put God to the confultation a- 
 bout it,, which fhews 1 the excellency of the co- 
 venant of redemption, and the deep draughts 
 that are about it ; for otherwife, and properly, 
 God needs not confultoradvife .• they are fhort- 
 \y thefe, i* God's offer to redeem man, if his 
 juftice may be fatisfied, and if any refponfal 
 perfon will become cautioner,, and undertake to 
 pay the elects debt. 2. The Son's accepting of 
 the offer, and undertaking or engaging to pay 
 their debt, upon condition that his payment 
 and fatisfaclion fhall be accounted the elects, 
 and accepted for them. 3. The Father's accep- 
 tation of this engagement and undertaking accor- 
 ding to his offer, and the Mediator's accepting 
 of it, and aoquiefcing in it ; he holds the bar- 
 gain ( to fpeak fo ) and fo it is a doled covenant r 
 the firft is comprehended in thefe words, Sacri* 
 fees and offerings thou didfl not defire, Pfal. 40.. 
 insinuating that God did defire ibinething ; the- 
 fecond in thefe words,M?tfe ears thou baft opened*, 
 then faid 1, Lo 1 f some, in the volume cf thy bock 
 it's voritten of me, 1 delight io di thy will', which 
 imDliesthe Father's- acceptation, as-well as Chrift's:- 
 undertaking 5- and it alio points at the way how 
 
 the-: 
 
Scrm. 23. Ifaiahtf. 
 
 the fatisfa&ion is made effectual : efpecially if 
 we compare thefe w ords of the P/tf//» with Heh. 
 IO. 5 ? 6. we will fincl that they re;ate to Chrift's 
 humiliation in general ; "or it is in the l } falm> 
 Mine ear haft th u opened ; but in Heb. 10. 5. it 
 is y A body baft th u prepared me : and where it is 
 faid -n the Pfalm I delight to do thy will,the apo- 
 (lle fays By toe which will we arejanclified. 7 he 
 Father makes the off? r on the terms of a fatisfa- 
 &ion to j iftice : the Son as Mediator accepts the 
 offer, and undertakes for the ele<ft; Here am Ijto 
 <3o thy will, on the lame terms that the offer is 
 made; and the Father accepts oft he Son's engage- 
 ment, according to that word, Matth. 3. This is 
 tny behved Sotijn whom I am well pleafed ; he 
 offers himlTt Surety tor finners, and the Father 
 is content to accept of him as their Surety : In 
 the or.erefpedt it's called the Father's pleafure,v» 
 io.of this chapter. Tet it pleafed the Lord tobruife 
 him&z. becaufe the terms were fq propofed ; and 
 in the other refpe&,its called the Mediator's plea- 
 fure>or fatisfa&ion, v, 11. becaufe the condition 
 propofed is fatitfying to him, The pleafure of the 
 ZordJbaU prefper in his hand. He undertakes to 
 pay, and God accepts of his undertaking, and 
 obliges himfelf to abfo've the believer : and the 
 words following, He ' Jh all fee his feed, and of the 
 travel of his f ul, and be fatisfidd, and by his 
 knowledge fb all my righteous Servant juftify many , 
 are promiits made to him, on fuppoiition of his 
 making fatisfa&ion. 2 Cor. 5. ult. the firft part of 
 the tranfa&ion is, He hath made him to be fin for 
 us, that knew no fin ; and the other part of it is, 
 That we might be made the right eoujnefs of God 
 through vim : he accepting of the bargair, ob- 
 tains a right to a juftifying andabfolving fentence 
 hy vertue of his fuffering ; tor which caufe thefe 
 words are added, in him, or through him : This 
 fhews the clearnefs of God's juftice in proceeding 
 with the Medktor ; the ground of finners judi- 
 cation through him ; and gives finners a war- 
 rant to nuke ufe of Chrifl's fatisfa&ion as 
 theirs, becaufe it was fo agreed upon in the 
 counfel of the Godhead. 
 
 5. We come now to fpeak a little to fome pro- 
 perties of this covenant, and ihall content our 
 felves with three or four of them that make for 
 thefcope : As, 1. The jufticeand equity of it. 2. 
 The faithfulnefs of it. 3. The freeneis of it. And,. 
 4. The wifdom that fhines in this bargain ; paf- 
 flng by the reft. 
 
 (1.) The juftice and equity of this tranfa&ion 
 may appear in thefe refpe&s; i.That the Father 
 fhould be iatisfied; and that he that was wronged, 
 iliould have his honour reftored ; that the threat - 
 
 Verfe $. 12 J 
 
 nin^ given out in his law fhould light and take 
 erKcl: ; that the loul that fins fhxuld in his uv.n, 
 or in the Surety's perfon,die: ard that afuitable 
 recompence fhould be made to juftice, b^ ore 
 the finner fhou'd be ab olved. 2. Juflice appears 
 in this refpeet, That when the Son or God, the 
 Mediator, offers to become Man. and to endure 
 and iuffer all that the elect fhould have luff. red, 
 his fufferings iliould b- accepted as a faiisfa?tion; 
 becaufe the juftice of Cod. vea,thc holintfspow- 
 er,and greatnefs of God,are as^lorioufiy maniftft- 
 ed in Chrift's fatisfaction, as if man had iurf.r d; 
 nay, there would not have been fuch an amends 
 and fatistaction made to juftice, if all reaturem 
 had buffered : Jufti:e by this means hath more fa- 
 tisfaction than it could have had otherwiie j. and 
 hereby the holinefs of Cod, and tt e feverity of 
 his juftice, as well as the condefcending love of 
 God, is the more manifefted, that he himfelf 
 fhou ! d ccuidelcend to fatisfy ; therefore,i£<?w. 3. 
 26. it's faid, That he might be jttft, the juftifier 
 of him that believetb en fefus : God is juft, in 
 that he will not only have latisfaction, but an e- 
 quivalent fatistaction,for the reftoring of his ju- 
 ftice to its declarative glory, wherein it fuffcred 
 by man's fall. 3. Juftice appears in this refpect, 
 That the Mediator, fatisrying juftice, thefe for 
 whom he fuffered fhould be acquitted, and have 
 the fentence of abfolution paft in their favours ; 
 which the rather we would take notice of, thaC 
 we may know the redemption purchafed and by* 
 ftowed by the Mediator, is by an exaft fatisfy- 
 ing of juftice, and not by removing of our fins, 
 as he did our difeafes, nor by pardoning of them 
 by an authority committed to him ; but, as I 
 faid, by a real and actual fatisfying of the juftice 
 of God for them : therefore, Luke 24. it's faid, 
 He behoved to fuffer thefe things, and then to en- 
 ter into his gltry ; there was a neceflity of' it, be- 
 caufe of the juftice of this covenant, for the Son, 
 not only to become Man, and be in a low condi- 
 tion, but to become a curfe, and to die the cur. 
 fed death of the crofs. 
 
 A fecond property is faithfulnefs on all fides* 
 faithfulnefs on the Father's fide, in his word and 
 promife to the Son ; AU that are given of the 
 Father, are made to come to him ; and there is 
 nothing loft, John 6. 37, 44, 4^. Faithful ne(s on 
 the Son's fide, performing all according to his 
 undertaking, fulfilling all righteoufnefs : There- 
 fore, when in the one word he fays, Deliver me 
 from this hour ; in the next word he fays, But 
 for this caufe came I unto this hour ; it was my. 
 errand into the world, and now I am to go about 
 it by and by : jind I lay down my life for my 
 a 2 Jheep 
 
tf*4 Tfaiabn. 
 
 fheep myfelf, no wan taketb my life frm me, 
 but I have power to lay it d,wn,and p vjer to take 
 it up again. His faith, ulnefs alfo appears in keep- 
 ing ali that are committed to his truft, N.ne cf 
 tbemfbail perifky but be JbaB rajfe them up at the 
 laft day. Therefore he is called thigood or faith- 
 ful Shepherd. 
 
 3. it's a free covenant : it's ]ufl, as betwixt God 
 and the Mediator ; but as to the eU A, it's moll 
 free •' By his wou :ds we have pardon, and by his 
 
 ftripes we have heaHrig ; The cha 'lifement cf , ur 
 "peace was en him \ there 1 Is not one gra>n-weight 
 or Worth to be iatish ?d by us : He was made fin 
 for us, he was mad', tfce curfe; even the wrath- 
 pacifying -facrifice and offering^ ; That we might 
 be made the righteoufnefs of God, not thro' 
 ©ught in our felves but thro bim, 2 Cor, 5. ult. 
 
 4. It's a moil wife contrivance, for if the Son had. 
 not be become Man and Mediator, how could ju- 
 ftice have been fatisfied or the elecfc pardoned and 
 healed ? They could not fatisfy for themf elves, 
 and no creature could fatisfy for them ; there- 
 tore the only wife God finds out a wife mids for 
 fuch an end, as is the faving of the ele<5t, in a 
 way wherein juftice and mercy, or free grace, 
 fweetly kifs each other, and wherein they both 
 &ine forth confpicuoufly and radiently. 
 
 That which we would fay inihort concerning 
 tins covenant, is this, That Jefus Chrift hath 
 undertaken to pay the elect's debt, and hath 
 ftepped in unto their room ; and God hath im- 
 puted unto him their fin, and accepted of a fa- 
 tisfa&ion from him for them ; and all this in a 
 legal and juft way, fo as there is accefs before 
 the throne of God for the'm to plead for ths 
 application of his righteoufnefs by virtue of this 
 covenant ; that as really and faithfully as Chrift.. 
 performed his undertaking to God, and his fa- 
 tisfaction was accepted for them, they may as re- 
 ally and on good ground expeft the application 
 of it to them : For tho' all be of grace to us,, 
 yet it's a bargain on juft and legal terms betwixt, 
 God and the Mediator ; therefore there is a title 
 and right in juftice for the ele&, . when they 
 come to Chrifti that his fatisfaction fhaJl ftand 
 for them, as being members of his Body, and 
 an whofe room and place he fatisfied ; Hence it 
 is faid, 1 John 2. 1. If any man fin, roe have an 
 Advocate with the Father, Jefus Cbrifi the righ- 
 teous'i and whereon is this righteoufnefs fbun- 
 4ed ? Trie next words tell us, He is the prcpiti* 
 Gtioiv for our fins ; he hath paid the price that 
 was due by us, and we may feek the application 
 of it to us, according to the tranfa&ion pad be*- 
 awixt the Father and him> now performed j; 
 ytfach. is, the next £oi>, u. 
 
 Verfe "J. Serm. 23. 
 
 The 2. Dc&rine is, That tb'is tranja&i.n and 
 defign cenceming the redemption of jinners 3 is 
 n w not vnly undertaken, but fully perfrmed ; as 
 is clear iA&i 2. 23. Him>being delivered by the de- 
 terminate' ccunf el f Gcd, ye have taken, and by 
 wicked hands have crucified audflain j the eter- 
 nal purpofe concerning this is now execute : As. 
 to the efficacy of his luff rings, He is indeed the 
 Lamb flainfr' m the beginning of the world \ Be- 
 caufe neither the Son's undertaking was queftio- 
 ned by the Father, nor the "A "attar's pro-mile que- 
 ftioned by the ion. To (peak fo with reverence of 
 fuch a my tier y, the Father, before his coming,, 
 trufts him upon his engagement with the falvati- 
 on of fo many ele& fouls as he had given him; and 
 the Son, confidered as Mediator, trufts the Fa- 
 ther with the juftirying of them, according to 
 the promife made to him in the 1 1. verfe of this, 
 chapter \ but the actual performance of the un- 
 dertaking was not till Chrift fuffered. This 
 a&ual performance of the covenant comprehends 
 thefe things fliortly ; 1. That as this plot and de- 
 fign of redemption was laid down, fo it hath the 
 performance by all the parties covenanting : It 
 is a&ually performed according to the terms of 
 it. 2. That it hath the real effech. covenanted 
 for, a&ually and really brought about ; It hath 
 w:th it a moft real and effectual following, to. 
 fpeak fo, whereof ChrifVs a&ual fufFering was 
 a part, and a main part. 
 
 I fay, it is performed by all parties according 
 to the terms, and hath its real effect, in thefe re- 
 fpe&s, 1. Chrift Jefus hath, according to this 
 covenant, fifted himfelf before tta bar of juftice,. 
 and undertaken our debt. 2.. Juftice hath purfu- 
 ed Chrift for our debt, and hath exa&ed payment, 
 of it from him : The cup that belonged to us. 
 was put in his hand, and he was made to nrink 
 it : in which refpe&, it is faid; He was made a 
 curfe for us, Gal. 3. The fword of divine juftice 
 awaked againft him, and did fmite him, 3. Jefus 
 Chrift, according to his undertaking, doth ac- 
 cept of the claim, undergoes the debt, and fatis- 
 fies juftice; therefore,when he ftands in our room, 
 as if he had been the guilty Perfon, he opens, 
 not his mouth to juftify himfelF ; he lays not, 
 thefe are not my fins, but is as dumb, as the 
 iheep is before the fhearer, becaufe he was our 
 Cautioner : The everlafting covenant, to fay fo, 
 ftuod regiftrate over his head, and he is made to 
 count for all that was due by, and to us», 4. It's 
 performed in this refpe&, that the Father pur- 
 ities not the elec> on this account to be fatisfi- 
 ed of them, who> as !bon a* they accept of the: 
 covenant, are a&ually. jiiftijied; aad'. ab r orvedc 
 
Serm.23. , r *f m &3& 
 
 Indeed, while they are in nature, the fentence ftiU 
 (lands, Cur fed is he that finmtb and believetb 
 nit \ yet, by vertue of his performance of the 
 tranfaction, they have a legal right to justificati- 
 on', and the promife to him ftands good, that 
 the elect by his knowledge (hall be juftified; and 
 it hath an actual performance in all them that be- 
 lieve, they are really made free as he was made 
 the finner. 5. In refpeet of the manner, (1.) It's 
 performed exactly according to the covenant, 
 even as it was agreed upon, that for fo many he 
 fhould fiiffer and procure eternal life, and fo. it 
 is; eternal life is given tofo many, according to 
 the condition of this covenant and bargain (2.) 
 As it was a bargain wherein juftice was to be fa- 
 tisfied ; fo it was exactly fatisfied, Chrift Jems 
 gets nothing down, not one farthing is remitted, 
 but fatisfies all, pays down the full price ; he 
 drinks out all the wrath contained in the cup, 
 till it come to that fweet word, uttered by^ him 
 amongft his laft words on the crofs, It is finifhed. 
 The 3d Do&rine is, That tho eleft finners be 
 as well finners by nature, and asgrofs finners as 
 ethers \ yet by vertue cj this covenant and upon 
 condition of their accepting of it, they may obtain, 
 and do a&uxlly obtain, peace with Ged, par den 
 and healing, as if they had never finned, or as if 
 they had fatisfied the juftice of God themselves. 
 This is the very end of this tranfaction, He was 
 roounded for our tranjgrejjioni, and bruifed for 
 our iniquities, the chaftifement of cur peace was 
 upon him, and by his ftripes we are healed; His 
 wounds, bruifesand ftripes, effectually procured 
 juftification and healing to us: And this is the 
 ground of that which we call imputed rightecuf- 
 nefs, and ihews how it comes to pafs, that we are 
 made righteous by the righteouihefs of another, 
 fcornfuliy called putative righteoufnefs by Pa- 
 fifts : But confider ir»g what is in the former 
 doctrines, and in this, we will find it to be a 
 clear truth, on which our juftification, and the 
 whole, weight or our falvation hangs ; that the 
 believing finnerxlofing with ChrilV satisfaction, 
 is as effe&ually abfolv.edfr.om fin, as if he had ne- 
 ver finned ; ChritVs fatisfaction becomes as real-. 
 ly his, as if he had paid the debt himfelf : And 
 if we confider thefe three, 1. The great defign 
 of the covenant of redemption betwixt God and 
 the Mediator, 2. The faithfulnefs of God in 
 this covenant, in performing his . part on the 
 terms on which the Mediator laid down a price 
 for the elect, 3. The excellency and efficacy of 
 the price paid with' refpect to the covenant ; 
 • we will find that there is a clear accefs in law,or 
 according to the. decree of p,o.d manifefted (tha 
 
 Verfe 5. ?2^ 
 
 decree is called a law, Thy Jaw is within my 
 hearty for the grolfeft (inner* that come under 
 this bargain, and clofe with this covenant, their 
 obtaining peace, pardon, juftification, and heal- 
 ing, as if they had never finned, or had fatisfi- 
 ed themfeives, and that they may confidently ex- 
 pect it'on this ground. 
 
 1. 1 fay, if we confider the great end and de- 
 fign of the covenant betwixt God and the Medi- 
 ator, we will find it to be the juftification of the 
 elect : Chwft fuffered, not for any fin that was 
 inherently in himfelf: he had no fin. there was no 
 guile found in his mouth, no quarrel betwixtGod 
 and him on his own account *, but he was woun- 
 ded for our tranfgrefnons, the chaftifement 0$ our 
 peace was on him : to make peace betwixt God 
 and us by his wounding, was the great defign 
 of the covenant of redemption ; and can that 
 defign hold, if his fatisfaction come not in the 
 roonj of ours, and (land not for our fatisfaction 
 and payment ? In man's law r the cautioner pay- 
 ing the debt proves valid for the principal debi- 
 tor : And when this is the defign of God in.the 
 covenant of redemption, howto get the debt of 
 dyvour finners paid, and themfelves fet at liber-, 
 ty, and wh^n this is found out as the mids, a bo- 
 dy haft tbsu prepared unto me \ the covenant 
 muft be as real on the one fide as it is on the o - 
 ther ; that is, as real and effectual to make the be- 
 liever in Chrift juft, as it was real and effectual 
 to make Chrift to be accounted the finner, and 
 to be dealt with as fuch. We may clear it further 
 in thefe two, f . By looking to Chrift typified in 
 the offerings under the law : When the finner 
 came with his offering, he laid his hand on the 
 head of the beaft, efpecially of the f cape-goat, 
 to fhew that jefus Chrift, who was to come to be 
 both Prieft and Sacrifice, who was to bear the fins 
 of the elect, as they wt>re to be fet free ; that he 
 was to lay his neck down to the knife of juftice, 
 that the ftroke might be kept off our throat. 2. 
 We are fo juftified by Chrift, as Chrift was made 
 fin for us : Now our fins became really Chrift's, 
 not that he was made the finner inherently, that 
 were blafphemous to be thought or fpoken of;. 
 but he was reckoned the finner, and was fubfti- 
 tutein the room of finners. as if he had been the • 
 finner, and was made to fatisfie for original fin, 
 and for actual fin, as if he had been guilty of them, 
 by committing them ; therefore, 2. Cor. 5. ult. 
 he is faid to be made fin for us, and Gal. 3 . to be 
 made a cur fe for us, and 1 Vet. 2. 24. to bear our 
 fins in his own bedy on the tree t And if he fuffe- 
 red for us, and if ws partake of his righteouihefs* 
 as he did of our fins j then our juftification real- 
 
125 Ifa'tab fa 
 
 ly follows, and we arc abfolved and made righte- 
 /ous thro' his fmsfa&ion clofed with by faith, as 
 if we had never finned. The parallel is clear, 
 I Cor. 5. ult. He was made fin for us, who knew 
 no fin, that we might be made the righteoufnefs 
 of God in him : So that Chrifl was made fin, in 
 the fame manner we are made righteous ; that as 
 legally as hej who had no debt v was made liable to 
 bur debt, fo as legally we partake of his righte- 
 oufnefs, .arjtl are declared free: Even as the dy- 
 vour is 'legally freed from the debt which his 
 cautioner hath paid, and cannot be liable to it ; 
 fo the believer, by Chrifl's fatis'aft on, is freed 
 from the debt of fin, and abfolved and declared 
 righteous. And tho' this may feem flrange and a 
 wonder, to be a fmner, and yet in fome rcfpeA 
 free of fin ; under guilt, and yet abfolved ; yet 
 Chrifl's fatisfa&ion is as real and effectual as to 
 to the. -believer, as ifhe had fatisfied himfelf, be- 
 caufe his Cautioner hath fatisfied for him. 
 
 2. If we confider God's faithfulnefs in this co- 
 venant, in performing his part, according to the 
 terms of it, the matter is clear ; For as the Me- 
 diator hath performed his part according to his 
 engagment ; fo it is impoffible but God mud 
 perform his, and mufl accept of the fatisfa&ion 
 in name of the ele&, and upon their believing 
 juflifies them : for as it was the Father's will, that 
 he fhould lay down his life for his fheep, fo it 
 was the will of the father, Son, and holy Ghoft. 
 that believers in him fhould thro' his fatisfa&ion 
 have eternal \ife,John 6. 39, 40. when he hath 
 faid before, 1 came not to do my own will, but the 
 zvill of him that fent me, he fubjoins, This is the 
 Fathers will which fent me Jbat of all that be hath 
 given me 1 Jbouldlofe nthing, but fhould raife 
 it up again at the lajt day ; where the fatisfadFi- 
 on that Chrift fhould make is implied, and it is 
 a great one: And what fatisfaelion fhall he have 
 for that ? even the (alvation of the elect ; Ibis 
 is the will of him that fent me, that every one 
 that fetrth the Son, and believetb on him, may 
 have everlafling life, and I will raife him up at 
 the lafl day. And ver. 10. of this chapter, it's 
 clear that he fhall not want fatisfa&ion ; for he 
 fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and be fatis- 
 fied : And what is the fatisfaction ? By his know- 
 ledge foall my righteous Servant juftifie many; 
 he fhall be the caufe of the juilifying of many, 
 and they fhall be a<5tal!y abfolved in due time .• 
 And what is the ground of it ? Tor he fljall bear 
 their iniquities : And therefore, as God is faith- 
 ful, he fhall get that, which he merited and pur- 
 chafed for them, applied unto them. 
 
 3. If we confider the excellent and equivalent 
 Price that Jelus Chrifl hath paid, and that with 
 
 V ^fe <$. Serm 23. 
 
 relpecl: to the covenant* we have a clear ground 
 why the believer may expect and be confident to 
 to be abfolved and declared free : It is no mean 
 price, gold, filver, or precious flones, but the 
 blood of him that was and is God ; which we (ay 
 would be confidered not fimply, butvuth r< f. 
 pea to the covenant, and to the end wherefore 
 he furFered and fhed his blood ; For tho' it be 
 no comfort to a finner fimply that Chrifl fuffe- 
 red ; yet when he confiders that it was for this 
 end, to wit, that juflice might be fatisfied, and 
 that thefe for whom he fatisfied might be juflifi- 
 ed, and made free; the believing finner may 
 hence reafon, If there was a reality in juflice 
 purfuing of him as my Cautioner, and a reality 
 and efficacy in his fatisfaftion ; and if it was full 
 and comp'eat, fo as juflice was fully fatisfied by 
 it, when there was a reality of mercy, pardon, 
 juflification, and peace with God, and of heal- 
 ing to and for me, their being made forthcoming 
 to me upon the condition of believing; and in 
 this refpedl, tho' it be grace to pardon fin as to 
 us, yet it is juflice in God to give Chrifl: the 
 fatisfaelion for the travail of his foul, as well as 
 he gave God fatisfaction to his juflice : and the 
 equivalent of that which the elecl fhould have 
 paid, being paid to juflice by Chrifl their Cau- 
 tioner, the Lord cannot, nor will not fhun nor 
 fhift the pardoning of a believing finner according 
 to the covenant. 
 
 The Ufes are five, 1. Of inflrucFion, where- 
 by we may have a map of God's way of faving 
 finners ; and of the way of finners coming to get 
 falvation thro' Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 2. To flir us up to admire the love of God, 
 contriving fuch a defign for the falvation of loft 
 finners; the love of God, that gave his Son; 
 and the love of the Son, that engaged to come, 
 and hath come and paid the debt. 
 
 3. It gives a notable warrant to the faith of a • 
 finner to take hold of, and clofc with Chrifl, and 
 to refl upon his fatisfaction for juflification and 
 healing ; becaufe he hath God and the Mediator 
 covenanting for this very end, the Mediator 
 engaging to fatisfie, and God engaging to receive 
 the fatisfaction, and to juftifie all thele who fhall 
 accept of it, and refl: upon it. 
 
 4. It's therefore a notable ground of encourage- 
 ment, and of exhortation, to take hold of ]efus 
 Chrifl, and of his fatisfaction : Folk w T ould not 
 skar at him, but lippen their falvation to him, 
 and be fure the bargain will not fail ; as it is 
 fure that the Mediator hath fatisfied, it is as fure ' 
 that his fatisfaction fhall be made forthcoming 
 to believers in him. 
 
 5-T. 
 
Serm. 24. ' , \ • >. //^ «• 
 
 <. To reprove the negletfers and flignters of 
 Tefus Chrift, and of this offered laivation thro 1 
 him ; when he hath taken the threatmng and 
 curfe of the law on himfeU, to make out the 
 promife to them, it mull be a great aggravati- 
 on of folks guilt to (light him. It fcrves a.io to 
 comfort a poor finner, that hath many fins and 
 challenges, and knows not how to be quit- of 
 them : The covenant fa>s, our fins are tranilated 
 on the Mediator, that we might he ie.C free; 
 Chrilt jefus covenanted on the terms of juiheev 
 to make way for us to covenant on the terms of 
 mercy •, God covenanted with him to pui iue our 
 
 Verfe «;. 127 
 
 fin in him, and he covenanted to impute that 
 fatisfaftion freely to us : Hence is that never- 
 enough noted faying, 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in 
 Cbriji reconciling the vjcrld to kimfdf. It'sju- 
 ffcice on his part, he fatisfied for pardon of fin, 
 and peace to them: But on the elects part it's 
 grace, God is reconciled to them, not imputing, 
 their fin to them ; but it's for Chrift's fatisfa&i- 
 -on that he freely forgives them their fin ? fo that 
 what coft: him dear, comes mod freely to us ; 
 and this is no fmall ground of comfort to a con- 
 ference preffc d with fin. God fix thefe things 
 in your hearts. 
 
 ^£X^ VSX^ iSCS'S «®^ ®®i «£3C2?S V®C^ VS3®^ <®Sft V«®®i ^>2^ * ^SX^ ^S®^ iSSft ^^E^^CS^ CS^ Vgsr^s vgx^) ^g)®5 WS® (SX^ ^X^ 
 
 SERMON XXIV. 
 
 Ifaiahliil. ■). But he was wounded for our tranf%rejJions 3 be was brut fed for our iniquities > the 
 chaftifement of our peace was upon him^ and with hisftripes we are healed, 
 
 [F there were more deep conviction amongft do<ftrine, and not only to know it, but to engage 
 
 Tl . 
 
 J_ us of our natural deadnefs in fin, and of that 
 fearful condition that naturally we ly under by 
 our liablenefs to the wrath and curfe of God, all 
 men and women having by nature God's curfe, 
 as thefentence "of the law,regi(lrate againft them; 
 the reading of i'ucb a text, wherein a way of re- 
 medy is holden forth, would be more welcome . 
 to us ; and we are perlwaded that fuch a thorow 
 conviction would not only make the word more 
 lovely and delightfom to us, but more plain and 
 eafy to be underftood by us, and to be fooncr 
 taken up by us ; and one preaching would thus 
 be more profitable and effe&ual than many are 
 to you while in a fecure condition : When peo- 
 ple are not under the deep and due conviction 
 ©f their fin and mifery, they have no ferious 
 thoughts that the word of the gofpel concerns 
 them in particular, and that their fouls (land in 
 need of that which is fpoken to them therein. 
 
 Ye may remember, we fpoke fomewbat from 
 thefe words for clearing the way of making peace 
 betwixt God and finners; and for holding forth 
 the way that God in his infinite wifdom hath laid 
 down for fetting of poor finners, that are lying 
 under the curfe, free : For this end, there was 
 an eternal tranfa&ion and covenant entred into 
 by the Father and the Son, the Father demanding, 
 and the Son accepting and fatisfying, as Mediator 
 and finners Cautioner, what was due to juftice 
 for the fins of the eleft, as was determined in the 
 counfel of God j from which blclTed bargain ail 
 our falvation fiovs as from the fountain/ a.nd 
 runs down 33 a river to us. 
 
 That which now we are to fpesk a little to, is 
 
 " fome profitable Ufe.sr, which are the fcope of all, 
 
 and tend to lead y.ou. in to know the ufe of fuch. 
 
 you to make fuitable practical improvement of i.. 
 There are feveral forts of Ufe s that flow from 
 this verfe, whence the preceeding doctrines have 
 been drawn. 
 
 The fit ft fort is for Information; which ye 
 who are more ignorant, and have not lo much 
 light in you as to difcover the way to heaven, 
 would efpecially take heed to. tho 5 they be ufeful 
 to all. And, 1. Ye would know and be inrorm- 
 ed in this, that all men and women, without ex- 
 ception, are lying under tranfgreflion and iniqui- 
 quities, and liable to be fro itten and curfed of 
 God, till thefe be taken away : But this having 
 l>een fpoke of in the forenoon, w r e need not iniilt 
 on it now ; but the truth is, neither law nor gof- 
 pel hath- gained this much ground on the great- 
 part of you, as to bring you really to know, 
 that naturally ye are dead in fins and trefpatfes : 
 and, till this be drunk in and digeftcd, other- 
 truths cannot to any purpoie profit you. 
 
 2. Ye w;ou!d know and confidor the neceffity 
 of afatisfa&ion to the juftice of God, before fin- 
 ners can be freed from iin, and frr.m ihr curfe 
 and wrath of God, that they are under -and liable 
 to, by rra'cn of their, original corruption and 
 actual tra hfg re iTions. Do ye think that Jefus' 
 Chrift did needlefly enter into the covenant of 
 redemption, and engage to fat isf\, and actually 
 and really did fuffer and iatisry juflice'' If men 
 might come fo cafily to leaven as many fuppofe^, 
 it had been needlefs* \' ou'd God (think >e). 
 have wounded tbe Cautioner, his pwu dear, Son 3 . 
 if thole who ly under fin and wrath might kt»ve 
 by another way fatisfied juilice,and reftored him 
 to his honour.? ^Nay, ere this peace could be 
 
 made 
 
lit Ifaiah 53. 
 
 made, tills behoved to be *, and yet T mu:h doubt 
 if any do think that there is any fuch diftance 
 betwixt God and them, which a word of prayer, 
 or confeilion, or fome penance cannot remove : 
 This is, alas ! the woful ignorance of many that 
 live under the gofpel ; but ye would know that 
 a fatisF3?tion behoved to be, and fuch a fatisfacti- 
 as v/as equiva'ent to the wrong done, and fuit- 
 ableand Satisfying to him that was wronged by 
 fin, and that among all the creatures it could not 
 be found. Yea, ye may read from this the dread- 
 ful effects of fin, and what a horrible thing it is 
 to have your tranfgreflions to count for with God 
 your felves : If fin brought fuch heavy things on 
 the Cautioner, what will it bring on the finner, 
 who hath continued all his days in tops with 
 : God, to fpeak fo,and would not make peace with • 
 him, when he was earneftly invited to it ? Yea, 
 we may from this know, what is that mod horri- 
 ble, dreadful, and confounding fentenee, which 
 is abiding all of you that (land it out, and do 
 not make your peace with God through this fa- 
 tisfaction of our blefTed Lord Jefus, when ye 
 ihall be made eternally to bear the wrath that fin 
 deferves, which yet is intolerable. 
 
 3. Ye would hence know, and fludy to be 
 clear and diflinft in your knowledge of this pre- 
 cious truth, how a finner, that by nature is un- 
 der fin and wrath, and hath ground every day 
 to look for it, may be freed from that curfe and 
 wrath : To prevent which, the Lord hath made 
 a covenant with the Son, who is appointed Me- 
 diator for making peace betwixt God and fin- 
 ners, by fatisfying his juflice for them, and by 
 paying the fame debt that was due by them ; fo 
 that this wrath is prevented, and their peace is 
 made by vertue of this covenant of redempti- 
 on ; wherein thefe two claufes are agreed and 
 concluded upon betwixt thefe two infinitely re- 
 fponfal Parties, 1. That Chrifl fhall become the 
 finner, and be handled as a finner; tho' there was 
 no fin in him. 2. That the e!e& finner, that "by 
 nature was a child of wrath events well as o- 
 thers, ihall be freed from the wrath to come by 
 vertue of his fatisfaction : Thefe are two pillars 
 that our fa! vat ion is built upon, and that our 
 peace and reconciliation with God flow from : 
 by his wounding and bruifing, we are pardo- 
 ned, The chaflifement cf our peace was on him, 
 and by his flri$es roe are healed. 
 
 To clear this a little •, This covenant would 
 be confidered, 1. As it to looks the Parties, and 
 their fevtral actions. 2. As it looks to the exe- 
 cution thereof, in all the fteps of it. 
 
 For the firfl, There are three Parties that con- 
 cur in their ovvn place, i.God is the Party of- 
 
 Verfe 5. Serm. 24." 
 
 fended, and he is here bruifing and wounding 
 the Mediator : He is the judge, and Hands ready 
 to execute the fentenee that Hands in his law 
 againfl finners, if he get not. an equivalent fa- 
 tisfaction. 2. Jefus Chrifl the Mediator is the 
 Party wounded and bruifed ; the Mediator's pare 
 is to fatisfy juftice, to pay the price,and perform 
 the fatisfaction refolved upon in the counfel of 
 God, of fuitable and fufficient value for the re- 
 demption of the elect, according to. his engage- 
 ment ; and he is actually wounded and bruited : 
 God determined what fhall fatisfy, Chrifl Jefus 
 accepts of the determination, engages to fatisfy, 
 and does actually fatisfy for elect finners. A id 
 party is, "We poor finners, He was wounded 
 fsr cur tranfgreflions, &c. It's the elect finner, 
 or the finner, who being made in due time fen- 
 fible of fin, and afraid of wrath, and who being 
 kindly touched with the apprehenfion of it, and 
 cleared anent the firmnefs and freenefs of the 
 covenant, and anent the fulnefs of Chrifl's fa- 
 tisfaction, doth by faith flee unto Jefus Chrifl, 
 andfubmitto his fatisfaction, and betakes him- 
 felf allenarly. to that for righteoufnefs ; Chriffe 
 lays down the price, and the believing finner 
 pleads for interefl-in it, and for the benefit of it, 
 and by faith gets title to an abfolvitor from 
 his debt and guilt. If it then be asked, What is 
 the thing whereby a finner is pardoned and ju- 
 flified, reconciled to God, and delivered from 
 wrath, and healed ? I anfwer, It is by believing 
 in Jefus Chrifl. If it be again asked, What is 
 the ground or reafon, why the believing finner 
 obtains that favour ? I anfwer, Becaufe our Lord 
 Jefus hath fufficiently fatisfied for, and fully paid 
 the debt of fo many as are brought to believe on 
 him. If it be, idly, asked, How comes it that 
 Chrifl's fatisfaction becomes a ranfbm, and is 
 accepted for fuch and fuch a believer ? I anfwer, 
 It is by vertue of the eternal covenant of re- 
 demption, or tranfaction made betwixt the Fa- 
 ther and the Son, wherein it was agreed, that 
 his fuffering and fatisfying of juftice, fhould 
 be accepted for believing finners, as if themfelves 
 had fatisfied; according to that of John 6. 39, 40. 
 This is the Father's will that fent mi, that of 
 all that he hath given me J fhould lofe nothing ; 
 and this is the will of him that jent me, that who- 
 foever feetb the Son, and believeth en him, may 
 have evcrlafling life : So our believing is the firffc 
 immediate Hep, whereby~we come to obtain par- 
 don of fin, and peace with- God : Chrifl's righ- 
 teoufnefs, or fatisfaction, is that whereon our be- 
 lieving founds it felf ; yet fo as it hath a refpect 
 to the eternal covenant of redemption, whence 
 
 both 
 
Serm. 24. , , J&1*fl* 
 
 both Chrift's fatisfa&ion and our believing do 
 flow, and without w£i< b We could have no war- 
 rant to expeft righteoufi fe through a Mediator ; 
 fbr, unit- is we know that Chrift hath fatisfied 
 juftice for ele& finners that Ihall believe on 
 him, we cannot red on him for righteoufnefs ; 
 and unlets we have an eye to the covenant of re- 
 demption, we cannot expect that his fatisfa&ion 
 will he accepted* for us : And therefore, if we 
 will, trace thefe Reps back again, the firft rife of 
 our lalvation is in the counfel of God ; the pro- 
 fecution of it is in Chrift's latisfa&ion ; and the 
 application of his fatisraetion, is by our fleeing 
 to it, and accepting of it by faith : And there- 
 fore we would learn, in our locking and ftepping 
 up to htaven, to look to thefe three in this or- 
 der ; we would firft begin at faith, and in be- 
 lieving we would confider Chrift's fatisfaction, 
 and from that we would afcend to the rife of it, 
 to wit, the covenant of redemption, and the 
 terms of it: All which put together, give a very 
 clear ground of expe&ing righteoufnefs through 
 Jefus Chrift. I fhall illullrate it by a fcripture- 
 fimilitude, wherein I fhall fhew you how all the 
 three concur, yet fo as there is a difference in 
 their ' concurrence? Ye know that under the 
 law, there were cities of refuge appointed, 
 which were types of Jefus Chrift, in whom we 
 find a fhelter ; in thefe cities of refuge,- con- 
 fider thefe three that concurred for faving the 
 perfon that had committed man-daughter 5 1. 
 God's determination, appointing fuch a thing, 
 and that? the man-flayer, being within fuch a 
 city, fhould be fafe from the avenger of blood ; 
 and this gave the rife to the other two that fol- 
 low. 2. The city it felf, as a fhelter or. refuge 
 to the man-flayer. 3. The perfons fleeing or 
 running to hide themfelves in it .• Now the 
 fafety of the perfon of the man-flayer did flow 
 from all the three. (1.) The law, appointing 
 fuch a city, was the ground. (2.) The city 
 was the fhelter. (3.) The perfon's aftual run- 
 ning to the city, gave him a claim and title to 
 the privilege of the city ; For tho* the for- 
 mer two had been, if he had not fled to the ci- 
 ty, he had not obtained the benefit of fafety : 
 Even fo, the believer that would be faved, is to 
 qonfider thefe tbree^ 1. God's determining fuch a 
 way of lalvation to ele-ft. finners by a Mediator. 
 2. The Mediator privileged as the city of re- 
 fuge for this end. And, 3. the finner's fleeing 
 to him, which is his believing on him, and his 
 feeking and pleading for the benefit of Chrift'* 
 fatisfaSion, according to the' terms of the cove- 
 nant. Now,fuppofe a perfon to flee to the city 
 of refuge,- he is preferred in it, juftice cannot 
 
 Verfe 5. tfj? 
 
 -follow him further than the gates, yetfo as he 
 hath the benefit by God's determination and ap-- 
 pointment of the city for fuch an end, and yet 
 io as he muft flee into it, ere he can plead for the 
 benefit of the city t So, fuppoie a finner to be 
 fled to Jefus Chrift by faith, he may plead for 
 exemption from wrath, by God's determining 
 and appointing a Mediator for fuch an end ; and 
 the Mediator jefus Chrift hath this privilege 
 conferr'd on him, that he that thus flees unto 
 him fhall be fafe *, yet it is alfo fuppos'd,that fuch 
 a finner hath fled to him, elfe he could not expert 
 fafety through Jlim, notwithstanding of God's de- 
 termining the Mediator for fafety : thus we would 
 have thele three put together ; and yet (as we 
 laid) they differ : for God's determination is the 
 efficient caufe and fountain of all ; Chrift's fa- 
 tisra&ion is the meritorious caufe, and our be- 
 lieving is the ground on which we have right to 
 plead tor the benefit of his fatisfadfcion : even as 
 the man that fled to the city of refuge, his fafe- 
 ty was not by any virtue in his running, but by 
 God's determination, yet his running to the ci- 
 ty was requifite as the mids, and except he run or 
 fled to it, he could not plead for the benefit of 
 the city ', (0 our believing gives us ground to 
 plead a right and title to Chrift and his fatisfacti- 
 
 i on, without which we could not have that right. 
 But, 2^//,Becaufe one will take up this under 
 one notion,and another under another : To clear 
 it therefore a little further, we fhall again con- 
 fider in the covenant thefe three fteps, . 1. The 
 determination of it, as it is ena&ed in the coun- 
 fel of the God head, which in fum is this, 
 that fuch and fuch perlbns fhall. be fatisfied for 
 by the Mediator, and his iatisfa&ion accepted 
 for them. 2. The execution of this covenant, 
 where we take in all our Lord's lufrerings ; all 
 the ftrokesand wounds that juftice purfued him 
 with, as Cautioner for the ele& ; and God's ac- 
 cepting and juftifying of him, and declaring his 
 accepting of him, and b#ing well fatisfied with 
 what he did and fufFered,by his railing him from 
 the dead. 3. The application of his purcha(e,by 
 his accepted fatisfa&ion ; which confifts in thefe, 
 (j.)T hat thefe that were given to Chrift on this, 
 
 • condition, that his fatisfaction fhould ftand good 
 for them, fhould be juftified and faved, that is, 
 that in due time applicaron of his fatisfaction 
 fhould be made to the perfcns given him to be 
 faved by him ; which takes in Chrifi's making in- 
 terceffion, that renewing graze, faith, Syr. 
 may be giv^n to fuch perfons. (2.) That the 
 work of the Spirit, who, as the Sanctifier, begets 
 faith, and perfwades to embrace Jefus Chrift, 
 S fori* 
 
13© ' Jfai'ab <>3. 
 
 fhall be given them. Then (3.J Follows the be- 
 liever's a&ual coming to Chrift, Being fweetly 
 and powerfully drawn to reft on him and his 
 fatisfaction ; whereupon follows the application 
 of the fentence of juftification and absolution 
 that refults from the former : So that whereas it 
 was before, Cur fed. is be that continues not in all 
 things written in the Javo ; now it is, He that 
 believeth on Jefus Cbrifl, hath eternal life y and 
 Jball never come into condemnation : All thefe 
 go and agree well together ; the covenant as 
 the ground, ChrilVs (atisfa&ion as the meritori- 
 ous caufe, and the application of his fatisfacHon 
 fey faith, which entitles and gives the believer a 
 right to it. 
 
 The reafon why we have fo much infifted on 
 this, is, That we may teach you to join refpecl: 
 to the covenant of redemption, Chrift's' furfe- 
 ring, and your believing, together : It will not 
 be faith that will juftify, that is,without refped 
 to the covenant ; neither will the covenant 
 and Chrift's fatisfaction juftify, without faith *, 
 yet ye would fo put them together, as the glory 
 of falvation through grace may not ly on faith, 
 but on God's everjafting love, and on Chrift's 
 fatisfa&ion. And indeed it is no little pra- 
 £tick for a foul fenfible of fin, in the exercife of 
 faithjfo to lay the weight of its falvation onChrift 
 and the covenant, as it. 'neglect not running to 
 Chrift by faith ; and ^0 to lay hold on Chrift by 
 faith, as it lay not the weight on faith, but on 
 Chrift and the covenant ; As in the comparifon 
 before ufed,Suppofe a man,that had killed another, 
 nina wares, had been taken before he wan to the 
 city of refuge ; God's determination was not the 
 caufe of that,but his not running,or his not com- 
 ing at the city : So it may be that fome are appre- 
 hended by the juftice of God, that are lefs finful 
 than others ; yet the reafon or caufe is not in 
 Ciod'scovenant,nor in Chrift's want ofworth,but 
 in the perfon's not running, or not fleeing to Chrift 
 as.to the city of refuge •, and therefore they are 
 not heard to plead for immunity by vertue of 
 that fatisfa&ion before the bar of God. 
 
 A 2d fort of Ufes are for exhorting and encou- 
 raging finners to come to Chrift .• There is here 
 $hen, 1. A clear ground to our faith, and a plain 
 way opened to heaven, and a mighty encourage- 
 ment to perfwade finners to lay hold on Chrift, 
 and to take this way for obtaining of life : This 
 text opens as it were the gates of the city of 
 refuge, and points out the way how to efchew 
 the wrath which is to come : There is a way 
 jhere laid down, in the wifdom, juftice, good- 
 Defs and grace of God, which is made o§r of 
 afethegofgelj. andiince. it.is.fo, we beieech you. 
 
 ^erfe^.. " . Serm. 24.' 
 
 that ye would not receive this grace in vain ; but 
 feeing tliere is a covenant well ordered and fure 
 a Mediator and a ranfom provided, and a way 
 laid down how to come to Chrift by faith, let all 
 of you, who come under the conviction of fin and 
 apprehenfion of wrath., ftep to, and clofe with 
 him, and plead for pardon by vertue of his. 
 wounds,and for healing through his (tripes, with 
 refpect to the covenant. 
 
 There are thefe four things here that will ferve- 
 to give ground for this application, if we confi- 
 der, 1. The great ground of faith that is here. 
 2. The great reafon we have to make ufe of this 
 ground* 3-. The great encouragement we have 
 fo to do» And, 4, The great necefTity we have 
 to make this application. A little to each of 
 thefe : But we fhall premit one word to all, and 
 it's this, That confidering you are all in tryfting 
 terms with God, whether ye live at a diftance 
 from him, the ufe will by way ©f exhortation 
 reach you ; or whether ye be brought to greater 
 nearnefs under the fenfe of fin, and have fome 
 ferioufnefs in feeking after God, it will reach you 
 - for confolation. In a word, we would exhort all,, 
 and it may convince fome, and comfort others ■: 
 But to the firft thing we proofed, We declare &. 
 proclaim thisas a true and faithful faying, that 
 there is here an everlafting covenant, wherein 
 the falvation of the elect is concluded through 
 Chrjft's fatisfaction to juftice for them, and a 
 way laid down for making peace betwixt God 
 and all them that will thorowly renounce their 
 own righteoufnefs, and lay hold on this fatisfa? 
 ction, even fuch a way as procures juftification. 
 and healing to them. And for your confirmation, 
 confider in general, if it be poffible that this co- 
 venant of redemption, the fuirerings of the Me- 
 diator, and the promifes made to believing, can 
 be for nought ; did the Father purfue the. Cau- 
 tioner fo hotly for nothing ? or did the Cautio- 
 ner pay fuch a ranfom for nothing ? No certainly ; 
 if it had not been to communicate pardon and 
 peace, with healing by his*wounds and ftripes to. 
 them who were liable to condemnation, and under 
 the dominior>of fin, neither of thefe would have 
 been : And therefore, for grounds of your faith, 
 more particularly fee here, 1. A full fatisfaction : 
 God hath made way to finners peace with him- 
 felf, by fatisfying himfeli: fully in Chrift the Me- 
 diator for the fins of elect believers ; fo that a 
 finner, that in the fenfe" of fin betakes himfelf to. 
 him 3 needs not fear any back-accounts, becaufe 
 •whatever might make for our pe;ice, was fully- 
 laid on him* fo that we- may. with holy and hum- 
 ble bold nefs- fay. y that. ws. ar^noi Q^mc t* 
 
 JWfgfft 
 
Serm. 24. Jfaiab K. 
 
 mount that might not be touchedjicr to blacknejs, 
 and darknefs and temp eft, and the found of a 
 trumpet \ but we are some unto mount Sicn, the 
 city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, 
 and to Jefus the Mediator cf the new covenant, 
 sndtotbe blood offprinkling* Our invitation there- 
 fore to you, is not to bid you come and count for 
 your own debt your felves, but to come and ac- 
 cept of Chrift's payment of it, and of his fatis- 
 fa&ion, whereby juftice is compjeatly fatisfied. 
 2. See here, as another ground ox faith, the ju- 
 ftice of God, not with rcfpe<5t to us, but to the 
 bargain betwixt the father and the Son, who are 
 the principal Parties, and we (to fpeak Co) but 
 parties accidentally in this covenant, the covenant 
 being primarly and mainly betwixt God and the 
 Mediator ; The juftice of it appears in this, that 
 it hath refpeft to a covenant which is fulfilled on 
 all iides ; and therefore the ele&'s believing and 
 taking hold of the Mediatot 's iatisfa&ion, can- 
 not but be accepted, as if .he had paid the debt 
 himfelf The Father (to fpeak fo) had the car- 
 Ting of the bargain, and what fatisfaftion his ju- 
 ftice was to receive, to his own mind ; and as 
 it was juftice on the Son's fide to fatisfy ac- 
 cording to his undertaking, fo it's juftice on 
 the Father's fide to pardon and be at peace 
 with the finner that by faith flees unto jefus 
 Chrift. 3. See in this bargain, not only juftice, 
 t)ut mercy ; as it is juft, fo it's a gracioufly free 
 bargain; which is wonderful, and may lee m 
 fomewhat ftrange, if not paradoxal, yet it's no- 
 thing inconfiftent with the way of grace : it's juft 
 that the Cautioner- ihould pay the debt, and yet 
 that debt is mod freely and frankly pardoned as 
 to us ; it's juftice in the height as to the Media- 
 tor, but free grace as to us in the height ; we 
 come to it freely and without price, tho* it coft 
 him dear : And that it is one of the Mediator's 
 undertakings that it fhould be free to his C^ed, 
 Job. 6. 4c. This is the will of him that fent me, 
 that he who feetb the Son, and believe th on him, 
 Jbould have eternal life. 4. Confider the reality 
 and furenefs of the bargain: it is fuch as it cannot 
 fail, having fuch pillars to lean on, the laithfulnefs 
 of God engaged on juft and equal terms, and the 
 glory of God as the end ; and having a moft ne- 
 ceifary and certain effeeT-, to wit, healing to all to 
 Whom the fovereign Medicine is applied. This 
 liability and furene "s of the covenant flows from 
 God's engaging to the Mediator, and the Medi- 
 ator's engaging to God s , from the Mediator's fa- 
 tisfying, and the Father's accepting of his iatis- 
 feftion ; which being confirmed by the blood of 
 the Teftator, it becomes a Teftament, which -can- 
 not be annulled; or altered, or changed. And if 
 
 Verfe J, 131 
 
 all this be Co, let me put the queftion, Is there 
 riot good ground here to exhort the hearers of 
 the gofpel to believe in Chrift, and on believing 
 to look for life through him, and a moft folid 
 ground laid down, whereupon to build the hopes 
 of eternal life ? And therefore, feeing this is the 
 upfhot of all, that life is to be gotten freely by 
 iaith in Jefus Chrift, improve this way of falva- 
 tion for making your peace, under no lefs certi- 
 fication than this, even as ye wouVdefchew recko- 
 ning with divine juftice in your own perfons'for 
 the leaft farthing of your debt. 
 
 If it be ob jetted here by any, u We are at en- 
 mity with God,and cannot fatisfy. ianfwer,This. 
 text tells you, that fatisfa&ion is not fought 
 from you, but from the Mediator, who hath al- 
 ready given it, and the Father hath accepted it 
 for all fuch as fhall by faith plead the benefit of 
 it. 2/ If ye fhall fay, We know not how to win 
 at God, we are fuch as cannot .ftep on foot fore- 
 ward, and fo very finful and miferable, that we 
 know no fuch tranfgrelfors and wretches. I an- 
 fwer, Was it not for fuch that the Mediator trans- 
 acted, even for fuch as we, tranfgreflfors, rebels, 
 defpifers of him, and fuch as judged him to be 
 fmitten and plagued of God ? If he had been Cau- 
 tion only for righteous folk, there had been 
 fome reafon for fuch an objection ; but it is foe 
 finners, for moft hainous Tinners : Nay, this 
 way of reafoning and pleading fays on the mat- 
 ter, that Chrift needed not have laid down his 
 life. 3. if it be faid, We are fo finful and backfli- 
 ding, fo filthy and polluted, that we think we are 
 not within the reach of healing. I anfwer,T\\i% 
 reafoning would, if it held, turn in effect to this, 
 that ye are not within the reach of .God's grace, 
 and of Chrift's fatisfaction ; which is not only in- 
 jurious, but even blafphemous to the grace oi 
 God, and to the fatisfaction of the Mediator : If 
 your fin be ugly and horrible, he fufRred hor- 
 rible wrath ; he was wounded, bruifed, chafti- 
 fed, X!)c. 4. If it belaid further, We can do no- 
 thing for our felves, we cannot come to Chrift, 
 we know not what it is to believe ; or if we win 
 to do any thing, alas ! all our goodnefs is as the 
 morning-cloud and early dew, that foon paiTeth 
 away. I anfwer, The covenant is- not tranfa- 
 cted betwixt God and you, but betwixt God and 
 the Mediator ; and the ground of your peace, as 
 to the procuring caufe, depends on' the Media- 
 tor's performing his part of the covenant in your 
 name: and further, as for your believing, it is 
 a piece of the Father's engagement to the Medi- 
 f.tor, and muft certainly be nude as effectual as 
 the Father rnuft keep his word to the Son, acccr- 
 S 2 dicg 
 
3§t J fat ah ^3. 
 
 ding to thefe promifes of the covenant, / 19 ill put 
 my law in tbeir hearts, and write it in their 
 n?inds.\ they fi all all know me, and they fb all be 
 all taught of God ; and, thy people fball be willing 
 in the day if thy power, and the like : All thele 
 promifes were in the covenant betwixt thehacher 
 and the Son, and the application of them is hut 
 their execution as to us ; and therefore, feeing 
 fuch a City of refuge is call open to man Payers 
 and iranlgrefTors, ftep numbly and boldly fore- 
 Ward, and run into it. There is yet a fifth cb- 
 jetti./t.wW' h will poiTibly be llicking with lb me, 
 and it is this, v\e know notwh.iher we ihall 
 bel'evc or not, for we know not if we be in the 
 covenant or not. I anfwer, Would ye have 
 thought, that he who had committed man- 
 flaughter, would have reafoned well, if he had 
 reafoned thus, I know not if that city of refuge 
 jvm appointed or built for me, and when the 
 gates of it were cajj open, ihould skar to enter 
 in it on this account, when it was told him that 
 it was appointed for fuch ? Juft fo it is here. 
 And fuppoie one Ihould fay, I cannot believe, it 
 as as if fuch a man ihould fay, / cannot, I dow 
 not run to the city ; nay rather, tho' he had 
 been feeble, yet he would have creeped, clin- 
 ihedand cripled to it .as he might : Even fo here, 
 in a word, a man Ihould not difpute whofe name 
 is in the covenant, but Ihould (lep forward to 
 the Shelter and Refuge ; as it is, Heb. 6, 18, 19.- 
 where the Apoftle borroweth the fame fimilitude, 
 
 • and fays, God hath confirmed his promt fe by an 
 *ath, that by two immutable things, in which it 
 
 ' -was impcjfible for God to lie, we might have 
 ftrcng confoiation, who have fed for refuge to lay 
 bold on the h pe Jet before us. Men in their na- 
 tural condition are compared to the man-flayer, 
 lying under the ftroke of the law, or under the 
 hazard of being purfued by the avenger of 
 blood. Chrift is compared to the city of re- 
 fuge ; and the heir of promife being purfued, 
 what fhall he do ? Will nis ele&ion fimply fave' 
 him ? No,but he mud flee unto jefus (Jhrift as 
 to his City of refuge : And therefore, by all 
 jnean9 run and flee to him, as having this fear, 
 left the avenger of blood purfue and overtake 
 you ; and if ye cannot run fo faft as you would, 
 ■yet run as ye may ; and ye have this advantage, 
 that the City of refuge is not far ofF, it's near 
 you, even at your door, as the apoftle fpeaks, 
 Rom. 10. The word is near thee, in thy mouth, 
 and in thine heart. The cripleft body amongflt 
 you all has Chrift at your door, that ye may en- 
 ter into him, as into a City of refuge, and that 
 be may come in and (up with you ; fo that tho' 
 ye c*nn»t lift yourlect ft> quickly to running to 
 
 Ve >*fe 5> : Serm. 24; 
 
 him, if ye can but in good earned roll your 
 feives over upon him, ye mall be fare : Seeing 
 then that this way of ialvation is .0 full, fo free, 
 io equal and effectual, take heed left ye prejudge 
 y'v/ur ldves of it. 
 
 'idly, Topi\ fs this yet a little further, confider 
 what good reafon ye have to run : Take but this 
 one Word, Ye are ilnners lying under the curfe 
 and wrath of God ; and have ye any other way of 
 obtaining pardon, or of making your peace r And 
 if ye believe that ye are finners and under the 
 cur.e, is tjiere not need that ye ihould run to a 
 fheiter from it ? If we were prea.'hing to angels 
 that had^ never finned, there might be fome rea- 
 fon for their flighting or laying little weight u- 
 pon fuch a word of exhortation-, but feeing ye are 
 finners, aridliabte to God's curfe.why do ye flight 
 a Saviour, having Co much need of him ? 
 
 ldiy } Confider yet further, that ye have encou- 
 ragement to run, and nothing to difcourage you ; 
 "V\ hat prejudice is in believing P There is no 
 prejudice atall in this way, but many advan- 
 " taps ; doubtlels ialvation wiH not fail- them 
 that believe : Yea, we may add from the words 
 of the text, for encouraging to this, that the 
 man or woman that is fenfible of fin, and afraid- of 
 wrajth, hath the covenant to look to, for beget- 
 ting and throughing the work, of faith in them 
 with power ; for if it be true, that all the midfes 
 are in the covenant, as well as the end, and if we 
 may lay weight on the covenant for the effe£t,to 
 wit,-the pardon of fin, and healing, then we may 
 alfo lay hold on the covenant for furthering us to 
 that effect: I fpeak not this, as if folk could of 
 themfelves aft faith on the covenant, before faith 
 be given them ; but I fpeak it to encourage young 
 beginners, that think they have no faith at all, 
 that they may ad what they have, and may 
 look more and more to the covenant, to x be ln- 
 lightned, quickned, and ftrenghtned ; and that 
 they may fay with the poor man in the gofpel, 
 Lcrd, I believe, help my unbelief. Smith the fpoufe, 
 Cant. 1. Draw me, and we will run after thee, 
 
 4.thly, hnd finally, "for pitting of this, confider 
 theabfolute neceiTity that ye are under of making 
 life of this way of fa: vation, of getting your peace 
 made by Chrift's fatisractaon, and your wounds 
 healed by his ftripes ; there is no mids, but ei- 
 ther ye muft hazard on a reckoning with God on 
 your own (core, or accept of his fatisfaftion : 
 There was never a covenant made by God with 
 man, but two ; a covenant of works for perfectly 
 righteous folks, by which covenant no finner 
 was ever able to come to life ; and a covenant of 
 gracre, wherein Chrift is made fin for us, and 
 
 as 
 
Serm-.^. V*** 1 * *>* 
 
 as many as flee by faith unto him, are made the 
 righteoufnefs of God through him ; and there- 
 fore either betake your felves to this way, or rc- 
 folve to count with God your felves without a 
 Mediator and Surety : Or if ye think it a fearful 
 thing fo count thus with God, and if it be cer- 
 tain, that many have been condemned for taking 
 the way of works ; let me earneftly intreat you 
 to welcome and make more ul'e of Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs, for obtaining pardon of fin, and peace 
 with God : This way will do your turn, when 
 the other will quite fail you. But as for them 
 who take this way, I will adventure to fay in his 
 name,' that as certainly as Chrift was imitten, as 
 
 Verfe^. 133 
 
 certainly fnall pardon and healing come to them; 
 even to as many as creep in to him, and by be- 
 lieving lay hold on him ; and on the other fide, 
 I fay, in the lame name, to ail of you who take 
 not this way of falvation, that ye ihall moft cer- 
 tainly be brought to reckon with God yoiir-lelves 
 without a ^Mediator, and to undergo his curie 
 according to the tenor of the covenant of works. 
 Thus this text lets before you life and death ; 
 God's blefling and God's curfe ; life, and God's 
 bleffing, if ye betake your felves to Chriit, as to 
 your alone City ofrefuge '; and death, and God's 
 fearful curie, if ye do it not. God himfelf make 
 you wife to make the right choice. 
 
 SERMON XXV. 
 
 Ifaiah liif. 6. All we like jheep have gone aflray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the 
 
 Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, 
 
 YE have in the former verfes fomewhat of our 
 Lord's furFering, and of his fuffering for 
 ilnners, that he was wounded and bruifed, &c. 
 In this verfe the prophet proceeds to clear how 
 this came to pafs, that Chrifl; Jefus was made to 
 fufrer for* the elect, the feed that Gcd had given 
 him ; which he doth by laying down the occafi- 
 on and fountain-caufe whence it proceeded, i, 
 The occafion of it, in'thefe words, AH we like 
 Jheep have gone aftray\ all the ele& ; as well aso- 
 thers, have wandred ; and every one of us have 
 turned to cur own way ; we had denuded our 
 felves of all right and title to eternal life, and had 
 made our felves liable to God's curfe and wrath 
 thro' our finning. 2. The fountain-caufe is, The 
 Lord hath laid on him the iniquity cf us all \ 
 when we had all ilrayed, Jehovah took our Lord 
 Jefus, as the facrifiees under.the law wepe taken, 
 and put him in our room, and laid on him the 
 •punilhment due to us for our fins, and actually 
 'purfued him for our debt. 
 
 So the words are an anfwer to that queftion, 
 How comes it to pafs that our Lord Jefus fuffe- 
 red thus for finners ? It's anfwered, The eled: 
 had made themtelves liable to the wrath and curfe 
 of God through their ftraying ; and to keep 
 them from that wrath, God defigned and provid- 
 ed his Son Jefus Chrill to be the Redeemer, and 
 according to the covenant of redemption laid 
 on him the punifhment due to them for their i- 
 niquities : in a word, their fin,- and God's ap- 
 pointing him to be Cautioner, made him liable 
 to fatisfy for all their debt. 
 
 The firft part o^the words hold out our natu- 
 ral difeafe ; the 2d part holds out God's graci- 
 ous cure, and remedy. 
 
 In the firft part we have thefe three, 1. The 
 natural ftate and condition of all men and wo- 
 men, even of the ele<5t. themfelves (who are main- 
 ly to be look'd on here) All we have gone a- 
 ftray. 2. This is illuftrate by a finiilitude, We 
 have gone aflray like Jheep. 3. It is amplified, "E- 
 very of us have turned to his own way : Several 
 words being put together, to fet out the defpe- 
 rate finful condition, whereinto the ele&, as well 
 as others, had brought themfelves. 
 
 1. Our natural ftate and condition is fet down 
 in this word Jlraying : To flray^ is to wander 
 out of the way, to go wrong, to be bewildred; 
 for God hath fet a rule to men to walk by in the 
 way to life, the rule and way of holinefs ; and 
 whoever walk not in that way, do -go aftray 2 and 
 wander out of the right way. 
 
 2. This is, as I faid, illuftrate bya-fimilitude 
 of fheep; the comparing of the e!e& to ibeep here, 
 is not at all to extenuate the finfulnefs of their 
 ftraying ; tho' tometimes the innocency of that 
 creature in fome other comparifons is insinuated : 
 But it is to hold out the witlefnefs, fpkitual 
 fillineis and brutilhnefs of their ftraying; the 
 fcripture ufually pointing cut that beaft to be • 
 difpofed and given to wandring : and both na- 
 ture and experience,tells us, that in a wildernels, 
 where there is greateft hazard, they are readied 
 to r u n on the hazard ; fuch is their filly, and (to 
 fpeak ib) foolifh inclination : Juft fo are the e- 
 leer, by nature. 
 
 3. It's amplified by this, That every one hath 
 turned to his :wn way •, before, it wis collective- 
 ly fet down, All we have gone aflray : but now > 
 left any fkould exeem himfelf, it is diflributiyely 
 
 let 
 
tH t J J* uh ^3- 
 
 fet down, every one, even 1 f at ab, Jeremiah, and 
 others fuch, not one excepted. This turning to 
 cur own way, holds oat two things , I. It's cal- 
 ourownway, to diilinguifh it from God's way, 
 i as it is Pjal. 81. II. He gave them up to their 
 r own hearts lufts, and they walked in their own ' 
 counfels ; That is, in their own inventions, or 
 according to their own will, humor and inclina- 
 tion. 2. While it is (aid that every one turns to 
 his own way, it's to ihew this, that befide the 
 common way that all finner.s have to turn away 
 from God, diftinguifhed from God's way, every 
 fmner hath his own particular and peculiar way, 
 whereby in his way he is diftinguiihed horn a- 
 nother finner. There is but one way to heaven, 
 but many ways to hell, and every one bath his 
 different way ; Tome have one predominant luft, 
 fome another, but they all met here, that every 
 one turns from God's way, every one takes a 
 wrong way of his own. 
 
 Confidering the (cope, we fhall fhortly and 
 paflingly point at two general obfervationsiwhere- 
 of the ift is this, . That it contributes much fcr 
 folks conceiving and confidering of Ch rift's fuffe- 
 ferings aright, to be well acquainted with their 
 own finful nature and difpefitien. Men will ne- 
 ver look rightly on Chrift's furferings, nor fuita- 
 bly efteem of him, nor make him, and the do- 
 &rinethat holds him and his fufferings forth, cor- 
 dially welcome, except they have ibme fenfe of 
 their finful nature and difpofition: Hence it was 
 that many ofthe Pharifees and hypocrites of that 
 time wherein the Lord exercifed his miniftry a- 
 mongft the Jews? never welcomed him,nor prized 
 his fufferings.; whereas among the Publicans and 
 fmner s many were brought to get good of him. 
 
 Not to.infift in the «/eof this, only in a word, 
 fee here a main reafon why Jefus Chrift: is fo 
 meanly thought of, and the report of his fuffe- 
 ring is fo little welcomed and efteemed; even be- 
 caufe h few walk under the due fenfe of thisj 
 that like loft fheep they have, gone aftray. 
 
 The 2d general observation from the fcope, 
 putting both parts ofthe verle together, is this, 
 That we Jhould never loch en Chrift' s fufferings, 
 but with refpetl to the covenant of redemption, 
 and God's t ran failing with him as our Cautio- 
 ner ; therefore the latt part comes in, The Lord 
 hath laid on him the iniquity of us all: For al- 
 beit we know that Chriithath differed much, yet 
 if there be not an eye to, and fome acquaintance 
 with the covenant, the rife of his fufferings, and 
 God's hand and end in his fufferings, it will be 
 to no purpofe-, therefore, when Peter h to fpeak 
 of his furferings, AtTs 2. 23. he p remits thefe 
 \vbrds, Him being delivered by the determinate 
 
 Verfe €. Serm. 2?. 
 
 ccunfel and foreknowledge of God, and then 
 fubjoi.ns his being crucified. Looking onChriiVs 
 fufferings with refpeft to the covenant, 1. It 
 lets us know that ^hull's fufferings comes not 
 by guefs, but by the eternal counfel of God, and 
 by vertue of that tranla&ion betwixt the Father 
 and the Son ; and this takes away the fcandal off 
 them, which the prophet fcts himfelf here to re- 
 move. 2. It gives both accefs to make afe of 
 his furferings, when we look tu hjm as purpofely 
 defined :or this end. 3. It holds out the love 
 of God, Father, 5on, and Spirit, towards ele& 
 iinners, that howfoever God looked angry-like 
 on the Mediator, as peribnating them, and fu- 
 ftaining their room \ yet that Jehovah had the . 
 devifing and defigmng of thefe fufferings, and 
 that he lent his Son to fuffer thus, it holds out 
 Wonderful love- 
 
 3. And more particularly, from the firft part 
 of the words, which is the main thing to be mar- 
 ked, obferve, That all men, even the elect them x 
 felves nit excepted, are naturally in a m^jt fin- 
 ful and dtfpcrate ftate and condition: ^othat 
 if ye would know what they are by nature this 
 is a defcription or their flate, All we like Jkeef 
 have gone aftray^and every cnehath turned to his 
 own way ; And when its called our own w ay, there 
 needs no other epithet to fet out the defperat- 
 nefs of it : That which I mean is this, that all 
 men are naturally under thefe two, 1. They are 
 under guilt before God, Epb. 2. 1,2. Dead in 
 fins and trefpaffes , children of wrath,and heirs of 
 condemnation, liable to the curfe of God by ver- 
 tue ofthe covenant which Adam broke. 2. (which 
 is moftly aimed at here) There is in every one a 
 finful nature, a finfulnefs or finning fin> an incli- 
 nation to fin, every one hath a llraying humor ; 
 fo that, altho' the iimilitude of fheep agree not 
 to them in that fenfe, as fheep are innocent crea- 
 tures, yet it agrees to them in this fenle, that they 
 are filly foolifh creatures ; and in this refpett it 
 is faid,C7e«. 6. 8. That all the imaginations of the 
 thoughts ofthe heart in man are only evil continu- 
 ally ; and, Eph. 2. i.they are faid to be dead in 
 fin>r)ot only in refpeel: of their being obnoxious 
 to God's curfe, but in refpeft of their natural 
 deadnefs, of their finful nature, and want of fpi- 
 ritual life ; So, Rom. 3. 9, 10. and forwards, the 
 apotlle defcribes the finfulnefs of man's nature at 
 large,notonly in refpeel: of its guilt, but of its in- 
 clination to fin, and fays, thai their throat is an 
 cpen fepuhhre ', infinuating thereby, that men 
 naturally are like to a tomb, and that the corps 
 within the tomb is death and fin, and that all 
 that comes from them favours of that; Their feet 
 are fro i ft to Jhed bloody with their tongues they 
 
5erm. 2$. • IJaiab «>3. 
 
 ufe deceit, &c. every member and part of the 
 'body and every falcuty ofthe foul is bent to that 
 which is evil. Thefe three may further •confirm 
 it, 1. If we look in general to what the fcripture 
 fpeaksof men by nature, Epb, 2. 1, 2, 3. Rem. 3. 
 & 5. chapters; they being, as it is Ifaiab 57. 
 penult, as the raging fea, that cafts out dirt and 
 mire continually : it's always moving and work- 
 ing one way or another, and. more efpecially in 
 a ftorm; fo that tho' at one tide ye would fweep 
 the ihore never fo clean, it will be as foul and 
 dirty the next tide that comet h:fo are thefe hearts 
 of ours ( as Peter (peaks, 2d Epifl. 2. and Jude y 
 i>£r. 23.) foaming out their own Jha me\ and James 
 faith, chap, 4. 5. The fpirit that dwells in us lu- 
 fletb to envy ; It hath as great eager nefs after, 
 and as great delight in fin, as a drunkard hath 
 after and in drink. 2. Experience alfo confirms 
 it: Go thorow all men and women that ever were 
 in the world (our blefled Lord Jefus being excep- 
 ted, as not defending of Adam by the ordinary 
 way of generation) and that will be found true 
 which the apoftle hath, Rom, 3. There is none 
 that doth good, no.net one ; and that which is 
 spoken, Gen, 6. All fl-efh hath corrupted their 
 •nay. And what is the fpring of all the abomina- 
 tions that are in the world, and the rife of thefe 
 particular evils that are in believers and faints 
 mentioned in fcripture, as in David, Peter, and" 
 others ; but this iame corrupt nature,this body of 
 death, as it is called,^**. 7. 14. All which (Irong- 
 \y prove a fire to be*within, when there is luch 
 a fmoke without. 3. We may confirm it from 
 well-grounded reafon, for it cannot be otherwife, 
 if the root be of fiich a nature, can the branches 
 be otherwife ? Who can bring a clean thing out 
 of an unclean thing? No, not one, Job 14.4. 
 When Adam fell, the root was corrupted, and 
 the branches cannot be frefli ; the fountain was 
 defiled, and the flream cannot be clean and clear : 
 Hence, when Adam begot Setb. an ele<5t in w r hbm 
 the Church was continued, it is faid, that he be* 
 gat a fen after his own likenefs, G^n. 5. he him- 
 .felf was created after God's image, but begat 
 children after his own image. 
 
 Tho' this be a commonly received doctrine, 
 yet it is not without good rtafon, nor for no ufe 
 infilled on fo much here and in other fcriptures; 
 We fhall therefore fpeak a little to thefe four 
 ufe s of it. 
 
 The \fl ufe ferves for information ; and we 
 may make it a looking-glafs, v. herein we may fee 
 cl- arly our own moil finful (late and condition : 
 Would ye know what ye are by nature?- This 
 $ei* Cells- you> thauiot only all men have flrayed,. 
 butthafceavhof. v£>,Qi.<.yjiry ; cne ofus* hath tur- 
 
 Verfe 6. m j^q 
 
 ned to his own way* But, knowing how ready we 
 are to (hi ft the challenge, we would be perfwad- 
 ed that we are by nature liable to God's curfe for 
 Adam's fin, dead in fin, and inclined to all evil ; 
 fiieep are no readier to go the wrong way ,and will 
 no more readily ftray if they want a ihepherd, 
 than w*e are inclined to do. There is a common 
 word in many of your mouths, that we are all fin- 
 ners by nature ; but when it is fearched*into, we 
 find that there is much ignorance among you of 
 what it means;many count themfel ves to be finners, 
 only becaufe of their being guilty ofthe firfl fin, 6c 
 fo put no difference betwixt the firfl: fin and ori- 
 ginal fin, which is an effect that flows from, and 
 follows upon the firfl fin ; the firft fin was Adam's 
 deed, and is legally ours, being imputed to us ; 
 as it is, Rom. 5. death reigned over all. even over 
 them that bad not finned after thefimilitude of 
 Adam'j tranfgreffion, becaufe Adam in his land- 
 ing and falling flood in our room, reprefenting all 
 mankind that w r as to come of him *, but original 
 fin is inherent in us, and cleaveth clofe to us, and 
 is that which we are born and bred up with : 
 and therefore ye would diilinguifh thefe fins, that 
 ye may know, that ye are not only guilty of^4- 
 dam's firfl finful deed, but that ye have a pre- 
 fent finful and corrupt nature, tho' it be not al- 
 ways alike exercifing and adling it feif. Others 
 again look only upon their nature as inclined to- 
 evil, and look not on it as that which rrakes them 
 liable to wrath by reafon of the firfl fin ; but ye 
 would put both together, and know, that tho' 
 your finfulnefs doth not confifl only in an in- 
 clination to evil, that yet your finfulnefs lies 
 mainly in that, and that it will not be long a- 
 going Wrong: And it's not only cura&ual Gray- 
 ing and going wrong that ye would take notice- 
 of, but alfo, and mainly, of your finful nature,, 
 that inclines, difpofes, and fets you on work to 
 go wrong •, it's your filthy corrupt nature,the bo- 
 dy of death, the fmell and favour whereof, to fay 
 fo, is the ky thing of fome a&ual fin. We may 
 clear it in a fimiiitude or two : We are, by this 
 .original fin, as young ferpents before they can 
 fling actually, or like ravenous birds before they 
 conic out of the neft; yet we call thefe ferpents- 
 . and ravenous birds, becaufe they are come of 
 fuch a kind : In our fwadiing-clouts, we have the- 
 venomous and ravenous nature, to wit, original 
 fin, in us ; and in our actual finning* we are 
 like ferpents when they come to fling a&uailv, 
 or like ravenous birds when they come to catclv 
 the prey ; and our a&ual finis a fruit of origi- 
 nal fin: Or take it in this fame iimilitude.in the- 
 text, there ara many, flieep than never a&ually 
 
 itray 
 
135 Ifaiah^ 
 
 ftrayed ; yet they are called Graying witlefs crea- 
 tures, hecaufe they are inclined to ft ray, and rea- 
 dy to ftray : Or take it in this fimilitude, there 
 arc Tome difeft r es that follow fuch a houfe and fa- 
 mily, fome are inclined to a confumption, fome 
 to the ftone, fom'e to one difeafe, fome tz> ano- 
 ther, which is from fome defeel: of the body; 
 even fo y: is here, that from a defe& of our na- 
 ture, infe&ed by original fin, all a&ual fins flow. 
 The id Ufe is for convi&ion and reproci; and 
 indeed we cannot ^ellteH where we liiall begin 
 here. However, the firil thing that it reproves, 
 is our natural pride ;' tho' this be the finfulnefs 
 of our very infancy, yet we are ready to look u- 
 pon our felves as fomething : it's a true faying, 
 tho' much mifapplied, that Job hath, Chap. u. 
 .12. Vain man would be wife, tho' man be born 
 as a wild ajfts colt ; a colt hath a wild humor, 
 and is the moll witlefs of creatures : and this 
 fame is it that is implied in that faying of James 
 4. 5. Do ye think the fcripture faith in vain, The 
 fpirit fhat is in us lufleth to envy ? which faith 
 this much, that the mofl part never trow that 
 
 . they have fuch a fpirit in them, that's inclined 
 to all evil, bent to hateGod and every thingthat 
 is good. 2. It reproves the great feeurity that 
 is amongft the moll part. If this be a truth, that 
 men and women are thus born under the curfe 
 of God, and inclined to every thing that is evil, 
 born enemies to Gcd, and inclined to aggrege 
 and heighten the quarrel, how comes it then to 
 pais that the great part fleep as foundly and- fc- 
 curely as if they were in no hazard ? If ye were 
 all pofed and put to it, how many of you can 
 give a folid proof that ye are reconciled, that 
 your peace is made, that ye are changed and * 
 your nature renewed, and the quarrel betwixt 
 God and you taken away ? and yet it we look up 
 
 'and down, ye are generally as iecure and quiet 
 as if ye were born friends with God ; there are 
 but few taken with a convi&ion, and faying 
 within themfeives, Is yonder doctrine true of 
 me ? as if the fcripture had fpoken in vain, 
 
 ' whatever it fpeaks of original fin. All! fhall ne- 
 ver this be amended ? will ye never lay your fin- 
 fulnefs to heart ? fhall ye ftilJ think nothing of 
 that which gives the occafional rife to the cove- ' 
 nant of redemption, and to Chrift's fatisfaction? 
 All the preaching that ye hear daily, if it be not 
 now laid to heart, it fhall be mofl terrible and 
 dreadful to you one day ; and the peace that ye 
 
 ■now have, fhall end in red war and great bitt,er- 
 nds. 3. It reprove? folks exceeding great/ un- 
 watchfulr.efs, and their trufting to their own na- 
 true, and following their ovneounfel: the wife 
 pian faith, Frov. 2$. 26. He that truftetb in bis 
 
 Verfe 6. Serm. 25. 
 
 cm-n heart is a fool. Is it not proof. worthy for a 
 man to be as brutim as the V£ry bealt that pe- 
 rifheth/as it is, Pfal.49. and yet to be as little 
 watch'ul, and as much trufllui, or to trufl as 
 much to a man's own guiding, as if nothing of a 
 mifguiding humor and dilpofition were ia him ? 
 We may more than allude to thefe words of our 
 Saviour here, If the blind had the blind, ft all 
 not both fall into the ditch ? Many of you think 
 that ) e are inftrueted as fcribesin the way to hea- 
 ven, and v>i.i; he ready to fay, God forbid we 
 fhculd be ignorant of that, and what have we 
 been doing all our days, if we be yet to learn that 
 lefTor ? but we will tell you what ye have been do- 
 ing.ye have been like filly fheep flraying all your 
 days : And we would the rather fpeak to this, 
 becaufe it is fo necefTary to be known and be- 
 lieved, and yet fo little known and credited; 
 For, 1. Ye will never be rightly humbled, nor 
 make ufe of Jefus Chrifl, nor walk watchful- 
 ly and foberly ; in a word, ye will never believe 
 and repent, till ye know,- be convinced of, and 
 believe this to be your natural inclination, and 
 the finfulnefs of your nature ; And yet, 2. Tho' 
 this be fo necefTary, that the want of it mars the 
 fruit of the word in you, and preaching doth but 
 buff on you, to fayjfo ; how many are there,that 
 are as little fenfible of it as the very (lones of 
 the wall that are before us, or the boards that 
 they lean upon, as to their own particular flate 
 and condition ? I would but ask you, Is it pof- 
 fible that ye could live fo fecurely, and fatisried 
 with your own cafe, if ye believed indeed that 
 ye had fuch a finful nature, and that ye were li- 
 able toGod's wrath and curfe ? or would ye give 
 fuch way to your natural finful humors and in- 
 clinations, and fo contendedly flight Jefus Chrifl, 
 and the offers ot the gofpel, as many of you do ? 
 and yet we fee amongfl them with whom we con- 
 verfe, men and women not only as fecure> as if 
 they had no fuch natures, but even helming and 
 foaming out their own fhame: We would have 
 you therefore to be convinced and know, that 
 net only ye are finners in the general, but that 
 every one of you is fuch in particular. 
 
 To make it the more clear, I fhall give you 
 •two or three qualifications that are requifite to 
 a fuitable convidlion of your finfulnefs, 1. It 
 would be particular. 2. It would be fenfible; ye 
 wou'd not in bare words take with it that ye are 
 finners, but ye would fee ar.d be convinced, that 
 in this and this ye have' finned, and ye would 
 be kindly aff~e<5ted with it. 3. It would be diftin£, 
 net a gueffing, but a thing that from the fee- 
 ing and feeling of it ye would be cjear in. A* 
 
 It 
 
Scrm. 2<$. IfaUb <>3. 
 
 it would have fuch influence on the moving of 
 your affe&ions, and fuch an inward working on 
 your hearts, as that ye may lothe your nature, 
 and your felf becaufe of it : "We may fee all thefe 
 in Paul) Rom* 7. v. 10. and forward, who tho' 
 he was greatly renewed, yet faith he, I fee a law 
 in my members, rebelling again/} the law of my 
 mind : he feels and is very fenfible of that which 
 leads him in captivity ; and he cries out, V'bo 
 [ball deliver me, &c. His afre&ions are mightily 
 ftirred with it, What 1 do, I allow not, &c. mi- 
 fer able man that I am,&c. If ye believe this to be 
 a truth, and that Paul lived in the faith and feel- 
 ing of it ; then judge if there be not juft ground 
 to expoftulate with mod part of you, as being 
 .yet ^without the faith and feeling of this moft 
 concerning thing. 
 
 The 3d Ufe of it ferves wonderfully to fet forth 
 the glory of the free and rich grace of God, that 
 all this bufinefs is made, and this tranfa&ion en- 
 tred into, that Chrift comes to fatisfy, and doth 
 actually fatisfy juftice for a number of fuch 
 wretches that had gone aftray like loft fheep. This 
 comes in as the fcope ; we have Grayed and done 
 the wrong, but he hath paid the debt, and fatis- 
 iied for the wrong done : and from comparing 
 this v. with the foregoing,we may take thefe jive 
 considerations, that ferve to heighten the glory of 
 God's grace and free-love, and to fhame belie- 
 vers, that are fo little in wondring at it. i.Who 
 is fmitten? His own Son"; we finned, and he was 
 fmitten, even he who was and is the Father's Fel- 
 low ; the fword awakes againft him, and we go 
 free. 2.What did our Lord fufFer ? He was woun- 
 ded andbruifed,the cheftijement of cur peace was 
 en him,he laid on him the iniquity of us all: it was 
 rot a complimental or fafhional i'ufrering, but he 
 was arraigned before the tribunal of juftice, and 
 did really pay our debt,and fatisfy juftice for our 
 fins. 3. Who exa&ed this fatisfa&ion ? Who did 
 fmite him? It's the Lord Jehovah,it's the Father; 
 which makes the glory of grace fhine the more : 
 it's God the Father, whofe heart was tender to 
 the Son of his love, that exa&s the full price of 
 him;fo that,ashe fai&Q^ Abraham, By this 1 know 
 that^ tbou leveft me, becaufe thou haft not with- 
 held thy fon,thine cnlyfon Ifaac from me ;we may 
 fay, By this we know God's love to the ele&, 
 when he hath not withheld, nor fpared his own 
 Son from them, but hath laid on him the iniqui- 
 ties of them all. 4. For whom did he fmite 
 him ? For finners, for ftraying fheep, for cove- 
 nant-breakers, for fuch as had gone a-whoring 
 from God, and were bent to fin againft him, I 
 mean the ele&. 5 . When was it that he fuffered 
 for them ? Even when they were ftraying, reje- 
 
 Verfe 6. 157 
 
 fting, defpifing, nodding the head at him, fpit- 
 ting in his face, and faying, Away with him ;e- 
 ven then he is praying and dying for them. Now, 
 put all thefe together, that fuch a price fhall be 
 exa&ed of fuch a Cautioner, and for fuch finners, 
 and at fuch a time, hehold and fee therein how. 
 God commends his love to us,as the apoftle fpeaks, 
 Rom, <• 8. in that, while we were yet finners , 
 Chrift died for as ; when we were in our fin, not 
 praying to him, nor in a capacity to pray or give 
 him thanks for any thing that he did or fuflrered, 
 he then died for us. Is there any thing here but 
 freedom of grace ? And does not this exceeding 
 highly commend the love of God, that he exa&s 
 the debt, due by us, of his Son ; and the power- 
 ful love of the Mediator and Cautioner, that at 
 fuch a time, and for fuch tranfgrefTos , he fhould 
 pay fuch a price ? 
 
 Ufe 4. Seeing this was our ftate, that we were 
 finners, and that yet herein was the love of God 
 commended, that he laid on his Son the iniquity 
 of us all ; then, is there not good ground to take 
 with the fin, and make ufe of the remedy ; to 
 take with fin, and clofe with Chrift ? We might 
 take occafion here to exhort, (1.) To watchful- 
 nefs, and to walk foberly and humbly, from 
 this ground, that we have fuch a nature. (2.)To 
 exhort every one to repentance, becaufe by na- 
 ture ye are all in fuch a finful ftate and condi- 
 tion : It may be ground of exercifing repen- 
 tance, even, long after your juftification, and 
 peace made with God who are juftified, with 
 whom it fhould be, as we fee it was with David- 
 But, (30 Seeing by nature ye are under God's 
 wrath andcurfe,andina ftate of enmity with him, 
 it mainly ferves to exhort you to flee unto Jefus 
 Chrift, and not to reft till ye get the quarrel 
 taken away. It might be in reafon thought, that 
 folks would be foon and eafily induced to this, 
 even to rim unto Jefus Chrift, and to welcome 
 the gofpel with good-will, for preventing the 
 curfe and wrath due to them for fin, and for 
 fubding this finful nature, arid inclination to 
 ft ray from God and his way ; Therefore, feeing 
 there is a fountain opened to the houfe of David 
 for fin and for uncleannefs, fince there is a fatis- 
 faciion given to juftice for removing the guilt of 
 fin, and fince the Spirit is purchafed for morti- - 
 fying offin,and making holy ; let as many as think 
 that they have gone aftray, and have turned to 
 their own way, as they would not be found ftill 
 at this diftance with God, make ufe of Chrift for 
 making their friendfhip with God. It's the word 
 that Peter ufeth, 1 Pet. 2. ult.AU we like fheep have 
 gone aftray } but we are now turned unto the Ship- 
 
£g$ " Tfaltb <r<> 
 
 herd andBifitp of our f$uh : TVc 1 . O hold you 
 near, this Miepixru, and make uie of his righte- 
 oufnefs for making y our pea.:e. If we could righly 
 underiland the words,we would fee in them, i.A 
 motive to put us on believing in Chi ill ; and 
 can th -.iter motive than necrjfity ? W e 
 
 have finned andgpne ait ray, he is the only Savi- 
 our, there is no other name given under hea- 
 ven whereby finners can he faved. 2. There is 
 a!-o in. them an encouragement to believing ; it 
 was for finners, fiich as we *re, that Jems Chrift 
 fuffered all that he differed ; which may be ground 
 of: hope and encouragement to ftep toreward $ 
 and if neither our need, nor Chrift's being a Sa- 
 viour willing to make Tinners welcome, will pre- 
 vail, we know not what will do it. It will turn 
 to this, and ye will be^ put to it-, Whether are 
 ye finners? and if finners, whether is it not a 
 delperate thing to ly under fin and wrath ? If ye 
 be not finners, we have no warrant to propofe 
 this doctrine to you, to invite or make you wel- 
 
 Verfe 6. ^ Serm. 26. 
 
 are finners, will ye contentedly ly under fin ? 
 will ye ; able to bear it out againft God ? or 
 think ye that ye will be well enough for all that ? 
 And if ye date not refolve to ly under fin. I 
 would ask. What way will ye win from it ? thinks 
 ye it eafy to win from under it ? mud not the ju- 
 ftice of God be fatisfiea t Some of you think that, 
 ye can pray your ftives out of fin : but what need 
 was there cf Chrift's (uflferings, if a latisfaetion 
 might haye been made to. juiiice another way ? 
 mid if none but Chrift can latisfy,it turns to this,, 
 that by all means ye would make ufe of him, elfe 
 ye will molfc certainly drown and die in your fins* 
 And this is the thing that we would commend 
 to you, that under the fenfe of fin, and in the 
 faith of God's condefcending love, ye would 
 flee to Jefus Chrift, and give him employment, 
 for making your peace with God, and taking a- 
 way your fin, and fan&ifying of you : O but 
 this be luitable to finners ! and if ye think your 
 felves -finners, prejudge not your felves of the 
 benefit of a Saviour. 
 
 «pme to a Saviour ; but if ye grant that ye 
 
 S E R M O N XXVI. 
 
 Jfaiah liii.6» All we like Jbeep have gone affray y we have turned every one to his own way y and t fa 
 ItQrd hath laid on him the iniquity of us all* 
 
 EVery expreflion that the Prophet ufeth, to 
 fet forth the grace of God in Jefus Chrift 
 to finners by, is more wonderful than another, 
 feecaufe indeed every thing that he exprefTeth 
 is more wonderful than another :. And there is 
 fo much grace and infinite love in the way of 
 the gofpel, that it's hard to know where there 
 i$ moll, of it; whether in -its rife, or in its ex- 
 ecution; whether in the decree of God, or in 
 Chrift's fatisfa&ion; whether in*the benefits 
 that we enjoy, or in the way by which we are 
 brought to enjoy them : Sure, all together make 
 SLWonder palling great, a moft wonderful won- 
 der, even a world of wonders. It is a wonder, 
 that (as it is, verfe 5.) he fhould be wounded 
 for, rur tranf%reffi»ns> bruifed for our iniquities, 
 ttat the chailifement of ; cur peace fhould be on 
 bit*?) and that by his flripes roe Jbould be healed ; 
 and when here he comes to explain this, and to 
 ikew how it came to pais that jefus Chrift fuffe- 
 red fo much, he holds out another new wonder, 
 AH W like Jhe;t> have gone ajiray, &c. as if he . 
 had laid, Would ye know how it comes topafs* 
 tfcat; the Mediator behoved to fuffer, and fuffer 
 fg much ? All we, the elecY people of God^ 
 Ijad gone aftray like fo many wane ring fheep, as 
 well as, others, not one excepted; and there : 
 JK2S. not. another, wa/, to recover and recking 
 
 us but this, The Lord Jehovah laid en him the 
 iniquity cf us all: To recover us when we were 
 loft, Jefus Chrift was fubftituted in our room 
 by the eternal decree of God, and the iniquities 
 of all of us who are his e\e& people, as to their 
 punifhment, were laid upon him. This then 
 is the fcope, to fliew the rife of Chrift's fuffe- 
 rings, and how it came to pafs that our Lord 
 fuffered, and fuffered fo much : The occafion 
 of it, was theele&s fin ; and the fountain-caufe, 
 the Father's laying of their fin on him by an 
 eternal decree, and making him to anfwer for it 
 according to that decree, with his undertaking, 
 which was the covenant of redemption, where- 
 of Chrift's furfering was the execution. Thus- 
 we have the fountain whence our Lord's fuffe- 
 rings flowed ; he is, in the covenant of redemp- 
 tion, fubftitute and judicially enabled the ele&'s 
 Cautioner, and takes on their deb^ ; and being 
 fubftitute in their room, juftice mirfues the 
 claim, and fentence paffos againft him, for ma- 
 king him anfwerable and liable to the debt of 
 their fins; which fets out, as it were, a Judge 
 on the throne, Jehovah ; and two parties at the 
 bar, »* and bim) we the principal debtors, 
 and him the Cautioner, Jefus Chr'dJn our room 1 
 and place : the law, by which the judge proceds , 
 
Serm. 26. if"** K* 
 
 is the covenant of redemption ; and we die prin- 
 cipal debtors not being law-hid. r 6 h. h made 
 liable to the debt; ar.d on thi.- gi -urd the fen* 
 ten:e paiies agalnft him, tor Jail*;) 1 n^ v. hat we 
 Were owing ; and hereupon followed bis fufrer- 
 ir,gs: So then, the rife of his (offerings is, that it 
 was Co traniacttd by the wife, juft ai.d gracious 
 God : and thus this verfe comes weH in. to ex- 
 plain.aod further to cjeai what he afTerted in the 
 former verfe, Tha' th.; words be few, yet they 
 are a great compencl and turn of the gofpel ; how 
 therefore to fpeak 01 them, Co as to unfold them 
 right, is not ealy : And becaule the devil, who 
 fecks by all means to mar the beauty or the gof- 
 pel, doth molt fiercely alfauit where moft of its 
 beauty fhines, and hath therefore ftirred up fe- 
 deral forts or enemies to wreft theie words, and 
 to oblcure thebeauty of grace that may be clearly 
 fetn in them ;we ihall a little open the few words 
 that are in this laft part of the verfe, And tbe Lord 
 bath laid on bim the iniquity of us ail ; having 
 fpoken to the former part of it the laft day. 
 
 In thefe few words then, we have, Firft, Some- 
 thing fpoken of ini<iuity,which three parties have 
 fome ads about, to wit, 1. The elect.-l7> all* 2. 
 Him, to wit, The Mediator. 3. The Lord, to 
 wit, Jehovah. Then, We have the exprefs aft of 
 the Lord, to wit, his laying on him,the Mediator, 
 the iniquity of us all. (1.) As for this word ml- 
 quity, by Jt is meant fometimes, 1. Sin formally 
 taken, as it hath a difconformity to the law of 
 God, and fuppofeth a-fpot and defect ; and Co it 
 is commonly taken, when we pray for pardon of 
 fin; and when David fays, Pfal. ji. My fin is 
 ever before me , and Pfal. ik.My iniquity is gone 
 ever my head : and fo it is the tranfgreffion of the 
 law of God. 2. It is fometimes taken for the ef- 
 fect that fin procurcth, and fo it's in erred the 
 punfhment of fin, as Lev. 7. the 18 and 20 verfes 
 being compared together ; v. 18. it's faid, He 
 Jball bear bis iniquity, which, v. 20. is, He JhaU 
 be cut off : and fo it is clearly meant of the pu- 
 nilhm°nc of iniquity ; For to bear bis iniquity ,. 
 and to be cut off, are the fame thing there : And 
 that word of Cain. Gen. 4. 14. My iniquity ,or pu- 
 nifhmsnt, is greater than I can bear, hath a ma- 
 n:f,-ft rcipeft to God's curfe inflicted on him tor 
 his fin, and is, as if he had laid. I will not get 
 lived under the punifhment that is inflected u- 
 pon me, for every one that finds me will cut my 
 throat ; and fometimes it is tranflated pumjb- 
 tnent, as in that of Gen. 4. 13. The Queftion 
 then is, Which of thefe two is underftood here 
 in this text, whether iniquity or fin formally ta- 
 k*n, or iniquity taken for the puniihmeot there- 
 
 verie 6. tjf 
 
 of ? Thefe who are called Antincmians plead, 
 that it is to be underftood of iin formally taken: 
 But tho' it be hard fo much as to mention this, 
 it being fb blafphemous-like to affert, that our 
 bleffed Lord Jeius fhould be formally a finner, 
 and have the lpots and defilement of fin on him, 
 which we wonder that any Chriftian fhould dare 
 to aifertor prefume to maintain ; yet, becaufe 
 this fcripture is alledged for it, we lhall clear, 
 that iniquity is not here to be taken for fin for- 
 mally, but for fin in the punifhment oC it. And 
 the firft reafon that we give, fhall be drawn from 
 the plain fcope of the words ; the prophet ha- 
 ving in the 5 verfeSaid, that he was wounded for 
 their tranfgre<jlons,and bruifed for our iniquities^ 
 the fcope of this verfe is to ihew how it came to 
 pafs that Chrift fufrered, and fuffered fo much ; 
 which he doth, by declaring that it could not be 
 otherwife, becaufe the punilhment of all the fins 
 of the elect was laid upon him ; and that which 
 was called wounding and bruifing in the former 
 verfe, is here called on the matter a bearing of 
 cur iniquities (for if they were laid on him, he 
 did certainly bear them) the fins of all the elect 
 tryfted on him as to their punifhment; and this 
 fhews how that Chrift behoved not only to fuffer 
 all that he furFered: So in the 8 verfe it is laid, He 
 was cut off cut of tbe land of the living >& for tbe 
 tranfgrejjions of my people was hefiricken .- That 
 which is here called the bearing of iniquity , is 
 there called, being cut off, and ftricken for the 
 tranfgrefficn's of his people. And this inay be the 
 fecond reafon of the expofitlon, as we have given 
 it ; becaufe, when iniquities are fpoken of, they 
 are not called Chrift's, as inherent in him, but 
 they are called his peoples iniquities, they be- 
 ing formally theirs, but his judicially and legal- 
 ly only : Even as the debt is formally the bank- 
 rupt's, but legally the Cautioner's. A third rea- 
 fon is drawn from comparing this text with other 
 parallel places of fcripture : that which is called 
 bearing of iniquity here, is called, Gal. 3. 13. 
 his being made a curfe for us ; fo that his bea- 
 ring of our iniquity, is his being made a curfe 
 for our iniquity, and his bearing the wrath of 
 God due to us for our fin. I lhall illuftrate it by 
 a companion, whence the fourth reafon will clear- 
 ly refult : Our iniquities become Chrift's, as his 
 rigbteoufnefs becomes ours ; for thefe two are 
 parallel, iC r. 5. alt. He was made fin fW tts y 
 woo knew no fin. that we might be made ths rigb- 
 tecufnefs of God^ in, or thro* bim ; where, i.It's 
 clear, that Jefus Chrift is fo the finner in our 
 room, as we are righteous in his room ; and e<;: - 
 trarily, wc are righteous in. hi* room, as he w-s 
 T2 tlje 
 
140 J fat ah $3. 
 
 the finnei in our room. 2. That righteoufnefs 
 is not fo derived to us, that it is formally made 
 curs, and to be inherently in us, but is ours on- 
 ly by imputation it felf, or the vertue of it being 
 imputed to us ; and it is upon this ground that, 
 Horn. 4. imputed, righteoufnefs is often mentio- 
 ned, that is, when God accounteth a man to be 
 righteous, tho 5 he be yet a finner in himfelf : 
 Even lb our fin is imputed to Chrift, and recko- 
 ned his, becaule he became our Surety. And 
 thd' Antincmians have a vain notion to elude this, 
 yet the fcripture is very clear, as holding forth a 
 legal procedure ; the debt is accounted his, be- 
 caule of his obligation to be anfwerable for it, 
 and in juftice and law he is liable to it : and there 
 is no other way that we can rationally imagine, 
 how our blefied Lord can bear our iniquities ; 
 For, 1. It cannot ftand w r ith hisabfolute purity, 
 to have any fpot of iin, or to be formally the 
 finner. Neither, 2. Is it neceifary that he fhould 
 be the finner, but only that he fhould pay the 
 penalty due by us, it being the nature of con- 
 tracts among men, that where the principal de- 
 bitor fuccumbs, the cautioner comes in his 
 room ; fo is it here. Yea, 3. If Jefus Chad were 
 the finner formally,it would incapacitate him to 
 be our Cautioner, to pay the penalty, or to fa- 
 tisfy juftice for the debt of our fins : We would 
 not have fpoken fo much to this, were it not 
 that this fame place is prefTed in a mod faftidi- 
 ©us manner by the abufers of the grace of God to 
 maintain their error ; fo then, w r e take this in 
 fhori to be the meaning of this part of the verfe, 
 that Jefus Chrift did bear the punifhment due to 
 us for our fins. 
 
 2dly, The three Parties, that have fome a&s a- 
 bout iniquity, are, i,Us all, 2.H/W, ^.Tbe Lord 
 Jehovah. (1.) Us all, and here we meet with the 
 Arminians ^othex party that abufeth & perver- 
 teth this place, as if it were to be extended to 
 all men and women that ever finned, or went a- 
 ftray ; for, fay they, It's the iniquity of all them 
 that are wrong, that is laid on Chrift, and that 
 is the iniquity of all men and women in the 
 world : But (as we fhew before) the fcope of 
 the words is not i^o much to fhew the univerfa- 
 lity of all men and womens finning, as to fhew 
 that all the elect as well as others went aftray, 
 and turned every one of them to their own way; 
 therefore it s reftricted,-^// we\ and the word 
 Jill is no broader than the word We : now the 
 We that is here meant, is the We who in the for- 
 mer words are healed by hisftripes\ and that fare 
 "is not all men and women that iin, but the elect 
 only. And verfe n. it's they that by his know- 
 ledge, tliat is, by faith in him, are yuflified j it's 
 
 Verfe 6. ^ Serm. 26. 
 
 thefe All, whofe iniquities he bare, and no mo : 
 So that, in fhort, us 'all is not all men fimply 
 confidered, but us all, that are elect ; and thus 
 it is neceiiarily to be reftricted to the prophet's 
 fcope. 
 
 The meaning of both parts of the verfe toge- 
 ther then is, We aU y even the elect as well as o- 
 thers, went aftray, and turned every one of us to 
 his ownfinfulway ; and the Lord Jehovah made 
 him to bear the. punifhment of all our fins ; and 
 it could not be but a mighty great punilhment, 
 and a mod hudge and horrible fufFering, when 
 the Lord made the iniquities of us all x his elect, 
 to meet upon Chrift. 
 
 There is not much debate about the other two 
 Parties, thefrft whereof is H/w,that is,the Me- 
 diator Jefus Chrift, the eternal Son of the eter- 
 nal Father y the brightnefs of the Father's glory ,and 
 the exprefs Image of his Perfon, who remaining 
 God, became Man, to perform and bring about 
 the work of our redemption according to his un- 
 dertaking. 
 
 The other Party is theLord J eh ov ah ,the Judge 
 and the Party offended •, as we are the pa^ty of- 
 fending, and Jefus Chrift the Satisfier : And the 
 Lord is here confidered enentially,as Father,Son, 
 and holy Ghoft, having one common effence and 
 juftice, and who being all Three one God, are 
 to be fatisfied ; He is Jebov-ah. 
 
 But how is this punifhment of our iniquities 
 laid on Jefus Chrift ? And here Socinians make 
 as great a buftle and bufinefs ; the devil inten- 
 ding (if he could effect it) to blow up the very 
 foundation of the gofpel, bends all his forces 
 againft fuch places as do moft lively hold it forth: 
 But the words are clear and moft fignificant, as 
 they are rendred according to the Hebrew on the 
 margent, thus, The Lord hath made the iniquity 
 of us all to meet on him. The iniquities of the 
 elect are as fo many brooks and rivulets, any 
 one of which is hard and difficult for them to 
 pafs over : But O ! when Chrift comes to fatisfy 
 for them, they are brought and gathered into a 
 great lake, or rather into a vaft fea or ocean to- 
 gether; they all,col!ected and combined, met on 
 him, and he did meet with th^m in a mighty 
 fhock; and fure, they could not but be great fuf- 
 ferings that he endured, when he had fuch a fea 
 to pafs thorow : Or, the fins of the elect were 
 like lb many companies or regiments of men, 
 any one whereof they could never have over- 
 come; but when Chrift came to fatisfy divine 
 juftice for them, as the companies and regi- 
 ments of fins (fo to fpeakj rendezvouzed, and 
 brought in one formidable army together, met 
 
Serm. 26. Ifalab 53. 
 
 on Chrift. The word is well rendred here, were 
 laid on him, being the fame word in the root that 
 Saul ufed when he commanded Doeg to fall upon 
 the Lord's priefts, 1 Sam. 22. 18. The. word is/ 
 JLay up-on tbem, or lay at them ; as when one is an- 
 gry with another, he will cry ,Lay upn him : and 
 this fhews the exceeding greatnefs of Chrift's fuf- 
 ferings, when all the fins of all the ele& met toge- 
 ther, as a hudge and heavy hoft, did fall and do 
 terrible execution upon our bleffed Lord Jefus. 
 This then being the meaning of the words, the 
 queftion is, Whether the Lord Jehovah did lay 
 this punifhment really upon Chrift ; or whether, 
 as Socinians fondly imagine, he only interceed- 
 ed for them ? But for anfwer, u What fort of 
 meaning of the words would that be, I pray ? the 
 the Lord made the iniquities of us all to inter- 
 ceed on him', when the Text fays plainly, that 
 they were laid m him, and on the matter that 
 he bare them, and exprefly fo, verfe 11. For he 
 fhall bear their iniquities* Yea, 2.Confider the 
 icope, and it comes in as a reafon why Chrift 
 furfered fo much : and would that (can any think) 
 be a good reafon for fo great and grievous furfe- 
 rings undergone by Chrift, that God made him 
 to interceed for all the fins of the eleft ? but, if 
 you look upon the words in their true meaning, 
 they are a clear reafon why he was wounded, and 
 exceedingly bruifed and chaftned, and why he 
 endured To many ftripes,even becaufe all the fins 
 of all his ele# met on bim, becaufe he was made 
 to bear the punifhment of them all ; alfo the 
 words following clear it, Kef was cut off out of 
 out oj the land of the living, for the tranfgref- 
 fon of my people was he ftricken-, and Gal. 3. 
 he was made a curfe for us. He fuffered, the* 
 juft for the un]uft; he a&ualiy and really furfered. 
 that which we mould have fuffered : If it be ask- 
 ed, What is this, to lay iniquity on Chrift i Or 
 how is it faid that the iniquity of the ele& was 
 laid on him} Or in what refpeft ? I anfwer, 1. 
 In refpe& of God's eternal covenant ; the punifh- 
 ment due for our fins is laid upon him by an e- 
 ternal deliberate counfel or corfultation of the 
 Perfons of the Godhead ; wherein (as we mew be- 
 fore) Chrift enters Surety for us, accepts of, and 
 engages to pay our debt. 2. In refpe&of God's 
 adlual purfutng Chrift, having thus engaged 
 himfelf, putting in his hand the cup, and mak- 
 ing him drink; and the bill of our account, and 
 making him accountable. 3. Inrefpecft of God's 
 acceptation of that fatisfacHon which Chrift per- 
 formed and paid down for them. 
 
 This being the meaning c^ the words, we 
 come to point at feme things from them ; and the - 
 very opening of them may giye us fome infi^ht: 
 
 Verfe 6. 
 
 Ut 
 
 in the way of the Gofpel, and of a notable 
 ground of footing to our faith : If we could 
 rightly apprehend God making this tranfa&ion 
 with the Mediator, we might not only have a 
 ground to our faith, but a great encouragement 
 to come to Chrift, and to reft on him, who hath 
 thus lifted himfelf in our room before the tribu- 
 nal of divine juftice ; and it would waken and 
 warm faith and love towards him. 
 
 But obferve here more particularly, 1. That 
 all the elect people of God are lying under iniqui- 
 ty, even as others. This we {poke to the laft 
 day, and ihall not repeat what was then ^faid. 
 It's with refpeft to iniquity in the ele& that all 
 the bufinefs ofredemption is tranfa&ed; and from 
 hence, as the occaiion, it hath its rife, even from 
 God's being offended, and from the neceility of 
 a Mediator : for this doth prefuppofe our debt, 
 and a (landing fentence againft us> till Chrift in*, 
 terpofed for. the removing of it. 
 
 2. From its being faid before, that every one 
 turned to his own way ; and here, that the Lord, 
 hath laid on him the iniquity of us all \ obferve, 
 That every one of the elect, befide the common ftate 
 of fin wherein all are, hath his own particular 
 guilt, that is, in bis own way : This is clearly 
 holden out here, while it is faid, that not only like 
 Jbeep we have gone aftray, but that every one batb 
 turned to his own way 5 which, as it holds forth 
 a way in them all different from God's way, fo al- 
 fo a way in every one of them fomewhat difR rent 
 from another's way ; and this is called a walking 
 in the counfel of our own heart, Pfal. Si. and a 
 man's own fore, Chron. 6. 29. and a man's own U 
 niquity, Pfal. 18. 23. becaufe it's in a fpecial 
 manner his. To clear it a little, confider, that 
 fin is peculiar to a believer, or may be called his 
 own way, in thefe refpe&s ; ( 1.) In refpeft of his 
 being more addicted to one fin than another, 
 which is ufually called a man's predomidant. Two 
 men may both be covetous and paflionate ; but 
 the one of them may be called acovetous man, 
 becaufe he is efpecially given to that fin of co- 
 vetoufne(s ; and the other may be called a paf- 
 iionate man, becaufe he- is efpecially given to 
 paiuon. (2.) In refpeft of fome peculiar aggra- 
 vating circumftances. Though we will not dare 
 particularly to determine as to perfons, yet if we 
 look thro' all men and women, it will be readily 
 found that there is fome fin, which in refpe& of 
 fome or feveral aggravations, is in fome a greater 
 fin than it is in others ; and hereby God hath 
 given ground of humiliation to all: There is not 
 a man (as we juft now hinted^ but readily he 
 hath an evil which is at a greater height in him* 
 
 • than 
 
14-2 Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 than in another ; as For inftance, one may b. j gi- 
 ven more to the fin of drunkennefs>another more 
 to hypocrify, another more to un.:!eanneis, £5V, 
 I do not fpeak fo much here of the divers kinds 
 of fin, as of the feveral aggravations of t lis or 
 that fin that they are given to : fuch a r ;d fuch a 
 jnan may have aggravations, that Will a^grege 
 fuch a predominant evil in him far beyon d 
 it is in others : And it is from this ground that a 
 be'iever, not in a comp'ement ; ng way, but 1110ft 
 really and fincerely, doth call and account him- 
 felf the chief of [inner s ; becaufe there are fome 
 aggravations that elevate his (In above the fiw of 
 -others, or above that fame fin in others: As a 
 Weak believer may have fonie one ^ood thing in 
 him more commendable than it is in a fh ng< r 
 believer ; Co the ftrong' r believer may have fome 
 one fin, that, in refpecl: of its aggravations, may 
 give him ground to look on hanfelf as beyGnd 
 others in fin. 
 
 Ufe 1. It ferves much for our humiliation, in 
 as far as this adds to our finfulnefs : There are 
 none of us, but, befide the common v;ay of fin- 
 ning incident to all, we have fomething that is 
 peculiar to our felves, we have our own way, 
 wherewith we are chargeable above and beyond 
 others. We will readily all grant that we are fin- 
 ners, but who of us will take with our particular 
 and peculiar guilt that doth more eafily b; fet us? 
 who amongft many are as doves of the valleys on 
 the mountains, every one mourning for his cwn 
 iniquity, for his own plague and fore, that by 
 feveral circumftances may be aggreged as to its 
 finfulnefs beyond the fin of others' ? 
 
 Ufe 2. The fecond ufe, which is the fcope, 
 ferves to fhew the exceeding greatnefs of Thrift's 
 furferings; O ! what a (hock he was in, when he 
 had not only all the common fins of the eleft to 
 iatisfy for, hut whenall their particular fins, with 
 their refpe&ive aggravations, rendezvoufed and 
 tryfted on him ? it ferves likewife to exalt the 
 free grace of God, and the condefcendency of 
 our bleffed Lord ]efus, who took in altogether 
 in his making latisfadtion for them, when there 
 were feveral forts of them, as if every one ofthe 
 cle& had been let to invent a new iin. What 
 great and fore fuffering was here, when he con- 
 defcended to drink the cup, that had the won- 
 derful efFe&s of all the fins of the ele& wrung in- 
 to it < when not only in grofs he takes on the 
 ilns of the eledt, but this and that m n's parti- 
 cular fins, which were are all reckoned and fum- 
 itted on Chrift's account, and for which he was 
 made to iatisfy ; and wherein juftice proceeded 
 •equally and ^quipolently. This notably confirmed 
 *hc reality ofChriil's fatisfa&ion, by fuffcring 
 
 Ver <e <*. Serm. 26. 
 
 w hat all the ele& fhould have fufrered eternally, 
 or the equivalent of it ; tor if there had not been 
 a proportional fatisfaitior. in his fufferings, where- 
 fore ferves fuch ^nenuivk.raticn of his iufFer.ings ? 
 Ufe 3. The third uie ferves to ]^:k] usin to know 
 how much we are iri v'JirilVs uebt, and what a 
 great encouragement we have to believe, and 
 withal, what notable ground of con folaf' on be- 
 lievers have I fay, t. ft fhows how much we are 
 in Chrift's debt : When ve take, a view of all our 
 fins, and conficierthattrkre wasa particular view 
 taken of them in the covenant of r. demotion, 
 not only all our common fins,^ut even all the 
 particular & peculiar fins of believers were rec- 
 koned unto Chrift the Cautioner, and put on his 
 account, and he engaged to fatisfy for all, and 
 pay the whole reckoning ; doth it not lay great 
 ob'i^ation on us to him, who counted for the 
 lead rarthlng of our debt ? We, like a pack of 
 bankrupt dyvours, didtake on the debt, and the 
 account was put in his hand, not only (as I juft 
 now faidj of all our common fins, but of this 
 and that particular fin, with al 1 their feveral ag- 
 gravations, and the finful circumftances that did 
 highten them; and he fatisfied tor them all : And 
 of tins we would take fpecial notice ; for it may 
 readily wrong us to look upon the covenant of 
 redemption as a bargain in grofs, there is a par- 
 ticularnefs in it, to fhew not only the fovereign- 
 ty, but the exaclnefs of juftice, and alio the 
 riches of God's grice, and of the great conde- 
 fcendency of Chrift's love to ele& tinners. 2. 
 It's a great encouragement to believe; for even 
 thefe fins that would fright awd skar feriousand 
 exercif-d fouls from coming forw-rd to Chrift, 
 were all counted on Chrift's (core, and were all fa- 
 tisfied for by him. 3. It's a notable ground of con- 
 ization to believers, when they are difpofed and 
 ready to think that their particular fins are infuf- 
 frrableand unpardonable : they think that courfe 
 might be taken with all their common evils ; but 
 as for this moil finful and fhameful unthankful- 
 nefs, thisdefpifin> of his grace, this wofiil unbe- 
 lief, CSV. it ftares them in the 'ace, and they 
 know not well how that will be got done away : 
 but, believers in Chrift, who are forrowful and 
 fadly perplexed on this account, is that ycur 
 cwn way ? It's tranfacred on Chrift's fcore with 
 the reft ; every one of us hath turned to his own 
 way^ and the Lord hath laid onhim the iniqui- 
 ty of us ail 1 Oh impregnable ground of ftroog 
 confo'ation, which is as gocd news from a jar 
 country^ a none- fuch cordial to a fainting foul ! 
 
 3. Obferve here, That a believing eletl, cr an 
 ektt believer, will not only be fenfibU of fin in the 
 
Scrm. 16. lfaiahft. 
 
 general, but of bh ovtn particular and peculiar 
 finful way ; or thus, It's a good token, when folk 
 U k n t only to fin in c.mmvn, but on toeir i>wn 
 peculiar finful way ; or thus, That folk fhould 
 cenfider their finfulnefs, not only in commrn, but 
 in particular, with its feveral aggravations. 
 The fcriptures which we cited before do confirm 
 this, as Pfal. 18. 22. Ikteped my ftlf fnm mine 
 iniquity ; and 2 Cbron. 6. 29. where faith Solo- 
 mon, When every one }h all know his own fore and 
 bis own grief; or as it is, I Kings 8. 38. The 
 plague of his own heart. This implies thei'e two 
 things, 1. A diftinftaggravat'ng of fin, when a 
 man not only looks on himfelf as a fmner, but 
 looks on his fin, by reafon o? feveral aggravating 
 circumftances, as being above and beyond the fin 
 of others, and abhoreth and lotheth jhimfelf as 
 the chief of finners, as David dcth,when he faith, 
 Pfal. ^i.Againfi thee, thee only>have 1 finned: he 
 is not there extenuating his fin, as if it were 
 done only againft God ; but aggreging his 
 fin, as the words following mew, and / have 
 done this evil in thy fight; as if he had faid,Thy 
 concern in the matter d&th moft afFe& and afflict 
 me ; Thou loveft truth or fincerity in the inward 
 parts ; but I have been (alas !) all tl^? time jug- 
 ling and greatly playing the hypriclrijfe, which 
 makes it to be a wonderful great evil. And Pfal. 
 65. 3. Iniquities prevail againfl me ; and as 
 Paul dcthjwho calls himfelf the chief of finners, 
 1 Tim. 1. 15. idly, That believers before con- 
 verfion, yea and in refpecV of their natural incli- 
 nation even after their converfion, are wofully 
 inclined eachof them to a finful way of their own, 
 called, EccU 11. the way cfa mans own heart : 
 And of this believers would be fenfible, not on- 
 ly of their finfulnefs in general, and of their par- 
 ticular a&s of fin, but of their peculiar finful 
 . ads •, and that for thefe ends or ufes. 
 
 1 . It ferves deeply to humble, and to pre'fsforth 
 (to fpeak fo) repentance ; when we confider our 
 own way to be fin r ul beyond others, and that fuch 
 and fuch a man hath finned, but his fin hath not 
 fuch aggravations as mine, this makes the foul 
 to blufh, and to fay, as it is Pfal. 40. 12. Innu- 
 merable evils have compaffed me about, mine i- 
 niquities have taken hold upon me,fo that I am 
 mt able to look up ; they are mo than the hairs of 
 mine head, therefore my heart faileth me ; he 
 wonders at himiel£ how a man can be fo given to 
 fin, and every day to add one new finful ftep 
 to another, ard never to weary or give over \ 
 this makts him to b'uftvand beafhamed, as it is, 
 E\eV. 16.63. The remembring of common fins, 
 and of this and that particular aft of fin, will not 
 fo cifeft this ; but when a firmer remembers, thac- 
 
 Verfe 6. 143 
 
 fuch a fin hath been his own may, that humbles 
 and itops his incut!) exceedingly. 
 
 2. i his adds a peculiar nds to the grace of 
 God in the believer's euxem, and makah it Co 
 much the more amiable ard admirable to him, as 
 it is with Paul, when- he laith, 1 Jim. 1.13, &c. 
 / was a blasphemer, and aperfecutor, and inju- 
 rious •, neyerib'elefs 1 bta'mtd mercy, and e 
 grace of God xoas ex ceding abundant t.vitrds 
 me. This is a faithful faying, and won ■ J 
 acceptation, that Jefu-j L>>r;jt dime into the w 
 
 to favc finners. cf whom I nmthz chief hoavbe, 
 this caufe I obtained m >\y that ... mc he might 
 Jhew firth all hng fuffeiing.fr a pattern to them 
 that fhould hereafter behrvs n him : I was, as if 
 he had faid, lingular in finnin^, but grace was e- 
 minentand lingular- in (hey ing m .rcy, and hath 
 call a copy thereof in me that is lingular!}' emi- 
 nent ; the peculiar nets of believers fin, as it makes 
 them know the aggravations of it beyond others, 
 fo it makes them exalt grace the more. 
 
 3. It ferves fome way to difcriminate a found 
 believer from a hypocrite, and a right fight of 
 fin from that which is not fo : It is not fo much 
 to know that we are finners, for the light of a 
 natural conference will tell men that, efpecialljr 
 when their lives are fo bad; but it's more to 
 know, and rightly to take up the peculiarnefs 
 that is in our way of finning, to take up the ma- 
 ny windings and turnings of the deceitful heart 
 in following of fuch a iin that it is addicted to ; 
 this makes a believer think, that there is no bs- 
 dy's heart like his. We fee ordinarily, that but 
 very few, if any natural men, will take kindly 
 with the peculiarnefs of their way of finning : 
 and even when they will take with this, that 
 they are finners in general ; yet they Ihun to 
 take with it, that they are given to fuch a fin- 
 ful way of their own, and with the particular 
 turnings, windings, and traverfings of their own 
 hearts to that way ; but fewwiil grant that they 
 are given to defpifing or flighting of Cbrift, to 
 hvpocrify, felf-feeking, lying, &c. I will not 
 be peremptory here, to fay that every body mult 
 know what? is their own one peculiar finful way; 
 for fome fee fo many predominant fins in them- 
 felves. that hardly can they pitch upon one by a- 
 nother:Kor, upon the other fide,will Ipofitively 
 
 . fay, that they are all graciousthat fee one fin by 
 another to carry fway in them. But thislfay,that 
 this contributes much for the humb'ing of the 
 finner.and for the exalting of free grace*, and that 
 the believer will fee many windings and turnings 
 in and to their own way,that others who are not -' 
 believers will not fee, -and will fee one predomi-' 
 
144 Ifaiab $3. 
 
 riant after another ; whereas a natural man, tho' 
 he complementingly call himfelf the chief of fin- 
 ners, yet he doth not really think himfelf to 
 be fuch ; but rather, if he be given to drunken- 
 nefs, to filthinefs, or the like, be will readily 
 caft up David and Lot, or fome others of the 
 faints. to excufe or extenuate it: But the believer 
 can get none to compare himfelf with in the point 
 of finfulnefs ; Iniquities prevail ever me , faith 
 David in the fingular number ; but when he 
 fpeaks of the pardoning and purging away fin, he 
 fpeaks in the plural, aftbeiating others with him- 
 felf, As fcr cur tranfgreffuns, thou JhaJt purge 
 them away, Pfal. 65. verfe 3. 
 
 4. Considering our finful way, as the occaflon 
 of this tranfa<£tion, and of the lading of our ini- 
 quities upon Chrift, as the relult of it, we have 
 this fweet Obfervation, That the elett are confi- 
 dered in the covenant of redemption as foully and 
 vilely finful, and with all the aggravations if 
 their fins and finful ways ; fa that they cannot be 
 fouller and more vile in time, than they wer$ con- 
 fidered to be, when they were given to Chriji to 
 be fatisfied for by him. How were they then 
 . confidered ? The text tells us, events ft raying 
 /keep : But that is not all, they are confidered as 
 fuch, who have had their own peculiar way of 
 ilraying from God, and have turned aflde to .and 
 run on in their own finful way : thus the Lord 
 confidered the ele& in the covenant of redemp- 
 tion, thus Jefus Chrift confidered- them in the 
 undertaking for them, even with all the feveral 
 aggravations of their finfulnefs ; fo that they are 
 not, nor cannot be worfe in time, than they 
 were' confidered to be before time : This is fo 
 ordered by the Lord, for thefe ends, 1. That 
 juftice might be diftin&ly. exa&ly, and fully 
 Satisfied ; and that it might be known that it is 
 fo, he would needs be reftored to his honour, 
 to his declarative, or manifefted honour and 
 fjlory, which fufFered by man's fall, and by the 
 many great and varioufty aggravated fins of the 
 «le&; and would have his juflice, as I faid, ful- 
 ly fatisfied: And therefore, as there is a volume 
 of a book, wherein alf the ele& are written, for 
 whom Chrift fhould fatisfy ; fo there is a vo- 
 lume of what, and for what he mould fatisfy, 
 that there may be a proportional fatisfaction and 
 price told down to juftice 
 
 Verfe 6. - Serm.27; 
 
 may have a more full view of the way of grace, 
 and of Chrift's undertaking for them ; when Je- 
 fus Chrift undertook our debt,he had a full view 
 of a fum he was to pay, he knew what he had 
 to pay to the leaft farthing, and what his peoples 
 fins would coft him; and yet he skarred not to 
 engage to fatisfy, but did fatisfy according to 
 his engagement to the full. 4. It's alfo ordered 
 fo, for this end, even to confirm the believer's 
 faith, when he cometh to take hold of Chrift, 
 and of the covenant : And when this objection 
 mutters within him, Dare fuch a finful wretch as 
 I take hold of Chrift,who have been thus and thus 
 polluted with fin PYeSjfaith the textjfor thefe fins, 
 lo and fo aggravated, were not unknown to the 
 Father, nor to the Mediator,when thou was bar- 
 gained about : Nay, thefe fins,with their aggra- 
 vations,were exprefly confidered in the covenant 
 of redemption ; and there is no fin already com- 
 mitted, br to be committed by thee in time,that 
 was not confidered before time; What was your 
 pofture,believers,whenGodj>tfJJed by, and caft the 
 lap or Jkirt ofhisJcve .ver you? Were you not caft. 
 out in the open field* wallowing in your own bloody 
 with your navels uncutjjaving no eye to pity you? 
 &c.as it is,E$ek. 16. And wherefore,I pray,isthis 
 fet down ? but,as to let you know that ye are no 
 worfe in time than ye were confidered to be be- 
 fore ye had a being ; fo, to aggrege the love and 
 grace of God in Chrift, and to draw you in to 
 him, that fince God and Chrift the Mediator, 
 in the tranfa&ion about your redemption, ftood 
 not on your finfulnefs, ye may not ftand on it, 
 when ferioufty taken with, but may fubmit to 
 his righteoufnefs, and fay, Be it Co, Lord, I am 
 content to take what thou freely ofFereft. And 
 the more finful and loft ye be in your felves, 
 when fuitably aflfe&ed therewith, the more won- 
 derful is the grace of God in the plot of your 
 redemption, the more ftrong is your coniolati- 
 on, and the greater ground of believing have 
 ye ; your fins do not furprize God, nor the Me- 
 diator; the bargain was made before your fins 
 were committed, and therefore the price mud 
 reach them, even when they are all fummed up 
 together : He was content to accept of them, fo 
 as to fatisfy for them ; and bleffed be he for ever- 
 more, that accepted of the bargain, and paid the 
 price according to his undertaking. 
 
 2. That believers 
 
 fi£X» «S®5 ^S<5^ C©(» iSXSft V@CS» ^)®i Cg)Sft WSCsft ^S(^ ^SSfi ^ ^®C^ CS«ft CScSft ^XS?» 4©3ft W£>Sft V@S?> CSX» CSXS^ teX» ^©S?i «S@) 
 SERMON XXVII. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. <*>. AH we UVe Jheep have gone aftray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the 
 Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
 
 IN the former verfe, the prophet hath aflferted ning to the people of God, and yet fuch truths 
 the moft wonderful truths, and very concer- as 
 
Serm. 27." t Ifaiab $3.* 
 
 as will not be eafy got digefted by natural rea- 
 fon. 1. That our Lord Jefus was put to fore and 
 fad fufferings, He was wounded and bruifed^c. 
 5. That thefe fad futfvrings were for us the e- 
 le& : It was for our fins, and what was due to 
 the ele<5l ; he was made to bear them, He was 
 wounded for our tranfgrejfions, he was bruifed 
 for cur iniquities. 3. The end of thefe fufferings, 
 or the efft& that followed on them to us, pardon 
 ; of iin, peace with God, and healing •, The cha- 
 Jfifement $f our peace was on bim 3 and by bis 
 flripes we are healed* 
 
 And each of thefe being more wonderful than 
 another, therefore the prophet goes on to clear 
 their rife, which is no lefs wonderful ; how it 
 came to pafs that he fuffered, and fuffered fo 
 much, and that we have iuch benefit by his fuf- 
 ferings. It could not (would he fay) be otherwife, 
 but it behoved our Lord Jefus to fuffer, and to 
 fuffer fo much, and for us ; neither was it un- 
 reaionable that it fhould be for our benefit, For 
 joe had aU like left r Jbeep gone aflray, and every 
 cne of us had turned to his own way: And there 
 was no way of relief for us,but byChrift's ftepping 
 into our room, and interpofing for us, and inga- 
 ging to pay our debt: and by vertue of that inter- 
 pohtion and bargain,. The Lord hath laid on him 
 the iniquity of us all : And therefore, 1. Would 
 ye have the reafon of Chrift's fo great fuffe- 
 rings ? Here it is, the ele& had many fins, and 
 he interpofing for them, their count was fcored 
 out, and they were reckoned on his fcore. 2. If 
 the caufe and reafon be asked, How it came to 
 pafs that Chrift fuffered fo much for us? Here 
 it is , he undertook to fatisfy for our iniquities, 
 and God imputed them to him : Even as if a 
 dyvour were purfued, and one fhould flep in 
 and be cautioner for him, and being enacted 
 furety, fhould take on him and become liable for 
 the debt ; the exa&ing it of him, is the laying it 
 on htm. But, 3. If it be asked, How it comes to 
 pafs that his fufferings become our healing, and 
 bring peace to us ? It is anfwered, It was fo 
 tranfa&ed and agreed upon ; he was content to 
 pay all our debt, and the Father accepted of his 
 payment for ours: Our bleifed Lord jefus inga- 
 ging and fatisfying,the ele& are fet free, and ju- 
 stice betaketh it felf to him as the more refponfal 
 Party. This is the fcope of the words, which 
 tho* but few, yet exceeding full and fignificant, 
 as holding out the fountain and fundamen- 
 tal grounds of the gofpel ; we fliall look u- 
 pon them in thefe three refpe&s, (1.) As they 
 imply a covenant and tranfa&ion, whereby the 
 clefts fins are tranfa&ed on Chrift, and his 
 righteoufnefs is made application of to them j 
 
 Vcrfe 6. H5 
 
 Chrift undertaking to pay tfleir debt, and Jeho- 
 vah accepting thereof, and promifing that his fa- 
 tisfa&ion,made for the behoof of the ele<ft, fhatt 
 be applied to them. (2.)In refped of the effe&s, 
 which are two ; which tho 5 they feem contra- 
 ry, the one to the other, yet they are well con- 
 fiftcnt together, and fubordinate the one of-them 
 to the other : The ifl is juftice on Chrift's fide; 
 He fatisfies for the debt due by the ele&. The 
 id is of mercy and grace to the ele&, which is 
 alfo implied; but, comparing thefe words with 
 the former, it is very clear : He is wounded and 
 bruifed, and they are healed ; the chaftiiement 
 . of their peace was on him; the imputing of their 
 debt to him, makes that it is not imputed to 
 them.(3.)In'refpect of the influence that the eter- 
 nal covenant hath on thefe effects. It lays down 
 the way how thefe may be juftly brought about, 
 which is the fcope of all, even to fhew how Je- 
 fus Chrift, being the innocent Son of God, and 
 without fin, was made liable to the debt of the 
 elects fin ; he became Cautioner for them, and 
 is made liable on that account to fatisfy for 
 them . It clears alfo how his fufferings flood for 
 theirs ; which may feem to be unreafonable and 
 unjuft amongft men, that the fufferings of an in- 
 nocent party fhould ftand for the guilty : It was 
 fo articled in the covenant of redemption, that 
 the Son as Mediator interpofing and undertak- 
 ing to pay the elects debt, the Lord Jehovah the 
 Creditor fhould not reckon it on their fcore, but 
 on the Mediator's, and that he fhould count for 
 it. The prophet in this ver/tf,almoft,is ftriking 
 on the fweet and pleafant firing of this noble 
 plot and contrivance of God concerning the 
 redemption of elect finners, called the covenant 
 of redemption ; which thefe words, confidered 
 with refpect to their fcope, do in all the parts of 
 it clearly hold out : And therefore, the bearing 
 of it, being the clearing of a main ground of 
 our faith in reference to Chrift's fufferings, and 
 to the way how they are made forthcoming to 
 us, and withal to the benefits that come- cy them 
 to us, we cannot fpeak too much nor too oftea 
 of it, if we would fpeak of it fui'.ably to the 
 paffing excellency of the matter. 
 
 The fir ft Dottrine fuppofed here is, That there 
 is an eternal covenant, and tranfattion betwixt 
 the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator^ wherein the 
 whole bufinefs concerning the redemption and 
 falvation of the eleft is contrived. There is an 
 eternal covenant paft betwixt God and the Me- 
 diator, wherein all that is executed, or will be, 
 concerning the elect, till the day of judgment, 
 was contrived j there is nothing relating to the 
 U elects 
 
H<5 ^ Jfaiah "$3. 
 
 •lefts falvation, tut it was in this tranfactian 
 exactly contrived and laid down, eren as it is in 
 time executed ; and it's called a covenant in 
 fcripture, and we call it To, not ftrictly and pro- 
 perly, as if all things hi covenants among men 
 wers'in it, but becaufe materially and (ublUntial- 
 ly it is io, and the refemblance will hold for the 
 moil: part ; the Lord having laid down in it the 
 plot of man's falvation in a legal way, lb as his 
 grace and mercy may be glorified, and his ju- 
 ftice fatisfiedjhath put it in this form,fo as it may 
 bear the name of a covenant : Vv herein w r e have, 
 I .Mutual Parties, the Lord Jehovah, the Party 
 offended, on the one fide; 'and the Lord Medial or , 
 Him, the Party engaging to fatisfy,on the other 
 fide; Which fhews the freenefs of the redempti- 
 on of the elect as to them, and the certainty of 
 their falvation ; and withal, the immutability 
 of God's purpofe,for the Parties are not mutable 
 creatures,but on the one fide Jehovah^nd on the 
 other fide the Mediator, tho' confidered as to be 
 incarnate and the Head of the elect. This 
 whole bufiriefs bred there, to wit, in the counfei 
 of the Godhead, for promoving of that great 
 end, the glorifying of the grace and juftice of 
 God in the elects iaWation. 2. Whereabout is it ? 
 It's about this matter, how to get the elect fa- 
 ved from the curfe, to Which on their forefeen 
 fall and finning they were made liable ; redemp- 
 tion neceffarily prefuppofing man's fall, and the 
 covenant of works, to which the certification 
 and threatning was added ,Tbc foul that fins JliaH 
 die ' y and the elect prefuppofedas fallen. as well as 
 others, are liable to the curfe, except a fatisfacti- 
 on for them do interveen ; fo that the elect are 
 confidered as having fin, and as being in them- 
 felves loll. And what is the Lord Jehovah and 
 the Mediator doing? what are they about in this 
 covenant ? It's how to get the punifhment due 
 to the elect for their fins removed from them. 
 And thefe perfons, us all, in the text, are all the 
 elect, wherein there is implied a particular con- 
 sideration of them that are defigned to life and 
 falvation, and a particular confideration of all 
 their fins, and of their feveral aggravations,fhat 
 there may be a proportion betwixt the price and 
 the wrong that God hath gotten by their finning 
 againfl him. 3. The occafion of this covenant, 
 and the reafon why it behoved to be, is holden 
 forth in the fir{r.words,/?#we like fheep have gone 
 a fl ra y£$ turned every one of us unto his own way: 
 The elecTas well as others, had made themfelves 
 through their finning liable to God's wrath and 
 curfe, and they were uncapable of life and fal- 
 vation till the curfe was removed ; and fo there 
 is a leu and obstruction in the way of the cxecu- 
 
 Verfe 6. Serai 27. 
 
 tion of the decree ok election (which muft 
 (land for the glorification of God's grace and 
 mercy, primarly intended in all this work) and 
 till this lett be removed, the glorification ©f 
 God's grace is letted and obftru&ed ; For the 
 removal of which obftruction,there is a neceflity 
 of a Redeemer, for the elect are not able to pay 
 their own debt themfelves •, now, that there may 
 be a Redeemer, and that a price of- redemption 
 maybe laid down,there is-alfo a neceflity of a co- 
 venant, otherwife the Redeemer cannot be, if a 
 tranfaetion do not proceed, on which the Re- 
 deemer's interpofing is founded. 4. What is the j 
 price, what is the ftipulation, or that which the \ 
 Mediator is ingaged to, and that which provo- 
 ked juftice required ? It is even fatisfaetion for 
 all the wrongs that the fins of the elect did, or 
 were to do, to the Majdly of God. Their fins 
 deferved wounding and fmiting ; and the capi- 
 tulation runs on this, that julHce (hall get that 
 of the Mediator, that th« elect may be Ipared.,- 
 And comparing this verfe with the tbrmer,upon 
 the one fide our Lord jefus gives his back to 
 bear their burden, and engages to iatisfy for - 
 their debt, and to undergo the punifhment due 
 to them ; and upon the other fide, Jehovah ac- 
 cepts of this offer and engagement,and lays over 
 the burden of their debt on him : As the Medi- 
 ator, inflates and enacts himfelf in their room 
 for payment of their debt, i'o he 1 ays it on him, 
 and accepts of it. 5. The end of this great tranf- ' 
 action, to wit, of the undertaking on the Medi- 
 ator's fide^and of the acceptation on the Father's 
 fide, is, that the elect may haye pardon and 
 peace, and that by his flripes they may be heal- 
 ed ; that juftice may (pare them, and purfue 
 him ; and that the difcharge of the debt,purcha- 
 fed by him, may be made forthcoming to them, 
 as if they had paid the debt themfelves, or had 
 never been owing any thing to jultice. 
 
 Hence Deductions may be made,holding forth 
 feveral points of truth •, As, i. Concerning the 
 determinatenefs of the number of the elect. 2. • 
 Concerning the vertue and efficacy of the price 
 which the Mediator hath paid, and the fulnefs 
 of his fatisfaetion. 3. Concerning his imputed 
 • righteoufnefs, which is, or may be called the 
 laying of his righteoufnefs on us, as our iniqui- 
 ty was laid on him: He is counted the finner,by 
 undertaking the elects debt •, and the elect, by 
 receiving the offered righteoufnefs in the gof- 
 pel, are accounted righteous, by vertue of his 
 fatisfying for their debt. 4. Concerning the 
 ground and matter of wonderful foul- fatisfaetion 
 and rayifhment that is here j that God ihould 
 
 be 
 
Serm. 27. If aM 53- 
 
 be thus minding the falvation of the ele&, and 
 thus contriving and ordering the work of their 
 Redemption ; that their debt fhall be paid, and 
 yet nothing (to fpeak fo) come out of their 
 purfe ; and that by (0 excellent a mean as is the 
 intervention of the Mediator ; and that this fhall, 
 notwithstanding of the dear price paid by him, 
 be made freely forthcoming to the ele&. 
 
 Ufe 1. O 1 Look not on the falvation of Tin- 
 ners, and the bringing of a finner to heaven, 
 as a little or a light bufinefs and work : It's the 
 greateft work and mod wonderful that ever was 
 beard tell of; yea, it's in erfeft the end of all 
 things which God hath made, and of his pre- 
 ferving and guiding the world in the order 
 wherein it is governed, even that he may have 
 _a Church therein for the praife of the glory of 
 .bis grace. We are exceeding far and finfully 
 wrong in this, that we value not the work of 
 redemption as becomes, and that we endeavour 
 not to pry into, and take up the admirable and 
 deep wifdom of God, that goes along and ihines 
 brightly in this whole contexture. Who could 
 ever' have found out this way, when the elect 
 were lying under God's curfe and wrath, that 
 then the Son of God fliould undertake to fatisfy 
 for them, and that the Majefty of God fhould 
 be fo far from all partiality and refpe& of per- 
 fons,-that he will purfue his own dear Son for the 
 .clefts debt, when he undertakes it ? This is the 
 rife of our falvation, and the channel wherein 
 it runs ! O rare and ravifhing ! O admirable and 
 amiable ! O beautiful and beneficial contrivance! 
 Blelled, eternally blefFed be the Contriver. 
 
 Ufe 2. The fecond ufe ferves to flirus up to 
 ftudy to know fomewhat, and to know more of 
 the way of falvation, under this notion of God's 
 covenanting with the Mediator , not thereby to 
 aftri& God to man's law and forms, but for hel- 
 ping us to the better and more eafy up-taking of 
 thefe great things ; and that we may fee that 
 the falvation of the eleft is fure, forafmuch as 
 it it is laid down by way of bargain, tranla&ion 
 or covenant betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator, 
 whom the Lord will no more fail in performing 
 the promife made to him, than he hath failed in 
 giving the fatisfaction required. This would 
 help both to clear and confirm the faith of be- - 
 Hevers, and ftrengthen the hope of all who are 
 fled for refuge to take hold of him, in the cer- 
 tain expectation of thefe things engaged for in 
 the covenant ; feeing there is no lefs realon to 
 think, that Jehovah will be forthcoming to the 
 Mediator, than there is to think that he hath 
 performed all that he engaged himfelf for. 
 
 The 2d thing here is, the native effect or fruit 
 
 Verfe 6. \fi 
 
 of the covenant, and that which the praphet 
 aims at ; even to fhow how it came to pafs that 
 Chrift fufFered fo much, becaufe it was fo cove- 
 nanted, ftatute and ordained, becaufe he was by 
 a prior contrivance and contract fubftitute with 
 his own hearty content in the room of the eleifc, 
 who had many and great fins to count for; whence 
 obferve, That, by vertue of this eternal cove- 
 nant that paft betwixt God and the Mediator, 
 the eompleat punifhment that was due to all the 
 eleB for their fins, in their greatefl aggravati- 
 ons, was laid upon Jefus Chrifl. Jehovah laid upon 
 him the iniquities of us all ; this is frequently 
 touched on in this Chapter^ as particularly in the 
 words going before,^ carried our fcrrows^he was 
 wounded fcr our tranfgrejfions, and bruifed for 
 cur iniquities, &c.3.r\&. it's fufficiently confirmed in 
 the New Teftament, as 2 Cor. ^.'{He^who knew nt 
 fin y was made fin for us ; he had no fin in him- 
 felf, but by vertue of this covenantee was made 
 the facrifice for our fin, and made to bear the 
 puniihment thereof; and Gah 3. 13. He hath re- 
 deemed us from the curfe of the law y he himjelf 
 being made a curfe fcr us. 
 
 There are two words which we fhall a little 
 clear in this-doctrine ; and, fecondly. Give forae 
 reafons of it ;■ and then, thirdly x We fkall fpeak 
 to fo me ufes from it. 
 
 i/?. For the two words or things in the doct- 
 rine to be cleared, they are thefe, Ftrftp What 
 we mean by this, when we fay, Iniquity is laid 
 upon Chrifr. ? The fecond is, How is it laid up- 
 on Chrift ? As to thefird, when we lay, Iniqui- 
 ty is laid upon Chrift., we mean thefe things 
 fhortly, 1. That our Lord Jefus is really made 
 countable, and liable to juiYice for thefe iniqui- 
 ties, as if they had been his own, by vertue of 
 this covenant ; in God's juftice, he having en- 
 gaged to pay the ele&s debt, his engagement 
 makes him liable to it. 2. W T c mean, that not 
 only our Lord Jefus is made liable to our debt, 
 but really he is made to fatisfy for it : In fhort, 
 we have done the wrong, but he makes the a- 
 mends, as if he had done the wrong himfelf, The 
 ]uft fatisfies fcr the unjufi ; He, in whip" mouth 
 there was no guile, was made to fatisfy for guilty 
 finners, as if he had been the gui.ity perjon uim- 
 felf: By the fins of the elee%'Ood's dec'aradve 
 holinefs fufFered ; creatures malapertly brake his 
 command, and his juftice was wronged ; crea- 
 tures topped with it,ro fay fo, and that even after 
 the curfe was pronounced, and after they had 
 believed the devil more than God: But our Lord 
 Jefus comes in and makes the amends, and the 
 holinefs of God is vindicate by his obedience, 
 (J 2 %nd 
 
H$ Jfaiab <>3. 
 
 and bis juftice vindicate by his fufFering. The 
 e!e& have deferved wounding, but, fays the Me- 
 diator,Let the wounds which they have deferved 
 come on me, let them be mine ; and thus he 
 makes reparation of the wrong,and the amends, 
 becaufe, tho' the ele<ft be fpared, yet hereby 
 the Lord is known to be as really and as much a 
 hater of fin, and as juft in fulfilling his threat- 
 rings, as if the e!e& had been fmitten in their 
 own perfons, becaufe he punilhed fin in his own 
 Son \ yea, by this means he is feen fo much the 
 more to be holy, fevere, pure and fpotlefs: And, 
 that the Son of Godfweetly fubmits to his be- 
 coming Wan, and to thefe terrible fufFerings, 
 for fatisfying divine juftice ; Here, O here the 
 fpotlelhefs and feverity of the juftice of God, as 
 alfo the greatnefs of the glory of free grace and 
 Love, fhine forth confpicuoufly ! 3. It implies this, 
 That really there was a converting and turning 
 of that wrath,and of theie fufFerings proportio* 
 nably on Jefus Chrift, which juftice was to have 
 inflicted on the ele& eternally, if he had not 
 interpofed for them ; and that altogether in a 
 full cup,propined to him, and put in his hand ; 
 That, which would have been in fo many drops 
 an eternal hell to ele& finners, is made to meet 
 en him in one great fea ; he gets it to drink up, 
 dregs and all : In which refpe&, Gal. 3. 13. he 
 is faid t» be made a curfe for us. The Lord will 
 not pafs from one farthing of what was due to 
 kirn, and will be fatisfied with no lefs than pro- 
 portionable fatisfa&ion to that which was due 
 to juftice by the ele& themfelves, tho* the Sure- 
 ty was his own only Son : Therefore it behoved 
 Chrift to come under the curfe, in which fenfe he 
 is faid to be made a curfe for us 5 which fuppo- 
 feth that he endured the fame curfe and punifh- 
 ment due to the ele&s fins, in all the effcntials 
 *f it : He behoved to die, and to have his foul 
 feparatefrom his body for a time, and for a fea- 
 fon to want in a great meafure the comfortable 
 manifeftations of God's favour and prefence, and 
 to have wrath purfuing him, and to have hor- 
 rour feizing upon him ; tho* our b'leffed Lord, 
 being fpotlefs and without fin,and having a good 
 confeience, was not capable of thefe fomeway 
 accidental circumftanc^s, of unbelief,finful anxie- 
 ty and defperation, that finiul finite creatures are 
 liable to, when they come under wrath. 
 
 The 2d word or thing to be cleared in the 
 alo&rine, is,How are iniquities laid upon Chrift 
 Jefus ? In three refpe&s, i.In refpeft of the 
 eternal tranfa&ion betwixt Jehovah and him as 
 Mediator, fuftaining the perfons of the ele& ; 
 Even as one man hath another's debt laid on 
 him, when by a law-fenten.ee he is made liable 
 
 Verfe 6. Semi. 27. 
 
 to it •, fo is Chrift made liable to the ele&s ini- 
 quity, when their account is blotted out, and 
 the debt as it were written down in his account, 
 to be fatisfied for. 2. In refpect of juftice pur- 
 fuing him for it? When he becometh Cautioner 
 and full Debitor for the ele&, he is put to pay 
 their debt to the leaft farthing ; the Lord mufters 
 up againft him his terrors, and commands his 
 /word to awake, and to [mite the Man that is 
 bis Fellow. But, 3. and mainly, In refptft of 
 his a&ual undergoing the curfe, and fufFering 
 that which the ele& fhould have fo/Fered j for 
 it is net the work of a court to pais a fentence 
 only, but alio to fee to the execution of the fen- 
 tence ; not only are orders given to the fword 
 to awake and fmite, but the fword falls on and 
 fmites him a&ually ; and tho', from the appre- 
 henfion of the anger of God, asMan, and with- 
 out the fenfible and comforting manfeftation of 
 his Father's love, and his feemingly forfaking 
 him for a time, He prayed, lather, if it be p:jft~ 
 ble } let this cup pafs from me ; yet it will not 
 be, and he fubmits moil Jweetly to it : and not 
 only is the cup put in his hand, but the dregs of 
 wrath are, as it were, wrung out into it, and he 
 muft needs drink it up all ; which manifeftly 
 kythes in his agony in thegarden,when he is made 
 to fweat blood ; and in his compaint (it we may 
 fo call it) My foul is exceeding fcrrowful, and 
 T»hat flail I fay ? and in thefe itrange Words ut- 
 tered by him on the crofs, My Gid, my Gcd,wby 
 haft tbou for fallen me ? All \\ hich tells us plain- 
 ly, that not only was he ena&ed Surety, and 
 had the fentence paft on him, but that really 
 he fatisfied, and had the fentence executed on 
 him; that in his foul he was really pierced and 
 wounded, and that with far deeper wounds than 
 theie were which the foldiers by the fpear and 
 nails made in his body, before the ele&s dis- 
 charge of their debt could be procured and ob- 
 tained. What it was more particularly that he 
 fufiFered, the following words hold out : But 
 it's clear, that he fufifered really, and fufiFered 
 much ; that not only he undertook to pay, but 
 that he was a&ually purfued, and made to lay 
 down the leaft farthing of whatever was due to 
 juftice by the eleft : And this is the caufe why 
 thefe words are brought in as the reafon why 
 he fu/Fered fo much, even becaufe fo many and 
 fo great fins, with all their aggravations, were 
 laid upon him ; and if his furrerings were not 
 great, and undergone for this end, tofatisfy for 
 the ele&s debt, that they might be fet free, the 
 prophet's fcope would not be reached, neither 
 would there be a fuitable connexion betwixt the 
 latter and the foregoing words. At 
 
Serrm 27. ?&**> *3- 
 
 As for the id, to wit, fome Reafons of the 
 ' do&rine ; we Ihall Ihortly give you thefe three, 
 why the elects fins were laid on Chrift, and put 
 on his account, and why he was made to un- 
 derly the compleat punifhment of them., by ver- 
 tue of the covenant of redemption. 1. Becaufe 
 it did much contribute to the glory oflGod ; for 
 he had defigned in his eternal council, that his 
 grace fhould be glorified in the falvation of the 
 elect, and that his juftice ihould alfo be glorified 
 in punifhing of fin, either in themfelves ot in 
 their Cautioner : And as free grace and mercy 
 mud be glorious in 'aving the elect, and juftice 
 in being Satisfied for their fins ; fo it's to that end, 
 that fince the elect cannot pay their own debt, 
 that their Cautioner pay it, and pay it fully ; 
 that the Lord 3 in exacting fatisfactiqn. from him 
 in their name, may be known to be jufr. 2. This 
 way makes much for the confirmation of their 
 faith 5 for what can juftice demand, that it hath 
 not gotten ? it is fully fatisfied. And then for 
 their confolation : Seeing the Father put his own 
 Son to furfer, and to Co great fufFering for them, 
 what is it that they may confidently expect 
 from fuch a fountain? 3. This ferves to hold 
 out the wonderfully great obligation of the elect 
 to God, and to the Mediator ; for the greater 
 their fin was, the more he fuffered ; the greater 
 their debt was, the more he paid ; and they are 
 the more in his common, and the greater debtors 
 to him, and plight the more to love him, and 
 their duty for his fake : As it is faid of the wo- 
 man, luke 7. She loved much, for much was for- 
 given her ; fo this way of paying the elects debt, 
 calls and ftrongly pleads, and alfo makes way 
 for much warm and tender love in them to Je- 
 fus Chrift. 
 
 In the id place, We come to the Ufes of the 
 Dottrine ; To which I fhall premit this word of 
 defire to you, That ye would not look on thefe 
 things as taftelefs and unfavoury ; for,had we not 
 bad thefe precious truths to open up to you, we 
 fhould have had no meetings to this purpofe, no 
 ground to fpeak of life to you, nor any the lead 
 nope or expectation of life. And indeed it may 
 be fadly regrated, that amongft a multitude of 
 profefling people, thefe fubftantial truths of the 
 gofpel are fo werfh and little relifhing to the mod 
 part ; which too evidently appears in the uncon- 
 cerned, wearying, and gazing pofture of fome, 
 and in the flumbring and tleeping ojf others in 
 our publickaifemblies : If our hearts were in a 
 right frame, half a word, to fay fo, to this pur- 
 pofe, would be awakning and allarming to us ; 
 however this is a great privilege in it felf : Hea- 
 thens may and do know fomething of moral dvi- 
 
 Verfe 6. 149 
 
 ties, but it's a privilege which we have, and they 
 want, that the fundamental truths < the gofpel 
 are amongft us, and not amongft them. 
 
 The \fi Ufe ferves to let us lee the brightnefs 
 of the pjory of grace and truth, of mer zy and 
 juftice, fhining clearly here : Can there be any 
 greater mercy ,& more pure mercy thanthis,that 
 the Lord fhould be gracious to finners, and to 
 great finners >t bat had turmd every one if them to 
 their ovm voay\ in providing a Mediator.and fuch 
 a iVediator \ in providing fuch a help for them, 
 and laying that help upon On; that is tttightyx and 
 that he Ihould have done this oC his own b ad 
 (fo to fpeak with reverence) when the elect 
 were in their fins, and when there was nothing 
 to be the impuifive or meritorious caufe of k ; 
 and that the Father fhould have laid this weight: 
 of punifhment on Chrift, the Son of his love, 
 and purlued him at this rate of holy feverit v or 
 finners debt ? O w T hat grace and mercy ih s 
 here ! And, 2. The fpotlefs juftice of God d>zh 
 alio here wonderfully maniteft it felf: O how 
 exact is juftice, when it will not quit a farthing 
 even to the lecond Perfon of the Godhead, when 
 he became Man, and Man's Surety ! But fince 
 he hath put himfelt in the room of fmncrs, thi 
 Lord maketh all their iniquities to meet ,n bim ; 
 this is matter of admiration to men and angejs, 
 to confider how juftice and mer:y run in one 
 channel, and fhine in one covenant, the one of 
 them not incroaching upon the other. 
 
 Ufe 2. We may gather from this, fome infighe 
 and clearnefs in the very great furiferings of ouc 
 Lord Jefus Chriit ; for thefe things are here put 
 together, 1. That he fufFered for all the elect, 
 Us all. 1. For all the fins of the elect and for 
 all the fins of the elect in their higheft and moll 
 aggravating circumftances ; the particular rec- 
 koning of them all,as it were, being caft up, they 
 are all put in one (core. 3. All thele meet toge- 
 ther in a great fea and fhoke upon him at one 
 time, as they came from feveral airths, like fo 
 many rivers ; or they were like fo many regi- 
 ments, or rather armies of men, all meeting 
 together and marihalled to fall pell-mell (to fay 
 Co) on him ; one fin were enough to condemn, 
 the many fins of one is more, but all the fins of 
 all the elect is mu:h more •, they defer ved to 
 havelyen in hell eternally, but he coming in their 
 room, all their fins met as the violent preafs 06 
 waters on him: What then behoved his furfe- 
 rings to be, when he was fo put to it for all the 
 fins of all the elect, and that at once ? 
 
 Ufe 3. We may gather hence a juft account of 
 the truth of Chrift's fatisfaction, and a ground 
 
i<5o Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 of refutation of the Socintan error, a blafphemy 
 which is mod abominable to be once mentio- 
 ned, as if our Lord had fufYered all this, only to 
 give us an example, and as if there had not been 
 a proportionable fatisfaction in his luiferin^s to 
 our debt, nor an intention to latisfy juftice 
 thereby : Every verie aimed, not to fay every 
 word,in this chapter refutes this ; if he had not 
 fatisfied for our fins, why is he faid to be here 
 on the matter put in our room ? And if ■ his Of- 
 ferings had not been very great, what needed 
 the prophet to fhew the reafon of his great Of- 
 ferings, in all the fins of the eleA their meeting 
 on him ? There was fure a particular refpecl 
 had to this, even to foew, that the meet- 
 ing of all thefe fins of all the ele& together 
 upon Chrift, did caufe and procure great and 
 extreme fufferings to him ; he furFered the more 
 that they had fo many fins, feeing their msmy 
 fins are given for the caufe of his fo much fui- 
 fering. 
 
 Ufe 4. Here is great ground of confolaron to 
 believing fmncrs^Outof this eater comes mtat^and 
 cut of this ftrong comes fweet ; the more fharp 
 and bitter thefe lufFerings were to Chrift, the re- 
 port of them is in fome refpeft the more fa.vory 
 and fweet to the believer, whofe effectual cal- 
 ling difcovers his eledtion. And indeed I can- 
 not tell how many grounds of confolation be- 
 lievers have from this doctrine ; but, 1. If they 
 have finned, there is here a Saviour provided for 
 them. ' 2. This Saviour hath undertaken their 
 debt. 3. He hath undertaken it with the Fa- 
 ther's allowance. 4. As he hath undertaken it, fo 
 the Father hath laid on him all their iniquity. 
 5. All the ele£ come in here together in one 
 roll, and there is but one covenant, and one 
 Mediator for them all ; the fin of the poor bo- 
 dy, of the weakeft and mcaneft, is transacted on 
 lrim, as well as the fin of Abraham that great 
 friend of <^od, and Father of the faithful ; and 
 thefalvatiorvof the one is as fure as the falvati- 
 on of the other : All believers, from the ftrong- 
 eft to the weakeft, have but one right or char- 
 ter to heaven, but one holding of the inheri- 
 tance. 6. The Lord hath laid on him all the ini- 
 quities of all the elect, with a particular refpect 
 to all their aggravations, and to ail the feveral 
 ways that they have turned to firf; their ori- 
 ginal fin, and their actual tranfgreflions, with 
 their particular predominants,as to their punifh- 
 ment: And there is reafon for it,becaufe the elect 
 could not latisfy for the leaft fin ; and it is ne- 
 ceflary for the glorifying of grace, that the glo- 
 
 Vcrfe 6# , „ , . Serm - 27. 
 
 ry of the Work of their faVation be not halfed 
 but folely and finglely afcribed and given to Godj 
 and therefore the fatisfaction comes all on the 
 Mediator's account, and none of it on theirs. 7. 
 All. this is really done and performed by the 
 Mediator, without any fuit or requeft of the 
 elect, or of the believer, or at lead as the pro- 
 curing caufe thereof: He buys and purchafea 
 what is needful for them, and pays tor their 
 difcharge ; and they have no mojreto do, but 
 to call tor an extract, and to take a fealed re- 
 mifTion by his blood ; the application where- 
 of, the Ufes that follow will give occafion to 
 fpeak to. 
 
 [Tfi ^.Sxrice'itisfo, then none would think 
 little offm ; which checks the great prefumption 
 that is a:_iongft men and women, who think 
 Jitt'e and light of fin, and that it is an eafy mat- 
 ter to come by the pardon of it : 1 he) think 
 there is no more to do, but barely and bauehly 
 to conrefs they have finned, arid to lay, God is 
 merciful ; and hence they conclude, that God 
 wNl not reckon with them : i3ut, did he reckon 
 with the Mediator, and that io holily.rigidh and 
 feverly too ; and will he, think ye, lpare you ? If 
 he dealt fo with the green tree, what fiall become 
 cf the dry ? Be not deceived, God will not be 
 mocked. 
 
 And therefore, 6. As the clofe of all, See here 
 the abfolute necellity of fharing in thrift's fat is- 
 faclrion, and of having an intereft therein by 
 this covenant derived unto you, eife know that 
 ye muft count for your own fins ; and if fo, wo 
 eternally to you: Therefore either betake your 
 felves to the Mediator, that by h:s eye-falve ye 
 hiay fee, that by his gold ye may be enriched, 
 and by his garments yemay be clothed, that the " 
 fhame of your naked nefs do not appear ; and that 
 ye may. by being juftified by his knowledge, 
 be free from the wrath to come ; or otherwife ye 
 muft and fhall ly under it for ever. 
 
 Thus ye have the fulnefs of God's covenant 
 on the one fide, and the weightinefs and terri- 
 blenefs of God's wrath on the other fide,laid be- 
 fore you : If ye knew what a fearful thing his 
 wrath were, ye would be glad at your hearts to 
 hear of a Saviour, and every one would run 
 and make; hafte to be found in him, and to fhare 
 of his fatisfaction, and to be fure of a dif- 
 charge by vertue of his payment of the debt ; 
 and they would give all diligence to make fure 
 their calling and election, for that end. The 
 Lord himfelf powerfully perfwade you to do 
 fo. 
 
 SERMON 
 
sermon xxvm. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 7. He was cppreffed, and he was afflicted, y%t he opined net his mouth \ he is brought 
 as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a Jbeep before her Jhearers is dumb, fo hi opened not bis 
 mouth, 
 
 •t»Ho' the news of a differing Mediator fee m 
 
 to be a fad lubje&, yet it hath been, is, 
 arid will be, the great fubjeft of the gofpel, and 
 of the gladell tidings that ever finners heard. 
 This being the great thing that they ought in a 
 fpecia! manner know, even Jefus Cbrifl and him 
 crucified ; the prophet here takes a fpecial de- 
 light to infift on it, and in one verfe after ano- 
 ther hathfome new thing of his fufferings. 
 
 Having in the former verfe fpoken.to the oc- 
 casion, ground and rife of his fufferings, to wit, 
 the ele&s itraying like iheep, their wandring 
 and turning every, one to his own way, and 
 the Lord's laying on him the iniquity of them 
 all: The elect that were given to Chrift-, being 
 naturally at an enmity with God, and having 
 run on in the courfe oi their finful nature to the 
 provoking of God ; and there being no way for 
 them to efcape the wrath which by their fins 
 they had deferved, till the Lord found out this 
 mids, to wit, the fecond Perfon his interpofing 
 as their Mediator and Surety, and engaging to 
 pay their debt ', on which followed the imput- 
 ing of all their iniquities to him, according to 
 the tranfadtton made about them ; which trans- 
 action being laid down as we have heard, the 
 prophet proceeds to fhew Chrift's executing and 
 performing of the tranfaction. And, becaufe - 
 it might be thought that it was fo great a mat- 
 ter as could have much, fad and fare fuffering 
 following upon it, to take on all our iniquities ; 
 he anfwers, that notwithftanding of all that, yet 
 he took them on, and that very willingly and 
 cheerfuliy; Or, becaufe it might be thought, 
 that the former words look as if God had laid 
 the punifhment o[^ our iniquity on him, and 
 that he had not taken it on himfelf, the prophet 
 tells us that it is nothing fo, but that there was a 
 mutual covenant betwixt God and the Media- 
 tor, arid that the Mediator was as well content 
 to bear the iniquity of the elect, as the Father 
 was content to lay it on him ; and that tho' he 
 was exacted upon, oppreffed, afflicted, andfuf- 
 fered (ad flrokes, yet he rewed not the bargain, 
 but went on refolutely in paying'the ranfom of 
 the elect, as fingly as ever a iheep went to the 
 . (laughter, or as it is dumb be fire the jhearer, fo 
 be opened not his m:uth to fpeak againft it. 
 
 There are three things afTerted here, that ferve 
 to make up the fcope, fuppofing the tranfacti- 
 on to have gone before, i« The father's exacting 
 
 the elects debt of the Mediator. 2. The Me- 
 diator's yielding and fatisfying. 3. The manner 
 how he did it, willingly, readily and cheerfully* 
 W-e fhal firft open the words a little, and then 
 fpeak to fome doctrines from them, referving 
 the ufes to the cloie of all. 
 
 vfl\ Where it is faid, he was opprejf?d,the words 
 fignify to exalt \ and we find it three wa)s ap- 
 Hed in fcripture, I. To the exacting of tribute, 
 2 Kings 23. 33. where it is faid, Thai Pbaroab- 
 Necbob put the land to a tribute of an hundred 
 talents of filver, and a talent of gold ; it's the 
 word that is here. 2. Sometimes it's applied 
 to the exa fling cf debts ; as when a man is put 
 to the horn, and caption and imprifonment fol- 
 lows upon it: SoDeut. 15.2. When the Lord 
 tells his people, the creditor fo all not exait cf his 
 neighbour, nor of his brother, in the year of re- 
 leafe. 3. It's applied to the exacting of labour , 
 as I fa, 58. 3. Te exalt all your labour •, and Exod. 
 1. 11. the word Task-maflers comes from the 
 fame root^this being the ordinary fignification of 
 the word, it's turned here cpprejfwg figuratively, 
 becaufe fuch exa&ers and task-malters, in their 
 rigorous ufage of' thefe whom they exact upon, 
 are often oppreflive: And there being no noun 
 prefixed to the words in the oiiginal, they may 
 (land as well thus, It was exacted of him ; Thac 
 which he was engaged to pay. he was fully ex- 
 acted upon for it, to the lealt farthing : Or take 
 the words as they ftanctherc, he was oppreffed, 
 that is, (as we ufe to ipeak^flrejfed or diftreffed y 
 for our debt ; he was not only engaged, but ac- 
 cording to his engagment he was put ham to it, 
 to fatisry. idly, It is laid, He was afflicted, which 
 is icm^times rendered to anfxoer : And thefe 
 two agree very well together, he was exacted u- 
 pon, and he anfwered the debt ; as when a bill 
 of exchange for fuch a fum is drawn upon a man, 
 and heaniwersit : And this expofition runs w r ell 
 and fmoothiy with the wcrds following, Tst h& 
 cpened not bis mouth, he ufed no defence to ex- 
 clude or fhift the debt ; he faid not that it was 
 not his, but he anfwered it indeed, and in a word 
 faid nothing to the contrary. Or, taking the 
 words as they here ftand tranflated, He was 
 afflicted, they fignify the effect that follows on 
 his being exacted upon ; Though it brake him 
 not, yet it brought him very low, even to an 
 an afflicted condition. The id thing is, That 
 though he was brought thus low,, and though it 
 
 was 
 
1^2 lfalab $j* 
 
 was not for his own, but for other fo:ks debts 
 (which ufually troubles men moll) Tet be opened 
 not his mouth ; to fhew his wonderful conde- 
 fcendency, and the great love from which it 
 ilows, he paid the elects debt with as good will, 
 and as pleafantly, as if it had been his own pro- 
 per and perfonal debt ; tho' he was the £ 
 God, and God equal with the Father, and 
 might have brought legions of angels to deftroy 
 his enemies, yet, as the iamb brought to the 
 /laughter, and as the Jheep before the Jhearer is 
 dumb, fo be opened net his muutb* And it may 
 be,that there is not on'y here relation or r- (peel 
 had to the fheep, as it is an innocent, harmless, 
 fimple,tradFable creature, and not untoward and 
 refradFory, as a bull or ox ufeth to be ; bat aifo 
 refpeel: had to it,as it was made ufe of in the ia- 
 crifices : And fo the meaning is, He yielded his 
 life willingly,when none could take it from him, 
 for performing the indenture, to fay fo, and for 
 fatisfying the tranfa&ion paft betwixt Jehovah 
 and himJ/ 
 
 So, having fhown you how it comes to pafs, 
 that Chrift fufFered, and fuffered fo much, and 
 was brought fo low under fufFering ; and having 
 told that he was engaged to pay the eledFs debt, 
 and that the Father had laid their iniquities on 
 him ; left any might think "that the Father 
 Would have fpa£ed,.hi^t)wm|S on, No, faith the 
 prophet, He; ivgs ^ppr'&jjh^l^d not only ^o, but 
 ajftifted and bujrjf&fed : v*n£left it fhould have 
 been thought that the Lord^jehovah had better 
 jwill to the bargain than'tfre^Mediator had ; it 
 ' <is added, that he did fatisfy the debt as willing- 
 ly as the Father laid it on him, as thefe Simili- 
 tudes made ufe o£ plainly hold forth. 
 
 Take thefe Obfervatuns from the words, i. 
 That our Lord Jefus> having entred himfelf 
 % Surety for finmrs, vo as really put at^and juftice ex- 
 • atledthedebt of him, which he had undertaken 
 j and engaged to pay. Read the whole ftory of the 
 ' J g°fp e l 5 an d it will make out this : It's faid by 
 himfelf, Luke 24. It behoved the Son of man to 
 /uffer thefe things, and then to enter into his glo- 
 ry: he mull needs go to Jerusalem and furFer: 
 And when the cup is in his hand, and his holy 
 humane nature, having a finlefs fcarring at it, 
 makes him pray, Father, if it be pojfible, let this 
 tup pafs from me, yet feeing here was a necefli- 
 ty, that either he fhould drink it, or that the 
 elecF fhould perifh; in the very next words, he 
 fweetly fubjoins. Not my will, but thy will be 
 done : and fo hotly and hardTy he was purfued by 
 juftice, that he rnuft needs come to the curfed 
 ceath of the crofs, and actually die \ and, as if 
 death had gotten a piece of dominion over the 
 
 Verfe 7. < 5erm. 2$. 
 
 Lord of life, he is laid in the grave: So, Zecb. 
 1 ;. the Lord faith, Awake, fword, againfi 
 my Shepherd, and againfi the Man that is my 
 Felhw, fmite tbe Shepherd ; where we fee, that 
 when the good Shepherd and great Bifhop of 
 fouls, hath undertaken for the ele#s debt, ju- 
 ft.ee gives a commifiion as it were to its own 
 holy nvenge, to purfue the Man that is God's 
 Fellow for that debt. That which we defign to 
 confirm in the do&rine, is not only, that our 
 Lord Jefus fufFered, but that his fufFering was by 
 juftice its exacting of him the debt of the elects 
 iin, according to the engagement that he came 
 under to the Father : For the fcope is to fhew, 
 not only that he fufFered fo great things, as op- 
 preifed and brought him very low ; but alfo that 
 he was put at by juftice, in thefe fad fufFerings, 
 to pay the debt that he had taken on. For con- 
 firming and clearing of this a little, ye may 
 confider. 1. The titles which he gets in fcrip- 
 ture, he is called the Cautioner or Surety of tbe 
 better teflament, or covenant, Heb, 7. ..?. and 
 by that title he is fhewed to be inflated in our 
 room, and anfwerable for our debt: And he is 
 called the Lamb, that takes away the debt of fin, 
 by tbe facrifice of himfelf '; he ftepped in into 
 our place, and kept off the ftroke of the fword 
 of juftice that would have lighted on us, bad he 
 not intcrpofed. 2. Confider the titles which his 
 fufferingsand death grts, Heb, 9. 12. He is faid 
 to pur chafe (to wit, by it) eternal redemption 
 for us. And Rom. 3. 24. we are faid to be ;"«/?*- 
 fied through the redemption that is in Jefus: We 
 were flaves to the devil, fubjedt to the curfe, de- 
 cerned & adjudged to furFer for the wrongs that 
 we had done to juftice : And his fufFering is cat-' 
 led redemption, becaufe as the man that redeems 
 the captive, gives a ranfom for him ; fo he inter- 
 pofed and paid a ranfom for us : It's fo called a 
 propitiation, 1 John 2. 2. He is the propitiation 
 for our fins, to wit, pleaiing to God, and accept 
 ted cf him in the room of all the elect ; and this 
 w r ord propitiation, as it fuppofeth God's being 
 difpleafed with the elecF before Chrift's fatisfa- 
 cFion, fo it plainly holds forth his being well 
 pleafed with them on the account of his fa- 
 tisfadtion. 3. Confider thefe fcripturts that 
 fpeak not only of Chrift's furFerings, but of their 
 end and fcope, even the drawing of him down 
 (to fpeak fo) into the elecFs room, as u. ^ of this 
 chapter, He was wounded for our tranfg)tfficns y 
 &c. He got the ftroke^ and w r e got the cure. 
 Cor, 5.21. He was made fin for us y who knew no 
 fin, that we might be made the rigbtecufnefs of 
 God through him : We are finners, and Chrift is 
 
Serai. 2%. Jf aiab <3. 
 
 *o purchafe righteoufnefs to us ; and the way 
 how he doth it, is by ftspping in into our foom, 
 And becoming our Cautioner, and he engages as 
 Surety: the law wins at him on that ground i £>, 
 Cal. 3. 13- H' hath redeemed us frcm the curfe 
 if the U-ts.by being made a curfe for us: we were 
 under the curie, and liable to be purfued by it ; 
 •nd our Lord Jefus becomes a curie, to deliver . 
 us from it. Conhderirig then the end of God's 
 covenant, which is to glorify his juftice and 
 grace, tbatfinners may know it is an ev.l thing 
 to fin and depart from God, and that Brace is 
 a very coftly thing, where unto he hath made 
 accefs through the vail, which is his fleih ; and 
 confidering Chrift's undertaking, without which 
 they could not be let free, it could not be other- 
 wife. This is a truth that hath in it much of 
 the marrow or the goipel, and tends much to 
 humble us, and is alfo very much for our com- 
 fort : What was juftice fee-king or Chrift when 
 he iuffered and was in an agony ? If thou beeft 
 a believer or an ele& fmner, it was even ex- 
 acting thy debt of him ; and would it not affect 
 an ingenuous debitor to fee his cautioner drag- 
 ged, haled, and hurried to prifon for his debt ? 
 Even fo, if we could look on Chrift's fufferings 
 as fo many fummons and purfevants arrrefting 
 him for our debt, it could not but arre& us with 
 much forrow for our fins, that brought him to 
 this, and with much love to him, who was con- 
 tent to be fo dealt with for them ; and no doubt 
 this is one of the reafons why he will have his 
 death remembred till be ame again, even that 
 we may fee cur obligation to him, and be fuita- 
 bly affected with it. 
 
 idly, Obferve, That the debt of the eletlsfins 
 *> as fever ely and with holy rigidity exafted of 
 Cbriftto the very full worth cr value. This pro- 
 ceeding was ; as to Chrift,by way of juftice-, whe- 
 j t her we look to the purchafe that he made, to 
 wit, the elects fouls, he laid down as good in 
 their room ; or whether we look to a tranfaction 
 or bargain going before, whatever was in the 
 flipulation, he paid and fatisfied to the full, 
 nothing was remitted or given him down 5 or 
 whether we look to the curfe due to the elect, 
 that was inificted on him, and he himfelf was 
 made a curfe for us, looking on the curfe /imply 
 as penal, and what was bitter in it, which mews 
 his condcfcendency in his fufferings fo much 
 the more. 
 
 3d/jsObferve,TW our Lord Jefus rvas brought 
 exceeding low, while the debt of the eleft was 
 txa&ed of him : He was put to exceeding fore 
 affliction, much ftraitned and ftrefled by the ju- 
 ficc of God exacting of him the debt due br 
 
 Verfc 7. 153 
 
 elect finners. We fpoke to Tome words before, 
 which tare out this, u$*be was wrunded bruiftd, 
 cbaftifed&'z. and now we fee the circa here,wbeil 
 juftice puts bun to :t; a ter he hath taken on the 
 deot, heib tried* fti p^.a as i: 7 ere to the skin, 
 pinched and diftreiTed,ere : .e got it paid: if we 
 coniidcv our Lord Jefus as G< d.ht is'r._ ther lefs 
 nor more pinched, being, fo confide red, utterir ■ 
 incapable c;- an) fuch thing ; but ii w. look on 
 him as . Ian, <;od much with- 
 
 drawing from nfluence or is comfor- 
 
 ting prefence, while be hath the cup or wr?.th in 
 }.h hand, fo fie is wedjnglpw, and 
 
 factlj afflMftccL And theie four con:iderations(un- 
 der which we may fee him payng ourdebt)may 
 clear, it, 1. That he laid aifide the g'ory which* 
 betorc the World Was, he had With the Father, 
 for a time \ which therefore, that it may be re- 
 fiored to him again,he prayeth,jfc/6« 17. 5. it hav- 
 ing been, as to the manifeftation thereof in his 
 PerfoD, eclipfed, interrupted, and darkned fov 
 a leaton ; hence the apoftle lays, Philip. 2. that 
 he emptied himfelf, and became of no reputation? 
 as if his glorw had not been dilcernable for a 
 time ; he that is Judge of quick and dead, is him- 
 felf judged ; he that created heaven and earth, 
 hath not whereon to lay his head ; tko' all the 
 kings of the earth hold their treafures of him,yet 
 he Was fo poor, that he lived upon the alms of 
 others; for women mini fired unto kim, 2. Not 
 only hath he a being that is mean and low, but 
 he is exceedingly arHi&ed ; he fuffered hunger ; 
 he is purfued, as if he had been a thief or a rob- 
 ber ; a band of men comes and apprehends hint 
 in the night, as if he had been a malefactor or 
 evi!-doer,and drags him away to the civil judge; 
 his back is fmitten, his face is fpitted on, his 
 head ratted and pricked with thorns ; fentence 
 ispaffed upon him, he is condemned 'and fcour- 
 ged ; and when he dow rot bear his own crofs* 
 (his body, being a true humane body, is fo fain- 
 ted and infeebied) it's accounted a favour tl>at be 
 gets one Simon to help him to bear it, or to 
 bear it after h-im ; which is not marked, to fhew 
 that they did him any kindnefs or courtefy be* 
 yond others, but to hold out the low and weak 
 condition he was brought into, that he was rot 
 able to bear it himfelf. And not only fo, but he 
 mull come to death, and to the foameful ?n£ 
 curfed death of the crofs ; he dies very quickly, 
 further to point out his lev. nefs, which was fact* 
 that death overcame him fooner than the others, 
 becaufe he had other things to wreftlc with. 5. la 
 his name he fuffered, he was reproached, nodded 
 a^t with the head, reviled, mocked,fctij; about as a 
 X fpccteclc. • 
 
4M - If at ah <$3. 
 
 fpe&acle from Pilate to Hercd, back again from 
 Hercd to Pilate'; he had a fc.rlttrobe put on him 
 in derihon ; the high priefts alfo derided him ; 
 the Jews wag the head at him, and count him 
 not at all worthy to live, and therefore prefer a 
 robber and murderer to him. 4.Coni*der Ms in- 
 ward futferings : O thefe were far more pier- 
 icing ! justice laid claim to his- foul, The frrows 
 *f bell ccK/pajfed bim ; bis foul is heavy untothe 
 death; be [meats blooded cuies J/J it be pffible 
 that that wrathful tup might pa[s from him y and 
 on the crofs with a pitiful voice>Aly Cod my God, 
 ■why baji thru fvrfaken me f which, by the way, 
 is not an expreiiion of any quarrelling complaint 
 or difcourag^ment, but of iinlefs nature, when 
 he is arraigned and made to iland before ^the tri- 
 bunal of God, affiled with the horror-of di- 
 Ti ■ e wrath, and cannot eafily endure, that there 
 fhould be a cloud betwixt God and him : But 
 fou'-fuitcrings of his, will fall in to be fpo- 
 ken to afterwards^ only we fee here, that he was 
 afRiited, and in lufferings was greatly humbled 
 and brought very low: And indeed, confidering 
 that all the elects, fins were laid, upon him, and 
 that juftiee was exacting all their debt of him,he 
 could not be other wife, but behoved to be 'ex- 
 ceedingly afflicted and fore diftreffed. 
 
 4.th!y> Obferve, Thdt for as much as cur Lord 
 Suffered, yet be did m;fi' willingly and cheerful- 
 ly undergo it all ; he thwarted not with it ; be 
 repented not r begrudged not, he flinjbedn-ot, nor 
 drew back\ Or,which is to the fame purpofejCter 
 JLord fefuty m his I owe 3 humiliation and affli- 
 ction, and all along ft bis deepeft [uffering, [hew- 
 ed exceeding great willingnefs > defirecujnefi 
 and bear tfemnefs: That word was always true 
 ©f him, / delight to do thy will, my God ; and 
 the prophet holds out this as a great wonder, 
 
 . Verfe 7. Serm. at. 
 
 was (to fpeak fo) refrefhing to him, and made 
 him leap as it were for joy, ere the world was 
 made, and berbre they had a being. 2. Conilder 
 *he great things that he undertook, not only to 
 be Man, but a poor mean Man. It had beei; 
 much for him to have humbled himfelf to be 
 Monarch of the whole world, as his vain and 
 prophane pretended Vicar the Pope oiRcme claims 
 to be ; yet he not only will not be fo, - but empti- 
 ed bim[eifzn& Became a worm in a manner, and 
 no man, an out- c aft c[ the people; O fuchaproof 
 of his love ! And when he took the cup,that bit- 
 ter cup, and laid, Father, if it bt pcjftble,let this 
 cup pafs from me, left it lhould feem a thwar- 
 ting with the work of redemption, and with his 
 Father's will therein ; he fays, Let it come. Fa- 
 ther, Not my willy but thine be done, 3. Con- 
 sider the manner of his iufering, and we will 
 fee a further proof of his. willingnefs ; how little 
 pains takes he to efcape them r yea, when Peter 
 labours to diffwade him, Mat, 16. from fufFering, 
 he difdains and rejects the fuggeftian with a fe- 
 verecheek>(7(^^ee behind me,S<iian y th;u art an 
 offence unto me y thou [avoureft not the things 
 that be of God, but of men; and when his dif- 
 ciples (aid _ unto him. (revolving to go up again 
 to Judea) John 11.8. Mafter, the Jews of late 
 foughttoftone thee, and wilt thou go tint oer a- 
 gain ? he will needs go up notwithstanding ; and f 
 when they were going up to Jeru[alem c Marie 
 10. 32. He went before all the reft, to wit at a 
 fwifrpace; and Luke 12. 50.be fays, / have.<t 
 baptifm to be bapthjd with, and how am I [trait- 
 ned till it be arcomplifbed ? Never did men long 
 fo much for their marriage-day, and for the day 
 of their triumph, as our Lord Tefusdid to get 
 the elects debt paid, and their diieharge extrac- 
 ted and.drawn out. 4. Confider his eaiinefs and 
 
 that tho' he was opprefted and afHictcd, yet he willingnefs to be taken ; he goes forth, John 18 
 opened not his mouth. We fliall, for clearing'of to meet the band of foldiers that came with the 
 
 traitor to apprehend him^nd asks thtrA again andT 
 again, Whvn feek ye ? and (ays as often,/ am be: 
 He will not fufFer his difciples to draw a fword in 
 his -'efence, Mat, 26. but when Peter drew hrs 
 fword, he bade him put it up again ., for he could 
 hive commanded more than twelve legions of an- 
 gels ; but it behoved him now to fui>e.v,he came 
 for another end than to oppofe his fufferings ; 
 and hence he fays, John 10. No man iahs my Ufa ' 
 
 this, propofe thefe conflderations, i.In his un 
 elertaking of the bargain, his willingnefs appears; 
 when burnt-offerings and facrifices would not 
 do it, and when there was no obligation on him 
 to do what he did, then comes in his free offer 
 ard cenfent, and that Y\ith delight, Pfal, 40. 
 Ibtnfaidi, Lo, i come ; in the volume of thy 
 't's nritten of me, I delight to do thy will, 
 O.my God ; where we fee that there was no ex- 
 
 porting or throwing cf a conient from the Me- frhn me, but 1 lay it down of my felf^nd bai\e 
 
 power to take it up again; it was neither?^!* n:ir 
 
 <diator againlt his- will, but a delightfom offering 
 
 that word of his, Prov. 8. is very, re- 
 
 i [cable to this purpofe, Rey/icing in the babU 
 
 and my delight was wiih 
 
 uemplation and fbrefi,]ht 
 
 ^. iii& incar nation ac4. frtfferiftg fpr tlie clcife- 
 
 Pilate that took his rife againft his will, but he 
 willingly laid it-down- ; for either the ele& be- 
 hoved tc die, or he himfelf j and flnce it is io, 
 ft if he faj,j^ then behoi4hv Jr e is my tife 3 take 
 
Serm. 2?. • Ifaiah 33. 
 
 it, and I will hy it down, that they, poor 
 things, may go free : And therefore does my Fa- 
 ther love me ("fays he) beeaujel lay down my life 
 for my Jheep ; not becaufe it's taken from me a- 
 gainft my will, but becaufe I willingly and of 
 my felf lay it down : And when he is brought 
 before Pilate and Herod, and they lay many 
 things to his charge, Mat. 26, 6. and Mark 15. 
 He held his peace j lo that it's laid, that Pilate 
 marvelled , Mark 1$. He knew that he could not 
 but have much tojay for himfeif, as alt men in 
 luch a cafe life to have, but he anfwered nothing; 
 or as it's in the text, yet he opened not his mouth; 
 . The reafon was, becaufe' he would not divert the* 
 courfe of juitice. nor mar the Lord's deilgn in 
 the work of the elects redemption through his 
 death and fufFerings .• He came not into the 
 world, to accufc Pilate or the Jews, and to jufti- 
 iy bimt'elf, tho' now and then, for the convi&ion 
 of em mies, and for his own necelfary clearing, 
 he did let a word fall ; but, being engaged for 
 the cleft, he will needs perform all thatjuflice 
 Called for. And in this willingnefs he hath a re- 
 fpe& to two things, 1. To the Father's fatisfac- 
 tion, for his willing lufFering is that which 
 makes it a facrifice acceptable and well pleafing 
 to him. 2. To the elects confolation,* that they 
 may know they .had a willing Saviour, that had 
 no neceffity laid on him to fatisfy^ hut fatistied 
 willingly. And from thefe two arifes a third, 
 Even the glory of the Mediator's fatisfa&ion ; 
 for herein his love to the ele& Alines brightly, 
 / lay down my life for my Jbeep: This is the 
 heart-warming commendation of his fufFerings, 
 that^with delight and pleafure he underwent 
 them, as if he had been purchafing a kingdom 
 to himfeif. 
 
 Now, to come to the ufe of all thefe dottrines\ 
 When they with the things contained in them are 
 laid together, we profefs we cannot tell you what 
 (excellent ufes they yield. Would to God we 
 were all in fuch a frame fas the Eunuch was in, 
 •when he read this feripture (as the divine hifto- 
 r£an gives us an account, Ails $• v. 32. and 
 forward) who, when Philip had begun to preach 
 to him on this excellent fubje&, was 10 taken, 
 that before thefermon or difcourfewas at an end, 
 being holily impatient at any longer delay, he 
 fays to Philip, Here is water, what hinders me . 
 to be baptised f I fay again. Would to God we 
 were all in fuch a frame, and that this were the 
 fruit of fuch a doftrine as this to many of you/ 
 nay, to all of you! 
 
 : ' Ufe 1. Wonder,- believers, attheexa&nefsand 
 infinitenefs of the grace of God, and at the 
 lieajrt-affe&ing and foul-raviihing love of the 
 
 Verfe 7. *?5 
 
 Mediator ! at grace in God , that fpared the de- ; 
 bitor, and exa&ed payment from the Cautioner, 
 the Son of his Idve ! A £t love in the Mediator, 
 that paid fo muc^i,and-fo d cheerfully. 
 
 If any fubje<3: of thoug ' snt for us, 
 
 while we ?.. lebrate the facrament of 
 
 the Lord\ fupper, certain v this were perti- 
 nent concerning a * cru t, Inflating 
 
 our room, to pay our djebt, and do- . 
 ing this of his ewn accord, without the folici- 
 tat-on or interpofing of uny creature, and doing 
 it, withal, lb frankly and cheerfully. Was ever 
 the like of this love heard tell of, for One, and- 
 more efpecially for fuch a One, to furFer (b much, 
 . and fo cheerfully, unrequired ? We would have 
 you confirmed in the faith of this great and fweet 
 truth that he had never better will, nay,never fo 
 good will to eat* is dinner,than as he had to fii£- 
 fer, and fatisfy juilice for you, tho' at a dean 
 rate. ♦, he fays, jfohn 4. It was his meat to do the 
 Father s will that fent 'him, and to finijh his 
 -VfOrk* Have ye fuitable thoughts of his love, 
 when ye read the gofpel ? Have ye in the word 
 feen him (landing before Pilate in your room, 
 not anfwering when he is accufed, and Pilate 
 marvelling at his filence ? and did Pilate 
 marvel, knowing, and being convinced of hisin- 
 nocency i and have ye never marvelled, or mar- 
 velled but very little r fure, your little marvel- 
 ling ( at his fxlenee, is the more fadly mar- 
 vellous, that the caufe of his iilence, when he 
 was charged with your iniquities', with fuch 
 and fuch a piece of your mifcarriage, with uch 
 a vain and roving heart, with fuch a wanton look, 
 with fuch a profane or idle word of your>,with 
 the horrid fin of your having fo'abufed, fligh- 
 ted and negle&ed him. 0»V. That the caufe, I 
 fay, of his iilence at fuch a terrible" accufation 
 and charge,- and not vindicating of him felt, or 
 faying,Thefe faults,' mifcarriages, and tianfgref- 
 fions, are not mine, as he might have done, was 
 pure love to you; O is not this ftrange, and yet 
 mofi true ! wonder then more at it. 
 
 Ufe 2. Here is flrong confolation to believers, 
 and wonderful wifdom in the rile and convoy of 
 it, in uniting juflice and love; out of which 
 the confolation fprings : JulTice exacting upon, 
 and diflreffing the Son of God, and he fatisfying 
 juilice fo fully, that, tho' all the elec~t had fatis-. 
 fied eternally- in hell, it had not been made to 
 fhine fo fplendidly and glor'ioully : Juflice alio 
 on the -Mediator's fida, in yielding and giving 
 fatisfacVion, tho' it fliould opprefs and break foul 
 and body : And yet love, both on the Father's 
 and Mediator's fide ; on the Father's fide, lore, . 
 X 2 i« 
 
A 56 m Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 in finding out this way of fatisfaAion to his own 
 juftice, when there was no cure, but by the 
 wounding of his own Son ; and yet he was con- 
 tent rather t # o wound him, than- that the ele& 
 foould fufFer, and be wounded eternally : Love 
 en the Mediator's fide, who willingly yields, 
 and undergoes their debt, and will not hide his 
 face from fhame and fpitting. What may not 
 the believer expett from God, when he fpared 
 not his own Son for him f and what may he ex- 
 pect from Chrift, who fpared not himfelf for his 
 lake? and who is that.good Shepherd, that laid 
 down his life for the fneep, and held his tongue, 
 and quarrelled nor with thofe that fmote him ; 
 will he quarrel with a poor finner coming to 
 him, and pleading for the benefit of fatisfacU- 
 on? no certainly; but, as the word is, Zepb*^. 
 17. He will reft in his love, or as" the wordfigni- 
 £es, He wiU be jilent or dumb in his love; he will 
 not upbraid thee, nor call up thy former mif- 
 carriages ; he will rot fay reproachfully to thee, 
 Where was. thou fo long, playing the prodigal ? 
 He is-better content with thy recovery, than e- 
 ver lie. was difcontent or ill pleafed with all the 
 .Wrong thou didft unto him. 
 
 Ujc'^o This word of doctrine lays down the 
 ground whereupon a finner, feniible of fin, may 
 build his expectation of peace with God : The 
 trania&ion, concluded and agreed upon, is the 
 - ground of his coming ; and the exafUng of the 
 price, according to the tran(:;6Hon,is the ground 
 of. his expectation of the benefits of Chrift's pur- 
 jchafe : And there is juftice for it, as the apoftle 
 intimates, Horn, 8. 34, ^,Who Jball lay any thing 
 io the cbaxge of God's elett ? It is God that \ufti- 
 jteth^wbo- is be that condemneth ? it is Chrift that 
 died, yea rather tbat is rifen again,&c. Andu- 
 pon this follows the believing ioul's triumph. O 
 but th^re is much need to be throughly acquain- 
 ted, .with the mutual relations that are betwixt 
 
 Verfe 8. Serm. if > 
 
 Chrift and the believing finner, with the ground 
 of their approaching to him, and with the good 
 they are to expect through him ! 
 
 Ufe 4. This word is made ufe of, 1 Pet, 2.21* 
 to give us a notable and nonefuch pattern of 
 patience \ Cbrift alfo filtered fir us, leaving us 
 an example, that wejbould follow bisfteps : He 
 did bear all wrongs patiently, and packed them . 
 up quietly (to fay fo) and opened not his mouth: 
 He could havetoldP//ate and Caiapbas what they 
 were, but fpoke not a word but one to the high 
 prieft,notwithftandingall his provoking carriage, 
 and a very met k one too, If I have fp< ken eviLbear 
 witnefs of the evl\ and if well, why fmit eft thou, 
 me ? Amongft other copies then that Chrift hath 
 caften, take this for one, make him a copy and 
 pattern for patience : It is to be regrated, that 
 folks are fo unlike to Chrift in this- refpect \ 
 they think it a difdainful thing to pack up a 
 wrong, and they will feorn-and tuih at it : But,. 
 what if Jeius Chrift had beenof that temper and 
 dilpofition ? (if it be fit to make fuch a fuppo- 
 fition) ye had been without a Redeemer, and 
 had perifhed for ever. When he calls you to be 
 followers ot him, and to fufFer patiently, as he 
 dfcd, tho* moft unjuftly, as to men ; for you t© 
 think or fay that you icorn it,and that ye are not . 
 io mean-ipirited, what is it elfe, but to think, 
 and to fay on the matter, that bieffed Jems, in 
 his patient and filent carriage under all the in- 
 juries that he fufFer ed very unjuftly from men, 
 ihewed himfelf to be of a low and bafe fpirit,and 
 that ye diidain to follow his way ? O intolera- 
 ble, -laucy, and proudly blaiphemous reflection ! 
 The many contefts, the many high . refentments- 
 of wrongs, the great grudging, fretting and foa- 
 ming at them that there are in Chriftians, fay 
 plainly, that there is little of the meek and pa- 
 tient Spirit of Chrift in, and amongft us , and 
 that many of U3 know not what fpirit we are of. 
 
 SERM ON XXIX. 
 
 2faiahlii£«8. He was ta\m from pr if on, and frtm judgment ; and who Jljall declare bis generation^ 
 For he was cut, ff out of the land of the livings fir the tranfgreffim of my people was heftricken. 
 ~ 1 E need not tgU you of whom the prophet is brought to prifon and judgment; he was indeed 
 W Cnp^tina h»rp-pvprv w«r£> inJ »u-»rv w.^A ftraitned and pinched, and laid very low .* # Bufc- 
 
 prii'on and judgment did not keep him ; Hs 
 was taler., or, as the word is, He was lifted up 3 
 from both. And, for as defptcable as he was in 
 man'tfeyes, yet he was not ^o in himfelf ; for wb* 
 Jball declare bis generation ? There is a Avonder- 
 fuinels in hmvrWho fufFered, that cannot be 
 reached, but muft be leit with admiration', and 
 a wonderful glory whereuntQ hp was afte? his 
 
 fpeaking here;every rerfe,and every word 
 alinofti; do make it mar.ifeft, that he fpeaks of 
 Chrift the Saviour; and indeed it can be applied- 
 to none other, 't's the fame verfe, Afts 8. 24. 
 hi \\ which VbH'ip proceeds to preach Chrift to 
 She Einucb, The prophet hath been largely 
 .W. i'Mg rorth Chrift's fufFerings in the former 
 Vet 'o and we conceive he takes a turn tofpeak of 
 Ch-riii's exaltation and out gate from theie fufre- 
 ■m%% : , h s true (as . if hp had . i^id) U$ pas. 
 
Serffl.2$. Ifaiah fa 
 
 • humiliation exalted t And there* is a reafon of 
 this given, for preventing of offence : If any 
 fhould fav 3 How then could he fu;Fer, and be 
 brought (o low in fufFering, if he was fo glorious 
 a Perfon ? He anfwers, It is true, that be was 
 tut off out ef the land of the living, but for no 
 •ffence in himfelf, but for the tranlgreflion of 
 God's eleft, was he flricken, or the word is» 
 tbeftroke was upon him. Yea, this (as we con- 
 ceive) is given as a reafon of his exaltation ; 
 becaufe, in the loweft fteps or- his humiliation, he 
 condefcended to fu'hi his engagement to the Fa- 
 ther, in fatistying jufticefor the fins of the elect, 
 according to that ot fchn 10. 17. Therefore dctb 
 my Father love me, because 1 lay down tnylife, 
 that I might take it again : Becaufe,accordi*g to 
 his engagement, he furFered for the fins of his 
 •lect people, therefore he could not but have a 
 comfortable and glorious out- gate. 
 
 There are thefe three things in the words, 1. 
 Somewhat aflerted concerning Chrift Jefus, He 
 nas taken from frifon and from \udgK.tnt. 2. 
 Something hinted at, which cannot be exprefled, 
 Who fhall declare bis generation ? 3. There is a 
 reafon given in reference to both. For he was c:>.t 
 (ff, &c. which we fhall expound when we come 
 to it. 
 
 For the firft, He was taken from prifon, and 
 from judgment : We conceive thefe words look 
 both to his humiliation, and to his out-gate from 
 it; the one being clearly fuppofed; that he was 
 in prifon or ftraits^ and brought to judgment ; 
 and the other being expreffed,tbat he was brought 
 from prifon and from judgment. 1. Prifon, here, 
 may be taken generally for any (Irait, pinch or 
 preffure that one may be brought into ; which 
 we conceive both the Words, and the prophet's 
 fcope will clear ; Chrift never having been pro- 
 perly in prifon, at leaft for any considerable 
 • time, but ftraitned and pinched: And he was 
 taken from that, being in his humiliation, and 
 in his fufferings in the room of the ele&, pur- 
 fued by the law and juftice of God, 2* judg- 
 ment is taken paflively, for judgments. pad on 
 him : and it looks not on^y to the procedure of 
 Pilate, df the chief prieft, and of the Scribes md 
 Pharifees, but to a judicial procefs, which the 
 juftice of God led againft him ; in v hich refpe&j 
 hie anfwered (as the words after will clear) fi r the 
 fins of God's people* . The v.ar8.,He w,as tak'n, 
 foinetimes figni£es to de'iever^ as a captive is 
 delivered, when he is taken from him that took 
 him captive ; as it is, Ifaiab^g.i^. Shall the- prey 
 he taken from the mighty, tr the lawful captive 
 delivered': To which the Lord anfwers, It, or 
 He Jball be fakau . 
 
 Verfe S. «Jf} 
 
 So then, the fcope and meaning of the words 
 is,that he prophet fubjoins a narration of Chrift's 
 exaltation upon the back of his humiliation, as it 
 is ufual in thefcripture to put thefe together,anil 
 in this order, as namely, Philip* 2. 8, gJie bum- 
 bled himfelf , and became obedient unto death, c- 
 ven the death of the crofs: Wherefore God bath 
 highly exalted him, and given bim a name^ &c. 
 He was exceedingly ftraitnedand pinched for the 
 ele<£h fins^ but death had no dominion over him, 
 he had a glorious out-gate; he was taken out.and 
 fet free from the prifon, or ftraits wherein he 
 was held, and from thefe judgments that pad 
 upon him. The reafon of the expofition is drawn 
 from the plain meaning of the Words, whick 
 muft run thus, He was tahn from judgmenty 
 the very fame which is in the following exprefS- 
 on, He was cut eff out of the land of the living : 
 That being the ordinary fignification of the pre- 
 pofition from, the meaning muft be this, that he 
 was taken out of the condition wherein he was ; 
 it agrees alio beft with the fcope of the very next 
 words. Who (hall declare his generation? whereia 
 he propofetn an admirable "aggravation of this* 
 delivery. 
 The 2d thing hath a connexion with die formef, 
 and therefore take a word or two for clearing of 
 it. What to undcrftand by generation* here, is- 
 fomewhat difficult to determine, the word in 
 the original having feveral meanings ; yet gene- 
 rally it looks to one or two, as it is applied to 
 Chrift, (r.)Vlkher to^e time paft, and fo it's 
 uiecrby man; , to exprefs and held forth ChriftV 
 Godhead : and fo the meaning is, Tho' he was 
 brought very low, yet be was, and is the eter- 
 nal Son of God. Or, (2.) (as commonly it 15^ 
 taken) It looks to the time to come ; and fo the 
 r»ean!ng is, Who Hull declare his duration* o» 
 continuance ? Generation is often taken thus 1*1 
 fcripture for the continuance of an age,and of on© 
 age following another f'ccefu'vely •, as JofnuA22*- 
 'Phis altar jh all be a witnefs to the gemraci-m t» 
 ccme ; fo tnen, the meaning is, he was once low^, 
 but Gcd exalted him,' and brought him thorow j: 
 and who fhall declare this duration, or continu- 
 ance of his exaltation? As it is, PhiU 2. 8, 9. H* 
 humble dhimf elf, &c. Therefore God bath highly, 
 exalted him ; as his humiliation was low, (o his 
 exaltation was inerrable, it cannot be declared, no» 
 adequately conceivea, 1 the continuance of it bet- 
 ing for ever.-. There is no inconfiftency betw r ixfc: 
 thefe two- expofitions \ hirduration or - coatimi- 
 atae- after his {ufferings,necefiiarily prefupp<ifing- 
 • his Godhead, brought in here^ partly t© (hew 
 the wonder fulnefs ot his fu*f cringe it being Hod 
 
 ihaj-^ 
 
i'W I fat ah ft: 
 
 that furrered, for the Man that fuffered was God; 
 partly to fhewChrilVs glory, who, notwithftand- 
 ing of his fufreririg, was brought thorow, and 
 glorioully exalted : and thefe reafons make it e- 
 vident, 1. Whatever thele words, Who fiall de- 
 elare his age or. generation ? dp figniry, certainly m 
 it'isfomething that can be fpoken of no other," 
 but of Chrift, and that agrees to him fo, as it 
 agrees to no other. Now,if we lock firhply-to the 
 eternity of his duration or continuance, that a- 
 grees to all the demand well agre.3 to all men at 
 the refurredtion : Therefore the preset muft look 
 here to his continuance and dur^ton as he is 
 God. 2.&ecmieW/jo fall declare (is generation? 
 is brqught in here, to Kiev/ the ineiiablenefs of 
 it, and lb to make his fuffering; the more won- 
 der iul ; it was he who fulrere&,whofc continuance 
 Cannot be declared: 3. It's men* con:' nuance, as 
 is brought in to ih«r / a region wfijr aeath could 
 not have dominion over him, nor kee - him ; aj- 
 cording to that, Rom. 1.4. He was declared to be 
 the Sen of God with power, according to the Sp- 
 rit of holinefs, by bis re far region frm the dead : 
 And the reafon fubjoined to this will ome way 
 clear it ; for be was cut off cut of the land of the 
 living, for the tranfgrefjion of my p to pie wjvs he 
 .firicken : Thereby infinuath g, that becaufe of 
 the great work which he had to do, there beho- 
 ved to be fome fingularnefs in the I erfon that 
 tad the work in hand, who, notwithftanding of 
 the greatnefs and difficultnefs of it, came thorow, 
 and wac hereby exalted. However it be, the 
 prophet's fcope being to fist out Chrift's humili- 
 ation and exaltation, his humiliation before, and 
 his exaltation after, which is, as we fa*d, ordi- 
 nary in fcripture ; we conceive the meaning we 
 have given is iafe, and agreeable to the pro- 
 .phet's fcope. 
 
 We may obferve. three things from the fir ft part 
 of the words, Vir&JChat cur Lord fcfus Chnfi,in 
 his performing the work cf redemption? was ex- 
 ceedingly firaitned or pinched, or held in, as the 
 word is el fe where renarea, bound up and hem' 
 • med in, as men are who are in prifsn • And, by 
 thefe ftraitnings, we mean not only fuch as he 
 was brought into by men, (whereof we fpoke 
 before) but efpeclally thefe that yrere more in- 
 w : ard;and thefe being.amorgft the ja$ fteps of his 
 hiuniliatioh, more immediately proceeding his 
 exaltation, and fpoken of as moil wonderful, we 
 conceive they look to thefe preifures that were 
 upon his «fpirit : And we fliall inftanee fevera! 
 places «-f fcripture,' that ferve to hold them out; 
 the fir ft is that of John 12. 27,28. Nov is n.y ful 
 troubled, and what fid 1 1 1 fay 7 Father. Jave we 
 from this hour. Here our bleated Lord is trou- 
 
 Verfe ?. ( Serni, 2 j # 
 
 bled in fpirit,and fo pinched and hedged in as in 
 apriibn.that he is holily nonplufled what to lay. 
 Ihe 'zd fcripture is Mat. 26.38. My foul is exece-. 
 ding frroroful even unto death, which is like 
 the expreilions ufed by tbeapoftle, lCor. 1. 8. We 
 were prejfed above meafure, above (irength^ in fa 
 much as we dsff aired of life, and we had the 
 fentence of death in our fejvjs ; there was no 
 outgate obvious to humane fenfe and uptaking : , 
 So is it here ; wherein we a/e not only to conii- 
 der his foul- vexation, but that- his foul-vexation 
 was very great, extremely pinching, vexing, and 
 in a tm inner imprifoning to him. l^he od fcrip- 
 ture i$,Zuke 22. 24. He being in an agony, prayed 
 mon earncflly, and bis frxeat was as if it were 
 great drops of bloc d falling down to the ground ; 
 there was fuch a driving, wreitling and. conflic- 
 ting, not with man without him, but with in- 
 ward preffures on his fpirit, that he is like one 
 in a bar race, or cock- pit,, or engaged in*a duel 
 with a mighty combatant, fore put to it, very far 
 beyond ought that we can conceive of; fo thafc 
 he fwateg; eat drops of blo§d 9 and fays, Father, 
 if thou be willing, remove this cup from me\ 
 neverthehjs, net my will but tfcine be done : it 
 is in Matthew, If- it be pcjfible, and thereafter, If 
 it be not pcfftble ; which fays, there was no win- 
 ning out of the grips of the law and juftice, till 
 that they were fully fatisfied ; and thofe dread- 
 ful words uttered by him on the crofs, My God 9 
 my Cod, why haft thou for fake n me ? hold 
 out, that from the finlefs humane nature of 
 Chrift, the comfortable and joyful influence of 
 the Godhead for a time was in a great meafure 
 fufpended, (tho' the fuftaining power thereof 
 was exercifed mightily on him) fo that he looks 
 on himfelf fome way as forfajsen, and left in the 
 handr of the curfe. 
 
 To clear this a little, we w T ould confider thefe 
 preffures that were on our Lord's fpirit, 1. . 
 In refpeel of their c aufe> 2. In *refpe& of their 
 ep3ii 
 
 ift, In refp2<fl of their caufe. There is upon 
 the one fide his undertaking for the ele& as their 
 Surety, and God's juftice purfuing and holding 
 him in on the other fide : So that he cannot de- 
 cline being fifted at the bar of juftice, becaufe, 
 as it is verfe'6, the fins of all the eleft met upon 
 him; and he having, as it is v erf e 7. the bitter 
 cup in his hand, which by his engagement he 
 was ob ] iged to drink, he ftands there by the de- 
 cree of God,and by the covenant ot redemption, 
 tying him to fatisfy ; and being purfued by- 
 wrath and juftice, the^v •. : s*C ime out, Father, 
 f it-bepojfibjet let this cup depart from me > ye* 
 
5erm. *$.' J f<" ah **• 
 
 nit my will, but thine he done\ his engagement 
 kemming him in, and wrath purfuing him, he 
 ftands betwixt thefe two as a prifoner : andupon 
 thefe two, the Lord laid on him the iniquity 
 $f us ally and he was exacted upon, and anfwer- 
 ed for them \ follows well the third, that he wm 
 tut in prifon •, for in thefe verfcs, the fteps of 
 our Lord's humiliation are followed out in a le- 
 gal way, as* before the bar of God's tribunal. 
 
 idly, This being our Lord's pofture, we fhail 
 confider the effstts of this preifure of fpirit, which 
 we may draw to tliefe font heads, i. He was 
 under the fenfeof great foul-pain, forrow and. 
 trouble ; for the cup of the wrath of Godfceing 
 bitter, which he was to drink, it could not but 
 deeply fting his holy humane Nature, which 
 was the procuring caufe of his agony, and that 
 which made his foul forrowful, and brought out 
 the Moody fw eat. 2. Eeflde his grief and dolor, 
 there was a holy horror : And. confidering the 
 Party that he had to do with, it was impoifible it 
 could be otherwife ; impofllble for a finite, tho' 
 a finlefs .Creature, to lo6k on an angry God, and 
 on wrath poured forth into the cup, which it 
 inufl needs drink, and not have a horror at it ; 
 it were not becoming the finlefs humane nature 
 of our blefled Lord, not to be affeclred. with a 
 holy and finlefs horror at that moft bitter cup, 
 which brought out that fad cry, Father, Icbtbis 
 tup depart from me: which did not proceed from 
 any difiikebe had to fulfil his engagement, or 
 from any rewing or undatable rcfentmentthat 
 he had fa engaged himfelf, but from an appre- 
 hended finlefs diiproportiablenefs (to fpeak (o) 
 in hrs finite finlefs humane Nature, to encounter 
 with the wrath of his Father ; to which tho' he 
 shod willingly yielded, yet in it felf it was dread- 
 ful. 3. There was a pinching and ltraitning 
 of holy fear, as if there had been in him a finlefs 
 difpute or dsbate, What will Ifecome of this f 
 can a Man win thorow this ? (tho' he was God 
 as well as Man) now will this be gotten born? 
 This looks as if death would get the victory ; 
 thus it's faid, Heb. $. 7. In the days of his flejb 
 be offered up fir ong cries and [applications with 
 tears, and was heard in 'that which he feared : 
 He put up ftrong cries to be delivered, not from 
 dying, but from the power of death ; and was 
 . heard in that which he feared, to fhe\v a ho- 
 ly care to prevent death, could that have been, 
 and a finlefs ~fe3r of it, left it fhould (wallow 
 him up. 4. There was. a pinching and (Iraitning, 
 fromlove-to the Father, and to the doing of his. 
 will .* and from love to the ele&, and to their fal* 
 Tation, which pufhed him forward to pertorm 
 ar\d fulfil his engagement \ accordingly, £#&? 
 
 Verfe %. Yft 
 
 12. 50. lie fays, J have abaptifm to he baptised 
 with, and how am Ifiraitned till it be accompli' 
 
 Jhed ? andhence it was that thefe words were ut- 
 tered by him, Father, not my vnll, but thine be 
 done ] and therefore tho' he had power to com- 
 mand twelve legions of angels for his relief, yet,to 
 fpeak Co, love fo binds his hands, that* he will not 
 ule his power for his own liberation. But to guard 
 this doctrine from miftakes, take 'a four fold ad- . 
 vcrtifement concerning this inward foul-pinch- 
 ing, which will help to clear fomewhat of his 
 foul-fufFerin£ -that followeth. And, fi.) Think 
 not that there was any finfril rir unfuitable confu- 
 fion or perturbation of mind in our Lord, fuch 
 as ufeth to be in us, there being no dreg of cor- 
 ruption in his mind to jumole 'or difcompofe 
 his holy humane nature. (2.) Beware of think- 
 .ing that there was r.ny freting or anxiety in him, 
 or any difcontentednefs with the bargain: His 
 exprefltons ihew forth the contrary ; for (faith 
 he) J could command twelve legicns of angels* 
 yet he would, not do it. (3.) Think not that 
 there was any jealoufy in, him of the Father's 
 love : tho' there was a fufpenfion of the comfor- 
 table and joyful i'enfe of it, yet there there was 
 not the le'aft lecfing of the faith of it, as is clears 
 by his doubling of thefe words, My God, mjfr 
 God, when in his fadeft pinch he cried out as be- 
 ing forfaken. (4.) Ye would not look on this, as . 
 holding out any diftruft as to the event : I have 
 (faith he) power to lay dewn my life, and I have, 
 power to take it up again ; and J 'will rife again 
 the third day. He knew that the covenant of re- 
 demption betwixt the Father and him flood firm, 
 and fure *, but it's the confideration- of God's now . 
 coming as his Party to exact the elects debt o£' 
 him, and his ftandin'g at the bar to.anfwer for it,", 
 which puts him in this agony ; and tho' confide- 
 ring ChKft as a Man perfonally united to the 
 Godhead (whereby he was keeped from finking } ' 
 
 - he had no diflruft to be carried thorow ; yet 
 confider ing him as a Man fufFering, and that {to 
 fpeak fo with reverence in fuch a divine f ab- 
 ject) thefe was an eclipfe of that fenfible ]oy 
 that proceeded from the two natures together,, 
 it's not poinble to conceive of Chrift, in this po- # - 
 fture, but wrsth and anger behoved to be fbms* 
 Way dreadful or terrible to him* 
 . The Ufes are \ft, To evidence the trutlr o£? 
 what our Lord furrered, and how feverely her 
 was pinched and ftraitned; it was not the.' 
 fcribes and pharifees purfuing him, nor the fol~ 
 diers buffeting and mocking him, and carrying; 
 him to the' high prieft's hall, and horn Pilate to ■ 
 Herod and hack again, tha£ Co much troubled 
 ium j Eut there was a higher hand tkat bt b 
 
 look' 
 
**» 
 
 Ifaiah ^3. Yerfc f. 
 
 look to, and a Judge and court, to which be was 
 now anfwering, that was very far above theirs. 
 
 And therefore, as a id.Ufeo? the do&rine, 
 Think it not fuch a light thing (as many do; to 
 fatishe juftice, or to give God a ranfom for fouls 5 
 ye fee how it pinched the Cautioner,and put hi-m 
 •s in a prifon. Unfpeakably deceived are they, 
 who think that two or three formal words will 
 inake their peace with God, and that they will 
 flip in to heaven (o : Be not carried away with 
 thisdelufion ; b.ut confider ferioufly what will 
 become of you, if ye be put to aniwer for your 
 own debt, when he handled the Cautioner, his 
 Own Son, fo roughly \ ye that will fleep on, and 
 fcorn to let any word pick at you, or prick you, 
 the juftice of God fhall prick you, and put you 
 to flraits, out of which ye will not be able to ex- 
 tricate your felves ; and he fhall appear like e- 
 verlafting burning, when the .great day of his 
 Wrath comes, and when it fliall be faid by you, 
 Who can ftand bcfne it, or abide it ? It were 
 good that ye, who are moft atheiftical, and who 
 With a fort of triumph and gallantry will needs 
 deftroy your felves, would lay this toheart,and 
 remember that the day comes, when ye will be 
 brought to this bar.; and gravely corlfiaer, what 
 an hell this will be, to have the defperatene& of 
 the out-gate fealed up in your confeiences, and 
 thefe evidences of God's hatred, and thefe ag- 
 gravations that our Lord's holy nature could not 
 admit of, in your bofom .• When wra.th meets 
 with corruption, and corruption with wrath, and 
 when thefe mingle, how dreadful will your cafe 
 be! 
 
 idly, Let believers fee here what ye areobli- ! 
 ged to Chrift ; confider what he hath paid, and 
 what the fatisfa&ion of juftice for you eoft him. 
 Folks are ready to think, that it was an eafy 
 thing to fatisfy juftice, and to. drink of the brook 
 by the way \ but if flnners were fenfible of chal- 
 lenges for fm, and if they had the arrows of the 
 Almighty, drinking up their fpirits, they would 
 Chink otherwise of Chrift's drinking out the cup 
 of wrath for them, not leaving fo much as one 
 idr-op-of it: It is but the fhorings or threatnings, 
 with fome drops of it, that any of you meet With 
 in your foul-exercifes : O ! believing finners,are 
 }'e not then aernally obliged toChrifi,who drunk 
 out this wrathful cup for you ? 
 
 4thly,Therc is notable confolation here to poor 
 fouls, that would fain make ufe of Chr ft. As, 1. 
 ThatChrift hath ftepped thorow this deep foord, 
 or rather fea before them 5 and if the cup come 
 in their hand, it is empty.: Freedom from the 
 Wrath of -God is a great confolation, and yet it is 
 Jjhe coiifolaxionof them that are iied. unto him 
 
 Serm. i^« 
 
 for refuge. 2. It is comfortable to them, in their 
 comparatively petty ftrrits and difficulties, when 
 they wot not what to do, when the law feizeth, 
 and juftice purfueth, and when the confeience 
 challengeth ; to confider that Chrift was a Prifo- 
 ner before them : Though he had no challenge? 
 for his own debt, yet he was challenged for ours, 
 that he might be a companionate high Frkft, 
 being made like to us, but v/itlcuc fin. ]uft ; cb 
 purlued him, the law arrefied him, wrath f.i zed 
 on him t, Co that, when we are fet upon by tnefe, 
 he will be tender of us, for be krvai our frame * 
 and that we'eannot bear much : And therefore* 
 on -this ground,' a believing finner may go with 
 boldnefs to the throne of grace, becaufe Chrift 
 the Cautioner, who hath paid his debt, is there. 
 It is a lh irne for believing finners, to walk fo 
 heartlefly, even under thefe things that are ter- 
 rible, as if Chrift had not gone thorow them 
 before them, and for them. 3» There is con- 
 folation here, when they are under any pinch- 
 ing crofs and difficulty ; as there is alto ground 
 for patient and pleafant bearing of it, becaule ift 
 was another fort of prifon that Chrift was pu* 
 in for jhem. Ye may, I grant, .lament over the 
 long want of fenfible prefence, it being kindly 
 to the believer to mifs it, and to long for it ; 
 but ye fhould not be heartlefs under the want of 
 it, nor complain, as the Lord's people do la- 
 ment, Is there any farrow like unto my forrcw f 
 but fubmiflively and contentedly bear it Without 
 fretting, feeing our Lord bare Co much for you. 
 
 5/£//,Thereis here a notable encouragement to 
 believe, and a notable ground for the believer to 
 expect freedom from fin, and from the pinching 
 ftraits that it deferveth, becaufe Chrift paid 
 dear for it : Wherefore was all this pinching, but 
 to pay believers debt ? 'But when we come to 
 fpeak of his out-gate, it will clear this more. 
 
 Sec ndly, V\ hile it is faid, That be was brought 
 fr-,m judgment, which fuppofes and implies, 
 that he was once at, or under judgment, 
 even the judgment of God, who is his great 
 Party all along ; He laid vu him the iniquity 
 of us all ;. and verfe 10. It p leafed the Lord 
 t. btuije him ; He \jas the Creditor that caufed 
 take and arrell him ; Obferve^ That in all the 
 Soul- vexation, in all the pinching prejjure of Spi- 
 rit that our L rd fuflained be was jianding ju- 
 dicially before tbe bar of G,d^ and was judicial* 
 ly proceeded againfl as the elells Cautioner and 
 Surety, There was no accefs to bring Chrift to 
 judgment, had he not engaged to be Surety, 
 and had not God laid on him our iniquities; for 
 it \as for no debt that he was ©wins himfelf, 
 
 bul 
 
Serm. 29. Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 but for what by his engagement as the ele&s 
 Surety he came under, and was made liable to. 
 That which I mean by his being brought to 
 judgment, is not only that he fufFered, and was 
 occaficnally condemned by a ccuit of men ; or by 
 a humanf judicatory, which was rather like a 
 tumultuary meeting or a company of men in an 
 uprore, than indeed a court ; but whatever was 
 before men, there was a legal arid judicial proce- 
 dure before God ; For clearing whereof ye 
 would coniider, 1. The account whereon he iuf- 
 fered, and was brought before God's court of 
 ; judgment, to fpeak io '• It was not for any thing 
 that the fcribes or Pharifees or Til ate had to 
 lay to his charge ; it was envy in them, the for- 
 mer at leaft, that ftirred them in what they did: 
 But the next words tell us what :l was, for the 
 tranfgreffi:n cf mf pecple was be firiclen ; the 
 priefts and people had no mind of this, but this 
 was indeed the ground of his judicial challenge 
 and arraignment before God: The ele& elect were 
 in their tins, and he by the covenant of redemp- 
 tion ftood liable for their debt, becaufe he had 
 undertaken for them as their Cautioner and 
 Surety. 2. Contider who was his great Party in 
 his fufFerings: Ip was net' Pilate and the Jews, 
 he cared not fo much for them; but it is Gcd, 
 and therefore he cries, My Gcd, my God, why ha/} 
 thou frfahen me ? and therefore he makes his ad- 
 dreis to God, Father, it bepoffible,let this cup pafs 
 fnm me ; He cared not for anlwering them, 
 but looks to a higher hand, and upon himfelf as 
 ftanding before another tribunal ; therefore it's 
 faid^i/. 10. yet itpleafed the Lcrd to bruife him ; 
 he looked not to Pilate, but to the Lord pur- 
 fuing him. 3. Confide r our Lord's fubmiiEon to 
 bis being brought to judgment, not only nor 
 chiefly before men, but btroreGod; therefore 
 {ays he, Jcbn 12. 48. Father, fave me frcm this 
 hour, but for this caufe came 1 to this bcur\ Ccme 
 then,Father.and let us count : He looks not only 
 to the prefent difpenfaticn.but alio to the ground 
 whence it came.and to the end thatGod had in it; 
 for this caufe came Unto this hour, even to have 
 my foul troubled, and to be put to anfwer for the 
 debt of my e ! e& people according to my engage- 
 ment : Lo, lame (faith he in that often c'tcd 40 
 Tfahn) in the volume cf thy bock it is written cf 
 tne, I delight to do thy will. Confider, 4. The ef- 
 fects of his bringing to judgment: A fcnter.ee paf- 
 fes, 1 Tim. ^.u\i. Great is the my fiery cfgidlinefs, 
 God manlfefled hi tbeflejh, juftified in the Jpirit, 
 not before Pilate, but in God's court, having 
 fatisfied for the elects debt according to his, un- 
 dertaking, he gets an-abfolvitor^w hich reaches not 
 
 Vcrfe 8.' j6*t 
 
 only to himfelf, but to all them whofe perfor* 
 he fuftained, as is clear, 2 Or. j.ult. He was 
 made fin fcr us who knew no Jin, that we might 
 be made the righteoufnefs of Gcd in him: KvA 
 the elects obtaining eternal redemption and ah- 
 folution by his death, with the accrefcing of his 
 fatisfa&ion to their juftification, clears that he 
 flood there judicially at the bar of God, in their 
 name, to anfwer for them. And there are three 
 fteps of this his judicial anfwer, (1.) He gets the 
 libel of the elects debt put in his hand ; Though 
 there was no guile in his mouth, yet itpleafed the 
 Lord to bruife him ; he laid en him the iniqui- 
 ty tf us all ; and for the iniquity cf my people 
 was he flricken. Thefe are the perfons that he 
 undertook for, and for their debt he anfwers : 
 The verity of the fact is clear, for they are un- 
 der guilt ; the law's claim is clear, for it's bro- 
 ken> and upon this the libel is put in his hand; 
 hence it's laid, He died fcr us, he was made fit* 
 for us, and be 'died for our fins* (2.) As the libel 
 is put in his hand,fo a fentence pafles accordingly; 
 he is found liable to the elects debt, and muffc 
 anfwer for it, as the former word is, It was ex- 
 acted oH him, and 2 Cor. $. utt. He was made Jin 
 for us, and Gal. 3. 13. He was made a curfe fcr 
 us, that is, by the fentence of juftice he is decer- 
 ned to bear the curfe. (3.) The fentence is execu- 
 ted as it was pad ; the cup is put in his hand, 
 and not only is he decerned and doomed to.the 
 curfe, but actually he is made a curfe, and all 
 this as judicially fuftaining the perfons 0^ the e- 
 left, and as their Cautioner and Surety. 
 
 Here we have fome fweet and profitable UJes* 
 1. See here and take up the way of redemption 
 contrived, fo as it runs on mercy and juftice, 
 mercy to the elect, and juftire to the Cautioner, 
 their debt being fully exacted of him. 
 
 2. :t learns us how to eftablifh our faith, and 
 alio gives us a ground of believing. To make is 
 diilinft ; juftice behoved to be fatisfied, with- 
 out which no mercy could be fhewed to the tin- 
 ner ; and God hath laid down the way by the 
 Cautioner's interpoting : Even as it is among 
 men, the cautioner's being imprifened, and fa- 
 tisfying, is the debitor's liberation ; and as God 
 hath condefcended to deal with us by way of 
 covenant, fo he condefcended in the covenant of 
 redemption to proceed legally and judicially 
 with Chrift, that we might have the clearer 
 way to make application of it. 
 
 3. Are there any here that look for rede mpti-» 
 on thorow Chrift, and hope that, their fins were 
 4n the libel given to him? O how warming 
 
 Y ; wculd 
 
€62 Jffatah $3. 
 
 would this be to your hearts ! and how ihould 
 it make them to melt in love and godly forrow, 
 to behold Chrift (landing at juftice bar, and that 
 for you ! O v\ hat .an afpecft would his fu/Ferings 
 fcave on us, if we were clear about our intereft 
 in him, and could, hear him, in our name, faying, 
 lather, here am I ; if thou take me, Jet thejego; 
 thy will be dene, for this caufe came J here, to 
 arifwer for my peoples debt, to take with the 
 challenges given in againft them, and to undergo 
 thy fentence for them : Then fays juftice, Thou 
 mud pay their debt ; Content, fays he, here am 
 J\ and fo he gives his back to the [miter, and his 
 checks to them that plucked off the hair, and hid 
 not his face from frame and [fitting. If we were 
 clear that our fhare was there, and that our ini- 
 quities came in among the reft to make up the 
 libel, and if we could aright difcern him. lb pinch- 
 ed and ftraitned in fatisfying /for us, would we 
 not think our felves . eternally .obliged to him, 
 to hate fin, and to glorify him in our bodies and 
 fp/fits which are his ? as it is, i Cor, 6. ult. If 
 indeed ye be Chrift's (as ye are all ready to pro- 
 fefs your felves to be) he pays dear for you ; and 
 if .fo, will not this ly upon you as a juft debt .to. 
 him, to glorify him in your bodies, and in your 
 fpirits ? for both in body and fpirit. he paid for 
 you. 
 
 4. It's a notable ground of confolation to be- 
 lievers againft defpondency and fear to appear 
 before the throne of God ; becaufe our Lord Je- 
 jfus Chrift hath been before us, and in our name, 
 and hath anfwered for us to the full, and hath fa- 
 tisfied all that juftice could crave of us. What 
 'wakens terror at death, and makes the thoughts 
 •f Chrift's appearing to be dreadful,but our look- 
 ing on our appearing at the bar of God ? but it 
 is a comfort againft it, that Chrift our Cautioner 
 was brought to prifon and to judgment,. and was 
 a lib brought from both ; yea, which is more, and 
 without which the confolation is but halved, 
 Jie was brought to both for us, and he was alio 
 
 VerCe 8. Serm. 3* 
 
 alio brought from both as our Surety, as Surety 
 for all them that betake themfelves by faith to 
 him : he was carried to prifon and to judgment 
 as. Cautioner for theeleft, and he was purlued 
 as their Cautioner, and therefore his payment o^ 
 the debt as Cautioner muft be accepted in name 
 of them, for whom he paid the debt. Our Lord 
 Jefus not only died and was laid in the grave, 
 but he went further in (to fpeak Co) he was 
 even at the bar of juftice, libelled, exafted upon, 
 and fentenced, and the fentence executed upon 
 him ; elfe wo had been unto us ; On this ground 
 is that triumph, Rom. 8. Who [hall lay any thing 
 to the charge of God's elect ? it's God that jufti- 
 fies : who frail condemn ? it's Chrift that died, 
 yea rather who is ri[en again, &c. and it's (aid, 
 Rom. 7. That we are delivered from the law, 
 being dead to that wherein we were held; The 
 law had us in prifon, and a lock on the door, 
 and had us under irons ; but our Lord came, and 
 (as Sampfon did in another cafe) carried the port 
 and bars to the hill-top, Jfe [pvikd principal^ 
 ties and powers, and triumphed openly over them 
 on the croft ; fo that now the prince cfthis wxrld 
 is judged: Theje are the true and faithful jay in <*$ 
 of God: We have thro' Chrift accefs, and may 
 with boldnefs come to- the throne of grace, having 
 him an high Prieft, who is- touched with the feel- 
 ing of our infirmities, and was in all things temp- 
 ted like as we are : He knew not only what it 
 was to be hungry and thirfty and weary, to be 
 pained, and to die ; but w r hat it was to come be- 
 fore the terrible tribunal ot God, and to be li- 
 belled for fin, tho J not for his own fin, and what 
 it Was to be fentenced and to meet with wrath ; 
 which gives to finners' a fafe and refrefhful inci- 
 ter under him, as under the fhadow of a great 
 rock in a weary land. This is the great defign 
 of the gofpel, to make proffer of the benefit of 
 thefe fuffe.rings to you, and to pray you in 
 Chrift's ftead to be reconciled to God; Now 
 God himfelf perfwade you to it.- 
 
 6g^ ^g» ©® ®^ ®® ®^.^)® i£t^.®® ®® %g® ^^©^ *®gft <S® CK® ®3?i ®STi ®® ®S?i ^XSTi ®C^ Cg^ ®a 
 SERMON XXX. 
 
 Jf$iah.liii. 8. He was taken from prifon, and from judgment .; and who friall declare- his generation? 
 For he was cut off out cfthe land. of the living, for the tran[grej[i:n of my people was he jhicken. 
 
 EVery ftep of Chrift's way to finners, and e- 
 ■ very word whereby it is expreft, is won- 
 derful; and therefore it is no marvel that the pro- 
 y.het doth by. way of admiration caft in this word-, 
 Ai}d who frail declare his generation ? We fhew 
 you, that we conceive thefe words to be thefe 
 af^at exprefs the prophet's turning of himfe4f 
 fcatp.CWft'snujiuUatien Co. bU exaltation: lis . 
 
 hath infifted long in fetting out his wonderful 3- 
 bafement, exinanition, and humiliation, which 
 thefe words import, he was .brought from pri[on 
 and from judgment ? Which look not only to his 
 external imprisonment, to -his- coming to judg- 
 ment before men, but alio, and mainly and prio* 
 cipally,- to. the pinches and, ftraitJ that he was 
 
 baougjtt i 
 
Serm. 30. Jfazah ^3. 
 
 brought ,into, and his arraigment before God's 
 tribunal, and fo to the caufe of his differing, 
 to wit, for the tranjgreffin of bis people, as the 
 woids following hold out; which was not the 
 .caufe of his cenfure before men, but the procu- 
 ring caufe of what he met with from, and before 
 God. 
 
 But tho' he was brought to prifon and to judg- 
 ment, to death and to the grave, yet they did 
 rot, they could not detain him : He was taken, 
 or, as the word fignifies, he was lift up from 
 .prifon and from judgment, being the fame word 
 that foHowethj He was cut off out of the land of 
 the living; which fuppofes a turn and change from 
 his humiliation to his exaltation: And thefe 
 words, Who Jloall declare his generation ? fet out 
 the unconceivable and unexpreflible glory that 
 Chriil is exaltedunto ; i'o Alls 8. 33, 35. where 
 thefe words are cited, it's laid, In his humiliati- 
 on his judgment was taken Away ; that is, in his 
 loweft ftep of his humiliation, his judgment, or 
 that to which he was adjudged, was taken from 
 him, and he was declared tree. However, flnce 
 in thefe words our Lord's humiliations implied, 
 and his exaltation exprefftd as following on it, 
 we think it fafeft to underftand itfo. The words 
 put together hold out the high degree of Chrift's 
 glorious exaltation, fo as his generation cannot 
 be declared ; He was taken from prifon and 
 from judgment, and glorioufly exalted in another 
 manner, and to another degree of glory, than 
 either angels or believers are, or are capable to 
 be ; For he that is exalted is God, whofe gene- 
 ration cannot be declared; Death having no more 
 dominion over bim-> and he having the keys of 
 hell an'd of death. In a word, we take this, Who 
 Jhall declare his generation ? mod immediately to 
 relate- to Chrift's exaltation as Mediator, and 
 to the glo^y wherewlth'he was inverted, and to 
 the dominion that he hath over all creatures: yet, 
 confidering that the prophet's fcope is to let out 
 this as wonderful, and confidering that the firft 
 ftep of his exaltation is his refurrection, where- 
 by (as the apoftle fpeaks, Rem* 1.4.) he was 
 declared. to be the Sen of God with power, his re- 
 furre&ion being fingular in this refpeel, that he 
 arofeby his own power,and confidering that Alls 
 835. Philip began to preach to the Eunuch jefus 
 Chriil: as theObj >& oi fatttijjwe think itreafonable 
 to conceive, that he preached Chrifl to be God, 
 from this text, fo as the Eunuch might have a 
 folid foundation for his faith. And the fubfer* 
 ving the fcope, which is to fet out the wonderful- 
 ndsofChrilVslovetoele&fmners,who beingGod, 
 yet condescended to come this low for faying of 
 limn j We may take in his 'Godhead mediately, 
 
 Verfe 8. tg£ 
 
 from which as the former fteps of Ills humiliati- 
 on received worth and efficacy, fo he was there- 
 by fuftained and born up under all thefe furre- 
 rings, whereby his people are faved. 
 
 From the firfi and feand ex preflions put toge- 
 ther, we fhalldraw three dc&rmes relating t» 
 three main articles of faith. 
 
 The iy? whereof is this, 'That our Lord had 
 ' an outgate from, and victory oyer, the loweft 
 'and mod pinching pieces of nis humiliation 
 ' and furFering.' So that, tho' he was at prifon and 
 judgment, yet he was lift up from both, and had 
 a glorious outgate : This takes in three things, 
 which the fame grounds :will 'confirm, 1. That 
 in his loweft eftate and fteps of humiliation, he 
 was - fuftained, and carried thorow, fo that all the 
 alfaults which he was put to endure and encoun- 
 ter with from all his enemies, wicked men and 
 devils, .did not overcome him. 2. That as he 
 in himfelf was born thorow and fuftained ; To, i* 
 refpeA of Go'd's bar at which he was arraigned, 
 he was abfolved and fet free; he fo came tho- 
 row by paying ofthe debt 3 that he had an abfol- 
 vitor, as it is, 1 Tim.?, ult. Great is the myjfo- 
 r J cfgodlinefs, God was manifefi'in the fiefb, 
 jujlifed in' the Spirit. Our blefted Lord jefus, 
 being fuftained by the power of his Godhead, 
 was carried thorow in his fufferings, paid the e- 
 le&s debt, and' receives the fentence or abfoluti- 
 on ; even as a perfon (to fpeak with reverence ift 
 fuch a fubjecT) having paid the debt for which 
 he wasimprifoned, is abfolved and fet free. 3. 
 it takes in our Lord's *a<5tual delivery, he not 
 only received the fentence of abfolution, but was 
 actually fet free : fothat as he was pleafed to put 
 himfelf in prifon and in ftraits for us ; To he was 
 brought from every ftep of his humiliation, from 
 prifon and from judgment, from death and from 
 the grave; he nailed the hand writing which was 
 aganft us to his crofs, as the apoftle faith, Coh 
 2. 14, 15. And having f polled principalities 
 and powers, he made a (hew of them openly, tri- 
 umphing ever them in it ; and as it is, 1 Ccr. 1 5. 
 at the dole, he rock the fting from death, difar- 
 mtd it, and trode upon it : And there was ne- 
 ceflity for this, even fuch neceffify, that it" was 
 injpofTible it could be otherwife, as we have it, 
 Alls 2. 24. It wets net pdjftble that he could be 
 hojden of death. This will be e'ear, if we consi- 
 der thefe things. (1.) The Perfon that fuffered : 
 He was not an ordinary, nay, nor a meerMan,but 
 God-Man,as is clear,^#*2.27. cited out of VfaU 
 16. where it is faid, Thou wilt not leave my foul 
 in hell, neither wilt thou fujfer thy holy One to Jet 
 corruption* (2.) The end of ChriiVs iufFerings, 
 Y 2 wliick 
 
i<<4 Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 which was to fatis.y for the debt of his people : 
 There having been no reckoning on his own Icore 
 er account, he being dill in God's favour, and 
 his holy One in whom his foul delighted all along 
 his fufferjngs ; his fufferings being for the fins 
 of his ele<5t, and he being to make application of 
 his fatisfa&ion, and of the purchale made there- 
 by, to the ele&, for whom he fuffered and purcha- 
 sed thefe things, by his interceflicn ; there was a 
 neccility that he mould come thorow ; other- 
 wife he fhould not have been a perfect and a com- 
 pleat Saviour, able tg'favje. to the uttermoft tbofe 
 that come unto Gcd by him, as the Apoflie fpeaks, 
 Heb. 7. 25. Such an high Vrieft became us, who is 
 holy, harmUfs, undefiled, .feparate from finners>. 
 arsd, made higher than the heavens* 3. It's 
 clear alfo, if we confider the nature of the cove-. 
 riant, and of the promifes made to him therein, 
 upon his engaging and undertaking for the e- 
 le£fc v as particularly verfe 10. of this chapter, 
 He fball fee his feed,.and prolong his days, his 
 duration mall be for ever ; The Pleafure of the 
 Zord Jhall pre [per in his hand'-, and I will divide 
 bim a portion with the great, and hefhaU divide 
 the fpoil with theftrong: Our Lord's exaltation 
 and victory over death being on the Load's fide 
 conditioned to him the Mediator, as well as he 
 engaged to fuflfer ; hence it's laid, Pfal. no. 
 He Jhall drink of the brook in tfje way, therefore 
 Jhall he lift up the bead, . 
 
 ThtUfes arc two, The \fl whereof .ferves for 
 clearing and confirming our faith in a fundamen- 
 tal article of ChrifHanity, without which it were 
 needlefs for us to preach, and needlefs for»you 
 lo.hear,or believe ; and that it is, That our Lord 
 Jeiu5uifFered,and alfo got the victory over fuffer- 
 ing ; that be was raifedfrom the dead, and de- 
 ilared to be the Son of God with> power ; intima- 
 ting, that juftice had gotten full fatisfa&ion : in 
 evidence andteftimony whereof, he was declared 
 free,,which is a main thing that believers have to. 
 believe ; even that we have an exalted Chrift, a 
 raifed-up Saviour, who could not be detained 
 "by all the elects guilt in piifon. 2. It ferves to 
 fee matter of ftrong confolation', it puts life ia all 
 Cbrift's offices and qualifications, and in all the 
 jprornifes made to believers ; to wit, that our 
 Lord Jefus is a living Chriil, over whom death 
 bad no dominion, and he overcame it, new to 
 die- no more-, So that,as it is, Heb. 7 25. He is able 
 to fave to the utter mi ft thefe that come unto God 
 by bim, feeing be ever liveth to make interceffion 
 for, :hem : There is nothing that a foul needs or 
 can defire, but it is to be had in him.,- And it' 
 *{ would look.to-oaruciilar inflflflc^% .mucli co^; 
 
 Verfe 8. • Serm.. 30, . 
 
 folation will arife from this ground •, For, (i.Jf ~ 
 Hath a believing finner to do with challengesat 
 the bar of jdlice,is it not unfpeakable conlolation 
 that their debt is paid ? hence it's faid, Rem. 8. 
 33. Who Jhall lay any thing to the charge of God's. 
 ele&? Ifs Got that juftifies'y who Jhall condemn i 
 It's Cbrift that, dijsd, yea rather that is rifen a- 
 gain. It's that which gives proof of compleae 
 payment of the ele<5ts debt, and defiance to any 
 challenges and accufations to comeagainil: the be- 
 liever to his prejudice ; becaufe Chrift hath not 
 only died, but is alfo rifen ; juftice being well- 
 pleafed with, his fatisfa&ion, he is let -out of the 
 prifon. (2.) If the. believer hath to do with cor- 
 ruption, with the devil and with many enemies* 
 is it not ftrong confolation that our Lord is 
 rifen and up, that that the prince of this world. 
 is judged, that Satan is troden under foot, and 
 that he jhall and muft reign till all his enemies 
 be made bis footftool r (3.) Our Lord's refurre&i- 
 on hath a twofold further confolation with it to 
 believers, 1. It ferves to be a ground for the ex- 
 ercifing^of faith on him, that as he is rifen, fa 
 {Rom. 6.) may we expect that being fpirkually . 
 dead with him to fin, we fhall be with himrai- 
 fed^ up to newnefs of life. , 2. It's a pledge of 
 believers exaltation and compleat victory over 
 
 . death and the grave, and over all enemies 7 for 
 Chriil: being railed as the common Head of all 
 believers who are his members, they by vertue 
 of his refur region, and by that fame efficacy, 
 mall be railed ; and it's impoffible that they can 
 ly under corruption. This is our great confola- 
 on who are believers, and live under the Gofpel, 
 that we have not thefe things as a prophecy of 
 things to come, but as a plain hiftory of things 
 in part done, and by and by to be compleatly 
 done . (4.) It hath alfo in it confolation in refpecT: ■ 
 of temporal difficulties : What are they all ? 
 They are not fure fuch as Chrifl's were ; and . 
 the. day is coming, when believers lhall have an 
 out-gate from them all: And therefore, fince 
 our Lord is up, let not believers be afraid of any 
 challenges whatfoever. 
 
 idly, Obferve, c That our Lord Jefus, being . 
 y raifed up from his (late of humiliation, is inve- 
 c (led, and put in a mod excellent and glorious 
 
 . c condition 7 even fuch as the prophet cannot ex- . 
 c prtfs.' Who can declare his generation ? faith- 
 he ; Who can declare how glorious he is now ? 
 Take-two or three fcriptures to confirm this. 
 
 . 1/?, That, Eph. i. 20. 21. He-bath fet him at his 
 
 . own right- band-in the heavenly places, far abovt' 
 all principalities and powers, and might,- and, 
 de >w'mic& i and .every name t!;at is named, not 
 
Serin. 30. Ifa'tah 53. 
 
 only in this world, But alfj in that which is to 
 ccme, and bath put all things under his feet, 
 and gave him to be Head over all things to the 
 Church* Our Lord's throne is exalted far above 
 angels and archangels,- even out of fight. The 
 id is,PhiI. 2. 9. where having fpoken of his hu- 
 miliation, it rbllows, Wherefore God hath high- 
 ly-exalted him, and given him a name which 
 is above every name, that at the name of Jefus 
 every knee fi.uld bow, of things in heaven, 
 and, &c. his exaltation is fuch as hath a domini- 
 on and fupremacy with it, over every name ; 
 behaving, as it is, Col. 1. 18. in all things the 
 pre-eminency. The 3 <2 place is, Heb.%. 1. Of 
 the things which we have fpoken, this is the 
 fum, W'i have fuch an high Priefl,wbc is Jet on 
 the right-hand of Majefty in the heavens ; 
 Where ChriiVs exaltation is let out tc be fuch 
 as. hath exalted him to the right hand of the 
 Majefty on high. 
 
 Becaufe this is one of the great articles of 
 our faith, to wit, 'That Chrift rofe from death 
 s the third day, and afcended into heaven, and is 
 « fet down on the right hand of God, 1 We fhall 
 add a little more to clear it; and, (i.jWe would 
 know, that this exaltation of our Lord is not to 
 be underftood of his exaltation properly as he is - 
 God, in which re(pe& there is no up nor down 
 in him ; tho' his declarative glory was vailed 
 for a time during his humiliation, yet in him- 
 felf.as he was God, he was dill glorious and blef- 
 fed over all. (2.) When we fpeak of ChriiVs ex- - 
 altation as Mediator, and as Man, we do not 
 mean that his humane nature hath loft the ef- 
 fential properties of a creature, as if now when 
 exalted he were wholly or only God, or as U the 
 properties of the humane nature were fwallow- 
 ed up in the Godhead ; that were inconfiftent 
 with his being true Man, and would mar and 
 obftrtift our confolation exceedingly : But his 
 exaltation confifteth, 1. Tn the manifeitation ; and 
 declaration of the Perfon that was humbled and 
 brought lew, to be God omnipotent, omripve- 
 fent^ all fuffieient, infinitely wife, powerful, juft, 
 £JV; For tho' thefe properties agree not to the 
 humane nature, yet they agree to his Perfon, 
 and they are manifefted to be in him without . 
 queiHon. 2. In the exaltation of the humane 
 nature of Chrift-Man, to an unconceivable 
 height of glory, fuch as the huwarse nature u- • 
 sited to the divine nature is capable of, by 
 very many degrees beyond' any thing, that the 
 ele&, whether angels or men, -are- capable of; 
 the pergonal unfon making him capable of far 
 more g!qry 3 and hi § excellent o&ces calling for 
 
 Verfe 8. i5f 
 
 it. 3. This exaltation confius'in his abfoiute do- 
 minion and kingly power, which is more obler- ' 
 vably, directly and plainly manifefted in the 
 days of the gofpel-admmiftration than it was un- 
 der the law ; lb that now he is clearly know a 
 in refpe&or' his kingly office to b; God in our 
 nature, clothed with our flefh, and to be Imma- 
 nuel, God with us; and that this Immanusl hath 
 all power in heaven and earth committed to 
 him ; he hath the keys of hell and of death, and 
 is Ring of kings, and Lord of lords, is exalted 
 far above principalities and powers, and is given 
 to beHead overall things to theChurch: Tn which 
 refpect. that is moft properly to be underftood, 
 when it is Paid, thatfo is fet en the right hand of 
 Gcd; fo that now Jefus Chrift, God and Man in 
 one Perfon, is in higheft glory, andinabfoluteft 
 dominion, neareft unto God, far above that 
 which angels or faints are capable of : As kings - 
 ufe to- fet their greateft courtiers and minions, 
 whom they would honour moll, on their right: • 
 hand, and as Solomon let his mother on his right 
 hand ; Co is our Lord fet on the right hand of 
 God in higheft glory. It is true, that, as God a • 
 he hath an abfolutely fovereign and independent 
 kingdom ; yet, as Mediator, God-Man, he 
 hath a difper.fatory kingdom next unto the Fa- 
 ther in glory. 4. This exaltation confifts in ' 
 Chad's being furnifhed with' qualifications ■ 
 fuitable to that glorious condition wherein he 
 is invefted : And tho' thefe qualifications of 
 the Man Chrift be not amply infinite, yet they 
 are far above what we can conceive ; and the 
 qua 1 ifications of the Perfon God-Man are infi- 
 nite, in which refpeft he is omnipotent, all-fee- * 
 ing, and infinitely wife, to provide every thing , 
 that may be for the good of his Church and peo- 
 ple, and to prevent what may tend to their hurt J 
 omniprefent, C5V. 
 
 ■ The Ufe s are three, ifl,"X his would waken an4 { - 
 rouze our fpirits to high, holy, and reverend §■». 
 fteem of Chrift ; he is God above all gods,King a- 
 bove all kings ; he hath gotten a name above ever/ '* 
 name, that at the name of J-efus every hiee flyould r 
 bow, not fuperftitiouily whm he is named, but - 
 hulily and reverently to think of him, and tc\ ' 
 worfhip and ferve him. r "We conceive, among '. 
 many faults and evils in believers, this is a root- - 
 evil,even'ow thoughts of gloriousChrift ; fo that, 
 becaufe he hath be*ome low to lift us up, we are ; 
 ready t-o thir.k the Ids of him r But O that we ' 
 could behold the g'Orious'condition he is exa'ted ' 
 unto.and could ioofc upon him as, ere lon^ccming 
 in the clouds with pewet and 'great glory, in the - 
 glory cf bis father 2 and all i hi be Ij angels with ' 
 
 kiml' ! 
 
%66 Jfamh «53. 
 
 bim ! ft Will furniih reverend thoughts ot him, 
 tho' not to hurt faith and confidence, yet to 
 breed holy aw and reverence in us to him wards. 
 The id UJe ferves to fhew what a formidable 
 party they engage to top with them, who (light 
 our Lord jefus Chrift ; what lots they are at,who 
 lofe him i and what a great aggravation their fin 
 bath, who fin againft him .- ¥e that (light, refufe 
 and oppole him. do ye know whom ye re.'ufe, 
 and whofe dominion ye fpurn againfl, and how 
 bard it will be for you to kick. againfl the pricks? 
 do ye know your lofs who lofe him, and how 
 U will aggrege your guilt who defpife him ? the 
 
 . more glorious Chrift be, the greater will the fin 
 of the unbeliever be ; therefore beware what ye 
 are doing : . Ye have a mighty. great and ftrong 
 Party to deal with ; and when the great day of' 
 his wrath comes, and when he (hall appear in his 
 
 . glory, how will you be able to abide the lead 
 touch of it? it will aggrege your fln,and heigh- 
 ten your "mifcrjv that be whom the Father ex- 
 alted was undervalued by you, that ye fcorned 
 Co take a direction from him, or to fjibjmt to a 
 cenfure drawn forth in his name, and fatd, at 
 lead by your pra&ice, Let us break his bands 
 afunder, and caf} away his cords from us'hwt he 
 bath fet his King on his holy hill of Zion, for all 
 t;hat ; and he that fits in heaven will laugh, the 
 Lord will h/ive you in derificn. Think on it le- 
 rioufly, and .know, that he is no mean perfon 
 whom ye flight and defpife ; and tho' this may 
 now feem leis than other fins, yet it will one day 
 \y heavy on your fcore and conference, above 
 many, yea, above all other fins. 
 
 The 3d Ufe ferves to be a motive and encou- 
 ragement to. them that hear this gofpel to receive 
 Chrift, and for theconfoiation of believers, who 
 have /eceived him. 1. It ferves to encourage 
 you all to receive him; he is no mean perfon' 
 that wooes you, but King of .kings >and Lord of 
 lords ; and if ye think it a happineis to be for e- 
 ver with him, then let it move you to clofe with 
 bim ; if ye do fo, ye fhall be made glorious as 
 he is glorious; a due proportion betwixt the 
 Head and the m gibers being kept,ye.ftiall./fr on 
 the fame throne withhim^nd behold hisglory\ as 
 be prayeth, John 17. 1 will that tbtfe .whom thou 
 haft given me may be with meXo beh.ld my glory* 
 This is certainly a great bargain; if Chrift beglo- 
 rious,he Calleth youtofliare with him in the fame 
 glory. 2. It ferves for the confolation of believers, 
 who have received him;Ye "have arc excellent Me- 
 diator, a mof> glorious Head and Husband, and a 
 mod excellent Dowry* and ye fhall know it to 
 your fuperaburdant faiisi.'iction and joy in that 
 
 • fay, when (as it is Pfal. 4y) yeihall'be brought 
 
 Verfe , 8 ' ; . Serin. 30, 
 
 untotne king in raiment of need!e-work,and ihall 
 enter into the king's palaje.and fhare of his glory, 
 and fee him face to face, and fit with him on his 
 throne,tven as he hath overcome,and is fet down 
 with Ins Father on his throne. Labour to be 
 flayed, in the faith and hope of this good, glori- 
 ous, and defireable day that is coming, when we 
 iball not only fee, but partake of, and be fully 
 and for ever .poCifed in that, which eye hath 
 not ieen, ear ..hath r.ot heard, neither hathiteu- 
 tred in the heart of man to conceive of. 
 
 3^-Fromthe words,a$ we exported them,ob- 
 ♦ferve, 'Thar our Lord Jefus Chrift, who fuffered. 
 c and was in fuffering brought very low,is God.' 
 We find ordinarly in feripture, ef'pecially tho- 
 i»W.*he new Teftament, thefc three going toge- 
 ther, 1. Chrift's humiliation ; 2. His exaltation 
 on the back of that ; And, 3. His Godhead. 
 His humiliation is not readily fpoken of with- 
 out his exaltation, nor his exaltation without 
 his Godhead ; becaufe it's impoffible to fe pa rate 
 ChrifVs exaltation from his Godhead, his exal- 
 tation being the evidence of his Godhead ;and the 
 prophet's icope here being, to.fet out ChrifVs ex- 
 altation, and Philip preaching of it to the Eu- 
 nuch from this text, it's doubtiefs the contempla- 
 tion of ChrifVs Go:-: head that occaiioneth this 
 admiring exclamation, Who fhall declare his ge- 
 neration <! which we apply, not fo much to the 
 inefFablenefs of his generation, as to \x.% being an 
 evidence that he is God. There are three or tour 
 ways whereby the feripture confirms tbk: Let me 
 defire you, by the way, not to look on this as a 
 little, momentuous, or but a common do&rine ; 
 and fince there are many fo ignorant, that we 
 would be aihamed to tell what we hear from 
 fome of, you concerning the Godhead of fefus 
 Chrift, ye would take better heed to it, being a 
 main pillar of Chriftianreligion, without which 
 our preaching and your faith are vain ; for he 
 is not believed on at all, if ye reft not on him as 
 God. But to proiecute what we propofed, to 
 wit, tbefe feveral ways whereby the icripture 
 confirms this truth; and to this purpo ( 'e,conn\ier, 
 1. The exprefs titles and names that are given 
 to him in icripture, and fome feripture fayings 
 of him, which hold it out; three whereofwe ihall 
 inftance : The nrlt is that of Ifaiah 9, 6, 7. 
 where, when Chrift is prophefied of, it's faid, 
 Unto us a Child is born, unto us a S*n is given, 
 and the government Jball be upon his Jboulders, 
 And what is he : He fhall be called W\ndcrfu\, 
 Counfell.r, .the mighty Gcd, the ever lofting Fa- 
 ther, the Prince cf Peace ; of the increafe of his 
 government and peace there JIjaII be no end 
 
 Her 
 
Serm. 31. //a/*/; ^3. 
 
 Here we have thefe three, his humiliation, exal- 
 tation, and Godhead : "His humiliation, Urtfo us 
 f a Child is bom, unto us a Son is given ; his exal- 
 tation, Of the increafe of bis government and 
 peace there fiall be'no end, upon the throne ofDa- 
 vid, and his kingdom) to order it, and to eftablifb 
 it with judgment and' with jotfti'ce : And his God- 
 head is interjc&ed and put in betwixt thtfe two, 
 in the names and titles given to him, Wonderful, 
 Counfellor, the Mighty God, the Everlafling Fa- 
 ther-, not as personally taken, l^ut-£as the word 
 fignifies) The Father of Eternity, from whom all 
 things hav^heir being; and for the fame reafon, 
 Gbap. 7. 14. he is called Immanuel, God with us. 
 A 2d p'ace is that of Pfcil. 2. &. Who being in the 
 form ofi Gcd, thi light it no robbery (he did God 
 no wrong) to be equal with Gcd', he made bim- 
 felfcfno reputation , and took on him the firm 
 of afervant, &c. where fire God alfo hath highly 
 exalted him, and given him a name above every 
 name, &c. A 3^ place is that of Heb. 1. 1, 2, 3. 
 God,wbo at fun dry times, and in divers manners, 
 fpoke in timepafl unto the fathers by the prophets, 
 bath in thefe laft days fpeken unto us by bis Son, 
 rvbom be bath appointed Heir of all things, by 
 whom alfo be made the world-, and what is be 
 ^ by whom he fpake to us ? who being the bright- 
 nefs of bis ghry, and the exprefs image, of bis Per- 
 ,fin, and upholding all things by the word of bis 
 power, when he had by himjelf purged cur fins, 
 he fat down on the right. hand of the Majefty on 
 high. There is here much of ChriiVs excellency 
 holden forth ; he is the brightnefs of the Father's 
 glory, and the exprefs image of hisPerlbn : The 
 beam of the fun is not liker to the fun's'light, 
 the impreffton of the feal on the wax is not liker 
 to the feal, than the Son is to the Father, (nay,, 
 tlv? livelieft refemblances fall infinitely fhort of 
 a full and exaft refemblance) the Father and he 
 being the fame God, and he being compared 
 with the Father, not /Imply as God effentially 
 taken, but as the fecond Perfon of the Trinity 
 compared with him who is the firft Perfon \ Q 
 deep and adorable myftery ! 
 
 A 2d way to clear and confirm it, is to con- 
 fide r his works', oft-times joined with his name ^ - 
 the works of creation, providence, redemption, 
 and guiding of his Church ; lb we have it, John 
 i.l.Inthe beginning was the Wrri,thefubftartial 
 Word of the Father,theSon of his love,called the 
 Word y either as exprefling the Father's image,as a ■ 
 man ? s word expreifeth his "mind ; -or becaufe, as a - 
 prophet of the Church,he hath revealed the Fa- 
 ther's will. It's laid, that this Word was not only 
 wii!rGcd,but was God ; and then follows infeve- 
 raj yerfes together his works, the works of cre-- 
 
 verie-8.- ?5j 
 
 ation, all things were made by him, flfce. the 
 works of providence arc attributed to him, John 
 5. 17. My Father w^rketb hitherto, and lwcri;zr.& 
 the work of redemption, and ins glorious going 
 thorow with it, declare him" to be tiieSonpiGodj 
 for- none but God could redeem his Church. 
 
 idly, For clearing arid continuing of this trujb, 
 we may take the exprefs confcifion of the faints 
 in Scripture, whereon there is much weight laid; 
 and I ihall name but live or Ha of their conielfi- 
 ons, which to this purpofe are expr-.Hy and ful- 
 ly recorded : The lft is that of ' Mattb, 16. 16. 
 Whom do men (ay that 1 am? Peter anfwered. 
 Thou art the Son of the living Grdr. and Chrill fays, 
 BleJJed art tbou, Simon Barjona, fttfh and blocd 
 bath not revealed that unto thee, but my Father 
 which is in heaven ; to let us know, that it is 
 not fach a little thing to believe ChriiFsGodhead, 
 as many take-it to be ; and then he calls himfelf 
 the Rock on which his Church is built, Chrifl's 
 Godhead is the foundation of Chriftianity. A 2d 
 is John 1. 49. in NatbanaeFs words ; Cbrift tells 
 him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wafi 
 under the fig-tree, I fiaw thee \ and he having got- 
 ten this proof ofChrift's omnilcience, prefently 
 breaks out, Rabbi, thou art the Sen of God, thou. 
 art the King j/Tirael ; and that is the firft thing 
 his faith evidenceth it felf in. A 3d place is, 
 John 6. 6 j, 63, 69. where, when Chrill is faying 
 to the twelve, Willy e alfo leave me ? Simon an- 
 fwered, Lord, to whom fiall we go ? thou baft tbs 
 words of eternal life, and we believe and are fur e 9 
 that thou art the Cbrift, the Son of the living God; 
 there is much in thefe words, we believe and are 
 Jure, that it is fo. A 4th place is, John 11. 27. 
 and it is Martha her confeflion, Tea, Lord i I Be- 
 lieve thatthcu art Cbrift, the Sen of Gcd, which 
 Jljould come into the world* The 5th place is that 
 of John 20. 28. where, when Chrill bids Thomas 
 reach hither his hand and put it into his fide, 
 his glory {hines ^o full in his face, that he cries 
 out, My Lord, and n.yGcd ; and his faith is fum- 
 med Up and compended in that. The laft place 
 that we ihall, name,is that ofA3s 8. 37.2nd it's the 
 Eunuch's confeffton, / beiieve that Jefus Chriji 
 is the Son of Gcd, which is the fum of his faith. 
 
 The 4th and laft way of confirmation of this 
 great truth, is drawn from the worfhip which is 
 due unto' him, and hath been given unto him: He" 
 is theObjecF of Faith, John 14. 1 j. Te believe in -" 
 Gcd, believe alfo in me; He is the Obje# of 
 prayer, Acts 7. 59. They [toned Stephen, calling 
 upon Gcd, faying, Lord Jefus receive my fpirit ; . 
 and frequently elfewherein Scripture he is pray- 
 ed unto, though. thefe two are cot too curioufly " 
 to^befeparatedr • Ups> ' 
 
1<8 ^ I fat ah $j. 
 
 C//*£? 1. The firft ufe ferves to ftrengthen your 
 faith in this,that our Lord jefus Chrilt, who fuf- 
 fered for finners, and is made offer of to them in 
 the gofpeljis God equal with the Father ; and {o 
 he is to beclofedwith,and retted on.as the bright- 
 nefs of the Father's glory : The reafcnwhy we 
 would have you confirmed in the faith of this, is 
 notfmall jfor it's a mod necefiary thing, and with- 
 out the faith of it^ all the work of our ialvation 
 will hang loofe, neither can we have any claim to 
 eternal life \ and therefore we defire you parti- 
 cularly who are ignorant hearers, and who have 
 the name of Chrilt often in your mouths ; and yet 
 know not what he is, to know, remember and be- 
 lieve, that he that is the Son of Mary, is alio the 
 eternal Son of God, being God before he was in- 
 carnate, and before the world was made, and 
 the Maker ofc all that was made. 
 
 Ufe 2. The fecond ufe ferves to let you know, 
 that tho' it be a mod neceffary thing to be con- 
 firmed ,in the faith of this truth, that Chrid is 
 God ; yet it's a greater difficulty to believe and 
 be perfwaded of it, than the mod: part take it to 
 be : Many fad proofs whereof we have in folks 
 words,and mo in their practice, Flejb and blood 
 (faith Chrid, Afaf. 16.) bath not revealed thisun* 
 , to thee* It's, a wonder whence fojnany folks faith 
 comes, who never found any the. lead difficulty 
 in tfiis^and it's a wonder that (o few are through 
 : in the faith of it, fo that if they werefcalled and 
 put to it, they durft not fwear that he is God : 
 yea,if we'would look on a little further, we would 
 £nd, that the faith of this is but fcarce among (1: 
 us, not to (peak of the grofs ignorance of many, 
 w.ho will fay, when asked, that he is not equal 
 • with the Father, or that he was made God,, and 
 , other fuch like expreflions will they have, that 
 are abominable to be once named amongd Chri- 
 .ilians ; folks thro' their ignorance falling into 
 damnable herefies on the matter, and yet not 
 , knowing that they do fo *, as if our blefTed Lord 
 were a made god, and not the fame God with 
 the Father : For the proving of him to be God, 
 proves him to be the fame God, there being 
 but one God. 
 
 Verfe 8. 
 
 Serin. 31. 
 
 that is in men and women of the Majefty of 
 Chrid as God \ they "durft not walk with fo lit- 
 tle fear of him, if they believed indeed that he 
 were God : What made the jfervj, with the Scribes 
 and Pharifees,to fpit upon him and defpife him ? 
 but becaufe they wanted the faith of his God- 
 head ; And have not ye the fame nature in you ? 
 Ye live in a place where the faith of Chrid's 
 Godhead is profeffed,and is not queftioned ; but 
 your practice fays to beholders,that ye believe it 
 not, becaufe ye fear him not. 2. That your fouls 
 do fo little welcome the offer of th&gofpel ; that 
 tells, that ye believe him not to be fiod. 3. That 
 ye do not place your happinefs in believing on 
 him, and in the way of holinefs ; ye fay in erfe&, 
 Wherefore ferves Chrid ? ye care not for him ; 
 Hence it is, that (o many live contentedly with- 
 out him, and are not folicitous about the enjoy- 
 ing of him. .4. Even in believers there is much 
 ..unbelief of this truth ; which is fadly evidenced 
 by this, that they do not fo blefs thcmfelves in 
 him, and that they do not fo reckon themfelvcs 
 to have come well to,' and to be made up in him, 
 as David doth >Pfal. i6.where1ie faith,and holily 
 glerieth, The lines are fallen unto me inpleafant 
 places, Sec. And bv the frequent difcouragement 
 that is incident to believejrs, as if Chrid had not 
 the guiding of them and of what concerns them, 
 or could not guide all well enough for their good* 
 If he were believed to be God, it would quafli 
 temptations, bariffi difcouragements, comfort 
 under crpifes, fweeten every condition, induce 
 to holinefs, reftrain from fin : And in a \vord,it 
 cannot be told what is in the bofom of this one 
 truth, when folidly btlieved ; for what can pof- 
 fibiy be wanting to the believer in him that is 
 God? He hath the fulnefs of the Godhead to fup- 
 ply whatever they want, and fudairs the relati- 
 on of a Husband to the believer, to make it forth- 
 coming ; and he is furnifhed with fuitable qualifi- 
 cations to m ike the application thereof : what 
 then could be wanting, if this were thorowly be- 
 lieved,that he is Goxx ? Let me fay it to you, the 
 faith of this would provoke to more holinefs, 
 and to dudy more the power than the profefUon 
 of religion, and would help you to live a more 
 comfortable life in every condition. 
 
 Ye would conlider, for convincing you that 
 it is thus with many of you, 1. The little fear 
 
 SERMON XXXI. 
 
 .Jfahh liii. 8. He was taken from prifon, and from judgment ; and who fl) all declare bis generation ? 
 Fsr he was cutoff nut of the land:/ the living, for the tranfgrejfun of my people was btflricken. 
 
 THefe words are a proof of that which we man hath greater, that a man Jhculd lay down 
 dn'courfed in the lecture concerning ChriiVs bis life fr bis friend \ But he katk commended 
 •wogdcr&l lave to hi* o^ople, than which, no k& 
 
Serm. Jt. //«'•* *3* 
 
 £« love to us> in that while we were yet enemies 
 be died for ut : This is the great commendati- 
 on of ChriiVs love \ and what will he refufe to 
 his people, who in his love hath come this length 
 to them ? 
 
 In the former part of this verfe, we fhew, that 
 there was a hint given or ChriiVs exaltation, of 
 the exaltation and glory of the Mediator fol- 
 lowing on the back of his loweft furfering ; an 
 ineffable and expreflible glory, which the pro- 
 phet rather paffcth with a fort of nonplufling fi- 
 Jence, than inhfteth in the declaration of it 3 1Vb<> 
 Jhall declare his generation < 
 
 We come now to the laft part of words, For 
 be was cut off cut of the land of the living, for the 
 tranfg/ejfton oj my people was beJiricken.They are 
 added as a reafon or the former, and the one part 
 of them is a reafon of the other : He faid before, 
 Who Jhall declare his generation f who can fuffici- 
 • ently declare and unfold, how glorioufly the Me- 
 diator is exalted ? And he gives this for the rea- 
 fon of it,Fcr he was cut off out of the land of the 
 living; the for :eor which is,that he humbles him- 
 felf, therefore God hath highly exalted him, as 
 the apoftle reafons, Philip. 2. 9. So that this is 
 not added, as being pofterior to his exaltation, 
 but as a jre fon lhewing the connexion of his 
 exa'tation with his humiliation ; and left it 
 Ibould be a (tumbling to any, that this glorious 
 Perfon fuffered death, he gives the reafon of that 
 alfo,which ftrengthensthe reafon of his exaltati- 
 on, Fort he tranfgrejftcn^f my people was bejiricken, 
 or (as the word is) tbeft>oke was en him \ he fuf- 
 fered, not for any wrong in himfelf, but for the 
 fins of his owneleft people. The flrft particular- 
 ly looks to ChriiVs death, which was a prophecy 
 in Ifaiah his timebut is now a hiiiorical narrati- 
 on to us, we having the got' pel as a commentary 
 on it. To be tut off out of the land cf the Jiving, 
 is to have an end put to the natural life, which is 
 ordinarily done by death ; but cutting off, here^ 
 lignifies to be taken away, not in an ordinary, 
 but in an extraordinary way, to.be removed by 
 a violent death, by the ftroke of juftice. 
 
 We may fhortly take thefe two obferves here, 
 for the confimation of two articles of our faith ; 
 looking on it, 1 .As a prophecy , we may oblerve, 
 c That ourLord Jefus behoved to fuflferand die.' 
 it was prophefied of him , That he Jh:uid be cut 
 off cut (j the land of the living ; and Dan. 9. 
 26. it is plainly and. clearly aiferted, that the 
 Msjfiab jhall be cut cff\ which being compared 
 with the hiftoryof the gofpel, we have it as a 
 truth fulfilled ; for our ^ord Jefus was cut oif, 
 and as he himfelf fays, Luke 24 // behoved him, 
 to fuffer \thefe things ^and to enter into his glory. 
 
 Verfe 8. U§ 
 
 Andfuppofmgtheeleft to be finners,and the curfe 
 to be added to the covenant of works, The day 
 thou eats tbcu jhalt furely die \ fuppoflng alfothc 
 Mediator to have engaged, and undertaken to fa- 
 tisfy juftice,and undergo that curfe for the eleft; 
 there was a neceffity that he fhould die, as it is, 
 Gal. 3.13* Cbriji hath redeemed us from the curfe 
 of the law, being made a curfe for us ; which 
 curfe was evident in his death, for it is written. 
 Cur fed is every one that hangetb on a tree. 
 
 2.0bferve, 'That our Lord Jefus behoved to 
 * die a violent death, and not an ordinary natural 
 c one,' which this expreffion,and that other, Van- 
 9. clearly holds forth. And, confidering his fin- 
 lefs nature that was not liable to death, and that 
 he had not thefe principles of his dying in him, 
 difpofing him to die, that we fmful miferable 
 mortals have in us ; and confidering withal, that 
 the Lord Jehovah was (to fpeak fo) purfuing 
 him as finners Cautioner at the bar of juftice ; 
 it was meet, yea necefiary, that our blefled Lord 
 fhould not die an ordinary dearh,as men die or- 
 dinarily, through weaknefs or iicknefs on theit 
 beds, but a violent death. 
 
 ; UfeAt fer ves to be a confirmation of this truth* 
 that the MefTiah behoved thus to die ; therefore 
 we fay in the Belief, He fuffered under VonimiPi* 
 IsLtCywas crucified. dead and buried : Which fhews, 
 1. The reality of his fatisfaftion, and the com- 
 
 J)leat payment that he made to juftice, when he 
 ays down that price which the finner ought to 
 have laid down. 2* It fhews the reality of out 
 Lord's fuflferings,and that they were not imagina- 
 ry, but that as he was a real and true Man, fo his 
 fufferings Were moft real ; his fou! was feparate 
 from his body, tho' the union betwixt both his 
 body and foul and the Godhead continued ftilL 
 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of 
 our faith in this, that our Lord Jefus is the Mef- 
 fiah that was prophefied of and promifed,inwhom 
 all the furFerings in his foul and body that were 
 fpoken of, to go before his death, were accom- 
 plifhed, and in whom this was alio accomplifh- 
 ed, that he was cut eff cut cf the land cf the li- 
 ving 5 fo that, ii" we look rightly on the icrip- 
 tures, our Lord's fuflferings*will be fo far from 
 being matter of ftumbling, that they will rather 
 be a clear, convincing, and evident proof that 
 Jefus of Nazareth is the true Alefliab, and tly.it 
 in him, all that was fpoken concerning the Mejfiab 
 is fulfi'led and came to pa's. 
 
 4. It's matter o^'great confolation to believers, 
 
 that our Lord Jefus, who is now exalted, died, 
 
 and 10 death is fpolied, and there ne^ds not be 
 
 any great fear for them to yoke with it. This 
 
 Z land 
 
Sjo Ifaiah «)3. 
 
 land of the living is not their red, within a little 
 they muft be gone hence : Our Lord was cut off 
 from it, and that by a ihauieful death, for the 
 behoof and fake of others, and not for himfelf *, 
 and therefore his death cannot but be made forth- 
 coming for them for whom he underwent it, and 
 their petty Tuff-rings need not much to vex 
 them : Thefe plained truths, that are molt or- 
 dinary, have in them mod of fpiritual fap, juice 
 and lire, to drengthen faith, and to furnifh con- 
 fo!at : on to b-lievers •, and if they were rightly 
 underdood, and fed upon by faith, O how lively 
 might they be ! And were there no more but 
 thete two words in' th; text, O how much confo- 
 lation do they yield in life and in death ! Our 
 Lord is gone before believers, and they may be 
 greatly heartned to follow him. 
 
 The lad part of, or the lad thing in, the words, 
 feems to have fome more obfeurity in it ; and 
 therefore Wc lliall infill the more in opening up 
 of the tune. 
 
 ■ Tor the tranfgreffi. n of my people was he flricken: 
 Thefe words do not look to the reafon why Pilate 
 and the prieds condemned him, for they had no 
 thoughts of the fins of God's people ; tho' Caia 
 p-has (tumbled, as to himfelf, by guefs on a pro- 
 phecy of his dying for them : But they give a 
 reafon why he was cut off cut of the land of the 
 living, and look to the court and' tribunal of 
 God's judice, before which he was (landing, by 
 which he was to be fentenced to death for the 
 tvanfgreffions of God's people,and alfo abfolved £ 
 lie was thus flricken in refpeft of God's -purpofe 
 apd defign. 
 
 For clearing of the words, it may be enquired, 
 i.VV'hat is meant here by my people ? 3. What is 
 ac.to bzfltUken or fmitten for them ? 
 
 For the i ft, My people, it is a difcriminating or 
 differencing of fome from others : And therefore, 
 by my people here, is not meant, r.All the world, 
 or all that ever lived and had a being ; we find 
 r.o: any where in (cripture that thefe are called 
 my pecple, or God's people: but whenever #?y 
 people is fpoken of, it is ufed to rid marches be- 
 twixt his peop)e>and other people that are not his, 
 as *}oh> 10.26,27. Te believe not,becaufeye are net 
 cf r myjheep ', my free p hear my vcise, and J know 
 tfyeM.which fuppofeth that i'ome arehis,and others 
 not fo his; : nd (o my people cannot be all the world. 
 Neither, 2. Can it be meant of the whole vifible 
 Church, who, in refpeft ef the external ad mini-' 
 {i ration of the covenant, are foms times called his 
 people, as all Ifrael are : There is a narrower 
 march or boundary- drawn, *fcbn 10. 26, 
 8 the Lord,' fpeaking of them that were 
 «nly ext$raa% in covenant, with him, fays* 
 
 V-erfe «. Serm. 31. 
 
 Te are not my fleep, to fhew that his recko- 
 ning there mull not go upon external profeffion: 
 And, verfe 16. fome that were not for the time 
 profeffing t'bemfelves to be his people, are recko- 
 ned; Other Jbeep lhave+ which are not ofthisfoid,: 
 them alfo 1 mujt bring in. Nor, 3. Can it be limi- 
 ted to them that were actually converted and be- 
 lievers ; for he fays (as I juft now hinted)tbat he 
 hath other fl>eep,tbat are net yet brought inland he 
 is faid to gather together into one ike children of 
 God that were fcattered abroad, John 1 1. 52. So 
 then,by my people, muft be underdood thefe who 
 in God's eternal purpofe are ieparate by the de^ 
 cree of eleftion to be his own, even thefe whom 
 he hath chofen to glorify himfelf in and by them 
 through his grace, and to glorify their, with 
 himfelf; even thefe fpoken of, febnij. 6. Thine 
 they were, and thou, gavefl them me ; they are 
 the people who were tranfacred tor in the cove- 
 nant of redemption, and that were given by the - 
 Father to the Son, to be redeemed by him ; it 
 was for their fins, even for the fins of the eleel, 
 that our Lord Jcfus was dricken. 
 
 As for the 2d, fl hat is it to be flricken for their 
 trcrtfgrejfien? The meaning is, The meritorious 
 Caufe of rheir drake was on Chrid. which inti- 
 mates to us, that-his lurrerings and death were 
 procured by the fins of the elect of God ; his 
 ftroke, or the droke that was u,pon him s the 
 word is) was the amends that -jo-dice got for their 
 fins: In a word, the droke that the elects fins pro- 
 cured and merited, tock him out cf\or away from) , 
 the land of the living, brought him to prifon and. 
 to judgment, and made his joul an offering f~r 
 fin. Neither can this be othenyays underdood ; 
 for it is not faid that for their good, or for their 
 . behoof only, or to be an example and pattern of 
 patience only toth-m, he was dricken, as fome 
 grofly erroneous and prophanemen expound the 
 words ; but for their tranfgrejfton was he ftric- 
 £c#,.that is, it was their guilt, which he having 
 undertaken and engaged to l.atisfy for, made 
 him liable to this (Indite. 
 
 In this part of the words, thus opened up, we 
 have two notable points concerning the covenant 
 of redemption, 1. The party for whom it is con- 
 trived and intended, and that is the elect or God's . 
 people ; it is net ail the world, cor all the vifible 
 Church-members. that God tranfadlcd for in the 
 bargain with the Mediator, but my people, the 
 eleci of God ; they -were fo confidtred in the 
 trinfae-hon and in the execution. 2. The great 
 price that was fought or required,' that was offe- 
 red, and that was agreed upon for the redemp- ■ 
 tion of the ele<&,- to wit, the death of the Medi- 
 ator* , 
 
.Serm. 31. If at ah 
 
 ator, even his dying the curfed death of the 
 crofs: This is the fum, for the tranlgreflions of 
 .God's people, the ftroke was upon him ; God's 
 dciign being to glorify his ftrace in the falvation 
 •of lo many, iin having interveened to bring them 
 under the curie. There is upon the one fide the 
 .Lord's giving of them to the Mediator to be re- 
 deemed by him, and upon itbe other fide the 
 ^Mediator's accepting of them on the terms pro- 
 ofed ; he -is content to fatisfy for them, to take 
 the ltrokeon himfelfdeferved by them, that they 
 may go free. Each of thefe may be confidered fe- 
 deral ways, for furnifhing of fweet Doctrines. 
 
 i. From the firllof.thol.>,Obferve, * That there 
 c are fome differenced from others in re.pect of 
 c God's purpofe, fome chofen of God for hispeo- 
 c pie, befide all the reit of the world.' For-fome 
 are here God's people ere they be bom, and ere 
 Chrift die for them, John 17. 16. Thine they were, 
 and thou gave ft them to me : They areluppofed 
 to be God's people in fome peculiar refpect, ere 
 they be given to Chrift to be redeemed by him. 
 In a word, the Lord hath an elect people, or a 
 people chofen to falvation in his eternal purpofe 
 -and decree, an elect people, or a people chofen 
 out of the world, which in this refpect are not 
 ins people, or are not elected. There are four 
 qualifications or properties in this Doctrine, 
 which will iervc to to clear it ; (1.) When we fay, 
 there is fuch a decree of election, we fay that it 
 is a difcriminating or differencing decree, where- 
 in or whereby there is a taking of fome, and not 
 all ; a taking of one, and leaving another •, a tak- 
 ing of I[aac, and a leaving of JfhmueJ, a taking 
 oi Jacob, ar.d a. leaving of ' Efau. as it is, Rom. 9. 
 And this discrimination or differencing, hath 
 thefe four iteps, 1. There is a differencing in 
 tGcd's purpoie, in refpect of the end, while all 
 .men are alike before him, fome are defigned to 
 eternal life, others not; therefore, Mat. 25. 34. 
 it's laid,- Come, yt blejjed of my Father, inherit 
 the kingdom prepared tor you from the found at i- 
 ef the world; and in this refpect the Booh of Life 
 is laid to be opened, Riv.20. 12. 2. This dif- 
 ferencing is in refpect of God 3 s offering and giv- 
 ing of them ^0 the Mediator in the covenant of 
 redemption, wherein fome, not all, are given to 
 Chrilt, John 17. -2. That he Jhfiuldgive eternal 
 life to as many as th'U had given him cut of the 
 world; where it is clear, that io many are given 
 to him, in reference to whom he is to exercifehis 
 offices. 3. There is a differencing in refpeel: 
 of Chrift's undenak : ng and executing his offices 
 for them, he accepts of them, John 17.9. For their 
 fakes / JantFify my JelflhzvG feparated my felf 
 to the oifcee oi Mediator, and offer my felf for 
 
 ►f$. Verfe 8. Iff 
 
 hem, that they alfo may be fantlifed ; and I pray 
 
 for them J pray not for the world \ it's of them that 
 he maketh that fweet account, John 6. 39. This h 
 the Fathers will that fent me, that of all that hs 
 hath given me, Ifyould lofe nothing, but jboufd 
 raifett up again at the laft day ; and of whom he 
 fo\th,John\c.2%,2C}.Igive unto them eternal life, 
 and they Jball never perifij, neither Jl;all any man 
 pluck them out of my hand: He anfwers and is 
 accountable for them, and for them only ; ha wrll 
 count for no other, as. being redeemed by him,and 
 to be be made partakers of his glory. 4- This dif- 
 ferencing is in refpect of the promifes made u- 
 pon God's part to the Mediator in favours ofthe 
 elect, and ofthe benefits that flow to them from 
 the covenant : He hath not promifedto juftify all, 
 nor to make all believe, but fome only : He, as it 
 were, faith to the Mediator, Thefe I give thee to 
 be redeemed by thee, and on the laying down of 
 thy life, and iatisfying for them, I promife to 
 make thrm believe, and that through faith in thee 
 they fhall be juftifiedj therefore faith Chrh\,John 
 6. 44. Murmur not among your [elves \ m ma"* 
 can come unto me, except the Father who hath fent 
 me draw him. And who are they that fhall be- 
 lieve on him P See v. 37. All that the Father hath 
 given me,fiall come unto me, and him that com- 
 eth I will in no wife cafl him out, but will make 
 him dearly welcome; and v. 4<. Every ens that 
 hath heard and learned ofthe Father, comethun* 
 to me-, and John 17. 2. That he Jhculd give etc,'' 
 nallife to as many as thou haft given him : Thus 
 ye fee what was meant, when we call this a dif- 
 ferencing decree. (2.) We fay, that it is a definite 
 decree, both in refpect ofthe number numbred, 
 that is, about fo many, and no more, and not all ; 
 and in refpect ofthe number that numbers, fuch 
 a man and fuch a woman in particular, in fuch a 
 place, and not fuch another perfon ; they are all 
 particularly designed, and are therefore fafd to 
 be written in the Lamb's Book of Life : It is not 
 all who are forefeen to believe who are elected, as 
 
 - if election did follow believing, as thecaufe of the 
 decree ; but it's inch a number whom the Lord 
 enga ;eth to the -Mediator to draw, to teach ar.d 
 "make th-.: mix- lie vers. (3.) w ^ &>' && a decree 
 that is free, as to all meritin them wbomitrcach- 
 efh; and it's free in thefe three refpects. 1. In 
 refpect of any thing in trie perfon or per ions elect- 
 ed, who are fuppofed to be lyini as the red: of 
 worldj therefore it's faid or Jacob and Efazt 9 
 Rom. ,9. 11. The children being n t yet born, nei- 
 ther having done good or evil, that the purpofe 
 God according to election migot [land «c. 
 That is, God refpected not the doing good 
 £ 2 or 
 
172 lfaiah <53. 
 
 ©r evil, in his elefting of the one, and patting 
 by the other. 2. In relpeft of Chrift's fatisfa&i- 
 on and redemption, which prefuppoleth this de- 
 cree to be, and is the mids by which it is accom- 
 plifhed ; fo that we are redeemed,becaufe we are 
 elected :Tbe ele& were God's people,when Chrifl 
 did undertake and engage for them \ and in this 
 refped election is a fountain-grace, and Chrift's 
 death is not the caufe of election, tho' it be the 
 caule of all the benefits that follow upon it. 
 3. It's free, in refpeft of God's ablolute fove- 
 reignty, who ads herein according to the pur- 
 pole oi his own will, having no reafon without 
 hlrrifelf, as it is clear, Matth. 11. Even f), fa- 
 ther, becauje it feemed good in thy fight r And 
 Epb. 1. li. Being predeftinate according to the 
 purpofe of him, rvbo wcrketh all things according 
 to the counftl of bis own will : As the Potter hath 
 power over the clay, and makes of the lame lump 
 one veffel to honour, and another to diihonour,as 
 he pleaieth ; fo the Lord a&s moft lovercignly in 
 the decree of election. (4.) .We fay, that this de- 
 cree is ab folate and peremptory, which is not Co to 
 be underftopd, as if it admitted of no midfes in 
 the execution of it : But this is the meaning, 
 that the performing and bringing about thereof 
 depends on nothing without God, neither can it 
 be poffibly fr unrated ; thefe fheep can never be 
 plucked out of his hand, neither can they ever 
 pcrifh, but muft needs all and every one of them 
 actually enjoy that which is decreed for them 
 by his decree ; elfe they could not be called God's 
 people, if they might not be his. Thus ye fee 
 what is the meaning of thefe words, my people, 
 that is, his ele& people, in or by the decree ot 
 election.. 
 
 I ihall lhortly give you fome few grounds from 
 fcripture,to clear and confirm this truth ; the \ft 
 whereof is taken from the names that the people 
 of God get, from the expreflions that are ufed in 
 making mention of them in fcripture, which will 
 infer all that hath been faid; as namely,They are 
 called my fheep,, John 10. his iheepthat he knows, 
 as it were, by head-mark, by name and firname, 
 which cannot but be his. They are called the els- 
 StsPn of grate, Rom. 11. 5. At this prefent time 
 there is a remnant, according to the elellion of 
 grzee ; and v. 7. The elefticn.hatb obtained, and 
 the reft were blinded' It's impoffib'e but the e- 
 left. muft obtain, there being an infeparable con- 
 nexion betwixt the decree and the end thereof: 
 They are laid to be written in the Lamb's fack.cf 
 Jiff before the foundation of the world, before 
 there was any mention of themfelves, or con- 
 federation of ought in themfelves : They are faid 
 ffthejoved and beloved, and ordained to eter- 
 
 Verfe 8. Serm. 3 r. 
 
 nal life, A&s 13. 48. As many as were ordained 
 to eternal life .believed; where believing is made 
 a fruit and effe&.of this- decree of ele&ion, it's fo 
 far from being a caufe thereof :. They are called 
 bleffed of the father, Mat. 25. and thefe whom he 
 b!eifeth,cannot but be bleiTed; They are called fuch 
 as are given toChrift, holding forth a peculiar dif- 
 ferencing of them fromothcrs : They are called 
 phe* people, whom he foreknew and predtftinated, 
 Rom. 8. 29. Wbom-he did foreknow, them be did 
 predeftinate, &c. and Rcm.i i.i.Gcd bath n t caff 
 away bis people whom be foreknew : Every one 
 was not fo foreknown ;* for Chritt will fay to ma- 
 ny at the great day, Depart frcm me, I never 
 knew you. Titles and names of this kind are fre- 
 quent in the fcripture, whereby God dirRrc.n- 
 ceth fome from. others ; which hath its rife from 
 God's, purpofe & decree of eledtion. A id ground 
 is taken from the op po fit ion which the fcripture 
 maketh betwixt the eLfft and others who are not 
 elected, which lhews -clearly thatekdhon cannot 
 be understood of all, as if there were a gener-al 
 and conditional ele&ion : Herce it's faid, jacob 
 have. I loved, and Efau have 1 bated ■ the ele- 
 cting of the one is ia^d ibregainii ti,e rejecting of 
 the other. ; fo, John 10. the Lord fays of fome, 
 that they are his fheep, and of others, ihey are 
 nst my fheep j and Rom. 9. the auoftle t'peaks of 
 Come fo mi veffels of mercy which are bef.re pre' 
 pared for. glory and of fome vejjels of wrath fitted 
 for deftrulYnn\ and 2lim. 2. 21. fome are faid to 
 be vfffels ofbencur, fome of difoonour ; fome are 
 ordained to eternal life, Acts 1 5. and f,me are or- 
 dained of eld to that deftruilicn.as^ude fpeaketh; 
 fome are written in tbeLambsbock of /i/tf,and fome 
 not,.R;?v.2o.And wherefore is all this tpokeni but 
 to let us know that God hath freely and Sovereign- 
 ly in his decree put a difference betwixt iome 
 and others, which as it began (to fpeak fo) in 
 God's eternal purpofe, fo it will continue in the 
 event.. Which is a ^d ground of confirmation •; 
 and it will be clear,if we compare God's purpoie 
 and decree with the event and e fifed ; for as a 
 thing is in the event and effe&, fo God intended 
 and purpofed in his decree it mould be : thus the 
 Lord's final Sentence at the day of judgment, is 
 but the refult of his eternal purpofe ; the book of 
 life, containing the names of all the eled. was 
 written (to fpeak fo) before the eleel: exifted ; 
 And as it's faid, ARs 15. Known unto God arc 
 all bis works from the beginning, fo in a fpecial 
 manner and peculiar way this great work of I 
 redemption was, and they that were to be re- 
 deemed, particularly known and written down 
 in the book of God's decree of election ; hence 
 it's faidjtt?/H, u. 7„ifrael batb wtebtained that 
 
Serm. 31. J f atab 53- 
 
 »A/V6 &? Jeekethfor, but the eleftion hath obtai- 
 ned ; and ?chn.6. -tf. All that the Father hath 
 given me, fhall come unto me \ and John 10. 28. 
 J give myjheep eternal life) and they-fball never 
 perifh. 1 here is, R m. 8. 30. a concatenation and 
 linking together of things from God's purpofe 
 and decree of ele&ion, even to eternal glory, 
 which is the relultofele&ion : And it being very 
 clear that fomeare admitted and owned by Chritfc 
 in the great day, and others not \ this is alfo clear, 
 that there was a differencing decree betwixt thefe, 
 fo admitted and owned, before the world was, 
 and otheis not lo owned and admitted ; efpecial- 
 \y confidering that this differencing at the great 
 day or' judgment is drawn from the decree of 
 ele£ion,Af*frt. 25. Come, ye bleffed of my Father, 
 inherit the kingdom prepared fr you bej.rc the 
 foundation of the wcrtd vcas laid ; as if the Lord 
 had laid, 1 here was a pu.pole and defign of 
 bringing you to heaven before the world was, 
 A 4th ground is tiken from the nature of God's 
 covenant of redemption, which holds ckarly forth 
 the truth of this tiodtnne con:ernin^ election in 
 all the tleps ofit: As, 1. In God's making the of- 
 fer and gift of fome to the Mediator ; it's only 
 feme that he gives, and not all. 2. In ChrilVs 
 acceptation of the offer and gift : He prays for 
 fome, he fandifies himfelf for Come, and for fome 
 he counts, and not for all. 3. There is not a- 
 promife in all the covenant of redemption, whe- 
 ther it be of grace or of glory, bur it is intend- 
 ed for the eleel: only, and not for all ; J give unto 
 them eternal lije, and theyjhall never perijh, Jo. 
 10. Thy people jball be willing in the day ofthyporo* 
 er, Plal. 1 10. 3. Chrift's undertaking is for them 
 only, John 10. Other • fteep I have, which are not 
 of this fid, them alfo I muft bring in ; there is 
 a necefluy in the bringing in of them and of no o- 
 thers, becaufe he undertook for them and for no 
 others. We the rather take notice of, and infill 
 fo much on this, becaufe it will much ferve to 
 clear the following do&rine concerning the re- 
 demption of the eleeV,forif there be a diiferen- 
 cing of them from others by the decree of electi- 
 on, then there mu ft be a differencing of them 
 from others^ inChnft's laying down of his life 
 for them, and not for any others: election is the 
 key of all ; there is* fuch a people, and they are> 
 the object of the covenant of redemption, whofe 
 good is. fought' after and agreed upon therein; 
 and not for any other." 
 
 life 1. It fervesfor the confirmation of a weigh- 
 ty truth, and we woutd'have you not to think 
 little of any piece of truth.. We (hall not here fol- 
 low the fubtile cavillings of adverfaries againft 
 tins-truth, only; we would have- you •copfirmedia 
 
 Verfe 8. 175 
 
 the raith of it; for, 1 . If ye be not clear and eftabli- 
 fhed in the faith of this truth, ye will be in great 
 hazard, not only to make mudy, but to obllruft 
 and ftopthe whole current and traft of grace, fo 
 that grace fhall be a common thing, heaven and 
 happinefs fhall go by gut Is, redemption fhall be . 
 univerlal, CSV. but let this truth be once Well efta- 
 blilhed. that God hath a peculiar people fop 
 whom the Mediator tranfa&ed, and thefe errors 
 fall to the ground and evanilh ; for it is the love 
 of election from which all the reft of the benefits 
 that come to the ele<ft flow, and this lovers pecu^ 
 liar, therefore there cannot be a common applicav 
 tion of it ; it's the peculiarnefs of graee that com- 
 mends it to the fouls of believers, and makes if 
 wonderful to them : That God ihould have ta- 
 ken notice of them, that were by nature feparate 
 from God as well as others \ that their cafe being, 
 common, his love fhould be peculiar, is indeed 
 juft and great matter of wonder : hence comes in 
 thatfong, Rev. 5. 9. Thou haft redeemed us tcr 
 Cod, by thy blood, cut cf every kindred, and 
 tongue, qnd people, and nation *, not all ofe- 
 very nation, people, tongue and kindred are re- 
 deemed, but lome out of every one of thefe. 
 Let this then be taken for a folid truth, that the' 
 Lord in his eternal purpofe hath made a diffe-- 
 renceand feparationof fome from others, which 
 is the great ground of the title that God hath to 
 thefe lome. 
 
 2. Cfearnefs in this truth, ferves to keep the* 
 hearts of God's people in aw of him, to lift him- 
 up very high in their efteem, as Sovereign over 
 the creature : and if any fhould quarrel with God" 
 and fay, Why did God fo? that of the apoftler 
 comes well in for an anfwer, Who art thou, Oman* 
 that replieft againft G:d ? it's his fovereign plea- 
 fure, who isfupreme Potter, and hath ptrvcer ever 
 the clay, to make cne veffd to honour \ and ano- 
 ther to diJJ/cnour. W : hen the foul doth thus raker 
 up God as* having all mankind - before him as a' 
 lump of clay, and choofmg out of it, and writ- 
 ing up one man and not another, itrmift needs, 
 in a tranfport of admiration, fay, O what a great 
 and fovereign God mud he be, who did deter-- 
 mine and write down the eternal condition of 
 men before ever the world was ! 
 
 3. This, to the people of GocF. (i.) Preacnetft 
 wonderful grace, when they, having gotten their 
 calling and election made fure, come in and read:' 
 their names- in God's decree of election before 
 they had a being ; and. (2.) It is to them matter" 
 of exceeding great confolatton. 1. 1 fay it preach'*- 
 eth wonderful grace that freely choo^d them?, 
 and that, when thousands of great men and noble* - 
 
 jnea 
 
*74 Ijq'tah 53. 
 
 men were pafTed by, fu:h a poor body, that was 
 hah a tool in companion 'with them, fhould be 
 choL-n acjorcfing to that, 1 Cor, 1. Not many 
 wife after the flefb, not many mighty, n t many 
 fable bath God called, but he hzthcb fen the f.ol- 
 ifb things of the world, weak and bafe, and things 
 fffkt are not, to make them kings and priefts un- 
 to God and his Father, 2. It's matter of exceed- 
 ing great confolation to them, that it's free and- 
 fure: free, even lo tree,. that it Hops the moiath 
 ok boaiting ; for what, I pray, hath an elect more 
 to fpeak of as a ground or boafting than a Pagan 
 in America, ox one in hell ? Who made thee to 
 differ ? or what ,baft thou, man, that tbcu 
 haji not received < It's election that makes the 
 difference : And it's lure, for their falvation is 
 founded on God's purpole and decree, which is 
 the folid reft of a believer ; kindnefs began net. 
 on our fide, but on God's, t as Chrifc layj, Te 
 have not chofen me, but 1 have chofen you, John 
 15. 16. 
 
 4. It fays this, That all of you had need to 
 
 ■ make your calling and election lure ; that is the 
 Very hinge of believers consolation, even to have 
 the proof of it in your confeience, that ye are in- 
 rolled here, to get out the extract of tins decree, 
 that ye may lee and read your names in it : 
 Hence many ft reams of confolation flow out. If 
 it be lo with you, then ye were given to Chrift; 
 Chrift undertook to fatisfy juftice for.you; ye' 
 lhall get faith, and more- faith y ye fhall get re- 
 pentance and ianctifieation, and ye fliall get. hea- 
 ven and glory at the end of your courie* Jf it 
 he (aid, This is much, how ihall it be brought 
 about i we anfwer, It's not impoflible ; and to 
 make it out, take but two words, that are both 
 directions and marks, the practice whereof will 
 give a folid proof of your inrolment in God's 
 book, whence all thefe great and glorious things 
 have their rife. 1. Where there is a yielding to 
 
 -Chriti's call in the golpel, and a doling- with him, 
 that evidenceth election ; for it is certain, that 
 rone lhall, nor can come to Chrift, and believe 
 in him, but the elect ; and whoever are elected,- 
 inuft andihallcome, fooneror later, John6\ 37. 
 All that the lather giv^ih me, Jhall,com.e untpt 
 ;-;?e ; and John 10. 4, His jbeep frlhw him, and 
 hiom his voice \ they accept of and make welcome 
 ChriftVs call in the gofpel, and they that accept 
 of it are eltfcl : lb that there is no need of any 
 sew revelation about the matter, neither needs 
 
 Verfe 8. .. ^ Senn.32. 
 
 there any torturing anxiety tokriow,how to coma 
 by thy name in the roll of the elect ; try it by. 
 this, If thou hart given obedience to the call of 
 the Gofpel ;if thou haft, invthe fenfe of thy need 
 of a Saviour, fled unto Jefus Chrift, and on his 
 own terms doled with him, by this thy tenure 
 or holding is fure, and by this thou haft an evi- 
 dence that thou art an elect ; for his fheepcome 
 unto him, and hear his voice : And as many of 
 you as foundly believe on him, and have betaken 
 your felves to him for life and ialvation, have the 
 feal and witneis in your felves, that your names 
 were in God's roll and book before the world was: 
 But if this be not, debate, dispute and que ft ion 
 as ye will about it, whatever may be afterwards, 
 ye have no evidence for the time of your electi- 
 on. 2. Vv here there is real holinefs, or a real 
 ftudy and endeavour to be holy and- more holy, 
 it is an evidence of election, and of a perfon's 
 being inrolledin the volume of the book of God's 
 decree; becaufe holim is is a fruit of election, as 
 is~c!e.ir, Fpb. 1. 4. According as he hath chojet* 
 us before the foundation of the world, that roe 
 Jbcula be holy 5 never a perfon is really holy, 
 but fu-h as God definged fhould be holy : To 
 this purpole, the apoftle having, iTim. 2. 21. 
 Ppoken of' election, The foundation of the Lord 
 flands [are, having this feal, the Lord knows 
 who are bis, anfi let every cne that names th& 
 name of ' Cbrifl depart from iniquity 5 but in a 
 great houfe are not only veJJ els cf gold, See* he 
 lubjoins, Jf a man therefore purge bimfelf frc'm 
 thefe, he foqll be a vejjel unto honour, Jan3ified y 
 &c. Not that election dependeth on man's holi- 
 nefs, but by his holinefs he iha'l be manirefted 
 to be, and accounted an elect veflel, and m \y 
 warrantably conclude him'elf to be luch ; fo that 
 true holinelsbrings folk to be acquainted witlt 
 the great fecret of election, and gives them bold- 
 nefs to make the application of it. There is no- 
 thing that men readily defire more to know than 
 this, whether they be" elected or not ; liere is a 
 fure way to come by the knowledge o'l it, even to 
 ftudy to believe, and to be holy, and then we 
 may be confident that -our names were written 
 in the Lamb's book of life ;, but if we flight faith 
 in Chrift and.hoiinefs, whatever may be in (Sod's 
 purpofe about us, we have for prefent no ground 
 to conclude our election upon God himielffix 
 us in thefe things, that have fuch mighty conle- 
 quents depending on them. 
 
 ■ S \l R..M O N XXXII. ' 
 
 Ifahhliii. 3. He was taken from prifen, .and from judgment ; and who f>all declare his generation? 
 tor bs was cut off out of the land'ofibi living, fr tbs tranfgrefftoa of my people was bsftf-icUa. 
 
•Serm. 32.. Ijaiah ^3. 
 
 1""HE prophet hath been long in dei-cribing 
 Chrift's tufferings, and hath fhown what 
 height they came to, even to prifen and to \udg- 
 tnzat, and to death it felf, He was cut iff out of 
 the land of the living : Now he cafts in a word 
 to. fliew wherefore ali -this was, or what was the 
 procuring caufe that brought all this furfering 
 and forrow on Chrift, which alio was the end 
 that he had before him in it, in thefe words, For 
 tbetranfgrejfi.n of my people v;as he flricken. We 
 fliew that by my pe.ple here, was not meant all 
 men and women in the world, nay, not a'i men 
 who are externally called' in the viiible Church, 
 but his ele<ft only, thefe whom he hath cbofen to be 
 his people, and ieparatcd fromothers by an eter- 
 nal decree of eledlion ; we fliew alfb that thefe 
 words, fr the tranfgrefficn of my. people was he 
 ftriclen,, do not contain only a rt-alb.n of- Chrift's 
 extreme fuferings, even of his being brcught to 
 prifin andt, judgment before men, but alio, "and 
 mainly, of his being brought fo, before God, and ■ 
 of his being cut off: For the fins of God's people 
 are not laid to his charge before men, but -before 
 God they are -, and fo it docs imply an influence 
 that the fms of the -ele& had upon Chrift's (uffe- 
 rings, -and a refpeA that his fuferings had to 
 thtir fibs; the ele&s iins procured thefe furFerings 
 to him*, and his fufferings were undergone by 
 him, for the fatisfying of juftiee for their iins ; and 
 for the. removing of them. 
 
 I ihall not infill further in t}ie expofition of 
 the words, having opened them up the laft day, 
 but fhall hint at a few doctrines from them \ and 
 beca.ufe they are general and more doctrinal, I 
 ihall be the fhorter in fpeaking to them : 'i' ho' 
 it may be ye think not fo much of them, yet they 
 are not a little for your edification ; and if ye 
 Were fuitably fenfible of fin, and of your hazard, 
 there is no de&r.ine concerning 'the covenant of 
 redemption, but-it -\vould be.ufiiul and refresh- 
 ing to you. 
 
 T here are feveral things implied here, concer- 
 ning .the efficacy, of t.he price of Chrift's death, 
 and concerning the extent of it, as it's laid down 
 as a price foi the fins of the ele&, which I ihall 
 iirft paflingly touch upon, apd then come to 
 thefe doctrines that are more dire&ly held forth 
 in the words. 
 
 l_/?, Then, it is Implied, that there is a people 
 of God feparated from others, and chofenby him, 
 on who. 11 he intended and purpofed, before the 
 World was, to glorify his grace: The very de- 
 signation that they get here clears this ; it's my 
 people^, not only of the Jews**; nor my people only 
 of the Gentiles, but my people both of ^wj'and 
 fMatilisi as Chrift. fays, John 10. Other jbeep 
 
 Verfe S. tf$ 
 
 have I, which are not of this fold, them I mufi 
 bring in, 
 
 2dly > Tt is implied, that this decree of ele&ion 
 is antecedaneous to, and goes before the covenant 
 of redemption in order of nature : It flows net 
 from Chrift's death as the efFeft of it, but is pri- 
 or to it \ for if Chrift's death be the mean, or 
 price (as indeed it is; whereby the fins of God's 
 eleft people are fatisfied for, then the decree of 
 election muft preceed it. Only we would be- 
 ware to aferibc to God any priority or pofterib- 
 rity in his decrees in order of time \ for he is in- 
 finite in v»'ifdom and forefight, and able to look 
 on all things with one blink of beholding, and 
 f to decree tilings infinite in number at once, which 
 we cannot conceive of } *ior comprehend : But 
 this- we fay, That, confidering the order of 
 things, the decree of election is not a fruit or ef- 
 ■feft* of Chrift's death, but prior to it, and Chrift's 
 death follows as a mean to make it effectual ; he 
 is appointed to fare the elect from their fins, and 
 from that which their fins deferved, For the 
 tranfgrejfin of my people was he ftricken: They 
 were God's people by election before Chrift's 
 engagement to furfer and fatisfy for them, much 
 more before his actual fufFering ; and fo their 
 election cannot be a fruit and effect of his fuffe- 
 ring. 
 
 Ufe. It ferves to vindicate this truth from an » 
 error and miftake of the Arminians, who, as they 
 overthrow the defign of grace in the falvation of 
 finners, in other fteps thereof; fo do they in 
 this, in making Chrift's death to preceed ele&i- - 
 on, and election to follow it ; but, as we hinted 
 before, the decree of election is fovereign, being, 
 an act of grace_abfolutely free : The Lord in it 
 having defigned fome for manifefting V:c glory 
 of his grace upon them as the end, he hath taken 
 in Chrift's .death and' other midfes for the pro- 
 moving of it. 
 
 idly ft is implied here, that even the elector 
 God's people are confideredas finfui in the cove- 
 nant of redemption, For the tranfgreffim of my 
 people was he ftricken; they- were confidered as 
 finfui as well as others,, when they were bargain- 
 ed for. We need not difpute, whether they 
 were confidered as finfui in the decree of electi- 
 on, it not being heceffary in this place,, nor pro- 
 fitable for you ; but lure in Chrift's undertaking 
 for them they are confidered as finfui : Tor God 
 fer.t not Chrift, neither came he into the world, 
 to purchafe life and falvation to righteous folks ;. . 
 but he was -Cent and came to lay down his life a 
 ranfom fcr many, to wit finners ; and therefore 
 it is given as the reafon-of his name, Mat, 1. 21. 
 
 Tbcu-< 
 
176 Jfaiab 
 
 Thou Jhalt cat bis name Jefus, for bejhall fave 
 his people from their ft ns. 
 
 UJe 1. Jt lerves to humble the elect greatly, 
 who, whenever they come to get grace, they get 
 it moll: freely ; fox they were no better by nature 
 than others whom God pad by, as is clear, Epb. 
 2. 1. We were dead in trefpaffes and fins, and were 
 by nature children of wrath, even as others ; Pe- 
 ter and Paul were by nature children of wrath as 
 well as Judas ; and David was a child of wrath 
 .by nature as well as Saul, when this tranfacdon 
 concerning the work of redemption was agreed 
 upon, and concluded betwixt thefe moil refpon- 
 fa Parties. 
 
 2. It ferves alfo much for the encouragement 
 ,cf a believer, who is fenfible of fin, and afraid 
 •of wrath, and in that pofture betakes himielf to 
 Chrift for refuge : tho' his misbelief fhould make 
 him fay, with Peter, Depart from me, for J am a 
 fmful man, Lord ; yet this confideration may 
 hearten him to draw near, that Chrift v/asjirick- 
 gn for finners, for the tranfgreflions of his ele& 
 people : Yea, if there had not been fin, and if 
 the covenant of works had holden foot, there 
 needed not to have been a Saviour ; and therefore 
 iinners have here a folid ground to lay hold upon, 
 tor life and falvation. 
 
 And therefore, as a 3d Ufe of it, It is an unfafe 
 affertion, befide the curiofity of it, that Antino- 
 tnians maintain, winch is, That tho' man had 
 never fallen, yet Chrift would have become Man; 
 iorwefee here that Chrift's becoming Man, and 
 his being ftricken, flowed from his being Surety 
 for ele& finners ; and his being Surety flowed 
 from the covenant of redemption concerning e- 
 le& finners: To be wife without, or befide and 
 above what is written in the fciipture, it's vani- 
 ty, pride and folly. 
 
 A-tbly, It's implied here, that fin, wherever it 
 is, deferves ftrokes, even the fins of the cleft; yea 
 We may add this to it, that not only do the fins 
 of the ele& deferve ftrokes in themfelves. being 
 breaches of God's law, but that there is an actu- 
 al curfe ftanding againft them, till it be remo- 
 ved ; and God's threatning, The day thru eats 
 tboufoalt furely die, infers a necfflfity of ftrokes. 
 This we fay is clearly implied here, be^aufethe 
 Mediator, entering himfelf Surety for the elects 
 debt, behoved to be fmitten ; and whenne was fo 
 fmitten, Cure finmuft deferve much. We fpeaknot 
 of an abfolute nece/nty,but God having revealed 
 to man his duty, and addeda threatning, that in the 
 jd'y be {hould eat he fhould die, there is a necefli- 
 Xy in refpect of God's truth, faithfulness, and un- 
 ^Uamjeablensfs, who had ipoken the word, that 
 
 Verfe 8. . S erm . 3^; 
 
 ftrokes fhould follow fin 5 for fin cannot be re- 
 moved, till the threatning be fatisfied. 
 
 Ufe. This may point out to us, that fin is no 
 little nor light thing, neither is the obtaining of 
 pardon an eafy bufinefs, whatever men generally 
 think of them : There are many fad ftrokes that 
 follow fin, which will hotly purfue finners who 
 are not in Chrift ; O do not then think lightly 
 of fin, which is the fountain of fo much mifery 
 and wo to the finner: If ye knew how exceeding- 
 ly bitter wrath and the curfe is that follows fin, 
 ye would as loon put your head in the fire, as ye 
 would meddle with it ; if ye believed that word 
 to be true, which is in Exod. 34. He will by no 
 means clear the guilty, and if ye believed God'a 
 taithfulnefs that is engaged to make good his 
 threatnings, challenges for fin JTould be more 
 ftrong and flinging. 
 
 jtblj) It is implied here, that tho' the elects 
 fins deferve wrath, and that there muu> be a fa- 
 tisfaction ere they can be removed, that yet the 
 elect cannot fatisfy for themfelves : 1 or the tranf- 
 greffions of my people v>*sbeflrUien\ChriQ. beho- 
 ved to be fmitten, ere their fin could be remo- 
 ved. If the elect could have done their own 
 bufinefs, they needed not to have been fo much 
 in Chrift's common and debt, nor to hav« given 
 him thanks for his undertaking : But this is 
 brought intoholdforththecondefcendericyofhis 
 love, that when no other thing could do it, he 
 interpoled as Surety ; theabominablenefsof fin 
 was fo great, that the Majefty of God, his infi- 
 nite holinefs and his fpotlefs juftice being wrong- 
 ed, and the finite creature not being able to make 
 amends for the wrong done, did require this : 
 For all mankind, yea, all the holy angels, could 
 not fatisfy for the wrong done by one man to the 
 infinite God ; therefore he fciy*. I am the Savi- 
 our, and there is none elfe : He gives defiance 
 to all faviours befide himfelf, None can redeem 
 bis brother's foul from death ficr give a price fuf- 
 ficient fcr it. the redemption of it ceafethfor ever 
 among the creatures. 
 
 Ufe % Study then to be fuitably fenfible of this: 
 Ye nny poffihly think it to be but a common 
 doctrine, but alas ' ye walk not under the due 
 and deep conviction and fenfe of it ; hence it 
 comes to pafs, that fo few think themfelves in 
 Chrift's common, and that fo few -.Take their 
 addrefs to him. Ask the moil part, now they 
 think thry will win to heaven ? They will rea- 
 dily name many tilings and ways, ere they light 
 on Chrift and faith in him ; if they have done 
 a fault, they fay they will make amends, or they 
 will pray for pardon, and they think that 
 
 will 
 
Serm. 32. V atab 53- 
 
 will do the turn:Suchhare this language in effect, 
 that either there is no need of fatisiactionior fin, 
 or that they can fatisfy for themlVlves. 
 
 6tbiy, It is implied here, that tho* the elect have 
 (inned, and cannot .fatisfy for themfelves, yet it 
 is neceflfary that a fatisfaction be provided for 
 them : I do not fay fimply,that whoever hathfin- 
 ned muft have a fatisfaelicn made for them ; 
 for the Lord hath left legions of angels, and ma- 
 ay tboufands of reprobate men and wornc ^with- 
 out hope of a Saviour, or of a fatisfaction ; But, 
 confidering God's purpofe to bring many fons 
 to g'ory, and his decree of elte>ion which muft 
 Pceth iland, ana that the elects names are writ- 
 ten in the book of life \ it is impoffible that they 
 car ly ftill under the curfe, but mull be fatisfied 
 for, and rt cV n d tot m it : I 1 r the tranjgref 
 f n f my peiple was beftricben: My people have 
 Aimed, and mull -be redeemed. On fuppofition 
 or ihr decree of ekclion, our Lord undertook 
 (Hat ztfH work ; the eietl cannr.t perifh. fin can- 
 n t draw them utterly away from God: Not only 
 fiiall no externals, fuch as devils or men, perfe- 
 cuton, tribulation, 15 c. be ahJe to come betwixt 
 them and lire, but not fn it felt that is within 
 them ; his decxce,b; \r 6 peremptor> mutt Hand, 
 as he fay%,fiAm 10. I have itbet jheep, which are 
 vet cf this fid, them alfo 1 muft bring in : God's 
 purpoie canrot be frustrated noraltcnd, there- 
 fore of neccility their fins mud be latisfied for. 
 
 ytbly, it's implied here.thar for this ehd,to*tt, 
 that the el eel might be raved from fin, and that 
 God's decree of eleclion might iland fur •, Chrift 
 Jefus became Surety, and d.d undertake to Ltis- 
 fy for their fins; otherways he cou'd not have 
 been liable to be ftricken for them, if he had n/ot 
 become Surety for them. That he was for the 
 tranfgreffion of God's people (Irickc n.fays plainly 
 that he was engaged for them, as it \h.Heb. 7.22. 
 Jfe was made Surety rf a better tcftament ; and 
 Pjal. 40.7. Then J "aid /,L«,I come \in the volume 
 tftby berk it is written if me* I delight to do thy 
 toill.O my dd : Thefe things being fpo ken af- 
 ter the manner of, and borrowed from, the bar- 
 gainings or traniacVons that ufe to be amongfl 
 men, we may cenceive the bufinefs thus, (hinted 
 before )There is theFather'srefufingor fomewhat, 
 Sacrifice and cfering tb r u didjl net defire\ and his 
 propi-fing of another thing, and that is. that the 
 Mediator would engage tor the eleel- : And upon 
 the other fid*-,thereis the Mediator's off; r to un- 
 dertake, and his aclual undertaking and accep- 
 ting of the Father's propofa!;w hen fa orifices and 
 offerings^ 1 hen thouf-nds of rams, and ten thou- 
 sand rivers of oil vill not do it Lo. J come, fefth 
 he: And then, for a concluiion of the bargain 
 
 Verfe 8. ijy 
 
 and tranfaclion, there is the Father's accepting 
 of his undertaking, he is content to take bis (uf- 
 ferings as the price for the eleelsdebt; hence, 
 John 17. he faith Thine tbeywere.and tbcugavefl 
 them me, that is.thine they were by eltclion,and 
 thou gaveft them me to be redeemed by me; and 
 Heb. 10. 10. it's laid, that it is by this will that 
 we are fanttfcd, that is, by the will of the 
 I ather, that the Son fhould be Surety. 
 
 Ufe. Look upon the work of redemption as a 
 great, gracious, and glorious work ; about the 
 de/ignin^ and contriving whereof the Father. 
 Son, and Holy Ghoft were occupied (tofpeakf© 
 with reverence) before the world was : He might 
 have made worlds of angels, and of ilnSefs men 
 and women at a word, and ytl he hath graci- 
 oufly condefcended to this way for redeeming 
 of the poor eleel. V\ e are, alas ! finfully difpoftd 
 to think little of the (alvaticn and redemption 
 of a foul ; but it is a great matter in God's ac- 
 count, the deepil ot whole confutation (to fay 
 fo) is taken up about it, and in the contrivance 
 whereof the manifold wildom of God confpicu- 
 oufly (bir.eth fcrth ; and as in other things there- 
 in, fo in this, that there was an anciert underta- 
 king ar.d engaging by Jcfus Chi ill in the room 
 "ot the eleel as tneir Surety. 
 
 &bIy>V> hile it is faid,Fw the tranfgreffen of my 
 pecple was he cut off and ftricken. it implies, that 
 Chriltjin his undertaking tor the elect,did ob ige 
 himljlf to undergo all thefe fuflferings that were 
 due to them, and even the fuffcrings or acurfed 
 death, Which was the curfr threatrnj againfl man 
 ft)T fin, The day th^u eats th u fbait furtly die : 
 And tho* Chrilr. becoming Surety and Cautioner, 
 the 1 arty is altered, yet the price is ilill conti- 
 nued to be the fame, as is clear, Gal. 3. 11. He 
 was made a curfe for us, that the bUffing of A- 
 hraham might c.me 01 us GentiJies i whereby 
 the jufticeot God is vindicate, and he hath ac- 
 cefs to fhew merjy to the elect, without any 
 the leall imputation to it. Kay, this way fs 
 more for the vindicating of God's juftice, and 
 for the making of his faithfulnefs to fhine, that - 
 Chrift became Man, and died for the elect, 
 than if the curfe had lighted and lien on all the 
 elect thefn r elves, and it is a greater awband'on 
 finners againll fin: I fay again,that thereby the 
 pure and Ipotltls juftice ot God is more vindi- 
 cated, ami his faithfulnefs more dtmonftrated, 
 when he will needs fo f verelj .ard with lio much 
 holy rigidity, exa t of the Cautioner the elects 
 debt to the 'eall farthing, than if they had fur* 
 ftred themelves eternally. It fhev s forth alfo 
 both the maniiold wildom and riches of the 
 A a free 
 
17* Jfaiab $$. 
 
 free grace of God : There being a decree of e- 
 lection, for faving of many, and for bringing 
 them to glory *, and tbey being under fin, 
 there is another decree and threatning that goes 
 forth for cnrfing the finner : And thefe two tee- 
 ming to he altogether irreconcileable, the que- 
 ilion comes in on the one hand, How is it pof- 
 fible that a finner under the curfe can be laved ? 
 And upon the other hand, How is it poilible 
 that an elect of God can be damned ? The wif- 
 dom of God loofeth the knot ; fpotlefs juftice 
 is fatisfied, by taking hold of, and. falling on the 
 Cautioner : Wonderful grace and love vent 
 themfelves in pardoning the finner, and ace p 
 ting of a ranfom for him ; and manifold wildom 
 manifeftsit lelf in knitting thele two together, 
 fo as none of them can want its effect .; but all 
 turns to the manifestation oi' the &lory of grace 
 in the up-lhort : It cannot be that the elect lhall 
 be damned, yet here ftands the threatning of 
 a ju ft God, and his curfe ready to be execute : 
 but here is the reconciliation ; the curfe is ex- 
 ecute on the Mediator, whereby God fh^s 
 him.felf to be a hater of fin, and an avenger of 
 the v^rong done to his juftice ; and the elect fin- 
 ner is pardoned, whereby God manifefteth the 
 freedom of his grace, and his wonderful conde- 
 scending love. 
 
 But now we come to a 6th Doftrine, which is 
 more directly held forth in the words, and it 
 hath two branches, 'That our Lord Jefus his 
 • death and fufferings is a proportionable price 
 'and fatis fact ion laid down for the fins of the elect, 
 'and for them only:* This is in the exprefs words 
 of the prophet. If the queftion be asked, Where- 
 fore futfered Chrift all this T He anfwers,He fuf- 
 fered it as a price for tranfgreflion : If it be asked 
 again, For whom, or for whofe tranlgreflion did 
 he fuffer ? He anfwers, Not for all men and wo- 
 men in the world, but for the tranfgreffi n cf my 
 people was be f\ricVzn y or the ftroke was on him 
 for their tranfgreflions. Thefirft branch of the 
 doctrine is to this purpofe, That (Thrift's furfer 
 xing is intended to fatisfy for the tranlgreflion 
 of God's elected people, and with refpect to 
 fatisfy ing for their fins did he furfer : And it 
 ■we take thefe to be truths that we marked be- 
 fore, as iijlplied in the words, this will native? 
 ly and neceffirily- follow ; if he engaged to be 
 Cautioner and Surety for the elects debt, then 
 his laying down his life muft be on the fame ac: 
 county and for the fame end : Now, when we 
 fpeak of Chrift's laying down a price to fatisfy 
 for the tranfg^elTions of the, elect, we mean 
 inot only this,, that his furfi rings and death have 
 a.valuc in therflfeJyes to latisfy i©r. their fies,biit; 
 
 Verfe 8;. Serm. ?2. 
 
 that they are fo intended by him in undergoing 
 of them, and that they are io accepted of God, 
 according to his purpofe, and according to the 
 tranfaction that pall betwixt Jei tovah and the 
 Mediator: They are not only (3s Socimans fay) 
 to be a confirmation of the doctrine which he 
 preached, and to be a rule and example to us of 
 patient fuffering, and of giving obedience to the 
 death, as he did *, but it's alio, and mainly, to 
 fatisfy the juftice of God for our debt: So 
 then this wicked tenet of the S c'mians is excee- 
 ding derogatory to the fu:ferings of Chrift, and 
 to the matchlefs love that fhined in them, yea, 
 and even to the whole deiign of redempton •, for 
 if Chrift's fufferings be not a (attstaction to ju- 
 ftice, we are left without all juft p'ei and apolo- 
 gy for our felves at God's bar ; and if we have 
 none, then that curfe look? the wakned finner 
 full in the face The day thou eats tbwjhalt furtly 
 die. And however men in their fecurity may 
 pleafe themfelves with fuch dreams, and thins 
 that a fatisfaction to juftice is not needful, yd 
 if the conference be once awakned, it will not 
 be quieted without one ; and if mens faith give 
 not credit to God's threatnings, they can have 
 but little,. or rather no comfort at all in his pro- 
 mifes : There is therefore a neceffuy of a fatis- 
 factton ; and if Chrift's fufferings be not the fa» 
 tisfacton, there is not another, and fo the whole 
 work of redemption is overturned. So then* 
 tho' Chrift in his furFerings hath left us a copy 
 how w r e Ihould liiffer, yet that is not the only 
 nor the principal end of them ; but it is con- 
 trived in the covenant of redemption, and in- 
 tended by the Mediator, and withal accepted by 
 Jehovah, that they ihould be the meritorious 
 caufe of pardon to the electj and the price of 
 their redemption. 
 
 This may be further cleared and confirmed^ 
 I. From thephrafe that is ordinarily made ufe of 
 in fcripture, He fuffered for the fins of his people; 
 and in the text, For the tranferefftms of my people 
 rvas heflricken ; Their fins had a pecuHar influ- 
 ence in bringing the ftroke on him ; And whac 
 influence,! pray, could they have, but as the pro« 
 cured the ftroke to him P And if his ftrokes were 
 procured by our fins, then the defevt of then* 
 'was laid on him, ard his iiirferings behoved to 
 be the curfe that we elect tinners ihould have? 
 fuffered So, when' he is called their Cautioner, 
 it rells that he undertook their debt ; and his 
 laying down of his life is the performance and 
 fulfilling of his undertaking,-, furetvftip and 
 cautionrv : And confidering that their debt was. 
 exacted, jot, him y an< i that he was arraigned before 
 
 Gadls, 
 
Serm. 32.. Jfaiah S3* 
 
 God's tribunal as their Surety in their room,and 
 that this could be for nothing elfe but to anfwer 
 for them as being their Cautioner •, his fu/Ferings 
 ■behoved to be intended as a fatislaction tor their 
 fins : For the elects fins were not the caufewhy 
 filate, the people of the Jews, and the Scribes 
 and T'harifets purfued him to death, but for our 
 fins he was lifted before God's tribunal, and be- 
 ing our Cautioner he was called to reckon tor 
 them, and they were put upon his account or 
 fcore. 2. It's clear alfo fiom the names that his 
 fu/Ferings get in the fcripture, where they are 
 called the price cj cur redemption, a buying oi us, 
 a pnpitiati n for our lins that pa-ined God, 
 Rem. 3. 25- and j John 2. 2. A Sacrifice often, 
 and Ranjcm, Matth. 20. 28. The S»n <//" man 
 tame t ^ive bis life a ranjom for many, that is, 
 for all his elect people, to relieve them from the 
 bondage they were under; which plainly ihev s 
 the relpect tnat his furFerings 'ha*, to our iins, 
 that they Were a propit ation for them to God. 
 3. it'sclear, if we Cwniider that Chriil's death, 
 as to its object, is for the tranfgrcifions of all. 
 God's people ; of all the ele& that lived before 
 he tuff-red, whether they died in their infancy 
 or at age ; and for all that lived or ihall live and 
 die artcr his fufFjring, to the end of the world. 
 Now, what benefit cou'd redound to them that 
 ditd ere Chrift came in the fleih by his lufFe- 
 rings, it it were as Socinians tay ? for his death 
 ' could not be a lure pattern of patience and obe- 
 dience to them ; But the efficacy of his death was 
 from the beginning of the world ; He was tlill 
 in that fe-nte the Lamb (lain, before his incarna- 
 tion, as well as iince : And if it be not merito- 
 rious in procuring falvation to elect inlants, 
 what influence or advantage can it have as to 
 them ; either they are not taken to heaven at all, 
 or they are taken to heaven, and )et not in the 
 lead obliged to Chrilt tor thar being brought 
 thither; or if they be obliged to him, it is certain- 
 ly by vetue or the merit of his fuferings tor ex- 
 piating the fins of his people. 4. It's clear from 
 this,that in this fame chapter,and throughout the 
 golpel,al! the benefits that come to God's people, 
 as na-nely, juitification and pardon of fin, th y 
 are attributed to this as the caufe or them ; as v. 
 \\. By his knowledge Jhall my righteous Servant 
 )uflify many : And it all the fpi ritual bene fits that 
 come to us were procured by his death, there 
 mult neceifarily be vertue in it that procu ed 
 them, and it muftbea price and fatisfaction in 
 reference to the procuring and purchaiing there 
 of, that he laid down in his dying. 5. it is clear 
 from the end that God had before him in the 
 vTork^f redemption, and in Chnft's mffwrings j 
 
 Verfe 8. ijp 
 
 which was, to glorify his juftice as well as his 
 mercy, and that neither of them might be clou- * 
 ded, or reflected upon ; Now, by Chriil's death, 
 God's jultce is glorified, and he is feen to be jutl in 
 executing his threatningagainft fin, even in the 
 Tcrton ot his own dearly beloved i>on, when he 
 became Surety for tinners ; but if his furFerings 
 had not a latisfaction in them to divine juftice, 
 tho' there might be lo me J hew of ihewing mercy, 
 yet none at all of a fatisfaction to juftice : But 
 taith the apoftle, Rom, 3. 25, 26. God bath fet 
 him forth to be a propitiation thro* faith in bit 
 blcod, to declare his rigoteoufnefs, and that ho 
 might be ju/f, and the )u/iifier of them which be* 
 lieve in jejus i By th s,( od hath made it mani- 
 feft, that he is a juft God, that none may pre« 
 poffc roully pretume upon mercy, nor dare te 
 bourd with iin, when it is purfued in the Surety 
 with fuch ft- verity. 
 
 tor UJ'e and application. 1.D0 not think thefe 
 truths to be 01 little concernment to you, as alas! 
 they, and fuch like truths of the gotpel, are of* 
 ten thought or by jJKany ; and therefore they are 
 taftclels to them, and it's a wtarinefs to people 
 to hear them fpoken ot : And yet,notwithftanding, 
 this tame truth that we are now upon, is a 
 great ground ot our taith \ for if we believe not 
 tnis that Chritl was a propitiation for fin, we 
 can have no ground of lippening to him, or be- 
 lieving on htm : But, knowing and being confir- 
 med in the faith of this truth, we have (cordially 
 cloflng with him} ground from it to expect God's 
 favour, and to be treed from the curie ; becaute 
 Chrilt, as our Surety,undertook, and accordingly 
 fatisfied tor us ; which is the thing that makes his 
 death to be tweet:! hat Chriftin his death ihouid 
 demit Limfelf to leave us an example, is much ; 
 yet, if we had no more by it, it would be but 
 co"ld comfort, except we had it as a latisfaction 
 to divine jufHce to reft; upon. Tho' this may 
 be looked upon as doctrinal only, yet it comes 
 nearer to our practice than we are aware of; and 
 tho' we have no S cinians in opinion and profef- 
 iion to deal with, yet we have two torts that 
 • are S cinians in heart amongft us. ]y?,Theie that 
 ■ fecurely fin on tlill, and yet hope to get mercy, 
 and who will confcfs that they are iinners, but 
 that, tor making an amends, th :y will pray and 
 mend their life ; and they will fpcakor a num- 
 ber of things, hut it rjjay be, not one word of 
 Chrift, or ot his purcha.e. or of their. natural in- 
 clination to pre;um , and to flight Ghrith as if 
 they had nothing yet to look to but a covenant 
 of works without i Saviour or as it God had 
 removed or Would remove the curie threatned 
 A a 2 without 
 
$80 If a tab $£, 
 
 without afatisfaffcion, fothat ChrlfVs fatisfaction 
 •is not known nor relied oh by the multitude of 
 hypocrites that live in the viflble Church ; and 
 this is eafily proven from this, that thece are but' 
 very few who make ufe of him, or Hand in aw 
 to fin: If it were believed ; that jaftice required,and 
 will have fatisfaction, either of the (inner himfelf, 
 or of a Surety in his room, and that Chrift is the. 
 only Surety, folks would either quit their hopes 
 of heaven, or be more in Chrift's common ; and 
 that fo many maintain the hope of heaven with- 
 out a due confederation of a fatisfection to juftice 
 by Chrift, and without employing of him, it de- 
 clares plainly, that they are drunken with this- 
 error. A id fort are thefe, who being wakned in 
 confeience; and (enable of (in, yet are as heart-.. 
 lefs, hditating, and hopelels to get p^a:e thro* 
 bim* as if he had not fatisfied : What elfe does- 
 the doubting ant difponiency or. luch fay. but' 
 thatthere isnota compleat fatisfaiFion tnChriit's 
 deaths and that therefore they dare not rru.l to 
 it«/-otiierWiie they wd ild wonder that God hath 
 provided fuch a remedy, and yet adventure to 
 reft upon it, feeing God is. as. well p eal d with 
 it, as if fchey had not provoked him at all, or. 
 Had fatisfied his juftice themfeVes. 
 
 idly At f.rvesto let us fee what we are in God's 
 
 Verfe 8. Serm; 33. 
 
 common and debt, and how much we are obli- 
 ged .to the Mediator, when there was a neceflt* 
 ty, that either he lhould fuflfer, or that we fhould 
 perifh.and that tho'his fufFerings drew, fo d'ep, 
 as to bring him to prifon andio judgment , and, 
 to put him to a holy (Inlefs anxiety and per- 
 
 ' plexity, that yet he yielded to it, and under- 
 went all fof our fakes ; This is our great ground 
 of confidence, and the ftrong ftay of the mind of 
 a wakned believer *,and (hould make us wonder 
 at j^he Father's love that gave theSon,and at the 
 Son's love that was focondefcending: asd lliould 
 make our fouls warm towards him, who, when 
 we deferved nothing but to be hurried away to 
 the pit, was content to enter himfelr as our Sure- 
 ty, and to pay our debt:. It lhould a'.fo be a mo- 
 tive to chafe fouls into him, knowing that where 
 fin is, there a fatisfaAion muft be ; and that 
 there is therefore a ne.^fity to flee to him, and to- 
 be in hi.n, becaufe there is no other way to get 
 juftbe (atisfied ; the through conviction whereof 
 is that which thro' grace not only chafeth the 
 ioul to, but engageth it to clofs with Chrift. and 
 to reft upon him and to give him the-credit of 
 its through-lvaring, when it is ready otherwife 
 to fink. Now the Lord himfek teach you to - 
 make this ufe of this do&rine. 
 
 SERM ON XXXIIL. 
 
 Ifeiah HiUS*. He was take* from prifon, and front judgment j and who jhall declare his generation* 
 For be was tut c flout ofpbe land of the living, for the tranjgrejfton of my people was be flricken, 
 
 not meaned all men in the world, nor the Jews 
 
 THere is nothing that concerns us more, than 
 to be well acquainted with the docFrine of 
 Chrift Jefus, and his fufFerings ; the prophet 
 bath therefore been much in (hewing what Chrift. 
 fuflrered in the former words, and hath largely 
 defcribed his humiliation to judgment and death, 
 For (faith he) he was cut off out cftb: land of the 
 Jiving* In the words read, he anfwers two im- 
 portant queftions concerning his fufFerings, ifl f 
 "To what end were all thefe fufFerings . ? He an- 
 swers, That they were for tranfgreffions, even to - 
 be a fatisfaction to juftice for them. The 2<iqus- 
 ftion is, For whofe fins were the fufFerings of 
 Chrift to be a fatisfaftion? ft is anlwered exprefty 
 in the words, For the tranfgreffun of my people 
 mas be flrickcn> or the ftroke was upon him ; it; 
 was for the fins of the eleeF* and of the elect 
 only: For this is the prophet's fcope, who,, 
 having fpoken of Chrift's fufFerings and death, . 
 bolds forth the meritorious and procuring caufa, 
 aj»d end thereof; and this is the refitlt,deflgn,and 
 liaro-of all,even to be a fatisfaction for God's elecV 
 jPfjople ; For (asweiliewj by GodV people aree 
 
 only, for Chrift hath many iheep befide them ; 
 but it's God's peculiar people, in oppofition to 
 the multitude who are not his people. 
 
 The doctrine, or rather the branch of the do- 
 ctrine we left at, was this (and it's ejcclufive) 
 ( That Chrift's death is only intended to be a price 
 c for the fins of God's elect people, and was laid 
 6 down with refpedF to them: His death and fuf- 
 c -ferings are to be looked upon, and confldered 
 c only as a price and fatisfa&ion for their (ins and 
 
 * for the fins of none other/ Or thus, c feus 
 ' Chrift. in his fufFering,and in the laying down 
 
 * of his life, had a refpecF to the eleei\and inten* 
 <ded the removing of the (ins and tranfgreffions_ 
 ' of God's eleci. people only> and of none other.* 
 We know nothing that- we can make of thefe 
 words, nor of the prophet's f:ope in them but this; , 
 who,as he hath been defer ibingChrift's fufFerings-. 
 in all other refpe&s. fo doth he.in this, to wit, 
 in. refpedi of the perfbns for whom he fufFered, . 
 and of tfce. meritorious caufe and end- oC his fuf- 
 
 fcringsj . 
 
Serm. 33. . Ifatab ^. 
 
 ferings ; for fays the text, For the ttanfgreffions of 
 wype pie, that is, of God's eleft people, was be 
 Jfricken. 
 
 This branch of the doctrine is of great weight 
 -»and concernment in the whole drain of grace; 
 for if this march- ftone be lifted, and removed, 
 grace becomes common, and as fome calls it, u- 
 niverfal, and fo to be in effeft no grace at, all ; 
 for grace hath a peculiar channel of-' its own, 
 wherein it runs towards a certain fele& number, 
 and not towards all : I do not mean of grace ta- 
 ken in a large (enie, for fo all men, as they are 
 partakers of any rr.ercy, or of common favours, 
 may be faid to have grace extended to them ; 
 but I mean God's fpecial grace, favour and good- 
 will, which is extended only to the ele&, for 
 Whofe fins Chrift fufrlred ; The right bounding 
 of which dodtr.ne fu.ws forth both God's fove- 
 rctgnt) in the dilpenfing of grace, and the freenefs 
 thereof in communicating and maniiefting of it 
 to whom he will ; and which, thus coniidered, 
 is efpeciaPy en^a^ ng to the hearts of them on 
 whom he pi al tii to >nani:eft it. 
 
 Etel come to c.nh. m this branch of the do - 
 ftrine, take a word or two of advertilem. nt in 
 the entry. >// "' hat Chr ill's death may b^- con- 
 fidcj 'iv v iysi ( .} n refpeft of it felf, and 
 ai ah \ n the covenant of redemption, 
 
 w ^ in iris contrived as to all the cireumftan- 
 ccb of it ; in- v. hi h ienfe, as his dtathand futfe- 
 rin^; are of infinite value and worth, fo they are 
 (as di.ines uie to fpeak) of value to redeem the 
 whole world, if Gcd in his defjgn and decree had 
 fo ordered, and thought meet to extend it. (2.J 
 We are to conlider hisfuifvrings and death, as a 
 price agreed upon in the covenant, or bargain of 
 redemption ; wherein thefetwo or three things 
 concur. 1. God's propolal. 2. Chrift's acceptati- 
 on, and defign in laving dov/n his life. 3. The 
 Father's acquiefcing therein, and declaring him- 
 felf well plea fed therewith. "We fpeak not hereof 
 Chrifl's death in the firft refpc&,tbat is as abftra-- 
 &ing from the covenant ; for, in that refpeft, he 
 he might have laid dow r n his life for few r cr mo, 
 for fome, or for al], if it had been ^o intended : 
 But we fpe*k of it in the fecend refpecl, as it's a 
 a priceagreed upon in God's purpofe,and Chrift Y 
 defign, and in God*S acceptation ; and thus we 
 fay, that his death is only intended as a fatisfo- 
 &ion and recompenfe for the fins of the elect,and 
 Was laid dow r n for them. only. 
 
 idly, We may confider Chrifl's fuflferiugs and 
 death in the fruits of it,' either as they refpect . 
 common favours, and mercies,- common gifts,-, 
 and means of grace, which are not peculiar andi 
 iasing^ but commonrto believers with others^, 
 
 Verfeg. ,5t 
 
 being beftow r ed upon profefiors in the vifiblc 
 Church ; or as they are peculiar and laving, iuch 
 as faith, juftification, adoption, &c. Now when 
 we fay, that Chrifl's fufFerings and death area 
 price for the fins of his people, we exc ude not 
 the reprobate limply from temporal and common 
 favours and mercies that come by his death; they 
 may have, and actually have, common gifts and 
 works of the Spirit, the means of grace, which 
 are fome way effects and fruits of the lame cove- 
 nant : But we fay, that the reprobate partake 
 net of faving mercy, and that Chrifl's death is 
 a fatisfaction only for the elect, ar.d that none 
 others get pardon of fin, faith, repentance, C5V. 
 by it, but they only ; it was intended for none 
 others. And this weclearand confirm from, and 
 by, thefe following grounds and arguments, 
 which we will fhortly hint at. 
 
 The ift argument is drawn from this fame af- 
 fertion of the prophet thus, If Chrifl's death be 
 only a fatisfaction for the fins of God's people, 
 then it is not a latis'acticn for the fins of afl ; but 
 it's a fatisfaction only for the fins of God's people, 
 therefore not for all ; for his people are not all 
 men, or all men are not his people, but his people 
 are a pecu'iar people, feparate from others, in 
 God's purpofe and decree, as we cleared before 
 from John 17. 'ibine they were, and tbougaveft 
 them me \ and the text fays exprefly, For tbe 
 tranjgrejjicns of my people was he ftrlcken : He re- 
 fpectcd the fins of God's people, in accepting 
 of the bargain, and in laying dow r n his life, and 
 for their fins only God accepted him ; yea, the 
 very mentioning of them thus here, fecludes all - 
 others ; and we mud expone them exclufively 
 as taking in none others, and muft look upon the 
 things fpoken of them, as agreeing to no other > 
 even as it's faid, Heb. 4. There remains there f.rt 
 a reft to the people of God, which is certainly ex- 
 clusive of all others: And hence, when our Lord' 
 fpeaksof them, John 17. he oppofeth them to, 
 and contradiftinguifheth them' from all others; / 
 pray for them, 1 pray not for the world, but for ■ 
 them that thou haft given me cut of the world ; ; 
 to let us know, that the things prayed for to the 
 one, are denied to the other, according to the 
 drain of the covenant. 
 
 A id ground is drawn from the drain and' 
 frame of the covenant of redemption, where we : 
 find two things clear, (i.)That as to the end and 
 convey of it, the elect are the only perfons for 
 whofe good and behoof it's intended ; and if it 
 be the elect for whom he entred in that covenaat, . 
 then the advantage, good and benefit ofthe elect,' 
 wuft be eyed in this main article of the covenant 
 
 which. 
 
l%2 If at ah <53. 
 
 which relates to Chrift's death and fufferings : 
 Iror, i. In the covenant of redemption, the good 
 of the elect is propofcd and defigned by the Fa- 
 ther ; as is clear, John 6. 39, 40. This is the Fa- 
 ther's will that fent me, that cf all of which he 
 bath given me, IJhould loje nothing', and this is 
 .the Father's will that Jent me, that every one. 
 •which feeth the S.n. and believetb on him, may 
 have everlafling life: Which will be the more 
 clear, if we coniider the time when this is fpo- 
 .ken ; it's at inch a time, when many will not come 
 to nim, and believe on him ; as ver. 36, 37. Te al- 
 fo have feen me, and believe not : All that the 
 Fatuer hath given me.Jhall come unto meand him 
 that co met b, J will in n wife ca/f cut ; fr I came 
 down from heaven, not to do mine uwn will, but 
 the will cf htm that fent me; and then follows, 
 This is the will of him t bat fent me &c. and ver. 
 43,44. Murmure ȣ(fa'thhe) ammg your f elves', 
 no man can come to me. exc pt the Father that 
 fent me y draw him : This ye he.ird o: from J hn 
 17 2. at greater length. 2. Look on the Son's fide 
 of the covenant, and it will alfo be clear ; tor 
 his undertaking mutt be'according to thei ather's 
 jKopoiing : it the Father did not propo'eal^ hut 
 iome only to be redeemed, then I is uniertaking 
 .xnuft be tor thtfe fome, and not for all,, conform 
 to the Father's propofal, Ffal. 40. i hen f aid I.Lo, 
 I come to do thy will O my God; Now, the father's 
 will is. that he fhoiid undertake tor th-fe given 
 him; and it's not his will, that he ihou'd under- 
 take for others, therefore he did not undertake 
 for them. 3. Chrift's fuff -rings and death are 
 the executions of the Father's will, and therefore 
 mult be the execution of his undertaking, accor- 
 ding to his engagement for the ele-t, and given 
 ones; therefore Dele two are put together, Jvhn 
 17. 9. and 19. 1 pray for them, 1 pray net fr the 
 World, but for them which thou haft given me, 
 and fr their fakes I fanclify my felf, that s, for 
 their fakes whom thou halt given m j , and not for 
 the world ; he fan:tiiies himfelf tor them, for 
 whom he pra^s, for them that are given him, 
 »nd no more. 
 
 (2.) This is dear in the covenant, that Christ's 
 death is intended therein, as all other mercies 
 covenanted, nre ; that is to lay, to whom faith, 
 effectual calling, justification, ££c. are covenan- 
 ted, for thefe is Chrift's death covenanted, and ■ 
 Jor none others ; for the covenant being mutual, 
 the repromiffion on the Father's part mult be of 
 equal extent uith the Son's (tipu.ation ; But all 
 the:e are only pe'uiarly appHcable to the elect, 
 as benefits flowing from, and following upon 
 Chrifr's death, which therefore mufl be pecu.iar- 
 \y intended for them, as bcinj undergone for 
 
 Verfe 8. Serm. 3$. 
 
 them ; hence, when Chrift fpeaks of faith, and 
 effectual calling, Jcfih 6. he fays, All that the 
 Father hath' given me, fhall come unto me, and 
 none other will, nor can come ; Co juftification, 
 pardon of fin, 8V. are brought to the e!e&, and 
 to none others : And when the fmalleft of bleflings 
 are covenanted, and articled for none other, but 
 for the eleclr, fhall JeiusChrifl himfelf, that gift 
 of Gc'd, or his death, which is the chief thing 
 articled in the covenantee covenanted for, or ap- 
 plied to any otherstut to them ? 
 _ A 3d ground is drawn from Chrift's execu- 
 ting of his offices ; for this piece or part of Chrift's 
 executing of his offices, muft corre-.pond, and be 
 ofequa 1 extent with all the other parts, and pie- 
 ces of his offices, fuch as his efFe&ua' teaching, 
 interceeding, lubduing to himlelr, £V. which 
 are no broader than the elecF, for he executes no 
 part of any of his offi res for the behoof and bene- 
 fit of any but of the elecF ; he favingly enlight- 
 ens no others; he !ubdu s none others to the 
 tath of the -ofpel ; he interceeds ;or none other ; 
 lvs interc fll>n is not tor the world: therefore 
 his death mult be tor done others, all the le being 
 commerifurabte and oftqual extent; his intcr- 
 Ccifion b ing grounded on his fufferings : 1 here- 
 fore^ John 17. he lays by the word expr.fly, as 
 thefe for whom he will not pray, and looks back 
 to the covenant, as the ground of his undertak- 
 ing for the elecF,givrn him out of the world, and 
 not tor others ; and if he will not pray ror inter- 
 ceed tor others, what reafon can be given for his 
 dying for Others P when he will not do the lefs^ 
 which is to pray for them, it were abfurd to 
 think or fay, tl.at he will do the greater, which 
 is to lay down his life for them, 
 
 A 4th ground is this, Chritt's death is one of 
 the.peculiar evidences of his deareftlove, beyond 
 which there is none greater, and a mam proof 
 and fruit thereofj and therefore is not common to 
 all, but is intended for them only, whom he pe- 
 culiarly loves, and defigns to bring through to 
 glory;which is clear, Epb. 5. 26- Husbands. lov§ 
 your wives, as Chrifl loved his Church, and gave 
 himfelf fr it. &:. Rm. <;.«>. God c.mmends hU 
 hve to us.in that", while we were yet finners,Corifl 
 died for us', John 15. 13. Greater love hath n» 
 man tbantbis+tbat a man Jhiuld lay djwn his 
 life for his fiends', there is a world of repro- 
 bates whom Chrift never loved with peculiar love, 
 andfure tor thefe he did not die : Jacob have I lo- 
 ved, but EQu have I bated,fa\th the Lord, ft Jtr 9. 
 13. which the apostle holdeth brth, as a fort of 
 copy of God's dealing in reprobation and electi- 
 on in reference to all mankind; and where the 
 
 Lord 
 
Lord himfelf hath fet bounds- betwixt them whom 
 he loves and hates* it's too great liberality, or ra- 
 ther too great preemption for any, under what- 
 ever fpecious pretences, to extend this his pecu- 
 liar love to theie whom he difclaims. 
 
 A jtb ground is taken from the effe&, thus ; 
 All for whom (Thrift died are juftified, and fre- 
 ed from the guilt of their fins in due time : But 
 Chrift Jelushath not purchaltd and actually pro- 
 cured freedom to all men from their fins, all men 
 are not juftified ; therefore he laid not down his 
 life for all: For, i. It cannot be faid,that he laid 
 down his life for purchafing and buying of fuch 
 wares, and yet that he got not that which he 
 bought ; and feeing the event tells plainly, that 
 all are not juftified and brought to heaven,it can- 
 rot be that he aid down his life aranfom for all, 
 but it muftbt for the eleci only, that he died. 2. 
 To fay, t at God exacts, double payment of one 
 and the Pelf-fame debt, that he exacts from men 
 over again that which Chrift paid already for 
 them, rtfle&s on the juftice and wifdcm of'.God; 
 And to fay, that perfon that goes to hell fhall be 
 no lefs in his common than another that goes to 
 heaven, is.no.tefs abfurd*, for the apoftle fays,fojtt. 
 5,10. If while we were enemies , we were recon- 
 ciled to God by the death cf his Son, much more 
 being reconciled., we Jhall be faved by his life : 
 where he plainly infmuates, that if a perfon be 
 bought by Chrift's,death,it cannot be that he can 
 periih ; for. if the price be paid by hisdeath,and 
 r o the greater thing be done, much more will the 
 leffer, we Jhall be fave^d by his life : Now this 
 reafoning could have no force, if Chrift died for 
 any that fhall periih ; yea, verfe 1 1. of this chapi- 
 ter, it's faid, By his knowledge jhall my right eom 
 Servant juftifysnany, for he'Jhall bear their ini- 
 quities; where it's clear, that as many (and no 
 mo) whofe iniquities Chrift hath taken on and 
 born, fhall be juftified ; for'the one is given as a 
 reafon of the other : And there fhould be no con- 
 fequence to his juftifying of them, from his bear-. 
 ing of their iniquities, if he could by his death 
 bear their iniquities, whom he never juftified. 
 
 A 6th ground, is taken from the end of the co-. 
 venant.which is to put a difference betwixt fpecU 
 al grace peculiar to tome, and fevere juftice to o- 
 thers, and particularly and fpecially in Chrift's 
 death, which makes cut what we affirm : For if,. 
 When Cbrift died, many were actua ly damned , 
 it cannot be faid that he died for thefe, nor that 
 it was with them, as with believers before his 
 death; for it cannot befaid, that the intention of 
 his death in the covenant, could be beyond what' 
 it was at his death, the one being the execution 
 ©i-the, other ; And fure it could not be .intejidecU 
 
 Fc 
 
 Verfe 8. t&£ 
 
 at his death for the damned ; for it would fe^m a 
 very ablurd thing to fay, that when Chriil was 
 to go and lay down his life, that he that he was 
 going to fufFer for many, that were fuiFcring-for 
 their own fins in hell, as many reprobate finners 
 were before he came in the fleih ; can any ima- 
 gine a poiTibility of iuch a thing P .Our Lord was 
 not to be (o indifferent in the administration of 
 grace, as to cafl it thus away ; and can any reafo- " 
 nably think, thit at one and the Ome-time, the 
 fame punifhment fhall be exacted from Chrift, 
 and from the perfons themfelves, for whom he 
 fufFered ? Is it poffible thatth's could be inten- 
 ded in the covenant of redemption ? Or is there 
 freeaccefs to juftice to puriue Chrift as Cauti- 
 oner, when the principal debtor is actually feiz- 
 ed upon ? Indeed, when the principal is fet free, 
 as the elect were before his death, there is accefs 
 to purfue the cautioner for their debt : But no 
 fuch thing can be alledged for others that were 
 already damned ; but their being taken hold of 
 by juftice, is a proof that he anfwered not for 
 them, nor paid their debt. 
 
 Ithly, We may argue thus, If Chrift died for 
 all, then either for all indifferently, and fball were 
 alike obliged to Chrift ; or for fome more abso- 
 lutely that muft be fatisfied for, and for others 
 conditionally, on fuppofition that they fhould 
 believe : But this laft is abfurd ; for, (i.) The 
 fcripture makes not twoconfiderations of Chrift's > 
 death. (2.). It were abfurd to fay, that now it 
 cannot be told, whether Chrift died for fuch atv 
 one or not. (3.) Either that condition is bought 
 to them or not ; If it be bought, then it muft be 
 fulfilled ; if it be not bought. then, f. That perfon > 
 cannot be faid to be bought, becaufe all needful 
 for his redemption is not bought and paid for. 
 2. Either, that condition can be fulfilled by them- 
 felves or not : If it may be by themfelves, then 
 is freewill eftablifhed, and none are abfolutely 
 redeemed ; If it cannot be fulfilled by themfelves, ■ 
 and yet bought by him for them, they are deter- 
 mined for another end, to wit, not to get.it; 
 and what wifdom can there be in fuch a redemp* 
 tion as this ? 
 
 The ifi UfeCerves for clearing and confirming;, 
 of a gofpel-truth of the covenant of redemption, 
 and for the refutation of a contrary error. As we 
 have fomewhat of many errors practically in our* 
 hearts, fo have we this amongft the reft, that 
 Chrift died for all finners ; which fofters peoples • 
 fecurity, and rheir groundless hope ofadmiluon 
 to heaven : But here we fee, that our Lord [efus, ;> 
 fb laying down his life, intended the fat i s faction • 
 of divine jufticefor none but for his elect people; 
 
 and* 
 
1*4 Jfatab 55. 
 
 and if fo, there are many for whcm he never in- 
 tended the benefit of his death. There are 
 three particular branches of the error, which this 
 do&rine confutes; ift yfi heir opinion,w hich is more 
 lax, and t*kes in the fins of all rrun and women 
 in theworid, and giveth them an equal fhare of 
 Chrift'sfurferings ; as if in his intention in lay- 
 ing down his lire, and in God's purpofe, he had 
 furfered and died for all, for him that goes to 
 hell, as well as for him that goes to heaven : But 
 if Chrift ftand as Cautioner for the elect only, 
 then lure this opinion cannot hold ; for all are 
 not God's elect, and therefore all are not. indif- 
 ferently redeemed : And tho' it may be thatfome 
 of you think that this looks liker grace, yet it's 
 rot only ab-furd, as being contrary to truth, but 
 it's ablurd alfo, even withrefp^c* to grace ; For, 
 1. It makes grace a common thing, a man that is 
 in hell to be as much obliged to Chrift, as one 
 that is in heaven ; And tho' it p'aufibly pretends 
 to give grace a broad and large extent, yet it 
 takes away the power of it; for if grace be thus 
 largely extended, it's not grace that makes the 
 application of grace, but the free-v ill of the 
 creature; for grace, according to this opinion, 
 leaves men to be Gved or not as they pleafe, and 
 leaves it felt to be overcome by man's will : Ard 
 therefore thefeerrofs divide not, but go together ' 
 hand in hand ; for, where grace is made fo large, 
 free will is made to have a dominion over it, and 
 thus the weight of grace and of election are bid 
 upon it. 2. ft leffeneth the eftimation of God's 
 grace in the minds of people ; for thus they 
 think little of heaven, and iuppofe that it is an 
 cafy matter to win at it ; and \t breeds in them 
 afearlefnefs oi' hell and of God's wrath ; And if 
 jnany of you had not drunken in this error pra- 
 ctically, ye wouhd not be fo confident of it, 
 norfo obftinateiy maintdn your hope of heaven 
 without ground ; hence, alas ! it is, that many 
 will fay, God is merciful, and Chrift died for all 
 -iinners, and for me ; and i'o fleep it out in fecu- 
 jrity. I am perfwaded, that much of the fecuri- 
 ty and prffumption that abounds among carnal 
 profeifors is from this ground, that grace is fan- 
 cied to be thus broad and large : We grant, that 
 as to the convey and nature of it, it's broad ; but, 
 in refpcd> of the objects on w horn it is bt (lowed, 
 it's narrow, tho' it cometh from large bowels. 
 3. It exceedingly mars, and diminifheth man's 
 ■thankful nefs; for when a mercy is judged to be 
 common, who will praile for it. as he would do, 
 if it were (pedal and pecu'iar ? That which is a 
 great ground of thankfu'nefs forele&ion, efFeclu- 
 al calling, juftific tion, C£c is because thefe 
 4r.ereics are peculiar \ even fo f that which makes 
 
 Verfe S. Serm. 3$. 
 
 the redeemed thankful for redemption, is be* 
 caufe they are redeemed and bought when o- 
 thers are left ; Hence is that fong of the redeem* 
 ed company, Rev. 5. 9. Thcu art worthy to open 
 the hook ; f-rtbou waft flam, and hafl redeemed 
 us to God by thy blood, cut of every kindred, and 
 tongue, and pe pie, and nation. !t heightens not 
 their praile, that all of every kindred, and tongue, 
 and nation were redeemed ; but this doth it, 
 that when the Lord had the whole world before 
 him, he was gracioufly pleafed to pur^hafe, and 
 redeem them out of it, that, as it is, John 1 1. 
 52. He Jh uld gather t get her in one the children 
 cf G'd, that were Scattered abroad : The)- there- 
 fore, I la) , b els him. ann wonder when they con- 
 fide r, that they are p'tched on, who are by na- 
 ture the feme with thefe that are pall by. It were 
 a rtrange thing to affirm, that they who are in 
 h 11 have as g»eat ground of praite, and of lav- 
 ing, We thank taee.f'r thou baft redeejued us by 
 tby blo(d y as thele that are in heaven have. 4. 
 This making of grace to wide 1 r,d large in its 
 extent, as to t3ke in all, doth leave the p^opV (f 
 God altogether comfortlefs. But it ma\ be here 
 faid, How is it that it is more com ort to helie- 
 vers,that grace is peculiar in laving. and that but 
 few are redeem-. d\ in comparifon o! others that 
 are not redeemed, than if we fhou v !d extend it u- 
 to, and account it to be for all ? Or how is this 
 more comfortirfs to them, that grace is made 
 univerfal ? Anfwer, (\.) Be caufe, if it were uni- 
 vcrftl, many, whom Chriil died for, are now in 
 hell ; and what confolation can there be from that? 
 A man maybe redeemed, and yet perifh, and go 
 to hell, for all that ? but it's fti ong confolation, 
 when this comes in, If when we were enemies^ 
 yoe were reconciled by the death ^fhis ?«, much 
 mere being reconciled,weJhall be favedby bis life, 
 Ifhe died for us when we were en< mies. Will he 
 not much more fave us, being frknds r (2.) ^up- ' 
 pofe a perfon to be in black nature, what comfort 
 could he have by look ng on redemption as uni» 
 verCil ? he could not expec"t heav. n by it ; for 
 many expcA heaven on that ground, who will 
 never get it : But it's a fort of confo'ation, even 
 tothem that are without, to confider that re- 
 demption is peculiar to fome; for tho' all get not 
 hcc.ven, yet they that believe get it, and lo upon 
 their doling with Chriil, the confolation pre- 
 fently flows out unto them ; whereas, if they 
 fliould lay it for a ground that Chrift's death 
 were univerfal, they could never have folid 
 ground of confolation by fl.eing to him. 5. This 
 error doth quite overturn and enervate the whole 
 covenant of redemption and peculiar lo*c. ( 1.) 
 
Serm. 33. IfaUb ^. 
 
 It enervatesand obfcuresthe wifdom thai mines 
 in it, it' thrift may buy and purchaie many by 
 by his death, who fhaii yet notwithiianding pe 
 rilh. (iij it enervates and obfeures the love and 
 grace that mine in it-; for it makes drill to call, 
 away the iove ana grace of it to reprobates, and 
 fp catt pearls to twine. (3.) It oblcures the free- 
 dom 01 it, which kythts in iiis taking of one, and 
 refufing another, as it is, Rom. 9. 1 1 , 12. ±he 
 children not being yet Bom, and having done, 
 neither good nor evil, that the purpofe of God ac- 
 cording to election might Jiand, not of works, 
 but if him that calkth, it voas faid, ihe elder 
 Jhall ftrve the lounger ; as it is written, Jacob 
 have J loved, and Elan have J hated. (4.) It ob- 
 feures the juftice of it, if he ihould buy all, and 
 yet get but iome .* For it being the defign of God 
 to inflict on Chrift the curfe that was due to fin- 
 ners, and to fpare them ; it this Ihould be the 
 remit of it, that many, for whom he died, and 
 took on him the curfe, ihould periih, he ihould 
 get but lome of thefe whom he bought, and 
 juftice ihould twice exact fatisfaction for one and 
 the tame debt; once of the Surety, and again of the 
 principal debtor that perifheth. Whereas, when • 
 Chrift becomes Surety, they arefet free for whom 
 he was Surety; and it,is juftice tha't it ihould be 
 fo. We do the rather infitt in the confutation 
 of this error, becaufe this is a time wherein it 
 is one of the devil's great defigns, which he 
 drives, to trouble the clear fprings of the gofpel, 
 and to revive this error amongft the reft; and 
 thereisiomethingof it in thele poor fool bodies, 
 "who fp ak Co much of a light within, as if all were 
 alike, and had fom thing, which, if they ufe 
 well, they may get life by; This error always 
 j leaves men to be mailers and carvers of God's 
 I decree, andoP Chrift's purpofeand defign in the 
 i work of redemption, and fuipends the benefit of 
 ! his death, mainly, if not only, on the confent of 
 man's free-will. 
 
 A 2d branch of this error, which this doctrine 
 refutes, is that which is vented by fome, who 
 are not profetTcd enemies, but in other things 
 deferve well of the Church of Chrift, which 
 therefore ihould be our grief to mention ; and it 
 is this. That tho' Chrifl hath not (imply purcha- 
 ied redemption from fin to all men, that yet he 
 hath taken away from all the fins of that firil co- 
 venant of works, as if there were (as they fay j no 
 fin for which men ar .• now condemned, but the 
 fin of infidelity, or unbelief. But this is dange- 
 rous ; for, 1. If this be true that Chrift's death is 
 only a nrice for the fins of the elect, then there 
 are no fins of others reckoned on this (core. 2. 
 Jthalvetk ChriiVs purchaie, and hardly will we 
 
 VerfeS.^ i?5 
 
 find Chrift's death divided, which were to fay, 
 tnat he hath oo.i^ht a man in part or half from 
 wrath, and not fthoilj : ^ucri a dividing of 
 C nil, and halving of nis death, feems not con- 
 fident with tne ilrain or the gofpel ; for as there 
 is one 1 icrifi .e, fo there is one account on which 
 it is offered. 3. It teems to inter a good and fafe 
 condition to all them that die without finning 
 againil the goipel, and fo to infants born out of 
 tlie Church, that never finned againil the cove- 
 nant of grace ; and it pleads much for themjthac 
 never ruard the gofpel, yea poffibly for all, if 
 they be not obliged to believe the gofpel, as it's 
 hard to fay they are who never heard of it. . 4. 
 There are many in hell this day, who know and 
 feel this to be an untruth, being condemned for 
 fins againil the covenant of works ; therefore he 
 undertook not their debt, nor paid for them :, 
 And, when the books fhall be cail open, there 
 will be many other fins found to be reckoned 
 for, than iins againil the gofpel. Are not whore- 
 mongers, adulterers, murderers, thieves, $$V. to 
 reckon for thefe fins ? It's very fad that fuch 
 thngs ihould take place with men otherwise ufe- 
 ful, But as in other things, fo in this hurtful; 
 which we ihould not lpeak of, were it not that 
 they are fpread abroad in books wherewith ma- 
 ny may be leavened. 
 
 - A 3^ branch of the error, which this doctrine 
 refutes, is, That Chrift died conditionally for 
 all hearers of the goipel, to whom he is conditi- 
 onally offered ; and this is alfo vented by the 
 fame authors, who fay, That tho' he hath not 
 bought all men abfolutely, nor died to procure ■ 
 life abfolutely to them, yet that he did fo con- 
 ditionally, and upon fuppofition that they ihould 
 afterward believe on him : But there can be no 
 conditional fatisradtion intended here ; for, 1. If 
 refpedt be had only to the fins of the elect in 
 Chrift's undertaking, then none is had to the iins 
 of all. 2. If the Father's acceptation of the price 
 beabfolute, then there is no conditional buying. 
 3. If it be conditional, then he fufpended the ef- 
 fect of his death, the fatisfaction tor his foul- 
 travel, on man's will ; And if this condition 
 could not be fulfilled by man, then it is an un- 
 wife bargain, and nothing of it may fall to be 
 fulfilled ; and then believing is no fruit of grace. 
 ' Again, he hath either bought faith to them, as 
 he hath done to the elect, or not ; if he hath, 
 then they reject it, and fo grace is not efficaci- 
 ous ; if not, he hath bought the end without the • 
 midfes leading to it Or thus, If it be condi- 
 tional, it's either on a condition that they can 
 ' fulfil, or on a condition that they cannot fulfil; 
 B b If 
 
mt6 Ifaiah^. 
 
 If it be on a condition which they can fulfil, then 
 it . • s grace on mens free will, and fufpends 
 the tl ree of ele&ion on their receiving of 
 Oirift } If it he a condition that is in their 
 pow^r to fulfil, then either Chrift hath bought 
 that conditio, to them, or not : To fay that he 
 hath not bought the condition of faith, it will in- 
 fer a Grange afferi on, that he hath bought life, 
 and not the condition, the end, and not the 
 mids ; and if it be laid that he hath bought it, 
 it cannot be faid that he hath done it fo abfo- 
 Jutely, becaufe they neve • get it ; or, if abfo- 
 Jutely, then to the eleft oi:ly, in whom it muft 
 be, and is in due time -fulfilled .* And fo in effe& 
 at refolves in this, that Ghrift's purchafe is to be 
 bounded and confined, (to fay fo} to the ele& on- 
 
 There are fome difficulties and objections that 
 will readily here be moved, which we will not 
 enter upon, only for preventing of miftakes : It 
 ftandsin the way of fame to hinder their believ- 
 ing, as they fuppofe, that Chrift: hath died for 
 fome, and not fpr all ; and they know not if they 
 be of that final I number. If we were to fpeak to 
 fuch, we would fay, i. God hath not ele&ed all, 
 and fo who knows if he hath ele&ed them ? And 
 be will not fave all, and who knows if he will 
 fave them ? And fo the doubt will (lick (till, if 
 folks will thus break in upon God's fecret will 
 and purpofe, which belongs not to them. 2. 
 Chrift's death for you is not the formal ground 
 not warrant of your faith, nor yet of the offer 
 «f the gofpel, but the Lord's will warranding 
 you to believe, and calling for it from you, and 
 bis commanding you to reft upon Chrift for the 
 attaining of righteoufnefs, as he is offered to us 
 an the gofpel : We are invited by his command 
 and promife, and we are not firft called to be- 
 lieve that Chrift died for. us, but We are called 
 Jirft to believe in him that is offered to us in the 
 gofpel, that is our duty ; and folks are not con- 
 demned, becaufe Chrift died not for them, but 
 becaufe, when he offered the benefit of his death 
 and fufferings to them, they flighted and reje- 
 cted it : We are to look firft to what Chrift cal- 
 leth to, and not to meddle with the other, to 
 *vit, whom Chrift minded in his death, till we 
 have done the firft. The word bids all believe, 
 that they may befaved ; and fuch as neglect this 
 •command, will be found difobedient. 3. Tho' 
 •Chrift hath not died for all, yet all that flee unto 
 Jiim by faith, fhall be partakers of his death ; 
 "«*l from this ye fhould rtalon, and nut from 
 
 VerfeS. m 5erm. 33. 
 
 his intention in dying • If ye come not to him, 
 ye cannot have ground to think that he died for 
 you ; but if you go to him by faith, ye may ex- 
 pect that he will pray for you, and ow r n you for 
 believers. Chrift cafts in that word, J-obn 17. 
 They have believed thy word; as well as that o- 
 ther, Thine they were, and thou gavefl them mei. 
 And if we put thefe two together, the one will be' 
 found as fure a ground of confolation as the o- 
 ther ; but it were but a poor comfort to fay, 
 that Chrift died for all, and yet that they may 
 all, or moft, or many of them, perifh for all that. 
 
 The id Ufe ferves to ftir them up to thank- 
 fulnefs for whom Chrift hath fatisiied, and who 
 are fled for refuge to him: If there be any here 
 to whom Chrift hath manifefted fuch lore, that 
 they can fay he hath loved me, and given him- 
 felf fox me ; O how are ye obliged to wonder 
 and blefs him ! greater love than this cannot be ; 
 and it fhould warm your hearts with love to 
 him the more, when ye refleA on God's defign 
 upon you in particular in the covenant of re- 
 demption. 
 
 Ufe id. If Chrift intended his death and fuf- 
 ferings only for behoof of the elect ; Then, as 
 becaufe few come to heaven, all fhould be the 
 more diligent ; fo, becaufe Chrift died not for 
 all, every one fhould aim, in God's own way* 
 to have it made fure to himfelf that Chrift died 
 for him, and fhould be the more watchful and 
 diligent to make his calling and election fure 5 
 becaufe, as it's not all that are ele&ed, fo it's not 
 all that are purchafedby Chrift's death. Redemp- 
 tion is fure in it felf, and free grace kythes con- 
 fpicioufly in it ; yet wifdom and fovereignty 
 do alfo appear in this, that it's not of all : there- 
 fore ftudy ye to make it fure, by fleeing to Chrift - 
 by faith, and by the ftudy of holinefs and mor-' 
 tification,in his ftrength, and through the power 
 of his death, which will be-aproof of your inte- 
 reft in it: This were much more fuitable, than' 
 to be quarelling with God's decrees, as fome are 
 broughtin, Rom. 9. 19. Why doth he find fault * 
 Who hath refifled his will ? To whom the a- 
 poftle anlwers, Who art thou that replieft againfl 
 Gtd ? It becomes you not to difpute with God,* 
 but to feek with more folicitude, and with ho- 
 ly and humble carefulnefs to make the matter fure 
 to your felves : We may well raifeftorms by our 
 difputes, but fhall come to no peace by them ; 
 this can only be come at, by fleeing to the bopo 
 fei before us, 
 
 SERMON 
 
"7 
 
 SERMON XXXIV. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. o. And hetnade his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death \ becaujc k& 
 bad done no violence, neither was any deceit in his ntwth. 
 
 a di/Ference betwixt 
 
 EVery paifage of our Lord's way in profecu- 
 ting the work of redemption hath (ome- 
 what wonderful in it : We heard of feveral of 
 them, efpecially in his humiliation, how very 
 low the bleffed Cautioner condefcended to come 
 for relief of the captivity ; how he was put to 
 wreftle and fight, and what great ftrengths or 
 ftrong holds he was put as it were to take in: 
 There is one ftrong hold (to fpeak Co) not fpo. 
 Hen of as^'et, which mud alio be ftormed, and 
 the fortifications of it pulled down by the Me- 
 diator, and that is the grave. The prophet tells 
 us, that as he declined net death, fo neither did 
 he decline the grave ; ibut as he was cut off cut 
 ef the land of the living, as a wicked man in 
 the account of men, fo in the account of men he 
 was taken down from the crofs with the thieves, 
 and buried in the grave as one of them. 
 
 I fhall not trouble you with diverfity of inter- 
 pretations, but fhall only hint at two things, for 
 your better underftanding of the words, in 
 which the difficulty lyeth ; The \fi is this, 
 Whether doth this relate to his humiliation only, 
 or to his exaltation, or to both ? for it cannot be 
 reafonably thought, but his being buried with 
 the wicked, is a piece of his humiliation ; to 
 make it only an evidence of his humiliation, 
 feems not to (land with the next part of the 
 ••words, becaufe he had done no violence, &c. which 
 is a caufal reafon oPthat which goeth before : 
 But weanfwer,That there may be here arefpe& 
 unto both ; the firft words refpedt his humilia- 
 tion, comparing them with the truth of the hi- 
 ftpry, as it is fet down, Matth. chap. 27. where 
 it is clear that he was deftinate in the account of 
 men, and by their appointment, to be buried 
 with wicked men ; for they thought no more of" 
 him than if he had been a wicked man. The next 
 words, And with the rich in his death, look to 
 his exaltation, and the meaning of them/is^ that 
 however he was in the account of men buried 
 with thieves, and laid in the'graveasa malefa- 
 ctor or wicked man ; yet in God's account, and 
 by his appointment and overruling providence, 
 it was otherwife ; for he put a difference be- 
 twixt him and others, and gave him a honou- 
 rable burial with the rich : tho he was defigned 
 by men to bebruied with thieves, yet,as we have 
 it, Mat. 27. 57. jofeph ^Arimathea we#f to Pi- 
 late, and begged his body, and wrapped it in 
 elean linen, and' laid it in a new tcmb ; which 
 in God's providence was foordered,both to ihew 
 
 him and thofe thieves, an<£ 
 alfoto declare that he was innocent, as the reafort 
 fubjoined tells, Becaufe he had dene nevioknee, 
 neither was any deceit in his mouth ; and to make 
 way for the clearing of his refurre&ion, he being 
 buried in fuch a remarkable place, where never 
 man had been buried before. 
 
 So then the fum of the words is this, He was 
 humbled in coming to the grave, and in mens 
 account and deftination was buried as a wicked 
 man; yet by God's decree and providence it 
 was 10 ordered, that tho' he was poor all hisdavs, 
 he had a honourable burial, fuch as rich men ufe- 
 to have, becaufe he hath dene no violence, nei- 
 ther was there any deceit in his mouth'. God'will 
 not have it going as men defigned, but will have 
 him honourably buried and laid in the grave, 
 that thereby there might be the greater evidenco 
 of his innocency, and a more full clearing and 
 confirmation of the truth of his refurreftion. 
 
 What is rendered death here in our tranflati- 
 on,is deaths in the plural number in the Hebrew? 
 to ihew the greatnefs and terriblenefs of th© 
 death which he underwent, and the fore fpiritu- 
 alas well as bodily exercife that he was put unto, 
 at, and in his death ; fo that it was a complica- 
 tion of many deaths in one, and at once, .which 
 he fuffered. 2. Where it's faid in our tranflati- 
 on, that He made his grave ; in the original it 
 is, he gave his grave with the wicked : So that 
 the pronoun He, may be rr.eaned, either of the 
 Father his giving, or it may be understood of the 
 Mediator himfelf his giving; and fo the meaning 
 is,that it came not to pafs by gusfs on God's fide, 
 but washy him well ordered ; and upon the Me- 
 diator's iide it fets out his willingnefs to go to 
 the grave, and his having an. overruling hand, 
 as God, in his own death and burial ; as he faith, 
 John 10. 18. No man taketh my life from me, 
 but I lay it down cfmyfelf: His death and bu- 
 rial were determined and well ordered, as to all 
 the cireumiiances of both, by a divine decree,and 
 by an overruling hand of providence ; and this 
 agrees well with the reafon fubjoined, becaufe he 
 willingly condefcended to die •, God put a diffe- 
 rence betwixt him and others, as is clear in that 
 oi~John 10. 17. Therefore dcth my Father love me, 
 becaufe Hay down my life for myJJjeep. The verfc 
 hath two parts, (1.) Something foretold conced- 
 ing the Mejfiah, and that is, That he flail mats 
 er give fris grays with the wicked) and with the 
 B b 2 risk 
 
X%% • Ifaiah ^.^ 
 
 c/f& «* £/* <^<xf&. f 2.) There is a reafon fub joi- 
 ned, efpecially to the laft part, taken from his 
 innocency, and from the difference that was in his 
 life betwixt him and all men in the world, that 
 therefore God put a difference betwixt him and 
 them in his death and burial; 
 
 Fi*ft then, This point of do&rine is implied 
 here, 'That coming to the grave is a thing com- 
 * inon and certain to all men. 5 I mean , that death, < 
 or a (late of death, and to be in the grave, in an 
 ordinary way, is common to all men ; and who- 
 ever wants the privilege of burial, their conditi- 
 on in that refpeft is rather worfe than better. It's 
 fupponed here, that wicked men come to the 
 grave, therefore our Lord is faid to make his 
 grave with tbem ; and it is alio iuppofed, that 
 rich men come to' the grave, therefore it's faid, 
 And with the rich in his death : That which So- 
 lomon hath, E&cl. 8. 8. of death, may well be 
 applied to the grave ; There is no man that hath 
 ■power over the fpirit to retain it, neither hath 
 be power in the day of death ; and there is no 
 di [charge in that war-,neither Jball wickednefs de- 
 liver thefe that are given to it : The moil power- 
 ful wicked man cannot prevail over it, nor is 
 he able to refill and withlland it; thefe who 
 conquer moft of the world, are conftrained at 
 length to be content with fomc few foots of 
 ground, and their bodies turned into dull:. Job y 
 in the id chapter of his book, fpeaks of it as com- 
 snan to al], to rich and poor,to high and low, to 
 She king and the hegger,all are there in one cate- 
 gory ; If any were freed from it, it would readi- 
 ly be rich men ; but, as it is, TfaU 49. 6, 7. their 
 xiches will not be a ranfom for them : They that 
 trufl, in their wealthy and boafl t hem fe Ives in 
 3be multitude of their riches , none of them can 
 ky any means redeem his brother, nor give to 
 ^God a ranfom for him ; lb precious is the foul, 
 that the redemption of it ceajes for ever. Amongfl 
 *U mortals, there is none that can buy himfelf 
 $rom coming to the church-yard, or from com- 
 ing to the grave ; but were he never fo rich and 
 honourable, he mult be laid in a hole, as well as 
 ahe poor man ; the bravefl and bed gilded tomb 
 as- but a grave : That fentence pail; by God 
 aiull (land and will ftand, Duft thou ait, and to 
 duft thou Jl)alt return) the tranflation of Enoch 
 *nd Elias, who did not fee death, doth not alter 
 «he: common rule, tho' it fiiew the fovereignty 
 <and power of God, what he can do. 
 
 Ufe u O think more on death and one the 
 §rave ! thefe fare would be much more profitable 
 iub>?A5 of thoughts than many things which our 
 'thought? run ordinarily on: It's appointed fcr> 
 w<tv»QHte to die, and thereafter comctk the \udg- 
 
 Verfe 9. Serm. la- 
 
 ment. As we walk over and tread on the grave 
 of others now, fo iome will be walking over and 
 treading on ours ere long; and within a few. 
 years our bodies will be turned into dull, and 
 our duft will not be known from the dull of o- 
 thers that lived before us : It were good to have 
 the faith of this more rooted, and that we did 
 meditate more frequently and ferioufly on it. 
 
 Ufe 2. ■ It reproves the pride of men and wo- 
 men, and their lulling after earthly vanities : 
 When death and the grave come, where will all 
 their brave houfes, and clothes, and well drefl 
 beds be ? and what will become of. your filver 
 and gold ? Thefe things will not go to the grave 
 with you: As ye brought nothing into the worid, 
 fo it's certain that ye fhall carry nothing out of 
 it; the confideration whereof would be a re- 
 (Iraint and aw-band to mens exorbitant deilres. 
 The time is coming, when fix or fevenfoot in 
 length, and two or three foot in breadth, of 
 ground, will ferve the richefl and moil honou- 
 rable ; and within a few years, the lord provoll's 
 dull will not be known from the duft of the poor 
 body that got fhare of the common contributi- 
 on ; the dull of both will be alike : Drels and 
 pamper the body as ye will, that beauty will 
 not abide with you ; wherefore then ferves all 
 this pride, vanity and bravity, feeing a very 
 little while's time will lay it all in the dull, and 
 when all our proje&s will take an end ? as Job 
 faith, Chap, 17. My purpofes are broken, and 
 what did break them oflfr' The grave (faith he) 
 is waiting for me ; I have faid to corruption, to 
 the rottennefs of the earth, Thou art my mother.} 
 and to the worms, Te are my brother and fifters : 
 They and I mull ly together. Thefe that now 
 cannot get their beds made fine and foft enough,, 
 the worms and they will ly together ere long 
 in the grave; the chell or coffin will. not be fa 
 clofebut they will win in, nay, they will breed 
 in their own bodies : 'Do we not fee this daily ? 
 Were it not then good, that, when ye are going 
 to the burials and graves of others, ye were 
 thinking on your own lying down in the grave ? 
 and what will be your thoughts, in that day, of 
 all things in this world ? if dead corples could 
 fpeak out of their graves, they would preach 
 (harp warning to them that are alive, and would 
 fay to fuch as are carrying them thrther, Beware 
 of putting off thoughts of death, and of the 
 grave. Tho' this be a common point of truth, yet 
 few walk fuitably to it ; but we are generally in 
 our practice, as if it were not a truth, no more 
 minding death and the grave^ than if we were e- 
 ternally to live here. 
 
 Uf$: 
 
^erm. 34. J fa: ah 53. 
 
 Ufe 3. \s this fhould make folks fober in pro- 
 fperity,fo it lhouid make them patient inadverfi- 
 ty: A little timj will make usa;l equal; and what 
 is the matter what oui condition be, if our peace 
 be made fare with God ? Heathens may ihame 
 many o^ us that are profefling Chriltians, who, 
 by the confederation of death, have been brought 
 to be much more fober in their carriage, than 
 alas many of us are. 
 
 2dly, Obferve, 6 That the Mejfiab behoved to 
 c come to the grave and be buried'. It was lb de- 
 figned, foretold, and fore-prophefied of •, He 
 made bis grave with the wicked, and with the 
 -rich in his death. Hence the apoftle, Atls 2. 30. 
 citing Pfal. 16. 8. gathers, that as there was a 
 neceffity of" his being in the grave, (o there was a 
 neceffity of his refurre&ion out of it, becaufe he 
 fhould not fee corruption in it ' y His foul was net 
 left in hell, or in the grave, neither did his flefh 
 fee corruption: And in all the evangelifts it's clear, 
 that after death he was remarkably laid in the 
 grave, and very particular and 1'pecial notice is 
 taken of it. Tak^ here ihortly fome few reafons 
 of this neceflity according to the Lord's appoint- 
 ment, and no further: The ifl whereof is this, 
 That the unftainednefs and purity of divine ju- 
 ftice may appear ; and that therefore the com- 
 pleatnefs and perfe&ion of his fatisfa<ftion,as Me- 
 diator, to the juftice of God, may be confirmed: 
 If he had not been buried, it might have been 
 queftioned, whether that, which folk fufrer after 
 death be a reality or not ; but his three days ly- 
 ing in the grave, is a greater evidence of the un- 
 ftainednefs and purity of juftice, and of its im- 
 partiality, than the imprifoniftg of many crea- 
 tures for many thoufands of years would have 
 been : This fliews him to be a juft God, when 
 iinners'Cautioner is not only .purfued to cjeath, 
 but to the grave ; and therefore this is always 
 accounted the lowed part orftep of his fufFerings. 
 " And in the Creed, his depending into hell, is fpo- 
 ken of, which in our excellent Catechiim is ex- 
 pounded to be his continuing under the power of 
 death for a time. 2. It is much for the mani- 
 feftation of the great love of God, and of the 
 rich condefcending grace of the Mediator, who 
 is not only content to die, but to be laid in the 
 grave, and to fuffer death to have a kind of domi- 
 nion over him for a time ; fo that, as death had 
 power to feparate his foul from his body, fo it 
 prorogates that power during his being in the 
 grave ; His enemies, as it were, cry, Take him 
 up now ; and theyfeal the ftone,andfet at watch 
 to keep him in the grave. 3. It's for the confola- 
 tion of the believer, and ferves mightily to 
 ftrerrgthen him againft the fear of death and tbr 
 
 Verfe 9.' 189 
 
 grave ; fo that the believer needs not be afraid 
 of d ath, but may ly down quietly in the grave, 
 becaufe it was Ch rift's bed, warmed (to lay lb) 
 by him, he was there before him: And the grave 
 is now to the believer no part of the curie, 
 more -than death is ; the grave will not fwallaw 
 him up with a (ore of dominion and right, as it 
 doth the reprobate. 4. It lerves to confirm the 
 truth of the refurre&ion of Chrift, more than 
 if he had never'been in the grave, as the apoftle 
 proves, 1 Cor, 1 5. from the beginning to the clofe, 
 even till he come to that, death I where it 
 thy fling ? grave ! where is thy victory f Our 
 Lord, by dying and being buried, hath delive- 
 red his people from both : As neither a great 
 ftone, nor a leal put on it,cou!d keep him in the 
 grave, but that he rbfe again the third day ; fo 
 nothing will be able for ever to keep believers 
 at under ; And as he died to difarm death, fo 
 his entring in the.grave,was to difarm the grave, 
 and to open a door for believers to come thorow 
 it, by his power who was dead and laid in the 
 grave, but now is rifen and alive for evermore. 
 The Ufes are, 1. To fh.ew the full conformity 
 and agreeablenefs that is betwixt what was fore- 
 told of the Mefftah ,and what is fulfilled ; and fo 
 ferves to confirm our faith in this, that.he is the 
 true Mejfiab, who was crucified,dead and buried: 
 This is one of the articles of our faith, foretold 
 by Ifaiah, now fulfilled and recorded to be foin 
 the gofpel. 2. It fhews the feverity of juftice, 
 that when any perfon is made liable to the lafh of 
 it, were it but as cautioner, it will exaft of him 
 fatisfa<5Hon to the uttermoft : Therefore, when 
 Chrift enters himfelf our Cautioner, it not only 
 exacts death, and purfues him till he give up 
 the Ghoft, but after death purfues him to the 
 grave ; it will needs have the fatisfa&ion of the- 
 Mediatbr ; and he yields to it,fo as to lay himfelf 
 by as a dead man. O what a revengeful thing is 
 juftice, when a iinner muft anfwer to it 1 When 
 the Mediator was fo purfued by it, what will it- 
 do to others, who are out of him ? Here we may 
 apply that word, D aught ers of Jerufalem, weep 
 not forme, but weep for your felves and your 
 children ; if it be done fo to the green tree,what 
 JJjall be done to the dry ? When the fire of the 
 vengeance of God ffiall kindle that lake that" 
 burns with fire and brimftone, and when finners- 
 fhall be caft into it, as fo many pieces of wood, 
 or as fo many pieces of dry fticks, what will be 
 their condition ? It were good in time to f ear" 
 falling into the bands of the living God, which 1 
 is indeed a moll fearful thing, Heb. 10* 3I-- 
 3»It fliews the believer's obligation toGod^.thav 
 
190 Jfaiah ^3. 
 
 .fo fully provided a fatisfa&ion for him, and hath 
 furnifhed him with fuch a ground of confoiation; 
 beiide what is done for the latistying of juftice 
 (which is the great confoiation) there is here 
 ground of coniolation against all crones, pain, 
 licknefs, death and the grave ; • there is not a 
 ilep in the way to heaven, but our Lord hath 
 gone it before us : We have not only a Media- 
 tor that died, but that was buried 5 and O but 
 tins is much, when believers come to think on 
 their going to the grave ! Will it devour them, 
 or feed upon them for ever ? No, he hath muz- 
 led it, to fay fo ; they reft in their graves as in 
 a bed, their bodies being united to him, and 
 their dud mull be counted for : it's true,the bo- 
 dies of the reprobate muft be railed up, yet up- 
 on another account, and rot by vertue of their 
 union with Chrift, and of Chrift's vi&ory over 
 death in their {lead, as believers are. In a word, 
 they have many advantages that haveChrilhand 
 they have a miferable life, a comfortlefs death, 
 and a hard lying in the grave, that want him-: 
 Therefore, as the ihort cut to have a happy life, 
 and a comfortable death and burial,and the grave 
 fanitified to you, Geek to have your intereil in 
 Chrift made fure ; then all things are yours, and 
 particularly death and the grave, which will be 
 as a box to keep the particles of your dull, till 
 it reftore them faithfully to Chrift, to whom it 
 muft give an account. But,as for you that flight, 
 and misken Chrift, ye have a dreadful lot of it, 
 no intereft in Chrift living, no union with him 
 in the grave, nor at the refurreftion ; and if ye 
 did but ferioufly confider that ye will die, ye 
 would alfo con/Ider that it's good dying and being 
 ing in the grave with Chriil, and that it's a wo- 
 ful thing to be, and to be in it, without him. 
 
 idly, Obferve, 'That all the fufferings of our 
 c Lord JefusChriil,to the leaft particular circum- 
 1 dance of them, were ordered of God, and be- 
 • tore-hand determined and concluded upon^none 
 of them came by guefs upon him : That he 
 fhould fuffer and die, and what fort of death he 
 (hould die, and that he fhould be laid in the 
 grave, all was before concluded and determined. 
 When we read thorow the gofpel,it were good to 
 take a look of the Old tellament prophecies of 
 the covenant of redemption, and of the antient 
 determinations concerning him^sPeter doth> Atls 
 2. 27. Him, being delivered by the determinate 
 sounfel tf God, ye have rvitb wicked hands cru- 
 tified ; God's foreknowledge and determination 
 fixed the bounds, and laid down the rule ( to 
 Ipeak fo) to thefe wicked hands in the crucify- 
 ing of him, without all tincture or touch of cul- 
 pable accefficn to their £n : And, in looking o- 
 
 Verfe 9. Serm. 34; 
 
 ver his, fufferings, we would call to mind, that 
 this and t is was the Lord's purpofe, and that 
 in thefe tufferings-, and in every part and piece 
 of them, the Mediator is telling down the 
 price that he undertook to pay j all which de- 
 monstrates the verity of our Lord's being the 
 true Mejfiab. 
 
 fitbljk From comparing the two parts of the 
 -firft part of the verfe together,HV made his grave 
 with the wicked^s to the eftimation of men, ani. 
 rvitb the rich in his dtath, in refpect. of God's or- 
 dering it, Obferve, c That often God hath one 
 * defign, and men another ; and that God will 
 c have his defign to ftand,and infruftrably to take 
 6 effect. :' When fome would defign fhame to 
 his people, he will have them honoured. 
 
 The. ifl Ufe ferves to comfort God's people, 
 when they are in their loweft condition, and 
 when their enemies are in higheft power ; our 
 Lord is driving on his defign, and making his 
 and their enemies to fulfil it : Pilate and the 
 chief priefts, with the fcribes and Pharifees, are 
 putting Chrift to death ; the multitude are cry- 
 ing, Crucify him^nd preferring a robber to him: 
 But, in all this, they were fulfilling what God 
 had before determined to be done ; which we fay 
 is matter of great confo!ation 3 both as to our own 
 particular ;afe, and as to God's general guiding 
 of the world, and efpecially of his Church there- 
 in : There is nothing, wherein the malice of men 
 feems to be mod prevalent, but our Lord is 
 dill gaining his point upon, and by them ; they 
 are all the while executing God's determination, 
 tho' to their own ruin. 
 
 2. See here an exacl correfpondency betwixt all 
 the circumstances of our Lord's fufferings, and 
 God's determination, and a concurrence of all of 
 them for the promo ving of it, in the hiftory of 
 the gofpel ; A bens of him is not bnken. When 
 the bones of the two thieves crucified with him 
 are broken, a fpear is run at him, and bis fide is 
 pierced, when they are not pierced ; and all this, 
 becaufe it was prophefied of him-that A bone of 
 him Jhall not be broken } ir\& theyfhall look upon him 
 whom they have pierced^and when it comes to his 
 burial, Pilate wots not what he is doing, when 
 yet he is fulfilling the Lord's defign,in giving his 
 body to a rich man JcfepbotArimatbea,v,'hen he 
 asked it from.himto be buried by him, whereby 
 the prophecy in the text is fulfilled ; the wicked- 
 nefs of fome, the contingent actions of others, 
 and the ignorance of many, concur all together, 
 to make out the fame holy and unalterable defign 
 and purpofe of God. 
 And therefore, 3. Let us day our faith here, 
 
 that 
 
5erm. 34. Ifaiab 53. 
 
 that our Lord is (lill working in all thefe con- 
 fufions : And when matters are turn'd up-fide- 
 down to humane appearance, our bleffed Lord 
 is not nonpluflkd and at a ft and when we are ; 
 he knows well what he is doing, and will make 
 all things moft certainly, infallibly. and infruftra- 
 bly to work for his own glory, and for the good 
 or his people. 
 
 From it s being faid, that be gave bis grave 
 roitb ttrewicked.as holding forth Chrift'swilling- 
 nefs to be buried, (as he la>*th of his death, Job. 
 10. 17. No man taketb away my life from me.but 
 Hay it down, and take it up ^aitfjObterve/That 
 ' in the whole performance of the work of re- 
 c demption, even in the lowtft and moft fhame- 
 * ful fteps of it,our Lord was a moil willing Con- 
 defcender/ He gave bit grave roitb tbe voided 5 
 He was a moft free and willing Undertaker : 
 When, as it were, the queftion was put, Who 
 will fatisfy for elecft finners r He comes in, and 
 fays (as we have it, Pfal. 4c.) Lo, I ccme. in tbe 
 volume cf tby booh it is written of me J delight to 
 do tby will, my God ; I am here, Father, as if 
 he had iaid, I offer my felr, and accept of the 
 terms heartfomly and delightfomly ; / rejeiced, 
 iaith he, Prov. 8. 2S. in tbe habitable parts of tbe 
 earth, befre the foundation of tbe world was 
 laid, my delight was with the fons of men : So if 
 may be made evident, that in all the parts of his 
 fufFerings, and in every ftep thereof, he did moft 
 exa&ly, and alio moft willingly, perform what- 
 ever was carved out to him; he preached, and 
 wrought miracles, and did all with delight, as 
 hlmielf fays, J-obn 4. 32. It is my meat and my 
 drink to do my Father's will, and to fn'ijh his 
 Tocrk ; it refreshed him, when his body was hun- 
 gry and faint, to be carrying on the work of re- 
 demption, in fpeaking to a poor ftraying firmer* 
 If we yet look a little forward, we will find, that 
 lie fo longed for the faddeft part of thisexerciie, 
 that he is pained till it be accomplifhed,£tfjeei2. 
 *)O.Jbave a baptifm to be baptised with, and b:w 
 am Iftraitned till it be accomplifhed ? His heart 
 longed fo much to beat it,that he would approve 
 nor admit of nothing that might ftand in the way 
 of it; therefore he rejefted Peter's advice with 
 holy detertation,witha(?ef thee behind me Satan ; 
 he knew well what was in fudas\ mind, and yet 
 would not divert him, but bid him do what he 
 was about quickly *, he went to the garden, where 
 be was known to refcrt,and gave his enemies op- 
 portunity to take him, and would not furFer his 
 diiciples to draw a fword to oppofe them ; when 
 he was before Pilate,he would not open his m:uth\ 
 wta*hewasJ»uiFtted/£<?£4vr6/jttB4) U tbe j mi- 
 t£r 3 ajidbis cheeks tqhim t fat plucked off the hair , 
 
 Verfe 9. ig\- 
 
 and bid not bis face from fhame and fpittin* y 
 becaufe he knew what was aimed at in all this,' 
 and accordingly faith,Afof. 20.20.Tbe Son of mart 
 eame not to be ferved, but to ferve, and to give 
 bis life a ranfom for many. W hen his holy hu- 
 mane nature (carred at the cup, and when he was 
 thereby put to pray. Father, if it be poffible, let 
 this cup pafs from me, he fweetly fubjoins, But 
 for this caufe came I unto this b:ur : And the 
 nearer it came to his death, he vented his defire 
 after it the more # , With defire have 1 defire d,hit\i 
 he, or with fpecial deiire have I defired, to eat 
 this paffver witbycu before 1 fuffer ', even when 
 he was to eat«the laft pailbver,and to take his laft 
 good-night, and to be in readinefs for what was 
 coming. \Y hat could have been the mean or 
 motive to bring it about, if he had not been wil- 
 ling ? It was this willingnefs that Jehovah was 
 pleafed with, and that made his facrifice to fmtll 
 fweetly to hisFather,wbo levetb a cheerful giver; 
 And it had never been fatisfa&ory, if it had not; 
 been willing, but extorted ; and therefore faith' 
 he, John 1 1.N0 man taketb my life from me, but V 
 lay it down \ and I delight to do tby w;7/,Pfa!.4o. 
 
 Ufe \fi, See here a great evidence of the love 
 of God,and of the Mediator ; behold what man- 
 ner of love this is, that when it was not requi- 
 red, heihould offer and freely give himlelf to 
 death, and to the grave ! This is the love of a 
 Friend, and beyond it, that he ihould have fo 
 loved his Church, as to give himfelf for her to 
 death, and to the grave ; well may he fay,as he ' 
 doth, John 15. 15. Greater love hatb no man 
 than this, &c. 
 
 2dly, It fheweth what great ground of confo- 
 lation and encouragment a finner hath, that 
 would fain be at Chrift, to believe on him, and 
 to expedt life and falvation through him : Our 
 Lord was moft willing to lay down his life* 
 and to come to the grave for that end ; and is it 
 poffible that he will refufe a finner, that comes 
 unto him, and that would fain ihare in the be- 
 nefit of his fufferings, which was his great end 
 in differing ? This one thing, to wit, the wil- 
 lingnefs that he had to furFer, and the delight 
 that he had in fufFering, to purchafe redemption 
 to finners, may be as a ftrongeordial toftrengthen 
 the heart of a fwooning finner, and a great mo*, 
 tive and encouragement to come forward to hirn. 
 Thou wilt, it may be, fay, I wot not if Chrift 
 loves me : O cenfider thefe fweet words, R:m.^» 
 10. 1/ be died fcr us while we were yet enemies x 
 how much more frail we be faved by bis life ? 
 I fhall clofe this difcourfe with thefe two words, 
 the ift whereof is^ for encouragement ; If there 
 
 W 
 
194 Ifaiab $3, Verfe 9, 
 
 be anybody body here that would fan have 
 
 Cnrit s love, aid partake ot his death \ take 
 
 Courage, feeing our Lord, out or the great de- 
 
 firc he bad to ptomove theiaivation ot finners, 
 
 gave himjetf- to dcat/j, and to the grave, will he 
 
 not willingly make application or' his purchafe to 
 
 them when they feck it r That he was willing 
 
 to undergo all this, is a far greater matter tuan 
 
 to welcome a linner coming home to him ; and 
 
 if he did ad that he did for this very end,wi!l he 
 
 {land on it when it comes to the application ? 
 
 The 2d word is,That this is,and will be a ground 
 
 of conviction to all who think little of our Lord 
 
 i>erm. 3$; 
 
 JehiS.and of hislove ; and who will not part with 
 a bale; uit tor him and who will not make choice 
 of him but will rdulcrejeft, undervalue and de-" 
 ipife him, with ah that he hath done and luffe- 
 red; it will exceedingly aggravate your condem- 
 nation, that when he was fo wiling to die for 
 the good of finners,ye were not willing to live for 
 his iatisiaftion. Think on it, O! think feri- 
 ouily on it : T hefe things are the truths of God, 
 and the main truths of the gofpel, that ly very 
 near the ingaging of hearts to Chrift ; and if 
 iuch truths do ) ou no good, none others readi- 
 ly will. God give us the faith of them. 
 
 SERMON XXXV. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 9. And be made bis grave with the wicked... and with the rich in bis death ; becaufe b§ 
 bad done no violence, neither was any deceit in bis mouth. 
 
 THis is a mod wonderful fubje<& that we 
 have to think and fpeak of,which concerns 
 the fufferings that our bleffed Lord was pleafed 
 to undergo for Tinners: And this makes it to be 
 the more wonderful; when we confider what he 
 "Was" made, and what his carriage was; He was 
 numbred with the tranfgreffors, and gave his 
 grave with the wicked ; and yet he hath this 
 tellimony, that there was no violence in his 
 hands, nor any deceit in his mouth. He was 
 a finlefs Mediator, not only before men, but 
 before God. 
 
 Thefe words,confIdered in themfelves,hold out 
 a little fum and fhort compehd of a holy walk, 
 mod perfectly and exactly fulfilled in the conver- 
 fation of Jefus Chrift ; He bad done no violence^ 
 or there was no violence in his hands, that is, 
 there was no finfu! deed contrary to the law of 
 God in all his practice and walk ; And there was 
 no deceit, ar guile, in his mouth, that is, no finful 
 or deceitiul expreffion : In fum, neither in deed 
 nor in word was there fin in him; he did wrong 
 to none by his deeds, and he. deceived nobody 
 by his words. This guile or deceit, as it looks 
 to the firft- table of the law, impor.ts,that there 
 was no falfhood nor corrupt doctrine in his mi- 
 niftry ; he did not beguile nor leduce the fouls 
 of any, in leading them wrong : And as it looks 
 to the fecond table of .the law more immediately, 
 it imports, that he was fincere and upright, that 
 there was no deceit, . no violence or diifembling 
 in his" carriage ; fo that, whether we look to him 
 as God's publickServart in the miniitry, or to 
 him in his private walk, he was compleatly in- 
 nocent, and without all fin, as the word is. iPcf. 
 2. 22. Who did no fin, neither was guile found 
 in his jnouth : However men accounted oi' him, 
 he was an innocent and finlefs Saviour. 
 
 If w T e look on them as they depend on the for- 
 mer words, they are a reafon of that difference 
 which in his death and burial God did put be- 
 twixt him and others. Tho 5 he was by wicked 
 men put to death as a wicked perfon, yet God 
 in his providence fo ordered the matter, that he 
 was honourably buried with the rich ; Why io ? 
 This is the reafon of it, becauie,tho' they eftee- 
 med him a falfe Prophet,and a Deceiver ,aV ine- 
 bibber, &c, yet he had done no wrong to any, 
 neither by word nor by deed; and therefore God 
 would have that refpeft put onhim after his death 
 in his burial, and fo a remarkable difference to 
 be made betwixt him and others. 
 
 Obferve hence, 1. 'That our Lord Jefus, the 
 * High priefi of our prjtjfion, that laid down his 
 c life for finners is compleatly and perfectly ho- 
 '•ly.* He hath that testimony from the prophet 
 here, that He did no violence, neither was there 
 any deceit in his mouth ; he hath this tellimony 
 from theapoil'es, from Peter, 1 Tat. 2. 22. He 
 did no fin, neither was any guile found in his 
 mouth) from John, 1 John 3. 5. He was manife* 
 fled to take away fin, and in him is no fin ; and 
 from FaulHeb. j..2~ r Hewas holy, and harmhfs t 
 and unde filed, feparate fr cm finners : In this re- 
 fpecl, there is a differ, nee betwixt him and all 
 men in the world ; and it was neceflary and re- 
 quifite for believers confolation. that it fhould 
 be Co, It became us, faith the apoftle, to have fuch 
 an HigbPriefi. 1. If we confider the ex;ellency 
 of his Perlbn, he could not bt otherwife, being 
 God and Man in one Perfon, and having the 
 fulnefsof the Godhead dwelling in him bodily. 
 2. Tt was neceffary, if we confider the end of his 
 offic s ; He, being to offer up an acceptable Sa- 
 crifice to God, behoved to be holy and harmlefs; 
 
 other* 
 
Serin. 3<. , c V aiab 
 
 otherw ite- neither the Prieit nor the Sacrifice 
 I have been acceptable. 3. it was neceffery, 
 if we conlider the dignity of his office : It be- 
 hoved Him to differ from the former priefts un- 
 der the iaw; and if he had not been without 
 fin, he Ihould not have fo luffered from them. 
 4. It was necetfary for the perfons for whom he 
 undertook thefe offices : Such a high Pr.eft be- 
 came them, and another could not have done 
 their turn. All thefe we will find to be put to- 
 gether, Hsb. 7. 26, 27. where the apoftIe,baving 
 fki4,verfe 25. That be is able to fave to the ut- 
 tcrmofl theft that come unto God thro" bim, fub- 
 joins, For fuch an high Przeft became us, who 
 is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from fith 
 ners,made higher than the beavens.wbo needetb 
 V:t daily as thefe high priefts to offer up facrifi- 
 ces, frftfir bis own fins, and then for the fins of 
 the pei pie. The mod holy of all the priefts had 
 fins for whi:h they behoved' to offer facrifices, 
 fo'had the holieft of the people ; but Chrift was 
 holy and blamelefs, and had no fin; and it beho- 
 ved him to be fo : As I faid juft now, his facri- 
 £ee couad never have been accepted for others, 
 if he had needed to offer up facrifices for him- 
 felf. 
 
 The Ufes are thefe ; not to fpeak how it vin- 
 dicates our Lord Jefus Chrift from all thefe af- 
 periions cart upon him by wicked men,w ho called 
 him a Glutton, ^Wine-bibber ,a friend of publi- 
 cans and finner s, a Deceiver, &c. He was holy 
 and harmiels ; and ere long he will glorioufly 
 appear to be holy, when thefe who pierced him 
 ihail ee him.and'be confounded : I fay, thtUfes 
 are thefe, in reference to the Church and people 
 of God : It ferves, 1. To ihew the condefcen- 
 \ dency of love, and the contrivance or inhn'te 
 ! wifdom for the behoof of linners ; fu h a high 
 Prieft became us. Love condefcended, and wif- 
 tlom contrived, that he fhould become Mao, and 
 fuff rjbe juft.for the unjuft ; wudom.fet on work 
 by grace, provided for linners fuch an high Prieft 
 as they flood in need ot : And indeed iirners 
 have no want here, tor they have an high Prieit 
 1 becoming than ; and this is an evidence of it, 
 ; that he is bAyJoarmle\s, undefiled, feparate from 
 I fmners, &c 2. it ferves to be a great ground of 
 encouragement to linners, to ftep to, and make 
 ufe of Chrift's facririce. Our Lord had no iin, 
 and needed not to offer a facrifice for himfelf ; 
 and if he offered facrifice for atonement, where- 
 fore did he fo ? It was either for himfelf, and 
 I that could not be, for he. was holy ; or for no- 
 thing, or for no end, and to fay Co were blaf- 
 phemy ; or it muil be for a real fatisfa&ion for 
 fled iiDners 3 or fuch as fhould make ufe of hijn: 
 
 53. Verfe 9. 193 
 
 And thus faith hath a fure ground to lay hold on, 
 namely, that his fatisfa&ion was real ; and that 
 it was for this end, to be made forthcoming for 
 the behoof of fuch as fhould believe on him. 
 And therefore, look upon Thrift's furFering,and 
 upon his innocency who fufFrred, and ye will 
 find that ye have a fuitable high Pried, " and a- 
 tonement made for you : O but that is a fweet 
 word, 2 Ccr. 5. uli. He hath made him to be fin, 
 fir us, who Intro no fin, that roe might be made 
 the right ecu fae fs of God in him. 
 
 3. It's ground of great confolation to thertt 
 that betake themfelves to Chrift : Why ? our 
 Lord's facrffice cannot but be accepted, for there 
 wasin him no guile, nothing that might make 
 his facrifice unfavoury.- And as it commands 
 the way of grace to a finner, fo it is ground of 
 encouragement to a finner to look to be accepted 
 through him : For if the temptation ihould fay, 
 Thou art a finner, and fuch and fuch a great fin- 
 ner ; that-is nothing t^ purpofe, for God hath 
 accepted of Chrift and ot his facririce; and if 
 thou make ufe of his facrifice, it cannot but be 
 accepted for thee : Here then is the confolation, 
 thatw r e have fuch an high P-rieft as became us, 
 who needed not to offer for himfelf, but only 
 for the fins of the people, and of his ow r n people. 
 
 4. It ferves notably for cur imitation .* He 
 was holy, and in his holy walking hath left us 
 a copy to write after, and to walk by : And there- 
 fore, in your fpeaking of Chrift's holinefs, or in 
 your reading of it, coniider that he is thereby 
 cafting a copy to you. and biding you purify yur 
 f elves, as he is pure ; to be holy, as he who hatk 
 called you is holy ; learn of him to be meek and 
 l.wly in heart, to be humble and heavenly-min- 
 ded : and in whatever refpe& his life and walk 
 is propofed to us as a pattern, fet your felves in 
 his own flrength to imitate it. and be ye fo'.', overs 
 of him as dear children ; whenever ye read of 
 hi* obedience to death, of his holinefs in all man- 
 ner of converfat&n, and of his fulfilling all rigb- 
 tecufnefs, let it provoke you fingly and fcrioufly 
 to deiign and endtavour conformity to him 
 therein in your practice. 
 
 2dly,¥rom the connexion of thefe two, Th~t 
 he was accounted a finner before and a;: his death, 
 and that after his death God did put that note ot 
 refpecr. upon him. that hew as buried with the ricb y 
 becaufe be bad done no violence, &c. but was ho- 
 ly and harmiels in his life; Obferve, < That how. 
 1 ever holinefs may fuifer as long as holy perfons 
 c live, yet at death, and after death, there is ;ver 
 c a teftimonyj>f the Lords refpect put on it: ' Or 
 thusj ' Holy' walkers are always feparated and 
 Cc dif- 
 
§94 I fat ah <$3. 
 
 • differenced from others at their death ; it's e- 
 
 * rer otherwile with them than it is with others 
 
 * when death comes, however it hath been with 
 
 • them in their life.' He made bis grave with the 
 roicked.and with the rich in bis death ,becaufe he 
 bad done no violence, &c. This hath been confir- 
 med in the experience of all that ever lived: The 
 rich gluttoti, Luke 16. hath the bett r life as to ex*- 
 temzilsjand Lazarus had a poor afrli&ed life ; but 
 When death comes, the rich glutt, n goes to hell, 
 and Lazarus goes to the bofom oi Abraham. This 
 is laid down as a certain truth, Eccl. 8. 12, 13. 
 Tho' a [inner do evil an hundred tunes, and his 
 days be prolonged, yet Jurely I kn:w that it JhaU 
 he well with bim that fears God, but itjhall not 
 he well with the wicked* There ihall be a change 
 at death ; and it cannot be otherwiie,whether we 
 look, 1. To the holy nature of God, who hath 
 a complacency in holinefs, as it's laid, Pfal. 11. 
 tilt. The righteous Lord loveth righteoufnejs, his 
 ccuntenance doth behAd the upright. Or whe- 
 ther, 2. We look to the word ol God, which, 
 Jfa. 3. 10, il. bids fay to the righteous, It Jhall 
 he well with tbem, for they Jball eat of the fruit 
 ff their doings j for, Blejfed are the dead which 
 die in the Lord, they refl from their labours, 
 and their works do follow tbem ; but. Wo un- 
 to the wicked, it Jhall be ill with him, for 
 the reward of hit hands Jhall be given him* 
 The lame connexion that was betwixt Chrift's 
 life, tho' a fuffering life, and his death, lhall 
 Ibe betwixt the life of all his members, and their 
 death; Jfwefuffer with bim, we Jball alfo reign 
 With bim~ 
 
 The Ufes are, 1 . To let us fee what is the true 
 Way to eternal well-being, when this ihort life 
 §&\\ be at an end ; and it is the way of holi- 
 nefs: And lb it ferves to anfwer a great quefti- 
 «kn$. Who fhall be happy at their death? Even 
 fthey that are holy in their life ; whofe hands 
 liave done no violence, and whofe mouth hath 
 liad no guile, to wit, with the full benfil of their 
 ■will,' and without all gracious relu&ation ; for 
 «fcfolute freedom from thefe in this life was pro- 
 ypr .only to our Lord Jefus flnce Adam's fall : 
 Such may expect the Lord's countenance, when 
 ateath feparates their foul and body. Therefore 
 Jake this as a mark for trial, obferve and fee 
 What is your carriage, and judge accordingly ; 
 and feeing the Lord hath joined holinefs and 
 Siappinefs together icfeparably, prefume not to 
 feparate them. 
 
 2. Is it fo, that holinefs hath a good and 
 eomfortable clofe of a man's life, (which is 
 ai?e fubflance of the do&rine ) it would com- 
 $Ki4 to ks. Ik ftudy ox holirjefs, as the «o£. 
 
 Vcr{ e 9- ' Serm. 5 *i 
 
 precious, advantagicus, honourable, ficker and 
 laf- courfe that a man can follow ; Say to the 
 righteous, Itjhall be well with him ; it's not, 
 Say to the honourable man, 1 or lay to the rich 
 man, nor to the wife man, CSV. God hath not 
 chofen many of thtfe, as is clear, iCor.u 26. but, 
 Say to the righteous or holy man, It fhall be 
 well with him : And is there any thing that 
 ihould have fo much influence on men, and take 
 them fo much up, as how to be well in the clofe t 
 Folk may have a fighting life of it here, and may. 
 fuiFer much, and be under reproach for a time, 
 as Chriit was 5 but if thou be holy, ere thy bo- 
 dy be laid in the grave, it Ihall be well with thy 
 foul. And as for all who have chofen the way of 
 holinefs, we are allowed to fay this to you, that 
 it Ihall be well with you at death, and after death, 
 at judgment, and even for evermore: To them 
 (laith the apofiLte^Rom, 1. 9.) who by patient conti- 
 nuance in well- doing, feek for glory, and honour, 
 and immortality, eternal life. O how many 
 great and good things are abiding all the honeft 
 hearted ftudents of holinefs / Eye hath not 
 feen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, what 
 they are. 
 
 3. It's ground of expoftulation with them that 
 neglect and flight holinefs ; As it will be well 
 with the righteous or holy, fo they fhall have a 
 miferable and defperate lot of it, who either de- 
 fpife or negleft holinefs, Wo to the wicked (faith 
 Ifaiab 3. 11.) it Jhall be ill with him. Some cf 
 you may think that ye are rich and honourable, 
 are well clothed, fit in fine houfes, and have 
 rich covered tables, when poor bodies are kept 
 at the door, and are deftitute of thefe things ; 
 and are ready to blefs your felves as being well, 
 tho' ye care not for, nor feek after holinefs .•- 
 But wo unto you, for ye muft die, and go to 
 the bottomlefs pit, and there ye will not get- 
 fo much as a drop of water to cool your tongues 
 in thefe tormenting flames \ neither your riches, 
 nor honours, nor pleafures, will hold off the 
 heat and fury of the vengeance of God, nor in 
 the leal! eafe you in your extreme pain ; but, as 
 it is, Rom. 2. 9. Indignation and wrath, tribu- 
 lation and anguijh (four fore words) will be 
 upon every foul of man that dctb evil. O do 
 ye not believe this ? It's the truth of God, and 
 a very plain truth, and we are perfvvaded none 
 of you will dare downright to deny it : Holi- ' 
 nefs will have a fweet and comfortable clofe, and 
 the neglect of it will have fearful efFe&s follow- ' 
 ing on it. What is the reaion then that holinefs j 
 is fo little thought of, and followed? do ye be- 
 lieve that ye will die ? and think vc ever to, 
 
 (OH 
 
Serm. 35- J f at * b *3- 
 
 come to judgment, or to hear that word, Come, 
 ye bhffcd of my Ftther, inherit the kingdom 
 prepared for you \ for I was hungry, and ye fid 
 me\ naked, and ye cUtbed me, &c. O what 
 will become of manyjot you, when the Lord Je- 
 fus will be revealed from heaven, with his migh- 
 ty angels, in flaming fire, to render vengeance 
 to all them who know not God, and obey not the 
 gofpel ; and will fay to you, Depart, ye cur fed, 
 into tverlajiing fire, prepared for the devil and 
 bis angels ; for when I was hungry, ye fed me 
 not., &c. This is, I grant, a general truth ; 
 yet if it be not received, we know not what 
 truth will be received ; and if it were received, 
 the practice of holinefs would be more ftudied ; 
 there would be lefs fin, and more prayer, read- 
 ing, meditation, more feeking after knowledge, 
 and more watchfulnefs and tendernefs of folks 
 converfation: Always, in this the Lord ihews 
 the connexion that is betwixt holinefs and hap- 
 pinefs, and here ye have the copy and pattern of 
 an exemplary walk. 
 
 3. From this, that the holinefs andblame- 
 lofnefs of Chrift, here fpoken of, is marked in 
 him as peculiar to him, for it fits him to be a 
 high Prieft, and proves that only he could be 
 the Pried that fuited and became us, and that 
 no other could do our turn,as the apoftle reafons, 
 Heb. 7. 26, 27, 28. For the law maketb men priefts 
 that have infirmity ; but the word of the cath, 
 which was fince the law, maketb the Son, who 
 is cenfecrated for evermore'. From this, I fay, 
 Obferve, 'That all men , even the mofl holy,ex- 
 
 * cept Chrift (who was both God and Man) are 
 
 * finful, and not one of them finlefs, while living 
 f here on earth.' And the reafon is,becaule if any 
 were finlefs, then this that is faid here would not 
 be peculiar to our Lord Jefus Chrift, that He 
 did no violence, neither was there deceit in bis 
 tnouth : This being a fingular character of our 
 highFrieft, that none of his types could claim 
 to, it exclufrvely agreethto him, fo as it agreeth 
 to rone other. The fcripture is full to this pur- 
 poie, in afTerting, that not only all men are fin- 
 
 ': ircrs, as confidered in their natural condition, 
 
 I but that even believers are finful in part ; for the 
 
 j fame apoftle John, that faith, 1 Epifi. I. 3. Truly 
 
 ', fiur feliowjhip is with the Father, and with his 
 
 ', San Jefus Chrift, faith alio, verje 8. If we fay we 
 
 , have no fin, we deceive our [elves, and the truth 
 
 is not in us\ and verfe 10. If we fay that we have 
 
 not finned, we male him altar, and bis wordis 
 
 I net in us; and 1 Kings 8.4.6. and Eccl. 7. 20. 
 
 . There is no man that doth good, and finmtb 
 
 ; not ; plainly infinuating, that all h3Vc need of 
 
 an Jntcrceffor *, we (hall not infill in this : only 
 
 Verfe 9. Ytf 
 
 from thefe words compared with the;icope, ma- 
 king it pecular to Chrift to be without fin, ani 
 implying, that none other are fo; we would con- 
 fider the neceffity of its being fo. 1. For diffe- 
 rencing and feparating of Jefus Chrift from all 
 others, by putting this dignity on him, of being 
 holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from finners f 
 this is his prerogative, and badge of honour, a- 
 bove others. 2 It's neceffary fer this end, tode- 
 monftrate the need tkat is there of offering him- 
 ftlf a Sacrifice for finners ; and that it was nofc 
 for himlelf, but for finners that he offered up 
 himfelf : And that there is a continual neceflity 
 of making ufe of that Sacrifice *, tor if there were 
 riot a continuance of fin in part, while believers 
 are out of heaven, there would be no need of 
 this part of Chrift's office ; if we were holy and 
 harmlefs our felves, we needed not fuch an 
 high Prieft. 
 
 Ufe 1. To eftablifh us in the faith of this truth. 
 That amongft all men there is none that were 
 true men, except Chrift,that is, without fin ; fin 
 is ftill abiding in them, while in this world : Of 
 none of them all it can be faid, that they bava 
 d;ne no violence, neither is there any deceit im 
 their mouth ; none of them- could ever fay fince 
 AdamieW, The prince of this world cometh, and 
 hath nothing of me ; yea this is a fpecial quali- 
 fication of Chrift Jefus, tor his Prieft-hood, that* 
 he was without fin, and behoved to be fo. I ant 
 not pleading, that finners fhould take a liberty to 
 fin, b«caufe there is no perfection to win at in 
 this life, God forbid ; wo unto them thai make 
 fuch an ufe of this truth : nor do I fpeak of it, 
 to allow any to difpenfe with, or to give way 
 to themfelves to fin ; for we fhew before, thit 
 Chrift is here propofed, as our pattern, and we 
 are bidden purify turf elves, 04 he is pure.Butthis 
 we fay, that none living here on the earth are 
 without fin^the moil perfect men that are on this 
 fide eternity, c.irry about with them a body of 
 death, called five or fix times fin, Rom. 7. that 
 hath adFual- luftings, and a power, as a law of fin, 
 to lead captive ; and that makes the man guilty 
 before God. 
 
 Ufe 2. For reproof to two forts of enemies to 
 this truth. (1.) Thefe inveterate enemies of the 
 Sa:riiice of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to wit, the 
 Fapifts, that black train that follows Antichrifc, 
 who plead for a perfe&ion according to the law 
 as attainable in this life,la) ing down two grounds 
 to prove this perfe&ion. 1. That the inward 
 luftings, or firft rilings.and motions at leaft c£ 
 the body of death, are no fin. And, 2. Their> 
 exponing of the law, fo as it may full to their 
 C c 2 own 
 
a ©6 If at ah ^3. 
 
 own apprerrenfion, ard opinion, yet To as they 
 fay, that every believer or godly perfon wins 
 not to tiiis perfection to keep the law wholly, 
 hut only fonje of their grandees. This the Lord 
 hath mercifully ■ banilh-_d out op the reformed 
 "Churches, as inconiilTent with the experience of 
 the faints, who find a law in tbelr members war- 
 ring again]} the law cf their mind, and hading 
 ihem captive to the law of fin that is in their mem- 
 bers'^ inconfitlent with the fcriptures,which clear, 
 that none have attained, nor do attain perfection 
 in this iife^vat^the contrary, that in many things 
 7ve tffend all ; and inconfiftenc with grace, that 
 leaves iinners (till in Chrift. s com mop and debt, 
 as ftanding in need of his imputed righteouf- 
 nefs : This perfection they place in inherent ho- 
 lin.fs, and habitual grace •, but we infift not on 
 •it (2.) Another fort of enemies, reproved here, 
 are the old Famiiifts, who are owned by thefe 
 who are called Antinomians , feveral of which 
 miserable peribns are now going up and down 
 amongft us, who fay that the people of God have 
 no fin in them: Wherein they are vvorfe than Pa- 
 pifts ; for Papifts make it peculiar to fome only, 
 bat they make it common to all believers ; and 
 Tapifts make there perfection to confift in inhe- 
 rent holinefs, but they make the nature of fin to 
 be changed, and fay, that fin is no more fo in a 
 believer, even tho' it be contrary to the law of 
 <3od. We grant indeed, that the people of God are 
 free of fin in thefe refpects* 1. In this refpect, that 
 no fin can condemn them, they are not under 
 the law,but under grace; in that refpect,.R<?w.8.i. 
 it's faid, that There is no condemnation to them 
 who are in Chrift. 2. In this refpect, that they 
 cannot fall into that fin, which is unto death, as 
 as clear, 1 John 5. 17, 18. And, 3. In this refpect, 
 that they cannot fo fin, as to ly,or be under the 
 reign and dominion offin;as is evident,i?^w.6,i4. 
 the believer delights in the law cf God accor- 
 ding to the inner man? Rom. 7. 22. and is not 
 in fin, neither doth commit fin, as the unbelie- 
 ver doth, for the feed of God abided* in him, 
 -and is kept from being involved in that which 
 his corrupt nature inclines the believer to. So 
 then, what the fcripture (peaks, of believers 
 being free of fin, is to be und^rftood- in one of 
 ehefe refpefts ; But to fay, (i.)That a believer 
 cannot fin at all, fad experience a'nd practice of 
 the faints is a proof of tiie contrary : Or,. 2. To 
 fay, that fin in a believer, is no fin, becau'i.- of 
 his faith in Chrift, is as contrary to fcripture ; 
 for the law of God is the fame to the bsiiever 
 and unbeliever, and fin fs'the fame to both ; a- 
 dultery is adultery, and murder is murder in 
 JQovnl, as well wis in another rrj;m. $ure ; whcn 
 
 Vcrfe 9. .r._- Serm. 3^ 
 
 Chrift bade his difcip^es pray for forgiven^fs of 
 findnily, he taught them no fuch doctrine, as 
 toacount their fins to be no fins ; tor if fo,they 
 fhould neither repent of fin nor feck the par- 
 don of it, as fome are not afliamed to fay they 
 fhould not. That which we aim at, is, to clear 
 it to be Chrift's prerogative only to be free of 
 fin, none other in this life can claim it 5 and to 
 teach believers to carry about with them daily, \ 
 all along their mortal life, that which is .for their 
 good, even the ienfe of fin. I know it is now 
 an up-caft from fome pretended perfectionifts, to 
 the people of God, th * they think and fay that 
 they have fin, and are not perfect. ; and we are 
 by thele men called Antichriftian Priejls and Je- 
 fuits, b.caufe we preach that doctrine : but let 
 it be foberly confidered, whether it doth better 
 agree with Papifts and Jefuits to fay, that be- 
 lievers are without fin, or to fay that they have 
 finP They who fay that believers, or the faints, 
 have no fin, do agree in this with the Papifts,who 
 maintain a perfection of holinefs, or a contormi- 
 ty to the law in fome in this life, and who deny 
 the luftings of the body of death to be fin ; 
 without which opinion, tho' mo ft grofs, they 
 would nor/, nor could with the leaft ihadow of 
 reafon, maintain their doctrine of juftifi:ation 
 by works : And yet fome now among us will 
 needs call us Pcpijh> becaufe we fay that we have 
 fin, and that none of God's people are without 
 fin in this life ; this feems to be very ftrange ; 
 But that which hath been the thought of fome 
 4harp-fighted and fagacious men, fince the be- 
 ginning of our confutions, to wit, that Popery 
 is a working,as an under-hand defign ; is by this* 
 and other things,made to be more and more ap- 
 parent : Is there any thing more like Popery 
 working in a myftery, yea more popilli than to 
 fay, that the motions of corruption in believers 
 are no fins, that a man or woman may attain to 
 perfection in holinefs here, and yet to carry on 
 this with that fubtilty, as confidently to aver, 
 that it's Popery to fay the contrary ■? Nay, if 
 the fbriptures they make ufe of in their pa- 
 pers or pamphlets be well confidered, we will 
 find, that not only a perfection in holinefs and 
 good works is pleaded for, but a poifibility of 
 fulfil, ing the Jaw and covenant or works, as 
 haulery, 1 Pet. 1. 15. 1 John 3. 3. and 5.5. and 
 Mattb, 5. ult. Will ye (ay they) call your felves- 
 iaints,that are not purified even as he is pure ? 
 And will ye call your felves believers, that have 
 not overcome the world ? $5.c. as if all that is- 
 commanded "duty might be, or were perfectly 
 reached in this life, and as. if no diftinction be- 
 
 twitfL 
 
Serm- 36. lfaiah ^3. 
 
 twixt begun, yea confideranly advanced holi- 
 nels, and intire perfect on v. ere to be admitted. 
 That lor winch i ma k this, is, to fhew that the 
 deljgn or ) opcry leems to be on foot ; the de vil 
 in iome conliderable perfons" venting th.fe 
 things, when the great patrons and authors of 
 them ly darned and hid. And it is oblervable, 
 which we have heard of late, that fome ring- 
 leaders in this time have declared themfelves ex- 
 prelly for Popery : Tho' we have reafon to 
 blefs God, that the people in this place are kept 
 free of thefe things ; yet this truth is worthy 
 the vindicating, and the hazard and danger is to 
 be guarded againil by all of us, when this foul 
 fpirit is driving fo hard, and prevailing with 
 fome to publifh abroad this error in papers ; 
 and fo feeking to draw people into the mare. 
 L~y down but thefe two principles both now 
 mentioned, that they that have faith have no 
 fin, and that they that want grace mould not 
 •pray, what would they turn to, and refoltfe in ? 
 Satan's deiign in this, is doubtlefs to make all 
 untender ; and it is both lad and itrange, fhat it 
 is r\otfeen and obferved. What a terror and tor- 
 ture would it be to an exerciied and tender Chri- 
 ftian, and how would it put his confeience on 
 the rack, to fiy to him, VNhat a faith is this 
 of yours, that cannot keep you altogether from 
 fin, and that cannot quite overcome the world ? 
 God be blefTed, that hath given poor believers 
 other and better grounds in the gofpel, by 
 which to judge of their faith, fo that they 
 
 Ver.o, to. 197 
 
 may own their faith as found, though they 
 have a mixture of unbelief' with it ; and yet 
 unLtiicf is always a fin; and may fa> with that 
 poor man, Lord, J believe, help thou my un- 
 belief. 
 
 idly. Obferve, ( That,to the making up of a 
 * perfect holy. walk, there is a neceiiity both of 
 ' hohnefs in pra&ice,and offoundnels in judgment; 
 c that no deceit or guile be in the moutb, and 
 c that no violence be in the hands? And this is 
 needful to be taken notice of, becairfe many have 
 an aptitude to think, .that folks may be truly ho- 
 ly, be of what opinion in judgment and perfwafi- 
 on they will ; as if God had leit the mind of man 
 to be a bare empty table or board.that he might 
 write on it, whatever he liked or pleafed: But 
 our Lord is vindicated here, from the fcandal 
 of corrupt doctrine, as well as from fcandals in 
 his practice \ and therefore, as we would fay on 
 the one hand to you, who are found, in your 
 judgment and hate error, that if ye be grofs and 
 untender in your practice, thefoundneis of your 
 judgment will not prove ,you to be holy ; fo u- 
 pon the other fide, we would fay, that though 
 it were poiuble ye could be flnlefs in your pra«« 
 dice, if you take a latitude and liberty, as to 
 your judgment to be corrupt, and to vent what 
 j:e pleaie, ye will never get God's approbation, 
 as being holy perfons : Therefore let both be 
 joined together, foundnefs in judgment, and 
 tender nefs in practice. God give the right ufe 
 of thefe things. 
 
 SERMON XXXVI. 
 
 lfaiah 1 iii. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death \ becaufe he 
 
 had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 
 Ver. 10. Tet it pleafed the Lord to bruife him, he hath pit him to grief: When thoujbalt make his 
 N foul an offering for fin, he Jball fee feed, he Jball prolong his days, and the pleafure of the Lord 
 fhall profper in his band, 
 
 *T*7E were fpeaking fomewhat,. the lad day, 
 V V of our Lord Jefus his innocency ; which 
 is here compended, and fummed up in thefe 
 two, 1. Tlrdt there was no violence in his hands, 
 2.. That there was no deceit in his mouth : How- 
 ever he was- accounted of among men, and by 
 them numbred among tranfgretfbrs, yet he was 
 not (o in very deed, and before God. 
 
 The prophet proceeds, and anfwers. an obje- 
 ction, How came he then to fufFer, if he was (o 
 innocent ; efpeeially his fufferings being orde- 
 red by God, who is (aid to give his grave with 
 the wicked f He anfwers the obje&ion, and re- 
 moves the offence, by giving three grounds for 
 this, y.xQ. Tetitpteajedtbe Lordta bruife him fiQ- 
 
 Bath put htm to grief '. This is the fir ft' reafon, and 
 it is taken from the fountain whence his furre- 
 rings proceeded, God's good pleafure gracioufly 
 ordered it fo; it was tne good pleafure of ' Jebo-- 
 vah, that fo it fhould be. The fecond reafon is- 
 taken from the nature, or end of his fufrerings, in 
 thefe words, When thoujhalt make his foul an of- 
 fering for fin ; Tho' he lurfered for men as a fin- 
 ner-, yet before Qod it was an offering for fin, 
 to (atisfy for, and to remove the fins of his e--' 
 lecV people. The word may be either, When.- x 
 tb?ttj or, when he Jball make his foul an offe- 
 ring for fin : But both come to one thing, which 1 
 is thtSj. That his iWfcrings were not fuch as* 
 
-19$ Ifaiah 53. 
 
 befel other men, nay, nor fuch as betel innocent 
 men ; but they were ordered on an higher de- 
 fign, and for an higher end, even to be a fatis- 
 faction for finners, and to make way for their 
 freedom. A 3d reafbn is this, As his fufferings 
 flowed from God's good pleafure, and were a 
 fatisfa<£Hon for the fins of his ele<5t people; Co 
 it hath notable and noble effects. And there are 
 three mentioned here, 1. He fhall fee his feed, 
 he fhall have a numerous offspring, many that 
 fhall hold eternal life of him. Men by their dif- 
 fering of death are incapacitate to increafe their 
 offspring, but this is a quickningfuffering and 
 death, that bath a numerous offspring. 2. He 
 fhall prolong his days, which ieems to be another 
 paradox ; for mens days are fhortned by their 
 Fuffcrings, and death ; but tho' he be dead and 
 buried, yet he fhall rife again, and afcend, and 
 lit down at the right hand of the Father, and 
 live for ever, to make interceifion for his peo- 
 ple. A 3d effect, which is the up-fhot of all, 
 The pleafure of the Lord fhall prefper in his 
 band; God hath defigned him for a work, 
 which is the great work of redemption, even 
 the bringing of many fons to glory ; this is the 
 will of him that fent him, that he fhould give e- 
 ternal life to as many as fhould believe on him : 
 And this is called God's good pleafure, which 
 fhall thrive and profper in his hand : He fhall 
 pull many captives from the devil, and fet ma- 
 ny prifoners free ; he fhall by his fuiferings o- 
 vercome the devil, death and the grave, and 
 all enemies, and fhall gather the fons of God to- 
 gether, from thefqur corners of the earth ; and 
 that work fhall not mifgive, nor be frudrated, 
 but thrive in his hand. So then, in this text, 
 we have much of the gofpel compended in few 
 words. 
 
 We fhall fpeak a little to one obfervation more 
 from the clofe of the 9. ver. where Chrid Jefus 
 his fmlefnefs and innocency is holden out, in 
 thefe two, There was ho violence in his hands, no 
 finful practice in him, And there was no deceit 
 in his mouth : Which looks not only to his fin- 
 Ieis carriage before men, and fo fays, that he was 
 no liar nor dinembler in his dealing and con- 
 verfe with" them ; but alfo to his do&rine, and 
 fo fays, that there was no do&rinal deceit in 
 him; which is, when men lie of God to men, 
 which is a grofs fort of lying, and a deceiving of 
 fouls,in making them to take that for truth which 
 3s no truth; and in derogating from the truth, 
 and making them take that for error which is 
 trurh as the apoftle i peaks of fuch, that they 
 fpeak lies in bypocrijy. Thefe words, There was 
 7y deceit iu bis mouthy look to both J efpecially 
 
 Ver. 9, 10. Serm. 36". 
 
 to the lad, that is, the do&rinal deceit of corrupt 
 teaching (whereof he was free altogether) I fay,it 
 looks elpecially to that, beeaufe he was calumni- 
 ated,traduced,and called a deceiver of the people: 
 That is (as if the prophet had faid) mod untrue 
 of him, there is no deceitful word in all his 
 do&rine; tho' it was imputed to him, yet he was 
 mod free of it. Thence ohferve, e That exa& 
 c holinefs and blamlefnefs, takes in holinefs in 2 
 c man's converfation, in refpecl: of pra&ice ; and 
 c foundnefs in his judgment, in refpeft of do- 
 c clrine.' For if our Lord be a pattern of holi- 
 nefs, that which was in him as our pattern, is 
 called tor from us, even to be pure as he is pure; 
 No violence was in his bands, he was no dealer, 
 nor robber, nor oppreffor, (to fpeak fo with re- 
 verence) and there was no deceit in his mouthy 
 the word and worfhip of God was not wronged 
 by him .• And he is holden forth as an example 
 to us in both. 
 
 Tha*t which we would fay further on this, 
 fhall be in a word of Ufe ; where we may clear 
 both fte branches of the do&rine, to meet with 
 two exceeding prejudicial tenets among men. 
 
 1. There are fome, who, if they be not erro- 
 neous in their opinions, and fe&aries, they think 
 they arc well enough, and infult over the infir- 
 mities of poor folk, that fall into thefe er- 
 rors ; and they will (like thefe fpoken of) whore, 
 drink, deal, and lie, $$e. and yet lean upon the 
 Lord, and fay, Is not the Lord among us r n» c- 
 vil fjall come unto us. Such halve and divide 
 godlinefs; they will not be Papifis, Puritans, 
 nor Sectaries; but there is much unholinefs in 
 their pra&ice, much felf-feeking, pride, hypocri- 
 iy, formality, deceiving, coufening, falfhood ; 
 and they cover all with this, that they are found 
 as to their profeffion ; though only hearing, and 
 not doing, profefling and not praelifing : But 
 they would conflder, that Chrid faith not, Blef- 
 fed are they that hear only, but, Bleffed are they 
 that do the will if Gcd. O beware- of this 
 great deceit ; it is a piece of Chrid's innocency 
 and holinefs, that no violence was in his hands± 
 there was no finful thing in his practice, no fin- 
 ful word came from his mouth ; ye fhall never 
 be accounted followers of Chrid, tho' ye give 
 your bodies to be burnt for the truth (as it is to 
 to be feared few of you would do) if your con- 
 verfation be not fuitable ; God fhall never accept 
 of your tedimony : Therefore divide not thefe 
 things, which God hath put together ; let holi- 
 nefs be in your practice, otherwife Papifis and 
 Quakers, yea, the groffed and mod abominable 
 heriticks and ye will ke utterly difclaimed. 
 
 2. The 
 
5crm. %6. lfaiah ^3. 
 
 The other branch of the Ufe is, That fup- 
 pofe there were never fo much apprehended ten- 
 derr.efs in Folks walk, tho' they were much in 
 duty, and tho' they would quit all they had to 
 the poor ; yet if deceitbe in their mouth, if they 
 corrupt the tru h, and teach others lb to do, there 
 is a want of the half of holinefs, yea, in fome re- 
 fpeet of the bed and chief half of it ; and the 
 jreafon is, 1. Becaufe the image of God coniiils 
 as much in the truth, as in the pra&ice ; nay, 
 if pra&ice be not conform to truth, it is no true 
 hoiinefs : and where error is drunken in, there 
 is in fo far an utter unfuitablenefs to the holi- 
 nefs of Chrift, as well as where prophanity ap- 
 pears in the converfation ; For there was no de- 
 ceit in bis mouth, 2. Becaufe this word of God 
 prescribes the dodrme of faith to be believed, 
 as well as ducks to be performed ; and the right 
 ground ng of faith is a main, if not the main 
 thing wnercin the image of God confifts, to wit, 
 in hi wledge : and error is as inconfiftent with 
 knowldge, as ignorance is, yea, more, in fo far 
 as it leaves a contrary impreffion of untruth on 
 the foul, which is worfe than fimple ignorance. 
 3. Becaufe when a perfon mifcarrieth, by tur- 
 ning afide from the truth to error, he alfo mif- 
 carrieth in his pra&ice, at leaft in fo far; the 
 right conceiving of truth, being both the ground 
 ©four aith, and the rule of our praftice ; As 
 for initance, let once the conceit and fancy come 
 in, of folks being above ordinances, no confid- 
 ence is thenceforth made of fancHfying the Sab- 
 bath or Lord's- day, nor of any other duty of 
 worihip ; but men become alomft, if not altoge- . 
 ther atheifts. Yea, 4. The incoming of error be- 
 gets a fort of prefumptuous confidence ; there- 
 fore Chrift fays, He that breaks one ofthefe ccm- 
 tnandments, and teacbeth men Jo to do, he Jhall 
 be called the lea ft in the kingdom of God ; he not 
 only breaks the command himfelf, but he feeks to 
 engage others to do fo likewife : fo that an error 
 from the truth, is a fin againft the firft table, and 
 fo among the greateft evils; and the teaching and 
 propagating of error, is a fin againfl the fecond 
 table, becaufe it hazards the foul of our neigh- 
 bour ; whereas violence in the hands hurts only 
 his perfon or eftate. And, 5. if we look to the 
 life of error, or whence it comes, we will find it 
 to be a fruit of the ilefh, Gal. *. 19. and that 
 which flows from our corruption ; and is there- 
 fore ranked in with witchcraft, adultery, forni- 
 cation, idolatry, hatred, variance, &c. 6. If 
 We look to the fcripture-account of it, and of 
 the propagators of it, we will find that 2 Cor, 
 11. 13. they are called falfe afoflles, deceitful 
 VwkerSfmmifters of Satafi) not common finners, 
 
 Verfeo, 10. 29^ 
 
 trans firming the mf elves in to the miniflers of 
 Cbrzji; and no marvel, for ^atan himfelf is trani- 
 formed into an angel of light : tor their work is 
 to gather in iouls to the devil, to f.a'e them as 
 in a net to him, to be dif:iples to him. Or, 7. 
 If we look to the effeds that follow upon error, 
 and upon the propagation of it, we will find 
 them to be dreadful: For as it is, 2 Pet. 2. 1. 
 They draw upon tbemjdves fwift dtfirut~licn\ and 
 chap. 3, 16. I bey wrc/i, or pervert the fcriptures 9 
 to their cwn dejfrutti.n. In all thefe relpeds, er- 
 ror in judgment is as evil (if not worle) than 
 prophannefs in practice. And if we look thorow 
 the Churches of Chrift, we will find that there 
 hath been more palpable havock and deftruction 
 of fouls fince Antichrift arofe, by his grpfs er- 
 rors, and damnable dclufions, than hath readi- 
 ly been by fin in practice ; which men do not 
 own and avouch, as they do thefe delufions : 
 Think therefore feriouflyon this; whoever would 
 be pure as Chrift is pure, would ftudy found- 
 riefs in judgment, as well as tendernefs in pra- 
 ctice ; and yet how many are readily miftakerT 
 in this, who, if they meet with fome that can 
 fpeak a few good words, and make pretences to 
 a holy walk, tho' the fecond command be baffled 
 and difgraced by them, and the name of God 
 torn, and tho' the fourth command be made of 
 none effect or price by them, it's thought but 
 little of, all is covered with this, that they are 
 good folks, and of a tender walk ? But O ! can 
 they be good, whoabufe that wherein the name 
 and image of God are moil tenderly concerned ? 
 and willGod account that to be holinefs agreeable 
 to his law,that flights, depreciates,and vilifies the 
 beft part of his law ? Let me therefore befeech 
 you to take in, and to clafs error with other fins, 
 and to look upon unfoundnefs in the truths of 
 God, as a fruit of the flefh ; and withal to look 
 upon found knowledge in the mind, and the form 
 of found words in the mouth, as being a duty, 
 that is called for from you, as well as other du- 
 ties. We the rather take occafion to fpeak to 
 this, becaufe the devil is feeking to turn men 
 meer atheifts, Gallio's as to the truths of God, to 
 care for none of thefe things \ and as to w T ear out 
 the elleem of truth, fo to make people to look 
 upon error as if there were no hurt by- it (it's 
 fad that there is not more fcarring at, and keep- 
 ing diftance from the company of iuch) if they 
 can but give a parcel of good wcrdr., and make 
 fhews of refpe& to piety in this lukewarm time • 
 There is need to guard againft this temper, or ' 
 •rather diftemper, and to look well that we halve ' 
 riQtj nor diyi4v* the pattern an4 coDy which God 
 
SCO Ifaiah ft* 
 
 in h : s word hath Cad to us, and fet before us : 
 We would dudy purity and tendernels in our 
 walk, an : growth in found knowledge; and would 
 Walk humbly, under the impreffion of our ba- 
 Xaid : It's tad when folks are ill girded, and yet 
 fcarcely difcern it. It feems to be a winnow- 
 ing time, and fome are already t»lcen off their 
 feet, who thought not, fome months or years 
 fince, to have carried in reference to the truth, 
 as they have done ; it hath been God's mercy 
 to this place, that he hath hedged us about hi- 
 therto, at which the devil hath raged not a little. 
 Be humbled, and have an eye to him that can 
 keep his people, and can eilablifh them in the 
 truth, and make them unblameablc in holincfs till 
 the coming of the Lord. 
 
 We come now to the icth verfe ; and from the 
 3fird part qt it, Tet it plea fed the Lord to bruife 
 him ; be hath put him to griefohefe 3 things arife 
 clearly, iff, 'Thattho' our Lord Jefus was mod 
 
 * innocent in his own Perfon, yet he was put to 
 
 * exceeding fore trials and fharp fufferings.' 
 For (1.) He was bruifed, to wit, like corn be- 
 twixt the upper and nether miidones, or like 
 grapes in the wine-preTs; which refpe&s not fo 
 much his outward fufferings, tho' great {for a 
 hone of him was not broken) as jus inward foul- 
 fufferings, and the inward preffures of wrath 
 that were on his humane foul. (2.) He was put 
 to grief, -was Core ftraitned and pinched; and 
 thefe exprellions import fo much, My foul is ex- 
 ceeding f err owful, even unto death ; my foul is 
 fore troubled, and what /hall I fay ? and, MyGod. my 
 Cod,why haft thou for fallen me? The particulars of 
 this grief was fpoken to before; & we fhew in what 
 refped he was fo humbled, and that he was mod 
 finlefs, and without any the lead carnal mud or 
 p^ffion, under thefe expreffions, in which the fenfe 
 of grief vented it felfmoft in him : Only, if it be 
 he here asked, What is the reafon, why the 
 prophet doth fo much infill, in pointing out 
 Chrid's fufferings, and the extremity of them, 
 that fcarce almoit is there one verfe, but he hath 
 in it fome one orother new aggravation of them? 
 W'e conceive the reafon of it is, 1. Becaufe there 
 is nothing wherein the greatnefs of the love of 
 God, and the kind nefs or the Mediator's conde- 
 fcending, doth appear more than in this ; for, the 
 jnore he differed, the more the love of God {hi- 
 red, ^and his condefcendency kythed the more ; 
 this being the great inftance, and demonstrative 
 proof of the love of God, God fo loved the world, 
 that he gave his only begotten Sin, as it is John 
 3. 16. O manifold and vadly comprehenfive So 1 
 what is unfolded in it, eternity will but (uiHce 
 fully to unfold. And this being the great in- 
 
 VeTfeo, ?£»■ . Serm. 3<5. 
 
 dance of the Mediator's condefcendenc) , and of 
 his commending his love to iinners, That while 
 wt were jet enemies \ he died for us, as it is, R m. 
 <,. the Lord loves to have this the fulvj ct or our 
 thoughts, that we may be led thereby into the 
 foui-ravilhing, and fatisfyir.g contemplation of 
 the love whence it came. 2. Becaule dure is 
 not any one tiling that lies nearer, or that is rea» * 
 dily of greater concern to believers than to be 
 well acquainted with CbrifVs iuff. rings, w here- 
 in the ,<>crd would have his people fpiritualiy 
 perqueir: and it is of their concernment in a two- 
 fold refpeefc, 1. As it is the ground of their 
 peace, thereljre he is called our peace, and a 
 propitiation fox by being acquainted with Chrid's 
 fufferings, believers have a fblid ground for 
 their faith, whereby they difcover accefs to 
 peace with God, to pardon of fin, and juuifica- 
 tion, the Mediator having undergone thefe fuffe- 
 rings for this end. 2. As it is the ground of 
 their confolation, confidering that they have a 
 fuffering Mediator, that hath paid the price that 
 was due by them ; even fuch an one that knows 
 what it was to be bruifed with wrath, and is 
 therefore very tender of, and companionate to- 
 wards fouls, that are under challenges, and ap- 
 prehendons of wrath: Thefe are lweet words, 
 which we have tO this purpofe. 1 John 2. 1. If 
 any manfin,we have an Advocate with the Father , 
 Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiati- 
 on for our fins, who was content to differ and fa- 
 tisry for them. O condder then what ye are do- 
 ing, when ye read of his fufferings ! ior the ve- 
 ry marrow of the gofpel, and the life of the con- 
 folation of the people of God lies here. '^dly y 
 From thefe words, Tct it pleafed the Lcrd to 
 bruife him, he hath put him, to grief; Obf-.-rve, 
 * That the Lord Jehovah had the m.iin and prin- 
 cipal hand in all the fufferings o!'this innocent 
 c Mediator.' It was not the Jews nor the fcribes 
 and P bar 1 fees, nor Pilate ; but it pleafed the Lord 
 to bruife him, and to put him to grief; as is 
 clear, Alls 4. 27, 28. Herod and Pontius Pilate, 
 the Gentiles and people of Ifrael, were gathered 
 together, to do what fever thy hand and thy 
 ccunfel determined bef.re to be d ne. In all that 
 they did, they were but doing that which was 
 carved out before, in the eternal counfel of God; 
 and therefore Pettr fays, Atts 2.23. Him, being 
 delivered by the determinate counfel and f re- 
 knowledge of God, ye' have taken, and by wicked 
 hands have crucified and fluin. T he Lord's 
 hand was fupreme in the bufinels ; and we may 
 gather the fupreme and ioverelgn influence of 
 the Lord's hand, in thefe three refbe&s in Chrid's 
 
 fii& 
 
Serm. 3 *. Jfalah ^3. 
 
 fufFerings, 1. In refpe& of his appointing them ; 
 it was concluded in the counfel of God, what he 
 fhould fuffer, what (hould be the price that Je- 
 hovah would have, and the facrifice that he would 
 accept of from his hand. 2. In refpe& of the or- 
 dering and overruling of his fufFerings-, when it 
 came to the execution of his antient decree ; he, 
 who governs all the counfels, thoughts, and ani- 
 ons of men, did in a fpecial manner govern and 
 overrule the fufFerings of the Mediator : tho' 
 Wicked 'men were following their own defign, 
 and were ftirred and a<fted by the devil, who is laid 
 to have put it into the heart of Judas to betray 
 Chrift ; yet God had the ordering of all, who 
 ihould betray him, what death he-fliouid die, 
 how he fhould be pierced, and yet not a bone of 
 him broken. 3. In reipe& of his having had a 
 a hand actively in them ; and as he was the chief 
 Party that purfued Chrift,it was he that was ex- 
 acting the ele&'s debt of him; therefore the Lord 
 looks overPilateand. Hercd to him, and fays toPi- 
 late,Thou couldft have no power over me, except it 
 mere given thee from above', and to his Father, 
 father, take this cup from me \ and My God, 
 my Cod 3 why haft thou ferfaken tne ? . He was 
 purfued as (landing Cautioner fn our room ; in 
 which refpe<a it is laid, He that [pared net his. 
 cyon Sen ; he (pared him not when he cried, but 
 Would have him drink out the cup; and, Zecb, 
 13. 7. Awake, fword., againft my Shepherd, 
 and againft the Man that is my Pelhw,fmite the 
 Shepherd. The mefl'age comes from,him, and he 
 gives the fword a charge, and ordc rs it to fmite 
 Jamh In all winch refpe&s, it's faid, The Lord 
 bruifed him, and he hath put him to grief. It 
 was this,- more than fword, or nails, or fp€s*j 
 or whip, that made him cry out ; another and 
 a higher hand, brought his fiWeft foul to more 
 bittcmefs, thm all the fufFerings he endured 
 from men. ' 
 
 life. This leads us in to the vindicating of the 
 foverejgn and holy providence of God, in that 
 wherein men have a moft finful hand, and are 
 moil unexculable : Tho' Judas tliat betrayed, 
 and Pilate that condemned the innocent Son of 
 God, a&ed moft fmfully ; yet the Lord himfelf 
 hath an active overruling harid, in carrying on 
 his own defign; and what^ Judas and Pilate , 
 with other wicked men, did, was fo far from be- 
 ing by guefs, that they, were the executions of 
 his ancient decrees: And he is moft pure and fpot- 
 lefs in venting and manifefting grace, holinefs 
 and juftice, when men were venting their cor- 
 ruptions, impiety and injuftice moft ; therefore 
 the holy providence of God mixeth no rr.ore, as 
 tp any finfUl participation with mens fin, in 
 
 Ver. 9, -io. 20$ 
 
 their finful and wicked a&ings, than the cove- 
 nant of redemption mixed it lelf with the finful- 
 nels oi' them that cruqified Chrift : Nay, this 
 is a principal diamond in his crown, that he can- 
 not only govern all the natural fecond caufes that 
 are 1n the world, in their feveral courfes and a- 
 &ings, and order them to his own glory, but 
 even devils, and wicked men, and hypocrites, 
 their moft corrupt and abominable actions, and 
 make them infruilrably fubfervient to the pro- 
 moving of his own holy ends and purpofes*, and 
 yet be free of their fin for which they (hall 
 count to hini^ And as itwas no excufeto Judas. 
 nor toPilate, that they did what before was de- 
 creed o c l God ;; ib' it (hall be no excufe to any 
 man in a finful courfe, that God hath a hand in 
 every thing that comes to pafs, who yet is juft: 
 and holy in all. It may alfo ftay our hearts, when 
 the devil and his inftruments, as it were, are 
 running mad ; that they can do no more than 
 what God permits, nay, fome way commiffiona- 
 teth them to do. The devil could not ib much 
 as touch a tail of one of Job's fheep, without 
 leave asked and given; the depth bcth. of thi 
 knowledge, and of the wifdom of God I how un- 
 fearchable are bis ways, and his judgments pafi 
 finding out ! $dtji 3 As we may fee here, the con- 
 currence of the Perfons of the bletfed Trinity, 
 Father, Son, and holy Ghoft ; the concurrence 
 of jehovah with the Mediator, for carrying on 
 the fame defign, the work of . man's redemption 
 (for it pleafed them all) fo, taking the Lord Jeho- 
 vah effentially, as comprehending all the three 
 Perfons, we may ooferve, 'That the Lord is well* 
 c willed to, and hath delight in profecuting the 
 'work of redemption, tho' even to the^bruiiing 
 I c of the fecond Perfon of the Godhead, confi- 
 * dered as he became Man and Mediator.' Not 
 ^that he delighted in the filterings, as fuch, of 'his 
 innocent Son, for he ajflifts net willingly the 
 children of men \ but considering the end, and ' 
 the effects that were to follow, to wit, the feed 
 that he ihculd beget to eternal life, and the cap- 
 tives whom he was to redeem, in that refpeft, it 
 was not only not againft his will, but it pleafed 
 himw : ell, or, as the word is in the new tefta- 
 ment, it was his goodpleafure ; alluding, as it 
 is like, to this of the prophet: Kence,when Chrift 
 (peaks of the work of redemption, he oalleth it 
 the Father's will and work, the lather's voiU 
 when he fays, / came not to do my own will, but 
 the will of him that fent me ; the Father's work*- 
 w r hi!e he lays, I have finifoed the work thougaveft 
 me to do : And here it is called his pleaj are, for 
 there was nothing without himfelf to move him 
 D d t« 
 
Verfe to. Serm. 37. 
 
 flft more on particular Ufes ', but is there, or 
 can there be greater ground of confolation, than 
 this ? or is there any thing wanting here to com- 
 pleat the confolation ? Is there not a well-furni- 
 fhed Saviour com million ate to give life to whom 
 he will, who hath purchafed it, that he may give 
 it ? and a well-willing, loving and condefcending 
 God, willing to give his Son, and willing to ac- 
 cept of his death for a ranfom ? a»d what would 
 ye have more? The Party offended is, willing. 
 to be in friendih'ip with the offending party, and 
 to give and accept of the latisfa&ion : What can 
 tentation fay ? or what ground is for jealoufie to 
 vent it felf here ? He that did nctfpare bis own 
 Son, but willingly and freely gave him to death 
 for us all , how Jh all he not with him al 'fo freely 
 give us all things ? as it is, Rom. 8. And if we 
 were reconciled to God by the death of his Sen, ' 
 when we were enemies^ Jhall we not much more be 
 faved by his life ? as it is, Rom. 5.10. There is. 
 a great difproportion betwixt Chrift and other 
 gifts, yea, and the gift of heaven it felf; and 
 fhall a poor fmner have a fuffering Saviour given, 
 and may he not alfo expeft pardon of fin, jufti- 
 fication, faith, repentance ; and admiffion to the 
 kingdom ? There is here good and ftrong ground 
 of confolation, to them that will build on it : 
 Let the Father, and ChrifVs love to you be wel- 
 come in its offers, that his end, in bringing 
 many fons to glory, be not fruftrated by any of 
 you, fo far as you can ; tho' it cannot indeed be 
 fruftrated ; For the pleafufe of the Lord JhaU prof- 
 fer in his hand, and he Jljallfee the travail of hh 
 E 1 n - foul, and b e fatisfed. 
 
 SERMON XXXVII. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 10.—— -When thou Jhalt make his foul an offering for fin, he Jhall Jee Ibis feed* btjkallpro*- 
 long his days, and thepleajure of the Lord Jhall profper in his bund. 
 
 £«2 Ifaiah «>3. 
 
 to it ; when he might have fuffered all fallen 
 mankind toly (till in their forlorn condition, it 
 pleafed him to give his Son, of his own good will, 
 to redeem feveral of them. 
 
 Ufe. If we put thefe do&rines together, they 
 afford us wonderful matter of confolation, i.That 
 we have an able Saviour, that hath given a fuffici- 
 cient ranfom for us, a price that cannot be over- 
 valued. 2. A willing Mediator, that gave him- 
 felf ; no man took his life from him, but^e laid 
 it down of himfcif, and took it up again.. 3. A 
 willing Jehovah, contriving and taking pleafure 
 in .contriving the redemption of elect finners, 
 thro' thedeath of his own Son: Which reproves, 
 and gives check to the wonderful ftrange miftakes 
 that are often found with fo'me poor fouls concer- 
 ning the way of peace ; as fome will be ready 
 to fay, O if Chrift were as willing to take me, 
 as I am to take him! as willing to welcome me,^ 
 as I am to come to him ! But is not this a proof 
 of his willingnefs, that he was content to be brui- 
 fedj and put to grief, about the work of our re- 
 demption? Others have a fecret apprehenfion,that 
 if God were as willing to receive and fave them, 
 as Chrift is, they would have more confidence ; 
 but fays the prophet here, that it pleafed the 
 father to hruife him, in whofe breaft (tofpeak Co) 
 bred the plot of finners redemption ; Jehovah 
 thought it good : He loved the falvation of fin- 
 ners fo well, -that he was content to feem in a 
 manner regardlefs of his own Son's cries and tears 
 for a time, to make way for performing that fa- 
 frisfa&ion that was due to juflice 5 and he did this 
 with good-will., and pleafantly. We fhall not i 
 
 €Hrift and his fufferings have been a mod 
 . delightfom Subje& to be fpoken and 
 heard of, before ever he fuffered; and they ihould 
 be to us now no lefs, but much more fo, even 
 very glad tidings to hear, that ever the Son of 
 God was made an offering for fin. 
 
 This verfe, as we hinted the lad day, doth fet 
 forth Chrifl's fufferings, and in thefe three, that 
 the defign of Gcd inbruifing the innocent Lamb 
 of God might be the better taken up. (1.) They 
 are holden forth in the rife where they bred, or 
 • in the fountain whence they flowed, the good . 
 pleafure of God ; Jt pleafed the Lord to bruife 
 him, to put bim to grief. Which the. pro- 
 phet marks. 1. To ffe>^that all the good, that 
 J^rnes by Chrift to finners, is bred in the Lord's. 
 
 own bofom .• It was concluded and contrived 
 there, and that with delight, there being n o •• 
 confhaint or neceffity on the Lord to give his 
 Son,or to provide him to be a Cautioner for dy- 
 vour finners, but it was his own good pleafure 
 to do fo. 2. To ihew the concurrence of all the 
 Perfons of the Trinity in promoving the work 
 of redemption of finners ; which was executed 
 by the Son the Mediator, to fhew, that the love 
 of the Son in giving his life, is no greater than j 
 the love of the Father in contriving and accep- 
 ting^ it for a ranfom ; there being naturally 
 in the hearts of the hearers of the gofpel this 
 prejudice, that the Father is more rigid, and 
 lefs loving than the Son ; But conkderingj, that*-. 
 
Serm. 37. - , r . . </»—., ^5. 
 
 it was the Father, Son and Spirit, that contrived 
 ChriiVs fufFerings; that the Son's^ fufFerings weie 
 the produtt and confequent of his contrivance f 
 it removeth this corrupt imagination and pre- 
 judice, and fheweth that there is no place for it. 
 It doth alfo contribute notably to our ingage- 
 mentto God, to be throughly perfwaded of the 
 Lord's good pleafure in the fufferings of the 
 Mediator, as well as in the willingness of the 
 Mediator to fuffer ; he having performed the 
 will of the Father, in the lowed 'fteps of his hu- 
 miliation. (2.) They are expreft, and hoi den forth 
 in their nature and end, they were to be an of- 
 fering for fin ; and this follows well on the former 
 verfe, becaufe it might be faid, How could he, 
 trot bad no violence in his bands, nor guile in 
 bis mouth, be brought fo low ? He hath anfwe- 
 red in part, by faying, It pleafed tbc Father to 
 bruife him, and to put bim to grief. But be- 
 caufe that does not i'o fully obviate, and anfwer 
 the obje&ion j he anfwers further, that there was 
 a notably good end for it; Tho' he had no fin 
 in himlelf, nor are we to look on his fufFerings, 
 as for any fin in him, yet we are to look upon 
 them as a fatisfa&ion to juftice for the fins of o- 
 thers : even as the bullocks, lambs and rams, and 
 the fcape-goat, were not (lain- for their own fins, 
 for they were not capable of fin, yet they were 
 fomeway typical offerings and fatisfa&ions for 
 fin, in the room of others for whom they were 
 offered ; Co our Lord Jefus is the proper Offering 
 and Sacrifice for the fins of his e!e& people ; and 
 his fufFerings are fo to be looked on by us : And 
 this is the fcope. But to clear the words a lit- 
 tle more fully, there are different readings of 
 Cfaem, as they are fet down here in the text, and 
 on the margent. Here it is, When thou Jbalt 
 make his fcul an offering for Jin, on the margent 
 it is. When his foul fo all make an offering forfin\ 
 The rtafon of the diverfity is, becaufe- the fame 
 word in the original, which fignifies thefecond 
 Perfon mafculine, thou, meaning the Father, 
 fignifies the third Perfon foeminine, his foul foall 
 make itfelf: But on the matter, whether we 
 apply it to the Father, or to Chrift, both comes 
 to or.e thing ; it feems to do as well to apply it 
 to Chrift : The former words having fet* out 
 God's concurrence,andgood pleafure to the work; 
 thefe At out the Mediator's willingnefs, as in 
 the 'ail: verfe, it is faid that be poured cut his fcul 
 unto death ; and properly Chrift is the Prieft 
 that offered up himfelf : yet, we fay, there is no 
 difference on the matter, nor as to the fcope, 
 the will of the Father, and of the Mediator, in 
 the'work of redemption, being both one; tho' 
 (as we faidj we incline to look one them, as 
 
 relating to Chrift. 2. Offering for fin, in the 
 original, fignifies fin ; fo that the words are, 
 when tboujhalt make bis foul fin, the word being 
 ordinarily ufed in the old teftament, and thence 
 borrowed in the new teftament tofignify a fin-of- 
 fering ; as Excd 29. 14. and^Xevif. 4, %, and 16 
 chapters, where the fin-offering is appointed, it 
 is the fame word that's here, intimating that 
 the fin-ofFering wasdefigned to bear their fin,T£ey 
 Jhall lay their hands en the fin, or fin-ofFering, 
 becaufe the facrificed beaft was typically to have 
 the peoples fins imputed to k ; tho' properly no- 
 man's fin is imputed to any, but to Chrift-. 
 This is alfo clear, if we compare Pfah^c* 6. with 
 fttkfi 10. 5, 6. That which in the pfalm is ren- 
 dred fin-effering, in the original is fin ; but the 
 jlpoflle,Heb, 10. hath it facrifice for fin\ and it fs 
 the fame word which he hath, 2 Cor, 5. ult. Ho 
 was made fin for us, that is, an offering for Fin. 
 By which we may fee the unwarrantablenefs of 
 fome mens accounting Chrift to be formally a 
 finner, becaufe he is called fin, and becaufe ou» 
 fin is faid to belaid on him, which, inferipture- 
 phrafe, is as much as his being a facrifice for fin 
 in the room of fmners. 
 
 (3.; His foul may betaken either fimply, for 
 hefiall be an offering jor fin , the foul being oftea 
 taken for the whole perfon ; or it may b« taken 
 more to relate to his fufFerings, called the travel 
 of his foul, verfe 1 1 . however it is the Perfon,tho 
 Man Chrift, foul and body, that is the Sacrifice, 
 and more efpceially his foul, as the wrath ofGod 
 was on it ; and when he fuffered, his foul did 
 undergo that wrath, as well as his back was gi- 
 ven to the fmiter, and his cheeks to them that 
 plucked off the hair. 
 
 (4.) There are two words further, which we 
 would hint at in the expofition, for' clearing of 
 Chrift's being called an offering for fin, ift. We 
 would put a difference between the offerings and 
 facrifices which were for fin under the law., & this 
 ofFering, which is applied to Chrift : The apoftle 
 fays, Heb, 10. That it was imp:Jfble, that tbc 
 blood of bullocks and of goats could take away fin; 
 They were not properly fin- ofFerings,but as they 
 were types of that offering which was to come. 
 And fo,when Chrift is called an offering, he is dif- 
 ferenced from all the offerings that were offered 
 before him by priefts on earth, in this, that his 
 offering or facrifice takes away fin, by vertue of 
 itfelf,according to the covenant ; but thefe offer- 
 ings of thofe priefts that were under the law (as is 
 clear Heb, 9«i>) took not away fin by themfelves, 
 but only in fo far as Chrift who was typified by 
 them was made ufeof. Aiid from this we may fee 
 P d 2 it 
 
2D4-. J fat ah $£• 
 
 it clear, i. That it was by the blood of Chrift, 
 that the fathers under the law had their fins par- 
 doned ; and that the pardon of fin was to them 
 an effect of this offering, as well as unto us. 2. 
 That all thefe facriiices and offerings under the 
 •he" law were types of this one offering, and 'not 
 the anniverfary facrifice only, which was offered 
 once a year by the highprieft : which we the ra- 
 ther hint at, becaufe both thefe are by Socinus^ 
 that enemy of ChriiVs fatisfaction, controverted; 
 he aiming thereby to draw fouls from leaning to 
 this offering. idly t What we fpeak of ChriiVs 
 facrifice, relates to that which he performed on 
 earth. Tho' he be yet a Prielt,rfwd lives for t r 
 tqjnale inter ceffun for us ; yet this offering ref- 
 pe&s that which he offered while he was here, in 
 the world, and efpecially that which he offered 
 on the crofs, as it is faid, Eph. 5. 2. He hath loved 
 
 _#*, and given himfelf for us, an efferingand 
 facrifice to God, fir a fvoeet fmelling- favour ; and 
 Jieb, iofi2. This' Man> after he had offered one 
 facrifice for fws> for ever fat down on. the right 
 hand of God ; and by his facrifice once, offered 
 up before, lie went into the mod holy, he hath, 
 ferfeiled for ever them that are fanclified: Which 
 is alfo a truth controverted by that lame enemy 
 S.oc\nus ; the clearing of it ferves, not only too- 
 pen up the meaning of this place, but to let us 
 fee the efficacy of Chrift's fufferings, and the na- 
 ture of them, that in them eipecially, his offe- 
 ring, as it brings pardon of fin, and peace with 
 God, does confut. So then the meaning of the 
 
 -. place is in fhort, That tho' our Lsrd Jelus had 
 no fin, yet it plea fed God, in his counfel, to ap- 
 point him to IUfrer, and that his fufferings fhould 
 h.e an offering for the fins of others. 
 
 More particularly, if it be asked, What Is 
 meaned by this, an offering for fin I we fhall clear 
 it;. from the type ; and, 1. it is here fuppofed, 
 that there is fm oa the perfofi, and that wrath 
 due for fin is to be removed. 2. It is fuppofed, 
 that there is an inability in the perfon to remove 
 the fin, and yet a neceflity to have it removed, 
 or die he mull iuffer. 3. There is fuppoled the 
 interveening, or coming of fomething in the 
 place of that perfon that is guilty of fin, and li- 
 able to wrath. 4. There is fuppofed the accep- 
 tation of that, which interveeneth, by God, the 
 Party offended; and lb it.prefuppofeth a cpve- 
 nant< whereby the Lord hath condescended. to 
 accept of that offering. . Take it in- the fin-offe- 
 ring goat, the fcape-goat, Levit* 16. a vive type 
 cf Chrift; when he is brought into the congre- 
 gation,- (1.) The priefl: mud put his hand .11- 
 ppn him> and confcfs thq fins and tranfgrcitiops . 
 
 Verfe 10.' Serm. 37*. 
 
 of the people over him ; which fignified their 
 acknowledgment of their fins, and a liablenefs 
 to fuffering becaule of them. (2.) It luppofed 
 their propofmg of that goat, as a facrifice to bear 
 their iins, and to take them on him ; therefore 
 it was faid, The priejhjhall put the iniquities of 
 the people upon him. (3.)The one of thefe goats- 
 was to be lent away into the wildernefs, and the 
 other was to be killed ; and generally all the fin- 
 offerings were to be killed : So that no remufton- 
 of fins was without blood, and they came in 
 the room of the iinners, bearing as it were their 
 fin, and their puniihment. And v (4.) It is to 
 be an atonement, to wit, a typical atonement ; 
 By this means, the people were to have aceefs 
 to ecclefiaftical privileges ; but they could 
 not purify the conscience, except Chrift were 
 madeuleof, who was the true atonement then, 
 as he is now, Hill for fin ; and by vertue of his 
 facrifice, according to the covenant, they 
 were to deal, for the pardon of the fins born 
 by him. 
 
 "We come now to obferve fome things from the 
 words ; and, 1. It is fupponed here,that even the 
 ele&, and confequently all others, are by their' 
 fin liable to God's judgment, and obnoxious to 
 his wrath ; there were no need of a fm-offering, 
 if this were not. The name that Chrift gets 
 here, l'uppofes that there was fin, and that there- 
 was wrath for fin lying at the door of all men, 
 fince man fell, and brake God's command .* All 
 men are before God like Jfaac, lying before his 
 •Father, ready to be killed, 'his Father having 
 his hand ft retched out with the knife, ready to 
 take away his life ; and our Lord Jems is as the 
 ram that was caught in the thicket of thorns, 
 whereby ele& finners are freed, and nimfelf made 
 the facrifice that was provided in their room 
 and place, Thus, in the name that our Lord 
 Jefus gets, we have.holden out to us, the poftur.e 
 that all of us are in by nature, if Chrift inter- 
 veen not to take the ftroke^off us on himfelf, 
 laying himfelf open to the flroke of juftice for 
 fin: To clear it, confider thefe three things, 
 which will hold out, what this ftate and po- 
 fture o^ ours is ; 1. The natural finfulncfs, and 
 guilt that, men are lying under, which makes 
 them naked, and to be as that wretched infant, 
 (fpoken of E^eh. 16.) lying in their blood, 
 caft forth into the open field, to the lothing of 
 their perfons : This makes God and them to be 
 at feud, and lays them open to the ftroke of ju- 
 ftice. 2. Confider the interveening of the law 
 of .God, that .threatens the .curie. on. fin wher- - 
 
 ever 
 
Serm. 37. Jfaiah <ft. 
 
 ever it is, and' pronounces this fentence, that 
 th'e tv ages of fin is death, and fays to the firmer, 
 as it is (aid to Cain, If thou fin, death lies at thy 
 door\ and in this fenfe, Tinners are not only like 
 to malefa&ors taken and apprehended, but like 
 to fuch when fentenced to death ; therefore, 
 John 3. ii. He that believes not, is condemned, 
 already-. 3. Coniider, that men in their natural 
 ftate, who have broken the covenant of works, 
 have juftice Come way purfuing them, to the 
 ' executing of the fentence, which God in his 
 law hath pronounced againft them ; and tfuy 
 are as thele ihedders or blood before they be- 
 took themiel.ves in to the city of refuge, ha- 
 ving the avenger of blood following hard at 
 their heels : In which fenfe, John 3. 36. it's faid, 
 He that believes- not, the vo ruth of. God abides 
 onhim\ there is.an actual appointment or ordi- 
 
 - nation of the curfe added to the lavA fentence, 
 til) by Chrift it be removed ; .and this is in fome 
 fort gripping him, and taking him as in were by 
 the throat : By the firfl of thefe, man is found 
 guilty, and liable to judgment ; by the fecond, 
 he is fentenced ; but by the third, the fentence 
 {lands- over his head, ready to be executed, and 
 befpeaks him thus, Therefore thou art curfed, 
 therefore thou art a dead man. 
 
 Soberly think upon this, and make thefe Ufes 
 
 of it, 1. See here the condition of all men by 
 
 nature, and your own in particular ; a very ter- 
 
 "• rible and dreadful condition, wherein they are 
 
 like men lying bound to be a facriiice to the 
 
 wrath or God 5 the Lord's hand being ftretched 
 
 out to lay on the ftroke, and the wrath of 
 
 God abiding on them. Do ye indeed believe this 
 
 to be your ftate and pofture, till application be 
 
 ' made of ChriiVs Sacrifice,and till there be a lay- 
 
 , ing of your fin over on him by faith, that ever 
 
 . till then ye arejiable to the law's fentence, and 
 
 . that the curfe and wrath of God abideth on 
 
 1 you ? and yet this is the ftate and pofture of all 
 
 the children of Adam, that have not got Jefus 
 
 Chrift put in their room : It was typical, if the 
 
 - people did not bring an offering as was prefcri- 
 ' bed, their fin remained in them *, but it's real 
 
 - here, fin and wrath iemain, where Chrifl: is not 
 
 - made ufe of by faith. 
 
 The 2d Ufe is for expostulation with many of 
 you, that are ftill ifc nature (and I wifh there- 
 were fewer of you in this cafe £0 be fpoken to) 
 How comes it to pafs, when this is your condi- 
 tion by nature, that ye are fo fecure^ and that 
 ye have few or no apprehenfions at all of the 
 wrath of God, and of the hazard of your im- 
 mortal. fou's ? Ah/! are therenone fuch here, 
 >&8tiappre.lien4. their h\ttr<b ? were ye eyer. 
 
 Verfe 10. 20$" 
 
 under it ? and if fo,howhave ye been delivered 
 out of it ? or who is come in your room I do 
 ye think it nothing to be under fin, and the 
 curfe of God, to have wrath abiding in you, yea 
 abiding on you ? There are many of you who 
 are fkeping found now^ and that difdain to no- 
 tice challenges: But, asStfcmcn lpeaks of the man 
 that was deeping on the top of a mail:, and com- 
 plaining of that^and of them that deceived him; 
 fo fhall it be with you, that can ly flill fecure- 
 ly deeping in fin, and that put by one day after 
 another, and do not make ufe of this Sacrifice. 
 All that the gofpel aims at is this,that ye would 
 feek to change rooms with Chrift, that the feud 
 may be removed, and that the quarrel that is 
 betwixt God and you may not be continued and 
 k^eped up ; efpecially, feeing there is a way laid 
 down how to get your debt iatisfied for ', which 
 if ye neglect, what will ye do when your day 
 is gone f Are there not many dying daily ? and 
 is there not a day of reckoning coming, when 
 the ftroke that is hanging and hovering over 
 your head will light ? and feeing it is fo, why do 
 ye ly flill, and flight Jefus Chrift '< If it were be- 
 lieved what dreadful wrath is abiding many . 
 (whereof your fecure fenflelnefs, and fenflefs Se- 
 curity is a part) and what a terror it will waken 
 in your confeiences one day, ye would certainly 
 think it good news to have the fu/Ferings of 
 Chrift. fpoken of, and the benefit of them offe- 
 red to you now. 
 
 The 3d Ufe is, to ftir up finners to thankful- 
 nefs, efpecially fuch of you as. are bleft with ef- 
 fectual counfel, to make the right ufe of this 
 Sacrifice ; O confider how much ye are obli- 
 ged to God, and to Chrift the Mediator ! The 
 preaching of the gofpel is now thought little of, 
 and is taftelefs to marty ; but did ye know whac 
 is your ftate and pcfture by nature, how near ye 
 are to hell, anyhow near the curfe and wrath 
 are Unto you, even ready to grafp at you,to tear 
 and devour you, the Mediator's interpofing to 
 fatisfy for you, would make him more lovely 
 to you ; and ye that have gotten intereft in him 
 f^cured, would think your felves much, un- 
 fpeakably much, in his common, to lay {q, and 
 in the debt of his grace, fhiswas the pofture 
 that grace found you in, even liable to the 
 ftroke of God's drawnfword of juftice: And our - 
 Lord Jefus on the one fide ftepped in, and faid. 
 Hold, Lord \ let that be on me,and let them go > 
 free : And upon the other fide, there was God's 
 good pleafure, condefcending ; to accept of his 
 offer, and faying, Awake, Ofword? and ffjiife • 
 . tbci£bepherd 3 a}id fpare tt?e foep.WhatMi&ztum 
 
 iliould'-i 
 
-:<:>6 Ifaiab ^3 
 
 ihould this lay upon you, to love and be thank- 
 ful to God. and to the Mediator, who interpo- 
 sed to keep the ftroke off you 5 I fay, upon you 
 who arc finners, and apprehenfive or wrath ? 
 This is Chrift's offer ; and if ye be fled to him 
 for refuge, he hath changed rooms with you : 
 Ye are much (as I laid) in his debt ; he hath 
 freed you of your debt,and purchafed an abfolu- 
 tion to you ;.and there is no condemnation to you> 
 as it is, Rom. 8. 1. whereas before ye were in a 
 manner condemned already. But the truth is, 
 our Lord Jefus is undervalued, not only by 
 them that apprehend not their hazard, and lb 
 make not ufe of him ; but alfo in a great meafure 
 by them that do apprehend it, in ib far as they 
 give way to unbelief, and dare fcarcely truft to 
 2ns facrifice. 
 
 The 2d and next thing Implied here,is , 'That 
 c tho' men be naturally under fin, and obnoxious 
 c to the wrath and curfe of God, by reafon of iin ; 
 c yet there is nothing that can take away that iin, 
 c and free them from wrath, but Chrift Jefus his 
 c offering up of himfelf a Sacrifice for fin.' There- 
 fore he is fo made the Offering for fin here, as it 
 is exclufive of all other things ; no other thing 
 could do it ; as it is, Heb. 10. 14. He by one 
 tferiitg hath perfected for ever thefe who are 
 fanttified. The blood of bulls and of goats could 
 .not take away fin ; Neither U (as it is, A3s 4. 
 12.) there any other name under hewen given to 
 finners, whereby they can be faved, but the 
 name of Jefus* I fhall not fpeak here of the na- 
 ture of Chrift's Offering and Sacrifice ; but 
 lure, tho' all men be under fin and wrath by 
 .nature, there is no other way to remove ft, 
 except by this Sacrifice : Thoufands of rams, 
 (as it is, Micah 6. 7.) and ten thoufand rivers 
 of oil, the firft born of the body, will not take 
 away the fin of the foul ; Chrift's offering up 
 of himfelf, in God's account,**is only the fin- 
 offering, for the removing of fin, and wrath 
 from finners. Is it needful to prove this ? We 
 wifh it were not ; but. the truth is, it's hardly 
 believed by 'men and women : Confider there- 
 fore fhortly thefe -three things, and ye will 
 iindittrue, I. The certification and peremp- 
 torinels of the curfe that follows fin, as we may 
 fee, Gal, 3.10. Cur fed is every one that continu- 
 eth not in all things written in the book of the 
 Jaw to do them : Whatever may be faid of God's 
 abfolute fovereignty, whereof we will not now 
 fpeak, God hath fo ordered his covenant, and 
 revealed his will in his word-, thafthe foul that 
 fins Jhall die, if a facrifice be not put in it's 
 room. 2. Confider the ineffectual nefs of all o- 
 ther things to fatisfy juftice : Tho' we would 
 
 , V^c 10. Serm. 37. 
 
 multiply offerings, what cares God for thefe ? 
 All the beafts en the mountains arehis>ke delights 
 not in the bfood of bulls andgoats,as it iiyPfal.^o, 
 Thoufands of rams, and ten thoufand rivers of 
 oil, are rejected ; whether we look to penances, 
 (whereof fome roolifhly talk) what can thefe do 
 to God ? or whether we look to mens external 
 performances of holy duties, or to their inward 
 convi<£Uons, challenges and mournings for fin, 
 there is no fuitable value in thefe things, to 
 interpofe betwixt them and God's wrath ; , 
 fuppone that man after the fall could perform 
 duties without fin : Therefore the apoftle, Heb, 
 10. fays, that it was poffible that the blood of bul- 
 locks and of goats could take away fin ; there is 
 no fuitablenefs nor proportionablenefs betwixfi 
 the blood of abeaft, and the foul of a finner ; 
 far lefs betwixt it and the Majefty of God that; 
 is wronged by fin ; Wherefore, when the fuffe- 
 rings of a finner are lengthned to twenty thou- 
 fand millions of years in hell, the juftice of 
 God is never fatisfied, nor never will be to the 
 full ; what then can other things do ? 3. There 
 is no other thing that hath a promife made or 
 annexed to it, nor is there any ether mean laid 
 down, for the removal of fin and wrath, but 
 Chrift offering himfelf up a Sin-offering. I 
 know fome are ready to think, that tho' there 
 be no worth in the thing, or duty, yet God 
 of his free grace will accept of it ; but is 
 there a promife of God's accepting any other 
 thing for a fatisfa&ion for fin, or for the removal 
 of wrath, but Chrift's Sacrifice alone ? and will 
 or can folks expect that for which they have no 
 promife ? The fcripture is plain and perempto- 
 ry in this, as namely, Atts 4. 14. There is no 0- 
 ther name under heaven y whereby a finner can be 
 favedybut by the name of Jefus : He is the Door, 
 John i^.tbe Wayjhc Truth and the Zife,]ohn}i4. 
 The promife s are yea and amen in him, 2 Cor, I. 
 There is greater neceffity to be through in this, 
 tho' a common truth, than folks think o'i'. And for 
 Ufi, it aims at thefe two. (1.) Upon the one 
 fide, to cry down all befide, that pretends to fa- 
 tisfy God, or to make a finner acceptable to 
 him. Prayer is no fin-offering ; repentance, 
 convi&ions, a blamelefs life, £5V. are no fin- 
 offerings 5 thefe things are empty, and infig- 
 nificant, as to the 3 utilisation of a finner, or 
 the obtaining jof his pardon. (2.) Upon the o- • 
 ther fide, it points out the abfolute neceffity of 
 making ufe of Chrift's Sacrifice, and oi the be- 
 taking of our felves to it, for the fatisfy ing of 
 God's juftice : If there be a neceffity of the par- 
 don of fin, andof the removing of wrath, there 
 
Serm. 38. Ifaiah ^ % 
 
 is then fure a neceflity of clofing with Chrift, 
 and his Sacrifice. 
 
 The \fl of thefe Ufes (peaks to two forts of per- 
 fons, with whom the word of God hath no 
 weight, and who, in effe£ think to fatisfy God 
 with nothing. 1 . A prophane, gracelefs, fecure 
 company, who, becaufe God keeps filence, are 
 difpofed to think that he is like themfelves, and 
 that he will never purfue a quarrel againft them; 
 much like to that man fpoken of, Deut. 29. 18, 
 19. Who fays in bis heart, He fball have peace, 
 though be walk in the imagination cf bis cvon 
 heart, adding drunkennefs to thirft. We have a 
 generation of this fort among us, who tu/h at 
 all threatnings, (alas for them ! O that God 
 would be gracioufly pleafed to make a change on 
 them ; or, if that may not be, that he would rid 
 us of them / ) who will needs live fenfually, 
 and as they lilt ; who will needs (peak and do 
 as they pleafe, and will not be controuled ; and 
 yet, at the firft hand, will boldly and confident- 
 ly alTert their hope of heaven, as if they had ne- 
 ver been finners : Whence comes this? even 
 from their fuppofing, that there is another way 
 to heaven than God hath chalked out ; they think 
 they may be faved, tho' they never betake them- 
 felves to £ hrilb for union with him : But whe- 
 ther ihall their fentence or God's ftand ? there 
 is a day coming, when ye ihall know. Ye fay, 
 Ye ihall have peace ; but God fays, No ; Why 
 fo ? Becaufe ye never knew what it was to make 
 ufe of Chrift ; ye had never fo much as a form, 
 nor any the leaft guft of religion, but were and 
 are flill as fenflefs as the ftones in the wall : 
 What do ye think will become of this ? God 
 
 Ve*fe 10. 26S 
 
 urges, as it were, the offers of Chrift upon you, 
 and ye ftill flight him ; He tells you, that there 
 is a neceflity of union with him, elfe ye ihall 
 never fee heaven ; and ye \y ftill at a diftance 
 from him, and yet will needs hope for heaven : 
 But alas ! it will not be fo with you. Either 
 think on the right way, which is, by putting 
 Chrift in your room, and laying of religion 
 to the heart in lad earned. ; or dream not of 
 coming to heaven. A 2d fort are they, who 
 are not altogether fo profane as the others, but 
 will condemn them (as indeed the pra&ice of 
 many is lothfomj they will, it may be pray in 
 their families, and will not be drunk, neither 
 will they fwear, nor lie, and they will walk 
 blamelefly ; and, upon thefe grounds, theypro- 
 mife heaven to themfelves very confidently \ and 
 yet they come not, through the fenfe or their 
 iinful. and curled ftate. by nature, to clofe with 
 Chrift by faith, and to make ufc of his Sacrifice: 
 Such err on the other hand. Oh, when ihall we 
 be at this, not to negleft the ftudy of holinefs, 
 and yet no^ to reft on it, to the prejudice of 
 this one offering ! This were a pra&ice fui table 
 to, and worthy of profeffors of the gofpel ; to 
 be ferioufly aiming at all duties of holinels that 
 are called for ; and yet to be building all their 
 expectation of any good from God, on the Sa- 
 crifice of Chrift alone ; never coming to God 
 without bringing it along with them, and look- 
 ing through it to be accepted before him : There 
 needs no more, and no other thing that we can 
 bring will do our turn, nor be taken off our 
 hand, if this be negle&ed. The Lord himfelf * 
 teach us this way. 
 
 SERMON XXXVIII. 
 
 Ifaiahliii. 10 ■ 4 Vhen thoujbalt male his foul an offering for Jin, be jh all fee bhfeed, be JlraB 
 
 prolong bis dajs> and the pleafure cf the Lord fiall prcfper in bis hand. 
 
 WHatever the men of the world think of it, 
 it is not an eafy matter to get the juftice 
 of God fatisfied for fin, and to get the wrath and 
 curfe, that men by fin have drawn on themfelves, 
 removed : Offerings of bullocks,- and goats, 
 thoufands of rams, and ten thoufand rivers of oil, 
 Will not do it ; the redemption of the foul is fo 
 precious, that it ceafeth for ever that way, and 
 by all fuch means : Therefore the Lord in his 
 wifdom hath found out the means, and in his 
 
 trace and love hath condefcended, that his own 
 ear Son, his Fellow, ihall, as a Lamb without 
 *pot, be a Sin-ofrVring, to take away the fins of 
 iis el e&| world ; and this is. the great confi- 
 guration under wkicfr we ikoukl take up she 
 
 death of Chrift, as making himfelf therein an : 
 Offering for fin, and interpofing himfelf to fa- 
 tisfy divine juftice, that forgivenefs might be 
 made forthcoming to us. 
 
 The JDoftrine, which we propofed to be fpoken 
 to the laft day, was this, < That Jefus Chrift is 
 
 * the only Sin-offering, by which fin can be taken 
 
 * away, and God fo iatisfied, as to forbear the 
 
 * punifhment of the iinner, and to admit him to 
 ? peace and friendihip with him. 3 If we would 
 enumerate all things imaginable, and invent ; 
 ways and means without number to remove fin, - 
 or to make a finner's peace with God, there is no ' 
 other means but this that will do it j as we have 
 
2DS Ifitdb'\'te m 
 
 it^Heb. 10. Chrift Jefus, by his once offering up of ' 
 bimfelf perfects for ever tbefe who are fanclified; 
 and Acts 4. There is no other name given under 
 heaven, whereby finners can be faved, but the 
 name cf ' ye'f 
 
 The Ufe is, to commend, and to demonftrate 
 to us all, the neceflity of the ufe-making 'of this 
 one offering of Chrift. If he be the one offering 
 to take away fin, and if no other will be accep- 
 ted, then there is a ne:effity, that he in his offe- 
 ring o'c himfelf be made ufe of : If all be under 
 fin, and if, by the law, fin and cleath be knit in- 
 feparably together (as it is faid, The wages of fin 
 7S death) and if freedom from fin and wrath, and 
 peace with God, be neceftary ; then there is a 
 necefnty, that* finners beferious in this matt'er,to 
 get a title to, and intereft in this one Offering 
 and Sacrifice of Chrift. 
 
 In the profecu^ing of the Ufe, we fhall fpeak a 
 little to tbefe four things, 1. To fome grounds, 
 or reafons, to fhew the neceffity of finners ufe- 
 making of Chrift's Sacrifice or Offering. 2. To 
 this,what it is to make ufe of this Offering. 3. We 
 ihail give a word of advertisement, as to fome 
 miftakes that are about it. 4. We fhall give fome 
 differencing characters, or evidences, of a perfon 
 that is making right uie of this Offering, for ob- 
 taining of pardon, and for making of this peace 
 with God. 
 
 For the Firft, that is,- the reafons to evince 
 the neceffity of it ; the firft of them is that 
 which we hinted at juft now, If men were 
 not lying under fin, and obnoxious to wrath, 
 and if there were any other fin offering, or any 
 other way or mean to efcape the curfe and wrath" 
 of God due for fin, there were no tuch nectfli- 
 ty : But.feeing that all men are under fin, and 
 under the curie of God and his wrath, becaufe 
 of it, and feeing there is no other thing that can 
 take away fin ; then there is art abfolute necef- 
 iity, ferioufly to make ufe of, and to have an in- 
 tereft in this fin -offering. 2. Confider, that the 
 great part of men in the wprld, and even of 
 them that hear thv gofpel, do not indeed make 
 ufe of this offering, tho 5 they be fome way un- 
 der the conviction that they are finners, and 
 that this is ,the only fin-offering to take away 
 fin : And we fuppofe, if ye were all put to it, ye 
 could not deny, but ye are finners, and that no- 
 thing can take away fin, but Chrift's offering 
 up of himfelf a3 a Sacrifice to fatisfy juftice; 
 Tho' fome be that grofly ignorant, that they 
 trill fpeak of fome other thing, yet generally 
 tbefe that own and maintain the truth of the 
 gofpel, are under a conviction that no other 
 tkin^ can take away iinj and yet, evenamongfl 
 
 Verfe 10." Serm. 38; 
 
 theie, there are many that n=vef make ufe of 
 Chrift, and of his Sacrifice, to take away their 
 fins, £0 remove wrath, and make their peace 
 with God : There were many Jews, who by the 
 daily facrifices, which typed forth this one offe- 
 ring of Chrift, were taught, that there was no 
 other way to come by pardon, and peace with 
 God, hut their ufe-making of it; and yet the 
 moft part of them, in going about thefe faenfices, 
 were tlig-hters of this one Sacrifice 5 therefore 
 the apoftle fays of them, Rem. 10. 13, That y be- 
 ing ignorant cf God's right ecu fnefsjhej went a- 
 bout to eftablijk their own right ecufnefs^ and did 
 not fubmit themfelves unto the right ecujnefs of 
 C.d. It is as certain, that many that hear this 
 gofpel, and profefs Chrift to be the only fin-offe- 
 ring, will be difowned of him on this account ; 
 therefore many are brought in, faying, Luke 1 3. 
 Did we net hear thee preach -in curftreets ? have 
 we not eaten and drunken in thy pr e fence? to whom 
 he iiwll fay, Depart from me, 1 never knew you, 
 /e workers of iniquity; becaufe (as if he' had 
 faid) whatever ye profeffed, ye never made 
 peace with God, through and by me. And 
 what is the reafon, Ipray, that lo many perifh 
 under the gofpel, who in- word acknowledge this. 
 one offering, and that it is it only which t.kes 
 away fin, but becaufe that, notwithftanding of 
 that conviction and acknowledgment, they 
 are never brought actually to make ufe of Chrift, 
 and of this his Sacrifice and Offering ; and if 
 ye think and acknowledge, that there are ma- 
 ny that go to hell, that have- the knowledge 
 and conviction of this truth, ye alfo mult 
 grant, that it is becaufe they make not confei- 
 ence. to make ufe of it. 3. Confider, that tho* 
 there be many of the hearers of the gofpel, wha 
 do not reft on Chrift, yet it is very hard to 
 convince any of them? that they are ready to 
 'flight Chrift's Sacrifice: 1 am fure that both the 
 former w r iil be grantedt (l.)Tbat nothing but 
 Chrift's Sacrifice can fatisfy juftice ; (2.) That' 
 many do not reft on it, and fo pcrilb : But if we 
 come to the (^.^lcarcely ihall w r e find one that 
 will grant (except it be a tender body) that 
 they make not ufe of him : They will eafily be 
 convinced, .that adultery is a fin, and that they 
 are guilty of it, if they be lb indeed ; that drun- 
 kennefs and fabbath-breaking are fins ; yea, 
 poffibly (which is more) that vaguing of the 
 mind in duties of .worfhip is a fin, and that 
 they are guilty of it : But it is not fo eafy to 
 convince them, that they are guily of the fin of 
 not making ufe o^ Chrift, and of his Sacrifice; 
 nay, they are fo puft up with a good opinion of 
 
 tbera-, 
 
Serm. 38. If at ah -$3. 
 
 themfelves, that they will laugh at fuch a chal- 
 lenge | and hence it is., that 10 few make ufe of. 
 Chrift's sacrifice, and of his righteoufnefs, be- 
 caufe io few are convinced, that they beiieve not 
 on him ; therefore, when the Spirit comes, John 
 16. it is faid. that he Jhall convince the world of 
 fin ; not becauie they did whore, drink, fwear, 
 ©V. tho' convi&ions tor thefe fins will not be 
 wanting ; but becauje they believed not inChriJ}: 
 And hence it is, Luke 13. 25. that thefe will 
 not take Chrift's firfb anfwer, / knew you not ; 
 What (as if they laid) knows thou not us ? we 
 have eaten and drunken in thy pre fence, we have 
 profefled faith in thte, and our hope to get 
 heaven by thy righteoufnefs ; and yet he fhall 
 anfw'er them again pcren.ptorily.Z'f/wfyV^/wr, 
 J know y:u not : Not that there will be much to 
 do, or any great citfi uity to convince folk in 
 that day, or any room left to deb:te the bufi- 
 nefs ; but he would tell us by this, that many 
 die in this^ deiulion : And if it be a thing 
 that folks are lo hardly convinced of, had they 
 not need to be ferioufl) lolicitous, that they be 
 not deeived and di lap pointed ? 4. Confider 
 how lad the difappoimment will be to finners 
 one day, when they iha I he b ought to acknow- 
 ledge, that the) knew that there was no other 
 name given. wh r by Tinners ^ould be laved, but 
 the name of Jefus ; and ) et that they flighted 
 and rejected hrm. Ye that never ferioufly min- 
 ded counting and reckoning with Gcd, do ye 
 think on this and that th^ paffir^ of tne ientence, 
 will be upon this ground to wit, Whether ye have 
 £ed to Jefus Chriit, ana ji akc uie of his Sacri- 
 fice or not ? VM11 t not b" a fad di appointment, 
 to meet with a doleiul .Jjefrart.fi r, me on this 
 ground, becauf_ tho' there Wis iome conviction 
 that this was the only :acr.hce and Sm < fferirg 
 tnat tafces awa> fin that yet it was not m de uie 
 of.nor made toe 6 -ound of your pea ewith God? 
 But to the d v hat is it then to make ufe of 
 this Offer ng ? ■ know no hater w a) than to ex- 
 plain it from the typi.al facrinces that were 
 under the law ; and we ma> take it up in thefe 
 three, (i.)'t imp its a thorow conviction of folks 
 liaUenefs to the juilice of God for fin, and an 
 "Utter inability in uur felyes, and utter emptinefs 
 and impotencyin all other. means, to fatisty for 
 iin : 1 bus they that brought the facrifice to the 
 prieft, laid their hand on the head of the b.aft, 
 by which they acknowledge, that d. 4 ath was -due 
 unto them. So then, to have the lively fc-nfe 
 of the due defert of fin, that is, to have the 
 Sentence of death carried about in our bofom, to 
 have the thorow conviction of the emptinefs of 
 ail other means of relief, is rt^uiilte tg the righj 
 
 Verfe 10." 20fc 
 
 ire-maJdng of ChrifVs Offering. C2.)It implieth 
 this, that there be a look had to the inftitution 
 and ordinance of God, appointing this Sacrifice 
 to be the mean of the redemption of finners : 
 Therefore, in thofe facrifices that were offered 
 for fin, there was a refpe& had to God's cove- 
 nant ; wherein were not only promifes relating 
 to external cleanfmg,and to admiifion to Church- 
 privileges, but promifes alfo relating to in- 
 ward cleanfing, and to the pardon of fin, which 
 was the great end of thefe facrifices *, and the 
 looking to the inftitution of this Sacrifice, is 
 the ground that leads us in to take up the end 
 of Chrift's fufferings, and is a warrant for our 
 faith, in the ufe-making thereof ; be.ng the on- 
 ly facrifice that expiates iin, and holds off wraths 
 And if thefe two things be not carried along in 
 the ufe-making of this facriiice, to wit, the 
 conviction of fin, and the liablenefs to wrath ; 
 and God's inftitution and appointment oi this 
 facrifice, to take away fin, and to avert wrath ; 
 our ufe-making of it is but will-worfhip. (3«) It 
 implies this, that when the finner is walking un- 
 der the fenfe of his fin, and the emptinefs and in- 
 effectualnefs of all other things, to remove fin and 
 wrath (as David hath it, Pjal. si. 16. Thou defi- 
 refl not facrifice. thcu delightefl not in burnt-offe- 
 rings) there muft be a looking to the worth o€ 
 Chriit, .and of his Sacriri e;that is appointed to 
 take away fin, and hold off wrath ; and the foul's 
 a&u^l applying of his Offering to it felF ; as we 
 may lee, in the 4, "i>6,and 16. chapters of Leviti- 
 cus, where there are feveral facrifices appointed to 
 be offered for feveral fins,and particu'arly that of 
 the. J 'cap g-go at, on the head whereof, the prieft 
 for the people was to lay his hands : In which 
 was impded, not opry their acknowledgment 
 of fin, and of their delerving death; and of 
 God's appointment of that to be a typic 1 ( fie- 
 ri ng for the typical taking away of fin ; but 
 the e two things further v\cre implied, 1. That 
 thydid take the burden or their firs, which 
 neither they themfelves, nor anv <th r could 
 bear, and laid itonChrift ; when j tfti:e did put 
 at them ror treir debt (to fpeak lo) they drew 
 a bill on Chrift, as their Cautioner, to anfwer 
 it *, and as they did put the del t in his han , to 
 by^paid by him; Co they lippmed and trufted 
 the weight of their fouls to him, md to no o- 
 ther : bo that, when God w?s purfuing them for 
 their debt, faying, as it were, I will have pay- 
 ment of you, or elfe you muft die ; th y brought 
 the facrifice to the prieft, to pleafe God typi- 
 cally, with an eye to Chrift typified thereby . 
 Even fo ; for tinners to make ufe of Chrift's fuf 
 E c ferings, 
 
2iO t J f atab 33- 
 
 ferings, is, in the thorow conviction of fin, and 
 of deferred wrath, to flee unto Jeius-Chrift, 
 and to put him in their room ; being content 
 and defzreous, that he be their Cautioner^and un- 
 dertake for them,and fatisfy for their debt : Yea, 
 putting him actually fo it, to pay their debt ; k> 
 that they have no other anfwer to any challenge 
 for fin but this, The Cautioner that I have be- 
 taken my felf to, and put in my room, will pay 
 this debt,and anfwer for it : The 2d a& of faith, 
 is this, When they have betaken themfelves to 
 him, and to his facrifice, they acquiefce in, and 
 reft upon it alone, for obtaining of the fentence 
 cf abfolution ; which was alfo implied in the 
 people their laying their hands, by the pried, 
 on the head of the iacrifice : For as it impli- 
 ed their acknowledging that they could not 
 pleafe nor fatisfy God cf themfelves, nor by any 
 other way or mean ; fo it implied, that, accor- 
 ding to God's covenant, they expend his ab- 
 folving of them, becaufe of that facrifice •, and 
 that, tho' the'y were defperate by themfelves to 
 fatisfy, yet they had faith in God's covenant, 
 that the iacrifice they offered, would typica ly 
 fatisfy him: Even fo, the believer draws the 
 conclufion from Chrift's fa:rifice, according to 
 the terms of the covenant, that he hath ablolu- 
 tion ; and refts on, and acquiefces in it: And 
 this is called Trufting or Confiding in Chrift ; 
 when not only he caileth himlelf Qn him, but 
 hathconfidence,that the bill which he hath drawn 
 on him will be anfwered by him ; which is foun- 
 ded on the covenant, in which it's faid, Of all 
 that come unto me, I will put none away ; as it 
 is, John 6. 37. Him that cometh to me, I will 
 in nowife caft cut ; and Zech. 13. There is a 
 fountain opened in the houfe of David, for fm> 
 and for uncleannefs ; on which ground believers 
 expe& the benefit of warning, on their perfor- 
 ming of the condition of the covenant; And 
 when David, Pfal. 51.7. prays, Purge we, it 
 holds out the a£t of faith, drawing the bill on 
 Chrift ; And when he fays, / Jhall be clean and 
 white as fnow ; it holds out his confident refting 
 on,and acquiefcirg in Chrift, for cleanfing. And 
 this is the reafon, why fome exprefs faith, by 
 ileaving to Chrift ; others, by confident refting on 
 bim-,ox by affurance ; And there may be a truth 
 in both ; becaufe the one looks on faith according 
 to the HHl ail of cleaving to him ; and the 
 other takes up faith according to the other aft 
 of ajjured refting on him, or confiding in him, 
 and on, or in his Iacrifice offered up once for 
 all. In a word, to make ufe of this once offering 
 for fin, is fo to make ufe of him, as to put him 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 38. 
 
 in our room, and our felves fome way in his 
 room: Not to dare to count and reckon with 
 juftice ; nay, not to dare, as it were, to count 
 with Chrift ; but leaving Chrift in the ftout(to 
 fpeak_ Co) and running away from reckoning 
 with juftice, to hide our felves under him, who 
 can count to the utmoft farthing : Even as when. 
 God commanded Abraham to offer up his fon 
 Jfaac, and when he was lifting his hand to flay 
 him, there came a voice from heaven, Abraham, 
 hold thy kand } a.nd a ram is provided, and Jfaae 
 is loofed, and taken down from off the altar, and 
 the ram is put in his ftead and place ; fo there is 
 here a changing of rooms with Chrift, according 
 to that fvveeteft word, iCor. ^.ult. He was made 
 fin f:r us, who knew no fin, that we, who had 
 no righteoufnefs, might be made the rigbteouf- 
 nefs of God in him. 
 
 3. If it be fo very difficult, and yet fo r abfo- 
 lutely neceifary,to make ufe of Chrift, and efpe- 
 cially in his offering up of himfelf for the fins 
 of his people *, there is ground here, for warning, 
 and advertifement, to walk tenderly in this mat- 
 ter, that this facrilice be not flighted, that this 
 one offering be not neg'efted, as we would not 
 have fin lying at our door. And here we mall 
 point at three forts of perfons, who may be coun- 
 ted flighters and neglc<fter,s of this offering. 
 The \ft lort are thefe, who think to make their 
 peace with God, without minding the neceifity 
 of the interveening of any thing betwixt him 
 and them ', and thefe go on feveral grounds, or 
 are of feveral forts. 1. Some are utterly carelefs 
 how their peace be made, or whether it be made 
 or not : They hope for it, and think to come 
 at it, but cannot give an account, whether they 
 will come at it or not ; and they are carelefs to 
 know the way. 2. Others go upon their pre- 
 emption: They think God loves them, becaufe 
 
 • they love themfelves *, and tho' they know they 
 have fin, yet they think God will not be fo ill, 
 as to reckon with them ; they think they are 
 fure that God loves them, but they cannot give 
 a ground for it. 3. Others think, God is merci- 
 ful, and therefore they conclude that they will 
 be pardoned : They cannot conceive God to be 
 like man in his mercy, but to be far beyond him 
 (as indeed he is infinitely in fome'refpeel:) and 
 therefore, becaule, when man is merciful, he 
 fometime feeks no fat.isfa<5Hon ; Co neither will 
 God, think they; not confidering, that tho' 
 God be merciful, that yet he will not fhew mer- 
 cy to the prejudice of his juftice, but will needs 
 have it fatisfied : Such think, on the matter a$ 
 
 , leaft, that they would have gotten mercy, tho* 
 
 Chrift . 
 
5errn. 3S. Ifalah 53. 
 
 Chrift had never died. It is true, If God had 
 not been merciful, never a (inner had gotten . 
 Snercy ; yet that is not the ground of his Slew- 
 ing fnerc)\other\vife all the world might eXpc# 
 mercy : For he is, and ever was, gracious *nd 
 merciful in himielf; and therefore there mud be 
 fome other ground and way for obtaining of par- 
 don ; elfe it cannot be expe&edj becaule of the 
 alone fimple and abftra& consideration of his 
 mercy : And yet many will needs expect it on 
 this ground, without refpe& to the Mediator's 
 purchafe. A 1 d fort, are they that take the le- 
 gal way, for making their peace with God : Not 
 as if they thought to appear before God without 
 fin, and holy, as the covenant of works requi- 
 reth ; but if they fin, theywill make amends : 
 And it's either fomething negativcthat they have 
 fiotdone, or fomething pofkive that they have 
 done, or fome internal qualifications, that they 
 reft upon. 1. Something negative, they have 
 »ot been fo ill as other folks ; and if they go to 
 hell, they think few will go to heaven : They 
 have done wrong to none ; and if they were a- 
 bouttodie, they think, and it maybe fay, that 
 they will leave a good name behind them, on 
 the account of their harmlels walk", like that 
 Pbarifee, they can fay, Lord, I thank thee. 1 am 
 not like other men, nor like- this Publican : They 
 are no drunkards, no oppreffors, they neither 
 curfe nor fwear ; and vvhen they fee any prophane 
 perfons, they are puft up with a good opinion 
 of themfelves, becaufe they are not as prophane 
 as they. Or, 2.They will come a further length, 
 and positively do many duties, upon which they 
 reft ;.and whereof they are ready to boaft, with 
 that fame Pharifee, who vaunted, / fafl twice a 
 roeek, I give tithes of aUIpcJfefs: If any duty be 
 performed, or any good be done by them, their 
 fingers are ready (to fay fo) to ftick to it ; But, 
 3. and efpecially, If there be any inward work, 
 as if there be any liberty, or motion of the affe- 
 ftions in prayer ; if there be,at hearing the word, 
 fome convictions (harper at one time than at ano- 
 ther ; if there be any fort of repentance, rewing, 
 and fadnefs for fin, $f. thefe, they think, will do 
 their turn : It is mod certain, and might be clea- 
 red, both from the word of God, and from ex- 
 perience, that many hundreds of profclTors cTafh, 
 and perifh on this ftumbling-block, Jfaiab 48. 1, 
 2. where the Lord is fpeaking of a people, that 
 made mention cf his name , and fware by him, 
 hut not in truth nor in right eoufnefs \ of whom he 
 fays.that they caBznd count themfelves of the ho- 
 b city, and flay themfelves upon the Godof\fae\\ 
 and the ground of it is, their retting on external 
 
 Verfe ic m 
 
 duties, of fading and prayer, and the like : Ex- 
 pectation of happinefs grounded on fome fecklefs 
 performances, cutsthe throats of many civil and 
 difcreet men, that are not grofly prophane. A 
 3d fort do not altogether flight and neglect Chrift 
 himfelf, but they (light and neglect his offering ; 
 as if they would in a manner make ufe of himfelfi 
 but not of his facrifice ; as Mattb. 1 9. and Mark. 
 10. there is a man fpoken of,, that comes to 
 Chrift, would fain be at heaven, and ksks,Good 
 Mafier, what Jh all I do that I may inherit cter~ 
 nal Ufe ? and yet he was going on the grounds 
 of his own righteoufnefs: This is exceeding fub- 
 tile and deceitful ; and therefore ye would take 
 the better notice of it, and how it is fallen into. 
 A man may come to Chrift, as God, for pardon 
 of fin (and fome think, tho' moft ignorantly 
 and erroneoufly, that Chrift the Son is more 
 companionate and ready to pardon than the Fa- 
 ther) and may feek pardon from him ; but not 
 for his fake, or on his account : For there is a 
 difference betwixt making Chrift the Object o£ 
 ourworfhip and making ufe of him as Media- 
 tor. There are many that have prayed to Chrift: 
 as God, and fought pardon of fin from him 5 
 who never prayed to obtain pardon, by vertue of 
 his offering. Folk may alfo defire help front 
 Chrift, to enable them to do duties, that they 
 may thereby work out the work of their own faJ- 
 vation, and be helped this way to make their 
 peace with God, who do not ground the ma- 
 king of their peace with God on his offering a- 
 lone : Thefe things are exceeding frequent in 
 peoples practice, who will pray to Chrift for fuch 
 and fuch things, and yet not found their expecta- 
 tion of them upon his offering, or his righteouf- 
 nefs : If we would make ufe of Chrift's offering 
 fingly and rightly, we would efchew thefe, and 
 all other wrong ways. 
 
 4. Tt may be asked then, What are the eviden- 
 ces that may give a perfon fome clearnefs, that 
 he is making ufe of Chrift's righteoufnefs aright, 
 and that it is not his own righteoufnefs, nor the 
 making ufe of Chrift only as he is God, that 
 fuftains him? I anfwer,that this is indeed amyfte- 
 ry ; and will require fearchtng, and watching to* 
 obferve our own condition : And mo things 
 concur than one or two, to make a full difcoverjr 
 of it : In fpeaking to this,as we defire to ftrength- 
 en the prefumption of none, fo we ihall labour 
 tofnunthe weakning of the faith of any found 
 believer. There are then thefe fix or f even di£. 
 ferencing evidences, or characters of a perfon, 
 that is rightly making ufe of Chrift's offering, 
 whicja difference him from others : And, i.Onc 
 Kn that 
 
^r* Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 that truly makesufe of Chrift's offering, hath not 
 onl) Jjeen brought, to fee his need of it, but 
 Iris natural propcnfion and readinefs to misken 
 it, and reil upon other things befide it, for the 
 making of his peace ; whereas another man, who 
 clots nut rightly make ufe of it, tho' he may 
 fee his fin, and lo hs need of it ;'yet he fees not, 
 neither will t.»ke with the tendency, propenfe- 
 nefs and inclination of his heart, to reft upon 
 fome other thing b fide it : See this difference 
 in Paul, before and arter converiion, Phil. 3. 
 Before he w^s converted, he itudied, as he 
 thought, all the righreoufnels of tl,e law; and 
 no doubt olfered facrihees, which implied the 
 acknowledgment of fin ; and he thought th.it all 
 was well with him : Therefore he fays>Tcucbbtg 
 the rightecufnefs of the law, he was blamelefs ; 
 and verfe 6. Thefe things that were gain to me, 
 or thele things that I placed my righteoufnefs 
 in, I thought the mo lacrifices that I offered, I 
 Jlad the more to buy my peace by ; he fees, 
 th.-t in his tludying of holinefs, he was feeking 
 to make -a (lock in himfeli : But after his con- 
 verfion, he caits all thefe, as to leaning to them, 
 or making them any ground of his peace with 
 Cod, or of his juitification before him ; he be- 
 takes himielf only to Chrift's righteoufnefs, and 
 counts them to be but hfs*\ would think it a good 
 evidence for folks, not only to fee the loofnefs 
 ©f their hearts in duty, and that to be aim \ but 
 to fee, when ought went well with them, the 
 inc. i ration of their hearts ready to account that 
 to be gain, and to reft upon it: There is fuch 
 aii um.-u. and natural inclination in all; and it 
 \% a good token, when it is difcovered, and be- 
 comes a burden, and the ground of a challenge; 
 not onl) that they have finned, in this,and that, 
 and the other duty, but that they have gone a- 
 whoring after their fecklefs performances to the 
 prejudice of their efteem of Chrift, and of his 
 righteoufnefs : Before the law came (iaith Paul) 
 TLcm. 7.) was aJive jl thought 1 had a (lock to do 
 xn> own turn; but when, the commandment came, 
 fmrevived.and 1 died, 1 here are man) that will 
 be convinced of fin in their performances, that 
 will not he convinced of this finful inclination 
 to put thele in Chrift's room. A 2d ditf rence 
 ©^evidence is this ; One that aims to make u'e 
 ©f Chrift's off. ring and righteoufnefs, not only 
 their finsv ill be an exercife to them, how to win 
 ©ver them to Chrift, but it w il 1 be their exercife 
 alfo, how to win over t' eir graces and duties. 
 jo h f m ; it will bf^an exercife to them, not only 
 ftp have iujh a fin in their duty taken away, but 
 l*ow to win over the duty it felf that they fturn^ 
 He not on it, to the prejudice of tfeeir ;ruftin£ 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 38. 
 
 to phrift: whereas another man, when his du* 
 ties go well with him, uisealy to him to win 
 over t.icm, as he thinks,becaufc he reus atished 
 with them. Paul, Pb'u 3. fees not only while 
 he was in nature, that be counted fomething 
 gain befide Chrift, but after converiion, he finds 
 an inclination to it ; and therefore, in oppoiition 
 to this inclination, he doth with a doubtlefs,cry 
 down all things, and count tnem but dung and 
 lols tor the excjl t ncy or the knowledge of 
 Chr.lt j Lakmg m his, gracious actions, as well 
 as others : for the words in the text and con- 
 text Cell us, that lie is ipeaking or auties per- 
 formed by him. even after converiion ; an. that 
 he found a nectifity t.> call away the good as. 
 well as the bad, in the point of jiftihcation : 
 As a man, that is in a ftonn at tea, hath a greater 
 reluctance to caft over board.! iilks, fattins, vel- 
 yets> and other inch fine things, than th t which 
 is more bale, and of lefs worth ; fo he found it 
 more difficult, and was put to lorne harder ex- 
 ercife, to be quit of his auties, that they mould 
 not ftick to him, than to be rid of his iins. Is 
 there any fuch exercife as this amongft folks, to 
 be put to wreithng with their duties, not as 
 being angry at them as fu h, but how to get 
 them as it were caft over board ; to be jealous of 
 any good in them, or done by them, that it pre- 
 judge not their efteem or Chrift ; to be bufy in 
 well doing all the day, and in the evening to. 
 count ail their doing but lols ; and to renounce 
 it utterly, as to any puffing-up by it, or as to 
 the making of their peace with God thereby i A 
 ^d evidence is this. One that is fingle in ma- 
 king ufe of- Chrift's facrifice, will be exercifed 
 and difquieted, when his duty is done,till there 
 be Jor a^eptance,a ftay ing and reft ing on ChriftY 
 righceoulncts : There are two forts that ut- 
 
 • terly ail, and fall lhort here, i.Some that are 
 content with lm, and make lies their refuge,, 
 2. Others that are fatisfied with duty, if it go 
 well with, them, and promife themfelves ac- 
 ceptance on that alone account, neglecting 
 Chrift : But the believer hath (as I juft now* 
 laid) oneexercile of faith, how to be quit of 
 fin ; and another new exercife of it, how to be 
 freed from retting on duty, and how to be fingly 
 engaged unto,andto reft upon Chrift : His mind 
 is' not quiet in all his duties till he come hither* 
 even to be found in Chi ill, not having his 
 own righteoufnefs^ but his. it's a good token, 
 Yrhcn folks are not only exercifed to have fin 
 mortified, and duties g -ing with them, but alfo 
 to have their peace with v;od grounded on Chrift,. 
 and not on duty.j hence it is, that a.Chxiftan 
 
 will 
 
Serm. 38. V*i*b 53. 
 
 will fometimes be taken up a whole day in 
 duty, and yet have but little, or no peace, be- 
 cstuie he would be over, and through all duties, 
 to rcfting on Chrift, which he wins not at to 
 his (attraction, ^ibly, One that is lingle in uie- 
 making of thrift, and or' his offering', hath a 
 fea or miftaking this offering of Chrift, and 
 t at fome other tiling be put in his room, and 
 he miskent or neglected ; There will be not 
 only a fear, left he fin, and come ihort in the 
 fuitab.e performance of fuch a duty, and left 
 he rail under wrath ; but alfo fear and jealosy, 
 left, in iiis unbelief and felfiihnefs, he be go.ng 
 wrong in the ufe -making of Chrift, and or his 
 facrihee ; as is implied in the word, Heb. 4. 1. 
 where the apoftle, having fpoken of many o. the 
 Israelites their unbelief in the former chapter, 
 feys, in the beginning of this, Let us therefore 
 fear, left a promije being left us of entring 
 into his reft, any of us Jhould feem to come 
 fhurt of it, to wit, through unbelief : Be ho- 
 lily jealous (as if he had faid) left, as it is chap. 
 3. 12, 13. there be in any of you an evil 
 heart of unbelief in departing from the living 
 Cod. In a word, he will be fulpeCting the ex- 
 erciie of his faith, as muc"h as any thing ; a na- 
 tural man will fometimes, it may be, fuipeft his 
 duties, but hardly will he be brought to iuf- 
 pect. his faith, otherwife he could not have the 
 peace that he hath, fuch as it is : This may al- 
 io be confirmed from that poor man's prayer to 
 Chrift, Mark 9. Lord, 1 believe, help my unbelief 
 He dare not well truft his own faith, jtbly*, They 
 that are fingle in their ufe making of Chrift's 
 offering, not only fee themfelves finners, but 
 they carry along with them the difcovery of the 
 naughtinefs of every thing that is beft in them ; 
 when they fee that, to which others lippen to Co 
 much, fo very unsuitable, and that they are tar 
 ihort of that which they ihould beat, they dare 
 not own, nor look on it to boaft of it, but it's a 
 burden to them, to fee fo much fin in it : It's no- 
 thing to fee fin in fome outward actions, and in 
 that which is directly contrary to God's law ; 
 but it's much to fee fin in our beft things, as irr 
 our faith in God, in our love to him, and in 
 our ends in holy duties. A legal man will con- 
 feis it may be readily, that he fins in every thing; 
 but he covers all with this, that he hath a good 
 heart to God, or a good end : The believer on 
 the contrary fees all his good fo naughty, that 
 it is taftelels to him ; he never gets any thing to 
 r^ft on, or that can bear his weight to confide 
 infill he comes toChrift's feci ifiee. tthly^nch > 
 is.are aiming rightly to make, ufc of CbriftV 
 
 Verfe 10. 21 % 
 
 offering and facrifice, efteem and think exceed- 
 ing mu-h of it * v therefore they adventure hea- 
 ven and their eternal faivation on it : It's that 
 which cheers and deiighis them moft, that 
 Chrift hath ftepped in, and engaged to do-that 
 for them, which neither themlelves, nor any o- 
 ther perfon, or thing could do ; The life (faith 
 the apoftle, Gal. 2.) toat J now live in the fiefb 9 
 is by toe faith of the Son of God, who loved me y 
 and gave himfetj for me \ And l Tim. [. 15. 
 'Lois is a fait of ul faying, and worthy of all 
 acceptation, that Jzjus Chrift came to the. 
 vtforld to fave finners, if wh>.m I am the chief 
 And / ,bn heartlomly, Rev. 1. 7. To him that 
 failed us, and wajhed us in his own bloody 
 &c. But they that endeavour not. neither aim 
 rightly to make ufe of Chrift's (acrifice, think lit- 
 tle or nothing oi' it ; they are not made glad, nor 
 are their hearts lifted up with fpiritual joy be- 
 caufe of it : The good and glad news ofa llain Sa- 
 viour, are not the chief ground of their confola- 
 tion, as they are to the believer. This evidence 
 is fomewhat general, yet fure as well as the 
 former : O but it's matter oi' much wonder to 
 the believer, when he thinks how that,when the 
 ftroke of juftice was ready to com« on him, Chrift 
 fhould have interpoled betwixt him and that fa- 
 tal and deadly blow / But others efteem not of 
 it, and therefore cannot make ufe of it. ytbly t 
 They that are rightly making ufe of Chrift's fa- 
 criflce, find it to be a difficult thing, and that 
 which will coft them wreftling, to get it made 
 ufe of aright ;.they breathe after it, and yet win 
 not to that which they would be at in it : O ! as 
 David cries, Pfal. 51. Purge me w^thhyjfop, and 
 IJhall be clean ; wajh me, and Jfhall be white as 
 fnew : they know not well what way to make ufe 
 of it to their fatisfa&ion, they would make fo 
 much ufe of it, or riow to vent and exercife their 
 faith on it ; and when it comes to actual belie- 
 ving, and to the acting of their faith, they find? 
 it to be like afmooth andfiippery ftone, thatthey 
 cannot ealily hold their feet on. So Paul lays, 
 Phil. 3. / count all things but dung that! 
 may win Chrift, and that I may be found in bim% 
 he cared not what hecaft over board,that he might 
 win to that land, even to Chrift and his righte- • 
 oufnefs : Like fea- men in great hazard, who* 
 call; all over board, to win the fhore ; it's even 
 {o with the believer, he fees that there is fuch « 
 hazard to go wrong, and that it's Co difficult to > 
 be right, even to make the heart iubmrt to the • 
 way of faith, and to abide by it fingly, that he « 
 is content to furfer the lots of all things, if he • 
 *iay be ri^bt there: £ut . on the contrary, a. 
 
2i4 Ifaiab $3. 
 
 man that .refts on his own righteoulhsfs, be a 
 difficulty what will to him, faith is no difficulty 
 to him ; he may have fear to come fhort of hea- 
 ren fomttimes, but he thinks that he is always 
 exercifing his faith. In a word, the ^believer 
 ordinarily believes bed, when he hath the deep- 
 eft, and mod kindly impreffion of his fin : As 
 for the legal man, he can believe well, as he 
 thinks, when he hath no challenge for fin ; but 
 when he is challenged for fin, his faith fails 
 
 Verfe 10. Serin. 39. 
 
 him. Now, from all that hath been faid, ye 
 may fee the neceflity of making ufe of this facri- 
 fice; and how warily, and cautiouOy it fhould 
 be done, that ye may fteer a ftralght courfe be- 
 tween grofs prophanity and prefumption, ei- 
 ther of which wi,ll ruine and deftroy the foul : 
 The Lord Jefus himfelfbe your Steerfman, and 
 Pilot, that ye by his skilful conduct may ftemme 
 the port, and hold off thefe rocks, on which thou- 
 fands of fouls fplit, and make fhipwreck. 
 
 S E R M O N XXXIX. 
 
 Ifaiahliii. 10. When thou jlyiU make his foul an offering for fin, he fi all fee his feed, he JbaS 
 
 prolong bis days, and the pleafure of the Lord Jball profpet in bis hand,. 
 
 Sin was eafily brought into the world ; a little 
 bufinefs brought in fin, and the curfe and 
 ■wrath of God with it ; and, without any great 
 difficulty, men can continue in Tin, and ly under 
 God's wrath and curfe : But the taking -away of 
 fin, and the fatisfying of the juftice of God for 
 it, is no ealy matter, that (if we may fo fpeak) 
 did put heaven and earth both to it; there was 
 fuch a contrivance of this way, and fu'cha mean 
 chofen, and made ufe of, that fin might be re- 
 moved, and the curie taken away, as the like was* 
 never heard of. 
 
 The intimationand manifestation of this way, 
 is in the firit part of this verfe, Tet it pleafcd the 
 Zcrd to bruife him 5 in God's council, and by his 
 pleafure,. it was contrived, and the way found 
 out : And the mean is fet down in thefe words, 
 When thou f) alt make his foul an offering for fin ; 
 the Mediator, even he who was the fpotlefs 
 Lamb ot God, in whofe mouth was found no 
 guile, was bruifed, and put to. fad fuffering, to 
 get this effe&uate ; that the curfe might be re- 
 moved from finners, he was made the fin-offe- 
 ring. 
 
 We ihew, that Jefus Chrift is the only fin-offe- 
 ring, by which finis taken away, and that it is 
 implied here ; fo that it is denied to all other 
 things, or means, to have any efficacy, vertue 
 or merit in them, as to the removing of fin, and 
 the curfe brought on by it.* This is, I fay, fo pe- 
 culiarly applied to Ch rift's offering, that it is de- 
 nied to every thing elfe ; which fhews, 1. How 
 much finners are obliged to Chrift, who, when 
 no other thing could do it, interpofed himfelf. 
 2. The neceflity of making ufe of this one offe- 
 ring, without which never foul can be perfected 
 or fayed • He is the alone foundation of finners 
 
 peace, and of all the confolation that they can » 
 have in the promifes of God. 
 
 Now, to proceed, and to hint at fome few 
 things more from the words, wherein the end, 
 and nature of Chrift's fuflferings are fet forth : 
 He in his fufferings, and offering up of himfelf, 
 did ftep into the room of the finful ele&, that 
 by juftice exa&ing of him the debt that was due 
 by them, they might efcape, and be fet free ; 
 hence obferve, *ft 'That when there was no other 
 c thing, nor mean, that could fufficiently fatisfy 
 c divine juflice, or be a fa rrifice for fin ; our 
 * Lord ftepped to,and undertook, and became the 
 c facrifice to take away fin ;' according to that of- 
 ten cited Pfal 40. 7, 8. Sacrifice and offering thou 
 didft not defire, in burnt-offering thou hadft no ' 
 pleafure'. He is not i peaking of what God re- 
 quired in the law, as typical ; for he required fa- 
 crifice* and offering in thatrefpeft, but not to be 
 a propitiation for the fins ofthe ele& world, be- 
 caufe they could not do it : And then follows, Lo 9 
 I come, or I am here ; mine ear haft thou bored ; 
 it is, Heb. 10. A body haft thou given unto me\ 
 which fets out his being put in a capacity to be 
 a facrifice; / delight to do thy will, my God. 
 Here there are thefe four things implied. 1. A 
 liablenefs in the eleft to the juftice of God for 
 fin ; and as to all other means and ways of relief, 
 but by this one facrifice, a defperatenefsand im- 
 pcflibility: And confidering the fentence, which 
 God had pronounced, The day thou eats tboufhalt 
 furely die\ and, Cur fed is every one that conti- 
 nues not in all things written in the law, to d$ 
 them ; no facrifice can be accepted but this only: 
 Thousands of rams, and ten thbufands of rivers 
 of oil, have no accefs ; he did not in that refpe& 
 require thefe, neither would he capitulate on 
 
 thefe 
 
Serm. 3* Jjatav 53. 
 
 thefe terms. 2. That, when no other facrifice 
 could do the turn, Chrift Jefus came in," and 
 was content tointerpote, and to be the facrifice 
 for fin; Lo, faith he, I some, I am here re,ady to 
 fatisfy for my elect, people; For thisls an old 
 defign, and he had undertaken from eternity to 
 carry it on. 3* There is implied here a great 
 willingnefs, a delightfom and heartfom conde- 
 scending in the Mediator, to be the facrifice ; he 
 fteps in atfe&ionately in the room of the ele&, 
 as the facrifice for them, to receive the ftr-oke 
 of juftice, that they may efcape and go free; / de- 
 light to do thy will, O my God ; This is God's 
 will, as to the work of redemption, as it is, John 
 6. 38. 1 came down from heaven, not to do mine 
 own to ill, but the will of him that fent me ; and 
 John 17. 4. I have finifbed the work thou gave ft 
 me to do . That will and this work is all one. And, 
 Heb. 10. it's (aid, By which (or by this) will we 
 *re fanttified. 4. The Father's admitting and ac- 
 cepting of him to interpofe in the room of them, 
 ior whom he offered himfelf, is implied here ; 
 forotherwife his offering up of himfelf, could not 
 have been a lacrifice fatisfact.6ry to juflice, if the 
 Lord Jehovah had not been content fo far to re- 
 lax his threatn : ng and curfe in reference to the 
 party offending, as to admit of a Cautioner in 
 the room of the dyvour finners, to fatisfy for 
 them, of which iatisfa&ion he accepted : All thefe 
 things, put together, make Chrifl's interpofing 
 himlelf as a bacrifice and Surety compleat. I 
 delight to do thy will, fuppofes not only God's 
 pleafure, that he mould interpofe, but his accep- 
 ting of his interpofing ; and this is (to fpeak fo) 
 the flooring, and ioundation of the work of re- 
 demption: The fentence Hands over the elecVs 
 head, Curfed are the guilty ; Chrift cemes in and 
 interpotes cheerfully to take on the debt, and 
 fa) s, Here I am, let the curfe fall on me, and 
 let fatisfacYton be taken from me ; and this being 
 offered according to God's will, it is accepted, 
 and Chrift's fatisfaclion becomes an offering in 
 their room. 
 
 Ufe- bee here a defperate condition, wherein 
 by nature we are all lying ; it fets us well, in 
 fpcaking of grace, to take a view of what we 
 Were : And it fhews how much finners are in 
 ChriiPs debt and common, thatinterpo'ed for us 
 in this condition. Could we fuitably make in- 
 quiry what cafe we were in, under the hand of 
 juftice, and its ftroke ready to light onus; and 
 could we behold cur Lord Jefus Chrift interpo- 
 fing for us, and the fv ord of juftice awaking 
 againft him, and fmiting him for us ; and the 
 Lord Jehovah accepting of his interpofing, and 
 Jnaking his foul an offering for finj and him 
 
 vcrie 10. 21") 
 
 willingly, and delightfomly offering up bimfelf 
 in our room ; we would fee our obligation to 
 God, who was pleafed to contrive, admit, and 
 accept of this way, and mean "of our redemption : 
 And could we confider, what advantages we 
 have by this redemption, and what it coft Cnrift 
 to obtain it, we would fee our felves much, un- 
 fpeakably much,in his debt. The day is coming, 
 when it will be thought a favour, and when the 
 fweet effects of it fhall be made fully forthco- 
 ming to them that now cordially clofe with it, 
 and When the fruit of defpifing it mail be found 
 to be bitter like gall and wormwood. 
 
 idly, From its being faid, When thou Jhalt 
 make, or when his foul mall make it felf, or he 
 himfelf fhall make himfelf an offcringforfin ; Ob- 
 ferve, 'That as Chrift undertook, and by under- 
 ' taking inter poled to come in finners room, to fa- 
 
 * tisfy ior their fins ; fo his death and fufferings 
 'are really the performing of that undertakings 
 
 ■< and his death and fufferings are (o to be look- 
 
 * ed on, andconfidered by us an offering for fin.' 
 Or thus, 'Chrift's death is the fin offering that 
 < fatisfied the juftice of God, in the room of e- 
 ' le<ft finners.' This is the Jum or compend of all 
 that is fpoken of his fufferings. [f then it be as- 
 ked, what meaned they all P Here it is, he was 
 made a fin-offering. We fhall clear it a little in 
 thefe three or four parts, or branches, 1. Chrift 
 is properly a fin-offering, or a facrifice for fin ; 
 he is properly the propitiatory farrifice for fin, 
 that fatisfics the juftice of God for the fins of the 
 eleft. 2. This facrifice was efpecially offered by 
 him, in his death and fufferings; it's his fuffe- 
 ring and humiliation that is ' moll properly this 
 facrifice, for it's that which is related here. 3. 
 That by Chrift's offering up of himfelf, he was 
 not only outwardly pinched, but his foul was 
 deeply affected, and troubled : !n farisfying the 
 fin- revenging juftice of God, both his fout and 
 body Were itraitned, and ftreffed. 4. By his 
 fuffering, there is a fuffHent fatisfa&ion given 
 to juftice for the fins o his people, a propitia- 
 tion, or propitiatory facrifice, trot makes' God 
 propitious to eleft finnersj As in latis'ying the 
 juftice of God for fin, all other things are denied 
 to have a hand; fo there is a fulEcient efficacy, 
 and worth in his facrifice to do the turn, and by 
 God it is accepted as fuch ; and fo there is a'fair 
 way made to them, for whom he offers this fa- 
 crifice, to efcape fin, and the wrath and curfe of 
 God, and to be fet free. 
 
 As for thejzr/? of thefe, towit, That our Lord 
 Jefus, in his dying and fuffering, was properly 
 the propitiatory facrifice, or is properlv a pro- 
 
2f<5 Ifaiah $¥ 
 
 .pitiatory Sacrifice for the taking away of fir)-: To 
 clear it a little we would coniider, JEirfi, That 
 lacrifices are fundry ways taken in fcripture. 
 (i!) Sometimes they are taken improperly for du- 
 ties; as alms, prayers, praifes, Oc. 1'faU 51. The 
 facrifice of a bnken heart tb.u will not defpife : 
 So alio, Heb. *3« i«5, 16. (2.) They are taken 
 iriore properly tor iuch lacrifices as were onfered 
 under the law ; as or bullocks, lambs, rams and 
 £oats ; yet none of thefc was the true propitiato- 
 ry facriftce, as is clear, Heb. 10- 4. It was impof- 
 fible tbat tbe blood of bulls and goats could take 
 jaxoayfin: But Chrift's facrifice is properly the 
 propitiatory facrifice, it being by this facrifice 
 that believers under the old teitament became 
 partakers of redemption, and obtained rctniffion 
 of fins, as well as believers do now under the new. 
 If it be then asked, W hat is necefiary to a facrifice 
 properly fotak.n ? \ anfw -r, Tbefe four things 
 (all which we find to be in Chrift's facrihcey 1. 
 That there be lojne thing, or matter, let apart 
 to be offered to God in the room of fome other 
 thing, as it was in the typical lacririces. 2. That 
 there be lome appointed to ofKr the facrifice, 
 that there be lome let apart for that very thing. 
 3. That there be a killing or deftroying of the 
 thing that is offered in a iacririce ; which efpeci- 
 ally in the fin offering was necefiary, to wit, 
 that it ihould be killed, or dettro)ed ; as we fee 
 in Exod. 29. and Leviticus frequently : This had 
 .a fignification, and the Loru would then by 
 point out man's great guilt, and the necefllty of 
 a Mediator, in order to the obtaining of pardon; 
 for there cou'd be no remilfion or pardon of fin 
 without blood, as it is Heb. 9. 22. therefore the 
 iinner behoved either Jo die himfelf jor to have ano- 
 ther to die for him and in his room. 4..I he facri- 
 fice behoved to be offered according to the man- 
 ner prefcribed b) God, as to all rites and ceremo- 
 nies injoined. Now we may fee- all thele inChriil's 
 jfacrifice ; for, ]fi. He himfelf is the Sacrifice, Hc£. 
 7. 26. Heb. 9. 26. Bib. 10. 10. and frequently 
 elfewhere in that epiftle ; and .1 Pet. 2. 24. Who 
 his own felf bare cur fins in bis own body on the 
 tree 1 And when he had offered up himlclf as a 
 facrince, he fat dewn on the right hand of tbe 
 Ma] fly oh high ; he is the alone facrince, that 
 Comes properly in the room of elecl finntrs. 2. 
 As there behoved t6 be one to offer the facrifice, 
 fo Chrift Jefus is the Prieft, that offered up the 
 facrifice of himfelf : He is not only the Sacrifice, 
 but the Prieft: And in this he differed from other 
 priefts, Heb. 7. 26. Such an high Prieft became 
 us, who is holy , bar mlefs, fepar ate from finhers t 
 aqd madj: higher th*$ tbs havens - } ap^ tbea 
 
 Verfe ro. Serm. 39. 
 
 follows, Who needs not daily ,as tbefe high prieft^ 
 to offer up facrifice s, fit jt for their own fins, and 
 tbenfer tbe fins if tbe people \for this he did once, 
 when *im offered up himfelf. There are three 
 things ordinarily attributed to Chrift, as to his 
 facrifice, to wit, That he was the Sacrifice, the 
 jlltas, and the Prieft-, 1. He was the Sacrifice, m 
 retpeftof his humane nature: Which we ane not 
 fo to look upon,abilra<fting and dividing it from 
 his divine nature ; for tho' he fuffercd in the 
 fleih ; yet it was the fame Perfon, that was God, 
 that lurfercd. He was the Altar, by which his fa- 
 crifice received a fpecial efficacy, vertue, value, 
 and commendation •, as it's ft id, Tbe altar fan- 
 Qifies the offering : So Chrift Jefus according 
 to his GoQhead was the altar, which did put 
 an fpecial excellency on his fufferings, and made 
 them to be of fuch worth and value ; therefore, 
 Heb. 9. 14. itisfaid, That be through the eter- 
 nal Spirit offered up bimjelf without jpet unts 
 G :d ; it was the furfering of the Perfon that was 
 God, that made the facrifice to be accepted. 3. 
 He was the Prieft, and that according to both 
 his natures, each nature concurring, and that 
 jointly, as in one Perfon, to the making of the 
 iacritiee offered up to God acceptable, idly, 
 We have in him a real deftruclion ; but do not 
 miftake the word : h is not fo to beunderftood, 
 as if he Were annihilated, or had been utterly 
 deft'royed, and undone ; but the meaning is 
 this, that he was killed or put to death, and his 
 Soulfeparate from his Body : in which refpect, 
 he ceased to be, what he was before, for a time ; 
 having been really flain, dead and bur ed. And, 
 /\.toly. All this was according to Cod's pref*ripti- 
 onand appointment in the covenant of redemp- 
 tion ; Ibis commandment ( a'th he, fobn 10. P.) 
 have I received if my Fatb r to wit, f fjat I 
 Jhculd lay d^wn my Life for my fiyeep ; and moft 
 emphati a ly, he favs. ^cbn 1 4. 1 • As my la- 
 ther gave me emmandment^ even f i'rrnrk, 
 even fo, moil exactly in conrorm tv to the com- 
 mandment) do 1 : It was all, to everv circum- 
 flance, ordered according to the good p'eafure of 
 God, who was plealcd thus to bruife him, and 
 to put him to grief. 
 
 The 1// Ufe of it ferves to teach us how to 
 conceive and conlider of Chrift's death and fuffe- 
 rings ri.'hty, to wit, even as a facrifice defign- 
 ed by God, to come in the room of elect, din- 
 ners : And how to look upon his death; not as 
 the ordinary death of ordinary or meer men, 
 who by neceflity of nature die ; but to look on 
 it, as being appointed of God to be a facrifice, 
 properly io taken, for the fins of hi* people. 
 
 2. This 
 
...Serm. 39* Jfaikh ft. 
 
 2. This ferves to clear fome truths, concer- 
 ning our Lord Jefus his facrifice : For we muft 
 
 • coniider it, as fatisfying to juftice, and meritori- 
 oufly procuring the efcaping from wrath, and fal- 
 vation of them for whom he interpoied. It is 
 horn the groCs ignorance, or from the wicked 
 denial of this ground, that the damnable deni- 
 crs of Chrift's latisfadtion, do alfo deny the pro- 
 priety of his facrifice on earth, and bound it to 
 heaven ; whereas it is bounded to his death ; 
 
 . tho' by vertue of this one offering, he conti- 
 nues to interceed for us in heaven. 
 
 3. It teaches finners what is the native Ufe 
 which they fhould make of this facrifice: They 
 
 . Ihould look upon it, as the only facrifice to pre- 
 vent eternal death and the curfe of God; and 
 
 , £0 it demonftrates to us, that .either Jefus Chrift 
 
 1 muft be received by faith, and his facrifice reft- 
 ed on, or we muft refolve to meet with wrath, 
 
 . and the curfe of God our felves in our own per- 
 fons. 
 
 4. It ferves -to clear us anent the way and 
 trad of grace ; to wit, how it came to pafs, 
 that our Lord, who was innocent, artd without 
 fin, was fo bruifed, and put to grief; He came 
 to be a propitiation for the fins of his people, 
 and fifted him "elf in our room, as our Cautio- 
 ner, as a fin-offering for us. It would doubt- 
 lefs qu.ifh many queftions, and doubts, that a- 
 rife in the hearts of believers, if it were well 
 underftood : They may fay, We fhould have been 
 in fuch and fuch a fad condition, this »nd that 
 terrible thing would have come on us, if he had 
 not interpoied ; never enough can thefe words 
 be fpoken .and thought of, that we have, 2 Cor. 
 5. ult. He was made fin for us, voho knew no fin, 
 that we might.be .made the righteoufnefs of God 
 
 * in oim. 
 
 5. It ferves for notable confolation to belie- 
 vers, who have betaken thcmfelves to Chrift, 
 and have many challenges for fin to buckle with, 
 that his death was to £>e properly a facrifice for 
 fin, and was fo accepted of God in their room : 
 So that ye fee the right up-taking of Chrift's 
 death, is a matter of no little moment; Chrifl 
 crucified being the very fubftance of the gofpel, 
 it helps much to keep alive the impreffion .of 
 our finfulnels, and of the goodnefs of God and 
 
 . gives us direction how to efcape wrath, by. 
 putting him in our room. There is nothing 
 Wherein folks more readily mifcarry, in. making 
 of there peace with God, than in not making 
 the right ufe of Chrift, and of his facrifice 
 and death : Some praying for pardon of fin 
 from him, and 1 not for him or for his fake, when 
 they know not what they are faying, as wc 
 
 Verfe 10. »if 
 
 hinted at before ! Some praying for ftrength 
 from him for duty, that they may do for them- 
 felves ; not confidering that we are juftified by 
 his interpofing in our room, and by faith's do- 
 ling with him, under that confideration,- as fitt- 
 ing himfelfat the bar of juftice ; and the Lord 
 accepting of him in the room of elect finners : 
 This being well confidered, gives to faith much 
 clearnefs how to take him up, when the foul 
 honeftly aims to partake of the benefit of hisfuf- 
 ferings. 
 
 Secondly, For clearing this a little further, we 
 would know, .that there are (as divines cb(erve) 
 four or five ways, how the death of Chrift is to 
 be confidered ; or how Chrift, in procuring by 
 his death redemption, peace, and pardon to fin- 
 ners is holden forth in lcripture. 1. He pur- 
 chafes redemption, and pardon of fin weritori- 
 cu flj> °r he merits it by- his death; this refpects 
 the value of Chrift's fufferings and fatisfaction : 
 So that, if we confider Chrift in himfelf, and the 
 elect in themfelves; his death and thefe fuffe- 
 rings are more, than it' all the elect had (uffefed 
 eternally in hell. 2. Kis death is confidered at 
 fattsjatlicn; and this looks to % the wrong that 
 men by fin have done to God : That the finite 
 and fecklels creature durft be fo malapert as to 
 break God's command, it required a fatisfaction 
 equivalent to the wrong done ; tho' the word fa- 
 tisfattion be not in fcripture, yet the" thing is ; 
 Chrift Jefus, for the reftoring of God to his ho- 
 nour, that was, as to the manifeftation of it, 
 wronged by man's fin, comes in to perform the 
 will of God, and to fatisfy for the w:rong done 
 him by man, that it may be made known that 
 God is holy and juft, who will needs avenge fin 
 on his own Son, the holy and innocent Cautio- 
 ner, when he interpoies in the room of >the {in- 
 ner : V* hich vindicates the fpotlefs juftice and fo- 
 vereignty of God as much as, i{ not not more 
 than if he bad exacted the latisfa&ion off the fin- 
 ners themfelves ; as it is, Rom. 3. 16. To declare 
 his righteoufnefs, thai he might be juft, and the 
 juflifier pf'hlm.thdi believeth in Jefus. 3 . Chrift's 
 death is confidered as a redemption of manjrom 
 fin, the law, and the curfe, becaufe liable to a. 
 debt whteh he cannot of himfelf pay ; and his 
 death was in this refpect a paying of the debt 
 that man was owing, and loofing of the captive 
 and imprifoned finner : Even as when a piece 
 of land is mortgaged, and a perfon comes in, and 
 pays that for which it was mortgaged ; So Jefus 
 Chrift comes in, and fas it were) asks, What are 
 thefe men owing ? and what is due to them ? 
 It's anfwered, They are finners; death, and tiie 
 F f * curfe 
 
2i6- Ifarah $%, 
 
 curfe are clue to them: Well, faith he, I will 
 take their debt on my felf, I will pay their ran- 
 fom, by undergoing all that was due to them ; 
 He hat j redeemed us from the curfe of the law, 
 (laid) the apoftle, GaU 3 13.) being made a curfe 
 for us that the blefjmg if Abraham might erne in 
 us Gentiles* And fo Chrift's d^ath, in tins re- 
 fpeft, is to be looked on. as a 'a\ing down of the 
 fame price that juilice wou L d have exa&ed of 
 m-n: His death is ihepa)ing r.f our ranlum. and 
 fatisf)ing of the account that was over our head. 
 4. His dr-ath is cbnfiderc d, as it furthered the 
 Work oh the redemption of eU0k finners, by a 
 p werf.il anulling o the obligation that was a 
 gainft us. ar;d hv a powerful vercoming of all ene-. 
 Demies that kept us captive: He ^rapled ard 
 yoked with the devil, and that whert-in he (eem- 
 cd to be ftrongetl. and overcame him •, he tore 
 the ob'igation that ltood over finners heads, as 
 it is, Col. 3. 14, 15. Blotting out the hand-writ- 
 ing of ordinances that was a gain ft us. and that 
 was contrary to us, he took it out of the way, 
 nailing it to hiscrofs; and having fpoil d prin- 
 cipalities and powers, he made a Akw of them 
 openly, triumphing over them in it: In this re- 
 fpe&, tho' his death be one or the loweft iteps 
 of his humiliation ; yet confidering him as, in 
 it, prevailing over the devil, and other enemies, 
 he is to be looked on as powerfuly working, and 
 cfhcaciouflv perfedting our falvation : In the for- 
 mer refpeift, he pays God the debt that was 
 due b> finners ; in the latter refpect, confide- 
 ring the devil, and ipiritual enemi-s, asfoma- 
 ri) jay lots, keeping finners prifoners ; he, by his 
 death, wrings, as it were, the keys out of his 
 hands and lets tne prifonr rs fr< e. s.ChriiVs death 
 is onfidered (as it is in the text) as an offering 
 an.' facrifice for fin: In this refpt&, it looks to - 
 God as difplealed with man; and our Lord [e- 
 fus intr pules to pacify him, and to m ke him 
 Well pleated, and that by the meansof his death, 
 Gwd's pea e, favour and friendfhip may be re- 
 covered to poor iinfuj-men. All thele confide 
 rations of the death of Chrift, are but one and 
 the lane upon the matter ; yet, thus diverfin- 
 ed, they ferve to fhew, how unexpreflibly mu h 
 fmn- rs are obliged to Chrift; what great ad- 
 Vantages they hav by him ; and what a defpe- 
 rate *ondit : on they are in, who are without 
 him, having nothing to fatisfy juftice, nor to 
 pay their debt with. 
 
 idly, \A'e fad, that this facrifice was efpeci- 
 ally offered by him in his death : therefore he 
 is faid to off r this facrifice on the crofs: He 
 Ijmfelf as Peter huh it,i. ?, 24.- I are our fins 
 in Mis, tody on the tree* Heb. 9. at the cloie, 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 39V 
 
 and Heb. to. 14. it's fa'd, That he once ,ffere& 
 up oimfelf to bear the fins of many, and by bis 
 once fterinz be hath perfected for ever thefe who 
 ar fantlifi-d. bo that his offering is to be ap- 
 plied to that which he futfered on earth, before 
 heaictnded"; and it is in this refpeft, thai he is 
 a propitiatory tacrine ; tho', as 1 laid, the ver- 
 tue thereof is ft ill communicated by him, now 
 when lie is in heaven. 
 
 (Jfe ! his fervesto remove two errors, about 
 Cm-ill's iacriiice. I he \fi is that which bounds 
 and limits Ch rift's offering and priefthood' to 
 his going to heaven, thereby to enervate the effi- 
 cacy or his fuffdrings and de-»th ; quite con- 
 trary to this fcripture, wherein the prophet, ex- 
 plicating his lurfcrings on earth, callcth them 
 an offering for fitu The 2d is that -biafpnamous 
 conceit and fancy of the Papifts, who account 
 their abominable Alajs a propitiatory Hcrifice, 
 for taking away the iinsof.the quick and of the 
 dead ; which, as it is moft horrid blafphemy, 
 fo it is molVexpreilv againtl this- text; for, if 
 ChritVs facrifi:e, for the taking away of fin, be 
 peculiarly applied to his humiliation and death, 
 which brought with it fuch a change, as made 
 him not to be for a time, what he was before ; 
 then certainly there can be nothing of that now, 
 which can bear that name •, there betnj no other 
 thin;, to which the properties of a real facrtfke 
 can agree, but this only. 3. I (aid, that ChritVs 
 offering up of himlelf a facrifice, was in his foul 
 as welt as in his body ; and that he was therein 
 obnoxious to the wrath of God: That is, as he 
 flood Cautioner for the ele&, and had the cup of 
 of wrath put in his hand, he fuffered not only in 
 his body, but alfo and mainly in his foul, which 
 the ferns could not reach; and he is herehofden 
 out as a fin-offering in his foul : Yea, conlide- 
 ring that-it was the wrath of God, and his curfe 
 due to the ele&, that he had to deal with, his 
 foul was more capable to be afFe&ed with it tnan 
 his body ; hence he fays, when no hand of man 
 touched him, John 12. 27.NW is my fcul trow 
 bled y and voh at, Jh all I fay 1 and Mattb.26. 38. 
 and Luke 22. 24.. N tv is my f'ul exceeding fr- 
 roxvful, even unto death \ and being in ag.ny, be 
 prayed, &c. That whi;h looked like ftrong ar- 
 mies mu iter ed, and drawn up againtl him. was 
 not the foldiers that came to take him, nor the 
 bodily death which was quickly to follow, but 
 it was the Father's coming with his awakned 
 fword, to exa&of him the debt due by the ele6r, 
 and to be avenged on him for their wrongs, and 
 his being to ftep in into their room; and to be 
 imitten with that awaked and "furbi&ed fwoid, 
 
 and 
 
Serm. 40. J fa* h *>%• 
 
 and to offer himfelf the facrifice, as be bad long 
 before engaged : Hers, O here, was the heat and 
 ftrengtb of the battle ! 
 
 Uje, Thisfhews, i.What a dear price Thrift 
 paid for finners. 2. The feverity of the juftice 
 or God, in exacting the elects debt off the Cau- 
 tioner. 3. How much we are obliged to the 
 Cautioner, whofo willingly undertook the debt, 
 and was fo ready to pay it, though it cod him 
 not only external and bodily fufferings,but fcul- 
 iurfering, and put him to encounter with God's 
 curfe and wrath. We are perfwaded, cou'd we 
 conceive, and fpeak aright of thefe fuffcrings, 
 tiiat there is a great myftery here : And really 
 it is a wonder that we are not more aff.cf-d 
 with it, even to coniider, ithat fucli miferable 
 creatures Ihould be purfued by juftice, that can 
 do nothing to avert the ftroke of it ; and that 
 fuch a great and glorious Perfon, as the Son of 
 Cod, Ihould interpofe himfelf ; and that the Fa- 
 ther fhould fpare the poor finful enemies, and 
 make way for them to efcape, by the diverting 
 or his juftice from purfuing them, and by ma- 
 king it take hold of the Son of his bofom, exact- 
 ing the debt leverely from him. O what a won- 
 der is this ! that the Lord ihould pafs by the 
 jenemy, and fatisfy himfelf of his own Son! yea, 
 that God ihould take on himfelf the place of a 
 >Jd-man, and fatisfy himfelf ! That God mould 
 be in Chrift reconciling the world to himfelf! 
 This, this is the wonder : Herein infinite wif- 
 dom, pure and fpotlefs juftice, holinefs and 
 faithfuln^fs, grace and mercy, to the admirati- 
 on of men and angels, appear and fhine forth 
 
 Verfe 10. 
 
 22? 
 
 moft radiantlv. Tt can hardly be known, in 
 which of thefe the glory of God fhines moft, in 
 this great and glorious woik or redemption: 
 Bur oftbem all, we ma) lay to you elect, and 
 believing finners, V\ hat euld our Lord Jef'us 
 do more for your fa!vation ? I lay, what could 
 he co more than to offer up him elf a propi* 
 tiatory facriiiceior your lins f n the golpel, he 
 callt th upon you to makt ule ot it, that, b} ver- 
 tue ot las facrince, }our peace may le made 
 with God ; as it is, 1 fVBn 'i* i, 2. JJ any mart 
 fin tve have an Advttate •with the Father^ , 
 Jcfus Cbnji the rightecus ; and ihen follows, 
 he is the propitiation for cur fins : This may 
 give abundant .;rourrd to finners to go upon, in 
 their application to God for pardon and peace ; 
 even th.s. that he hath made himt'fa iacri- 
 iiCc, for letting, of them free, for whom he offe- 
 red h mie'lf a Ta-*rifice. O finners, admire him, 
 employ, ana make ule of his mo) en and court 
 in heaven ; improve, and welcome thefe glad 
 tidings; and Ut it never be faid^ nor heard of, 
 t; at he was offered up a facrifice, and that ye 
 would not admit of the benefit of it ; that ye 
 would not accept of him to be a Daysman 
 and Tryller betwixt God and you, to remove 
 all giounds of quarrel. O! for Chrift's fake* 
 and as ye love your fouis, llepto, and feek grace 
 to make the right ufe of his facrifice, in ofdec 
 to the obtaining of the pardon of your fin, and 
 the making of your peace with God : Let him- 
 felf powerfully pervade you to, and prevail 
 with you, in this incomparably greateft of all 
 concerns. 
 
 ^^^^^^s^^^sksssk^skssss ssMsmmMis 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 10.' 
 
 SERMON XL. 
 
 — When tbrujkalt n?ake his fcul an offering for fin be fall fee his fee d 3 he foaU ■ 
 
 prolong his days, and tue p<eafure of the Lord Jkall prifper m his hand, 
 
 *\ \ '/"Here there is any light and knowledge of 
 VV a Godhead amongft men, there is this 
 impreflion on them th3t it is a dreadful thing to 
 have a controve, fy l)ing ever betwixt God and 
 them unremoved: And upon this ground it is, 
 that as naturally the conference doth challenge 
 for the provoking of God, fo men, according 
 to the light they have, are fet on to feek after 
 this and that, and the other mean and way, to 
 get Godappeafed, a-d the confeience quieted; 
 and it's like that this hath delcendecl to men from 
 Noah, that the mo/1- part of them have thought 
 ©nthe mean of fecrifices, by them to make their 
 
 peace with God : So the Lord taught the family 
 of Adam, after the fall ; and Nab renewed it, 
 after his comin ; cut of the ark : ard it is pro- 
 bable (as I laidj fomev hat of this- hath abiden 
 with, and ftuck to men, even when they dege-' 
 nerated and apoftatized hem Cod, an offered 
 facrifice to devils, tho' not intentionally but 
 unto God in their account- And indeed it is no 
 marvel that flefli* and b'ood be here at a ftand, 
 and made to fay, Wherewithal Jhall roe cctfre be- 
 fore God? Eut we haye this advantage by the 
 gofpel, that, in it, the Lord hath lhewed to us, 
 what itisthatiatisfieth juftice,and takes away £n, 
 Jb t 2 and 
 
2iS Ifaiah^. 
 
 and the curfe ; and that it is even this in the text, 
 Thou Jhalt make his foul an offering for fin: 
 There is no other thing that a unner can bring 
 with him, that can be accepted, or that can 
 make him to be accepted of God. 
 
 We have hinted at Tome things from the 
 words already, and fhew, that ChrilVs facri- 
 fice is called an offering for fin, as excluding all 
 others, and as expreifing the nature and ends 
 of it; We fhall now f peak to one thing more, 
 which is the 4th, implied in this expreluoiv; 
 and it is this, 'That tho' atonement and fatis- 
 c facVion to God can be made by no other facri- 
 c or offering ; yet there is an atonement and fa- 
 ■ tista&ion, that may be made by Chrift's offer- 
 c ing.' Hence he is called an offering for fin \ 
 rot only becaufe it excludes all others, but alfo 
 becaufe he is accepted for that very end, as. im- 
 propriation for. the fins of them, for whom he 
 furfered, and offered himlelf in a facrifice. As 
 this .is denied to all father things (as we jufl 
 now Taidj lb it is applied and appropriated to 
 him, and his offering; us,' Heb. to. ver. 10. By 
 the which will we are fondtified, through the 
 offering of the body of Jefus Chrift,. once for 
 all. v. 12. This. Man, ajter he had offered one 
 facrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right- 
 hand of God. And, v* 14. For by one offer- ■ 
 ing he hath perfected for ever them that are- 
 fantjified.. This is the great thing that the a- 
 pbftle aims at in that dilpute, not only to cad 
 the- Leviticai offerings, as to the removing of 
 fin and the curfe, and making of finners peace 
 ivith God ; but to command this one offering, 
 as able to fave to the uttermofl all that come 
 unfa God through it : And, according to this, 
 we have that great queftion anfwered to poor 
 finners, Wherewithal Jhall we come before the 
 JLord, and bow our felves before the tnoft high 
 God) He hath foewed thee, man, what is 
 meet, and what the Lord requireth of thee, 
 That there is nothing but this one facrifice of 
 Ghrift, that will do the turn ; and this will 
 doit mod infallibly, and mod fully, as to the 
 procuring of pardon of fin, and the making of 
 their peace with God ; So that, by the right 
 making • ule of this iacrifice, a finner may 
 mod really expect remiflion of fins, and peace 
 with God, and his friendfhip, as if fin had ne- 
 ver been ; for otherwife Chrift could not be cal- 
 led the fin- offer ing, or an offering, for fin, if he 
 were not accepted in room of the finner that 
 comes to him. 
 
 To clear it a little, there axe four things, in 
 and. about this facrifice, to make out this, and 
 
 Verfc 10. Serm. 40; 
 
 to prove that a finner, that makes us of this 
 facrifice, may expedt the pardon of fin, and peace 
 with God. The \fi is the excellency of his of- 
 fering ; he offered himfelf, as it is, Heb. 7. 27. 
 and Heb. 10. 10, 12, 14. The offering up of 
 himfelf and of his bleffed body en the tree, was 
 another fort of facrifice than' all thele bulls, 
 rams, and goats, offered under the law, that 
 were but types of him. The 2d is the excellen- 
 cy of the Perl'on that offered up this offering, 
 which is in effea the excellency of the Prieit. 
 As the facrifice was excellent beyond all other 
 facrifices, fo alfo is the Prieft above all other 
 priefts, Heb. 7. 26. Such an high Priefl became 
 us, who is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate 
 from finners ; a Prieit, who is the Son, and is 
 let over the houfe, as the Heir : And tho' the 
 humane nature was the facrifice, yet (as was laid 
 beforej not as abftra&ed from the divine nature, 
 the Perfon being but one, and-lo the Prieil of- 
 fering commends the facrifice offered, and 
 makes that it cannot but be accepted. The ^d 
 is, .his willing condefcending to be the fin-offer- 
 ing, to interpofe himfelf, .'and to become this 
 facrifice, out cf refpe&to the honour of God,that 
 his juftice might be vindicated and fatisfied; and 
 that thereby accefs might be made, for fhewing 
 mercy to the heirs of falvation : Which exceed* 
 ingly commends this facrifice ; according to that 
 of John 10. 17. Therefore doth my father Uvs 
 me, becaufe I lay down my life, thai J might 
 take it again ; No man taketh my life from 
 me, but I lay it down of my felf and take it 
 again. It commends his facrifice, that he was 
 not conftrained to it, but did it moil willingly, 
 and with delight : It's true-, -if we-look tchim, 
 as the eternal Son of God, and the fecond Per- 
 fon of the bleffed Trinity, he could not but be 
 loved of the Father, as well before his incar- 
 nation, as after ; but that he fays, Therefore 
 doth my Father love me, it is to be underftood, 
 on account of his voluntary condefcending as 
 Mediator to do his Father's will ; and out of 
 refpeft to his honour engaging, and, according 
 to his engagement,- fatisrying his juftice for" 
 the ele& : And this cannot but commend his of- 
 fering, that fuch a glorious Perfon, who was 
 holy, harmlefs, and undefiled, fhouM, our of 
 tendernel's to the honour of God, and that the 
 wrong done to it by finners might be repaired, ' 
 and out of love to the ele&, fhouldconcLfcend 
 to ftoop fo low, as x to make himfelf a fin-otfer- • 
 ing : This regard for the honour of God, and 
 willing condel'cendency to fuffer for the re- 
 pairing of it, • is -abundantly valuable, and' 
 
 (tho; . 
 
Serm. 40. Ifaluh ^3. 
 
 (tho' it be a great word) above the difrefpea: • 
 that finn<trs evidenced to the honour of God, by 
 •their finning. The4f£isthe covenant, which ^ 
 is the ground of this offering, and that whereby 
 it is regulated, and the terms of it ; It was not 
 an undertaking, as a price of will-worfhip, but 
 according to the deliberate counlel, and fore- 
 knowledge of God ; wherein it was determined, 
 that the Son fhould become Cautioner, and be 
 made liable for the debt or the ele&, and be an 
 offering for their iins, by which freedom from 
 fin and wrath fhould accrefce to ele& iinners : 
 And all this being concluded in the covenant of 
 redemption, his offering could not but be ac- 
 cepted for us, the Lord having^condefcended 
 on the articles- of that covenant for this very 
 end. 
 
 J This Vottrine is of mighty great and notable.' 
 concernment to iinners ; and,wtre there any iuch 
 wakning and routing amongft us, that fouls were 
 put to lay, and cry y Wbat jball we do to be fa- 
 ved ? The opening up of this truth, to wit, 
 that Chrift: is a fin-offering tor tinners, and that \ 
 by his offering the atonement is made,, would -, 
 be much. more acceptable and rerreihful : - And 
 therefore' let this be the hrft Ufe, That tho' ; 
 there be nothing imaginable,that can be brought - 
 before God, which will be acceptable to him, as 
 a fatisfa&ion to his juftice ; yet here there is a 
 ranfom found, by the offering whereof to God, 
 afoul, that is lying under? challenges for fin, and 
 apprehentions of wrath, may eapeft abfolution ;,, 
 this is, in effect that Which Eliba lays, Job. 33.., 
 If there be an interpreter, one of a tboufand^to , 
 jhew unto man his righteoufnefs, then be is graci- - 
 ous unto him, and faith Deliver him from going , 
 down to the pit ,1 have found a Ranfom : Here is 
 the Ranfom, our Lord jefusChrift ftepping in in 
 finners room, and offering himfelf up a facrifice 
 to fatisfy the juftice of God ; fo that a linner, in 
 making ufe of that, may come to be in good 
 terms with God. And are not thefe glad tidings . 
 of great joy, that an offering is provided, a ran- 
 fom paid, and a way found ©ut, how finners, 
 liable to the curfe, may exped freedom r 5 It's 
 no fmall matter, that God hath given this fub- 
 je& to us to fpeak of, and to you to hear of ; that 
 the torturing anxiety of a foul, driven almoft to 
 defpair, may haVe this for an anfwer, even the 
 blood of \e{\is,that blood of fprinhiing Jhat purges 
 the confeience from dead works \ which as it fatfs- 
 ties juftice, fo it quiets the confeience of the tin- 
 n«r,that flees unto it,and makes right ufe of it. ft 
 Would become finners well, to think more of • 
 thefe glad tidings, and to ftudy to have them, 
 atoj'* if efk. XHeit are many parts of the' 
 
 Verfe 10. 2 J 9 
 
 world, wherein men are facrificing hearts, fornc^ 
 lambs, fome rams, fome other beafts, and fbme 
 (it may be) the AruVbom of their bodies for 
 the fin of their fouls \ (and. which is lamentable, 
 facrificing, thefe things to the devil, on the 
 matter at lead, and not to God; and yet all that 
 does not their turn \ and not having/heard of 
 this offering, they cannot make ufe of it, nei- 
 ther can their confeience ever be quiet." Bui:' 
 our Lord Jefus hath lent thefe bleired news to 
 us, and hath fhewed us what is the fin-offering, 
 the atonement, and propitiatory facrifice ; we 
 need not fend our children through the fire, 
 nor bring any other offering to God, to ap- 
 peafe his wrath •, he hath given to us his Son, 
 and hath accepted him for a fin otfering, and 
 hath told us, (that this {lull be as fufficient and 
 fatisfy ing, as if we had made the fatisfa&ion our 
 f elves : Here, O here, is die wonder,* even a 3 
 wonder of- wonders 1 
 
 Ufe 2. See here the Way how we come to life ' 
 by Chrift ■; it's imported in this do&rinc to be 
 by,Chrift's being made an offering for us : It's 
 not our 'praying to him as God, nor by our ho- k 
 ly Hving, nor by his working holinefs in us ; 
 (tho 5 thefe ought, .and will be in fome mea- ' 
 fure, where he is made ufe of aright) but by 
 his offering up himfelf a facrifice' for us, and ' 
 by GodVitnputing'it to us : And, contidering 
 that Chrift ~J efus is the offering va ourroom,and '.. 
 that thereby God is pacified, and tirf and wrath . 
 removed, there can no other way be conceived, 
 how we; are made partakers of it, but by impu- ' 
 tation, - This will be the more clear, if we con- ' 
 tider that the fame way that our fins became 
 Chrift's, the fame w 7 ay his righteoufnefs b>e- 
 came ours*, or the fame way that juftice laid' 
 claim to him for our debt, . the fame way lay 
 we claim to his righteoufnefs ': Now, it is : 
 blafphemous^to think, that our fin became his 
 any other way, but that legally he entring him«« 
 felf as our Cautioner, our fin was reckoned on - 
 his fcore ; even fo his righteoufnefs becomes 
 ours, by being imputed to us : So the apoftle 
 fays, 2 Cor, 5. ult. He was made fin for us, who 
 khzw no fwjhat we might be made the righteouf- 
 nefs of God in him, and have his righteoufnefs ' 
 derived to us. it. were good that we would 
 learn how to win to this righteoufnefs, even ' 
 by prefenting him to juftice, ■ as Cautioner for 
 our debt ; and by taking hold of his righteouf- ' 
 nefs, to ground our plea upon, when we come 
 to reckon with God for our fins. And we think " 
 that .there is here a clear ground, for refuting 
 of that way of justification by any thing inherent? • 
 
 • ir*-» 
 
220 ' t Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 in our felves : For, if it be by bis offering that 
 we are juftified, then it is by nothing in our 
 felves. Now,this name, that Chrift's fufferings 
 get 3 bears out, that it's that which Parishes God, 
 and abfolves us, as the'alone meritorious and pro- 
 curing caufe ; and therefore there is* no other 
 thing, that we can derive our juftification from, 
 but his righteoufnefs only. 
 
 Ufe 3. Seeing by (Thrift's offering there is a 
 rantom and atonement to be had, and feeing it 
 is offered in the gofpel, we prav 'you, in the 
 name or the Lord, take hold of,and improve this 
 offering \ let every body, that hears tell that 
 Chrift is the Sin-offerings endeavour to get him 
 to be their fin-offering : There are none that 
 know, and find, that they have finned, but they 
 would think of an amends ; and here it is, and 
 there is ground to exhort you to make ufe of it, 
 and to encourage you to it, becaufe this is the 
 Very end of his fuffering, and he is fully fur- 
 nifhed compleatly to accomplifh it. If there were 
 110 accefs to life by this offering, he would 
 rot be called a Sin offerings in oppofition to all 
 other offerings ; there is ground therefore to 
 declare this to you, that by Chrift Jelus, life 
 and reconciliation is attainable, and that it is 
 actually attained by accepting of this offering : 
 Such as accept of -it, and reft upon it, ihall find 
 acceptation with Gqd, and freedom from fin 
 and wrath, by vertue thereof. It's a common 
 queftion, What mall we do ? we do all we dow, 
 or may : But if we were ftudying a long time 
 to tell you, this is it, even to make ufe of 
 Chrift's offering ; this, and this only will do 
 your turn compleatly, and no other thing will 
 do it. 
 
 The 6 t th Ufe is of ftrong confolationtoall who 
 betake themlelves to Chriil : He is the fin-offe- 
 ring, that procures the taking away of fin and 
 Wrath, .and that procures friendfhip with God j 
 .and there is no imputation of fin,nor condemna- 
 tion to them who are in /6/'w,Rom.S. 1. and hence 
 is that triumph, v. i^Wbofbatt lay any thing io the 
 charge of G^d's e/tf#?ItisGo<J that juftifiethjwA* 
 is he that will condemn? It is Chrift that diedjea 
 rather that is rifen again &:.ir' juilice were com- 
 ing to execute the ientence, what can it fay 
 to the believer ? Jefus Chrift hath stepped in be- 
 twixt wrath and him ; and, as to God's accep- 
 tation, he alone is counted the Sin-offering : And 
 as there, who under the law offered the typi- 
 cal facrifices, had accefs to the ordinances, and 
 were fancHfied.as to the purifying of the flefh;fo 
 much mere is this offering able to purify the 
 COClcier.ce, and to purge it from dead works, 
 
 "Verfe 10. Serm. 40. 
 
 and to give a fair accefs to the promifc s of life 
 and to the favour of God, to all them who make 
 ufe of it, as if they had never finned. I know, 
 much of the weight of this coniblation will \y 
 on this,. Whether Chrift's offering be made ufe 
 of? And fome will fay, How mail we make 
 ufe of Chrift's offering ? And others will ask, 
 How fhall we know, if we have made right ufe 
 of it r And would to God, that fouls were bea- 
 ten off from their pride and fecurity, and 
 brought under the conviction of a neceffity of 
 ufe-making of Chrift ; he would difcover both to 
 them : But, before we anlwer the queftion, there 
 are two things we would prefuppofe. 1. We 
 prefuppofe, that the foul is made fenfible of its 
 need of Chrift's facrifice, from the appreheniion 
 it hath of a quarrel betwixt God and it. and 
 from the fear of his wrath becaufe of fin ; 
 elfe the asking of fuch a queftion is to no pur- 
 pofe : Fo>, as we hinted before, the offering of 
 a facrifice, implies the confeflion of guilt ; fo 
 the making ufe of Chrift's faenjice, preluppoles 
 fenfe of fin : Ere a loul can make ufe or his 
 offering, it muft know, its due was utter con- 
 fumption. 2. We prefuppofe, that the foul 
 is defireous to be at God, and to have peace 
 with him, to which end Chrift is the raids ; and 
 there will be no refpeft had to the Mid-s, exc.pt ' 
 there be a refpe<ft bad to the end, as it is, He b. c 
 11. 6. He that comes to God, muft believe that 
 he island that he U a rewarder of them that jeek 
 him diligently ; where there is implied in the 
 comer, a defire to be at God, and an expc&ati- . 
 on of fome benefit to be had from hint ; or, as 
 the word is, Heb. 7. 27. He is able to fane to the 
 uttermeft all that c<me to God by him ; Which 
 implies the finner's being fenfibLe of his loft con- 
 dition-his defire to be at God ; and then Chrift's 
 offering comes in, asthemifis, to bring about, 
 and to come by that end. But th te being pre- 1 
 fuppofed, the great thing. win. rein the aniv.er of 
 the queftion lies,How to make ufe of Chrift's offe- 
 ring for the attaining of that end. of pardonof fin, 
 and perce with God, leems to be holder, out in 
 that word, Hob. 7. 2<f He is able to fave to the 
 uttermoft >tbem that c me unto God by him ; and 
 therein we may confjder finners defire to be at . 
 God, and the ufe-making of Chrift, in reference 
 to that end,in thefe thrce,(i.)To have the breach 
 made up with God, in refpedt of their (late, 
 (2.) For quieting the confeience, in refpeft of 
 particular challenges. (3.) For the making up of 
 their defects in grace, as well as for the remov- 
 ing of fin. And as ufe-making of Chrift in thefe 
 three, points out the way of a iinner's coming to 
 
 Chrift, 
 
Sertn. 40.. # Ifalab <J3» 
 
 Chrift ; So a finner's going on in this way, evi- 
 denc-th his- right ufc-making of him: Which 
 will ferve to anfwer both the qudlions, to wit, 
 How to make ufe of Chrift's orivringf and how 
 to know that we are making ufe of- it .aright ? 
 
 tor the Fir ft to wit, Going to God by Chrift; 
 1. t isoppofed to ftepping in to God, at the 
 iirft hand. 2. ft is oppofed to the ufe-making 
 or any other thing, in our coming to God, for 
 making up the br ach. 3. It implies the finner's 
 betaking of hi mf- If to Chrift, as the Mid-man, 
 by whwm he expe&s to come to friendfh p with 
 God. There are fo.ne fcriptu: al limilitudes, 
 whereof if- we cou'd rig fitly conceive, and ap- 
 ply them to this pu=pofe,they might ferve mu ;h 
 to clear it : There is advance, whi-h, like' a 
 gulF, is fixed betwixt God and man ; a foul then 
 comes to God by Chrift, as one goes over a gulf 
 by a bridge ; hinted at by the apoftie, Heb. 10. 
 19. 20. Having therefore bildnefs to enter into 
 toe bolieft by the blocd cf Jcfus, by a new and 
 living vray, which hi hath confecrated to us 
 through the vail, which is his flejh : VVe take 
 the force of the fimilitude to ly in this, that as 
 one that hath a vail betwixt him and another, 
 whom hedefires to approach to, muft go through 
 the vail ere he win tothat.other; lo here,Chrift's 
 flelh being the vail, he by his death hath rent 
 it, that iinners might itep through that rent, 
 or bfcacb, to God : That is, when all was be- 
 fore fhut up, and cLofs betwixt God and flnners, 
 Chriil was 'ontent that a rent fhouid be made 
 in his body, through which thev might come 
 to God ; coming to God by Chrift, in this 
 ienfe, is to walk, as it were, on Chrift's fu - 
 ferings as a bri Ige, and to have no other place, 
 or ground, to ftand, or walk on to God, but 
 this. Again, fob* 10. Chrift calls himfelf the 
 Door lam the Door; and J-ohn 14. to the fame pur- 
 pofe, he is called the Way ? To tell us, that as 
 n ne can come in to a houfe, but by the door, 
 nor can corns to the end or their journey, but by 
 the way that l^ads to it ; fo heaven being'iTiut 
 up, and clofed upon finrjers, any. that would 
 have entry into it, muft betake themfelves to 
 Chrift by faith ; for, by faith in him.- the 
 door is opened, and the way paved to hea- 
 ven. It is a good token, when the way to hea- 
 ven looks on the Tinner, as a hard wall, or like 
 a unking mols or bog ; and faith in Chrift 
 gives him fome little hold, whereby he wins > 
 over the wall, and. leads him to fome little hil- 
 locks, or -hard bits, or fpots of ground, where- 
 by he fteps thorow the mofs, or bog, to Chrift : 
 Or, when the iinner lays his reckoning to make : 
 
 Verfe 10. 221 
 
 ufe of Chrift's fati$fa&ion,for payment of his debt; 
 Co that, if he were to appear at the bar of juftice, 
 his anfwer would not be, that if he had done a 
 fault, he had made, or would make amends ; nor 
 that he prayed, and repented, and fought mercy; 
 but this,that he took with his guilt, and made ufe 
 of Chrift's^fa:rifice: So Paul lpeaking, when re- 
 newed, in* opposition to what he was, while a 
 Pharifee, lays, Philip.?, that he counts all things 
 to be butUfs and dung, for the excellency cf the 
 knowledge cf Chrift , that be may be fund in 
 him, net having his own rightecufnejs, whicn is 
 according to the law, but that which is tbrougb 
 the faith of Chrift. When he, even he, thinks on 
 the, day of judgment, and where he will hide 
 himfelf in that day, when it. mall be asked (and 
 every one (hall be asked the qaeition ) Where 
 art thou? his defire, and refolution is, to give 
 this anfwer, I am in Chrift ; Lord, I have no 
 righteoufnefs of my own to lippen, or to truft 
 to ; [ will never make mention of my painful- 
 nefs in my miniftry, of the tendernefs of my 
 walk, nor of any thing "elie of that kind ; but 
 I will betake my felf to Chrift's righteoufnefs, 
 and will fay, Lord, here is much debt on my 
 fcore, but there is a righteoufnefs to which I 
 am tied by faith, and on this I will ground all 
 my anfwers : This righteoufnefs is in Chrift, 
 .as the Purchafer thereof; and it is ours by faith, 
 when we betake our felves to it, to make it the 
 ground of our claim : Even as if a number of 
 v men were purlued {or debt before a judge, and 
 one fhould come in, and fay, I have paid fo 
 much ; and another fhould Cay, Give me down 
 a part, and I will pay the reft ; and a third 
 mould fay, Give me a day and time, and I will 
 fatisfy ; and a fourth poor body fhould come 
 in, and fay, I have indeed nothing my felf to 
 pay my debt with, but I betake my felf to the 
 refponfal Cautioner, who hath paid all for fuch 
 as betake themfelves to him : This is faith's 
 anfwering, and arguing •, it will never fhifc 
 the debt, not yet admit of the final fentence 
 of cond mnation, tho' readily acknowledged 
 to be deferved ; but it interpofes Chrift's fatis- 
 fa&ion, as that which will be acceptable, tho* 
 the (Inner can do nothing of himfelf. In a 
 word, this way of pleading is, upon the one ilde, 
 an utter denying of the man's ielf,' and of all 
 that is, or can be in him, for attaining of righ- 
 teoufnefs ; and, upon the other fide, a credit- 
 ing ofhimfelf to Chrift, (of the attaining of that 
 which he hath not in himfelf: It's not only 
 faith (if it were poffibie to feparate thefe two) 
 
-222 'I fat ah «J3. 
 
 • to deny our own righteoufnefs ; but, by the ex- 
 ercife of it, there mud be a ftepping over on 
 Chrift, and on his righteoufnefs, unto God. 
 
 The 2d thing, wherein the exercife of faith 
 in the ufe-making of Chrift's facrifice confifts, 
 
 "is, in reference to particular challenges : For, 
 even when a foul hath iled to Chrift, and made 
 ufe of his facrifice tor pardon of Tin, and for 
 peace with God, it will not be free from chal- 
 lenges, and from new accounts ; and therefore 
 the exercife of faith is to be continued in the 
 
 ' ule-making of this offering, in reference to thefe 
 particulars, as well as in reference to the ma- 
 king of our peace with God at firft ; in which 
 refpecl:, faith is called ajhield, Epb. 6. 16. v\ hen 
 new guilt is contra&ed, and drawn on, and 
 then tentation fays to the believer, Is this the 
 goodnefs of your p-urpofes, and refolutions, 
 which hare been like flax before the fire? 
 
 "No fooner waft thou eifayed, and affaulted, 
 but thou didft greatly fuccomb, and waft much 
 foiled, and prevailed over : The foul runs to 
 the fame targe, buckler, or Ihield ; and tho' 
 everyone of thefe challenges to be like a fiery dart 
 that would fet the conleience on a flame, yet 
 by faith the dart is kept off, or the venom of 
 it fuckt fo out, that it burns not ; and it makes 
 the foul to lay, Tho' I cannot fatisfy for the 
 debt, yet there is in Chrift's righteoufnefs, 
 whereto I betake my felf, which can do it: And 
 if we look-tolhat, which entertains tormenting 
 exercifes, that fpeak evil of the grace of God 
 
 ' (for humbling exercifes are called for, and are 
 profitable) we will find it to be this, to wit, 
 When fouls come to difpute, and debate with 
 challenges, and do not interpofe the targe or 
 
 • Ihield ot faith, taking hold or Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs, betwixt them and thefe challenges ; for 
 ibmetimesa foul will betake it felf to Chrift's 
 righteoufnefs for pea ere at firft, and will look u- 
 pon it felf, as bound to keep, and maintain its 
 
 " own peace ; and will, on the matter, think that 
 it's but a fort of bamlng,or prophaning ofChrift's 
 rightejittfnefs, (to fay fo) to be making daily 
 ufe of it, for anfwering of new challenges ; 
 and fuch will be ready to fay, Should not a 
 believer be holy ? -and we fay, that he mould, 
 and that it were to abufe the fpiritual armour, 
 to take one piece of it, and not another, yea,nor 
 all the reft : But this we fay ltkewife, that when 
 one makes ufe of the fword of the Spirit , he may 
 warrantably make ufe of the Jhield of faith alfo ; 
 failing in this, that is, when Chrift's -righte- 
 oufnefs is not made ufe o? y in. reference to. par- 
 ticular challenges, mightily indifpofeth many 
 
 'Verfe i : Serm. 4<% 
 
 ferious poor fouls for ufe-inaking of the reft of 
 the weapons of theif fpiritual warfare: And 
 therefore, as ye would exercife faith in general, 
 for reconciling you to God, as to your Itate *, fo 
 ye would exercife faith on Chrift's offering, for . 
 doing away of particular quarrels, and for fi- 
 lencingof particular challenges, which is to be 
 daily waihing at the fountain, in fhort, as to the 
 other queftion, this may be a mark of a perfon, 
 that is making right ufe of Chrift's offering for 
 his peace, if he be daily making ufe of Chrift's 
 
 . offering for his peace, if he be daily making ufe 
 or his offering for quenching, an&iilencing of 
 particular challenges. 
 
 The %d thing, wherein this exercife of faith 
 in the ufe-making of Chrift's facrifice confifts, 
 is, in reference to the defects of our grace : 
 We have indeed much need of Chrift, and he 
 hath much forthcoming in him, for the help- 
 ing of grace, for the amending of weak faith, 
 and love, and other graces, as well as for ob- 
 taining pardon of fin, and of peace with God, 
 and for anfwering of challenges ; and yet, oft- 
 times, thefe, who are making ufe of Chrift in 
 the former two reipe&s, are in hazard, and 
 ready to think, that they ihould believe 
 more,, love more, and exercife other graces more, 
 of themfelves : But we are to make ufe of 
 him, for helping defects of grace, as well as 
 forthefe other things. By this, 1 mean, not on- 
 ly the ufe-making of Chrift meritorioufly ; and 
 fo that we mould look on faith., love, repen- 
 
 . tance, and every other grace, as purchafed by 
 him, as well as peace with God ; and that we* 
 
 - fhould make ufe of Chrift's o ; rering, for attain- 
 ing ot thefe ; but I alfo mean, that we ihould 
 makawife of Chrift, as a Prieft, to make his own 
 offering effeftual, for attaining all the benefits 
 of his purchafe, conddering, that he is. able, to 
 five- to the ut term oft all thefe that come-, unto 
 God by him. The-apoftle goe-th or, .-.this ground, 
 Heb. 10. ig^io-Seingwe kave fitch an higbPrkfly 
 and fuch an offering, let us draw near with full 
 affurance of faiths &■:. And if ye ask, What 
 this is r It is of largely extended ufe ; it is e- 
 ven to make ufe of Chrift, as a Prieft, not only 
 
 . as the Object of faith, and as the Procurer 
 and Worker of faith, but alfo for the confirm 
 mir,g of weak faith ; it's a looking to him, to get 
 the weak faith, that we dare fcarcely lippen to, 
 made ftrong ; and a lippening, or trufting of our 
 weak faith to him. to carry us through, when 
 we dare not well lean to it. In the firft .r.e- 
 fpeft, we do by faith lippen, and truft to Chrift's 
 r * ri&htc- 
 
germ. 4t. Jfaiab 53. 
 
 righteoufnefs *, in this lad refpe&, we lippen, 
 or truft our faith to him ; and lock to hiny, net 
 only for pardon, but we lippen to him for making 
 faith to keep its grips of him : And as it was 
 with that poor man ipoken of, Mark 9 who, 
 upon the one fide, betakes himfelf to Chrift, 
 If thou canft do any thing., have scmpaffion en us, 
 *nd help us ; and on the other fiae, being ho- 
 lily impatient, finding his faith like to fail and 
 Oiifgivc, when Chrift lays to him, JJ thou canft 
 itJievc,*B things arepojfible t,bim that believes-, 
 he cries out, in that his holy impatiency, ±crd,\ 
 telzcve,belp tbou my unbelief: He acknowledges 
 his unbelief, as well as his faith 5 and trulls 
 Chrift with the mending of his faith, and hold- 
 ing together the fheards of it (fo to fpeak) when 
 at was like to cra:k, and foil afunder. Our doing 
 thus, evidenceth a more full denying cf our 
 felves, when we dare not truft our own belie- 
 ving,but as it is committed to Chrift, and when 
 there is a crediting of him, and leaning to him, 
 fcoth for the benefit we expe&, and for the appli- 
 cation of it : That word of the apoftle, Phil. 3. 
 12. is appofite, and excellent to this p\xrpofe,Tbat 
 %tn*J apprehend that for wbitb I am apprehended 
 $f Chrift Jefus \ as is alio that of Pet. 1 epifV. 
 1 chap* v. 10. Who arekeeped through fait b by to* 
 joxoer cf God. So then,in anfwer to both the que- 
 ftions, 1 . How to make ufe of Chrift's facrifice ? 
 And, 2* How to know, if we y havemade, or do 
 make ufe of it aright ? We fay in fhort, as to 
 the Firfly That there mudfirfl be a leaning to his 
 meritjfor the buying, or procuring of our peace, 
 ■nd betaking of our felves to it for that end. 2dly } 
 When tentations recur, and when new chal- 
 lenges arife, there mud be a conftant daily be- 
 taking or our felves to faith in his facrifice, as 
 to a ihield,or as to a ftore-houfe ; which he him- 
 felf calleth an abiding in him, John 15. 3. There 
 muft be an uie-making of Chrift, asaPrieft,not 
 
 Verfe 10. 5r?f 
 
 only to remove daily ContraAed guiltinefs, but 
 alfo to heal the infirmity and weaknefs of out 
 graces, efpecially of faith and love, giving hirn 
 credit to bring our faith and love to perfection. 
 It is a fweet word which we have, Pfal. 103. 
 He beahth all thy difeafet. As to the 2d quefti- 
 on, we fay, That perlon may look on him- 
 felf, as making right ufe of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs : that is daily making ufe of him, in thefe 
 fore-named refpeers, who, if he were to appear 
 before God, it is Chrift's righteoufnefs only that 
 he w r ould build on ; he is alfo daily making 
 ufe of him., to an wer challenges as they recur, 
 and dare not lippen to his own faith, but as it 
 is committed to him ; considering, that,as faitV 
 is in himfelf, it is daily in hazard to be extia- 
 gu ; fhed ; And we may add, that he fo makes ufe 
 of Chrift, as that he dare no go to God withoit 
 him ; as the word is, Heb* 7. 2s. Tbem that comt 
 to Cod by him \ he comes unto God by Chrift, in 
 prayer, in praifes, and in every other duty of 
 worfbip: The apoftle, to this purpofe, lays, 
 Heb. n. 1«J. By him there forty let us offer the fa- 
 crifice of praife to Gtd. The believing foul is ne- 
 ver right till its *U be put in his hand. Tho* all 
 .thefe be not'diftind, and explicite in the per- 
 fon's ufe- making of Chrift's facrifice; yet he ex- 
 pe<fts that the application of the benefits which 
 Chrift hath purchafed to him, fhall be made 
 forthcoming to him, by vertue of that fame 
 purchafe ; and that he, who is the Author y will 
 alfo be the Finifier of bis fasti. The fum and 
 up-fliot of all, is, to Ihew that as we have much 
 good by and in Chrift, if we could make ufe 
 of it ; fo he calleth us to he cheerful and com- 
 forted in the »fe-making of it, and net to mi- 
 nifh our own confolation, when he hath con- 
 defcended gracioufly thus to extend, and eft- 
 large it, with Co richly liberal and bountiful a 
 hand. 
 
 SERMON XLL 
 
 [faiahl'H. 10 HeJhaUfee bi s fee dy be (ball prolong bis days> and the pleafure cf tb$ lord 
 
 Jball profper in bis band. 
 
 (T may be thought, and that very juftly, that 
 , there muft be fome great and giorious defign 
 riven in the contrivance qf the work of redemp- 
 tion, that was executed by fuch a mean, as the 
 Altering of the Son of God ; and that there muft 
 i>e fome noble and notable thing following on it, 
 that moved the Father to fend hisSon,and the Son 
 :o come for this work. This part of the text 
 IBfwers, a*4 tejls us what is the dejjtgi^ H§ 
 
 fball fee bis feed y be Jball prolong bis days, Sco 
 He ihall communicate life to many that were 
 dead, and fhall beget a generation, that fhall 
 have life derived from him, as a feed have front 
 their parents': And fo this is a third anfwer, for 
 removing of that ftumbling objection, pro- 
 pofed in the beginning *>f the verfe, to wit. 
 How it came to pafs, that the innocent Son of 
 God, v>l>t bad dont no vioUw> *$A *tj b** 
 
 Cfi 
 
 /?# 
 
23^. #m*Ji $* 
 
 #0 £ aJfc />* £/* tntulh, was put to filch tufre- 
 rings ? We fhcw that there were three grounds 
 laid down, in anfwer to this, \ft, It pleafed tbe 
 Lord to bruife £//#,itwas the Father's good plea- 
 fure. The zd is from the nature of his furferings, 
 which were to be. a fin-offering, or an offering for 
 fin, not for his own, but for the fins or the ele&. 
 The id is, That his fuiferings ihould have no- 
 table fruits and effects following them, fet down 
 in three expreflions, which are partly prophe- 
 cies, telling what ihould be the eflfe&s of the 
 fufferings of the Mediator ; partly promifes; 
 made to the Mediator, telling what ihould be 
 his reward and hire (to fpeak fo) for his fuffe- 
 rings. (i.) 'Hcjhall fee bis fee d, that is, ma- 
 ny ihall get. good of bis fufferings-, (2.)HefialI 
 prolong bis days, that is, he (hall out-live thefe 
 his troubles and fufferings, and ihall have a glo 
 rious out-gate and reign ; (3.) The pleafure of 
 %he Lord JhaUprofper in his bandy that is, the 
 work that was given him to do, and to finiih, 
 tfhall thrive well,, and no part of it ihall fail, or. 
 mifcarry. In the firft promife made to him, or 
 in the firfl effe& that ihould follow on his fafFe-' 
 rings, in thefe words, He (hall fee bis feed ; we. 
 have thefc-three,. r. A relation implied betwixt 
 Chrift and believers ; tliey are his feed, fuch as 
 in the next verfe are faid to be* \uftifed by him t 
 It is in fhort, many ihall get. pardon of fin, and 
 juftiiication, by his death. In thisrefpeft, it's 
 faid, Pfat. 4$-. penult yerfe, Inftead of thy fa- 
 thers, fbaU be thy children, whom thou , may ft . 
 -snake princes in all the earth* 2. A prophecy, 
 and foretelling of the event, that fnould follow 
 Chrifl's fufferings ; and fo it holds out this,Thak 
 our Lord Jefus fhould not only have a feed, but 
 a numerous feed, that ihould be made fure to 
 him: And it feems to be in allufion to that 
 which is fpoken of Abraham, and of others in 
 the old Teftament, of whom it's faid, they 
 ihould have feed, that is* that many ihould de- 
 fcend of them : But there is more here ; for, 
 whereas others, while they are living, or in theiu 
 lifetime, beget a feed, which begetting is inter- 
 rupted by death; the death of our Lofd Jefus 
 feegets his feed, or his feed are begotten by his. 
 death. 3».Coniidering the words as a promiic^ 
 they hold out this, That tho' our* Lord Jefus 
 fdffer, and die ; yet he ihull not only have a teed, 
 but he ihall fee his feed, he ihall out-live his 
 fufferings and death, and ihall be delighted in 
 feeing of them, who ihall get the good of Iris> 
 f&iferings: As it's laid of Job, that he farv hit, 
 thildren, or feed, of tbe third and fourth gene- 
 ration, that is, he lived long, andfaw many that 
 came of him j even loj tho' our J*ord csyne ^ 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 4lA 
 
 deatn, and to the grave, yet he ihould not only 
 have a numerous ieed,. and many children^ but 
 he ihoild live and fee them •, and that not only 
 for three, or four, or ten generations, but for 
 very many generations : And his dying ihould 
 neither mar his begettirtg,nor the feeing of them. 
 And this feeing bj his Jeed, is oppofed to fuck 
 parents as are dead ; and who, tho' their chil- 
 dren and poilerity be in want, yet they know it 
 not. From tile Firft of thefe, Obferve, c That be- 
 lievers are our Lord Jefus his feed,they are come 
 of him:' Whatever their meannefs and lownefe 
 be in the worldjand tho' they could not claim kin- 
 dred to any of externally honeil rank, or quality, 
 yet they are his feed. To this purpote the apoftlc 
 befpeaks the believing Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1. 27, 
 28. T* fee your calling, brethren, how that not 
 many mighty, not many wife men after the flejh 9 
 net many noble are called ; but God hath chojert 
 the foe lift) things of this, world, to confound tb& 
 t»ife, Sect hat no flejbjbou Id glory in his pre fence % 
 Tho' ye be not of any high rank or quality in the 
 World, yet of him are ye in Cbrift Jefm, who of- 
 God is made to us, wifdom, righteoufnefs, fan- 
 tlifi cation, and redemption : In this refpecl:,Chrift 
 is called the everlafling father, Ifa. 9. 6. For ha 
 is the Father of all believers, that ever had, or 
 ihall have life ; who are, Pfah 45. penult verfe^, 
 called his 'children. 
 
 To clear this a little, ye ihall take it in thefe 
 -four or five re pe&s, or confiderations, in which 
 believers are faid to be Chrifl's feed, or to be de- 
 fcended of him. \ft, In this refpecF, that, as be- 
 lievers, they have their being of him : As chil- 
 dren defcend from off their parents as to their 
 natural- being j So believers, as they have fpiri- 
 tualbeing, defcend from him, and hold their 
 being of him ; without whom they had. never- 
 been believers: And in this refpeft they are his 
 feed, 1. Hecaule he meritwioufly purchafed life 1 
 to them ;• which is the thing here mainly un- 
 derftood, as following immediately upon the 
 back of his fufferings. 2* Becaufe they have life 
 " from him, efficiently, as he works it in them,- 
 and by the gofpel begets them ; . therefore he is 
 faid, 1 Tim.1.10. to have brought life and immor* 
 tality tj light by the go fp el, which was not known* 
 in many parts of the world till Clrrift brought! 
 it forth ; in this refpeft, believers areChriitV 
 feed : We are not believers born of our parents^ 
 nor have the faith which we have, cf srhe or-' 
 dinances, nor of ministers, as efficient caufe** 
 thereof; but it is i from, our* Lord : Jeftrs, who 
 is believers Father. Thus- believers have a»- 
 affinity and near relation to Chrift, evea to be- 
 
 hif 
 
hischildren: And any that would lay claim to 
 frith or fpiritual life, would fee well, that it be 
 this way kindly, and (as we ufe to fay; lcil 
 come, from Jefus Chrilt, and that they be in 
 his debt and common for it. idly, They are his 
 feed, in refpe& of the likenefs that is betwixt him 
 and them, or in refpe& of the qualifications that 
 ire in them ; as they are faid, 2 ¥et. l- 4- -8/ tbe 
 ixceeding great and precious promife s, to be mad* 
 partaker) of the divine nature : They have of 
 the fame Spirit, for the kind, that he, as Media- 
 tor, hath in hinr, and it is in this refpe&,_ that, 
 <£an. 7.1. the believer is called the Prince's daugh- 
 ter, which efpecially looks to the fpiritual, gene- 
 rous, and noble qualifications, that are derived 
 from Chrilt, to the believer : Hence believers 
 are faid to have the Spirit offons,wher\ all others, 
 tho' they be the greateft in the world, have but 
 -the fpirit of iervants ; and their generofity is no- 
 thing to that of believers.who are made partakers 
 cf-the divine nature : We have not,fays the apo- 
 'ftle, received the fpirit offesr, but af faith and 
 lave, and of -a found mind. Ah » there are many 
 that claim kindred and relation to Chrift, that 
 are very unlike him. - 6 diy, Thsy ate calledChrift's 
 feed, in refpeft of the care that he hath of them : 
 Never mother was more tender of the fucking 
 child, than he is of bis believing children ; 
 therefore, faith the LoYd,ffaiak 49. 15. A mother 
 may forget ker fueling child, bat I will not forget 
 thee : Hence is that phrafe, events to vifible pro- 
 fefibrs of the Church, who re f ufe to li- 
 fien to the call of the gofpel, . which is much 
 tnore eminently verified in believers, Matth. 
 23. Hjtq often would 1 have gathered thee, as 
 a hen doth her chickens under her wings ! So 
 tender and refpe&ive is he to his children, as 
 the mother is tender of the fucking child, or 
 the hen is of her newly-hatched, and young 
 chickens ; for they are, in fome refpe&, come 
 ©ut of his own bowels ; his blood was fhed to 
 purchafe them ; fo it's faid, Ifa. 4c. 11. He ga- 
 thers the lambs with his arm, be carries 
 them in his bofom, and gently leads thefe that 
 mre with young. And, O what maffy confola- 
 tion have fuch words as thefe in them ! And 
 what confidence may believing finners have to 
 : tome to this Mediator, that is a Mother, a Fa- 
 I ther, a Brother, and a Parent ; that hath be- 
 gotten us "out of his own bowels, and in fome 
 refpe& (as we are believers) hath as a Mother 
 conceived us in his own womb ! \thly, They 
 are called his feed, in refpeft of the portion which 
 they get from him. A . The a pottle (ays, that pa- 
 rents provide for their children ; it's indeed emi- 
 1 gently fo here, believers come under his care, 
 
 Verfe 10. 521 
 
 over-fight, and tutory ; and as. a man provides 
 for his houfhold, his children and fervants meat 
 induefeafon (and the apoftle fays, He is wcrfe 
 than an infidel, that provides net for them of hit 
 of bis or* n he ufe) even fo our Lord Jefus, as he 
 gives believers their fpiritual life, fo he enter- 
 tains that«4ife, provides for them, and train* 
 them up, and on, till he enter them into the 
 poffeflion of eternal life ; they are made by him 
 princes, Vfal. 4.5. 16. entitled to a kingdom ; 
 yea, all his children are kings, and fit with hint 
 on his throne, Rev. 2. laft verfe, and are made 
 partakers of his glory ; and (to (peak (o) they. 
 fare as he fares, they dwell as he dwells, and be- 
 hold his glory : O, is not this much, that the 
 poor dyvour, that hath not a peny left him, 
 no* to leave to another, fhould he thus dignifi- 
 ed, as to have a claim to Chrift's kingdom, to 
 be an heir, and a joint heir with him, who is 
 the Heir of all things 7 For fo we come to be re- 
 toured (to fpeak fo) and to be ferved heirs to 
 all things ; as it is, Rev. 21. 7. He that over- 
 tomethjhall inherit all things'. And it goes on this 
 ground, Heh. 1. 2. that the Mediator is appsin* 
 tad Heir of all things ; with whom being joint* 
 heirs, we are heirs too, and made to inherit all 
 things. & My, They are called his feed, he- 
 cauie of the manner of their coming to the pof- 
 ftffion of that, which through him they have a 
 claim to ; for they have a claim to nothing, 
 but by being heirs to, and with him ; and by 
 believing in him, they are heirs of the promife, 
 in fome refpeel:, as IJaac was: So then, briefly 
 to re capitulate all thefe, would ye know the 
 way that believers are Chr ill's feed ? 1. Ke be- 
 gets them, and they have their fpiritual life of 
 him. 2. He is tender of them, as of his own 
 children. 3. They are furnifh^d with qualifica- 
 tions, and d ifpofit ions fuitable to him. 4. They 
 have a rich portion from him, and are well pro- 
 vided for. 5. What good they get, is for hi* 
 fake, who is their Father ; Here we may allude 
 to that word, Rem. 11. They are beloved for the 
 Father' s fake \ by a right and title to him, they 
 come to have a good and goodly portion ; they 
 claim not to their portion, becaufe of this 
 or that thing in themfelves, but by their 
 being ferved heirs to Ci.rilt ; being come 
 of him, they come to get a right to what 
 is his. 
 
 Ufe. As all relations betwixt Chrift and belie- 
 vers fpeak out much confolation, fo doth this, if 
 we were in cafe to apply it $ this one word hath 
 in it, and holds forth a good condition, and i# 
 a very broad charter. 
 
 Gg2 Sue 
 
£lS Ifalah <ft. 
 
 See here then, i/f, What we are in thrift's 
 Common and debt, who are believers: It's much 
 to be made a friend, to be fretd from tie curfe 
 of God, and to have all our debts paid ; but 
 this is more to be bis feed, to be Ins own chil- 
 dren^ to have our life or him, to have our pro- 
 yilionand portion from him. It's really a won- 
 der, that we wonder not more 3t this, and other 
 relations that are betwixt h m and believers ; 
 as namely, he is the believers Fatire*, and takes 
 them to be bis f«ns and dau^totzrs \ he is 
 the believers Brctber, arid is nA ashamed to 
 . tall tbem brethren ; he is the believers Husband, 
 and they a r e bis fp ujc ; he is their Bridegroom, 
 and they arc vis bride : Such relations as thele 
 art pitched upon, and make choice or, to fill 
 (if I may fpefik \o) the faith of the believer, and 
 that the believer may feed fweetiy and delic tte- 
 \y on them, till time come that the vail of fimi- 
 litud^s be taken away, and they be brought to 
 fee h m as he is, tv: n ra:e to tace ; and that 
 th.rcby they may be helped to win to read their 
 advantages and privileges, which they have in 
 him. What can be the rcafon, then, that lb few 
 think and efteem fuitabiy of the excellent and 
 deiirable condition of believers, and that v»ords 
 of this kind relilh not ? Here is the realbn, he 
 of whom they hold all thefe privileges, and by 
 whom they are put into this notable and non- 
 fuch condition, is not fuitabiy efteemed of, and 
 accounted precious ; therefore believers in him 
 •re thought the lefs of. Our hearts ihould melt 
 in love to him, and in ibrrow for offending 
 him, at th? reading and hearing of Inch exprei- 
 fions, whereof the fcriptures or God are fluffed 
 fell. 
 
 idty, Are th-re any that wouM have a good 
 and happy condition fummed up and compend- 
 §d ? Here it is, even to have our Lord Jeius to 
 be a Father, and to be hfefeed, to come in as 
 ions and daughters to him . I appeal to you all, 
 if any condition can be put in the ballance with 
 this; is there any honour and dignit/ like it, or 
 aomparable with it r Who can claim to be come 
 •f 1'uch a parent as is he, who. is Kins, ofkinos^ 
 Mnd Lord r f lords, the Prince of the lings of 
 the earth, the Father of glory, hiseldeft and on- 
 ly begotten Son, bv an eterna ; and unfpeakable 
 gene ation, who in all things hath the pre»e- 
 mi.nercy. What is your pedigre.\who will fay, 
 and hoaft, that ye are of luch a laird's or 
 lord's houfe, and of fuch m an .ient family and' 
 fto?k ; yea, tho' ye- were of blood royal, what is 
 it to this? What will become of\mensgenti!t- 
 !£ oisobiiity of birth, ^ea^ ei royalty of birth. 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 4ft 
 
 in that day, when Chrift fliall fet his throne in 
 the clouds? To have this relation to Chritt, 
 will be more valuable and honourable, in that 
 day, than to have bren great :ora;r n:ers, 
 lairds, lords," marquiiles, dukes princes and 
 kings, who will^all in th.tdav trand up on the 
 fame level with the poorer pe'afants, and wh n " 
 all honours and dignities, whicharenow fo ma?h 
 thought of, and thirfted a:ter, will be laid in 
 the dud. Therefore learn to think of this, as 
 the nob'eft birth and deicent, which is through 
 faith in Chritl Jelus ; ard covrt, and be no- 
 lily ambitious, to fuve the qualification's of his 
 children. Look to the qualifications parts, in> 
 dowments, and ajcompliimn.nts. that uie to ac- 
 company, or follow any houf s of the braveil of 
 natural men; are there any or them comparab e to 
 the qualifications of believers r" Is there a fto;k 
 or race of people in all the world, fo truly g.-ne- 
 rottS and noble as believers are. who are come of 
 Chrnt, and are made vaiiant, through the ex- 
 ercife of faith in him, aga^nft a ! l ocurring diffi- 
 culties ; rcgardleis of worldly things and taken 
 up with, and bulled about high and m.bie pro- 
 jects and deiigns ; even to have heaven, and 
 glory, and God himielf ; who undervalue, and 
 holily dilda-n the things oi the world, which 
 earth-worms fo much teek after? Their qua- 
 lifi ationsk>th elpecially in this, that their de* 
 fig ns arc hcavenh, their minds elevated to, and 
 fet on the beil things, and that they have a tru- 
 ly magnanimous and a valorous way of profe- 
 cuting th.-m. by itudying the mortification of 
 fin, and conformity to God, when others can- 
 not endure to cad out with, and abandor a iuft ; 
 they holily lcorn, and account it below them} 
 to have their peare (landing or falling with t.ie 
 ebbing a :d flowing of creature-comforts, which 
 the men of the world place their happinels in; 
 thir ftudy is to be pure, as Chritt is pure: O 
 is there any portion like theirs i Many of you 
 think but little of it now* but ye will think more 
 of it in that day, when the earth, and all thingt 
 in it, ihall be burnt up with fire; what will the 
 earth portion iignifie then ? Ye that now havt 
 your variety oi fine and delicate meats, with 
 your ale and wine at every meal, who ihall be 
 found out of Cbrilt, fhall not get a drop of cold 
 water to cool your tongue, under your exqui- 
 fite and helli-ih torments, when the poor body, 
 that believed, and bad a hard lire of it here, fh ill be 
 in Abraham's bolbm,and with Chrift at his table* 
 yea, and on bis throne with him •, and it is upon 
 the account of their having a title to Chriii, that 
 
 &e$ 
 
Serine- , , ^ ^; 
 
 they come to all th«* glory and happtne's. O 
 is there any right and- title like the believer's, 
 which is founded onChrift's right ana title, which 
 is, or may be called, the original right or' the 
 believer, who is keeped by the p.xoer cf G d 
 through faith unto faXvatutu lfthefe be the 
 true and faithful fayings of God, what is the 
 teafon that men think io little or" them < V hy 
 is an interell in Chriil lo unricrva ued r Believe 
 ye, tru>t luch and lo n;u h good is to be gotten 
 by bein^ C hr it's teed and children:' if ye fay 
 that >e believe it, how comes it to pafs that lo 
 few have it for their ddign, and that your de- 
 fies are lo much tor this and that in a pr tent 
 \vor d, and th^t this is to much flighted, ard 
 thac there is fo much boafling and glorying in 
 ctrur things, and lo little holy ooaihng and glo- 
 rying m tin's ^ 
 
 There are two or three marls ,' which we may 
 gather from the words, that may help to fhew 
 when this claim is warrantably made, and which 
 may evidence the groundlelhefs ot the claim of 
 many. And i. Chiiil's feed hath another ori- 
 g nal than that which they bring with them into 
 the world ; there is in them a change of the 
 ground of their hope, and that on a new ac- 
 count; Folks comes into the world finrul, chil- 
 dren of finful parents/, but wh, n they come to 
 be believers, they get a new life, which men 
 cannot give, and this new life hath new act- 
 ings and fruits : Ah*! how many dream of a right 
 to Chriit., who know no other birth or being, 
 but that whLh is natural. 2. They who are 
 Chrill's feed, carry along with them the imprcf- 
 iion of an obligation to, and an acknowledgment 
 of him in whatever good they have gotten ; 
 they think themlelves muh obliged to Chriffc, 
 and they acknowledge him for their life, as it is 
 Alal.i. If l"be a Fat her, where is my b.nfiur? and 
 if a Majier, where is my fear? a fn honours^ 
 bis father, &c. A natively and genuinely dif- 
 poied child acknowledged his father as his flu 
 ther, and reverenceth and loveth his father as 
 his father ; but there are many that pretend 
 to a being from Chriil, w ho think not themfelvcs 
 in Iris debt and common for it, and\\ho know 
 not what it is to walk under^ the conviction of 
 their obligation to Chriil for their fuppoled fpi- 
 ritual life and being.. 3. They, whoare Chriit 's 
 feed, have in them a likenefs to him ; as they 
 did once bear the image of tbs earthly, fo 
 nvo they bear the image of the heavenly Adam ; 
 Dot that they come up in all things to be exr 
 a&'y like to the pattern, but it is their aim •, and 
 fiber things, that difconforrn them'to him ; arc 
 
 Verfe 10. 2^ 
 
 deformed, lothforh, and ugly in their /igbfy 
 Their old inclination is burdeniom to them, 
 and is the conr'r.ual ground of an inw»rd con- 
 tent and w refiling ; L'nd, in a manner, they are 
 trpul ed at the very heart how to keep down 
 what isoppohte to Chriil ; ard when their cor- 
 ruption over-mailers thrm. they are the more 
 ditccmpoledand di;quieted: Theydifcern. fome- 
 thing in therm, that is not like to Chriil, and 
 the) abhor that tf o' it be never fo near and dr£v 
 to the in, their very felf\ they Q e iomahingal- 
 (o Ike to Chriit in them, and they, cherifli and 
 make much of it ; they woud fain De at more 
 o it, and to have his irmge more deeply im- 
 prelfed on their fpirits, which they reckon theic 
 greatell, yea, their only beauty. 
 
 The ?d Ufe is for dire&iop to believers: Tf ye- 
 be Chrift's Jeed, ye mull be other tort of Wks 
 in your defigns, and in your deportment and 
 carriage : King's ch'ldren ought not to carry as 
 others ; it would he highly untuitable, yea, evta 
 abominable, to fee them v.aik fo trivially and 
 lightly, as every bafe, ill bred begger's child 
 doth : It's no lels incongruous and unbecoming^ 
 that believers fhould be taken with this and that 
 vanity, that meer worldlings are taken with, and 
 hunt after. 
 
 The \th Ufe fpeaks a word of confolation ta 
 believers, and holds forth the greatnefs of the 
 privilege of being Cbrifi's feed, it will be much 
 to perlwade a poor finntr, duly fenlible of jin, 
 to believe this, and that the Lord is in earneft, 
 when he fpeaks thus \ that fuch an one, wh« 
 hath betaken himfelf to Chriil for life, and hum- 
 bly claims right to nothing, but by vertue of 
 Chriil's right (the mam thing, that our union 
 w.th bim is bottomed upon) who is content to 
 be in Chriil's common for life, and gots not 
 about to eilablifh his own righteoufnefs, but- 
 leans to his righteoufnefs, for life and fal- 
 vation, fhou'd be bis feed, and have all the 
 privileges of fons derived to him \ and yet is 
 is the Lord's faithful word : Neither hath eye 
 feen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entred into the- 
 heart of man to conceive, what good things are 
 laid up for fuch a perfon, and that are fluffed 
 up in thefe exprtiuons of .our relation to Chri>& 
 Jefus.. 
 
 L r fe <). It may be alfo a quieting and comfort* 
 ingword to fo me believers, who are in afflicti- 
 on, poverty and ilraits in the world"; that our 
 Lord Jefus is a kindly affectionate Parent, more 
 kindly and tender-hearted, than the tende* 
 reft father or mother : And indeed it may fuf- 
 • £ci?ntly ^uict ti lc m ; that they hm fecli a kind? 
 
hit Ifsiak ft. 
 
 Iy Overfeer and Prcrvifor, wha is alio a cor- 
 dial Sympathizer with them, whatever their 
 condition be ; he will not deny his offspring 
 and feed, whom he laid down his life to pur- 
 chafe. 
 
 The 6tb Ufe may be for incitement and pro- 
 vocation to all that would be happy, to place 
 •it here; intereft inChrift Jefus, by believing on 
 him, brings us to have intereft in the enjoying 
 of him, and ajl that is his ; and can there be 
 any more fought alter, or wifhed for? Are 
 there any, but Would think it a good life, to 
 ke here ? And who are they, of whom he < peaks 
 lb ? It is not of fome fort or ftrange and un- 
 couth folk, that were once in the world, but 
 are now all out of it, and of whom there are 
 none now in it ; it is not fuch as want fin, and 
 derive their- life from their own works ; but it 
 is fuch as are, i. As eonfidered in themickes 
 dead in fins and trefpaffes, and without, spiri- 
 tual life and being ; and who know, that all the 
 pains that they can take, will not acquire it; 
 and who, it may be, are quite dead to their 
 xswn apprehenfion and (erne oftenimes ; and 
 who have judged themfelves, and have the len- 
 ience of death m themfeLves. it is fuch as look 
 to him for the obtaining of life ; and who ac- 
 knowledge him for any life or livelinefs they 
 have ; and who expe& ft,, and bruik it, by ver- 
 tue of his purchaie ; which is that on which 
 ail their plea for life is founded. 
 
 Now I know, that all this will not readily 
 clear fome ; there are fo many things that look 
 counterfeit like : But I am now (peaking to them, . 
 who have fome (ticklings of ipiritual life, 
 which yet are not lb lively, as they can difcern 
 them to be the ftirrings and {ticklings of lite ; 
 and they have a body of death in them, which 
 is ready to extinguifh that life ; and often they 
 -think that it is extinguifhed already: They 
 have eonvi&ions of their own deadnefs, and that 
 things are wrong in their condition, and are 
 quite out of all hopes of righteoufnefs from and 
 fcy themfelves, or from any thing that they have 
 clone, or can do ; and they have fome confuted 
 looks to Chrift, but they cannot rid their r'eet 
 an the matter of their faith, and duties go not 
 To with them as they expected, and would have 
 them. To fuch I fliall (peak a word or two, and 
 dole. i. Iwouldask, Whence comes that flick- 
 ling of life,or feeling of that body of death? What 
 is the original of it f will nature difcover the 
 corruption of nature, and bring folks to be out 
 of love with corrupt nature? Certainly, where 
 tkU is, it's «ot like nature, but is the life tf 
 
 Verfe ia. Serm. 41. 
 
 Chrift ; especially, when it put* fbtk to difcern, 
 and take up their own deadnefs, to quit their 
 own righteoufnefs, and to be content to lay 
 their mouth in the duft, and to betake them- 
 felves to the righteoufnefs of Chrift, it they coukl 
 win to be diftin&.in it-: This looks to be from 
 Chrift, mhcfc Spirit convinces the world cf fin, 
 and of the iin of unbelief in particular; and of 
 right eouf»ejs, as being only to be had in Chrift ; 
 and of judgment, that is, of the reafonablenefs 
 that he fhould have a dominion over them, and 
 that they ihould walk in holinefs : Yet, notwith- 
 standing of albthis, they are hanging in a kind 
 of iu!penc€ and hover, and know not whether 
 to look on themfelves as believers or not ; they 
 wot well that it is not right with them, that 
 they are loft in themfelves, and that no other 
 way will do their turn, but faith in the righte- 
 oufnefs of a Med iator : The thing whereat they 
 ftick and halt> is, that they know not how to 
 through, and maintain the consent that they 
 have given; and they cannot think, that their 
 faith is true faith, becau.'e they know. not how 
 to follow forth the exercife of it ; though they 
 have renounced their own righteourhels, and 
 laid their reckoning, to be in ChrihVs debt and 
 common, for righteoufnefs and life, if eve* 
 *hey come by them : All their difficulty is, how 
 to through their believing. Now it is not to 
 the founding of life, that we are here fpeak- 
 ing ; but to the exercife of life, and to the find- 
 ing out of life: And we fay, that fuch an ex- 
 ercife fuppones life to be, though it be not dif- 
 cernable in it's exercife to the foul itleli. There 
 are many poor creatures born and brought forth 
 into the world, that can neither talk nor walk, 
 but muft be carried and keeped tenderly, and 
 that arc. fomeway, as if they were brought out 
 of the womb ; So is it with many believers-; 
 and it were good to be in ChrinVs common. as for 
 life, fo for bringing life to exercife, and by dili- 
 gence and waiting on him^ in the ufe of his own 
 appointed means, to feek to come to fome di- 
 ftin&nefs in neating, and exercifing of any life, 
 that he hath given : And it is no fmall incourage- 
 ment to this, that Chrift Jhall fee his feed, 
 that he muft have faints and believers in him ; 
 which fliould make poor fouls, that have no 
 life in themfelves, with the more confidence 
 to commit themfelves to him, upon this very 
 ground, that the Father hath engaged to Chrift, 
 that he fhall have many fuch for his feed ; the 
 which promife is performed to him, in the ga- 
 thering in of poor, confufed, and mind-perplex- 
 ed finners. * to be in kis debt ftr life, and to 
 
 hold 
 
Scrm. 42. If a tab <J. 
 
 hold their life of him for ever. I* will fure 
 be no Jmall part of the ground of faints praile 
 rn heaven, that he not only bought life for them, 
 but that he made application of life to them, 
 and trained them on, till he had got them fit- 
 fed to fpeak to his praife ; wherein the body 
 of death makes many a fad flop, and makes poor 
 
 Verfe 1©. 22? 
 
 believers to Aammer, as it were, while they are 
 here. But it's good news, that Jelns Chrift 
 hath bought life, and brought it to light ; and 
 that, by this gofpel, he is making application 
 of it, and declaring that he is content to be- 
 ftow it freely, on all them that will be in his com- 
 mon for it. 
 
 SERMON XLIL 
 
 Ifaiah Ifii. 10 He jball fee bis feed, be jball prolong his days, and the pleafure of the Lord Jbaf- 
 
 profper in bis hand, 
 
 IT was once a riddle, how out of the ftrong 
 could come forth meat, and how out of the 
 eater could come forth fweet; it's here mofl 
 clearly unriddled, and that in a moft wonderful 
 and comfortable manner: Our Lord Jefus, the 
 firong Lien of the tribe of Ju dab , is put to %rief 
 and bruifed, and bis foul is made an offering for 
 fin ; and here is the fweet meat that comes out 
 of it, He jball fee his feed, be fnall prolong his 
 days, &c The fubftar.ee of the words is, That 
 by. his death many fhall be brought to life: It's 
 the fame death that hath given us the hope wc 
 have of life, and all the ground tbat^we have 
 to fpeak of it to you; which had never been, 
 had he not been bruifed and pu-t to grief. 
 
 We ihew, that here is holden forth the Lord's^ 
 great defign in the contrivance of the work of 
 redemption f and that thefe words are a further 
 anfwer to the ftumbling obje&ion propofed be- 
 fore, to wit, How the innocent Son of God 
 could fufrer P \t pleafed the. Father to bru'ife 
 him, wJben he Jball make his foul an offering.for . 
 fin, &c. which juilifies God in that proceeding, 
 and ferves- to wipe away that reproach that 
 might feemto flick to him ; In fum,it is this, If 
 we confider the notable and noble fruits, and 
 comfortable efre#s, that followed on his fufte- 
 rings and death; there is no ground to Humble 
 at God's giving his Son, or at the Son's conde- 
 fcendingas Mediator, to fu/Fer, to be defpiied 
 andput to death : And this isthe 5rft fruit,and 
 cfrea thereof, that He jball fee bis feed; where- 
 by is meaned> that by his death, the eleel:, who 
 are given to him, do by faith in him- receive a 
 new life from him, and are taken in, under a- 
 nioft fweet and kindly relation to him, by their 
 being begotten again to a lively hope, through- 
 his refurre&i>57! from^he dead. 
 
 :We fpoke :o thi> point, that believers/ are 
 tyrffisftedi w ^ch fijews the great privilege 
 
 that they are admitted to, and their great obli- 
 gation to Chrift on that account: They are ob- 
 liged to him for their fpiritual life and being, 
 as children are obliged to their natural parent6 
 for their natural life and being; and infinitely 
 more obliged, inafmueh as the one life is infi- 
 nitely preferable to the other. 
 " There are three things more to be obferved 
 from the words, 1. Confidering them as they 
 (land in dependence on the former ; 'That God's 
 
 * defign in fending his-Son into the world, and 
 
 * the Mediator's defign in coming fo low r , is to 
 c have a feed begotten to the hope of eternal life}. 
 c .and to have poor fouls, dead in themfelves, 
 c fbaiing- of life in and through him ; even to 
 c have m»y partaking of life through his 
 5 . death.' 2. Confidering the words, as fore- 
 telling the event of Chrift's death and fufFer- 
 ings, we have this obfervation from them,'ThaC- 
 c Our Lord's death fhall certainly procure life 
 c to many ; or thus, it cannot be, but his death 
 c muffc have fruit to the laving of louls from*. 
 *: death, and to the making of them partakers 
 c of life.' 3. Looking on the words, as a pro* : 
 aula made to the Mediator, we obferve from. 
 tb;m, 'That the feeing of a feed, is exceeding, 
 
 * much thought of by Jeius Chrift,it pleafed fating 
 c wondrous well ; therefore this promife of a 
 i feed is made to him, to encourage him to h^ 
 c down his life.* 
 
 We fhall fpeak a word to each of theie, and 
 ifcaU leave the confkL ration of the words, aJ- 
 they ho dout, not only our Lord's outliving, 
 bis fufferings, but his feeing a feed on the back; 
 of them,, to the fecond efrcft thafrfoHowSji&^Mf 
 prolong his days. 
 
 For the firft doll fine, we fuppofe it will be> 
 clear, if we confider how the feeing cf his feed \V 
 fubjoined to, and dependeth upon the former 
 words sment his making bis fcyhan otferjng f;r 
 
1}0 Jfalab 53. 
 
 fin ; which holds out this, that the great defign 
 of God, and of Chrifl the Mediator, in his:u- 
 ferings, is to beget a people to. eternal life, and 
 to make way, that finners, naturally dead in f]n, 
 may partake of fpiritual and heavenly life, and 
 rpay be begoten to the hope of eternal life through 
 liim. And what other^defign, I pray, coul4 there 
 be than this ? For the Lord had nothing to pro- 
 cure to bimfelf; to ipe.ak flmply, there could be 
 fio addition made to the glory of God thereby : 
 Therefore it's faid, John 6. 39,40. J/»/j is the Fa- 
 ther's -will that hatb fent me, that of all be hatb 
 given fne, 1 jhould lojs nothing, but Jb-uld raife 
 *t up at the lafl day : And this is the will of him 
 that fent me, that every cne who feeth the S^n, 
 and believetb on bim, may haveeverlafiing life, 
 Qndlvoill raife him up at the lafl day, iTim. 1. 
 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all 
 acceptation; and what is it? That J ef us Cbrifl 
 tame into the worl'd to fave finners : And that 
 John 10. 10. / came, that they might fray e life, 
 4?id that they might havs it more abundantly. 
 
 There are two things that we would fpeak a 
 Word to, for clearing of the dottrine, and then 
 make ufe of it. The \fl is, How this can be 
 God's defign, in Chrifl's humiliation, to beget 
 many fons to life ? 2d/y,How Chrifl's death con- 
 tributes to this defign? For the Firfl, When 
 we fpeak of God's deiign here, we mean not his 
 lafl and ultimate defign, but his immediate de- 
 iign in the gofpel, which is fubfervient to that 
 his laft and ultimate defign ; to wit, the glorify- 
 ing of his grace and juflice, in giving the Medi- 
 ator to fatisfy juflice for dyvour finners, who are 
 not able to fatisfy /or themfelves ; and he having 
 cljofen this as the mids to that highefl end, we 
 *nsfy well fay, that this is his immediate defign 
 in the gofpel, that thereby the glory of his grace 
 Cc juflice might be manifested. 1 or the 2d,whlch 
 ts, How Chrifl's fufferings contribute to this 
 end ? It may be foon cleared, if we confider that 
 there is a twofold lett in the way of finners par- 
 taking of life, which Chrifl's .fufferings do re- 
 move. The ifr lett is a flanding quarrel betwixt 
 God & the eleft, they having finned, and haying 
 nothing to pay their debt ; this our Lord Jefus 
 hy his death removes, he pays the debt,and tears 
 the obligation, called the band writing that was 
 4gainfl them, nailing it to bis crcjs, Col. 2. 
 And, in this refpedt, his death is called a ran- 
 fom for many ; and, in the words before, he is 
 faid to male bis foul an offering for fin, on the 
 the lame aeeount, to wit, that the principal de- 
 bitor might be fet free. The 2d lett is man's ut- 
 ter unfitnefs to wa'k with God : For tho* the 
 4eb£ were taken away, yet they haye no life J buc 
 
 Verfe 10. Serm. 4& 
 
 Jeius Chrifl, by his death, hath laid down a 
 ground how a fuiner may be reconciled to God, 
 and may partake of grace here, and to.be in cafe 
 to walk with God, even while fojourniqg in the 
 world, in fome good meafure, and ef the life oF 
 glory hereafter ; his fufferings are not only a 
 ranfom fur their debt, but aifo a bridge (to fpeak 
 fo) to flep oyer the gulf of the dillance that is 
 betwixt God and them, unto glory, whether he 
 as the Fore-runner is gone before them : In this 
 fenfe, we have our graces, as the fruits of CJirifTs 
 fufferings ; the life of grace, faith, love, per- 
 feverence, S5V. we have alfo prote&ion, pre- 
 fervation, and guiding in the way, till we be 
 brought through to eternal life; as that word 
 is, John 6. 39, 40. cited before, That of all whom 
 the Father hatb given me, lfbiuld iofe nothing: 
 In the ikft refpe<fr, Chrifl is Surety for our debt; 
 in the fecond refpsft, he is Surety for our duty : 
 In the firft refpeft, we are admitted in the cove- 
 nant with God ; in the fecond, we are entertai- 
 ned in it by him, who lives for ever to make 
 interccflion for us. ; 
 
 Ufe 1. See here, belierers, what ye are in the 
 Father's debt for fending his Son, and, what are 
 ye in the Son's debt for coming to die for you : 
 ye behoved' to have born the curfe your v felves, 
 if he had not born it ; but he took it on himfelf, 
 that ye might be freed from it : Thus it ftood 
 with you, ye deferred to be fhut out for ever 
 from God, to have the fword of his juflice a- 
 wakned againfl you ; and be gave bis back to the* 
 fmlters, and^ bis cheeks to them that pluckt off 
 the hair, and was content that the fword of ju- 
 flice fhould awake againfl him, and fmite him, 
 that he might by his ilripes heal you, and by 
 his death procure life to you : Yea, it ilood 
 thus with you, and it could not be otherwife ; 
 the juflice of God being provoked, and the elect 
 being under the curfe, as it is, Gal. 3. 10. Cur» 
 fed is every one tbft continueth not in all things 
 •written in the law to do them : E^ek. 8. 4. The 
 foul that fins fhall die : Either they behoved to 
 die, or the Cautioner •, and our Lord was con- 
 tent to be afin-cjferingytherehy to fet finners free; 
 To be lifted up on the erofs, that be might draw 
 all men after him \ to pay their debt, which all ' 
 the creatures could never have paid : And there- 
 fore we would ask you, if you think heaven and 
 glory to be of worth, and if ye think it to be of 
 great mercy, to be free of wrath to come, and 
 from the damned (late and condition of the re*, 
 probate angels, and of reprobate men and wo- 
 men in hell, and to be admitted to enter with 
 
 Ab.r*hm> if*** **d 3H 9 k WW % fc^om 
 
Semi. 42. </-«" w- 
 
 of God, and into thefe heavenly maniicns ; 
 «re ye not much in (Thrift's debt, 1 
 rec tl is tor you and at iuch a rate, that there- 
 1 nicate to you, who were 
 naturally dead in tretpailes and {jns-i What- 
 ever the reft or the world think of it, it ; 
 you be born again, fs ycu ought in a fptcial 
 marner to think much of it, ic ye will do in 
 fcrrw meafure ; tor ye art as much in Chrift's. 
 non as all that is worth, who was content, 
 that poor finners fticuld psrtake c: him zr.d or 
 the Hit -that is in him, to tafte or c'tath himfelf; 
 and wl hath faid, heeaufe 1 live, ye foall live 
 alj'o : In a moft wonderful way, lis ceath is 
 the price, by which life is communicated to 
 us; and it . would beer me believers well, to be 
 often reckoning, what they are in his debt. It's 
 one of God's great ends in the wv.rk of re- 
 demption, even to have finners efteeming high- 
 ly of, and much raviilied with his grace, and 
 with his love brightly fhining in the way there- 
 of; }et lefs contcience is made or this, than of 
 many other dutits. by believers: We will lend 
 an ear to a practical point o\ doctrine, and will 
 feme way aim to mind it; if we be bidden 
 pray, we will pray; it we be commanded to 
 mortifie fin, we will endeavour it, and fo in o- 
 ther duties : But who minds this as a duty, 
 when we are called of God, to admire, and praife 
 his £iace and lover^'and humbly to glory in 
 him, lo as fericufly to fet cur Icives to tall about 
 it r and yet this were a nod native, proper, 
 and k'ndly exercife- for believers, even likt- the 
 work of thole, who fay. Salvation to cur Gcd> 
 that fits upen the throne, and unto the Lamb, 
 Rev. 7. ic. To bim who lov^d us. and rvafbed 
 us from cur fins in bis ctvn bl cd &c. Rtv. 1. 
 5. To be taken up with fuch fnliloquies in our 
 fclves about this fuhjeer, ano with iuch (orgs 
 of praile to him, v ho lath given us lo 1 c 
 being, and lire, which is conveyed to us by bis 
 blood, is lure a iuitable ufe or this point; for, 
 if cur life be of much worth, he mud be of 
 infinite y much more worth in himfelf. and 
 ihould be fo to us, who pur chafed it at fuch a 
 dear price. 
 
 The 2d Ufe is to exhort you, whom we fup- 
 |>ofe to be renewed, (as time of ycu now hear- 
 ing me are, and O that all of you were) that 
 Whenever ye think of enjoying of heaven, and 
 glory, ye would think ? 10, whence it came to 
 be thus with you: O think on that rock, out 
 of which ye are hewen, as ye are believers, and 
 are intitledto He; and this will lay the natural . 
 pride, which, alas ! too often bejievers haye 
 
 going along with their hope of life, as if they 
 Were forge thing better by nature than others, 
 be'aufe they lave hope to come to heaven : But 
 think this a fo with }ourfclvcs, that there are 
 no thanks to )uu, but U bim, who Itvedy.u, 
 and toafbed y :u jrem ycur fins, in nis evert 
 bleed; which lhouic, make )ou va ! k foftiy, and 
 with a flopped mouth; and in this cafe, every 
 thought or your title unto, and o: >our hope 
 of heaven, would be both Angularly pleafant, 
 and profitable to you. 
 
 Ufe 3. See here, that which maketh the glad 
 tidings of ChrifYs death wonderfully comfort- 
 able : It's much that Chrifl came, and buffered ; 
 but if we add this, that his deflgn in fuifering 
 was to bt-get firmers to a new r and fpiritual ire, 
 to raife and quicken them that were dead in fins 
 and trelpaifes, to pay their debt, and to cancel 
 their obligation, it makes it to be much more 
 wonderful. A as ! we have great want of fpiri- 
 tual affections, that are not more affected with 
 this, even w.th this, tl at the lather fhould f-r.d 
 his Son, and that the Son Ihould come into ths 
 world ; And wherefore ? That he might have a 
 feed ; that poor bodies, that \sere dead and with* 
 out life, might be quickned ; and that fuch. as 
 had no hope of heaven, might have it : That in 
 fuch a way an entry into heaven ihould be made 
 to iinners, this is the wonder. Do ye, belie- 
 vers, indeed believe this, that the Lord's defign, 
 in all the work of redemption, was to bring 
 dead iinners to life ? This is it that makes C.rift 
 get the name of a Saviour, that the Shepherd be- 
 ing fmitten, God might turn bis band en the 
 little ones* 
 
 And therefore, as a 4th Ufe, See here a good 
 ground,whereupon to preach to youby the death 
 of Chrift, the offer of life, and the remiffion 
 of fin, as the apoftle hath it, A&s 13.39,4c. 
 he it hi'- ton there fere to ycu, men and bre- 
 thren, that through this Man is preached unto 
 j/lu the frgivenefs of fins : and by him all that 
 believe, are jufiifiedfrom all things, from robicb 
 ye^cculd not be juflified by the law of Moles : 
 And there is never a text, that ipeaks of tl^e 
 end of ChriiVs fufFcrings, but readily it feme 
 way lays a ground, how a finner iray get ire ; 
 and it is as if it were a proclamation to finners 
 to make the right ufe of what is offered to 
 If our Lord efus had not fuffered, there had 
 not been a warrant for us to fpeak of lire to you ; 
 there had been no treaty with firners, no door 
 opened fbracceis to heaven, no ground for any 
 to call God, Father : Put on the contrary, Chrifl 
 having fuifcred, and fatisfied juflice, it gives 
 B h us 
 
23* Ijdiah $3. 
 
 us ground to make th's proclamation to you, Bt 
 itkn-wn unto you that thro* this Man is preached 
 unto yrufrgivenejs of fas. And thefe two put 
 together, 1. That there is a fufficient price laid 
 down for the fatisfying of the judice of God, 
 for the debt of elect finners; 2. That this is the 
 Lord's defign in laying of the price down, even 
 to procure and communicate life to thenr, accor- 
 ding to that of John 3. 16. God fo loved the 
 to-orld, that he gave his only begotten Son, that 
 tohcfoever bdieveth en bimjhiuld not perijb, but 
 hvye everlafling Ufe\ and that of John 12. 32. 
 And if I be lifted up, I will draw a!! men after 
 me : This demand rates, that there is a fuffici- 
 ent warrant to make ufe of Ghrid, for pardon of 
 fin, and for obtaining of life, through him: 
 For readily the exception is one of two ; either, 
 (1.) That the price will not do the turn ; and 
 that cannot be faid, for the death of Chrid is a 
 price fufficient : Or, (2.) That finners know not 
 what is the Lord's purpofe in it ; this text holds 
 out that, and tells us, it is, that he may have 
 a feed. This is the (urn of the covenant of re- 
 demption; faith the Father, Son if thou wilt 
 lay down thy life- ih:u jljalt fee a feed, that 
 ihallhave life through thy fttffeVings-; and the 
 Lord would have never given his Son to die, 
 if he had not minded the falvation of finners, 
 and to beget, and promove life in them, through 
 his fuiFerirgs; and to what end is the golpcl 
 p-eached, by which life and immortality are 
 brought to light, but that what he hath bought 
 juay be applied to finners' 
 
 And therefore, as- jib Ufe, "We befeech you 
 to concur with Chrid in the defign of his lay- 
 ing down his life : Is it not (think ye) great in- 
 gratitude to him, and great crue'ty, to your 
 felves, that when the Lord hath defigned fuch a 
 thing by the laying down of his lite, that ye 
 Ihould, as far as ye can, dand in the way of it ? 
 !Now his defign is, to have many in his common 
 for life, that he may have a jfed-i and to have 
 poor finners, that are dead and lifelefs in them- 
 Telves, taking with their fin, and coming to him, 
 to get judice fatisfied, and a right to life, by 
 his orfr rinrr ; And is this a prejudicial defign, 
 or unprofitable to finners ? why then mould ye 
 ftand in the way of that ? When our Lord hath 
 defigned finners good, and hath b°en content to 
 lay down his life to make life pofltble to you; 
 when all his defign in dying, is, to have finners 
 faved by their betaking thtmfelvts to him, and 
 that by their betaking chemfelves to him the fe* 
 tind Adam, they may get a right to life trnns- 
 fcrredio.them \ is it lot folly and ewaavfs fo* 
 
 Verfeio. m ' Serm.4** 
 
 iinners, to obdruft what they can this his de- 
 fign ? The apoftle makes u(e of this argument, 
 zCor.y 18, 19. He hath given us the word of re- 
 conciliation, that God was in Cbrifl reconciling 
 the world 4o himfelf not imputing their trefpaf- 
 fes unto them : We therefore, as ambajfadorsfor 
 Chrifi, as though God did befeech y$u by us, «r* 
 we pray you, in Cbrifl's ftead, be ye reconciled 
 to God. And what is the reafon ? For be was 
 made fin f:r us, who knew no /in ; and for this 
 end, that we might be made the righteoufnefs of 
 God in him. A nd is not this the lame argument 
 that is in the text ? Our Lord was made afin-of- 
 firing, that he might fee a feed ; and if fo, then 
 we would intreat you^ if the bleeding bowels 
 of Chriitcan have any weight with you, and iF 
 you would do him a preafure, not to marr his 
 defign, as far as ye can (for he will infru- 
 drably accomplish his defign) and that is to-have 
 fouls brought in to make finners peace with 
 God, and that they may make ufe of his furFer- 
 ings for that end. Need we ufe arguments, 
 to perfwade you to this, which is fo mach for 
 your own good and welfares even to fave your 
 iouls; to come and be reconciled to God, to 
 make ufe of Chrid for life, to prevent the wrath 
 that is to come, and to make heaven fure to 
 your felves; which is impoflibie for you, ho- 
 nedly to aim at, but God fhall hare the glory 
 of his grace and wiidom from you ? And if this 
 be not your aim and endeavour, God will not 
 have- the* glory- of his grace in you, though pafij 
 fively he ihall have the glory of his judice in 
 punifhing you eternally in hell. But that is not 
 his great, and proper defign, in fending of his 
 Son ; for he could have had his glory that 
 w r ay, though he had never fent him into the 
 world: And therefore, in his name, and in his 
 dead, we do again and again ferioufly befeech 
 and folemnly obted you, to give our Lord Jefus 
 fatisfa&ion in this particu l ar. Ye that are go- 
 ing to hell, or are in hazard of it, come to Cbrift 
 Jefus, the Prince of life,- the Purchafer and- 
 Giver of life, and get life from him ; come, 
 as dead finners in your felves, and by the law, 
 to get a new gift of life by his right ; And we 
 propofe this fuit and requ'ed in his name, who 
 tells us that he laid down his life, to get a feed* 
 This gofpel comes to every one of your doors, 
 and fays to you, Will ye be obliged to Chriii 
 for life? will ye be his children ? If the h rl 
 be honed, and ye can fincerly fay, Conttrt^ 
 Lord, and will creep in under his wings, that 
 ye may be found in him, and may be covered 
 with his- righ;eoufaefc> t^re is good ground t? 
 
Jerm. 42. lfslah <* 
 
 -expect, a clofed bargain ; for our Lord purpofly 
 <d"ied, that he might have a fetd^ and is ca.ling 
 •upon you tor this ver> encu and will not go 
 back of his word, if ye be content to largiin 
 with him .* And there:ore 1 would sgain lay un- 
 to you, Shift not his call; It is his dtlign to have 
 a feed, and it fhould be yours to feck to be of 
 that feed : O let him have his errand among 
 you ! i he offer comes (as I juft now faidj to 
 every one -of your doors •, and your anfwer will 
 be, and mail be, eitber^ea or nay ; either that 
 ye are content to be his children, that his 
 grace may be glorified in you •, or that ye arc 
 -rot content, ard that ye will not come to bim, 
 m that ye may have life> as it is, John 5. that ye 
 fcorn to be his feed, and children : But ah ! the 
 day comes, when ye would be glad of fuch an of- 
 fer., and will not get it. 
 
 But, to come a little nearer in the application 
 of this UfcsCi.) Are there not many of you with- 
 out life, yea, hundreds of you ? not one among 
 many is renewed : If ye think your felves to be 
 dead, this word of life and falvation is fent un- 
 to you ; and fure you hare need of it. (2.) 
 There is life inCbrUfto be had, a fair purchafe 
 made, and 2 way laid down, to bring finners to 
 have a right to life ; and are not thefe two, think 
 ye, well met and tryfted ? On what ground then 
 is it bottomed ? Upon one of thefe two, or rather 
 on both of them, implied in this phrafe, of be- 
 ing Cbrift's feed. 1. It implies, that there 
 tea coming to Chrift, as void of life; and an 
 actual trufting to him, for the attaining of life ; 
 that firmers, pricked with fear , or feeling of the 
 wrath of -God, acknowledge Chrift as the Father 
 of their life, and credit him with the applicati- 
 on of life to them. 2. It implies, not only the 
 crediting him with the application of life, but 
 that we commit our felves to be alone in his 
 debt and common, for it ; which is implied in 
 that word, John 5. Te will not ccme to me> that 
 ye may have life : The ufe-making of Chrift, 
 for the attaining of life, is implied in the word 
 coming ; and that is, for fiain and dead fouls to 
 go to Chrift for abfolution and life, called, Heb. 
 7, 25. A ccming to God by Cbrift. And again, 
 it is not, you will not cqjne unto me, that yc 
 may buy or procure life, or work it to your felves; 
 but ye will not come to me, that ye may have it, 
 ye will not be in my common for it : The fir ft 
 word exprefles where we get our life, and that 
 is in Chrift's fundings ; the'fecond word, how 
 we get it, even as the child gets life from their 
 parent, we get it fully and freely conferred on us 
 by him. 60 that the fimilitude fays this much, 
 
 "Verfero." *t% 
 
 Come to Chrift, who hath procured your life ; 
 and t rule )<u; gating 01 li to 1 im on the 
 terms ol gi \ t : .-'■ ni imcc this is ai! ti :\ Chrift 
 fecjes of }ou, not to make ) cur performances 
 ti e fc rourd ot )< ur p tariing for lite, but his 
 puichaie ; and that havirg need on your -fide* 
 ard minds on h s lide, )e fnould come and 
 have; what hinders your doling of a bargain? 
 This is the very thing your falvation Will 
 ftand or fall on ; even on our ) ielding to come 
 to him, ard to be in his common for lite, and on 
 your leaning to his righteoufnefs, or not ; and 
 according as ye act faith or not on him, in this 
 refpeet, lo will the ientence of your abfolution 
 or condemnation pafs in the great day. And 
 therefore, let me befeech you yet again, above 
 any thing to make this lure. And when I fpeak 
 of making it fure, it is not only to have a glance 
 of the thing in you minds, as many may have, 
 to whofe door Chrift comes, when yet they will 
 not go out of doors to him ; nor is it only to 
 have a conviction in your judgment and con- 
 fidence of the reafonablenefs of it, as many of 
 you havefo-many convictions of fin, and of the 
 neceiTity of faith in your judgment, as will.make 
 you inexcusable ; ye are convinced, that fuch a 
 thing fhould be, and there it holds ; the Lord 
 draws you by his word to give alTent to the rea- 
 fonablmefs of the offer, but ye fmother the 
 conviction, ye come Agrippa his length in affen- 
 tingtothe truth, but come no further ; ye laid 
 your account, it may be, that ye could not fave 
 your felves, and that your falvation was- only in 
 Chrift, and ye took that for faith: But believe 
 me, there muft be fomething more than that, 
 even a laying of yourfelves over on h'm, and * 
 making a p plication to birr., to fill the empty room 
 in the heart. I remember of a dying perfon, 
 that had a good word to this purpofe, who, 
 when it was asked at him, How his faith did 
 now differ from that which he had i$ his health? 
 anfwered, When I was in health, I was convin- 
 ced, that I fhould believe ; but now my foul 
 actually cafts it felf on Chrift. The many con- 
 victions that men have, that they fhould believe, 
 will ftick to them, and go with them to hell, 
 and make them the more inexcufable,:'that. they - 
 held there, and went no further. 
 
 6tbly, And laftly, It fervesto be a. ground of 
 expolfulation with many hearers of the go r peI, 
 who have heard of this noble defign, and yet 
 make no ufe of it. O hypocrites formalifts, 
 and prophane perfons, what a reckoning will 
 ye have to make, when this fhall be found on 
 your fcore, ye were dead in iin ; and the Lord 
 H h 2 co«- 
 
1%$ Ifatab $3! 
 
 contrived a drfign to fave \n<\ fmn. Q rs, in tend- 
 ing his Son to.::e an ofpring fgr fi&i and the 
 Son came and ia ; d down his lire; and ye were 
 called and inyit d to cm- r , him, and to have 
 life in h m ; th; glad tidings of redemption 
 v/ere preached, and made r;flR*r ot to > ou ; and 
 Ve wpuld not be content to c'ote with Chi it, 
 but would, lb far as >e could, thwart with him,. 
 in Kis*dt(ign, tho* it coit him his he. rt-b:ood 
 to bring it a outi 'A hat will ;<>me of this ? or, 
 v.:,rit will ve ariwer him for it r Ye will lay, it 
 may be, Thar ye were content to concur with 
 Chrift, and flood not in the way. ot it; but it 
 w-il] be replied, Why then did ve live aftd die 
 in your fin, and bring vour foul to th's dread- 
 ful hazard and !ofs ? Your crr.fjience a*d God 
 will be-.r it in upon you, and \e will not get it 
 fh' tea. that your deilructior was ot )onr lelves, 
 beeauie ye Wou^d rot be lav e' ; ano will i) at, 
 tlunk ye, be a fuitabk and fatisfjing aniv. er, 
 that tiro' Chriil would have law d rm fojil, I 
 Woud not be laved by him, and ttun to go to 
 hell for that ? what a tormenting thing will it 
 be in the conference, that lire was o/fercd to me, 
 on condition of beiicvirg in. Chriil, but I re- 
 futed, or fcomed to take it on that condition I 
 
 Verfe to. _ Serin. 4$ ■ 
 
 Think on it, what ye will think to be lent to 
 hell, becaule ye would not he laved freejy bjr 
 Chriil 5 and to perifh, becaufe ye would not be 
 Ctt'ifl s feed, beoaui'eye Would net t ke with 
 your guilt, that ye might have life from hitif. 
 V> hat, do ve all think that ye have life? are 
 there none icnliMe of their nee of lite from 
 Chriil r Alas that we ftumld be put In often to 
 repeat thele wor J s!. V, e mav a.n-.Ml ineak ro 
 Hones w .th as great hope or lusci Is, us to 'man J 
 cor l\un\s amor^ you that arc babrfuatl 
 dared, ard blinded v.'th prcfumpt ion, bj the 
 god or this wo- d, who hath put ut vour eyes ; 
 bui the day comes, wl en y< v ill knd y ur [1 \ s 
 greatly null ken. ! iha^iniiil n< u th r ,.un y, . 
 iecing that ye are natural j tns and 1 . f- 
 
 palies- and feeing t s d t.go ind\mg 
 
 is to bave' ajeed r u ye wou d-n< r p 1 judge .our - 
 felvcs of iiie. as ve W; u i. , i'o'uf.ld to he 
 
 deipifrs of bis tu/fer ng« ai d ltd as have 
 trode the blood or li e ro'tenant urdt-y toot (i u- 
 dy to m 'ke lur< eternal life to vourie vts. hy 
 betaking your leivcs to htrfi tor -t : or taj ) < ur 
 reckoning to be reputed guilty of this horrid 
 ciime, with all the aggravations of it. 
 
 SERMON XLIII. 
 
 f fafah liii. 10. ~We fhaU fee bis feed, be Jhall prolong his days, and tbe pleafure cf the Lord 
 
 Jball proffer in 01 s band, ^ 
 
 the work of the miniitry (to (peak To) and of 
 the mediatory office of Chriil fliall thrive Wcfl 
 in his hand ; lb that there is net one f< ul, thai is 
 designed to lif-and glory, but it ihahb. brought 
 to the polfcflion of it in duet me. 
 
 There are two things, win" ir \vc hinted at the 
 la If day that we fhal) now ipeak a woid to ; and 
 the firft ot them is th's, 'That it is an a^r^ed 
 4 upon, and aconclu ed irtiele in the cow 1 ant 
 1 of redemption, that our Lord jcius liiill, ab4 
 1 muft bavca/ee^.' This is a mo.il certain and 
 infallible truth; it is an efifeft la'd dtiw^n here, as 
 a ncceflary confequent of his fjtr'ing up if hi$ ■ 
 f ul for fin : It's a determined thing, it we look; 
 1. To toe certainty 01 the tvenr: Our Lord 
 fefus Chtift miift have a feed, tow 't, belitV' rs 
 in him ; that is concluded on ar.d prom led 
 to him..> 2. If we look to the feed that he ft- si 
 
 luve; 
 
 THere is not one reading of thefe words, 
 but it might put us to this wondering 
 <iu flion. For what is it that this great defign of 
 all Cm ill's fufrerii.gs hath he: n drivm and 
 Wiiat iiath be:.n the great « nd of th s "ovenant of 
 redemption, that hath fu h fharp, lore aid fad 
 ftiTe rings fol'owing th reon to the ^.ediator, 
 Who en^agtd in it f T'h ; s world was made with 
 little nolle ( to ia\ fojth re was no ^n^a^ ment on 
 God tor bringing a -out ot that work tho' very 
 great, as there -is in brrgin^ about tin's; this 
 fthc n certain.y mult be a quite oth r thing that 
 hath an off ring, and lu :li ah on? r;ng as bad 
 in it the bruifi :g and d\ mg of the erlon, that 
 Was the Son ot God, int rp o ed or the obtam- 
 ang ot it. But th's anfwm the qu fli-m, He 
 Jhall fee bis Je^d. &:*. Which, in fum is this, his 
 life ltUii pr. >cure life to. tinny' dal linnc is, and 
 «hu) ih^ll gej it ccruinly ^pfiicd to tUciu : And 
 
Serm. 43. Ifarah ty 
 
 have ; they are particularly determined upon, 
 t< wic. ho a' man) children he ill ill have, and 
 Who the:) ihJll be .* That wai both a promife in 
 the covenant, and a prp'p"ecy, as we have it, 
 P/*/. 22. 'when: the pf. I mi ft fpeaking before of 
 C briftj fa} s, v<r»/<r jo- ji.feed Jhal! fcryc dim* it 
 JbaJ he ace mted to the Lgrd f / agenerati .->:and 
 this is laid d /wii asa tohd eon *luiion f,on6.^j. 
 All toat lot father halo given me jball aijne unto 
 me ; which uippon 5, both a determinate num- 
 ber given, and the certainty or their coming : 
 Become of the r- it cti the world what may, they 
 ihall undoubted y ;omci And indeed, if we 
 look to the nature oi this tranlacft on, we will 
 find it to be a prom.f , arid i prwmiic or God to 
 the iViediator, that can neither b* a tend, nor 
 unaccom.viihed ; yaa ; it'sa covenant d promife, 
 fltfde on a .oniirion, to wit, the laying do n 
 oi us Irije, as the (lipulation on his ilde ', and 
 that which he h.itn tor 10 doing from the father 
 On his Ire, is this. That be Jball fee bis feed : 
 And v\hcn th s is not on'.y a promife, but iuch 
 • a promile as is grounded on a tranfac"hon, bear- 
 ing a condition, which ..he :on hath perform d, 
 as .ie himi I faith, j on 17.4. I oave Jinijbsd 
 toe ro.ik vooichtb u gave ft me to da \ then is - a 
 juifc. .e and rathfu neis in the performance of 
 th's pi*omife on the father's fide to him. that he 
 jball oave a feed, 3. It's clear alio, if we con- 
 sider the ena or' this trania^tion, which is, to 
 glorwy the grace of God by ChriiVs purchafe, 
 in ihe la'vation of ele<5t iinners ; in nfped: of 
 this end, it cannot fail, but Chrift muit have a 
 feed, that the end may be attained : So th n, 
 our Lord ] el is oilift have, and certainly Ihail 
 have, many that ihad partake of eternal life by 
 him. . 
 
 The lit Ufe oi it ferves to let us fee the un- 
 warrantable nJs of" that doctrine, tijat Laves the 
 fruit oi- Chrift's death, as to ihe feeing >fafeed\ 
 to an uncertainty, U) ing the weight :' of it on 
 man's free-will *, a thing that is ven taking with 
 rscaural men and witn coneeity carnai rcafon : 
 But if it were left to mens option, to receive 
 Chrul or nut, then the execution of the work 
 or redemption and th;'- pc rfonv.*nce»of inch a pro- 
 as this is, lxhovtd to have t. e certainty of 
 it iubje&ed to man's wi'h and lhould be made ef- 
 fect aa or not, as he p leafed ; L>ut it's God's great 
 ni-r •>• to us, t at we know it is n/)t To ; and 
 th-.t there is an equity here (to ip ak with re- 
 verence, of the >:ajeily of God) that feeing our " 
 Lor 1 fetus hath' done his part, the pro 
 fhould be made e.fe&uai to hint; and that he 
 Jkould have a feed* ■ 
 
 Verfe 10. 
 
 Ufe 2. Itlayeth a ground, .ferving great- v to 
 quiet us in the ree'ing of tinv s, When rhe 
 Worlc is g< in 2, fbrough-otht r, 'and turned up- 
 ilde down, ard when we are di'nofd to ; 
 der, what will become o tne'v fif/rdi, that: is 
 now foreix <tftau!ted. and marje to (tagger -, v hat 
 by the old enemy Antichfifl* who is b,-;lirring 
 him r c!r mightily; ; what through abounding fe- 
 cur.ty, and formality, whereby Satan is leaking 
 to draw away- many, forne to error. a r C foiW to 
 profanity : But tho' Aniichrift, and t'he dtvil, 
 with all their t miiiarits and a^ n'ts, lad (c'd the 
 contrary, our Lord [efus IhaW have a f>ed : \'i 
 may be, th y are not tie plurality of a kingdom, 
 or nation.of a city, or of a congregation, but fhey 
 . ih'al be io many, as lhall ierve u> the mak'.ng out 
 of tlie promife. . Our Lore, m kes uie o; this, 
 J bn 6. 37. and 44. w here, v h n a number are 
 turn n^ away from him, he fa>s, MurmUi^hcf- 
 at tbis nv man can crme to me except the Father 
 ibai fent me .draw oi m \ and. All that toe Father 
 buib given me, Jball c<me t me : \ will gt t as 
 many (as it he had faidj as are appointed to re- 
 ce;v. m\ wo d rrom my feif or from my ferj 
 vants Ip.akm^ in my rame : as for others, I 
 look not for the;n. It's true,we w r ouid beware of 
 having any fin iii acceifion to the marring pf the 
 pro'grefs of the gofpei and be fuitably affected 
 Wain any iiich thing in oth rs ; but withal, we 
 would re.verence the Lore's fovtreignty, who 
 knows how to have a care or" his Char. :h in the 
 yvorit of tim s : And let us quiet our hearts, 
 amidif. all the reelings and cohhilions of thefe 
 times, that our Lord lhall have a feed, and tha^ 
 he ihall not want any of all thefe that are gven 
 h'm of his Father., but fhail raiie them up ac 
 the lail day.' 
 
 UJe 3. Seeing this is the Lord's defign, \t 
 weuld commend to the hearers of the go! pel, a 
 ihidy to concur in this defign (if we may 
 f'pc k fo) in thwir pirbU *k and private ftaiior.s, 
 in reference to thcmfulves, and in reference 
 to others : \s it the Lord "3 d fi o n, that 
 Ch*ri(l lhall have a feed, fo we would- rnak'e it 
 ours. We may mod fafcly fife, and ibike 
 in here with the' Father, Son, and Holy GhofL 
 wh.de- defi c -,n runs on this ', ar.d (to !peak (o) 
 they liave, muit nave; and lhall have a poor 
 and cold ^amc of it, who thwart with the 
 Lord in his -defign, whoever they be, and in 
 whatever ftation or capacity, pub'.ick or pri- * 
 vate- As it is no v.ifdom, fo it will be no 
 advantage, to ftru;,g]e or fti ive w ith God ~ But '■■ 
 here is m.ittxr o': greit enc< ur^geaiientj to any - 
 *b*t would iiaye the ^oipei proi^crin^,' re'Jfj- 
 
 mp - 
 
2$ 5 Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 gion countenanced, error fuppreflfed, the power 
 of godlinels promoted, and prophanity born 
 down; that our Lord Jefus Chrift does concur 
 with them in the fame defign. I know not any 
 other defign that a man can ftrike in with, 
 without tear to come fhort in it, but .this ; 
 and whofoever ftrike in with this, it fhall not 
 mifgive them, for Chrift fhall have a feed : And 
 tho' we cannot, nor ought not abfolutely and pe- 
 remptorily, to defign particular perions ; yet in 
 the general, we ought to concur, to have the pro- 
 mile made to Chrift, 0/0 feed performed to him. 
 And indeed it is no (mall privilege and» preroga- 
 tive, that we are admitted, by prayer, br any 
 other way, to concur with him in this defign ; 
 according to that memorable word of promife, 
 concerning/this matter, P/0/.72. 1*5. Prayer alfo 
 Jball be .made for him continually, and daily Jball 
 be be. -prat fed. 
 
 ^Lffe 4. There is here great encouragement to 
 pinners, that are in their own apprehenfion 
 void of life, and have fome fenfe of their dead- 
 ■mefs, and would fain be at Chrift for lite," and 
 have him for their Father i Such, I fay, are, by 
 this do&rine, encouraged to ftep to ; for it's a 
 thing determined and promifed : Andfince it is 
 fo, we may and ought to efTay and endeavour 
 that he may have a feed, and may be fure it 
 will not difpleafe him that we endeavour to 
 offer our felves to be of his feed. It's a foolifh, 
 and yet often a puzzling and perplexing doubt, 
 4that comes in the way of ferious fouls, when 
 they offer to come to Chrift, that they know 
 not but that they* may be prefuming : If there 
 be any acquaintance with God's and Cbrift's 
 defign, manifefted in the gofpel, there is no 
 ground for fuch a doubt ; and fuch a foul may 
 as well queftionj whether will God and the 
 Mediator be pleafed, that the promife made to 
 him of a feed be performed ? Certainly it will 
 he difpleafing to neither of them, but well plea- 
 fing to both ; and therefore the finner would 
 be ftrengthned on this ground, and take it for 
 granted in its addrefles to God, that fuch a 
 thing is de/igned, to wit, that Chrift fhall have 
 a feed. 
 
 Ufe ^.Tt'.fhews what muft be the condition 
 that others ftand in, who do not come and make 
 offer of themfelves to be Chrift 1 's feed : they do, 
 in fo far as they can, thwart with God's de- 
 fign: And this will come on their account, 
 that if Chrift fhould never have a feed, they 
 would not for their parts betake themielves to 
 him, nor be of his feed ; but, as far as they 
 could .would ftand in the way of the performance 
 . of this promife; to him: And this will be 
 
 Verfe I©- Serm. ^. 
 
 ground of a fad challenge from T3od ; I defin- 
 ed that Chrift my Son ihouli have &J~eed, and I 
 engaged by promife to give it to him ; and ye 
 fcorned and dildained (to fprak io with reve- 
 rence, in fuch a fubj eV) to fatisfy God that 
 far, as to yield to Chrift, to bt ot his feed, that 
 that promife might hav,e its accompliihment in 
 you. 
 
 1. From the words.comp'exly confidered, 0b- 
 ferve, c Fhat Chrift's having and obtaining of a 
 ' feed; his getting oi' fouls to believe in him, is 
 c a thing moft welcome, *and acceptable, both to 
 * Jehovah that makes the promife, and to the 
 1 Mediator to whom it is promifed/ There is 
 nothing that pleafes God and the Mediator 
 better, than for loft finners to betake thern- 
 fejves to Chrift, and his righteo^fnefs, for life ; 
 it's the fatisfa&ion that he hath for the travel of 
 his foul ; it's the recompence here promifed to 
 him ; it's (to fpeak after the manner of men) 
 asii the Son were laying, V\hat fhall I get, if 
 I lay down my life for finners? Here the Fa- 
 ther promifeth, Thou fhalt fee thy feed, that 
 is, many fhall believe, and be juftified through 
 thy death ; and this is fo acceptable 'to the Me- 
 diator, that he lays, Lo, 1 come, in the vo- 
 lume of thy booh it is written of me, 1 delight t§ 
 do thy will, my God ; and Heb. 10. the a- 
 poftle fays, By this will we are fanttifed ; he 
 fought no more but this, for all his lufferings 
 and foul-travel. And that it is no It's acceptable 
 to Jehovah, that makes the promife, is as clear ; 
 therefore, in the laft part of the verfe, it is laid, 
 The pleafure (the will or the delight) of the 
 Lord Jball prof per in his hand ; that is, the en- 
 gaging of fouls to believe (which is God's de- 
 light, as well as the Mediator's) fhall thrive,fuc- 
 ceed and profper well. It's this that, fobn 17. 
 Chrift calls thefini(bing of the work which the Fa- 
 ther gave him to do ; What is that ? Thine they 
 were, and thou gaveft them me : It's even his 
 ftepping in betwixt juftice and them, to make 
 way for their reconciliation through his blood ; 
 and this is very delightlom and well pleafing to 
 Jehovah. It is true, this delightfomnefs is not 
 to be lb under.ftood, as if there were fuch af- 
 feftions and paffions in the Lord, as there are in 
 us 5 But it is attrii utxd to him, in thefe rtfpe&s, 
 1. It's called pleafing and delightfom to him, as 
 it agrees with his reveaVd will and command ; 
 and fo it cannot be conceived but to be plea- 
 fing to God, as that which he commandeth, 
 calleth for and approveth r In which refpeft, 
 the holintfs of them that will never be holy, 
 and the faith of them that will never believe, 
 
Serirr. 43« 7 f a ' iab *>1* 
 
 is, or may be called pleading to God. 2. It is 
 called pleafing to the Lord, in rcfpedV of the 
 end, and as it is a mids to the glorifying of 
 his grace, and the performance of his promife 
 to the Mediator •, for by this his grace comes 
 to be glorified, and he hath accefs to perform 
 what he hath promifed to the Mediator. 3. 
 It's pleafant to him, becaufe in this the Lord 
 hath a fpecial complacency, and hath evidenced 
 in his word comparatively a greater delight in 
 finners clofing with Chrift, and in their accep- 
 ting of lite through him. than in many other 
 things : Therefore it is, that he calleth for this 
 fo preflingly ; and when Chrift is not thus 
 made ufe of, he declares himfelf to be grie- 
 ved, and that there is a fort of defpite done to 
 him; whereas, upon the other fide, he takes it 
 (dare I fpeak it with reverence} as a cour- 
 tci'y and honour put upon him, when a foul 
 gives up it felf to him, and dare hazard the 
 weight of its immortal foul on his word ; In this 
 refpeeV Abraham is faid, 'Hem. 4. (ogive glory 
 toGodyVfhen he trufled himfelf,his foul,and all his 
 concerns,to him \ and we will find,that believing 
 is accounted to be a ; honouring- of the Father, 
 and of the Son, if we compare the 24, and 25 
 yerfes of John 5. together. 
 
 The ifl Ufe ferves.to let you fee, That not 
 only do the Father and our Lord Jefus Chrift 
 call finners to believe, do warrand them to-be - 
 lieve, and lay down grounds, whereupon they 
 may found their faith ; but they alio declare, 
 that it is well-pleafing to them, and that they 
 lhall be very welcome that come. The carriage 
 of the father of the prodigal, Luke i^.is but a 
 little fhadow of that welcome that a finner, in 
 returning to God by faith in fefus Chrift, may 
 expect ; tho' indeed that parable fhews plainly, 
 how hearty a welcome returning finners may 
 expeft; It was meet (Taith he) that me jbould 
 make merry, and be glad \ for this thy brother 
 teas dead, and is alivs \ and was hofl> but is,. 
 found again. 
 
 Ufe. 2, It ferves to banifh away that un- 
 worthy apprehenfion, that is in the minds of 
 too many, that ttare is greater rigidity and- 
 aufterity in Cod the Father, than there is in 
 the Mediator towards poor finners. If we look 
 to God as God, his grace abounds in the Per- 
 fonof the Father, as it doth in the Perfon of 
 the Son ; and H we look to- the Son as God, 
 he is the fame juft God, that will nut acquit 
 the guilty, more than the Father will do ; fo 
 that there is no ground for this apprehenfion, 
 $hich fofters a iort of blafphcxnous concepti- 
 
 Verfe 10. i$f 
 
 on of the bleflfed Trinity, as if they were of 
 different natures and difpofitions, moft unbe- 
 coming Chriftians: Hence is it,that many, who 
 are ignorantof God, will fpeak of 'Chrift as be- 
 ing eafier to be dealt withal than the Father 
 is \ a conceit mod derogatory to the divine Ma- 
 jefty, and unworthy of Cbriftians. Indeed, if 
 we abftra& God from the Mediator, there is no 
 dealing with him ; but if we look on God, and 
 Some to him in the Mediator, there we find' 
 him eafy to be dealt with : Therefore, that- 
 which is called the fat is faction of the Mediator, 
 verfe 1 1. is called here, the pleafure of the Lord, 
 becaufe he delights in the performing of his 
 promife to the Mediator, in reference to his 
 having of a feed. It is from this alfo,that fome* 
 folks will pray to- Chrift, as if he were a diffe- 
 rent Thing or Being from God ; and they would 
 firft make their peace with Chrift, and then, by 
 his moyen, briig themfelves in good terms 
 with God. The Mediator indced,confidered as 
 Mediator, is different from God, who, without 
 him, or out of him, is a confuming fire : But, 
 confidered as God, he hath the fame properties,, 
 and gives pardon on the fame terms ; and, in 
 this refpe&, we are to make ufe of his own 
 righteoufnefs for obtaining, of pardon from 
 himfelf, there being but one God. There is 
 occafion too frequently to meet with this er- 
 ror, and I know not how many inconveniences 
 it hath following upon it : Some think that" 
 they are always hire of Chrift's- friendfhip, but' 
 they, doubt of God's * as if the Father had not 
 the fame delight to fave finners, that Chrift the 
 Son hath. And another abufe follows on the. 
 formir,that there is no more ufe made of Chrift, 
 but by aw T ord of prayer to him, without ex- 
 ercifing faith on his Godhead : If.therewere 
 no more to rectify this grofs miftake, this al oner 
 text might do it ; if _ye make ufe of Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs, ye may expect friendfhip 'from the 
 Father, and from the Son ; 4 and if ye do it not^ 
 ye have no ground to expecl: friendihip from ei- 
 ther of them. 
 
 Ufe 3. There is here ground of g^ad tidings 
 to finners, and that which makes the cove- 
 nant of redemption to be defervedly called tho 
 GofpeU and that made the'angeis to fing, Glorf 
 be to God in the higheft, fface on eartb;and goc& 
 roill to men \ that there is fuch a covenant lucT 
 down, for bringing life to dead finners ; and that 
 the Father and the Mediator are delighted, 
 contorted, ttcHay fo) fatisfied, and well pleafed 
 w'th finners miking ufe of the Mediator for 
 life. Is there then any finner here, whof* 
 
£3$ t • Tfa'rah 53 
 
 conic'tmce lavs onen to him m*s Hazard, ap- 
 plies the curie to him, arid paffes fentence on 
 
 lniieli, ard hath ionic deiire to be at Chrhl, 
 «nd yet wois no: it* he will hold out the gol- 
 d n iceptre r Behold, this text doth .hold it out 
 to fuc!\, and bids them come in boldly, for 
 Chriit makes them welcome ; yea, the Lord 
 Jehovah makes th. m welcome : *t*s the Father's, 
 and Chrilt's delight that thou come forward. 
 If there be a doitrine in all the fcri'pttfre (weet, 
 it's this ; and, without this, no preaching, nor- 
 ]!>ointof truth, would be f weet : 1 iay, without 
 filis, to wit. that God hath not only provided 
 a price, and m akes offer of it, but is well con- 
 Cent that it be made ule of; yea, and is,de!igh- 
 ted, thatafinner, dead in him'elf, trull, and con ■ 
 credit himfeli" to the Mediator, for obtaining of 
 life through him. And can there be any que- 
 ftion of this? For, 1. If it had not been the 
 Lord Jehovah his delight, why then did he .make 
 fuch a coven, nt? why did he (as it were) part 
 and funder with the Son of his love ? why 
 did he accept of a Cautioner ? and why tranf- 
 ferred he on his own Son, and exacted of him, 
 the debt that was due by elect Tinners, and 
 made the fword of his jutlice to awake againft 
 him ? If he had not had a great delight in the 
 falvation of finners, would he have taken that 
 way, to fmite the only Son of his love, to fpare 
 them ? And if it had not been the Son's plea- 
 sure, would he- with fuch delight have under- 
 taken,-.^ done the Father's will, in reference to 
 their falvation, LoJ come(hizh he) J delight to do 
 tby wilh my God : It was the Father's will, and 
 he had a delight in it ; and it was the Son's will 
 and delight, and he came, and, according to his 
 undertaking, laid down his life. 2. Wherefore 
 elfe are all* the prbrnifes and encouragements 
 that are given to finners to believe ? as that of 
 Mattlh 1 f. 28. Come unto me y ally? that labour, 
 and are heavy laden, &c. and that, 2 Or. 5. 20. 
 Were both are put together, We are ambaffa- 
 dors for Chrift, as though G d did befeechycu by 
 us, voe pray you, in Chrift0s flead, be ye reconci- 
 led to God, Miniilers prels you in the name of 
 God, and by vertue of a warrant from him, to 
 "be reconciled ; and they have Chrilt's warrant, : in 
 a more peculiar manner, as the great Prophet of 
 bis Church, to tell you ; it's a thing that the 
 Lord Jehovah and jie Mediator have pleafure 
 in, even in this, that ye fhould he reconciled. 
 . 3. Wherefore are the many expostulations with 
 iinners, that they will n.t come to thrift for life, 
 that they will n t be g*ihcrea } that when be 
 first :b'es out bis baud all the day long, they will 
 
 VerTe to. Serm. 43. 
 
 net Heboid him? Szc, Do not all thefe confirm this 
 truth, that there is nothing he is beti. r p eafed 
 with, than with a dinner's coming to Chrifi for 
 life ? Let me therefore befeech you, by the love 
 tint ye pretend to Jefiis Chriit, and in his 
 name, and in the name or Jehovah, obt.lt jou, 
 be ye reconciled to God in Chrill ; let aim have 
 fatis'action ; let this pleafure be done to the 
 Lord, even to receive liic from him : '1 his is no 
 hard nor hurtful, no unrcalonahle nor rigid re- 
 queft, I am hire; all that he requires of you, 
 is, that ye Would come to him, and get life ; 
 O / if ye could but fuitably apprehend this to 
 be that which the Lotd aims at, in this preach- 
 ed gofpef, that we might (to lpeak fo with re- 
 • verenee) put an obligation on the Kajeily of 
 God, in making lure, in this his own way, the 
 falvation or our own iouls:,and that we o-uid not 
 do him a better turn : (But i pray take the ex- 
 preflions right, for we cannot let forth his love, 
 but in our own language, which comes infinite- 
 ly far fhort of the thing) we could not find 
 in our hearts to reiufe to grant fuch a tar- 
 ing, and highly rational a rcqueft. As it is 
 fure then upon the one fide, that we cannot 
 do that which will pleafe him better; fo it's 
 as fure on the other fide, that we cannot 
 do rhat which will difpleate him more, than 
 to flight his counfel in this. Though we 
 would gSve our bodies to be burnt, and all our 
 goods to the poor", he will not count it a pleafure 
 done film, ir\ this be not done : We would 
 look upon this, as low eondefcendency, and great 
 grace in the Lord, that he feeks |p more of us, 
 but the making lure eternal life to our idves, as 
 that which will be moll pleafing to him .-, it's 
 even as if a Ion fhould lay to his father, 
 Father, what wfll plea e thee ? And as the 
 father fhould fay to his fon, Son, have a care 
 of thy felf, and that will pleafe me', becaufe, 
 by our lo doing, he rtachcth his great end, 
 to wit, the glorifying of his grace and love, 
 which finners., by their unbelief, do what in 
 them lieth to, mar and ohltruA. If we could 
 fpeak ferioufly to 'you in this matter,, it might 
 be a text to lpeak on everyday ; Always, tee- 
 ing he hath purchased redemption to finners at 
 a de.v rate, and all that he requires of you, is 
 to clofe with him, and to feek after the applica- 
 tion of his pur:afe; we again earneftly pray you, 
 be ye reconciled to God, and take heed that ye 
 receive not this grace in vain. What can ye do 
 that will be pleafing. to God, or profitable to 
 your lelves, without this ? Or what fruit of the 
 gofpel can be brought forth, when this fruit is 
 
 not 
 
.Verfe ii. *if 
 
 tably ; and partly afraid, left we be foiind, as 
 far as we can, thwarting with, and running crofs 
 unto God's good -will and defign in it, not- 
 
 •withttanding all the favour and grace he hath 
 made offer of to us. It were good that we car- 
 ried ferious meditation on this lubjeft along witk 
 
 Serm. U* !fa*ab ^. 
 
 is not brought forth, if Jefus Chrift in his offi- 
 ces get not imployment, and if his offering 
 be not iied to for making of your peace ; We 
 may, in confideration or this great and. grave 
 fubjeft, go from the congregation partly re- 
 freined, that there is (uch a do&rine to be fpo- 
 ken of, tho* we cannot, alas ! fpeak of it tui- 
 
 SERMON XLIV. 
 
 Ifaiahnii. \\. He jball fee the 'travel of bis fuL and Jball be fttisfied-: By bis knowledge Jkall ttQ 
 rigotecuk ; Servant jufiify many ; for he jball bear tbeir iniquities* 
 
 IHis is a great work that the Mediator hath that wherein the price of their redemption lay's 
 to do i a great price that he hath to lay And the greatneis and extremity of his furfe- 
 
 rings, here called travel*, from the fim litude of 
 a woman in travel, and the travel of his foul , 
 
 His is a great work that the Mediator hath 
 to do y a great price that he hath to lay 
 down tor the fatifying of divine juftice, and 
 for redeeming or the loft ele& : Now, what 
 lhall he have tor all -the travel of his ioul ? 
 Here it is anlwtred, and the. terms of the co- 
 venant of redemption again compended. As 
 for the effects and fruits of his death, fpoken of 
 in the dole ot the former verfe^ He Jball prolong 
 bis days, that being fpoke/i to, on the matter, 
 from verfe 8. and the pleafure of the Lord 
 jball profper in his band, being .poken to by a- 
 nother lately in your hearing, trom fobn 17. 4. 
 and in part by us. from verfe 10. now read o- 
 vtr again; we fhall forbear further fpeaking to 
 them, and corn* to that which follows in the 
 llth verfe. 
 
 In this verfe then there are thefe three. .1. An 
 o£er and promile made to the Mediator, That if 
 he-will accept of the propofal, and lay down his 
 life for redeeming of the loll ele&, itfhall,not be 
 fruitlels, He jball fee the travel of bis foul and 
 JbaObe fatisfitd. 2. The way how this fatisfacH- 
 on lhall be brought about, By bis knowledge Jball 
 tny righteous Servant juflify many \ that is, by 
 faith in him, his purchale lhall be applied to all 
 thefe for whom he fhould fuffer, who thereby 
 fhould be jullified. 3. The ground of this, 
 which alfo ihews the way how he lhall juftify 
 many, For be fhall bear their iniquities ; that 
 is, by his undertaking,and paying of their debt, 
 he fhould meritorioufly procure their abfolu 
 tion, and the fitting of them free. In the rirft 
 part, we have thefe three things impl ed. 1. A 
 fuppofed condition, or reilipulation on the Me- 
 diator's fide, that his fou' fhall be, put f travel; 
 which expreffes both the nature ofhisfurferings, 
 that they fhall not only be bodily, but alfo, and 
 mainly, fou! furferings, and coniii&s with the 
 wrath ot God, which the cle&s fins deferred, 
 » the main and principal thing articled, and 
 
 This being the way foretold, how Chriil fhould 
 be ufed ; he fhould travel in his furferings, to 
 procure life to his people. 2. A promifemade te 
 him, That hi jball fee the travel of his foul, th'afi 
 is, he fhall not bring forth wind, but lhall have 
 a large offspring, which, in the 2d part of the 
 verie, is called zjuftifying qJ man) 'by bis know 
 ledge: This is the fruit he fhall have of his foul* 
 travel. 3. The extent of this, which is, his being 
 jatisjiedy and quiet ; which looks to two things, 
 (1.) i'o the certain and infallible fuccefs of his 
 furferings-? Not one of the elecl: fhall be amiffing, 
 none that he hath bought lite to fhall want it ; 
 he fhall get as many jullified and laved, as he 
 conditioned for. (2.) 10 the great delight and 
 complacency that our Lord hath, in performing 
 the work ot redemption, and in linners getting 
 the benefit of it : He lhall think ail w j U beilow* 
 ed, when they come -to get the application there- 
 of, and by faith in him to be justified. From 
 the full of thefe, Obferve, 'That the Mediator, 
 ' in performing the work of redemption, and in 
 f fatisfying the jullice of God for the debt of 
 
 * elecl: finners, was not only put to external and 
 
 * bodily, but alfo, and mainly, to inward, lpi- 
 £ . ritual and foul-fufferings : Or, The redeeming 
 ' of loft finners coft our L< rd Jefus much foul- 
 c -travel and fuff ring.' We have hinted ar his fuf- 
 terings often Ix tore, but this place efpecialljr 
 
 ' fpeaks out-his foul-fuff rings, and the inward 
 anguifh and agony that he was brought under: 
 We lhall therefore fpeak a little to this, it bein£ 
 moll ufeful, and extenfive in the fruits and be^ 
 nefits of it, to the people of God ; and lhall, 
 )fl. Confirm it by fome places in the gofpcl,wher« 
 we have the fulfilling of this prophecy clearly 
 holden out to us j And 2dly y By a fourfold rea- 
 
fc$ ffaiab <§. • 
 
 ibn : Only, take this for an advertifement, That 
 when we fpeak of the foul- fufFerings of our Lord, 
 we do not mean of any fufFerings after death (as 
 Papiils falfly calumniate us) but of thefe fufFe- 
 rings efpeq^Uy'/that were about the time of his 
 pafhon,-wTien he got the full cup of the Father's 
 wrath put in his hand, towards his approaching 
 to the crofs, and when he was upon it, when he 
 was arraigned, and when he was exafted upon for 
 the ele&s debt. The fir/} paifage, to confirm it, 
 is that of John 12. 27. Now is, my foul troubled, 
 and tvbatJb'aU I fay ? Father, fdve me from this 
 hour : Here his foul-lurferings begin clearly to 
 ihew themfelves,whe.n there was no crofs,rfor dif- 
 fering in his body ; yet he is put to fuch a pinch, 
 considered as Man, that he is, in a manner, non- 
 pluffed, and put to hy\Wbat fhall I fay r the hor- 
 ror of that which was begun, and was further 
 coming on him,being beyond all expreifion;where- 
 upon follows that prayer, Father, fav? me from 
 this hour : His Unlets humane nature fcarring 
 fome way to enter on it. The 2d paftage is that 
 of John 13. 21. where it's faid, that He began to 
 be troubled in fpirit,and teftified,&c. But let us 
 come forward 5 and put Matthew, Mar fond Luke 
 together, and we fhall fee what an inexpreffible & 
 unconceivable height Sc heap of forrows,his foul- 
 trouble and travel will amount to: Matthew fays, 
 Cb. 26. 37, 38. that He began to be forrow ful,and 
 very heavy \ and in the next words, My foul is 
 exceeding forrowful, even unto death : And what 
 made him fo forrowful ? The next words, Fa*, 
 tfrer, if it be poffible,let thk cuppafs from we,fhew 
 that it was- the cup of his Father's wrathful ju- 
 ftice put in his hand. Mark fays, Chap. 14. 33. 
 that when he' came to the garden, be began to be 
 fore amazed, and very heavy : A wonderful ex- 
 greflion to be ufed of the Son of God, that the 
 JPerfon that was God fhould be ama\ed\ yet,be- 
 Irrg confidercd as Man, he was fo. Luke fays, 
 €bap. 22. 44. that being in an ageny, he prayed 
 more earneflly: There is afore exercife, and fad 
 ibul-travel indeed, when the fvvord of God's jti. 
 ilice awaked againft the Man that was God's Fel- 
 hw ? and when he hath the curfe that was due to 
 all the elecVto enrounter and meet w : th ; this 
 was fu:h a combat, the Eke whereof ^\as never 
 in the world, and the eff St of it is Hs fweat as 
 great drops f f blood falling d.wnt, the ground. 
 'When there Was no hand or 'man flirring him,nor 
 -any man to trouble him by him; but God, as 
 ,a'fevere, and holily rigid Kxadtor, pitting him 
 2o pay the debt, which he had undertaken to pay, 
 iaccording to his obligation j the inward pref- 
 ix* ®f Jai* feu) pre&d grip £rop$ of jplggjl 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 44. 
 
 from his body. And if we* will yet look a 
 little forward to Mattb. 27. 46. we will find 
 him brought to that extremity on the crofs,that 
 he cries, My God, my God, why hafi thou for fa- 
 tten me ? Which tho 1 it fay, that there was ftill 
 faith 1 in the Mediator, in^dhering to the Father 
 as his God ; yet it fets out that great horror 
 which .he had inwardly to wreftle with, when 
 there was fome reftraint on the fenfibly comfor- 
 ting influence of the Godhead : Mow, when all 
 the evangelids concur fo maflily, emphatically, 
 and fignificantly to exprefs this,wealing out,and 
 pitching upon fuch weighty words to fct it 
 forth by; we may fee it to be defignedly holr 
 den forth, as a lpecial truth, that the faith of 
 the people of God may be flrongly confirmed 
 therein. 
 
 To confirm it yet further, put thefe four to- 
 gether. 1. The eflate that the ele& are natural- 
 ly lying in, for whom Chrifl undertakes ; they 
 are naturally under fin, liable to the curfe of 
 God for the tranfgreifing of his law, which 
 had faid, The foul that fins Jhall 'die , 3Lr\d,Curftd 
 is every one that tontinueth not in all things 
 written in the book cf the law to d) them. 2. Add 
 to this,the fuppofition of Chriit's undertaking to 
 be the ele&s Cautioner, and to fatisfy for their 
 debt ; whereby he fteps into their room, takes 
 on their debt, and (as the word is, 2 €cr % 
 5. ult. Becomes fin for them) is. content to be 
 liable to, and to be purfued by jufticefor their 
 debt : And tho' here there be a relaxation in 
 refpeft of the perfons of the elecl, for whom the 
 Cautioner (lands good, yet, in refpecl of the 
 curfe and death due to them, there is no relax- 
 ation, but the fame thing due to them is laid on 
 him ; as it is, Gal.-$. 14. He bath redeemed us 
 from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe 
 form : In every thing he was put to pay the e- 
 cjuiyalent, for making up the fatisfaftion due.to 
 juflice. And thefe two being put together,that 
 ele& finners were obnoxious to wrath, and that 
 our Lord came in their room, he behoved to be 
 put to fad and forefoul-fufFering. 3. Confider 
 God's end in the work of redemption, which is 
 to point out the inconceivablenefs of his won- 
 derfully condefcending grace and mercy, in 
 exa&ing of fatisfa&ion from the Cautioner, and 
 in fetting the Tinner free, that his grace may 
 he fo glorified; as there fhall be a proof given of 
 his juilice and fovereignty going along with 
 it : And infinite wifdom being kt on work to 
 glorify infinite grace and juflice, there is a ne- 
 tcuity, for the promovingof this end, that the 
 Mft&tf or {|ajl fhjtf tofy $ $od the #wre full 
 
 the 
 
Serm. 44. 7 /*'^ p* 
 
 the fatisfaftion be, the more confpicoufly do 
 the grace and juftice of God ihine forth, and 
 are glorified, according to that word, R.m. 3. 
 26. £0 declare bis right eoufnefs, that be might 
 be juft, and the juftifier of bim that Jhall believe 
 m fefus. This is the end of Chrift s being made 
 a propitiation, that God may be manifefted to 
 be fpotlefs and pure in his juftice, as well as free 
 and rich in his mercy and grace, who, haring gi- 
 ven a law to man, will not acquit the tranfgref- 
 fion thereof, without a condign fatisfaftion. 4. 
 Conhder, that it is indeed a great thing to fatis- 
 fy juftice for one fin, that it's more to fatisfy 
 juftice for all the iins of one perfon, which all 
 the angels in heaven, and men on earth, can- 
 not do ; and therefore the puniihment of the 
 damn'd in hell is drawn out to eternity!s length, 
 and yet there is never a compleat equivalentfa- 
 t suftion irude to juitice : But it is moft of all, 
 to iatish juftice for all the fins of all. the eleft ; 
 who, tho' they be few in comparifon of* the 
 reprobate world, yet (imply confidered they are 
 many, yea, even innumerable. And our Lord 
 having taken all their iins on him, he is peremp- 
 torily required to fatisfy for them all : And if this 
 withal be aided, that he is to fatisfy for all the 
 tfins of all the eleft at once, in a very lhort time, 
 and hath the curfe and wrath of God" due to 
 them, muilered and marfhalled in battalHe a- 
 gainft him, and as it were in a great body, in a 
 mod formidable manner marching up towards 
 him, and furioufly charging him y and all the 
 Wrath which they fhould have drunken through 
 all eternity (which yet would never have been 
 drunk out, nor made the lefs) put in one cup, 
 *nd propined to him, as the word is, Pfal no. 
 7. He jhall drmk of the brocV in the way \ the 
 Wrath or God running like an impetuous ri- 
 ver, muft be drunk up at once, and made dry by 
 him : Thefe, be'ng put together do c'early, and 
 convincingly fhew, that it cruld not 5e but an 
 inejcprefll/rle and inconceivable fou' travel and 
 fu/Fcring, that our Lord ] el us was put to. 
 
 The Ufe or this doftrine is large, and the ifl 
 Ufe is rhis, That ye would take it for a moft cer- 
 tain truih, which the fcripture doth fo rre- 
 qa nt'.y and fignificantly hold t\rth, That our 
 Lord Jeius, in performing the work of redemp- 
 tion, had much fad foul-travel and lorrow : The 
 faith of this is very ufeiui to dcmonftrate the 
 great love of God, and of the W ediator ; lor 
 'doutbleis, the m ne furTring be undergone by 
 the Mediator, the more love kytbes therein to 
 'the cleft. 2. it ferves to hold out the lovereigri- 
 ty and iuflice of God, and the horriblencls of 
 
 verie 1 1. 34? 
 
 fin. 3. fn refpeft of God's people, it*s ufefuV 
 that they may be through and clear in the reali-- 
 ty and worth of Chrift's fatisfaftion ; he having 
 no other end in it, but to fatisfy juftice for their 
 fin. 4. It's ufeful to fhew th^ vanity and emp- 
 tine!s of mens fuppofed and fancied merits, andl 
 of any thing that can be alledged to be in man's 
 furfering, or doing, for the fatisfy ing of divine 
 juftice, feeing it drew fo deep on Chrift the? 
 Cautioner. And here two grots errors come to/ 
 be refuted, and reprobated ; ore of the Socintang^ 
 Who feek quite to overturn Chrift's fatisfaftion ; 
 and another of the i } apifts> that nrnifb. his fa« 
 tisfaftion, and extenuate and derogate from the 
 great privilege of the par^orr'of Tin, as if any 
 t'ung could procure it, but this latisfaftion of 
 Chrift by his foul-travel ; both which are abun- 
 dantly refuted by this text. 
 
 But to fpeak a word more particularly to the 
 Firft, tor clearing of which, ye will ask, What 
 could there be to aiFeft the holy humane foul 
 of our Lordr Or what was that,wherein his foul- 
 fufferings did confift ? But, before we fpeak t* 
 this, we would premit this word of advertife- 
 ment in the entry, That" there are two 'forts of 
 
 f)uniftiments, or penal efrefts of fin : The \Jt 
 ort, are fuch as arefimply penal and fatisfying, 
 as proceeding from fome extrinfick caufe. The 
 id fort are finful ; one fin, in the righteous 
 judgment of God, drawing one another : Andt 
 this proceeds not fimply from the nature of jil- 
 ftice, but from the nature ot a meer finful crea* 
 ture, and fo from an intrinflck caufe of a finfiil 
 principle in the creature. Now, when we fpeak 
 of the foul-fufFerings of Chrift, which he was 
 put to, in fatisfying for the fins of the eleft ; 
 we mean of the former, that is, fufferings 'that 
 are fimply penal ; for there was no intrinflclc 
 principle of corrupt nature, nor ground of 
 challenge in him,' as there is in finful creatures : 
 And therefore- we are to Conceive of his foul- 
 fufFerings, as of fomethinginfliftcd from with- 
 out ; and are not to conceive of them, as we do 
 of finful creatures, or that have fin in them, 
 whereof he was altogether free. 
 
 Having premitted this, we fhall fpeak a little 
 to thefe two, 1/?, To that wherein this fouf- 
 fufifc ring did not confift. 2^/y,To that wherein 
 it did confift. For the former, wherein it was 
 hot, 1. We are not to fuppofe, or imagine an^ 
 actual fe pa ration betwixt his Godhead, andjiis 
 oManhead, as if there haft been an interruption 
 of the perfonal union ; not io, fi>r t.hc union 
 of the two natu res in one Perfon remains ftill $ 
 he v>»s God and Man ftill, tho' (as fn* hln- 
 
242 JJalab tf t 
 
 ted., before) there wasafufpenfionof fuch a mea- 
 sure, at leafl, of the fenjible comforting influ- 
 ence or the divine nature from the humane, as 
 had wont to be let out thereto,; and yet. there 
 was even, then a (attaining power, flowing tronv 
 the Godhead, that fupported him, fo that he 
 was not fwallowed up or that, which would Have 
 quite and tor ever (wallowed up ail creatures, 
 as is evident in his crying, My God my God, wbf 
 ba(i thou forfiken me I Which ihews, that tho* 
 the union and relation flood firm, yet a com- 
 fortable influence was mn:h retrained. 2. There 
 was no finful fretting, no impatiency, nor carnal 
 anxiety in our Lord, all along his furTerings; 
 for he did moft.willingly undergo them and had 
 a kindly fubmiflion in. them all; as is evident 
 by thefe words, hut for this caufe, came I into 
 this hour ; and* Nat my will, but thy will be done. 
 3. There was not in him any diftrult. of God's 
 love, nor any unbelief of his approbation before 
 God, neither any the leaft'diffidence as to the out- 
 gate ; for, in the faddeft and marpeft of all his 
 conflicts, he was clear 'about, his Father's love 
 to him, that the relation flood firm, and that 
 there would be a comfortable out-gate 5. as his 
 prayer- before mews, wherein he fliles God,. Fa- 
 ther ; and thefe hardeft like words uttered by 
 him on the crofs, My Gcd> my God, why hafl 
 thou forfaken me ? do alfo (hew, wherein twice 
 over, he confidently aflerts his intereft," My God, 
 my God ; though he was moffc terribly alfaul ted, 
 yet the tentation did not prevail over him. 4,. 
 Neither are we tp conceive,that there was any in- 
 ward confufion, challenge, or gnawing of confer- 
 ence in him, fuch as is in defperate finners, call 
 under the wrath of God, becaufe there was no 
 inward caufe of it, nor any thing that could 
 -breed it ; yea, even in that wherein -he was Cau- 
 tioner, he wasclear, 'that he was doing the Fa- 
 ther's will, and finifhing the. work that was 
 committed to hin*, and that even under the 
 greatell: apprehenfions of wratb : Therefore all 
 fuch things are to be guarded againft, in our 
 Noughts, left otherwife we reflect upon our 
 innocent and fpot'efs Mediator. But, 'idly, To 
 fpeak a word to that wherein it doth conllft ? 1. 
 It did confift (as we hinted before) in the God- 
 liead's lufpending its comfortable influence for 
 a time from the humane nature : Though our 
 Lord had no culp ible anxiety, yet he had a fin- 
 lefs fear, considering, him as Mm; and tint 
 the- infinite God was angry, and executing 
 angrily, the (entence of the law againil him, 
 (though he was not angry at him, considered as 
 
 Verfe 11. • * dfm , ^ 
 
 c\t£t> as their Cautioner* of whom he was to ex- 
 act the payment of their debt) he cou d not but 
 be in a wonderful amazement,, as the word is, 
 Mark 14. 35. He was for; amazed ; and, Heb. 
 5.7.. it is faid, When be had cfiered up prayers, 
 and fupplicutions \vsith flrong cries and tears, uhi 
 to him that was able to ave him from death, he 
 was heard in that which he feared ; which looks- 
 to his wieftling in the garden. 2. Hehadanin- 
 expreffiblefenfe of grief ; not-only from the petty 
 outward aiJii&ions that he was under ^(which may. 
 be called .petty, comparatively, tho' they were ve- 
 ry great in themfelves) but alio from the torrent 
 of the wrath flowing in on his foul: That cup 
 behoved to have a*moft bitter re!iih,and an incon- 
 ceivable anguiih with it, when he Was a drink- 
 ing of it, as appeared in his agony. O as he 
 was pained and pinched in his foul ! The foul 
 being fpecially fenfible of the wrath of God. 
 3. It confided in a fort of wonderful horror, 
 which no queftion, the marching up (to fay fo) 
 of lo many mighty fquadrons of the highly. pro- 
 yoked wrath of God, and making fo furious 
 and formidable an alfault on the innocent hu- 
 mane nature of Chrift (that, cor.fidered limply 
 in it felfV was' a.finite creature) behoved necef- 
 farily to be attended with ,• . Hence he prays, 
 Father, if it. be poffible, let this cup depart from 
 me ; intimating*, that there was a finlefs lothnefs, 
 and a holy abhorrence, to meddle with it, and 
 to adventure upon it*. Tho' we have not hearts 
 rightly to conceive, nor tongues fuitably to 
 exprefs thefe mod exquifite fufferings, yet 
 thefe things fhew that our Lord jefus was 
 exceedingly put to it, in his holy humane 
 foul. 
 
 The id life ferv.es to ftir us up to wonder at 
 the love of God the Father, that gave his own 
 Son, and exa&ed the elects debt off him; and 
 made the fword of his jutlice to awake againft 
 him ; and to wonder at the love of the Son, that 
 engaged to be Surety for them, and humbled 
 himielf fo low, to lift them up : It was wonder- 
 ful, that he mould ftoo p to become Man, and to 
 be a poor Man. and to die ; but more, that he 
 fhould come this length, as to be in, an agony 
 of fotij, and. to be fo tolTed with a tempeil of 
 terrible wrath, tho* he was not capable of tof- 
 fing as meer creatures are: This, being well 
 confidered, would heighen exceedingly the praife 
 of grace in the Church, and very much warm 
 the hearts of finners to him.. And for prelfing 
 this Ufe ,,a little, and for provoking to holy 
 wondring at this love ; confider thefe four, I. 
 
 jp -.hiiuel£ . but as he itood in the room- 1 of da* Who it was that fyflftred thus ? Even he that 
 
 was 
 
Sertn, 44. Jfalah $£• 
 
 was without guile, he that was God* s Delight , his 
 Fat/jc/ss Fellow, the exprefs Image of bis Per- 
 
 .fen, he t bat made all things, and who will one 
 day be Judge of ail; it's even he that thus fuf- . 
 fcred. 2. What he furfered ? Even the wrath o£ 
 God, and the wrath or God in fuch a degree and 
 mealurr, as was equivalent to all that the clt& 
 (hould have furfered eternully in hell; which prei- 
 Jcth forth irom him thefe expreflions which we 
 tinted at before. 3. Eor whom all this was/ 
 which makes it appear to he yet more wonder- 
 iul : It was tor a number of. loft (liaying fheep, 
 that were turncdevery me to h'u own way, as it 
 is v. 6. for dyvours a»d debauched bankrupts, 
 that were enemies to, and in tops with him : 
 Some of them fpitting in his face, iome of them 
 
 J upon the consultation of taking away his life, 
 as may be gathered from Ails 2. Yea, take the 
 beft of them, for whom -he fuftefed, even thofe 
 whom he took to the garden with him, to be 
 witneffes of hi-s agony ; and we will find them 
 fiecping., when he is in the height of it, and is 
 
 ."thereby caft into a top-fweat of blood ; and out 
 
 .of cafe to watch "and to bear burden with him, 
 but for orie hour. It had been much for him 
 
 .to have.lurSered lor righteous- perions ; but, as 
 it is Rom <). Gcd commends his love to us in this, 
 that while me were yet [inner s, Cbrifl died for 
 as. 4.The manner how he fuffered,to wit, mod 
 willingly and patiently ; trio he eafily could have 
 commanded more. than twelve legions of angels 
 
 ►to refcuc him, yet he would not, but wouid 
 reeds be apprehended by a number of poor 
 Worms, that will, with many mo,one-day crawl 
 at his footftool; that being the over-word of e- 
 very article of the covenant of redemption on 
 the Kediator'spart, both as t© the undertaking 
 and the performance, I delight to do thy will> O 
 
 'thy God : And now, for what end .are all thefe 
 things fpoken ? Is- it (think ye) only, that w r e 
 ihould fpeak, and that ye fhould hear of them, 
 and no more ? Surely no ; it's a wonder, that 
 this, which concerns us fo nearly, is not more 
 affe&ing to us. Are there any here that have 
 any hope of benefit from Chrift's fufferings,- or 
 that have win comfortably to apply th^rnf Do 
 not ye behold a depth of love here, that cannot 
 be founded ? Is it fuitable, think ye, that Tin- 
 ners, who have the hope of heaven thro' ChrilVs 
 fufferings, fhould be fo little moved at the hear- 
 ing and reading «f them r he (utfers much by 
 finners, when his love fhining forth in his fuffcr- 
 ings is not taken notice of. I would pofe you, 
 when was your heart fuitably affe&ed withthink- 
 **& on iheoj ? Qr, when did ye make it an cr : 
 
 Verfe 1 1. 24$ 
 
 rand to God, purpofely to blefs him for this-, 
 that he lent Ins ^>on to fuffer, and that the 
 Mediator came and lufrered fuch things for yon 
 finners ? This is a part, and a eonfiderable par* 
 of your duty; and gisttitude fhould conrtrain you 
 to it: And youlhould not minch, nor derogate 
 from the juft eitecm of his love ; tho' through 
 your own iault, ye be not lure of your intereft 
 in it, yet his condelcending grace is not the le>s» 
 Ufe 3. Behold here, as, upon the one iide the 
 .exceeding fe verity of juftice, and terriblenefs oi 
 wrath; fo, upon. t]*e other fide, the exceeding 
 abominablenels, and defperatenefsof fin. Would 
 ye know what fin is, what wrath is, how juft? 
 and fevere the law is ? read all thefe here, evert 
 in what is exacted by juftice off the Cautioner, 
 for the elc&'s fins. The mod part of men and 
 women, alas ! do not. believe how evil and bit- 
 ter a thing fin is, and .therefore they dally and 
 play with it; they know not what wrath is, and 
 thciefore they dare hazard on it; they know not 
 how ftri& the law is, and therefore they pro- 
 mife thtmfelves peace, though they vialk in tb& 
 imagination of their own hearts, atfdadd drun« 
 kennels to thirfl : j3ut, O fecure finners ! what 
 mean ye ? have ye, or can ye have any hopes, 
 that God will deal more gently with you', than 
 he dealt with his own Son, when he was but Cau- 
 tioner, and the finner only .by.imputation ; Ye are 
 .finite creatures, and drink in iin as the ox drinks 
 water, and have an inward finrul prinjiplev and 
 an evil confeience, filled with juft grounds hi 
 many challenges. Gonfider witb yourfelvcs, what 
 adefperate condition under inevitable and in- - 
 tollcrable wrath, ye have to look for, who have 
 no ground to look, orherw ife on God than as an 
 enemy : When wrath was fo horrible to inno- ; 
 cent jefusChrift,. who bad no fin, no challenge a 
 no doubt of an interefV in God., what will it be to 
 you ?. Certainly the day is coming, when many 
 of you will think ye have greatly beguiled and - 
 cheated your felves,tnrhinking, that juftice would 
 be fo eafiiy fathfud as ye did ; O then ye will 
 be made to know to your coft the nature of 
 wrath and juftice, and the rature of fin, who 
 would never fuffer thefe things to Hght before* 
 The cafe of the rich glutton in belt may per- 
 fwade many that the law is ftrick, and that fin 
 is an ill and bitter thing, and that wrath is lore 
 to bide : Therefore let me intreat you', as ye 
 would efcheW the wrath of God, and the lafh of 
 his revenging juftice; bew r are o f iin, dally not 
 withitasye would not have it aggravated by this 
 circumftance, above many, tfnt ye hazarded to 
 commit it^upon the con/ideration- of Qod^goocl 
 
444 If at ah <?4» 
 
 neis, that in reafon fliould have led you to re- 
 pentance. 
 
 Ufe 4. See here the abfolute neceflity that lies 
 on linners, who hear this gofpel, to receive 
 Chrift by faith, and to improve his fatisfa&ion 
 for obtaining of life through him: For one of 
 thefe two muft be reiolved on, either to come 
 to this reckoning with juftice your '.elves, or to 
 endeavour the removal of wrath by thelatisfadH- 
 onofChrift ; there being no other way to come 
 Co freedom from guilt, and from the wrath that 
 guilt draws on. That Chrift Jefus futfer- 
 cd thus, as flnners Cautioner, it fays, that where- 
 ever fin is, God will exatt (atisfaftion •, and 
 where he exacts, he does it feverely, tho' molt 
 juftly'; and if he exa& it feverely off the Cautio- 
 ner, what will he do with. the dyvour debtor, 
 efpecially when he hath flighted the Cautioner, 
 and defpifed the grace offered through him ? 
 And therefore, not only in ret'peft of the com- 
 mand, but of the confequent that will follow the 
 diiobedience of it, be exhorted, if ye mind not 
 to take your hazard of wrath, to endeavour, 
 in God's way, to get your intereft in this iatis- 
 fa&ion which the Cautioner bath made well 
 fecured. There is here a folid ground for faith, 
 to expe& that this fatisfa&ion will do the turn 
 ©t all them who will make ufe of it ; and a 
 tnoft preffing motive, to engage them that are 
 lying under fin, to imbrace, to clofe with, and 
 to reft upon this offered fatisfaction, that this 
 grace be not received in vain : Is there not a 
 teftimony in your confeiences of the former, 
 
 Verfeu. Serm.4^ 
 
 and why do ye not make ufe of the latter ? Will 
 ye but once be.prevailed with to put your felves 
 to it thus, What if 1 be made to reckon for my 
 own fins ? what horrid wrath will i m ret with, 
 when the Mediator had fuch fore foul-travel ; 
 even when there was a covenant-relation ftan- 
 ding ftill, not doubted of, betwixt the Father 
 and him ; when formidable wrath (hall be teen 
 palpably purfuing me the finner, having no co- 
 venant-relation to fupport me ? We would not 
 put it to your choice, whether ye will count or 
 not ; for that muit be, and fhall be, whether 
 ye chooie or refufe : It's appointed for all men 
 §nce to die, and after to ccme to judgment ; 
 and we muft all appear before the judgment -J cat 
 cf thrift : But that which we would put to your 
 choice, is the way of coming to this- judgment 
 and reckoning ; and there arc but two ways, ei- 
 ther ye mull ftep to at your own hand, or ye 
 mull betake you to Chrift's righteoufnefs, as 
 being throughly convinced of the nectflity of it, 
 and that it will do your turn. The day of the 
 Lord will dilcover that many have l'poken of their 
 faith and repentance, that never really exerci- 
 fed the fame. I fliall now fay no more ; only 
 remember, that it's a fearful thing to fall into 
 the bands of the living God \ who, when his 
 wrath is kindled but a bttle, can cau'e the 
 {touted and proudeft of his enemies to perilh 
 in the midft of all their defigns and projects ; 
 they will all then be found to be happy wbt 
 have put their trufl in him* 
 
 SERMON XLV. 
 
 •foiahliii. ii.HeJhaU fee of the travel cfbisfcul, andfhall be fatisfed 
 righteous Servant jufiify many \ for bejball bear their iniquities* 
 
 Bj his knowledge JbaU mj 
 
 LL fcripture is given by infpiration of Gcd, 
 nd is profitable for dcQrine, for reproof,^ 
 
 lor (crreiiion^ for inftru&ion in righteoufnefs ; 
 that the man of God may be made per i 
 
 
 throughly furnifhed unto all good works ; and 
 that his people may be made wife unto falvati- 
 en : Yet thefe fcriptures, wherein our Lord Je- 
 fus is holden forth more clearly, are eminent- 
 ly ufeful ; he being the foundation and ground 
 ef all, to whom the law and the prophets bear 
 witnefs \ and they are only profitable to us, in 
 the eftate wherein we are, in fo far as they re- ' 
 late to him, and point him out to us. And 
 we nuy forifer lay, that thgft fcjripturej,, wke.r#- 
 
 in his fufferings and death are holden forth, 11 
 the ricWfs and fruitfulnels of them, are angu- 
 larly fo; that being the very life of the cove- 
 nant, and the very door, by, and through which 
 We ilep from death to life ; and whatever t^iejr 
 be to ethers, fure they have a fpecial fweetnefs 
 in them to fenfibie finners : And therefore the 
 fum of the gofpel, and of faving knowledge, is 
 by the apoftle, 2 Cor* 2. 2. cotnpended in the 
 knowledge of thrift and f him crucified \ which 
 unfolds his very heart and bowels to us. 
 
 The prophet hath been pointing out this in 
 feveral verfes, and hath hinted at the effects of 
 his fuifejin^s in the Ivrxuet verfe ; And now, in 
 
 thefe 
 
Serin. 4£ . Ifaiab & 
 
 thefe words, he pure a new title on them, cal- 
 ling them the travel ef Cbrijfs jcul \ not only to 
 fet out the exceeding greatnefs of them, but with 
 refpeft to the foregoing words, wherein it's 
 faid, befballfee bis feed ; which is repeated here, 
 when it's faid, be Jball bejatisfied : fo that* as 
 a mother is in travel, for bringing forth of a 
 child ; ^0, fays he, ihall Chrifl be put to foul- 
 travel, for bringing life and immortality to the 
 feed given to him, to be faved by him : And 
 feeing he is put to travel, he mud needs bring 
 forth, and fee bis feed. Here we may allude to 
 that of lfaiah 66. 9. Shall I bring to the birtb> 
 and not caufe to bring forth t faith the Lord ; 
 jball I caufe to bring forth, andfbut the Vfombi 
 faith my God. 
 
 We have fpoken of the nature and greatnefs 
 of thefe fufferings : Now, ere we proceed to 
 any mo observations, we would fpeak a Word 
 further to the Ufe of this ; it being indeed an 
 eater out of which comes meat ; and a drong, 
 out of which comes fweet ; thefe pangs having 
 calmed and quieted the pangs and Ihowers (to 
 fpeak fo) of many travelling fouls, and brought 
 forth a birth at lad. 
 
 And therefore, befide what I fpake to in the 
 Ufe the lad day, I would add this, that we 
 would endeavour to have the folid faith, not 
 only of his fufferings, but of the greatnefs of his 
 furrerings, imprinted deeply on our hearts; 
 that (I fay) the fufferings of a dying blood-fweat- 
 Chrid, wreftling and ftruggling, even to his 
 being in an agony with the wrath of God, and 
 putting up drong cries with tears, may be born 
 in on our hearts ; and that we may throughly 
 be perfwaded of the greatnefs of the work of re- 
 demption, and that it was a mod dear and cod- 
 \y bargain to Chrift : For it was not gold nor 
 filver, it was not kingdoms, nor viable worlds, 
 nor angels, that were given as a price for ele& 
 Tinners ; but it was the precious blood of the 
 Son of God ; nay, it" was the bitter and iharp 
 foul-travel, fadnefs, forrow, and agony of our 
 Lord Jefus, which (to fpeak comparatively) was 
 was beyond the fhedding of his blood : And what 
 a price do y% think this to be ? That he, that 
 made all, and preferred all in their being, and 
 was before all things, ihould come thus low, as 
 to be a Man, and a mean, forrowful, fufrering. 
 and dying Man, yea to he a curfed Man, and to 
 go out of this life, as being under a curfe, yet 
 being always the beloved Son of the Father, and 
 being even then, when at his lowed, the Prince 
 rf the kings of the earthy and finning forth glo- 
 ria ufly in the power, and riches^ $x& freenef* of 
 
 Verfe II. 245 
 
 his love and grace? Sure this Wonderful low 
 (looping, and humbling of himfelf preachetb 
 out the love that llraitned and condrained him 
 to run upon that which was his own death, there 
 being no hands that could have taken away his 
 life, had he not willingly laid it down, which 
 he did with delight : Could we make ufe of 
 this, there is much here to be faid for our ufe. 
 
 We ihall draw what we would fay on it, to 
 thefe four heads. 1. To fomething for indruefci- 
 on. 2. To fomething for confolation. 3. To 
 fomething for exhortation. 4. To fomething fop 
 reproof, and expodulation. 
 
 1 fay, 1/?, It ferves for Inftruftion ; and ye 
 would from it be indru&cd in leveral things, 1. 
 How to think aright of the great feverity of the 
 judice of God, and of the horror of wrath, and 
 of the dreadful confequents of fin, which it will 
 moll certainly have following on it. May it not 
 make- your fouls to tremble, to think upon, and 
 confider, that our Lord Jefus was brought to • 
 fuch a pals, as to be in fuch an agony, to be fo 
 exceeding forow July and even ama\ed ; to be fo 
 troubled in foul, that he was thereby made to 
 fweat great drops of bloody and to be wreftling 
 with iomewhat, that his holy humane nature 
 had a fcarring at I O the defert and wages of fin 
 is dreadful! when the law purfues its contro- 
 verfy,j and when juflice exacts what a broken 
 covenant deferyes. Alas ! the mod of men be- 
 lieve not this; but it's here that may convince 
 ^us, what an evil thing finis, and what a dread- 
 ful thing it is to fall into trie hands of an angry 
 God. O that ye would think upon it, that ye 
 may beware of fin by all means, and may always 
 be minding that word which our Saviour hath, 
 If thefe things be done in the green tree, v>ha$ * 
 Jhall be done in the dry ? If it was (o done with 
 him, who in the adion (if I may fo call it) was 
 performing his Father's will, and giving an ad- 
 mirable proof of his refpe&tothe honour of God; 
 what will he do to the dry dicks, the damned 
 reprobate, who have flighted the offer of his 
 grace, defpifed the fufferings of a Mediator, 
 and difdained to be reclaimed? Hear it, and 
 tremble, and be perfwaded that the horror that 
 fin fhall bring upon the finner, when God comes 
 to reckon with him, is in expreflible. 2. Be 
 inftru&ed, and fee here, how great the difficul- 
 ty is of making peace with God, when once his 
 law is broken* a thing that is little believed 
 -by mod, who are difpofed to think that they 
 will get God fooner pleafed and pacified, than 
 they will get their neighbour or rnafter pacifi- 
 ed and pleafpd j wlucljl fays, thai stfher they 
 
fc|( * TJatab fa* 
 
 think nothing cr but very little of his wrath, 
 or that the) wti 1 Toon get it put by. that a word 
 will dotb t : Hence it is, that they think, that 
 _an equivalent price is not neceilary for iatisfying 
 the juiti-v of God, and for preventing of his 
 wrath ; but if it be i'o eafy a thing to pacify God, 
 and to fatisty his juihce, why did our Lord 
 undertake the debt r* why did he become to 
 low, and pay fbdear.a price, to procure a dis- 
 charge of it r why was his foul put to iueh tra- 
 vel, when no ilia me nor reproach, nor pain of 
 his blcffed body could do it, but his ioul, in 
 the fore trav, 1 thereof, behoved to be made a 
 facfifice for Tin ? Sinners groily ignorant mi- 
 ftakes of the.jutlice of God, appear palpably in 
 . fchis ; There was never a pcrfon that was .called 
 to it, and dia undertaketo remove God's wrath 
 from others,but our Lord Jefus ; and ye lee here 
 what it eoft him : And what d-o ye imagine will 
 be the lot of others, who ihall ly under it eter- 
 .nally ? 3. bee here the worth and. weight of a 
 ..foul, and the great moment of the ialvation of 
 .afoul. Immortal fouls are of much worth ; and 
 tho' men often fell them at a cheap and eafy 
 irate, yet our Lord bought fouls dear : It's ve- 
 jrytnue, fouls, confidered in thernfeiveSjare not 
 worthy of .the price .laid down for thein ; but 
 fcein^ >:onfidercdwithrelpe£t to theend for which 
 -they aredeiigned, to wit, the glorifying of the 
 riches of the grace and mercy or God, .and their 
 .enjoying of him, they are of much worth. Ah 
 .that men fhould fell their fouls fo very cheap, 
 when qurLord bought fouls fo very dear ! 4.Sec 
 ^here,the fojidit) ,,ulnels and fatisfactorinefs of'the 
 price that eius Gbrill gave to jultice, for the 
 iouls of his people : it cannot fure butbeajul- 
 \y fat'sfying price, -that iuch a i'erfon fhould fuf- 
 fer, and furfer fo much, even.to be put to foul- 
 travel, for which their could.be no reafon, nei- 
 ther could it have any other end, but the I'atisfy- 
 .i*£ of divine juftice for the fins of the eltel: : 
 And coniidering thefe his fufFc rings in the de- 
 greeofthem, which was fo very high; and in the 
 rife of them, which was God's puvpofe and de- 
 cree •, and in the end of them, whioh was to ia- 
 tisfy the juftice of God. and to make his grace 
 glorious, it cannot but be a moll folid, full, 
 and. fuisfying price, fo that a foul may have 
 here a fufficient ground to'build its falvationu- 
 pon : And the mor- low that the Mediator was 
 brought by his furferings, the more folid and 
 iicker is the ground of our faith ; yea this is the 
 .end v hy he came lo low. See here, how great - 
 ,ly we are in GhriiYs debt, that when juftice 
 ^yas provoked, and Tinners had lofed themlelves, 
 
 Verfen. 5erm. 4^. 
 
 and when nothing elfe could be admitted, bu« 
 
 - ali other facrirLts were rejected, he was g.raci- 
 oufly plealed to yield himfelf to be the iaenfhe, 
 by his extreme and mod esquilite fuffermgs, 
 moft pleatantly and heaitfomy, teyir-g,. X#, / 
 €otne> in the vc\ume of thy bock it is written of 
 me, 1 delight to do thy roill, my Cod ; by the 
 which -will, iaith the apoille, Heb- ic. voe are 
 janttified, and by it we haveaccefs to eternal 
 life, it had been much, if he had made anew 
 
 .world for believers. to dwell in, nay it had been 
 mu:h, if he had provided angeis to mol.ify and 
 mitigate their furferings, and to give them drops 
 of Water to cool their tongues in hell; but tnat 
 he, his owvn bJeifed felf, lhould decline no foul- 
 travel, befide bodiiy.fufferin-s, to redeem them 
 from the curfe ; how muh, how unlpeakably 
 much are they obliged »to Jefus Chriil r if we 
 were fuitably fenfible of our hazard, and clear 
 as. to our interelt in thefe lufFerings, it could not 
 be, but our fouls would leap f>meway within 
 us, asthebabedid in Elizabeth's womb, on this 
 confideration, that a Cautioner and Saviour hath 
 come, and paid the price that was due by us, 
 to the juilice of God ; this is a greater obligati- 
 on than his making of the world for an habitati- 
 on to Tinners; nay > a greater obligation than his 
 giving of heaven to us.if abfr.ra6t.ed from Chrifti: 
 O ! fo well as it would become us, in read- 
 ing, of thefe words, to iland and paufe and to 
 fay, Is it fo indeed, that Chrifl: gave himfelf 
 
 -thus for Tinners, and for me? This is it which 
 opens the door of accefs to God, and makes a 
 bridge over the gulf, that is betwixt God and 
 Tinners ; he was fmitten, that by his ftrokes and 
 ftripes health might be brought to us ; he was 
 content to undergo fore foul-travel, that there- 
 by life might be broughttous. 
 
 That which we mainly aim at, in this branck 
 of the Ufe, is, that ye wourd look to the mer- 
 cy purchafed by his foul-travel, as your great 
 
 • obligation, and at what a rate you have the of- 
 fer o! grace, and accefs to heaven : when he made 
 the world, heaven and earth, lun, moon, liars, 
 £5V. he fpake the word, and it wasdone ; there 
 needed no more but Let fucb a thing be, and it 
 
 ■rvas', butthe work of redemption was of another 
 fort, and brought about at a high and dearer 
 rate : Therefore, among all the things which the 
 gofpel holds out, put a fpecial price on thefe 
 things that are fruits of ChriuVs foul-travel ; 
 and conlider what a flight it will be, and what '■" 
 guilt it will involve you in, that he mould pur- 
 chafe redemption fo dear, and make offer of 
 it fo freely, and ye ihould care little or no- 
 • v thing 
 
Serm. 4^. Ifdiab 53. 
 
 thing for it. 6. Be inftru&ed anent the ablolute 
 Tieceifity of being in Chrift's debt for the ufe- 
 makmg and application of his purchafe : Is there 
 any man that dfcn merit it, or render him a re- 
 compence tor it <! if rot. and if there be a necef- 
 fitv of heaven and falvation, then fure there is a 
 nectffity of being in Chrift's debt, and of making 
 u(e of his purchafe, for the attaining of that 
 which he hath purchaled ; and men are not 
 hardly dealt with, or" ill come to, when this 
 bleifed neccHity is im poled upon them, not to 
 fatisfv for themfelves (for, what can ti ey bring 
 that will be an equivalent price r) but to ac- 
 -quielce in his iatis»action made to juftice lor 
 them, and the rather, that they cannot bind him 
 to makeapphcation of it. 1: oiks are very rea- 
 dily given to one of thefe two, either to mif- 
 ken and pais by the Mediator, and lo to pre- ' 
 ftime to make a new bargain for their peace, by 
 offering to drink themfelves, for themielves, of 
 that cup which Chrift drank of, for that only 
 wasthe price'of louls:Or,if they efteemof Chrift's 
 fatisradion, they think to oblige him, and to 
 procure from him the application of his pur- 
 chaie, by their prayers and good living; but 
 what is there in this, more than is in the former? 
 what price is there tha^ran be given to him, 
 that is equivalent to his lurFer 1 ngsr Itmuft there- 
 fore of neceffity come to this, that as it was 
 freely purchased, fo it is freely applied: And it 
 were very fuitable for finners. to carry the faith 
 of this along with them in their bolom ; If he 
 procured heaven to us,, by his foul-fuffering 
 and travel, we cannot procure it to our felves, 
 and therefore a neceifity lies on all that would 
 be at ieaven, to be in Chrift's common for it: 
 And this is the upfhot oi' all. that dyvour'fin- 
 ners may know, that they are in his common, 
 as for his purchafe, fo for the application of it. 
 • Ufe 2. I his doctrine yields much confolation, 
 and it is the fountain and rife ol it', his foul- 
 travel bought it all, and makes way to the 
 bringing of us to the polTeifion of it : And, in 
 many refpefts, our confolation depends on it ; 
 we fhall look upon it; as the rile thereof, more 
 generally, in thefe refpe&s, 1. That., to a poor 
 iinner lying under the curfe, there is a pofE- 
 bility of getting it put by, and kept off; that 
 •heaven is not delperate, and that the (ear of 
 coming before the tribunal of juftice is not.ab- 
 folute : For our Lord hath fatisfied juftice ; the 
 price that he laid down was not for nought, but 
 levelled at this very fcope, as the apoftle hath it,' 
 2 Or. <,.ult. He was wade fin fcrus,tbatlnew 
 no fin that we finners might be made the rigbte- 
 tufnefs cf God in, or through, bim ? And' what 
 
 Verfe n. £47 
 
 ftrong confolation is this, for a finner, under the 
 curfe of God, to have this word fpoken to him, 
 Tho' thou cannot fatisfy juftice for thy felf, yet 
 there is a way laid down to iatisfy it for thee? 
 The Mediator having the price that was requi- 
 red, propofed to him, did not flick at the terms, 
 but held the bargain, and hath accordingly a&u- 
 ally performed it. 2 It is aconfoiation in this re- 
 fpecfc, That not only is there a compltat fatis- 
 facl ion given to juftice, but a willing Saviour, 
 ready to make that iatisfa&ion forthcoming, and 
 to make it forthcoming freely. Can there be a 
 greater proof of our Lord Jefus his love to iin- 
 
 ♦ners than tnis,that when they Were confidcred 
 
 ' with all- their debt lying on their heads, he un- 
 dertook this loul-travel for them, to procure 
 them falvation from wrath and juftice r This 
 is more than his giving them his word for it, 
 tho' that had been enough ; it'smoie than the 
 giving them his oath, thus to commend his >ove, 
 as it is, Jtbn 15. 13. Greater leve hath n man 
 than this, that a man Jhould lay down bis life 
 for bis friend : But, (ays the apoftle. Rom. ^. 8, 
 10. God commends bis love to us tbat white intc 
 were yet finners, yea enemies, Cbrift died fcr us% 
 this good shepherd laid down his life tor his 
 fheep. 3. It's a confolation in this refpeft, that 
 there is alio a -w r illingnels in the Lord Jehovah* 
 the provoked Party, to accept of this tatistacVon, 
 and to abiblve the elect, on account of this fatis- 
 
 Jacfrion; For what I pray was all this foul-tra- 
 vel that the Lord Underwent, but Jehovah his 
 transferring of the debt of the elect on him, ac- 
 cording to the trania&ion that had pall: in the 
 covenant of redemption r He would never have 
 made the fword of his juftice to awake againft: 
 the Man that was his Fellow, if he had not been 
 content to accept of his iatista&ion ror thtm that 
 fhould make ufe of it; For we have not only the 
 Mediator, and his pit-is fashion, to look upon in 
 this loul-travel ; but alio the contrivance of the 
 covenant, called in the former words, The plea- 
 fare of the Lord, who, while we were enemies, 
 gave his Son, and was content to want him for 
 a time (to fpeak fo; and to be a diftindt Part) to 
 
 . purfue him. is not this then a good bargain, 
 when we have a willing Mediator, and Merchant, 
 content to give the price and fatisfa&ion ; and 
 a gracious ar.d willing God, content to accept 
 of .this iatisfa&ion ; and both of them content to 
 make the application of it to us freely ? as it 
 is, Rev. 3. 18. Here is matter of ftrong con- 
 folation, the ground whereof will net fail to 
 wit, the Mediator's foul-travel; And the Lord 
 Jehovah will not caft the bargain, when the poor 
 K k Sn- 
 
24$ ?f*i*h 53« 
 
 finner fays,- I have nothing to pay ; bat there 
 is a price in Chrid's fatisfa&ion offered in the 
 golpel, and the Judge fays, Admits it for the 
 firmer that lays claim to it, as if the firmer had 
 never finned, or had a&ually paid the price 
 himfelf. 
 
 But, 4. Look a little further, and we will find 
 more confolation, though this be much. Confi- 
 <3er a finner in a tempted condition, and under 
 fad foul-exercife, that wots not what to do with 
 unbelief, with the devil, and with the wrath 
 of God, all which are* like to overwhelm and. 
 fwallow him up, and the heart is like to fink; 
 here is the native and kindly fountain for fuch 
 a foul to drink at, that our Lord Jefus fufFer- 
 ed more, and that it was another fort of cup 
 that he drank of, and drank out, and for thefe 
 ends, (1.) To take away the ding and bitternefs 
 or thy. cup. (2.3 To procure and meritoriouf- 
 \y to purchafe a freedom and outgate from thefe 
 temptations to thee. (3.) Alfo, that he might 
 be made a fympathizing high Pried, and the 
 more compaflionatetowards the perfon that fhould 
 be fo tempted, according that, Heb. 2. ult» 
 Fcr that be bi-mfelf bath fuffered, being temp- 
 tedyhe is able alfo to fuccour thefe that are temp- 
 ted : He was tempted, that he might hay^e kindly 
 fympathy with tempted fouls ;* and therefore, 
 when fuch are ready to fall afwoon, he dauts and 
 dandles them, as it were on hi? knee; a^d when 
 they are in hazard to run theirjback on the con- 
 ilift, he comes up with frelh ftrength and recruits 
 them : So, Heb. 4. 15. We have not an high priefl 
 which cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
 infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as 
 toe are y yet without fin; we have fuch an high 
 Pried, as was not only mocked and fcorned of 
 men, and fome way deferted of God, but who was 
 tempted tho' not from fin within (for he was with- 
 out fin) yet to fin, for he was affaulted by the 
 devil, and tempted to unbelief, and other grofs 
 fins, as is clear, Mattb. 4. tho* (as he faith 
 himfelf) The prince of this voorld had no- 
 thing in bim. And he was not only tempted to 
 fin, but, as if he had a&ually finned, he met with 
 wrath from all : There is a fweet and flrong fym- 
 
 fiathy flowing from fuch bowels, as one brother 
 ath towards another ; yea inconceivably beyond 
 the tendered bowels, that the mod warmly lo- 
 ving brethren in all the world have one towards 
 another: And therefore he knows well what 
 apprehenfions, temptations riding thick (to 
 fpeak to) will attempt to beat in upon poor 
 fouls, and can from experience fympathize with 
 them. It is not fo to be underdood, as if there 
 were any additional degree made to his kindnefs, 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 4$. 
 
 skill, and grace, as he is God; thefe being in- 
 finite in him, as fo con/idered : Yet being 
 Man as well as God, or having a humane na- 
 ture, he hath from his psrfofial experience a 
 fympathy, and that in a humane way, though 
 infinitely above what we can conceive, with his 
 own, under their temptations, and fad foul- 
 exercifes.' And feeing the fcripture holds out 
 fuch a thing as this, that our high' Pried is a 
 Man that hath bowels of fympathy, it may fuf- 
 ficiently warrand a believer, to expe& much 
 good, this and other ways from Chrid ; he hav- 
 ing grace infinite in him as God, and a tender 
 heart as Man, to befriend them, and to commu- 
 nicate and let out of that grace unto them : And 
 this is great-grouud of confolation to believers, 
 under'any crofs and piece of hard exercife, to 
 know that we have a Mediator, who knows in 
 experience, tho* not the fmfulnefs that accom- 
 panies thefe hard exercifes in us, yet what thefe 
 fears are of being fhut out from God, and how 
 dreadful a thing it is, to be at controverfy with 
 him ; and is like to thefe, who, having come.tho- 
 row a fad trial, and piece of exercife them- 
 felves, are thereby the more ready to fympa- 
 thize with others under it. (5.) and Jaftlj, The 
 confideration of this%tey comfort believers even 
 in their outward afflictions '• It had been another 
 fort of croifes that they would have been made 
 to meet with, if he had not taken this cup of 
 wrath and drunken it for them ; and therefore 
 they would be comforted, and blefs God, who 
 hath taken this foul-travel from off them, and 
 made way for a retreat and fhelter for them in 
 him ; And it mould even fhairie. believers, who 
 are ready to think fo much of any little bit of 
 inward exercife, or of outward affli&ion ; feeing 
 our blefTed Lord Jefus endured fo much, not on- 
 ly outward and bodily nffli&ion, but alfo fo 
 much inward trouble and foul-travel, that there- 
 by their burden might be made light, and their 
 yoke eafy. 
 
 Ufe 3.' For exhortation, Seeing our Lord Jefus ! 
 was put to fuch fore foul-travel, fure it lavs a 
 great obligation on them, for whom he differ- 
 ed, to endeavour to make fome iuitable and 
 grateful return ; feeing therefore we are (o much , 
 in his common and debt, we fhould give him 
 a friendly meeting in thefe four^ which this calls 
 for; 1. It calleth for love to him that vented 
 fuch love to us. 2. It calleth for faith, That fee- 
 ing he gave fuch a price for us, we fhould truft 
 our fouls to him. 3. ' It calleth for holinefs and 
 obedience, even living to him, and to the glo- 
 rifying of him that hath bought us : This ar- 
 
5erm. 4«). IJaiah ^. 
 
 gununtwill fure weigh with .you, who on iblid 
 grounds lay claMn to his puchafe. 4. It calVth 
 for thank'ulnefs ar.d praife, in magnifying his 
 grace and Jove, that hath ib loved us : And are 
 not all thefe very fuitable and becoming, that 
 iinners ihould love him ; and that thefe who 
 love him not, fhould be Anathema Maranatbt y 
 accurfed to the coming of the Lord ; that iin- 
 nrs ihould believe on him, and to be obedient 
 to him, and thankful ? 
 
 M ye believe this truth, this comfortable and 
 foul-ravifhing truth, let me exhort you, and 
 be exported and prevailed with, to love our 
 Lord (eius Chriil, and to give him that anfwer- 
 able refpedt, meeting, and welcome, that be- 
 . comes; if we may plead for any thing from you, 
 fure we may plead for this. If it be true that he 
 engaged in iuch a bargain, in which, if he had 
 not engaged himfelf, we had inevitably gone to 
 the pit ; and if he hath adtuilly paid the price 
 which he undertook to pay ; let your conlci- 
 encesfpe.'k, if it fhould not melt the hearts of 
 fuch, to whom the benefit of this is offered, 
 with love to him ? And if ye have the faith of 
 the do&rine, can ye deny, but this obligation 
 hcth upon you ? Look in on your consciences 
 and hearts, and fee it ye be abie to fhirt it : And- 
 ii ye h d iuitable palaces for entertaining h m 
 in, ifye.be not bouna to open to him, and give 
 him patent entry to them ; and if your eyes 
 Were fountains or" tears, if it wouM not become 
 you to wafh his feet with them, and to wipe them 
 with the hair of your heads? Wou'd to God that 
 you were under the fuitable impreiTion of this, 
 and that yc were by the gofpel, and the privi- 
 leges \ebave bv it -or.itraintd to love the Lord 
 Jelus Chrift/ it may be fnme of you think, If 
 this be- all that is calhd mr, he ifuil E»t want it. 
 "We allure you its called for 5 My jm (faith he), 
 give ttk toine heart, r ut We are afraid, that 
 tho' ye W»H conkis, that this is your duty, and 
 th, t ye ihould have hue to him; yet the mod 
 p-irt of you wanrit : For, when we fpeak of love 
 to Chrift, It is not a pretext or apprehenfion 
 Of love, that will be taken fur love ; but iuch 
 love, as- hath thefe qualifications, i/L If Chrift 
 be loved he will be eft. emed or, as the moil, 
 excellent Thing, or Perfon, the moil excelleut 
 Bargain, the mod kind Friend, the moft loving 
 Husbard. and as tne moll full, compleatard ab- 
 folute Sufficiency, or iufricient One ; as he is 
 (jpoken of, and elleemed of by the fpoufe. Can. 
 5- His countenance in like Lebanon, excellent as 
 the cedar s,ois mouth is m ft jweet.be is altogether 
 hvciy.t The heart is brought to efleem of him, 
 aod to prefer him beyc/nd ail "that it can let the 
 
 Verfeil. 24$. 
 
 eye upon. Tt were indeed fomewhat, if ye were* 
 brought under a conviction, and thorow perfwa* 
 iion of this, that fe'us Chrift is the incompa- 
 rable bell Thing that a finnercan have a tit e to: 
 but alas! He is depifed, and rejected of men, 
 tho' he be the Cbiefecl of ten thousands \ and 
 men p'.ay the rool egregioully, in preferring o- 
 ther things to him, who is infinitely worthy of 
 the preference unto, and of the pre-emnency 
 above them all. A id evidence of love is, the 
 heart's longing and panting aiter the enjoyment 
 of him, and after the enjoyment of him as the 
 moll excellent Obje«5t, quite fur palling all other 
 objects ; and when the third and longing of the 
 foul is fo carried out after him, as it cannot be 
 fatished without him, which is to be fick cf 
 - love for him, as it is, Can, 2. 5. and 5. v. 8, 
 to be in a manner fwooning and fainting be- 
 caufe of his abfence, and even greening (to 
 fpeak fo) for his pretence ; to have the bent of 
 the foul's deiigns and deiires towards making 
 of that glorious conqueft, whereof the apoihe 
 lpcaks, Philip. 3. Even to count aU things tt 
 be but lofs and dung ; and to ^aft all things 
 as it were ever board, to win to him, and tt 
 be found in him; to count of him as the pearl 
 cf price, and as the treafure hid in the field, lor 
 the lake of. which, ye ^ould flrip your felves 
 to the skin, and fell all that ye have to buy it. 
 idly, This love to Chrift Jefus hath in it afatis- 
 fying delight in him, and the (o u \\ blefling of 
 it felf in him, its .-contenting it -felf with h : m, 
 and its rejoicing in that fweetnei's which it fin^ 
 deth to be in him, as being the only attractive 
 Object, that hath iuch alovelincfc in it, as breeds 
 fatisraibon ; when fatistaction begets a kind- 
 ly warmneis in the heart to him again, even 
 till the foul be put in a holy lowe or ilame of 
 love to him. More of this love would make 
 Chriil and the gofpel much more fweet, and 
 would make every one of thefe words, that ex- 
 preffeth his love in his fufrerings, to be like 
 marrow and fatnefe^ and wou'd alio make the 
 promifes to be like breads full of conb'ation ; it 
 would withal cauie, that there v-ould not be 
 fuch miftakts of Chrift, nor fuch gaddings and 
 whorings irom him, and fuch preferring of idols 
 to him, as, alas ! there are: V, here this love 
 is not, there can be no other thing that will be 
 acceptable. We (hall lay no more for the time, 
 but only 'this, that we do appeal to your con- 
 fciences, if thefe be not here* an excellent and 
 n^n-fuch Oby& of love, and if there be rot 
 here much reafon to be in love with that Ob- 
 ject I A very Heathen will return love for 
 & k 2 ley* 
 
2^0 !T*i*b «4« 
 
 love ; and fhould not we much more do* io in 
 this cafe P God himfelf kindle this love in 
 
 Verfe Ki Sertn.46. 
 
 Us, and make us know more the the great ad- 
 vantages of it. 
 
 SERMON XLVI. 
 
 Ifaiah Iiii. if. He Jhall "fee of the travel of bis foul, and Jhall be fatisfied : By his knowledge Jhall 
 my righteous- Servant juflifie many ; for he Jhall bear their iniquities. 
 
 THe work oF redemption is a bufinefs that 
 was very gravely and very fcrioufly 
 contrived and profecut^d, in re)pec~t of God, and 
 or the Mediator ; there was much earneftnefs 
 in it as to them, and yet notwithftanding (which 
 is a wonder) men, whom it concerns io much, 
 whofe falvation depends on it, and to whom the 
 benefit of it redounds, are but very little feri- 
 ous in their thoughts of it : Our Lord Jems was 
 in. travel, foul -travel, fore fouUtwivel to bring 
 about this work, and that the gofpel might 
 be preached to Tinners, that they might have 
 thereby a ground to their faith, to expect life 
 and remiffion of fins through him ; is it not then 
 fad rhat we ihould fpeak and hear of it, and be, 
 in a manner, like the ftone.in the wall, no more, 
 or little more affected with it, than if it were 
 a matter that did not at all concern us ? The 
 reading and hearing of thefe words will doubt- 
 Jefs be a great conviction to fecure Tinners, that 
 our Lord jeius was at fuch pains, and put to 
 
 Were undergone for .finners, we would exhort 
 you to love him as ye ought. There is a ground 
 and warrant here to require it of you, feeing that 
 love in his bofom came to fuch an height that 
 he was.content. to lay down his life, yea, feeing he 
 was in fuch a hot flame of love, that the cup of 
 wrath did not quench it, but his love drank and 
 dried it up, Greater love than this hath no mam 
 It is a moil wonderful love, coniidered with all 
 the circumftances.whereby it is.heightned ; and 
 there is ground here to excite and ftir you up 
 to give him a kindly meeting, and to welcome 
 his love with love: It. will fure be a great fhame, 
 if our Lord's love flood at nothing, fo that he 
 might do the Father's will, and finifh the work 
 committed to him, which was the perfecting of 
 the work* of finners redemption, the redeem- 
 ing of his loft fheep; if every trifile, or any tri- 
 fle, fhall quench love in our hearts to him. O 
 what a ihame will it be in the day of judgment 
 to ^many, when this man- (hall -be. -brought forth 
 fuch fore foul-travel and fuffering, and that yet loving this idol, and another man loving that i- 
 
 dol more than Chrift; this- man loving his luft, 
 
 fa -h finners were never ftirred, nor made ieri 
 eus, to have the application of this purchated 
 redemption made to them. 
 
 The fcope of thefe words is to fhew the great 
 inward foul-travels,, conflicts, and ftraits that 
 our bleffed Lord Jefus had and was put to, in 
 throughing oi' the work of redemption, and in. 
 paying the price, due to the juftice of God for 
 the fins of the elect. It's a wonder that ever 
 we fhould have it to fpeak of, and that ye fhould 
 Jiear of this fubject, which is the very textj 
 (to fay fo) and fum of the gofpel ; and there- 
 fore before we leave it, we ihall fpeak a little 
 more to the Ufe of it : And truly, if we make 
 not ufe of this doctrine, we will make ufe of 
 none ; tho' I confets it is a gr. at practique, how 
 to draw it to ule, and to conform our felves in 
 our practice to the ufe of it. 
 
 VVe propofed fometbings the lad day, which 
 we* could not then profecute ; As, 1. Something 
 for exhortation, 2. Something for reproof and 
 expoftulation ; which fifing clearly from the 
 doctrine drawn from the words, we may now in- 
 jlft little in them. 
 
 1/?, For exhortation, confidering Ghrift's fuf- 
 <tri»gs ? and the extremity yt them, and that the/. 
 
 that man his eafe, and another man his wealth 
 or honour, and preferring them to Chrift ; and 
 when it fhall be found, that they would not quit 
 nor part with their right eye not their right 
 hand (which are not worth the name of member s, 
 being called io, becaufe they are members of 
 the body or death) out of love to him ! Think 
 folks- what they will, that native impref- 
 fion of the obligation that lies upon them to 
 love Chrift, is wanting, and that divine and 
 foul-ravifhing influence, that his love fhould 
 have on hearts. -It is -true, ye all think that ye- 
 love him, unle-fs it be fome of them who indeed 
 love him; but, if ye ceuld reflect upon your 
 felves, ye Will find that ye have little or no 
 love at all to him indeed : And therefore, for 
 undeceiving of you, befide what we faid the laft 
 day, take two or three characters of kindly love 
 to Chrift, 1. This love is never fatisfied with 
 any degree- or meafure that it hath attained, f<* 
 as to fit down on it : It hath thefe two things in 
 it, a defire be further on in love, and a 
 weightednefs that it .cannot win at growth in 
 him: The loving foul is difpofeo' to thi.nJs, that 
 
 its- 
 
Serm. 46. Jf*i*h ]?• 
 
 its love to Chrift is not worthy to be called love;, 
 and it breathes after it, even to have it i'elf war- 
 med therewith to* him, and to be brought to a 
 further nearneis to him; as we may fee through 
 the ^ong of S lemon, and particularly Chap. 7, 
 at the dole, There will 1 give thee my loves ; and 
 Coap. 8.0 that tbou wert as my brother Jb at Juck- 
 ed the breafts of my mother ! Kindly love to 
 hiir), puts the foul to long for an opportunity to 
 rent its love towards him. 2. Where this love 
 is, the foul will be ferious in praying for it, that 
 it may attain it, as if itwanted it ; and it will be 
 much arfetfted for the want of the lively ex- 
 ercife of it, and will be as much challenged for 
 coming fhort in it, as it will be "for any other 
 fin : There is no "benefit that it leeks more after,. 
 than to have the. heart circumcifed to love him ; 
 J»nd Obut it will be accounted a great benefit, 
 to get love to Chrift! And as it's one of the things 
 that it leeks in prayer, fo it's one of the things 
 that it eyeth in repentance ; it's much affedted 
 with the want of it, confefles it to him, aggre- 
 ges the fin thereof againft it felt, from this 
 ground, that it loves not Chrift as it lhould. I 
 know not if there be much of this among us : 
 Many will be forry if they fall in drunkennefs,or 
 in any other grofs Tin ; but O how few repent 
 of their want of love to Chrifl, and that he gets 
 not his own room in the heart ! 3.. V* here this 
 love is, it is ever fufpicious and jealous, left 
 tbe heart cliver and cleave to lome other thing, . 
 and give it room, to the prejudice of Chrift : 
 It's a fad thing, when folks let their affe&ions 
 go out at random, and are not afraid, left they 
 out ihoot themfelves in loving the world, 
 their pleafures, their credit, i$c, but rather 
 they are like the whore in the. Proverbs, who 
 lays, Come > and let us take our fill of loves* Love 
 to Chrift hath a weanednefs from thefe things, 
 and a jealoufy left they ufurp a room in the 
 heart, that is not due to them ; becaufe, as J-hn 
 fays, there is not a confiftency betwixt the love 
 of God, and the love of the world in the heart : 
 And therefore it's the watchful care of a poor 
 believer, to keep out inordinate love of the 
 World, and of thefe things that the heart- is gi- 
 ven to go a-w boring after; hence David pra\s, 
 Ffal. 1 19. Incline my heart to thy taw^and not to 
 iovetoujnefs : and,r«r» axoay mine eyes from be- 
 holding vanity. There is in too many a fort of 
 rooted confidence that they love Chrift,and they 
 never fuipe& themfelves of the* contrary, when' 
 yet ibme other thing hath his room. 
 
 2^(y, There is ground here to exhort you to 
 believe on him, as the Prince of life, and the |a« 
 
 Verfe u. 551 
 
 viour,that is well fitted and qualified to give re- 
 pentance and remiifion of fins : And this is the 
 very native Ufe that flows irom this doctrine, e- 
 ven to Jay a fo'.id ground of faith to a foul ly- 
 ing under the fenfe of fin, to ftep forward to 
 God's bar, with confidence, confidermg Jefus 
 Chrift crucified, and put to fouh-travel foreleg 
 finners, who lhould betake themfelves to him; 
 which if its had -not been, there had not been 
 any ground for faith : And- the lower he came in 
 his fufferings, we have the more ^native and 
 broad ground of faith, and the ftronger motive 
 to draw us*to take hold or him, and to found and 
 fix our faith orj his fatisfa&ion. To clear this 
 branch of the Ufe a> little, 1. Confider here a 
 ground for faith, in a^fourfold refpeft ; And 2. 
 The force of the motives that arife from thefe 
 grounds, preffing a^enfible iinner to exercife faitlj 4 
 on them, or on him by them; And 3* The necel* 
 fity that we are under, fo to do. 
 
 For the Firfl> 1. In general, there is- ground 
 here to bring the heart to be through in the hi- 
 ftorical faith of wi at is fpoken concerning the 
 truths of the covenant --Tor, doth not this foul- 
 travel or our Lord fay, that men are lying natu-' 
 rally in a finful condition, and obnoxious to 
 wrath; that there is a covenant paft betwixt the 
 Father and the Son, for delivering of el e& fin- 
 ners out of that condition; and that by^thefufFe- 
 rings of the Mediator ;.and that-, by our betak- 
 ing of ourfelves to him, we may be freed from? 
 fin and wrath ? Gtherwife, .why did-the Media- 
 tor come thus low r , except it" had been true thaB 
 man was under a debt that he could not pay ? 
 And why did the Father fend his >on v except he 
 had been really minded that he fhould orfer him- 
 felf up a propitiatory Qcrifice to God for man's 
 fin? And his accepting or the fatisr'acUon tells 
 plainly, that he was content; that the Cautioner's 
 payment lhould ftand for the principal debtors. 
 All chisfuppefeth a covenant, which is as real, as 
 if. we had i'een, and had been ear-witneffes of the 
 reading over of the covenant in all th~ articles oi 
 it. W.e wifhthat many were come this length,' 
 as to be confirmed in the hiftorical faith of the 
 general truths of the golpel, fummed up in 
 Chrift's fufferings .* And there cannot be any fe- 
 rious reading or hearing or Chrift's fua?erihgs,- 
 but thei*e muft alfo be fome coniidering of their 
 rife and end ; if it be cthevwife, w« do but fu- 
 perficially run over them* 2. As this mews the 
 Lord's ferioufneis in prtffing the offer of redemp- 
 tion on finnerr% fo it cajletb you-* to be ferious in. 
 accepting of it ; according to that in John 12. 
 WfcnJ am lifted u^l mil draw all mw after mt% 
 
 whs;? 
 
J«$2 Ifaidb <,!• 
 
 where Chrift's lifting up is made an attra&ive 
 to draw loft finners after him. And can there 
 be a greater ground of faith, or a ftronger mo- 
 tive to perfwade a iinner to be reconciled to God, 
 and to reft upon (Thrift's fmsra&ion, in order 
 to that, than this, that Jefus Chrift. hath purpof- 
 ly laid down his Hie, and undergone futfering, 
 even to fuch an extremity, to bring it about ? 3. 
 V hen we lay that Chrift's foul-travel calls for 
 faith ; it requires this, and gives ground for it, 
 that they ^hat betake themfelves to Chrift for 
 juftihcation before God. may -confidently com- 
 mit themfelves to his guiding in all other things: 
 For, willhe not be tender ot the.ni in the'e,when 
 out of refpect to them, when there was not a co- 
 venant betwixt him and them (tho' they were 
 mentioned in the covenant of redemption) he 
 1 laid down his life, and iufered luch things for 
 them r May we not,rrom this,reafon, as the apo- 
 il'e doth, Rom.%. He that/pared not bis own Sen y 
 but gave him to the death for us, bono Jhall be 
 not with him aljo freely give us all things ? Can 
 there be a greater ground for finners, that fear 
 to give him credit, to t'ruft him with all things 
 that concern theti^ than this, that he lurfe- 
 red fo much for them ? 4. Having betaken our 
 felves to him, it ferves to confirm* our faith, 
 and to bring us to the quieting of our felves in 
 retting on him, and acquiefcing ,in him : For, 
 what more could we require for our fettlement 
 and quieting than this, that he hath come fo 
 low, and condescended fo far for the behoo of 
 poor Tinners ? Therefore, in all thefe refpects, 
 let me exhort you, and in his name,w£<? vooa made 
 fin for us, that we might be made the righteouf- 
 nefs 0} God in him, obteft you, not to keep at di- 
 ftance from him, but take with your fin, by 
 faith to fl-e unto him, and to the efficacy of 
 his blood ; O yield your felves by faith to 
 him, for ufe-iruking of him for your juftifica- 
 tion. And a little more particularly ,let me here 
 fpeak a word to two forts of perfons, 1.T0 them 
 that are yet ftrangers to God, 2. To them that 
 are looking towards Chrift. And(i^For you that 
 are ftrangers to God, whofe hearts were never 
 yet afR&ed with the conviction of the neceffity 
 of believ:ng,who can ly down, and rife up, with- 
 out ferious thoughts' of your foul's eftate, or of 
 the neceflity of making fure your peace with 
 God ; I befeech you, lay to heart your condi- 
 tion, and beware of trampling the blood of the 
 covenant under your feet;. let not the grace that 
 is offered to you in tjiis gofpel be lie.ird and re- 
 ceived in vain; but, by the acknowledgment of 
 fin, and of God's juftice to which ye are liable 
 ior the fame, timcoufly betake your felves to 
 
 Verfe it, Serm. 4*. 
 
 .Chrift's fuflferings, for a ftidter from the wrath 
 of God, that v, ill be as a ftumaga nil the wall. 
 This we prels as the great Ufe 01 this Doctrine 
 upon you, that ye improve the cup a' wrath 
 that the Mediator hath drunken, ror your ex- 
 empting from the curfe that is due to you, and 
 that cup that ye defer ved to have drunken eter- 
 nally. (2.) For you, who, under the conviction 
 of fin, are looking towards Chrift ; let me in- 
 treat you not to ftay on this fide of the City cf 
 refuge^ but ftep forward, and improve this ioul- 
 t-avcl of the Lord for your spiritual eafe, fettle- 
 ment, quiet and comfort, as well as tor keeping 
 you from wrath,otherwife it will bring bittcrnds 
 in the end : If ye make not ufe o{ Chrift's fuf- 
 ierings, if ye betake not your /elves to him, and 
 do not truft him for juftihcation and life,ye will 
 make your felves guilty of his blood, andwilf 
 be found treadcrs of it under foot. 
 
 And therefore, let me here fpeak a word to 
 the Second thing propofed, that is, the grounds, 
 or realons, or motives, that lhould prcls yv\i 
 to make uU of thefe lufFerings ; and ot t e 
 grounds of faith, that they hold out unto you. 
 And,i//\ In general, let me ask, Is there not need 
 that ye ftiou d do fo ? Is there not gu -It, and 
 hazard ot wrath becaufe of guilt f And if io, 
 why ftand ye at a dillance from the -Saviour r* 
 If it were finLfs faints and angels t. at were 
 exhorted'to make ufe of him, it would be the 
 lets wonder, that there were io little thinking of 
 a Mediator ; but when it is finners that are cal- 
 led upon, and finners in fuch imminent hazard, 
 it's indeed a wonder that there is not greater 
 iiockin; unto him, and preffingon hitn : It there 
 had not been need, would the Father have fo 
 purfucd the Son 1 Or,do yt think that it was for 
 a complement that he laid down his lite r which 
 fure he would not have done, if lavation could 
 have been had another way. idly, And more par- 
 ticularly, as ye would confidtr the marvellous 
 grounds that he hath laid down for faith to rctl 
 upon, Io ye would confider the many motives 
 that ye have to prels you to reft on th-Je 
 grounds, which we ihall draw to thefe four. It 
 The fulnefs and fufticiency of the ground that 
 is given to faith in Chrift's fufferings ; which,the 
 deeper they draw on his foul, faith hath the 
 fuller and better ground to mike ufe of them. 
 2. The power and ability that are confpicUoufly. 
 in him, to make application of his purchale ? 
 He hath encountered wrath,and hath overcome ; 
 he is ab'olved and juftihed betore God, and it 
 exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour , to give re» 
 pentaa<e to lfrael, *nd ijwijfion effms \ and, ha- 
 ving 
 
Scrm. \S\ lfa*h <>%. 
 
 ving fatisfied juftice. and defeated the dev:l,and 
 being thus exa'ted, he can bring through and 
 lar.d fare, iuch finners as betake themfelves to 
 bim : And thefe two, to wit, a fufficient price 
 paid for the debt of the eled ; and a fufficient 
 Prince and Saviour, able to fave to the uttermoft 
 all that come unto God through him, and who • 
 is exalted, and fitteth at God's right-hand to 
 make interceflion for us,as they are a folid ground 
 for faith to reft on, fo a ftrong motive to prefs 
 believing. 3. The great faithfulnefs of God, 
 that brightly fhines, and wonderfully appears 
 here, v>ho, according to the covenant, fends 
 his Son, and purfues the quarrel againft him, 
 and in fo doing keeps the promife made to A- 
 Iraham ; and the great faithfulnefs of the Medi- 
 ator, in coming and performing all that he un- 
 dertookTor the ele«a: Both of them are fo faithful 
 in performing all that was covenanted., to the lead 
 iota thereof;as is evident by what our Lord fays, 
 / have finijhed the work which thougavefl me to 
 ^.Seeing therefore there is fuchexadt. faithfulnefs 
 in keeping, and fulfilling of all that paffed in the 
 covenant of redemption,and of all that was pro- 
 mifed to the fathers \ and feeing the Mediator 
 hath faid, That of all that come unto bim, he 
 voiU caft out none,r\or put them away,is there not 
 here a ftrong motive to believing ? Will not the 
 Lord Jefus be as iaithful in keeping the promife 
 made to comers unto him, as the Father and he 
 have been in performing of what was covenan- 
 ted concerning their redemption ? The tfb is 
 the great love of God and of the Mediator,* that 
 eminently fhine here, in their willingnefs to 
 make the application : As he is faithful, fo is he 
 willing to be imployed ; and what greater evi« v 
 1 dence of love would we have than this, that our 
 ] Lord Jefus hath delighted fo much in the falva- 
 tion of finners,that he laid down his life, and en- 
 dured much fore foul-travel, for this very end ? 
 We beheld (fays John, Cb. 1. 14V* hisglcry, the 
 glory as cf the only begotten Son of the Father full 
 of grace and truth : In his humiliation, he was 
 glorious in both thefe ; glorious in his truth, 
 making his faithfulnefs" to ihine, in exa& keep- 
 ing of what was agreed upon and promifed; .glo- 
 rious in his grace to poor finners, in making 
 application of his purchafe, freely and fully : 
 Yea, the more that he was obfeured by his hu- 
 miliation, the more aid his grace fhine forth ; 
 how much more glorious will he be in thefe, 
 when he is now exalted ? idly, If thefe two per- 
 fwade you not to believe on him, to wit, the 
 groupds that he hath given for believing, and 
 the powerfully preflirtg motives to make ufc of 
 thefe grounds $ coniider the abfoiutc neceflity 
 
 Verfe II. 2^ 
 
 that ye ly under of making ufe of thefe grounds, 
 without which ye will never be able to lhift the 
 wrath of God. Is there any that can give God 
 a recompence r The redemption cftbejcul is pre- 
 cious,and ce*ajes for ever, as to you : Or, if any 
 could have been able,why did the Mediator come 
 thus low? And where mould have been the glo- 
 ry of grace and truth, that hath fhined To ra- 
 diantly in his fufferihgs ? And therefore,, from 
 all thefe be exported to give him the credit of 
 your falvation, by making ufe of his righte- 
 ouinefs, and by founding your plea before God 
 on his fufferings, as ever ye would have your 
 fouls faved ; Otherways ye can expe& nothing, 
 but to fall under" the rigour of juftice, and to 
 be made to fatisfy for your own debt to the ut- 
 termoft farthing; and when will that be ? Dare 
 the moft innocent amongft you ftep in to fatisfy 
 juftice for themfelves ? If not, is there not a ne* 
 ceflky to make ufe of his fufFerings for that end, 
 which he hath made attainable by his tearing 
 of the vail of his own flefh, that finners may 
 ftep inAvith humble boldnefs to the. holy of ho- 
 lies ? This is the end of all our preaching, and of 
 your hearing, which, when it is not fingly aim> 
 ed at, and endeavoured to be reached, we are 
 ufelefs in both. 
 
 And therefore, ldly> May we not expoftulate 
 with you, that are hearers % of this gofpel, and 
 yet continue ftrangers to Chrift ; that can 
 hear of his fuflferings, and of his having been in 
 agony, for this very end, that finners might have* 
 a warrant to their faith, and yet have never to 
 this very hour actually fled unto him to find 
 fhelter ? I know that many will not take with 
 this ; and therefore.in more clofe application of 
 this Ufe (feeing here lieth the great Treafure of 
 the gofpel, which, if it be n.ot, what can be im- 
 proven to any purpofe? ) We fhall fpeak a word 
 to the generality of hearers, who are ftrangers 
 to the right ufe-making of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs : And tho' ye may think this to be a hard 
 charge, and cannot well endure to be expoftula- 
 ted with as unbeliever's ; ytt let me ask you, 1. 
 Do you think thar all of you wittgo to heaven ? 
 If not, but that it is a truth, that the moft part 
 of the hearers of the gofpel will perifh ; then* 
 .fure all are not believers ; for all believers will 
 go to heaven, and not one of them fhall perifh : 
 And tho' ye will not now believe this, the day is 
 coming, when ye fhall, if grace prevent not, fee 
 and find it ; when believers will be taken in with 
 Chrift, and others fhut out. Many of you may 
 think that this doctrine is needlefs ; the more 
 needlefs that many of you think it to be, it is fo 
 
 much 
 
*U Tfdiah \%. 
 
 inuch.the more needful, and ufeful to be infilled 
 on with you. 2. It ye fay, ye have faith ; I ask 
 you, \fl hence cams it, and hew got you it ? I 
 know, many of you will fay. We believed always 
 fince w T e had underftanding to know good by ill : 
 Yet, when ye are put to tell what it is, ye know 
 not how to answer, nor can ye give the lead' 
 fatisfving account of it ; and yet ye queftion 
 not but it will be well with you, and never 
 once fear.d to go to hell : And is that faith. 
 think ye ? Alas no, it's a plain connterfeit, and a 
 very cheat. Others are ready to fay,V\ e belie- 
 ved not always, ytt we believe fometimes,to wit* 
 when we do ibme duties, and abllain from grofs 
 evils ; but when challenges come from the ne- 
 glect of duties, and for the commiflion of fins, 
 we want it, and have nothing of it ; and when 
 death comes, fuch are forced to fay, We fear we 
 liave been beguiling our (elves' : Whence c«mes 
 this ? but even from this ground, that they 
 would never, fuffer it to light, but they had 
 faith ; w~jjich yet will never be accounted to 
 he faith, "becaufe it hath not ChriiVs righteouf- 
 nefs for the ground of it ; and therefore, when 
 any challenge is awakened, it's a feekrng and 
 quite gone: Whereas true faith will in fome 
 meafure (land it out againfl a challenge, and 
 will abide the trial of a challenge, on the account 
 of thrift's righteoufnefs fled to. 3. We ask 
 you this queftion, Are ye fure of your faith ? Yc 
 will fay, We hope fo, and believe fo; and this is 
 all yecan'fay./ Which in erFcydl comes to this, 
 "We groundlcfiy prefumedfo. And it's obferva- 
 ble, that if ye be put to a fecond queftion, What 
 jground have 1 ye for your faith rYe have none at 
 all: If ye be asked, "Whether ye be certain that 
 ye are believers? Ye will anlwer.No- body is cer- 
 tain,God knows that. Is not this flrange ? and 
 hath it not in it an utter inconiiftency, that men 
 and womenlhouldconfidentlyalTertand maintain 
 their faith, and yet, when they are put to prove 
 it, they will tell you, 'that they.are uncertain,and 
 that none can1>e certain of it P Therefore, think 
 it not llrange that we expoftulate with you, that 
 ye have been fo long hearing of Chriil. and that 
 yet ye have little,or rather no faith at all in the 
 •.ufe-making of his righteoufnefs. But to make 
 this the rnore convincingly clear, we fhall give' 
 you four charaelers, whereby . tr.ue faith may 
 ; be tried and known ; which will ferve alfo to 
 difcovrr the unfoundnefs of the faith of many. 
 (i.)It may be tried by the ground that it leaneth 
 upon ; folid faith hath for the ground of it 
 Chrifl's righteoufne's and fatisfaelion, his fuf- 
 ferings, -the price that he paid to jullice for fln- 
 t^rs debt j that He > wbc knew no fin, might be- 
 
 Verfc II- Serm. 46. 
 
 some fin for^ us, as it is, iGr. $.. ult. Ye that fay, 
 Ye hope to come to heaven, and will aiiert' 
 ftrongly that ye believe : Try it L befcech you, 
 by this, V\ hat is it that warrands you to believe ? 
 or, whereon is your faith founded P h it ChriiVs 
 righteoufnefs that gives your faith a -round ?" 
 Ye will fay, Yes.andwho do o;herwife? are there 
 any, but they expeft life through Chriil r But 
 deceive not your felves, there are many that have 
 fome fort of refpeel to Chriil, who do not at all 
 rightly refpeel: his fufferings : Many will look 
 upon Chriil as a Sovereign, and as one that can 
 pardon them their fins, and will pray to him 
 tor pardon of-them; who yet never ferioufl) lay 
 the weight of their obtaining pardon on his 
 death, but ex.pe& pardon immediately, without 
 an interveening fatisfa&ion ; yea, shey ne- 
 ver look upon that as needful. Others again 
 look only to ChriiVs ability, to fave, and will 
 pray to him as to an able Saviour •> and here alfo, 
 by filch,, his righteoufnefs and merit is {hut 
 out as it it were fuperfluous and unneceffary. A 
 third fort look to his mercy, and think that 
 he is very kind and gracious^and that as one man 
 forgives another, fo will he forgive them ; and 
 do not refpedl his rights oufnefs nor found their 
 faith and exp elation of par -on upon him, as 
 upon one ^hat hath fatisfied jufttce by the tra- 
 vel of his toul, that pardon might come to them 
 who- come to him. But, where true faith is, 
 the ioul begins to look on it felf, as arraigned 
 before the tribunal of jullice, and libelled, as 
 unable to pay its own debt, judges it felf, and 
 hath not oniy fome piece of. exercife to be freed 
 "from a challenge (which is all the faith that, ma- 
 . ny have,) but hath ferious exercife, how to have 
 the challenge anfwered, by betaking it felf to 
 ChriiVs fatisfaition : From thefe grounds, that a 
 fatisfa&ion is given, that this fatisfa&ion is made 
 offer of in the golpel, and that the foul is con- 
 tent to make ufe of it, it draws the conclufion 
 anent pardon : It hath interveening, betwixt the 
 confideration of its guilt, and its application 
 of pardon, both the covenant of redemption on 
 God's fide, and the covenant of reconciliation 
 on the fmner's (ide, which the foul doth eye, as 
 that which gives it warrant to lay hold on 
 Chriffs lufferings; which the'other, who pre- 
 fums. doth not: The believing loulfays, If 
 this fatisfa<ftion had not been, I could never have 
 expecled mercy. (2.) In the folid faith of a be- 
 liever, there is an ufe-making of Chriil crucifi- 
 ed, allenarly, as the meritorious caufe of jufli* 
 fixation and life*, fo he isexercifed in this, to be 
 allenarly fettled on him asfuch: As for prefump- 
 
 tuouc 
 
Serm. 46*. ; "Jf*'*h ^3« 
 
 tuous fouls,as they find it eafy to believe,fo they 
 find it eafy to believe, and to reft on him only. 
 But as the true believer hath it for one piece of 
 exercife to him,howto win to Chrift; fo it's a fe- 
 cond piece of txercife to him, to get him refted 
 on only, and to get him, as cfiicihed, made the 
 ground of his faith;as theapoftle infinuates when 
 he lays, 1 Cor* 2. 2./ determined to know nothing 
 among you, but Chrift Jef us, and him crucified: 
 Where we have three grounds of faving faith, or 
 knowledge, i.Jefus Chrift; 2. Him as crucified; 
 and, 3. A determining to know no other thing, 
 but him, to reft upon for Hie and falvation : it's 
 in this refpeel that the apoftle, Philip. 3. doth 
 count all things to be but lofs and dung.andcaft as 
 it were, all over board, that he may win Chrift, 
 and be round in him. Many find it no difficult 
 bufmefs to reft on Chrift only, and to keep out 
 other things from being joined with him, and 
 never once fufpect themfelves in this by^ any 
 thing ; but the believer (as I juft now'faid) 
 hath here an exercife and difficulty to get Chrift 
 alone refted on, fo that nothing elfe be in the 
 lead refted on, becaufe he knows nothing elfe 
 to be a lure foundation, and becaufe he knows 
 that it's natural to him to reft on other things 
 befide Chrift. (3.) The t^Jfcbeliever is taken 
 Up, not only to have a fure ground to build on, 
 but alfo to have his own gripping at, and build- 
 ing on that ground, made fure : It's his exercife 
 to have it out of queftion, that his faith is true 
 faith, and not prefumption or guefling ; to have 
 the grace of faith actually and really taking ho'd 
 of, or apprehending Chrift : Whereas another 
 that prefumeth, and hath only an opinion, or 
 conje&ure, in place of faith ; as he is in his own 
 opinion e fi'y brought to Chrift, fo he finds it 
 eafy to exerciie believing en him; he will, ic 
 ipay be, grant that he cannot ian&ify the fab- 
 bath-day, and yet he can believe, as if believing 
 were lefs difficult than to fa notify the fibbath : 
 So many will grant, that they cannot pray, and 
 therefore do decline the worfhipping of God in 
 their families ; who yet will confidently fay, 
 they can beiieve, and that they do believe al- 
 ways, as if believing were lefs difficult than to 
 pray for a quarter,or halfaquarter of an hour : 
 out, where folid faith is, the exerciie of it is a 
 difficult thing ; and the perlon that hath it, hath 
 a holy jealouly of it ; and the experience of many 
 others, and of himfelf, fo metime telling him, 
 that he may be miftaken, he; is often trying it, 
 and doth not. nay, he dare not trull much to it, 
 and is put often with th t man fpoken of^ Mark 
 9. to cry, and fometimes with tears, Lord, I 
 believe, help mj unbelief : He dare not truft 
 
 )urle 
 
 Verfe n» 
 
 much to his own grip,and therefore bath recourfe 
 to Chrift to get it fickered, and to have him ta- 
 king and keeping the grip of his grip, as it was 
 with the apotrJe,P£/7.3.i2. (4.JWhen believers 
 have he taken themfelves to Chrift, they have a 
 new exerciie, to know that.it is fo indeed. It's 
 not only an exercife to them h w to grou id their 
 faith right, how to quit all otiur things, ar.d to 
 betake themfelvt stoChiift on!) . ?nd to caft their 
 burden on him- bui it's an exercife to them. to be 
 clear that it'sCb. ft indeed that they reft on, or 
 to be .clear that they bare. refted on him. It's no 
 good token, when fcks are foon fatisficd w : th 
 their believing, and ncv^r ru! it to tlv trial; and 
 this is it that makes many 6 o on gueiling. all they 
 come to death, which makes a divorce b twite 
 them and their fanciedfaith, and dijeoVers it to 
 be but a delufion : Whereas it is believers work, 
 to try whether they have, and to know that they 
 have believed, which they win not foon to know; 
 and the reafon is, becaufe the lenle of fin, the 
 apprehenflon of wrath, and their love to -God, 
 and to Chrift the Mediator, with their deiire to 
 enjoy him, fuflfer them not to be quiet till they 
 be lieker. We may fee all the lour together, VhiU 
 3. 7, 8, 9, 10. where the apoftle, fpeaking of his 
 cafe when he was a converted Chrift ian, in op po- 
 rtion to what it was when he was a Pharifee^rxi, 
 thought himfelf to be very well, and a ftrong be- 
 liever, faith, What things were gain to me, I coun- 
 ted lofs for Chrift : Tea doubtlefs 1 count all things 
 to be but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of 
 Chrift Jefus my Lord, for whom I have fufered 
 the lofs of all things and do count them but dung 9 
 that I may win Chrift , and be found in him, not 
 having mine own right eoufnefs, &c. The Object 
 he would be at, is Chrift ; the manner how, 
 is ,N~ot having mine own rightecufnefs ; the mean 
 through which, is faith in him ; this is it that 
 brings him to union with him: And then he 
 would know experimentally, that he doth know 
 h m favingly,al a believer in him, by fencing the 
 power tf his refui reftion by having fellrwftip in 
 his fufferings,zn& by being made comformable to 
 bis death whereby -he would prove, and make out, 
 to his own quieting and confutation, that he is 
 indeed a believer- The believer is never right- 
 till he be in Chrift, and it's his exercife to be 
 quite rid of all other things, and to reft upon hint 
 alone ; neither doth he reft here,, but he muft be 
 clear that he is in him, and that he hath fellow- 
 fhipin his (ufferings and conformity to his eeath: 
 This we would recommend to you as your maun 
 ftudy as ever ye would comfortably evidence to 
 your felve», your believing inhim. 
 
 L, 1 SER.MC " 
 
•5* 
 
 SERMON XLVIL 
 
 Ifaiah 1m. !t. He fhallfee of the travel cf bis foul, and {hall be fatisfed : By his htcfxoledge JhaM 
 tny righteous Servant juflify many ; for he Jhall bear their iniquities* 
 
 THE bargain of redemption is a great bar- 
 gain, and we may lay that it is a good 
 bargain, wherein the greatetl things that ever 
 were /imagined are tranfafted .* The fum 
 whereof is in thefe two, i. What (hall be the 
 fetisfa&ion that mud be given to the infinite 
 jufti?e or G "} r Or,what fhall be the amends that 
 mud be made to God for the fatisfying of bis 
 ju ii-e <or the fins of all the ele& ? And tfnt 
 is compended in thefe words,:T&e travel cf Cbr iff s 
 foul. That is the condition, or thefe are the 
 t^rm3, on which only the Lord Jehovah will 
 Iryft, (to (peak fo) and he will tryft on no 
 ©ther terms. 2. What lhall be the fatisfaition 
 that the Mediator lhall have for all his fufFer- 
 ings, artd foul-travel ? And this is fummed up in 
 •hefe words, He Jhall fee cf the travel of his foul, 
 amd Jhall be fatisjUd ; upon which two iiands the 
 covenantof redemption : And hence it is, that 
 all things relating to the falvation of the ele&, 
 are fo ficker and firm, that there is no pofttbility 
 of the mi (giving, or failing of whatever is here 
 fcranfacl-ed upon. 
 
 We have fpoken fomewhat of the price, which 
 the Son, the Mediator, was to give ; and of the 
 ibul-travel which he underwent in the paying 
 ©f it : We lhall now fpeak of the words, as they 
 hold out the promifes made to theMtdiator;and 
 it's twofold, \Ji, He Jhall fee of the travel of his 
 foul : Which words being an explication of the 
 former, and looking aHo to theie which follow, 
 there is a word to be (applied, which will take 
 in both, and it is fruit, He Jhall fee the fruit of 
 the travel of his foul ; that is, He cannot but 
 have a feed, and a numerous offspring-, becaufe 
 of his foul-travc! r in bringing t'rtem forth: And 
 to frhe promife,in this refpeft, (hews the certain- 
 ly of the erFe&, that is, that he fliail moil cer- 
 tainly bring forth in his travelling. The 2d pro- 
 -Hjife is> That he Jha.il fee the fruit of his foul- 
 «ravel,or his feed : It's- much to have a feed, hut 
 it's more to feent ; it's not c nly this, that Chrift 
 ihall have a numerous iflue, hut that he fhall 
 •ut-live death, to lee andovcr-fce,and be a Tu- 
 tor to- them, tho' by his death he purchafe life to 
 them. 
 
 We fhall from the firft promifetake two 6b- 
 •fcrrations.; the if} is this, 'That oar Lord Jefusy 
 *>2f Sbfuferin^ and foul- travel*. kail certainly 
 
 c attain the fruit he aims at in it; his death and 
 c fufferings fhall not be fruitlcfs, but fhall certain- 
 c \y have the intended fruit.' v\ bat-ever we take 
 the fruit to be, whether we take it out of the 
 former words,it"s a feed that he Jhall fee, or have; 
 or whether we take it out of the rollowing words, 
 it's the juflifying of many ; both thefe pome to 
 the fame thing, and it lhall certainly come to 
 pafs, and be made effc&ual in the up-fhot of it j 
 as the Lord himfelf faith, Jt,bn 12.24. Except a 
 c?rn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it a- 
 bidetb alone ; but if it die, it hringetb forth 
 much fruit 1 Where he compares his own death 
 to the lowing of feed, winch, whtn fown, doth 
 rot, and then fprings up, and hath fruit ; So 
 (as if he had faid) my death ihall be a feed, 
 or feed-time, whereon abundant fruit lhall -fol- 
 low, for the good and falvation of many. This 
 do&rine fuppofes, \fi, That our Lord Jcfus had 
 arefpe&, in the lading down of his life, to the 
 falvation of his4»i ele<ft people ; or thus, 
 That our Lord Jefus, in the laying down of his 
 life, had a defi^n and purpofe to fave the ele&, 
 as often he faith, / lay down my life for m) > foe ep ; 
 and here they are called a Seedy znd-Fruit, and 
 fu„h as are jujjifed in due time. 2.Tbat this pur- 
 pofe fhould by his iufFerings be certainly made 
 effectual; this being the Father's promife to him* 
 He Jhall fee bis feed,ox the travel of his foul, and 
 fballbe fatisfied ,it cannot be frultrated. And we 
 may further confirm it from thefe grounds, u 
 Becaufe it is a covenanted and tranlacted bufi- 
 nefs betwixt the Father and the Son, and is here 
 promifed : If therefore there cannot be a failing 
 of the tranfa&ion and bargain, it mufl certain- 
 ly have the full effedY. 2. Becaufe the Mediator 
 — "fcath faithfully fulfilled his part of the covenant; 
 and if he hath been fo faithful on his fide, then 
 Jehovah on the other fide of the covenant, who 
 hath in it promifed fatisfa£tion to him for the 
 travel of his foul, cannot but perform his part 
 alfo : The Mediator performed his part,even till 
 it came to thefe fweet words, uttered by him • 
 ©n the crofs 3 /f is finijhed; and therefore,as Ifaid, 
 the other part, that He Jbull fee the fruit cf bi> 
 foul-travel, mud alfo be performed. j.It's alfo 
 clear from the end and defign of the covenant 
 of redemption betwixt the Father and the Son - 9 
 
5erm. 47. m # Jfatab <3- 
 
 and of Chrift's laying down Viis life, which was 
 to bring about life unto, and to make it forth- 
 coming for all them that the Father had given 
 him *, and to, and for no more ; nor to, and for 
 no fewer : Therefore he faith, All that the Fa- 
 ther batb given me, foall come unto me \ and, / 
 five them eternal Iije> and will raije them up at 
 the laft day. Now, this being the end or the co- 
 venantjand of Chrift's death, and the mean where- 
 by the glory of grace is manifefted, that life 
 tri^ht not only be purchafcd to the ele&, but al- 
 io a&ually conferred on them according to the \ a- 
 tht r's and the Mediator's defign in the covenant; 
 Chrift Jefus cannot but have the promife made 
 good unto him, there being an engagement of, 
 and on the God-head (to lpeak aftxr the manner 
 of men),asto the reality, certainty and fuccefs 
 ©f the performance, and for making out this 
 promiie to the Mediator. 
 
 i he 1 ft Ufe ferves for inftrue"ting and clear- 
 ing of us in leveral things controverted by un- 
 found men r For if this be a truth, that our 
 Lord's lufferings and foul-travel cannot but have 
 fruit, and the fruit that he aim-d at thertin; 
 then, i.Thcre is a dehni*te,particular and certain 
 fiumber elected, to partake of the benefit of 
 Chrift's fu/Ferings ; becaule tfiere is only fuch a 
 particular number that is given to Chrift to be 
 redeemed by h ; m- and that do actually partake 
 of the benefit of his fufFerings, which cannot 
 fail. 2- That Chrift's fufferin^s are not intended 
 'as a price and fatisf action for the fins of al! and 
 every one 5 for Co he fhould not fee the fruit of 
 the travel of h's foul, but lhould in a great part 
 fciifs and lofe it, if he had intended that the 
 travel of his iou 1 lhould have been undergone 
 for Judas, as well asfor Peter, 3. There is here 
 a grcund for the Certainty and efficacy of the 
 grice of Gad in converting elect iinners : For 
 Chriii Jefus. cannotfiofe thefe who are commit- 
 ted to him td be redeemed, more than he can 
 lole th: j fruit of his iurFerings ; then lure faith 
 is not ''eft pendu'ous on tmn's free-will, but it is 
 put cut of .question, as to all his own, through 
 his undertaking : As he faith* that Iv"< man 
 canome to me, except toe Father draw h.m\- 
 fo tse faith, Thefe that are given me, Jl.all 
 and muft a me to me ; there is a putt, or a 
 powenul draii hr of the Spirit of'God, which 
 is nothing elie but the efficacy of his grace, 
 .by which this is made in mftrably fure, and 
 not left contingent. 4. See here- the truth of 
 the perleverance of the elt-ft and regenerate 
 faints, who are appointed to be the fruit of 
 his foul-travel, and a (anstadion to him 
 % the fame ; for if they ihouid fail, and not 
 
 Verreii. *<$f 
 
 ntrirvere to the end, the pfofhife made to the 
 Jvudiator lhould be caft loofe, and not benecefla* 
 nly performed and fulfilled. 5. i^ee here how 
 the talvation of eleft' iinners depends on the en« 
 gagement betwixt God and the Mediator : Their 
 redemption depends on his paying of the price, 
 and their attaining the benefit of it depends o» 
 God's engagement to the Mediator •, thertfere 
 we are faid, 1 Pet. 1. to be keeped by the power 
 of God through jaithunto falvation- It lcrve© 
 withal to clear the ibvereignty o; Cod, and the* 
 freenefs of his grace, when iinners cannot pre- 
 tend to have any hand in the work, to mar the 
 beauty and efficacy of grace that ihine therein. 
 Ufe 2d. There is here, 1. Something for the 
 
 * encouragement of fuch as would fain believe in 
 Chrifr. And, 2. Somewhat for comfort to, and 
 for confirmation of thtm. who have betakek 
 thunfeives by faith to Chrift. 3 It lerves with- 
 al to encourage them who would be at believing, 
 and find difficulty in the way, while they are 
 breathing after him : It's certainly promifea.thafr 
 Hejhallbaveafeed, and flail fee cj the jruiC 
 of the travel cf his fdul ; fuch therefore may 
 expect, that they ihall come fpeed, who would 
 fain be at .that which' is the fulfilling of God's 
 engagement to the Mediator ; for it was tranf- 
 aef ed in the covenant of redemption, that hie 
 iurFerings lhould be for the good of elect fin- 
 nefs, and that the Father fhould make applica- 
 tion of his purchaie made thereby to them. I 
 fay, it ferves to comfort, encourage .and con- 
 firm fuch as are fled to Chrift, and find their 
 own difficulty how to win through ; for they 
 
 , have a good Cautioner to make out their faith, 
 and what concerns their falvation: God's pro- 
 
 . mife to the Mediator ihall not be for nought, 
 nor in vain, but ihall have its accomplishment. 
 If poor iinners were left to their own guiding, 
 the bargain fhould never take effect, rior be made 
 out ; but it may encourage, and comfort the 
 poor believer, tho' it fhould alfo humble him, 
 that the bufinefs is put in another and better 
 hand than his own : This hath ftrengthned the 
 wavering hearts of many believers before, that* 
 both fides of the covenant, as to their forth- 
 •coming and performance, depend on the Father, 
 and on thefr ediator*, the Mediator undertaking 
 the payment of their debt, and the Lord Jeho- 
 vah undertaking to draw them in to the Media- 
 tor, and by his power to bear them through, 
 till they get all that the Mediator hath purcha- 
 ied for them, conferred on theai'. 
 
 2^/y,Obfcrve,'That all the benefits and ad van- 
 
 * ta&es,that any have ever gotttn^r Ihall get, that 
 
 ' L 1 8 * lcajl 
 
H% Ifdldb ft* 
 
 « lead to life eternal, and which concur to pro- 
 
 * move the work of their l'alvation, are the fruits 
 
 * of ChriiVs pucrhaie, by his foul-travel. ' Is a 
 /Inner brought to believe ? It's a fruit of his fair. 
 fering ; Is a iinner glorified r it's the fruit of the 
 fame : And therefore, when in the one word it is 
 faid, He Jliall fee bis feed \ It's faid in the next 
 word, He Jhall jee of the fruit of the travel vf 
 bis foul \ to ihew that a foul's engaging to Chrift 
 by faith, whereby thtr perfon becomes one of his 
 feed, £ows from his mfTerings, and is a fruit of 
 the travel of his foul, as it is, i Clr. 5. ult. He 
 vxts made fin for us- wb. knew 119 fin. that we 
 might be made the rigbteoufnejs 0} G 'd through 
 him or in him ; wh re our rig'ote.ufnefs, and « 
 what conduces to our juIHfieatiori is derived 
 from his being made fin, or a Sin-offering for us : 
 And Ga i 3. 1 3. it's fairi.that Chrifl hath redeemed 
 us from the curfe oj the law> being made a curfe 
 for us.tbatfbe blejfing of Abraham might come en 
 mG entile j, whatever is comprehended under that 
 bulling as taking in both the end and means by 
 which we come by inflows from his being a curfe 
 for as, and from his being brought under fad 
 fuflfering, and fore foul-travel for us. In this 
 Doftrine ye would confider fomething for clear- 
 ing of it, or rather take the doctrine it felf fe- 
 veral ways, and it will help to clear it felf. (1.) 
 Then, when we fpeak of the fruit of ChriiVs 
 fuffvrings, we mean, not only that our juftili- 
 cation, the pardon of our fins, and our entry 
 into heaven, are fruits of it ; but that our be- 
 lieving, repentance, holinefs, and every thing 
 that leads thereunto, are fruits of it alio : There- 
 fore it's promifed toChritt.,PfzLiio*l>Tby people. 
 Jhall be willing in the day of thy power* 
 And that thefe that are given to Chrift Hull 
 come, is a promife ; as well as it's a promife, that 
 thefe that come fhall be juftiried : And the one 
 follows upon ChriiVs engaging, and performing 
 of the engagement, as well as the other. (2.)lf we 
 take the do&rine thus, That there is nothing, 
 that a iinner gets, that leads to life and falva- 
 tion, but it's a fruit of Chrift's purchafe ; we 
 get neither repentance, nor faith, nor holi- 
 neis. nor any other fuch thing, but on the ac- , 
 count of ChriiVs fatistaetion. Or, (3.) Take it 
 thus, Whatever is needful for compleating of 
 them that are Chrift's feed, whom he hath pur- 
 chafed, whatever they want or (land in need 
 of, whether righteoufnefs, holinefs, repentance, 
 faith, hope, &c. all, are purchafed by him, 
 and are the fruits of his death and foul travel ; 
 this riieth clearly from the words, He Jhall 
 fee of the fru t of the travel of his foul y That 
 it, He ftajl fee iinuers believing on him, and 
 
 Verfe n. Serm. 47. 
 
 repenting for /In, as well as he fhall ice them 
 glorified : Which will be clear, ii' we confider 
 thele two reafons, 1. The nature of the cove- 
 nant, wherein all the promiies concerning finn.rs " 
 falvation are comprehended : There being but 
 one covenant of recemption, and that being a 
 promife or thiscovenanty to circumeije the oeart 
 tol.ve Gcd, and to write bis law in it> as well 
 as to pardon fin ; and all the promifes of the co- 
 venant depending on ChriiVs ilipu ation, and 
 thele things in the prom i ft s flowing from the 
 covenant betwixt God and the Mediator ; iin- 
 ners can have no right to an> thing that is pro- 
 mised, but by. a covenant 5 ne ther can they 
 have any acceis to them, but through Chrift's 
 furferrng. 2. it's clear from the end of the co- 
 venant, that whatever finners itand in need of, 
 they mull be in Chrift's common for it : iSow if 
 we had faith, oa repentance, or any other grace, 
 from our felves,or on our own account,wc fhould 
 not be in his debt or common for all that we 
 need,as indeed weare,according to that, 1 CV.w 
 30, 31. He is made of God unto us y Wifdom, to be 
 our Guide and -Teacher ; Right ecufnefs y to be our 
 Juitifier, and the meritorious caufe of it ; Santli- 
 f cation, to be the \tyorker and the Procurer or it ; 
 and in a w r ord, compleat Redemption : And this 
 is fubjoined as the reafon of all, That be that 
 glories, or rejoices, may glory , or repice in the 
 Lord ; that is, whether there be a looking to 
 faith or repentance, or any other grace, there ' 
 may be no caufe to be vain or proud of it, but 
 that knowing thefe to be" from Chrift, and rruits 
 of his purchafe^ all the praifc of them may be : 
 to him alone. 
 
 The Ufeot this is large ; it fpeaks fomething 
 more 'generally to them that arc ftrangers to 
 Chrift, and who think that they would be at 
 him ; and fomething to th-.m that are in him 5 
 and fomething to both. And the \fi thing that 
 it Ipeaks is this (which we have often heard of 9 
 but cannot hear of it too oftenj even the great 
 and glad ridings, and v. ry good news, which 
 we have to fpeak of through Jefus Chrift, That 
 redemption is purcnafed by him to poor fin- 
 ners ; and that through him there is accefs to • 
 life, and peace, and reconciliation with God, 
 from which through fin we had fallen, and run 
 our fe'.ves under a forfeiture of, and from " 
 which we had been barred up eternally, exce.pt 
 he had fuhfer d ; There was a wall of feparati- 
 on and partition ftanding betwixt God and usy 
 wh i:h by his futferings_ was demoliihed and 
 broken down, and "thereby a door of accefs to 
 Godilruck up, even thrwgb tkt vail of bis fiefn* 
 
 Theft 
 
Serm. 47. lfaiah 53, 
 
 Thefe ihould be refreihing and frefh iuws to 
 iis every day, as indeed they would be, it we 
 rightly knew, and believed the benefit of God's 
 "fnenoinip, and what were our hazard in lying 
 itil) in nature and what was the price that 
 Chrift laid down, to purchale tor finners friend- 
 ship with God, and delivery from his curie \ 
 that it behoved to coft him lore foui-travel, 
 crt any fpecial grace could be be flowed on din- 
 ners 1 and that this fame gofpei that is prea-hed 
 to you, is a truit of the travel of his totul; and 
 th, t, in making the covenant of redemption, 
 this fame was a part of the indenture (to fpeak 
 la) that thee good news might be publifhed 
 in "this fame place, ar*d thefe glad tidings fpo- 
 ken of among you. And therefore, 2dly, Put a 
 a gr.at pn:e on the means that may further 
 . your fafvatiofi \ on repentance, faith, " hoii- 
 neis, peaec with God, CSV. for they are the 
 fruits or a very, dear purchafe, and the'refults 
 of a great and lore conflict, which the Media- 
 tor had with the juftice ot God, ere there could 
 be accefs for a tinner to any of them : There 
 was not fo much paid to get the world crea- 
 ted, as was paid to buy faith, repentance, ac- 
 cefs to God, and an entry to heaven, tn run-a- 
 way finners ; nothing was paid for the one, but, 
 a mighty great price for the other. And therefore 
 %dlj, We would expoftulate with many of you, 
 how.it comes to pais, that ft think fo litt.e of 
 thefe things that Chrifl hath purchaled, and that 
 ye think To little of faith in him ; and that fo 
 many of you take a counterfe t for it, try not if 
 you have it, trouble not your felves tho' ye want 
 it : and that other things ot little valueare much 
 .efteenxd or, and overvalued by you. H there 
 any thing comparable to that, which Chrift hath 
 put fuch a price on, that he gave his own life 
 for it ; and that God hath pur fuch a price on, 
 that he promif.d it to Chrift, as a part of the ia- 
 tisra&ion tor the travel of his foul? and yet 
 it's lightly valued by many, yea, by moft men 
 and wonr-ii : The day will come, when ye will 
 think faith to be of more value, and will think 
 the pardon of fin, and an intereil in Chrrfts 
 blood, to be valuable above the whole world, 
 though ye had it, when ye fhall be brought to 
 reckon .with God for the flighting thereof. And 
 therefore, <\thly* Seeing this is a truth, that e- 
 yery tiling that leads to life eterpal. ts a fruit 
 of Chrift's purchale ; take the right way to at- 
 tain it. The exhortation implies thefe two ; 1. 
 That ye make a right choice of, and put a ju'ft 
 Value on thefe things, that ye fhould chooie 
 and value. 2. That ye take the right way for 
 attaining of thefe ciiin&s. (i.) Then, would ye 
 
 Verfe. 11. 25* 
 
 know w hat-is to be valued and chofen ? It's cer- 
 ta nly thefe things, that God. and the Media- 
 tor efteem of, and that the congregation of the 
 firft-born cfteein of: The things that Chrift 
 hach purchased, andw r hich are the fruits of the 
 travel of lis foul, are mod excellent ; and there- 
 fore, mind, ftudy, and ieek after thefe things-, 
 that may le^d your fouls in to life eternal j 
 feek after faith and repentance, to have your 
 peace made with God, to have the heart pu- 
 rified, to be of a meek and quiet fpirit, which 
 im the fight of Cod are of grest price, as the 
 apoftie Fettr fpeaks : to have pardon of fin, and 
 "-hot me Is, for adorning the gofpei of God *, and 
 to have glory, that ye may lee Goa and enjoy 
 him : f hefe things are the beft things, this is* 
 undoubtedly the better j>att i tobicb will never be 
 taken from them, whole choice thro' grace it is. 
 God will give great eftates, countries and king- 
 doms in the world, to men, to whom he will noC 
 give fo much faith as is like a grain of muftard- 
 feed, nor a drahm of true holinefs, becaufe he 
 thinks much lefs of the one than of the other, 
 and becaufe the one is not lo like God, nor will 
 it have fuch abiding fruit as the other* - 
 
 (2O What way may folk win to make this 
 choice, and to attain thefe bell and moft valu- 
 able things ? No other way, but that which this 
 do&rine holds out : If all things that lead to 
 life and falvation be fruits of Chrift's purchafe, 
 then fure it is by vertue of Chrift's purchafe 
 alone, that ye muft come by them *, pardon o£ 
 fin comes by the bood of Iprinkling ; peace 
 with God, grace, and more grace, the exercife 
 of grace, and growth in holinefs, faith in all 
 its exerciies and advances, and every other 
 grace, comes by his lufFerings ; as alfo doth 
 glory, becaufe he hath purcbafed thefe graces 
 of the Spirit, as well as pardon of fin, and hea- 
 ven. Often Chrift is miskent,and paifed by here; 
 many think that they fhall obtain pardon of fin, 
 and go to heaven, without him; others, tho° 
 they will not own that, yet fall in the fecond, 
 and would make ufe of him for pardon of fin, 
 and for paying of their debt, if they could re- - 
 pent and believe in him ; but till they find thefe 
 in themfelves, they skar to come unto him s ~ 
 Whereas the finner that is convinced of fin, and 
 of his hazard, would lay down this as the firifc 
 ftfp of his way in coming to Chrift, Any re- 
 pentance, and believing, and the making of the 
 heart willing to clofe with, and to cleave to binV 
 is the fruit of Chrift's purchafe, and ! muft be * 
 in his common for it, for tliere is no other pof- 
 iibie way to get it. The firfl; airth (tofpeak fo) - 
 
 that. 
 
t6o ffaiah ^3. 
 
 that a wakned and fenfible finner ihould look 
 
 unto for pardon and peace, for repentance, faith 
 
 and all th/ngs, would bqto Chrift, and his mf- 
 
 ferings, whence all tbele come. Sinners at firft 
 
 are difpofed to taltfetoo far a look, and Po mi- 
 
 ftake in the order of things ; therefore, when 
 
 the fenfc of fin pinches them, and they fet 
 
 about to believe, and find that their hearts are 
 
 very averPe from be'icving, and can hardly be 
 
 brought to it, then they are fainted, when they 
 
 confider, and find, that, if it flood but on this, 
 
 even to con Pent -to" take Chrift, they cannot do it : 
 
 But then, and in that caPe, the Lord minds that 
 
 they fhoulo^be much in his common, for faith, 
 
 and repentance, and for a loft and tender heart, 
 
 and that they fhou'd Peek thefe from him, as 
 
 Weil as pardon of fin, confidering that all this 
 
 is Chrift's purchafe, and that ther^ is a poflibi- 
 
 bility to win to it this way, when, they can win 
 
 to it no other way ; if ye would take this way, 
 
 . even to -eye and look to Chriit as the Author 
 
 and Hnifher of faith, and be in his common 
 
 for it, through his grace it fhould go better with 
 
 you : This h it which the apoflle hath, Heb. 12. 
 
 where he calls, to lay afide every weight.' *,,id 
 
 the fin that eafily befets us, and to run the 
 
 race with patience that is fet bef re us ; and if. 
 
 it Ihould be laid, How fhall that be done' even by 
 
 looking unto Jefus the Author and Hnifher of our 
 
 faith ; and then follows, Who for the joy that was 
 
 fet bef re him, endured the crofs, and defpifed 
 
 the Jhame-, thus leading folk into his fufferings, 
 
 as thePolid foundation of their faith. 
 
 Ufe 2. See here ground for quafhing the 
 natural pride that is amongft men and women, 
 as to Ppiritual things: How fo ? where is the 
 ground for this? Here it is,hecauPe all is Chrift's 
 purchaPe- *, which may alPo give a check to the'e, • 
 vho, becauPe they have nothing in themPelves, 
 think not that they fhall come Ppeed upon this 
 ground ; as it doth to the'Pe others, who have 
 gotten Pomething, and are proud of it. To 
 clear it a little, we wou4d confider, that there 
 13 a pride in folk, ere they come to Chr^l, they 
 cannot well endure to be in Chrid's debt for 
 every thing ; they will take pardon of fin from 
 him, but they would have faith and repen- 
 tance of themPelves, as Pome money in their 
 purfe to bring with them to him, that they 
 may buy it: But where will you, I pray, get 
 faith, or repentance, ' if not from him? are 
 they not his gifts, and fruits of his purchaPe? 
 Which, if it were well confidered, there would 
 be no accePs to the proud reaPonings of unb - 
 Ktf ; Dare ye fay but th'ePe things are the fruits 
 
 VerPe 11. Serm. 4.7.' 
 
 of Chrift's Puffings, and hi? gifts ? and if fo, 
 nmit >e not be in his" common ror tlumr" And 
 as it li!enceth f the reaPonings of unbelief, lb it 
 flops the mouth o( the finner, ^nd humb es fi'm 
 much more than it he bad thePe things in, or 
 from himfelr, and were only to be in his com- 
 mon for righteouPneft and judication. 2. We 
 would confider. that thtre is often Pome pride 
 and conceit in them that have faith, diipofing 
 them to thmk themPelves to be better than otner 
 folks: But, if ye have faith, whence is it ? or 
 who hath made you to differ ? s it net a fruit 
 of Chrift's purchaPe? and will ye be vain or 
 conceity of that which <s the rurchafe'of ano- 
 ther? This is a Pp ; ritual poor pride, that iHrks 
 in thenoflrils of the holy Lord, lo to abufe hit 
 goodnefs, as to bt proud becauPe he hath bought 
 and bellowed that Which ye could never have 
 procured nor attained your Pelves: Jf then folks 
 have nothing, it's good to mind this, that Chriil 
 hath purchased what lirncrs ftind ; n need of, 
 and that it may he had in and rom him; and if 
 folks have any thirg, they ihould not be proud 
 or conceity of it. but mind that what they have 
 is a fruit of ChrifVs purchafe, and that therefore 
 there is no ground to be p^oudofit. 
 
 The id Ufe Perves to ihew what great obliga- 
 tion lies on finners, that get any Ipecial good 
 from God .^ It's Chrift tl '- hath purchaf d all, 
 and therefore they.ought to improve all thae 
 they have gotten for him wlio hath bought* all; 
 as it is, i Cr. 6. 20 1e are net y cur own. ye are 
 bought with a price, and therefore glcrify God 
 in your bodies and in your [pirits, which art 
 G d's: Whatever ye have or faith, of repentance, 
 of holing, or ol ability to ferve and honour God j 
 in your Ration, it's bought w th a price, and a 
 dear price; 3nd therefore gTor'Ty God in the 
 right ufc-mcking. and managing of it. We 
 would think it no little progrefs and advancement 
 in religion, if ve were brought to walk under the 
 fuitable imp'reffion of your engagement to Chrift, 
 as holding all that ye have, and all that lerves 
 for your through-bearing, of him •, for what do 
 we, or can- we do? It's Chrift' that buys all, and 
 that confers all ; we can do nothing of our felvet 
 but abuPe his purchaPe: And, were it not that 
 the fick'-rn-v's uVd (lability of our covenanting ■• 
 depends tm the firft coven mt, even the cove»- 
 nant of redemption, tranPadted betwixt trefe 
 two rePponPal .'Parties, Jehovah and the Media- 
 tor, we would quite mar and break all the bar- 
 gain betwixt God and us, and caftall Ioofe every 
 day, if not every moment. 
 
 Tht 
 
 
Serm. 4^. J fat ah ??. 
 
 ■ The other promife* - is, Vhat he fhall fee his 
 feed : And, as we hinted beiore, it's one thing, 
 to have a feed, and another thing to fee a feed) 
 the former promife looks to his having of a feed, 
 and this to his feeing or' that feed: Whence Ob- 
 fci ve, *That not on)y is there a feed promifed to 
 
 * ChriiT, but alio the feeing of a feed ; not only 
 c fruits, but the improving and managing of 
 1 thefe fruits : Or thus, That not only is there a 
 
 * feed promifed toChrift, hut the overfceing. of 
 ' that feed is -alio promifed.' He fhall have no 
 other tutor (to (peak fo) to leave his children to, 
 but to himfelr ; he (ball die, and ihall by his 
 death beget a feed, and yet by his death he fbaH 
 become the Overfeer of that lame i'cci, that by 
 bis death is begotten : There is much of the 
 dignity of Chrift's office, and of the comfort of 
 believers here,- that Jefus Chrifl: is not only the 
 Procurer of our life, but the "Overfeer of it ; 
 hence is that conclufion of the apoftle, *Heb. 7. 
 25. Wherefore he is able to fave to the uttermcj} 
 all that come unto God by him, for aj 'much as he 
 lives for ever to make intercejfion for them :■ He 
 bath not only purchafed life, and many good 
 things for believers, but he is living, to make 
 the application of his purchafe to them ; and 
 therefore is able to lave to the uttermoft all 
 that come unto God by him : Indeed, if he had 
 been prevailed over by death, there might have 
 
 Verfeli. 2#£ 
 
 been great hazard and doubt, if not utter de- 
 fpair of ever attaining his purchafe, and a great 
 crack (to fay fo) or breach in our confolation j 
 but when he is Executor of hi* own teftament, 
 and by his Spirit makes the application, what 
 is, or can be wanting ? We {hill fay no more, 
 but that.fiere it is clear, that we have a living 
 Mediator, as bimfelf fa\s, Rev. 1. 18. / wa$ 
 dead^ and am alive, and live for evermori \ 
 and therefore, iinners, ftep forward to his fuf- 
 ferings, and feek the application of his pur-, 
 chafe, fince he lives to make it ; it will no doubt 
 be great ground of challenge againll you, who 
 flight his fttfFerings, and keep at a distance 
 from him, fince he is alive, and fince what is 
 much accounted of J^r htm, even the fruit of his 
 iufFerings, is by you Cct at nought, who neglect, 
 refufe, or defpife him, and the benefit of his 
 furferings. O what an aggravation of your guilt 
 will this be, when is looking on, to fee what 
 comes of the fruit of his fufferings, and foul- 
 travsl, to be foun>l thus to flight, and in a man- 
 ner to affront him ! He knows, and takes notice 
 of the breathings of faith, where they are, and 
 is well pleaied with them, and with the leaffc 
 mintings at it ; he knows alfo, who defpife him, 
 and refufe to believe in bim, and hath all put on 
 record. God give us wifdom to make the right 
 choice. 
 
 SEUMON XLVIII. 
 
 Ifaiah Hit. 1 1 . HefiaBfee of the travel of his foul, and fhall be fatisfied 
 righteous Servant )uftify many ; for he jhall bear their iniquities* 
 
 AS it is a mod wonderful work that our 
 Lord Jefus hath in hand, and a mighty 
 great bargain, that coft him the travel of 
 bis foul : fo it may be thought, that it muft 
 be a very great price that our Lord Jefus hath 
 to expect, as his fatisfa&ion for all that fore la- 
 bour and travel: This is it that the text holds 
 forth, HeJImU fee of the fruit of the travel of his 
 /0#/,which in fum is this,he fhall fee poor flnners 
 getting good of him, juftified by his grace, and 
 admitted to friendfhip with God; and that to 
 his fatisfa&ion, as the words~ibllowing clear, he 
 Jhall be fatisfied, to wit, as to that fruit, and 
 ihall acquiefce in it, as his iatisfa&ion for all 
 the travel of his foul. 
 
 We told you, that there were three things in 
 thefe words-, 1. The price that is called for 
 from the Mediator, in performing the work of 
 redemption, and making reconciliation betwixt 
 ®od and firmer^ t? wit, the travel of his foul> 
 
 By his knowledge Jhall m$ 
 
 the fad and fordy pinching ilraits and preuures 
 that he was put to, and brought undef, not onl^- 
 in his body, but alfo in his foul. 2. The pro- 
 mife made to him, upon his undertaking and 
 and paying of the price, he Jhall fee of the tra- 
 vel of his foul, that is, the fruits and effe<5ts of 
 his foul-travel; it fhall not be for nought, but fhall 
 certainly have fruit, he fhall have a numerous 
 illue. 3. There is here holden forth the Medi- 
 ator's acquiefcence in the bargain fo propofed, 
 that he undertaking the condition of laying 
 
 " all- 
 
 down his life, on thefe fame terms that he fha 
 fee a feed, he requires no other fatisfa&ion, and 
 therefore he accepts of it, and acquiefces in it, 
 as the refult of this defign, and jhall be fatisfied'* 
 Having fpoken of the former two, We come 
 now to Cpeakof the third\ and we may confider it 
 in thefe three refpe&s, i. As it looks to ChriiYs 
 defign, who is like to one that is running a race, 
 and hath the prize before him, and in his eye; 
 
.262 Jjaiah S3« 
 
 and thte is implied here, that lie hathfomething 
 before him, in la) ing down his lite, whi:h he 
 ihall not mil's, but mail reach, and be fatisfied 
 in it: So many are given him, for whom he 
 enters Cautioner, or on condition that his righ- 
 teoulhefs ihall be made forth :oming to them, 
 and that none of them . ihall be without, or want 
 it. 2. As it looks both to the number, and 
 certainty of the effe&s and fruits, in refpeet of 
 them that are given to him ; He Jhall be fatis- 
 fied, he ihall have, tho* not all men and wo- 
 men, yet a fufficient number, even as many as 
 ihall fatisfy and content him; and whatever was 
 intended by him, in the laying- down of his life, 
 he ihall want nothing of it, but ihall be fa- 
 tisfied in it ; and thus !<be words are to be 
 actively underftood, to wit, of* God's a&ual 
 performing of that which ihall be fatisfying to 
 the Mediator. 3. It may be looked on as the 
 effect and confluent following upon the former 
 promife; and fo it is to be underllood patftvely, 
 for the delight that he takes in the fruit of his 
 futiferings, and in the feeing of finners getting 
 the good of them ; and i'o the meaning is, that 
 he ihall be fully contented, and throughly well 
 fatistied with, yea, even delighted, and (to 
 fpeak Co) comforted in this, for all the travel of 
 his foul, when many ihall be brought to believe 
 in him, and to get good of him. 
 
 To clear it further, we may take the words as 
 alluding to feveral fimilitudes, as, 1. To that oC 
 hungry and thirfty perfons, who arc faid to be 
 Fatisfied, when their hunger and third are remo- 
 ved, by meat and drink ; which implies, that 
 Jefus Chrift, in his purfuing and performing 
 the work of redemption, had a holy hunger and 
 thirft, and this his hunger and third is fatisfied 
 in their falvation, and what leadeth to it ; as 
 himfelf faith, John 4. 32. (where he makes ule 
 of this fame fimilitude) / have meat to eat that 
 ye know not of. 2. It may allude to a man's tak- 
 ing pains in planting of a vineyard, or orchard, 
 to whom it is a fatisfaftion when all the trees 
 grow,- thrive well, and bear fruit ; and fo* the 
 meaning is, that our Lord Jefus ihall be at vail 
 expence, and great labour and pains, in making 
 finners to become trees of righteoujnefs ; but 
 that all thefe for whom he fuflflred, and was at 
 all this expence and pain, ihall hold fo well, and 
 he fo fruitful at length,' that he ihall be fully fa- 
 tisfied in them, and think all well-beftowed : 
 Or, 3. We may take it in allufion to a woman 
 in travel, who is laid, John 16. 2\»to have for- 
 row, while her pains are upon her ; but fo fo-on 
 tis Jbe is delivered, fbe no more remembers her 
 ^fonowyfor joj that a man-child is bom : And this 
 
 Vereir. Sermr 4*. 
 
 iimiltude is here efpectally alluded unto ; there- 
 fore our Lord's filterings are called, travel , be- 
 caufe of the p :ins that he was put unto in them, 
 and beoaufe the end of them was to bring forth 
 children, before called his feed : As if the*pro- 
 phet had faid, Our Lord Jefus ihall be put to 
 great forrow in fufering, but he ihall bring 
 forth ; arid, as a woman hath joy in the man-child 
 brought forth, fo ihall he nave more comfort 
 and delight in the bringing forth of believers, 
 than he had forrow in the procuring of life to 
 them, tho' t .at was very great. 
 
 From the words, thus confidered and ex- 
 plained, take thele two Ob 'ervatijns, 1. -That 
 - our Lord Jefus is exceedingly delighted, la- 
 <'tisfied, and well-pleafed with poor finners 
 ■ making uie, and getting good of his (uter- 
 
 * ing : it's a- thing- mott fatisiying, and well- 
 
 * pleaiing to him. 2. That feeing our Lord 
 ' Jems is Co well pleafed with finners making 
 
 * uie of him, there is all equ^tv and reafon for 
 
 * it, .that he Arnold have this fatisfa&ion. 5 And 
 this follows not only on the former, but clearly 
 rifeth from the words ; for this latistacYian is al- 
 lowed him lor his foul-travel t And as it's juft, 
 that they that labour ihouM partake of their la- 
 bour, and that the hireling lhould have his hire; 
 fo it's not only fatisfying to Chrift, that iinners 
 get good of him, but it's juil, he having purchaf- 
 ed it at lo dear a rate. 
 
 For the firft of thefe, That our Lord Jefus is 
 exceedingly delighted and fatisfied with finners 
 making ufe, and getting good of him ; if there 
 were no other fcripture to confirm it, this fame 
 is fumcient ; Would ye then know what Chrilt 
 aims at in his fufferings, what will content and 
 fatisfy him, as a recompence for all his foul-tra- 
 vel P it's even. this, to fee of the fruit of the tra- 
 vel of his foul, to have finners getting good of 
 him, and laved by him-; and there is nothing 
 but this that will latis f y him : It were a great 
 matter to have the faith °f this fettled and root- 
 ed in our hearts ; if we could rightly take up 
 what he hath fufFered, how low he hath conde- 
 {cended to come, evfn to be a Man, and a Man 
 of forrews and -acquainted with £rief, to be re- 
 proached and mo ked, to take on him the 
 curfe, and to be in pain and foul -travel ; and 
 then, if we cou'd rightly take up what he aimed 
 at, and deiigned in all this, and what he account- 
 ed to be a recompence to him for it all ; even 
 this, that when his gofpel is preached, fuch 
 and fuch poor finners, under ha7ard of wrath, 
 and challenges for fin, ihould, through closing 
 with him, be brought to anfwer all their chal- 
 lenges 
 
SerrVi. 48. Jfalah $3. 
 
 lenges by this \ our Lord Jefus Math fatisfied 
 juftice for finners : And when poor finner* are 
 under the fenfe of a hard heart, that they fhould 
 caft their eye on the fame ground for a remedy 
 of that fpiritual malady and plague, even his 
 fufFerings, which have purchaled the mollify- 
 ing of the heart, as well as justification, and 
 {jardon of fin ; and when a finner is difconfo- 
 ate and dejeAed, becaule of fin and divine dif- 
 pleafure, that he fliould be cheered and com- 
 forted in his fufFerings ; this, even this is refrefh- 
 xng, and is delightfom to him : We fay, it were 
 much to get this throughly believed, that fin- 
 ners are not half fo fain to come in under his 
 fufFerings for fhelter and refrefhing, as our Lord 
 Tefus is (to (peak with reverence^ to fee them 
 Sheltered,' refrefhed and thriving ; the very 
 mentioning of this ought to be as marrow to the 
 boms, 
 
 IJut, for further clearing of it, we would fpeak, 
 a word, 1. To what this delight and fatisfa£ion 
 is, 2. To fome grounds, to confirm the truth 
 of it, that our Lord Jtfus is indeed delighted 
 to fee poor finners coming to him, and getting 
 good of nlui. ^%, 
 
 For the iirfi ot. thefe, w?md, when we was 
 (peaking or thefe words, v. 10. The pleafure of 
 the Lord Jhall pro/per in his handy fhew how it 
 was a delightfom thing to Jehovah : And now, 
 fpeaking of it from this 11. v. in reference to 
 the Mediator, we fhall take it up in thefe par- 
 ticulars, ift y There is in our Lord Jefus, not 
 only a delight in finners getting good of him. 
 as it is a thing he calls for, and is agreeable to 
 his revealed will, and as being required of them 
 as their duty, in which refpett it's acceptable 
 to God, and cannot but be acceptable and well 
 pleafing unto him : Neither^*?/?, Is this delight 
 only in refpeA of the end of his fufFerings, 
 which were undergone to make a way for, and 
 to ftrike open a door to the throne of grace, 
 through the vail which is hisflefh, that poor fin- 
 ners might come to a fountain and warn, and 
 have accefs to Cod through him ; which being 
 the end he had before him in his death, cannot 
 but be acceptable to God, becaule it was his 
 end in giving of his Son to die ; and fo it's de- 
 lightfom to the Mediator : But alfo, 3 J/y, It 
 is fo in thefe two refpects further ; finners com- 
 ing to him, refting on him, and getting good of 
 him, is his delight, 1. In refpeft of the honour 
 that is done unto him; when a finner believes 
 on him, he counts it the putting of the crown 
 on his head, as it is, Can. 3. 1 1. See alfo, to this 
 purpofe, John «J. 23, 24. And tho' there could 
 nave beenapoffibility of honouring God before, 
 
 Verfen. 263 
 
 yet there is no honouring of the Mediator, till 
 folk make ufe of his fufFerings by faith ; and it 
 is on this ground that Chrift complains, when 
 he is not made ufe of: And therefore when fin- 
 ners give him credit, by committing the faving 
 of their fouls to him, and by making ufe of his 
 offices for that end, and for his performing in 
 them that wherefore they were appointed, it 
 cannot but be acceptable and well pleafing to 
 him. 2. In refpe<ft of that fympathy that our 
 Lord Jefus hath with his own members j for tho' 
 the Mediator be now glorified in heaven, yet he 
 hath a humane heart and afFe&ion ftill, tho' in- 
 conceivably glorious, and fo a kindly fympthy 
 with them, and is fome way afFe&ed with both 
 their good and their ill : And, confidering him 
 thus, he hath a delight in the good and welfare 
 of his people; and their being delighted in, and 
 fatisfied with him, proves a delight and 
 fatisfa&ion to him. 
 
 For the next thing, to wit, the clearing and 
 confirming of it ; it might be cleared and confir- 
 med from many grounds, but we fhall only toucb 
 on fome, that may make it out moft: convincing* 
 ly, that it's moft delightfom to Jefus Chrift to 
 fee finners making ufe of him, and getting good 
 of his fufFerings: And this his delight may be . 
 drawn from eternity, and carried on to eterni- 
 ty. 1. In the making of the covenant of redemp- 
 tion,^ was delightfom to him to enter in it 5 as is 
 clear,P/*ai.40. / delight to do thy wil!> my God : 
 The bargain was no fooner propofed (if we may 
 fpeak fo to that which is eternal) but heartily it 
 was doled with by him ; and this is confirmed, 
 Prov. 8.30, 31. where the fobftantial Wiidoro 
 of the Father is brought in, faying, Then I 
 was by bim> as one brought up with him ; and 
 I was daily his delight^ rejoicing in the ha" 
 bit able parts of bis earthy and my delights 
 were with the fens of men : Our Lord Je- 
 fus, before the world began, was delighted 
 in the fore-thought that fuch a thing was a 
 coming, that in fuch and fuch parts of the 
 world, fuch and fuch poor finners fheuld be 
 called by his grace, and get good of his fuf- 
 ferings ; as a man, in a long journey or voy- 
 age, may be delighted in the forefight of the 
 end of it, before he come at it. 2. Look for- 
 ward to his executing of his office of Mediator, 
 and to his going about the work of redempti- 
 on, and we will find that he does it with de- 
 light : Therefore, fohn 4. when he is fitting on 
 the well-fide, and is weary with his journey, 
 and hath neither to eat nor to drink, he falleth 
 a preaching to a poor finful woman j and when 
 M m tbc 
 
254- rf**** & 
 
 the difci pies would fain have refrefaed him with 
 that which they had bought, he fays to them, / 
 have meat to eat that ye know not of; and when 
 they begin to wonder what that could be,he fays 
 further to them, It is my meat to do my Father's 
 v>HJ y and to finijh bis worfe.-And what was that ? A 
 poor whoriih woman is fpoken to by him, and 
 brought by his fpeaking to acknowledge Mm to 
 . be the Meffiab, and to accept of him as fuch ; and 
 by that bleffed work, his hunger and third were 
 fatisfied: So Luke 22. 15 he faith to his dilciples, 
 Witbdefire have Jdefired to eai thispaffover with 
 you, before J fuffer : And^ Luke 12. 50. J have a 
 baptifm to be baptised m'ttb, and how am Iftrait- 
 ned till it be acomplijhed ? Tho' the drinking of 
 that cup was terrible to him, and tho' mo :kings 
 and reproaches were not pleafant in themfelves ; 
 yet the love that he had to finners good, matte- 
 red all the bitterrefs that was in theie,and made 
 tht m fweet. 3. There is nothing that he more 
 complains of, nothing angers and grieves him 
 more . than when he is not made ufe of. Te will 
 pot (faith h$ 9 $obn 5.) corns unto mejbatye may 
 have life ; to (hew that the bed. intertainment 
 that they could give him, was to come and get 
 life from him: And it's told us, that he was an- 
 gry and grieved for the peoples unbelief and hard- 
 nefs of heart \ yea, he weeps over them becaufe of 
 this, Luke 19. all which prove the great delight 
 that' he had, and hath ltilkin finners getting good 
 of him : And Frequently in the Song, as Chap 2. 
 and 6. he isfaid to feed among the. lilies; there 
 is all his intertainment that he gets in the world, 
 hefeafts.on the fruits or his. own Spirit in them 
 that welcome him. 1 mail name but one place 
 more, and that is, Ffal. 147. 10, 1 1. He delights 
 not in thefirength of a horfe, nor in the. legs of 
 a man,but in-tbem -that fear h)m\ the following 
 words clear it more, what it is that delights 
 bim, In them that hepe in his mercy, that is, in 
 them that draw in to him by believing, he de- 
 lights in thofe beyond all the world. 
 
 Ufe 1. It were a definable thing to be belie- 
 ving this. Are there any fo prophane, but are 
 ready to think, that if they knew what would 
 pleafe God, or pirift* they would do it P The 
 queftion is here anfwered, that this is pleafing, 
 and only .pleafing to him ; if this be wanting, 
 there is nothing that will pleafe him, even that 
 ye make ufe of Chrift's fufferings, and imploy 
 him in his offices, for getting the good that may 
 be had by them : This is it that ye are called to, 
 .:nd which delighteth him; and if this be not, 
 tho' ye would give him thoufands cf rams, and 
 ten thtt finds cf riven f ti! yea the. fir li born of 
 your body for the fiji of 'your fouls , it will not fa- 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 4«. 
 
 tishe him, nor be accepted ; becaufe this alone 
 is the fatisfa&ion that he will have forhisloul- 
 travel. 
 
 I fhall a little explain this, and then profecute 
 the ufe of it. Ye will ask then, What is the 
 fruit of Chrift's loul-travel thatfatisfies him? I 
 aniwer, That we take in under it, not only, 1. 
 That ye ihould aim to be at heaven ; neither, 
 2. this, That ye be ierious in the duties of 
 'holinefs, as if there were well pleafing to God, 
 without refpe<5t to Chrift's fufferings-, but it is the 
 ufe -making and' improving of Chrift's fuffer- 
 ings for attaining of theie : When folk by this 
 mids, by this new and living way, ftep for- 
 ward to heaven, and feek to be ferious in the 
 ftudy of holinfs ; when they that could not 
 waik in the way of holinefs, do now walk in it, 
 leaning en toeir Beloved, and ftudy to live by 
 faith in him ; this is it mainly wherein his de- 
 light and fatisfa&ion doth ly, even when a poof 
 finner is brought to make ufe of him for peace 
 and reconciliation with God, for through?- 
 bearing in al\ called-for duties, for his confo- 
 lation, and for his admiilion to heaven in the 
 dole : And therefore-they do not only fail here, 
 who are prophai^jKving fecurely, never mind- 
 ing heaven, their peace with God, nor the ftu- 
 dy of holinefs^ neither only thefe, who caft the 
 law and its reproofs behind their backs (thefe 
 are lothfom to God and jefus Chriftj but by 
 this, thele are alio reproved, that do not im- 
 prove the fufferings of Chrift for peace and re- 
 conciliation with God, for righteoufnefs, and for 
 ftrength, for comfort and encouragement, and. 
 who hope not in his, mercy; the reafon is, Be- 
 caufe, tho' it were poffihle they could make pro- 
 grefs in holinefs, and attain to comfort and peace 
 that way, yet it would not be thus the fruit of 
 the travel. of Chrift's foul, he being pad by, and 
 fo could not be fatisfa&ion to him: But where | 
 a poor finner fees that he cannot come to God 
 of himfelf, cannot make his peace, nor can he I 
 • Walk in the way of holinefs, foasto pleafe God, ; 
 and lb flees to Chrift for refuge, and makes ufe 
 of his purchal'e; there lieth Chrift's delight, j 
 to fee fuch a finner come and hide himfelf un- 
 ' der the fhadow of his fufferings: And in this 
 ~ refpe&j the morejiardlya finner is put at, it is 
 the more fatis.fa&ion to him; that he in his death 
 and fufferings be made ufe of, becaufe, this way, 
 the finner's life is more intirely trie benefit of 
 his fufferings ; and that fuch a perfon hath any 
 ftrengt.h, comfort or peace, and is admitted to 
 heaven, it is allenarly through the travel of fris | 
 { jul, which is his great iatisfaftion. 
 
 AfdJ 
 
Serm. 4-S- //a/a* tf. 
 
 And therefore we would, idly, Commend to 
 you, that as ye would do Chrifl a favour (to 
 fpeak To with reverence; and O what a motive is 
 this for vile finners, the dufl of his feet, to be 
 put in a capacity to do him a pleafure!) endea- 
 vour this efpecially, that, as to you, Chrifl: may 
 fee the fruit of the travel of his foul, and he fa- 
 tisfied, and that all his kindnefs offered to you 
 may not be fruitless : This is the great hinge of 
 the gofpel, as to that which is preffed upon you; 
 and this is the wonderful motive that is given to 
 prefs it, that it's delightfom to- Chrifl, and 
 therefore ye fliould believe on him : It were 
 incouragement enough that it's profitable to your 
 ielves; but if ye -had hearts of (lone, this fhould. 
 move you to it, that our Lord Jefus feeks no 
 more fatisfa&ion from you for all his foul- travel, 
 hut that ye make ufe of his fu/ferings, that ye do 
 rot receive this offer of his grace in vain, nor be 
 fruitlefs under it. In a word, we have here laid 
 before us (and think upon it) the moil wonder- 
 fuL, inconceivable, and inex>preffible Cute and re- 
 quell of him who is the Creator, to us poor fin- 
 iul creatures ; and what is it ? I have been (fays 
 he on the matter) in fore travel and pain for you; 
 now, I pray you, let it not be for nought, let 
 me fee the fruit of it : And (to fpeak it with' re- 
 verence of fhe majefly of God) it would fay 
 this to you, Let not our Lord Jefus .rue of his 
 fu/ferings ; for as many as hear of this offer, 
 and do not credit him with their fouls, they do 
 what they can, to make him repent that ever. 
 he became Man, and fuffered fo much, when; 
 he is thus fhifted, and unkindly requited by 
 them, to whom he makes the offer : And this 
 is a very home and urgent prtffing of the ne- 
 ceflity of making ufe of him, when fuch an ar- 
 gument is made ufe of; for thus it flands'with 
 you, and his offer fpeaks this, either make ufe 
 of Chrifl and of his foul-travel for faving of 
 your fouls, that fo he may be fatisfied ; or if ye 
 flight him, ye not only deflroy and caufe to pe- 
 rifh your own fouls, but ye refufe to fatisfy 
 Chrifl: for his foul-travel, and do what in you 
 lies to marr and defeat the end and defign of 
 his fuffcrings ; and is. not this a great and 
 ftrongly pufhing Dilemma ? The refult of your 
 receiving or rejecting of Chrifl will be this, if 
 ye receive him, ye fatisfy him ; if ye rejeft 
 him, ye fay, ye are not content that he fliould 
 be Satisfied: And what can be expe&ed to come 
 of it, when Chrifl: fuffered fo much, and when 
 all that was craved of you, was to make ufe of 
 him, and when it was told that that would fatis- 
 fy him, and yet that was refufed ? What a 
 horrible challenge will this be in the great day? 
 
 Verfe it. ^ 
 
 And therefore, to prefs this Ufe a little, we fhall 
 fliew you here, 1. What it is that we exhort 
 you to ; and, 2. What is the force of this mo- 
 tive, ift, We would commend to you in gene* 
 ral, that ye would endeavour the falvation of 
 your own fouls; this is it he cries to you, 
 Prcv. i. 22. Hew long, ye fimple ones, will ye 
 love fimplicity , and ye f corners delight in f corn- 
 ing? turn ye at my reproof, &cv He aims at this, 
 that ye fhould get) our fouls faved from wrath; 
 and this fhould not he prejudicial, nor at the 
 long-run unfatisfying to your felves, and it will 
 be very iatisfying to him. 2. It is ret only to 
 aim at falvation fimply, but to aim at it by 
 him, to aim at pardon of fin and juflifi cation 
 through his righteoufnefs and fatis Sa&ion ; and 
 that ye would bring no other argument before 
 God to plead upon, for your peace with him, 
 but this;afld that ye would aim at holinefs, 
 as a fruit of his death, He having pur chafed <t 
 peculiar people to himf elf, to be\ea\cus of good, 
 nv.rks, as it is 5< Tit. 2. 14. and that ye would aim 
 to do holy duties, by his flrengthning of you; and 
 that ye would live by faith in him, Vs hich isyour 
 victory over the world, and the very foul of the 
 pra&ice of all holy duties. And, 3. That ye aim 
 to have a comfortable, refrefhful and cheerful life 
 in him, and by what is in him,as if it were your 
 own, it being legally yours by faith in him ; to 
 be flopping your own mouth, as having nothing 
 in your felves to boafl of, and as (I jufl now 
 faidj to be clearing and d-elighting your felves 
 from that which is in him ; and as it is Pfah 
 147. even to be hoping in his mercy* In a word, 
 it is to be fludying peace with God through 
 him, to be fludying holinefs in his flrength, 
 and to be fludying a comfortable and cheerful 
 walk, through the grounds of joy that are gi- 
 ven you inhim,whieh is very reafonable. Would 
 ye then do him a favour, and have him deligh- 
 ted and fatisfied, do but this, give him your 
 fouls to be faved by him,, in his own way ; come 
 to him fenfible of fin, and founding your peace 
 on him, tho' weak in your felves : yetilrnngin 
 him, onwhom,as the mighty One, Gcd hath laid 
 help ; and fludying holinefs in his flrength, 
 drawing vertue from him only, to mortify your 
 lulls ; that it may be known that Chrifl hath di- 
 ed, and is rifert again, becaufe grace fhines in 
 fuch a perfon : And be comforted in him ; He 
 that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord, having 
 given up with creature-comforts and confiden- 
 ces, with your own gifts, parts, duties, £V. and 
 having betaken your felves to the peace, 
 ftrength and confolation that are in a Media- 
 M m 2 tor, 
 
*g6 lfaiab 53. 
 
 tor, and which run through the covenant of 
 grace, and flow forth from him, as the fountain 
 from whom all the graces and comforts that 
 come to us are derived. . 2dJy, For the force of 
 the motive, confider ierioufly, if this he not a 
 pinching tlrait that ye are put to: It this be it 
 wherein our Lord's fatistaftion lies, and where- 
 in the falvation and education of your own 
 fouls confifts ; we pofe you, if it be any great dif- 
 culty, or unreaforable thing, that is called for 
 from you ? And if the motive whereon it is preft 
 be not moll juft and reaionable, that thefe who 
 have or profefs to have the faith of this, that 
 it will he fatisfaction to him for all his foul- 
 travel, that finners make ufe of .him, fhould 
 yield it to him P And whether, in the day of 
 the Lord, it will not be a moft hainous, fhame* 
 ful and abominable guilt, that when the bufi- 
 nefs of your own falvation flood on this, even 
 on your fatisfying of Chrift by yielding, ye re- 
 futed, difdained and fcorned it, and would not 
 
 Verfe 11. 
 
 Sere 
 
 make ufe of him for your peace, and would 
 not in his ftrength (ludy holinefs, though your 
 own fouls fhould never be faved, nor he latis- 
 fied for his'loul-travel ? This, of all other chal- 
 lenges, will be the fharpefl and moft biting 5 
 and upon the other hand, it may be moil com- 
 forting; to a poor body that is fenfible of fin,-, 
 and afraid of wrath. Is there, or can there be 
 hazard to do Chrift a pleafure by believing on 
 him? It's a thing delightibm to him ; and 
 therefore, let this be one great motive to prefs 
 believing in Chrift, among the reft, which tho* 
 it be crofs, and thwarting to the unbelieving 
 heart, and may look like prefumption to look a 
 promife in the face, and to offer to make appli* 
 . cation of it' to the poor finner's lelf; yet feeing 
 it's a thing fo pleafing to Chrift, that it fatisfies 
 him for all his fufferings, effay it upon this ve- 
 ry acount, remembring always, that He delights 
 in them that hope in his mercy : And to him be 
 praife for ever. 
 
 SERMON XLIX. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 11. He JbaUfee of the travel of his foul, and Jljallbe fatisfied: By his knowledge Jhall mj 
 righteous Servant jujiify many \ for he Jhall bear their iniquities. 
 
 IT's a great work that our Lord Jefus hath un- 
 dertaken, in fatisfying the juftice of God 
 for the fins of the eleel:, and he hath at a dear 
 rate, and with great expence and travel, perfor- 
 med it: Now it is but reafon that he fhould a-. 
 gain be fatisfied, that fo Je.hovabis fatisfa&ion 
 and the Mediator's fatisfa&ion may go together ; 
 and that is the thing that is promifed here in 
 thefe words. What this fatisfaction is which is 
 promifed to him, as the great thing in which he 
 delights, and by which he is fatisfied, in the un- 
 dertaking and performing of the work of re- 
 demption, it's alfo fet .down here, He Jball fee of 
 the fruit of the travel of bis foul, and Jhall be fa- 
 tisfied ? which in a word is this, he fhall fee ma- 
 ny, who had perifhed if he had not fuffered, get- 
 ting good of his fufferings, and to be benefited 
 by them ', who, by his taking on him the curfe, 
 and by his undergoing his foul-travel, fhall be 
 freed from the curfe, and made to partake of the 
 benefits, privileges- and comforts that he hath 
 bought by ibr'greatand precious a price. 
 
 We propofed this as the main dottrine from 
 the words the laft day, 'That it is great fa- 
 < t'sfa^ion to our Lord jefus, to fee finners 
 * making ufe of, and getting good of his fuf- 
 5 rerfn^?.'' Or thus, 'That finners making ufe 
 J ef ChrifTs fuiferin&s, for their gocd, is his- 
 
 fatisfa&ion, for all the foul-travel, and fuffer- 
 •* ings that he endured.' He fhall fee cf the fruit 
 of tbe travel of his foul, and Jhall be fatisfied* 
 I fhall infift ,no further in clearing and confir- 
 ming this, but come clofe to the Ufe oT it ; and 
 if any point of doctrine have ufe, this may 
 have, and hath it, to the gladning and making 
 joyful, and fain the hearts of loft fanners, that our 
 Lord Jefus fhould fuffer fo much, and feek no 
 more fatisfa&ion for it all, but to fee finners im- 
 proving his fufferings for their good, to have a 
 feed brought forth by his foul-travel, and to 
 have them getting life by his death, and the 
 bleffing by his bearing of the curfe \ and yet this 
 is it that this do&rine bears forth. 
 
 We may draw the iji Ufe to thefe four, 
 from and by which we may learn and know in 
 fome meafure, how to anfwer this queftion, See-, 
 ing we have heard fo much of Chrift's furfering 
 and foul-travel, what fhall we give to Chrift for 
 all that? how fhall we fatisfy him ? If there 
 were any affe&ed fuitably withthankftilnefs from 
 the hearing of Chrifl's being brought fo low by 
 his fad fufferings, this would be, and could 
 not but be their queftion.. Here is an anfwer to- 
 it, That our Lord jefus feeks no more as a fatis- 
 fa&Ion for all his fufferings, but that ye im- 
 prove them for yom good; This will delight 
 
 and; 
 
Serm. 49. ljaiah $3. 
 
 and fatisfy him,ye cannot do him a greater plea- 
 fure, nothing will be more acceptable ; nay, no- 
 thing will be acceptable to him, nor taken off 
 jour hand,butthis ; even to lee you coming in to 
 him, and making ufe of his fiifferings for your 
 own good, that as to you in particular, his fuffe- 
 rings may not be in vain, and for nought, but 
 that ye improve them, and fo improve them, as 
 that ye may not live and die in the cafe that ye 
 would have been in forever, had he not fufFered, 
 that is, under the dominion of fin and Satan, 
 under the wrath and curfe of God, in an anxi- 
 ous heartlefs life, without God and without 
 hope in the world ? It is even this in a word,' 
 That hearing of his fad fufFerings, and of the 
 defign of them, ye may betake, your felves to 
 him for pardon of fin, for fan&ification in both 
 the parts of it, and for confolation, and that in 
 the end ye may get your fouls faved, on the ac- 
 count of his fufFerings, and by vertue thereof. 
 \fl then, Ye would feek to be reconciled to God, 
 as theapoftle, 2 Cor. <j. 20,21. exhorts, We as 
 ambaffadors for Chrift, and in his ftead t be- 
 feechyou to be reconciled to Gcd ; and the argu- 
 ment whereby it is prefTed, is the fame that the 
 do&fine holds forth. For he xoas mads fin for us, 
 who knew no fin, that tve might be made the 
 right eoufnefs of God in him : hence it follows 
 alio, Chap. 6* \. We befeech you, receive not this 
 grace of God in vain. Are there any of you, 
 who are convinced that Chrift fhould be fatis- 
 £ed, and that he fhould not be at all this travel 
 and pains for nought, and that think ye would 
 fain fatisfy him, if it were in your power ? Be- 
 hold, our Lord hath told you what will fatisfy 
 him ; it is not thoufands of rams, nor ten thou- 
 fand river's of oil, but that his fufFerings be fo 
 improven by you, as the native fruits of them 
 may follow and be found in you ; that, confide- 
 ring the woful cafe ye are in by nature, ye may 
 make ufe of his fatisfa&ion to divine juftice, as 
 the alone atonement, and may by faith take 
 hold of it as the ground of your peace: If this 
 be not, Chrift will be to you as if he had never 
 fufFered. idly, It calls for holinefs and morti- 
 fication of fin : This is much pre/Ted, Rom. 6» 
 from v. 2. to 14. and by this fame argument, to 
 wit, That feeing Chrift died for believers, we 
 lhould die with him ; that being it wherein the 
 power of his death kythes, even in the mortifi- 
 cation of our lufts, which he came to* deftroy ; 
 But when folks live as they had wont to do in 
 their prophanity and loofnefs, there is nothing 
 of the fruit of the travel of his foul to be feen 
 them* 3^ Chrift travelled for the confolation 
 •£ his people: And this is another fruit of his 
 
 Verfe 11. ^ 
 
 death and fufFerings, that thefe who have betaken 
 themfelves to Chrift, may comfort thtmlelvts. on 
 this ground, That once, and that ere long, they 
 will get the maftery over a bodyof death, and 
 will get both :atati and it bruifed under their 
 feet, through him, who was delivered for our 
 offences, and rofe again fir our jufiificaticn, and 
 who hath blotted cut the hand-writing of ordi- 
 nances that was again]} usjiailingit to hiscrofs t 
 and that through the vail.which is his flejh, there 
 might a way be made patent to us unto the mofl 
 holy j and that with confidence we might ap- 
 proach to God, and in his fuiFerings drown all 
 our challenges. And indeed believers are be- 
 hind, and greatly at a lols, who ffeve betaken 
 themfelves to Chrift, and yet live as anxioufly 
 and uncomfortably, as if they had not a (lain 
 Mediator to comfort themfelves in, who, by his 
 fufFerings, foul-travei and death, hath made a 
 purchale of lo great thingsfor them. And in a 
 * word, the up-lhot of his fufFerings is, to get the 
 fouls of believers in him, carried unto heaven, 
 and keeped there perfect, till the body be raifed, 
 and m a perfect ftate be re-united to the foul, at 
 the great day ; according to that of the apoftle, 
 Eph. 5. 26,27. He gave him f elf for his Church, 
 that he might [anility and cleanfe it, and pre- 
 fent her to himfelf a glorious Chur ch, with out fpot 
 and wrinkle, or any fuch thing : And when fouls 
 are not taking the right way to heaven, he hath 
 nothing of the travel of his foul from fuch,more 
 than if he had not undergone it,nor fufFer'd at all* 
 Ufe 2. If this be Chrift's fatisfa<5tion for all the 
 travel of his foul, that he fee finners getting 
 good of his fufFerings ; then, if any motive by 
 weighty to move peopje to give him their fouls 
 to fave, this muft lure have weight with them, 
 even that thereby he may have iatisfaction for 
 his foul-travel : And therefore we would exhort 
 you, on this ground, to give him your fouls to 
 be laved by him, in order to his fatisfadtion. 
 And what is fpoken in common, take it as fpoken 
 to every one of you in particular, men and wo- 
 men, old and young, rich and poor ; if ye 
 would dfl Chrift a favour and pleafure s give himr 
 imployment for pardon of fin, for peace with 
 God, for fandification, for Confolation, and for 
 accefs to heaven : Or, if ye would know what 
 motive we would ufe to perfwade you to make 
 ufe of this gofpel for all thefe, take this for one, 
 and a main one, That it will fatisfy, and e vet* 
 (to fpeak fo with reverence)comfortChrift for all 
 the travel of his foul, and for all the hard labour 
 that he endured ; even as it iatisfies a wooer for 
 all his pains and patience, in waiting on after- 
 
 znan£ 
 
268 Ifalab $3. 
 
 many refufals and flights, when he gains the wo- 
 .man's confent, and when the match is made up : 
 So it will fatisfy him, when he (tes fouls, by 
 vertue of his fufrerings, brought to belieVe on 
 him, and to lay the weight of their falvation 
 •upon him ; for then he fees it was not for bought 
 that he laid down his life : And tru^ if this 
 motive prevail not, I know not what motive will 
 .prevail. 
 
 But, to make it the more clear and convincing, 
 confider thefe things, 1. What it is that Chrift 
 .feeks, when he leeks fatisTa&ion for tlie travel of 
 his foul ; he even feeks your benefit and .good : 
 Jf he had fought that which would have been 
 .painful to you, ye would, I fuppofe,have judg- 
 ed your felves obliged readily to have gone 
 .about it, had it been (as weufe to fpeak) to have 
 gone through the fire for him ; but now, when 
 this is all that he feeks, that by maldng ufe of his 
 bufferings ye may be juftified, made holy, com- 
 forted in your life, and brought to heaven at 
 your death, fhould it not much more engage 
 you to give him this fatisfa&ion ? 2. Who feeks 
 this fatisfa&ion, and to whom is it to be given? 
 Is it not to our Lord Jefus Chrift? There is very 
 great weight in this part of the argument, that 
 hy believing on him, and meking ufe of his fuf- 
 ferings, we not only fatisfy and feve our felves, 
 but make glad the heart of our Lord JefusChrift, 
 who, being confidered as God, needs no fatisfa- 
 Afon, neither is capable of any additional fatis- 
 fa&ion from creatures, he being infinitely hap- 
 py, and fully fatisfied in the enjoyment of his 
 own all-fufficlent Self; nothing fpcm without can 
 be added unto him : Yet he-having condefcended 
 to become Man, and Mediator betwixt God and 
 man, to reconcile loft finners to God, he is gra- 
 cioufly pleafed to account it fatisfaction to him 
 for all his foul-travel, to have finners making ufe 
 of him for their good ; and if there be any weight 
 in the fatisfa&ion of One thatis great and good, 
 and good to us, this- hath weight in it, that our 
 doing fo will fatisfy him, that is matchlefly great 
 and good, and fuperlatively fo to firuiers. 3. 
 Confider the ground on which this fatisfaction is 
 pleaded for, and it will add yet more weight to 
 this argument ; it's fatisfaftion to him for his 
 foul-travel : And can any find in their hearts to 
 think but he fhould be fatisfied on this account ? 
 Is there notreafon for it ? Who (as the apoftle 
 fays, i Cor. 9. 7.) goeth a warfare tn his own 
 €harges ? who plants a vineyard, and eats not of 
 the fruit thereof ? or who feedeth a flock, and 
 eateth not of the milk of the flock? Ah! fhould 
 our Lord Jefus beftow all this labour and pains 
 'for nothing? And further, 4. Whofe fatfcfaftion 
 
 Verfe n. Serm. 49. 
 
 is it that is fought? (This confideration is Some- 
 what divcrfified from the 2d, and would not 
 therefore be look'd onas any tautology) (s it not 
 his, who is Lord of all, and who will one cay t>e 
 Judge •, when, if we had all the world, we would 
 give it to pleafe him; and who will pron 
 the fweeteft or the faddeft ft ntence upon u« 
 Cording as we have fatisiied him, in this, or r. 
 Confidering that it is he who defires this fatista- 
 ciion from us, fhould there not be an holy dili- 
 gence, eagernefs, and zeal to get that performed, 
 that will pVeafeand fatisfy him j efpecially when 
 the improving of lis fufferings may do it ? But, 
 5 . From whom requires he this fatisfa&ion ? Is 
 it not from them, who like lheep have gone a- 
 ftray ? From thefe who have many iniquities ly- 
 ing on them, and are lying "under the curfe of 
 Cod by nature ? From thefe, who mult either 
 be healed by his ftripes, or elfe they will never 
 be healed, but will die of their wounds ? May 
 not this make the argument yet the moreftfong, 
 that he is not feeking this fatisfaaion of ftran- 
 gers, but of his own people, nor of righteous 
 folk, but of finners,who are lying under the curfe, 
 and whofe happinefs lies in giving him this fatis- 
 fa&ion ? And when it is thus with you, that ei- 
 ther your fms muft be taken away by him, or elfe 
 ye muft ly under them for ever ; that either he 
 muft bear the curfe for you, or ye muft bear 
 it your felves ; if thefe things be obvious, as in.- 
 deed they are, O ! give him the fatisfa&ion that 
 he calls for, and let him not be put to fay, as it 
 is, Ifai. 49. 4. / have laboured in vain, andfpent 
 tnfftrengtb forncught, and in vain. 
 
 idly. To prefs this yet a little more (altho' it 
 fhould Jbe fad to us, that there fhould be need to 
 prefs that fo much on us, which is fo profitable 
 to us, and fatisfying to him) even that we would 
 make ufe of him for our fpiritual good and ad- 
 vantage ; thefe confiderations will add weight 
 to the argument, 1. What efteem Chrift hath of 
 it ; he thinks it as it were to be payment, and a 
 fort of compenfation for all his labour and fuffe- 
 rings : The price was not gold nor filver, nor 
 any fuch thing, which he gave for finners ; but 
 it was his precious blood, his own life, who was 
 the Prince of life, and the Prince of the kings 
 of the earth : And O what a vaft and infinite 
 difproportion is there betwixt his life, and all 
 our lives ! and yet he accounts it a fufficient re- 
 ward, if we will but give him our fouls to be fa- 
 ved by him in his own way, and will make ufe 
 of his death and furferings for that end : And if 
 it were pofllble, that we could think little of our 
 own falvation^and much of Chrift's fatisfaction 
 
 for 
 
Serm. 4.0. Jfaiah 53. 
 
 for his foul-travel, ought we not to think much of 
 our own falvation, in reference to his fatisfadri- 
 onr And now, when he hath joined thefe toge- 
 ther, Iq that we cannot pirate nor fatisfy him, 
 except we give him our fouls to fave.. and cannot 
 fatisfy him, but that, in doing fo, our fouls fhall 
 be faved ; ihould it not induce us to make ufe of 
 him lpr that end ? If he had commanded us to 
 run here and there, and to undergo fome long 
 and very toilfom voyage, or tome hard piece 
 of labour, or to bellow of our means and Jub- 
 ilance, yea, all of it, to pleaie him , it had been, 
 very reasonable on his part to have demanded it, 
 and mod unrealbnable on ours to have refufed 
 it: But our Lord lays weight on none of thefe 
 things, as feparated from the laying the weight 
 of our fouls on his righteoufnefs ; the reafon 
 is, Becauie the making ule of his righteoulnefs, 
 and the improving of his furFerings for our ju- 
 flification and falvation, fhews that he in his fuf- 
 ferings is efteemed of, and he ieeks no more but 
 that. 2. Confider how good reaion ye have to 
 fatisfy Chriil, and yield to him, and to im- 
 prove his furFerings for your own falvation : Is 
 there any that dare fay the contrary ? Will not 
 liiftorical faith fay, that there is good reafon 
 for it? If there be any love to him, or to your 
 own fouls, will it not plead for this ? If ever ye 
 think to be pardoned, is there any other name 
 given, whereby ye can expe& it ? Is there any 
 holinefs, or comfort, but from him ? any hope 
 of heaven, but through him ? and will not this 
 bind the conference of any. that is not defperate, 
 to judge, that he from whom all this comes 
 Ihould be fatisfied, ? 3. Confider at what a rate he 
 hath purchafed thefe benefits of the pardon of 
 fin, of peace with God, of fan&ih" cation, and of 
 the hope of heaven,£5V. and how he hath brought 
 them about : Did he not engage in the covenant 
 of redemption, and hath he not performed all 
 that he engaged for, in taking on our nature, 
 in being in an agony, in fweating drops of blood, 
 in being buffeted, mocked, reproached, and in 
 dying? t0 procure life and peace to finners ? If 
 we could-rightly difcern his furFerings, and the 
 benefits that we have by them, it would fay, that 
 there is good reafon, that he fhould have a kind- 
 ly meeting, who hath done and fufFered fo much 
 to obtain thefe to us. 4. Confider the cheerful 
 way of Ir's fuffering, and of his laying down of 
 the price, how w r el I pleafed he was to undergo all 
 for his people ^fo that he faith, John 10. No man 
 taketh my life fr cm me., but Hay it down cf my 
 J elf, and take it up again ; Pfal. 4c. / delight it do 
 thy v>iU..OmyG;,d . and Luis 12. 1 have a bapiifm 
 to be baptised witb>and bow ami ftraiXned tillit 
 
 Verfe 11. ^6g 
 
 be accomplijked ? and Luke 22. With defire have 
 1 defire d to eat this pajjlver before 1 fuffer : He 
 opened not his mouth, in order to his delivery, 
 fo well did he love the falvation of finners. 
 Now, what if a m c er and ordinary man had 
 done fomething to the hazard or his life for 
 you, would it not plead with the mod carnal 
 perfons, having the leafc meafure of natural or 
 moral ingenuity, to give him a meeting ? Very 
 Heathens will love thofe that love them, much 
 more ought ye to fatisfy him in what he requires, 
 who hath done fo much for finners. 5. Con- 
 fider whathe fecks as a fatisfaftion (hinted at 
 before) If it were a great matter, or which were 
 to your prejudice, there might be fome fhadow. 
 of a ground to refule ; but when" it is no more 
 but to make ule of his furFerings for your own 
 good, how can it be refufed ? It's in this cafe,as 
 if the patient's health would fatisfy the phyfi- 
 cian, as if a poor man's receiving of a fum of 
 money would fatisfy the rich friend, who is 
 pleafed to bellow it ; or, as if one that is naked 
 would fatisfy another, by putting on the clothes 
 laid to his hand by him: What reafon is there 
 to refufe fuch offer ? And yet this that Chrift 
 calls for, is, even as if the phyfician fhould fay- 
 to his dying patient, I will be fatisfied greatly, 
 if thou wilt take this potion that is for thy re- 
 covery, health and cure ; and I will not be con- 
 tent, if thou take it not, tho' the ingredients 
 ftand my (elf very dear ; befides that, it is for 
 thy good,and will recover thee : Or,as if the Fa- 
 ther fhould fay to the child, I will not be con- 
 tent, -if thou put not on fuch a fine fuit, that 
 flood me fo much money ; in a word, that which 
 makes the dyvour finner happy, is that which 
 fatisfies him. 6.Confider, if jefus Chriil get not 
 this iatisfa&ion, what will become of it ; if ye 
 pleafe him not in fhis, he will be highly dif- 
 pleafed, no other thing will fatisfy him, tho 3 . 
 ye Ihould pray and weep an hundred years, and 
 do many good works ; if he get not this fruit 
 of his foul-furFerings, to wit, that ye improve 
 them for your foul's good and falvation, he will 
 be continually difpleafed : Therefore it's faid, 
 Pfal. 2. Kifsthe Son left he be angry ; And that 
 is nothing die. but to make ule of him in his of- 
 fices \ and it fays, that there is no way to pleafe 
 him,and to efchew his anger, but this : And in- 
 deed, if ye anger him, ye anger him that can be 
 your belt Friend and your greated Foe. 7, Con- 
 fider further, how our Lord Jefus feeks,and pref- 
 fes for this fatisfacHon from you ; he fends forth 
 his friends and ambaifadors, to woo in hi? name, 
 and to beleech you to be reconciled, and to tell 
 
 you 
 
27° 7 /* ; '^ 53 . 
 
 you, that it will not be thoufands of rams, nor 
 your firft-born,that will do the bufinefs j but that 
 yc muft humble yoUr felves,and walk with God, 
 which neceffarily fuppofeth the ufe-making of 
 Chrift : If there had been no pleading with you 
 in his name, there had' not been fuch Ah, in not 
 improving his fatisfa&ion ; but when he pleads 
 fo much and fo often for this, and intreats every 
 one in particular to fatisfy him, faying, as it 
 were, Let me fee of the travel of my foul, let me 
 have this much fatisfaction for all 'my fufferings, 
 that ye will make ufe of my righteoufnefs •, and 
 When he isfo ve\y ferious in befeeching and in- 
 treating, it fhould, no doubt, make us more wil- 
 ling to grant him what he fee&s. 8.Ye would look 
 upon this, not only as a difcourfe in the general 
 to iinnerSjbut ye would alfo look on it,as addref- 
 fed to every one of you in particular ; and there- 
 fore remember, that ye will all be called to give 
 an account of this matter,and it wilf be asked you, 
 What became of fuch and fuch an offer of grace, 
 and whether ye gave him the fatisfa&ion that he 
 called for,or not; according to that word,^^ 17. 
 3 i.Hs hath appointed a day ,w her ein he will judge 
 the world in righteoufnefs, by that Man-whom be 
 bath ordained^whereof he hath given affurance to 
 all men Jti that he hath raifed him from the dead: 
 He would have judged the world,tho' Chrift had 
 rot ceme ; but he will have a day wherein he will 
 call all the hearers .of the gofpel to an account, 
 efpecially as to this, to wit, What welcome they 
 have given to Chrift : And feeing fuch a day is 
 coming, when folk will be called to an account, 
 what ufe they made of him ; with what face will 
 many come before him,when itfhall be told them, 
 that he craved no more fatis faction from them 
 for all that he fuffered, but that they would have 
 improved his fufferings for their own good, and 
 that yet they would not give him that much ? 
 Doth not this fay, that there is need, that we 
 Jhould look well what fruit there is of his fuffe- 
 rings,that there may be more than if he had not 
 fuffered at all ? 9.Conilder the great weight that 
 • will be laid on this fin, of refufing to believe,and 
 to fatisfy him in this, to wit, in improving of 
 his fufferings, above all other fins : This is a fin 
 that will be found to be againft equity, thankful- 
 nefs and ingenuity, that when he had done and 
 fuffered fo much, he was io ill requited ; yea, 
 it will be found to be a wilful and malicious fin, 
 that, when your good and his fatisfa&ion were 
 joined together, ye would rather choofe to de- 
 &roy your felves, than to fatisfy him, in faving 
 your felves, through ufe-making of his fuf- 
 ferings. There are two remarkable words to this 
 purpofe, Heh% 6. 10. in the 6th Chap, it's faid of 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 40, 
 
 fuch, that they crucify themfelves the Son of God 
 afrejh, and put him to an openjhame; that is,they 
 do diipleafe and anger him, and do what in them 
 lies to caft reproach upon him, as if he were no 
 Saviour at all, or an infufhcient Saviour, to put 
 him-to fuffer over again, in his wanting of fa- 
 tisfa&ion for his fuiferings ; as it is a great pain 
 for a mother to be in travel, but it is another, 
 and,in fome refpeft, a greater pain, if the child 
 die in the bringing forth : In the icth Chap. v . 
 28. it's called, a treading under foot the Son of 
 God, and an accounting the blood of the covenant 
 to be an unholy thing \ and in the 16 v. before 
 it's faid, There remains no more facrifice frftn, 
 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment-^nd 
 it's upon this very account, (as we did, at ano- 
 ther occafion, make ufe or thele two fcriptures 
 to a like purpofe, and did thus caution our ap- 
 plication of them againft miftakes) for what 
 greater indignity can be put on him, than,when 
 his fatisfa&ion depends on the improving of his 
 fufferings, yet people will not do it? As nothing 
 pleafes him better than to improve his furfe- 
 rings,fo on the contrary, there is no fin that doth 
 difpleaie him more, than when they are not im- 
 pfovenrAnd if ye will not now believe this to be 
 a truth, yet, when the Lord fhall call you to ac- 
 count for it, ye will find it to be a moil certain 
 and fad truth, that he called you to believe, and 
 that ye would ly ftill in your unbelief, ignorance 
 and prophanity ; that ye deftroyed your own 
 fouls, and made his fufferings as ufelefs, as to 
 you, as if there had never a door been opened 
 to finners to heaven, by them. Is there any 
 of you that will be able to anfwer to this chal- 
 lenge ? If not, then let him have this fatisfadi- 
 on, by improving of his fufferings, that he may 
 find (to fay fo) that his death hath not been 
 for nought, as to you : Study to have him great 
 in your efteem, and to have your fouls faved by 
 the vertue and efficacy of his fuiferings, other- 
 wife the challenge will be unanfwerable ; con- 
 fidering, that he declared that this wouW fatis- 
 fy him, and ye knew that it would have plea- 
 fed him, and removed the quarrel, and faved 
 your felves ; and that withal, by this aneans, 
 a comlortable fentence at judgment might have 
 been procured to you, and that yet ye difdain- 
 ed to do it: And therefore, fince it ftands fo with 
 you, be intreated to make earned, and: greater 
 earned of believing.and of the great work of get- 
 ting your own fouls faved,which be hath thought 
 fo much of, elfe it had been better for you that 
 ye had never had a delightfom hour in the world; 
 and lad will the encounter be, that ye will have 
 
 with 
 
Serfn. "50. JfaUb &, 
 
 with him, and with your own confcienc* in that 
 day, when it fhall have this to tell you, that ye 
 cannot now expect any good or favour from the 
 Judge, becaufe wheifhe would have laved you, 
 ye would not have it fo, but would needs run 
 on your own damnation. And therefore we fay 
 Again, Either give him fatisra&ion, by impro- 
 ving of his fufFerings, and by making earneft of 
 the bufinefs of your falvation 5 or, refolve to 
 meat with a mofl terrible "Purfuer of. the quar- 
 rel againft you : The wrath of God is dreadful, 
 but much more the vengeance of the Mediator, " 
 who, becaufe ye would not give him his will in 
 your falvation, he fhall have it your ruin and 
 ijleltru&ion. 
 
 4. There is here a fweet word of confolation 
 %o poor fouls, that fain would hare fin taken a- 
 Way, and are afraid to prefume : Our Lord will 
 never be angry, that ye make ufe of his fufFe- 
 
 Verfeli. 57* 
 
 rings for your own good ; flay, he accounts it * 
 fatisfa<ftion to him,that ye improve them ; that, 
 when ye find your feLvcs arretted for fin, ye put 
 it on his (cere, and draw a bill on him to pay 
 your debt 5 that, when you find your felves un- 
 der that, which, to you, looks like the domini- 
 on of fin, ye look to his crofs for vertue to cru- 
 cify, kill and fubdue it : If therefore (as I have 
 often Taid) ye would do him a favour or plea- 
 fure, make ufe of him ; be afTured, that the 
 more weight ye lay on him, ye do him the grea- 
 ter pleafure ; and this is all the amends that he 
 feeks for all the wrongs ye have done to him.ani 
 all the fatisfa&ion thae he feeks for all the good, 
 turns he hath done to you, that ye come to him, 
 thus to make ufe of him s, and it is good reafon, 
 even all the reafon in the world, that he get this 
 amends made to him, and this jtatisfadion gran- 
 ted to him. 
 
 V S E R M O N L. 
 
 paiah liii. it. He Jball fee of the travel of his foul> and fhall be fatisfied : By bh knowledge fnaU 
 tny righteous Servant juflify many 5 for he fhall bear their iniquities. 
 
 THere are two things of great concernment 
 for men to know, for finful men to know 
 (if any thing be of concernment) the one is, 
 'How the jullice of God that is provoked may 
 Jbe fatisfied f or what it is> by which provoked 
 juftice is fatisfied ? And the other is, 'What the 
 way is, how w r e come to get that fatisfa&ion ap- 
 plied to us ? or, what is the way to get the be- 
 nefit of it made ours ? And both of them are 
 anfwered in this v. clearly and fhortly : The firfi; 
 is holden out in the firft part of -the v. to be the 
 the travel of Cbrifi' s fcul, which hath a fpecial 
 look to the covenant or redemption, and to the 
 
 I condition on which it' is accomplished and per- 
 
 ! formed, that is, his foul-travel, under which all 
 h\% fufFerings are comprehended^ Theptheris 
 in the latter part of the verfe. By his knowledge 
 
 \ fhall my righteous Servant juflify many, for he 
 fhall bear their iniquities \ this holds forth in 
 ihortthegofpel-way,how a {inner may be brought 
 to get the benefit of Chrift's fatisra&ion ; thele 
 two being the fum of the gofpel, to wit, 
 Chrift's purchafe, ,and the application of it to 
 
 1 finners. 
 
 In t^is laft part of the verfe, we have thefe 
 five things to be confidered, which express this, 
 1. The great benefit that flows from ChriiVs 
 iufFeriagSjand it is juflifi cation ; which in a word 
 is this much, to be'abiolved, acquitted and let 
 free from the guilt of fin, an4 from the curfe of 
 
 G<Ta ; juftifying here being oppofed to condem- 
 ning : 60 that, when it's laid, They fo all be ju« 
 flified ; the meaning is, that thefe that were be- 
 fore obnoxious, to the curfe,and that were by the 
 law to be condemned (according to that wore!* 
 Gal. 3, 10. Curfe-d is every one that abides not in 
 all things written in the law to do tbem)fhal\ now* 
 thro' the benefit ofChrift's furferings,be declared 
 free.and fet at liberty,even as a debtor is ^ct free? 
 by the interveening of a refponfal cautioner'. 1* 
 The parties made partakers of the benefit, and! 
 they ar^ call* ' 
 compared \ 
 are many : 
 from the eafl 
 fouth^andfrom the north, and fhall fit down witB \ 
 Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob in the kingdom ofhea* 
 ven. And, comparing this word with the laft 
 words of the v. it lays, that they are as many 
 as thefe are whofe iniquities lie bare, and the* 
 payment of whofe debt he undertook. It is 
 not to be taken univerfally for all, but for foma 
 fingular fele£ed perfons, whole iniquities hes 
 bare. 3. The fountain from which, or from 
 whom this benefit flows to many: It's theLord's 
 righteous Serv ant ,he fhall jufiify «?tf»yywhere the ' % 
 efrcft is attributed alone to him. 4. The way? 
 how Chrift juilifies": It's not Amply, by forgiv- 
 ing (as he indeed hath power to forgive fins) 
 but meritorioufly, to wit, by his fatistying for 
 * N n them: 
 
 
2^2 Jfalab <,%• 
 
 them ; therefore it is added,.Fw he flmU bear their 
 iniquities ; he fhall take on their fins, and pay 
 their debt : And therefore, when they come be- 
 fore the tribunal of God, the guilt of their fins 
 is taken off them through his merit. 5. The 
 great mids, or mean, by which this benefit is 
 derived to thefe many : It is by his knowledge \ 
 which is not to be taken fubjettively, for the 
 knowledge that he hath, but cbjeflively, that is, 
 he, by making himfelf known by believing : Or, 
 it's by bis knowledge, not actively ', but pajfively 
 taken ; not his knowledge, whereby he doth 
 know/ but that whereby he is known ; it's in a 
 word, by faith, according to that, Phil. 3. 8, 
 9, 10. / count all things ((aith the apoflle there) 
 Jofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Cbrlft 
 Jefus my Lord, &c and he expones what that is 
 In the next words, That I may be found In him y 
 not having my own rigbteoufnefs, which is accor- 
 ding to the law, but the rigbteoufnefs ofGod,which 
 is by the faith of him* 1 hefe may afterward 
 be more fully cleared, as we come to fpeak of 
 them more particularly. 
 
 There is here then a brief compend of the 
 gofpel, and of the way of finners reconciliation 
 with God ; (o that if ye would know, 1. How a 
 linner is juftified, or wherein it confifts ? IJere 
 it is, it confifts not in the infufing of grace, nor 
 an the fan&ifying, or making of a prophane per- 
 fon holy, tho' that doth accompany always and 
 Hollow juftification ; but in the abfolving of a 
 iinner from the guilt of fin, or in acquitting 
 fche guilty. 2. Would ye know the ground on 
 which this goeth, or how it comes to pafs, that 
 .' the juft God can juftify an ungodly finner ? It 
 
 ! l - » becaufe of Chrift's righteoufnefs, and of his 
 ttisfying juftice, or paying of the finner's debt. 
 . Would ye know how it comes that this man, 
 nd not another, comes to get Chrift's fatirfa- 
 feion made his, and hath his debt thereby taken 
 fF t It is by his knowledge, and by faith in 
 ira (called knowledge here, becaufe it necenV 
 Lly prefuppofes the knowledge of him) it is by 
 acknowledging of him in his offices, and by 
 fubmitting and jjecaking of our felves to him 
 l>y (aith ; becaufe it is articled "in the covenant 
 #f N redemption, That his righteoufnefs flisrtl 
 be made forthcoming to all them that by faith 
 betake themfelves to him for fheltcr : So that 
 hereby the ungodly are declared righteous, be- 
 caufe, through the Cautioner's- payment and fa- 
 iislWHon, their fin is not imputed to them; and 
 abfry ftfe declared free, becaufe of his paying of 
 *h©ir debt r or them. 4. Would ye know the 
 acafbft of this, how it comes that faith jufti- 
 ■p&e&in ikicftia&an ChriflLi* ft is not beamfs: 
 
 V «re 11. Scrm. <<£ 
 
 of any worth in it felf, nor becaufe of any ac- 
 count that is made of its worth, but becaufe it 
 refts on Chrift's rigbteoufnefs, and takes hold of 
 the benefit of Chrift's purtftiafe : Therefore it is 
 added, Becauje he foaU bear their iniquities, be- 
 caufe by faith they take hold of his fufteringsand 
 fatisfa<5Hon ; whereby their fin is taken away,and 
 God becomes well pleafedwith them for his fake. 
 This then is a moft material place of fcripture, 
 and we had need, in entring upon it, to have an 
 eye to this righteous Servant, that he would be 
 pleafed to make the meaning of it know to us, 
 and to give us the right underftanding of this 
 great myftery. 
 
 Fir/}, In general, obferve here, in what eftate 
 men are naturally^and as abftrafted from Chrift : 
 They are unjuftified, and lying under God's 
 curfe, obnoxious to his wrath ; this is fuppo- 
 fed :^ Confider men then in their natural eftate, 
 this is ft, They are even obnoxious. to the wrath 
 and curfe of God, which is ready to feize upon- 
 them for their breadi of God's covenant, and 
 for provoking of him by fin ; if men thought 
 ferioutly on this, how could they fleep, or have 
 peace, not knowing when they may be arrefted, 
 and put in prifon, till they pay the uttermoft 
 farthing, which will never be P O that yc knew 
 and believed this, who are ready to defy any 
 that will offer to charge you with one peny of 
 debt, , and who walk up and down without all 
 fear of your hazard / Lay your natural eftate to 
 heart/ and ye will have quite other thoughts of 
 your felves. 
 
 idly, Obferve the Way how freedom from this- 
 debt of fin, and from liablenefs to the curfe, is 
 derived ; and to this, many things concur, each 
 of which hath its own place. 1. The Mediator 
 and his iatisfaftion ; this is the ground of the 
 freedom. 2. The covenant of redemption, and 
 the promife made to the Mediator in it, He fhall 
 fee his feed, &c. Hejhallfee of the travel of bis 
 foul,andJJ)allbefatlsfied ; By his knowledge Jb all 
 many be juftified., ike, wherein it is articled, 
 that thefe for whom he fufFered fhall be pardo- 
 ned and fet free : And it is this that gives fin- 
 ners accefs to expeft the benefit of Chrift's. fuf- 
 ferings ; otherwife, tho' Chrift had fufFered,. 
 they had not been the better of his fufferings, 
 if this covenant had not been, which gives them- 
 warrant to lay hold on the fame: ere faith.tan ail 
 on Chrift's fufferings, it muft have this ground 
 laid down, That it hath a warrant by vertue of 
 this covenant to lay hold on them* 3. The know- j 
 ledge and offer of this myfteriouscontrivance of J 
 grace,is alfo necefiary, and doth concur, to bring j 
 
 about, fl 
 
Serm. 6c ' Jfaiab jj. 
 
 'about the freedom : This mud be manifefted, 
 that there is fuch a Saviour, fuch a fatisfa&ion, 
 andfucjia covenant, wherein. the ground is laid 
 down, and a warrant given, by vertue of this 
 covenant to make ule of Chrift's fatisfa<ftion,and 
 to come by the benefit of it ; this is implied in 
 that wordjHij knowledge : So,Rom* 10. it'sfaid, 
 How flail they believe in bim^of whom they have 
 not heard ? which fays plainly, that there can- 
 not 'be faith, except knowledge preceed. I ob- 
 ferve this the rather, becaufe many think to come 
 to heaven without knowledge, and lb continue 
 ■ftill in -their ignorance: Bat ere there can be 
 found faith, there mull neceffarily be fome mea- 
 fure of knowledge of thefe things that are ne- 
 ceflary to be known ; as, that we are tinners, and 
 that we are loft in our felves, that Jefus Chrift is 
 the alone propitiation for fin, and that, accor- 
 ding to the covenant of grace, they that believe 
 on him fliall be abfolved and fet free. 4. There 
 is a concurring of faith, for taking hold of this 
 benefit of offered falvation through Chrift ; 
 How faith concurs with Chrift's fatisfa&ion, 
 in order to the making of our peace with 
 God, we fhall not now (land to fpeak particu- 
 larly ; only in general, it is by his knowledge 
 that it juftifies : For,, tho' he have Sufficient 
 righteoufnefs, and tho* the covenant give 
 warrant to take hold of it, yet, if there be 
 not an aftual taking Ijold of it, it will not pro- 
 fit us ; therefore^ Rom. 3. 22. and 9. 30. it is 
 called, The righteoufnefs which is by faith in 
 him ; and Rom. 4. $. the apoflle faith, To him 
 that worietb not, but believeth on him that ]ufti- 
 fietb the ungodly, bis faith is counted to him for 
 righteoufnefs. It is not faith without its Object 
 Chrift,nor the Obje& Chrift without faith ; but 
 it is faith taking hold of him as its Object, by 
 which we have accefs to plead for abfolution .• 
 Without Chrift, our faith will do us no good ; 
 and without faith,Chrift will not profit us ; for, 
 without faith, we have no title to Chrift : And 
 each of thefe would be put in their own room 
 and place ; Chrift in his room, and faith in its 
 room, as the condition on which his purchafe is 
 made offer of to us. 
 
 More particularly let me, Firfi, Confider the 
 title that Chrift gets in .thefe words; he is cal- 
 led the Lord's Ser Vant y ar\& his righteous Servant* 
 
 i/?,As for Servant, It looks to him a§ Media- 
 tory this whole Cbapter,\vith Chapter 42. 1. and 
 52.13. do abundantly Clear: Chrift Jefus then,as 
 Mediator, is the Lord's Servant ; or he, in per- 
 forming the office of Mediator, is his Father's 
 Servant; fo the Lord calls \\\m,VfaU 89.19.when 
 he fays,/ have laid help upon Onetbat is mighty, I 
 
 Verfe ix. 5-3 
 
 bavefwndDw'id my Ser v ant ^c? or he is there 
 ipeakmg of Jefus Chrift, with whom the 
 nant of grace, as with the Head of the confede- 
 rated party, is principally made. It imports 
 thefe Four, which may be as fo many reafons of 
 this defignation. i.An humiliation, and inferio- 
 rity in refpeft of God, 'as it's feid, Ph'l. 2. Hz 
 humbled h'imfelfand became ofnoreputqtkmln 
 which refpecc,he Jumfelf fays, that the Father is 
 greater than he ; and that he is fent. that he eamt 
 not to do his own will, but the will of him that 
 fent him. This holds forth a great wonder in the 
 difpenfation of grace, that the Father's Fellm* 
 and Equal, he that was Lord and Mafter of ail, 
 fhould become a Servant in the.work of redemp- 
 tion/or the faying of fouls : This muft fure be* a 
 great work,wherein the Son becomes a Servsnt.as 
 it muft be a greater wonder, that grace fo far ccn- 
 defcended, as to make him, wji inceof 
 
 life, to become a Servant : And we Would look at 
 it as a much greater, and far more monientuous 
 bufinefs, than we ufe to do, to get a i'cui faved. 
 2. It imports his prerogative, as being Angular- 
 ly and eminently God's Servant ; he" is called, 
 Heb. 13, 20. The great Shepherd ; fo may he be 
 called the great Steward and Deputy over all the 
 Lord's houfe : So then, he is a lingular, choice, 
 and non-fuch Servant ; Behold, fays Jehovah, 
 Jfaiab 42. 1 . my Servant whom 1 uphold., mint 
 Elett in whom my foul delight eth : Tho' all be - 
 God's fervants, yet in this refpect, he is fin- 
 gularly,and folely a Servant, as he is great Lord- 
 deputy, made Head over all things to theChurch, 
 who was before all things, and is preferred -to 
 all things. This is very comfortable to believ- 
 ers, to confider, that tho' our Lord Jefus be a 
 Servant, yet he is a choice and lingular Servant, 
 Adminiftrator, and Steward for their good, it 
 being for them that he becomes a Servant. 3. If 
 imports the particular task or work that is laid 
 on him, and the cbmmwion that he hath gotter 
 to follow forth and profecute that work ; whici 
 is the main reafon of this defignation of a Ser-' ' 
 vW, becaufe he is intrufted with carrying on tru , 
 great work of the redemption of elecl: finners;- 
 Therefore he fays, / came net to do my own wi(L 
 but the will of him that fent me, and to f.n'Jb 
 his work ; and, / have finijjjed the work wkch 
 thou gavefl me to do ; becaufe he is particularly 
 intrufted with the bringing about, or that work. 
 He hath gotten fo many given him to redeem 
 and fave, to whom he is appointed a Shepherd, a 
 Head, and Overfeer or Bifhop? Therefore he 
 calls himfelf the good Shepherd, and is called by 
 theapoftle, the Shepherd and Jbifjop (or Over- 
 ly n 2 feer) 
 
2 74 IJaiab'tl. 
 
 feer) of fouls : And of all that are given him 
 
 he loleth none, but maketh account of them all. 
 'And this is yet more comfortable, when we con- 
 fider that Chrill is not a Servant {imply, but a 
 Servant commiffionate to gather in fouls, to 
 bring home the ioft fheep of the houfe ot'H, ael; 
 this is his office and ferv.ice, even to fatisty for 
 the fins of fuch, to dellroy the power that the 
 hath over them, and fo fubdue fin in 
 them. 4. It imports tins, that the wbrk which 
 be performs, in the redeeming "of fouls, is fo 
 acceptable to God, and doth fa mightily con- 
 cur 2nd co operate, to the promoving of Ms 
 defign, that the Lord owns every thing that 
 performed by his great Ambaf- 
 fedor. and b) him, who hath the truft of all the 
 affairs of 'his houfe committed to him ; fo that 
 our Lwid JefilSj in performing the work of re- 
 demption, cannot but be acceptable to Jehovah, 
 "becauie it is a performing of that with which he 
 hath intruded him : Therefore, Jebfl 4, he fays, 
 that it is hi: meat to do bis Father's voill^and to 
 'fnijb bis wotky and to this purpofe, he fays to 
 his fuppofed father, and to his mother, Luke 2* 
 4.0. Wifiye not that I mufl be about my Father's. 
 hufincfsJ It's his buiinefs, becaufe it is Co on the 
 matter, it's fo accounted- of, and comes to be fo. 
 an the end ; and therefore, in the iotb verfe of 
 this Cbsp. it is faid,.X5« pleafure of the Lord 
 ffyaU pro/per in bis hand, 
 
 2dly y ks for his being the Lord*s righteous Se r~ 
 •v.ant ; he is not.only a Servant;, but an excellent 
 Servant ; not righteous limply, as he is God on- 
 ly ; nor righteous Amply, as he Man ; but righ- 
 teous, in the adminiftration of his offices, and 
 in the difcharge of the great truft committed to. 
 Van. Whence obferve, c That our Lord Jefus, 
 J in performing of the office and work of Medi- 
 tation and redemption, is molt trufty and faith- 
 yul.' There is not any the leaft fault or failing 
 his performing of it : Ke is the Lord's Ser- 
 knt, that never wronged his Matter, who ne- 
 ilx miscarried in-hiscommiflion, nor mifmana- 
 »d it in the leaft ; faith he, / bavefinifljed the 
 TLrk which tbeugavcji mt tc do 1 . If we look a 
 little to the qua! in rations, that fliine eminently 
 Snche adminiftration of his office, they will nuke 
 ©A this ; for he ad minlft rates them, 1 ,V or. J er- 
 lulu' wifely. 2. Very tenderly. 3. M oft diligent*? 
 ty ind effectually. 4. With all faitbihlnefs; Thus 
 doth he intirely and holily, without the leaft 
 frouih of unrighteoufnefs, perform all the truft 
 •pnjbitted to him, and that both towards God, 
 and towards -the Iheep ; fo as. he is eminently, 
 $>y the Lord's own teftirnony, bis righteous Ser- 
 'W2& 3 mth whom he-is .wv-1 1 pleated, a^d canna:. 
 
 Verfe u. . Serin* ^gl 
 
 but be well pleafed. It will not be needful to- 
 feparate thefe qualifications of his iervice.in the 
 adminiftration of his offices : In (peaking to 
 them, we ihall only defire you to take notice of 
 fome few places of fcripturc jhat hold them out, 
 the firft whereof is that, lf&i. 40. 1 1. He Jha& 
 
 feed his flock like aflitpherd, bejball gather the 
 lambs with bis arm, and carry them in his bo- 
 
 fom, and gently lead thefe that are voitb young ;. 
 X^ever Jhepherd was fo careful of Jus flock, for he 
 
 feeds them, and in feeding them waits diligent- 
 ly on them, and takes" them to thefe places where 
 it is beft for them to feed: He thinks fit rfowand 
 then, it's true, that dogs be hounded at them, 
 yet he is fo warm to,and tender of them, that he 
 gathers them with |jisarro,aria he is fo dextetous- 
 and skilful in conducting them, that he g ntly 
 leads them that are with young \ fhat is.iuch of 
 them as are in pangs of the sew-bii ch,he will by 
 no means over-drive; To fpeak it with reverence, 
 he is as a skilful midwife, to make thofe that are 
 with child fafely to bring fofth jwell then may he. 
 get this name, of the Lord's righteous Servant. " 
 The next place is, Jfai. 42. 1, 2, 3, 4. Behold my 
 Servant wbr-m 1 upbo.d^my Elect in whom my foul 
 dMighteth \ I have put my 'Spirit upon bimjjejhall 
 Wring forth judgment to the Gentiles : HeJhalU 
 not cry^nor lift up.nor caufe his voice to be heard, 
 in the flreet : A bruifed reed Jkall he not break,. 
 and the f moling flax jb all he not quench ; bejball- 
 bring forth judgment unto truth.&c. Is there not. 
 here a wonderful commendation that the Father 
 gives to the Son, and that the gracious Mafter 
 gives to the righteousServant in his offices ? He 
 is his ele& choice Servant, in whom his foul de- 
 lights ; he does notcry,nor lift up his voice; he 
 is bufier about his work, than in making any din 
 about it ; there is no frowardnefs in his way, bat- 
 he is tender of fouls, that are like to a bruited? 
 reed,and fmoking flax-; hewill not break the one, 
 nor put out the other; where a foul is weak, or. 
 woundedjhe will not break orbruile it,byarough 
 touch, or word j and where there are the leaft 
 breathings of ilncere deiires after him, he will 
 not quench.nor ftifle them: And tho' the task be 
 great tha- he hath in hand, he fails not in going 
 through with it; he fits not up, nor is he dis- 
 couraged under it, notvvithftanding of all the 
 wrath he hath to meet with in his way. Therefore 
 when thacup is put in his hand,at which his holy 
 humane nature fome way fhfunk and lcarred,yeS 
 he takes it pleafaniiy, faying, But for this caufe 
 cams I unto this hour ; and profecuted his work^ 
 couragiouily and conftantly,. till he bring forth 
 judgment to victory, and till he gain his point : 
 
Serm. $& Ifaiah $3. 
 
 This fhews him to be a mod choice and faithful 
 fervant. A 3d place is #4.52.13. Beb,ld my 
 Servant frail deal prudently, &c. 't cannot be i- 
 maginedi what a fpiritual cannie and dexterous 
 Wav he hath in the favirg of fouls, and how 
 wifely and prudently he puriuesthac work. There 
 is a 4th place, Pfal. 89. 10, 20. / have laid help 
 upen One that is mighty, I have exalted One 
 eh of en cut of toe people, 1 have fcund Davi&my 
 Servant: The enemy Jball not exaft upon him, 
 &e. He is fo dexterous and pov. erful, that the 
 devil i&all gain no ground of him, but he dull 
 gain ground of him, and defeat b.'m: Co that we 
 come aiter only to gather the fpoil. He Is able 
 to fave to the uttermefl (as it is, Heb* 7. 26.) all 
 that come unto Gcd through him ; and near 
 the clofe of that Chap, it is taid, Such an -high 
 Pries! became us, mho is- holy, barmle'fs*. fepdrate 
 from fmnersy made higher than toe heavens.' 
 Thele are his qualifications, he is an holy and 
 harmlefs high Pried, a fweet and (to fay fo) ille r s 
 >tor, by whom there'was never any hurt ; 
 his ill was never heard of, in the place where he 
 Was : He is undented, pure and fpotlefs, in the 
 management of all the trull committed to him ; 
 there was never any thing done by him, of which 
 it could be faid, that it might have been done- 
 better : He is feparate from iinners, and fo ano- 
 ther kind of high Pried than thofe who w r ere be- 
 fore him *, and all this, both as to Gcd, fo as he 
 could lay, and go to death with it, It is finifbed' y 
 and as to them that were^ntrafted to him, lb as 
 lie could fay 3 Of all that thou hafl given me, I 
 Jbave loft none \ he makes a full and faithful ac* 
 count of all committed to him. 
 
 This is a plain, and yet a mod ufeful truth : 
 For ufe of it, behold here, and wonder at the 
 way_of grace, that not only gives a Mediator, 
 but fuch a Mediator,! who (s it is, Heb,^.) 
 is faithful ever tbe.boufs of Gcd: This is the 
 Ufe of our conization, that we have an 
 ] :ediator, a good Shepherd, a wife, prudent 
 tender One, and faithful 5 and indeed it would 
 well become us to wonder more that the Lord 
 in the way of his grace hath thus condefcended ; 
 and it fhou Id exceedingly, provoke us to be thank- 
 ful on this account, that not only there is a way 
 of grace, but fuch a way of grace found out 
 and edablilbed, whereby we have fueli an high 
 Pried, that manages all fo well, and fo dexter- 
 oufly. O have ye ever'fuitably prized this.that 
 God hath given fuch a righteous and faithful 
 Mediator and Servant / I fear many fuffer this 
 mod obfervable difpenfation to pafs- without 
 due obfervation. Though the Lord Jehovah 
 - notef him, without commending him y 
 
 Verfen. 2fi 
 
 yet wretched and ungrate we, can, alas! fpeak 
 of him, and hear hfm fpoken of, with h arts 
 very little affe&ed : Believers may be afhamect 
 of this; we think lamentably little of him, we 
 edeem not fuitably of him ; when We fee him, 
 there is fcarce any form or beauty feen in him, 
 wherefore we fhould defire him ; we do in a 
 great mealure undervalue this way of grace's 
 adminidration, that fhould be in a fpecial man- 
 ner rav'ihirg to us, that we are thereby brought' 
 under fuch a tutory. 
 
 The id Ufe is for believers comfort and in- 
 couragement ; O but they are happy, that have 
 committed themfelves to him, as to a faithful 
 Shepherd and Overfeer ! They may be lure that 
 he is a noj^ble and non-fuch Overfeer, as might 
 be more fully cleared, if we would defcend to 
 the particulars of believers need: Have they 
 little grace ? is it fcarce fmoking ? he is not a 
 ri^id'taskmafter, like to the Egyptians, nay, nor 
 like to the lav/, he quenches not the fnlcking 
 flax. Are they daggering becaufe of apprehen- 
 ded or real weakneis, and their hearts fhaking 
 like the trees in the wood, or rather like fo ma- 
 ny draes ? they may with comfort give him the 
 overfightof them', he will not break the brui* 
 fed reed, he Will bear the heavied end of his 
 own yoke. Have they a draying difpofition ? 
 Are they like young wanton lambs leaping out 
 from the red ? He will gather them w 7 hh his 
 arm; and when he takes a rougher way, yet 
 grace mines dill in it. Are they fainting and' 
 Ivvooning ? he will take them into his bofom ; 
 he will lead fhe blind, he bears the weak, he 
 hath a way of fupporting his own that is mod' 
 tender ; My grace (fays he to Paul) is fujflci- 
 ent for thee; my fttength is made per fed: ir/ 
 noealnefi. Are there any 'oi them with child, 
 (to fpeak fo) or is their bringing forth quid:' 
 and lively i He gently leads thofe that aie 
 with young, and will not fufferthemto mifca- 
 ry, in the bringing forth ; he will tut put n&T 
 rojne into old bottles, be will not caufe to tra- 
 vel, and not make to bring forth: The Lod 
 hath given believers fuch a Servant as they 
 dood in need of, even a righteous Servant, fii- 
 ted every way to their condition, who will not' 
 be behind, nor wanting, in looking to the leafl 
 wrigling (to fpeak Co) under his care and o/cf; 
 fight; 
 
 Itferves therefore, in the 3^ place,to - reprove 
 the fufpicions and jealoufies that believers have 
 often of Ghrid, who aVe difpofed to fay with the 
 PfalmiJU Pfal.'jj. Jfaid,Myhcpe and my flrengtb 
 is perified from the Lord) will the Lcrd caft 
 
~&f6 Ifaiab ^3. 
 
 cfffcr ever? will be be favourable nc\more? is bis 
 mercy dean gone for ever ? dotb his promife fail 
 for evermore ? hath he forgotten to be gracious? 
 &c. Nay 5 the jealoufy and misbelief of Tome feri- 
 ous fouls will fometimes talk at this rate, I -may 
 give it over, this work will never go with me. 
 Beware, I befeech you, of this ; for the language 
 of it is, that our Lord is not a righteous Servant: 
 Let therefore your fpirits be calmed, and pray 
 the Lord to command a calm in them which 
 are committed to him. Befpeak'your fouls, as 
 David did his, Ffal. 42. Why art thou cafi down, 
 O my foul f and why art thou difquieted in me ? 
 Truft in God ; for he is faithful (as if he had faid) 
 thlt he hath the overflght of me : And effay, with 
 Tauly to be in cafe to fay, / know whet): J have 
 believed; and fo ihall not be afhamed ; Jam 
 perfwaded that he is able to keep, -that which I 
 have committed to bim^againfl that day 5 I knew 
 that he is fuch a Chrifl, that I commit my felf 
 to, who is fo skilful, dexterous, tender, and 
 faithful in keeping-that which is given to him. 
 And is not this moft comfortable, and a notable 
 ground of quietnefs, that our Mediator is fuch 
 as cannot mifcarry ? and may it not fhame be- 
 lievers, when either they adventure upon any- 
 thing their alone without him, or when they 
 commit themfelves to him, and yet do not fo in- 
 tirely truft him, but entertain fufpicions and 
 jealoufies of him. and think, becaufe their fpark 
 is not a fire or a flame, but fmokes only, that 
 therefore it wij-1 die out, and be utterly quench- 
 ed, as if he could not keep it in, and increafe 
 it, and becaufe they cannot guide themfelves, 
 think that they will utterly mifcarry, as if he 
 had not arms to carry them ? Indeed preemp- 
 tion is to be abhorred, but fuch as are fled in- 
 tj him would truft- in him fo far as to keep up 
 tteir hearts in him, and would ftudy to be cheer- 
 fii in him, and to walk up and down in his 
 flfength ; this is certainly called for from you ; 
 
 Ver. 11. Serm. ju 
 
 Therefore be content to be born by him, where 
 you. cannot go your alone. 
 
 Ufe 4. Is he fuch a righteous Servant? Then . 
 let me lay, Are there any of you that need to 
 fear, or to have the leaft hink, or hesitation, to 
 commit your felves to him ? And fhould it not 
 be a motive to prefs you to give him credit ? 
 For he fays, John 6*. 39, 40. that it's his commif- 
 flon and fervice to keep them which are commit- 
 ted to him, and to raife them up at the laft 
 day, and to give them eternal life ; and he is ] 
 righteous and faithful in performing of it : If 
 fo, then credit the falvation of your fouls to this 
 righteous Servant •, commit your fouls in well-do- 
 ing to him, as unto a faithful Creator ; never be 
 at peace, nor at eafe, till ye be under his charge 
 and keeping; and though ye. be as little lambs, 
 as weak wriglings or heavy with young, it's 
 the lefs matter, if ye be of his flock, ye fhall 
 be preferved: Is it poluble that ye can be right, 
 if ye be from under his care and cuftody ? Nay, 
 it's utterly impoffible, that ye can be fecure, but 
 under his care ; and it's as impoflible, but that j 
 ye muft he iaie, if ye be under his care and o» 
 verflght ; and therefore endeavour to be within 
 the reach of it, and to count your felves happy, 
 when ye do fincerely give him credit ; and to 
 believe that ye are in greateft hazard, when ye 
 take moft on your felves. What a fhame will 
 it be to many, who have heard that Chrift was 
 fuch a Servant, and yet they would not take his 
 fervice to bring them through to heaven ? Thus 
 it ftands with you, to whom he is fpoken of in 
 the gofpel, ye fhall be found either to have ac- 
 cepted or reje£ed him, according as by faith ye. 
 yield your felves to him, or by unbelief ye re- 
 fufe to clofe with him : Let not this word flip, 
 as many have done. And the Lord himfelf make 
 you wife, to make choice in time of the fervice 
 of this righteous Servant, for your juftification 
 and falvation. 
 
 SERMON LI. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. ii.-_.J5j/ his knowledge fhall my righteous Servant juflify many. 
 
 IFvve had fuch thoughts of the falvation of 
 \our own fouls, as the Lord had, and ftill 
 hatll of the falvation of fouls, we could not 
 but be more ferioufly concerned about them, 
 and lbore taken up, how to get them faved : 
 Thisi-orkof the fJvation«of finners did before 
 the world was (to fpeak fo with reverence) take 
 up the Perfons of the glorious Godhead ; and 
 was fingled out, and made choice of, as an im- 
 ployment worthy of the Son of God, who was 
 
 chofen for this very work, that by him many 
 might be juftified and faved; for the accom- 
 plifhment of which, he became a Servant: Muft 
 it not then be an excellent work, that none but 
 he could *be trufted with, who is Heir of all 
 things, and by whom the world was made? 
 
 We fhew you the meaning of thefe words the 
 laft day, and obferved two things from this defig- 
 nation, that our Lord gets here. 'j.That our 
 
 < Lord 
 
Serrr?. {I. IJaiab 53. 
 
 « Lord Jefus, in the work of mediation, and of 
 € the redemption of finners, was God'sServant.' 
 . Not fo much to denote his being inferior, as 
 Mediator, to the Father ; as to hold forth his be- 
 ing commiflionated for this fervice, and the Lord 
 accepting of him in' it. '2 . That our Lord Jefus 
 
 * did excellently difcharge this truft committed 
 
 * to him.' Therefore he is not only called a * 
 Servant ibxit my righteous Servant^ having molt 
 faithfully acquitted himfelf, and as being ful- 
 ly approven and accepted in the truft committed 
 to him. When the Lord fpeaks To o: Chrift, it 
 ought mightily to engage us to bemuch'in love 
 with God, who hath given fuch a faithful Medi- 
 ator and Servant; and with Jefus Chrift, that 
 condefcended to take the trufl of poor finners 
 falvation, and that doth fo kindly difcharge it. 
 There are fome things liere,* that may be paf- 
 flngly hinted at, and then we fhall come more 
 clofely and particularly to the words. 
 
 1. Then, obferve, 'That it is a privilege and 
 c prerogative to be God's Servant. 3 Therefore 
 it's mentioned here, as a piece of the Mediator's 
 privilege : It's true he was fingularjy and emi- 
 nently a Servant,even the Lord's choice Servant, 
 in whom his foul delighted, and does delight, 
 above what any other can be capable of; yet to 
 be a fervant to God, to take direction from him, 
 to do his will, to feek his honour, to give obedi • 
 ence to him, in what he calleth for, is certainly 
 a privilege, and a great one; yea, it is fpoken of 
 as a privilege of glorified faints in heaven, Rev. 
 22. 3. His fervant s Jhall Jerve him : And if it be 
 a privilege in heaven, we would think it fo here 
 on earth ; and yet, if the language of our hearts 
 were known, there would%e found a fecret dis- 
 daining of, and repining at fervice to God, and 
 a faying. on the matter, Let us break his bands 
 a/under, and caft away his cords from us* But, 
 know ye what ye are doing ? even difclaiming 
 and defpiiing that which is your great privilege : 
 All thefe that are in heaven, and all thofe who 
 are in a right frame on earth, count it their pri- 
 vilege to be his fervants ; and we are - comman- 
 ded to pray, Thy will be done in earthy as it is 
 done in heaven 5 or, Be thou f? rved on earth, as 
 thou art in heaven : Therefore it ought to be 
 accounted of, as a privilege, as a great and 
 
 ^glorious privilege, to be. his fervants. 
 
 2. Obferve, 'That the Lord can tell exactly and 
 c infallibly, how every fervant carries himfelf; 
 
 * who are ill and tlothful, and who are good and 
 c faithful fervants : who are righteous fervants 
 j according to -their ineafure, and who not.'. Will 
 ht take notice how Chrift carries himfelf in his ' 
 fervice and truft, and will he not take notice of 
 
 Verfe 1 1. * 277 
 
 others? Moft certainly he will; and therefore, 
 Mat. 25. and Luke 29. he calls the fervants to a 
 reckoning, to whom the talents are given ; and' as 
 they have made ufe of them,and improved them, 
 or not, fo doth he commend and reward them, 
 or not : There are none of us, but have gotten 
 fome one talent and truft or another, and no doubt, 
 there will be much to reckon for; I am afraid, 
 that when he calls us all to an account, though 
 there will be fome to whom it will be faid, Well 
 done, good and faithful jervant\ there will be 
 many to whom it will be faid, Thou evil and 
 flit bfal fervant : And theflstbful fervant will be 
 found to be the ill fervant ; and, amongft other 
 aggravations of his guilt, this will be one, that 
 he wa% unlike to Chrift the righteous Servant. 
 3. Obferve, 'That the right improvement and 
 
 • difcharge of the truft committed to us, and of 
 
 * our fervice to God, is a commendable and ho- 
 c nourable thing.' It is recorded here, to Chrift's 
 commendation, that he was ^righteous Servant, 
 even faithful over' the houfe of God, in ail 
 things; and proportionably is the commendati- 
 on of the ordinary under-fervants, when they, 
 in their places and ftations, perform their fer- 
 vice honeftly and faithfully, fo as they may be 
 accepted of God on his account : The. day is 
 coming when eVery man's work will be reward- 
 ed ; and as we fow, fo we fhall reap; in that day, 
 if we had all the world, we would give it,to hear 
 that word from Chrift's mouth, Well done, thott 
 good and faithful fervant ; but few will get that 
 teftimony. Ye think it much now, to get a name 
 of fidelity amongft men, and to be.efteemed fuch 
 as keep your word, and will not break your pro- 
 mife, nor parole (and it's good in fo far, that it 
 be fo) but many fuch will be found to have bro- 
 ken many a word to God, and falfified many a 
 promife : Think upon it, and lay it to heart,that 
 it will be better to have a word of teftimony from 
 God in that day, andfto have it faid to you by 
 him, Faithful fervarrt, thou improved well the 
 little that I g3ve thee ; it was laid out, and ex- 
 pended, not Co much to buy and to put on brave 
 clothes, nor to buy dt build fine houfes, as it 
 was for me, and for my^pnour; whatever place, 
 ftation, capacity or imployment thou w . 
 thou endeavoured to do good in'it; and "Mien- 
 thou couldft not do for my work, for my people, 
 and for my honou *. thou waft praying for them j 
 and when thou had an opportunity to hear my 
 word, thou didft not flight.norlet that flip; This, 
 I fay, will be better than a great name and tefti- 
 mony from and amongft men ; but alas, we fear 
 that it fhall be faid of .many, Ye had many op- 
 
il% Jfdiah ft. 
 
 portunities of getting and doing good, but what 
 ufe made ye of them ? It had been better that ye 
 Jiad never had them, it had been better that ye 
 had never had a groat or two pence, than to have 
 had all thefe riches-, and to have had none, ra- 
 ther than to have had fuch and tuch a lucrative or 
 gainful place and imployment, which ye impro- 
 ved not fbrGod: It's a iorematter,*hat we fhould 
 preach, and ye fhould hear thefe general.truths of 
 the gofper, from day to day, and that yet they do 
 not fink into your hearts. Ye will not readily de- 
 ny, that there is a day of reckoning coming, and 
 that it will be a great favour to be commended 
 of him in that day, and yet, how few do by their 
 praaice evidence,that they lay weight on it ? It's 
 Very fad that religion fhould be io .trifled in. Ma- 
 ny of you will come to the Church,andfeem there, 
 and in your other carriage, as if ye were going to 
 heaven ; when, in the mean time, ye have rew ferr- 
 ous thoughts, either of heaven or of hell : But in 
 that day wherein y.e (hall (land trembling before his 
 tribunal, and (hall there receive the fentence of 
 an evil and (lothful fervant, yt will find, to your 
 coft, that there was weight inthefe truths, that 
 now ye take but little notice of. 
 
 4. In general, Obferve, 'That k's fingular,pro- 
 « per and peculiar to our Lord Jefus, to be God's 
 < approven Servant,fo as to be without all ground 
 
 * of challenge,™ the difcharge of his duty and 
 
 * truft.' And indeed there is no righteous fervant, 
 in this fenfe, but he only, who according to the 
 very. rigor of the law, was fuch ; the law could 
 not charge him with any the leaft violation of it, 
 or want of conformity unto it, for he fulfilled all 
 right eoufneCs- We fpake to fihis on v. 9. andTIiall 
 not now"infilt en it 1 Only it's a fore matter.that 
 this truth fhould be called in queflion, and cal- 
 led an untruth in thofedays; andthatmen fhould 
 lay, that this defignatujn and title is not proper 
 to thrill, but that it's common to all true Chris 
 {Hans', as it they were alfc^ree or fin ; and that 
 not by the imputation oF. Chrift's righteouf- 
 ne'.s to them, but by their owit doing of righ- 
 teoufnefs: Lord five us! what a high injury is 
 this to the Son of GocM and whatgrois igno- 
 rance is here of the eruption of man's nature, 
 which in the bed and hoiicfl of meer men is ne- 
 ver in this life finally expelled, as the icrip- 
 turesof the old and new teilament molt convin- 
 cing lv clear ! and what a wronging is this or the 
 truth' of God, which holds forth our Lord Jefus, 
 as fin* led out to he, and who is ddigr.ed by 
 this name, The Lord's righted** Servant ! Now, 
 if there were any mo properly ib cahed, we 
 could not fay that it were meant of him. But 
 k's not very profitable^ to infift in fpeaking of 
 tfcefe dotages , and foolries. 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm.^i'; 
 
 But to come more particularly to theJ)enefits 
 that flow from, and eome by this righteous Ser- 
 vant , and from the fervice intruded to him, and 
 fo faithfully managed and difcharged by him : By 
 his Vnowlege (faith Jehovah) Jhall he juftify many^ 
 that is, his fervice is' to abfolve finners, and let 
 them free from the guilt of fin, and from the curfe 
 that naturally they are under, and liable to. ' 
 Looking on thefe words in the connexion with 
 the, former, we fhill obferve three or four things, 
 ere we come to the more clofs and particular 
 confideration of the w r ords in themfelves. 
 
 The ijl of which is this, 'That the juftify* 
 c ing of many finners, even of all the ele&, is the 
 c fpecial trull committed by Jehovah, to the 
 c Mediator ; It is in this especially wherein his 
 c fervice confifts.* Would ye then know, what is 
 the imployment of this righteous Servant ? It is 
 even this, he foall juftify many \ he ihall procure 
 their absolution from the guilt of fin- and from 
 the curfe of God, and lhall fet them free from 
 the judgment which the law hath agaihil them, 
 whereby they are obliged to the curfe, for oil- 
 obedience thereunto: This we may coniider, 
 i« As it relates to God \ and fo it imports, that 
 the juilification of finners is very acceptable to 
 him-: ror it is that for which he hath given a 
 commiifion to the Mediator ; and what he hath 
 commiffioned him in, the performance of it 
 mud needs be acceptable to him ; Therefore, 
 that which is here called the Lad's fervice, is 
 called* the Lord's pleafure>v. 10. to wit, to fee a 
 poor finner brought in by the Mediator, and on 
 the account of his fatisfaeVion jullilied; he is plea- 
 fed with, and takes it well. 2. It may be confl- 
 * dered as it looks to the Mediator ; and fo it 
 fpeaks out the Mediator's defign and work : It's 
 that wherein he is imployed, and wich which • 
 he is taken up even to get ele& finners brought 
 from under the curfe of God, and freely justi- 
 fied through himfclf ; So that, if ye would know 
 what "is the fum and erFe& of Chrift's errand and 
 work in the world, here it is, he came to fave 
 finner s, as 'it is, Tim. 1. 15* He came to feek 
 and to fave that vohich was lefty to bring home 
 the loll: fheep on his ihoulder, to feek and find 
 the "loft groat, and to reclaim prodigals, as it , 
 is, LuH 15. yhis is his meat and his drink, 
 his work and builnefs, as himf If fays, John 
 4. 34. My ptcat is tc do the will of bim that' 
 fent me^ and to finifli his work ; and Luke 2. 
 Know ye not tint I muft be dbcut my Father's 
 bufinefs? which is to refcue poor finners from 
 the devil, and to engage, them to God, that 
 their fins may be pardoned. 3. It imports 
 the Mediator's, meetrjefs fo^this fervice, that 
 
 he 
 
Serm. <$i. Ifvah $3- 
 
 that he is furnifhed, fitted and qualified for, as 
 well as takenup with the juftifying of finners, and 
 letting them free before the throne of Gpd : He 
 hath a full purfe (to fpeak fo) to pay their debt ; 
 therefore, Rev* 3. 19. he bids finners come and 
 buy of him eje-falve, gold, and -white raiment \ 
 he hath eye-falve for the blind, gold to inrich 
 the poor, garments for the naked ; and in a word, 
 
 * fcvery thing 'that is needful -for finners. It is 
 comfortable to hearthat Chrift is a Servant; but 
 to hear that this is his fervice, to juftify finners, 
 and that he is fo well fitted for it, makes it fo 
 
 • much the more comfortable: and were we fuitably 
 fenfible ot fin, and did we throughly believe this 
 truth, our hearts would laugh within us, as 
 Abraham's once did, to know, that this was gi- 
 ven to Chrifl in commiflion to juftify finners, and 
 that he is fo well fitted for this bufinefs that he 
 is commiffioned about and imployed in ; efpeci- 
 ally now, when he is ^o bufy about this work and 
 imployment, for tho' he be afcended on high, 
 yet be bath received gifts for, and given them 
 to men, even for the rebellious, that God the Lord 
 .might dwell among them \ as it is, Pfal. 68. 
 compared with Eph. 4. This is the end of the mi- 
 niftry and ordinances, even to further this work 
 
 ' of the justification of finners, that by acknow- 
 ledging and making ufe of Chrift, this- work 
 may be brought about, and this effe& made to 
 follow: This is the end of fafts and communi- 
 ons, even to arreft perifhing finners a while, to 
 try ft and treat with him about the concerns of 
 their fouls ; thefe are fpecial feafons for putting 
 him to exerce his office in juftifying ot them: 
 1 And this day this fcripture is fulfilled- in your 
 1 ears, and ye fhould let it fink in your hearts, 
 J that our Lord Jelus is purfuing his commiffion, 
 V and performing his fervice, keeping up the 
 i| treaty, and inviting and perfuading finners to 
 |[ come to him, that the pleafure of the Lord may 
 profper in his hand. And therefore know aflu- 
 redly, that this is it, that Chrift is imployed in, 
 and taken up with, even to get finners freed from 
 the guilt of fin and from wrath by his righteouf- 
 nefs; it is not only, nor mainly, to get them 
 brought to the church, and to his (upper, or 
 to get them made formal, and to abftain from 
 curfing, fwearing and proph?nity, (tho' thefe will 
 fdllow of will) but it's to get them brought in 
 to himfelf, and juftified. And we have thefe two 
 words to fay to you further in this matter, 1. 
 There is here good ground of encouragement 
 to a poor foul, that wo^d fain make ufe of 
 Chrift for pardon of fin ; This is even it that 
 thrift is intruded with, it is for this end that 
 
 Verfeii. I79 
 
 he is legated and commiiTIoned of the Father; 
 and will he not, thinkft thou, do that which 
 he is intruded with, and for which he is main- 
 ly fent ? This is, faith he, John 6. 39. the will of 
 him that fent me, that every one that feet h tba 
 Son, and believeth on him, fhould have everla* 
 fling life, and that I fhould raife him up at th» 
 laft day ; which is in fum, that by his knowledge 
 many fhould be juftified. And it's added, For 63 
 Jball bear their iniquities, to anticipate and an- 
 fwer an obje&ion .* For a fenfible finner might 
 fay, How can I be juftified, that have fo many . 
 fins?, here ira folution' of that doubt, he Jball 
 fatisfy for them. All thefe words are Cas it were) 
 big with child of confolation, being the very 
 heart and life of the_gofpel, as any thing, that 
 comes fo near to Chrift's commiflion, and unfolds 
 fo much of it, is. A 2d word is this, That ye 
 miftake Chrift's errand, work and fervice very 
 far, who think' to content him, and put him offi 
 with this j who would give him the name of a 
 Saviour, and yet would be at the laving of 
 your felves without him ; who would comple- 
 ment him (as it were with fair generals, but will 
 have none of his phyiick, or of his cures, nor 
 will renounce your own righteoufnefs, and make; 
 ufe of his, for your juftification : this fays one 
 of thefe four,Eitherthat he is not commiflionatedj 
 and trufted for this end; or.that he is not meet for 
 thattruft; or that he is not faith'u! in if, or 
 elfe, that ye can do your own turn without him, 
 and that there is no need of his office : And which 
 of all thefe can abide the trial before God? v And 
 yet it fhall be upon one of thefe that ye fhall be 
 found to have caft at Chrift, and to have refufed 
 to permit him, (fofar as ye could hinder and 
 obftrucY) to do his Father's bufineis ; and if ye 
 adjuft not accounts with him, there* will be a 
 moft dreadful reckoning betwixt God and you. 
 idly. Obierve, That this particular trull anent 
 the juftifying of finners, our Lord Jelus doth mod 
 righteoufly,diligently, dexteroufly, tenderly and 
 faithfully difcharge.lt was hisFather's will, that he 
 fhould be baptized, and fulfil all righteoufnefs; - 
 and more efpecially that he fhould juftify many : 
 In this he is very skilful and faithful, and it is on 
 this account he is called the good Shepherd and 
 that he is faid to lay down his life f r his f)eep ; 
 that he is called, a faithful high Vrieft, and 
 is faid to. -be One that is able to faveto the 
 uttermeft thofe that come unto Gcd through him\ 
 and that he is holy, harmlefs^ andfeparate from 
 finners, fit to make peace betwixt God and fin- 
 ners ; another fort ofPrieft than Aaron was,orany 
 that were before him: He is, in a word, fucban 
 O o high 
 
2Se Ifaiab 55. 
 
 high Vrtefi as became as, and as we flood in need 
 of, who needed not to offer facrifice for his own 
 fins ; he had no more to do, but to fatisfy for us. 
 The prophet Jfaia s, Cbap. 40. 11. tells how ten- 
 der he is in bringing fouls to heaven; He ga- 
 thers the lambs with his arm, be carries them 
 In his bojom, and gently leads tboje that are with 
 joung\aud Cbap, 42.3. that a bruifed reed be -will 
 ■not 5reak,and the fmoking flax be will-not quench: 
 And it is faid, 1 John 2. If any man fin, we have 
 an Advocate with the Father ; and who is he? 
 Jefus Cbrift the righteous \ righteous in the faith- 
 ful managing of his truft, by making Tinners 
 peace with God. Would ye know then, in what 
 refpe&s, or on what account it is, that thrift is 
 called a righteous Servant ? We anfwer, In thefe 
 refpe&s, 1, Tho' we have failed and broken the 
 law, yet he hath not; and God will not look down 
 on him. 2. In this refpeci, that he pleads for no 
 finners pardon, but he can fully pay their debt, 
 . and hath done it: If he leek one thing from God, 
 heyieMs in another, and according to the cove- 
 nant of redemption exactly proceeds ; for he is 
 a propitiation: He feeks nothing but he pays for 
 it, and wrongs not him in the leaft who hath 
 trufted him ; the Lord Jehovah is not a Iofer,but 
 hath his honour reftored by him. 3. In relpeft 
 of his keeping faith to the perfons that have need 
 of him, for whom he hath undertaken : He is 
 not only faithful to the Mailer, but to the chil- 
 .dren, andfervants; he owns and acknowledges 
 <bem, when they come to him under their ne- 
 ceilities, and is forthcoming to them, every way 
 Suitable and anfwerable to his place and truft, in 
 (doing good to finners. 
 
 Ufe. Had we fenfible finners to fpeak to, fin- 
 ners groaning under a body of death, with pric- 
 Iced hearts crying out, What lhall we do for the 
 Wrongs that we have done to God ? Sinners un- 
 der holy fear to fpoil and mar the bargain, and 
 to hazard their own fouls; had we (I fay) fuch 
 iinners to fpeak to, there are good "news here to 
 them ? The truft of laving fouls is committed to 
 a faithful Shepherd ; it is not commited to your 
 Selves, for fo it had been a doleful truft ; but it 
 is committed to him, that hath gotten the iheep 
 hy name given to him, to be kept by him, and 
 lie will not fufFer them to mifcarry, nor to go 
 quite wrong : And what more g would ye have ? 
 A falvation and a price is much, but it is more to 
 Jiave a Saviour to make the application of his 
 purchafe, a Bifhop of fouls to juftify and carry 
 iinners through, to make it fure before God, 
 and to make it out : The finner may deep found, 
 which in the fenfe of fin hath betaken himfelf to 
 3Wm, to be julWied by his righteoufnefs* aftg 
 
 to be in his debt and common for obtaining o* 
 pardon, and for making the application of whae 
 by his fufFerings he hath purchafed. We cai 
 fay but little to this purpole to you, who car* 
 not for your fouls, and are not fenfible of your 
 fin ; for he came to fave finners, and if any fuch 
 do. truft him with the falvation of their fouls, ho 
 is faithful, and will not fuflfer them to periih. 
 
 idly, From comparing, thefe words, By bis. 
 knowledge be (hall fujiijy many, with the for- 
 mer, He fiall fee oj the travel of his foul, and 
 Jballbe fatisfied; We obferve, 'That our Lord 
 
 * Jefus is never fatisfied with finners,nor content- 
 '-till he be imployed by them in this pieceof fer- 
 
 * vice, even to juftify them by his knowledge, 
 c or by faith in him.' He gets not fatisfa&ion 
 for the travel of his foul till this be, and this is 
 it which iatisfies him : He, cares not for comple- 
 ments, great profeifions of refped to religion, 
 and Hofanna's, without this ; he wept over Js- 
 rufalem, notwithstanding of thefe, becaufe of the 
 want of this : He cares not for Martha's cumber- 
 fom fervice, but is content of Marys fitting 
 down to hear and receive his word ; if he get not 
 this imployment, no other thing will content 
 him, as we may fee in thefe three parables, Luka 
 15. when the loft fheepis amifUng, he is not fa- 
 tisfied till it be brought home ; the" marking the 
 houfe clean will not pleafe him, if the loft piece 
 of money be not found ; the finding whereof 
 brings out that, Come and rejoice with me * 
 And when the prodigal returns, then, and not 
 till then, are uttered thefe joyful words, This 
 my fon was dead, and is alive ; he was lofi+ 
 and is found s Then comes the mirth, and all 
 the minftrels are yoked. Would ye lay the hair 
 of your head under Chrift's feet, would ye 
 give him thoufands of rams, and rivers of oil, 
 and the firft-born of your bodies for the fin oi 
 your fouls ; all thefe will not pleafe him, if ye 
 get not your felves to be juftified by his know- 
 ledge ; nothing will content and fatisfy him but 
 that: The reafons are, 1. Becaufe he gets not 
 his work, intruded to him, carried on otherwife 
 (if I may .fpeak fo) for as the Father delights 
 to fee the work which he hath trufted him 
 with profpering, fo doth he. 2. Becaufe ha 
 gets not the native credit and honour of his of- 
 fice, till he get this, but counts himfelf to be like 
 to an Ambaffador, who comes to woo a wife for 
 the King his Mafter, who is well treat and in- 
 tertained, but gets a refufal of what he came for; 
 It was the difciples commendation, John 17, 
 that they received his word ; though all other 
 things could be, if t&s be wtf, he never pets 
 
Sferrm. 51. , ! f atdh *!• 
 
 kindly refpeeV 5« Becaufe, without this, folk 
 can never love Chrift ; for it" is this benefit of 
 juftification and pardon or fin, that much enga- 
 ges to love and praife him : Becaufe (fay and 
 4ing the redeemed, Re v. 5. 9O thou hafl redeem* 
 ed us to God by thy blood, thou art -worthy to re* 
 rtiys all praife, dominion, power, and glory. 
 It's impoflible that they can fuitably efteem of 
 him, and love him, who are not juftified by him; 
 «nd therefore they that believe not on him to 
 juftification, are called defpifers of him, and 
 (readers of the blood of the covenant under foot ; 
 and they fall under that fad complaint which is 
 made, jfobn I. n« He came to bis own, and his 
 awn received him not', be was in the world, and 
 the world was made byhim^ and the world knew 
 kirn not. There is then a neceflity laid upon 
 you, either to give him employment in this, or 
 to ly under his difpleafure,and to be made coun- 
 table for (landing in the way, fo far as ye could, 
 of his fatisfa&ion. The Lord hath fo moulded 
 the way of his grace, that not only he doth in- 
 vite and allure finners but alfo he lays ftrong 
 bonds on them for their good, and leaves it not 
 indifferent to them,tomake ufe of Chrift, or not, 
 for their juftification ; but they muft either take 
 this way, or have God and the Mediator to be 
 their enemies, in the greateft meafure, and in the 
 higheft degree : Choofe you then, whether ye 
 will fatisfy Chrift Jefus or not. How fhall he 
 be fatisiied ? will ye fay: Even by your betaking 
 of your felves to him, and by improving his 
 righteoufnefs, for your peace with God, and for 
 your juftification before him ; humbly plead- 
 ing guilty at the bar of juftice, and begging par- 
 don and acceptance on the account of his fatis- 
 fa&ion, and by faith extracting your difcharge 
 and abfolution, that fo the application of his 
 purehafe being obtained, the confidence may be 
 quieted on that ground. And do ye think this 
 a matter to caft out with Chrift about, that 
 he would have you juftified, and that ye will 
 not; that he would have you wafhen in his 
 blood from your fins, and that ye had rather ly 
 dill in them? Think ye this reafonable? And 
 yet thus it ftands with you; and we declare it to 
 you in his name, that Chrift and ye fhall never 
 be friends, except on thefe terms, that ye take 
 with your fins, and natural enmity againft God, 
 and welcome heartily the news of a Mediator, 
 and embrace his righteoufnefs, trampling your 
 own under your feet, as to all expiation of 
 juftification by it ; that in a wora ye do by 
 faith take hold of the offer of falvation through 
 him in the gofpel, refigning your • felves abso- 
 lutely to him, and founding your humble pie* 
 
 Verfen. ( ff| 
 
 before God thereupon. "This is the fiield of 
 faith that quenches the fiery darts of the devil, 
 and that which gives wings to the foul, to flee 
 to heaven upon ; and we wot well this is no un- 
 friendly meffage nor evil bargain, and ye may 
 have it of him: He is indeed a dextrous and 
 skilful Handler of fouls, that commit themlelveff 
 unto him ; why do you not then, in his own 
 way, hazard your fouls on him ? Were finners 
 hazard known, and what folid confidence 
 they may have, in putting their fouls in Chrift's 
 hand, they would be thronging in upon him, 
 to get hold laid on his offer, which is like. a 
 banner difplayed, and fpread out in this word 
 of the gofpel, to which every one may put 
 his hand: This is the very fum of the gofpel, 
 to pray you to be reconciled to God, to admit of 
 the Mediator, and to give him a commiflion (to» 
 fpeak Co with reverence) or rather to intreat him 
 to make your peace, that is, to give him the 
 credit of faving you ; that if juftice were purfu* 
 ing you, ye might be found in him, not having 
 your own righteoulnefs, but his, and in him 
 have one anfwer to all challenges', not thinking 
 your felves the lefs ficker and fure, that ye have 
 given up with your own righteoufnefs, and be* 
 taken your felves to^his. Who knows but foute 
 might be getting good at fuch a time, if this 
 were made ufe of, and believed ? O fo faithful 
 as he is ! he dare give his word and feal, that 
 he will keep to you ; and this is his end in wor4 
 and facrament, that finners might be brought 
 to truft in him, in giving him the employment 
 to juftifiethem •, that they, being in thernfelveS 
 Wind, may come to him for light; being poor, 
 may come to him for gold to enrich them; 
 being naked, may come to him for garments to 
 clothe them; being ungodly, *nay come to him 
 that he may juftify them ; But alas, people are 
 for the moft part fenflefs and regardlels of their 
 fin and mifery, and therefore he gets no em- 
 ployment from them : Many fit very brave and 
 fine here, an<$ have no legal bar on them to keep 
 them from the communion, who yet have deep/ 
 and fenflefs fouls, and are ruining and deftroy- 
 in« themfHves ; this we affure you is the condi- 
 tion of many of you, who neve*r knew to make 
 ufe of Chrift, and, of his righteoufnefs, and yet 
 will boaft of your faith, and of your good heart 
 to God. • Away with your old presumptuous 
 faith, take with your unbelief and preemption; 
 fay^not ignorantly, that ye fhall co as you can, 
 tho' ye cannot do as ye would: Ye pre unfound 
 at the heart, miftaken about your fpiritua! (hte; 
 and know that the devil >by a deceitful heart 
 O 2 is 
 
p.%1 Ifaiak <^. Verfe u. Serm. <t 
 is fpeaking out of you fuch language ; for it's co:d welcome from Chrift at that day,and will be 
 enemies we are eommiffionated to reconcile, and made fadly to faart, for the flighting of ma- 
 it's loft finners that Chrift came to feek and ny precious opportunity, which God did put 
 
 .fave; and ye .fee not your felves to be fuch, and in your hand, and whereof to make ufe ye had 
 
 therefore ye care not for fuch offers of grace: But rlo heart. 
 
 , ah ! many of you,if grace prevent not, will get a 
 
 SERMON LII. 
 
 By bis knowledge Jhall my righteous Servant \uflijy many, for be JbaJl bear 
 
 Ifalah Liti. n. 
 
 their iniquities 
 
 THere hath been much fpoken from this fweet 
 fcripture of our Lord Jefus his fufFerings, 
 and fomewhat alfo of the promifesmade to. him, 
 that his fufferings fhould not be for nought ; In 
 thefe words, we have a compendious explicati- 
 on of the efFe£s that flow from them, by which he 
 fhall be fatisfied for them all ; which ye may take 
 up in thefe four, t. The great benefit it felf,that 
 is^holden out here, and that is pftification. 2. 
 Thefe to whom it fhall come, it is many\ fo 
 that his having a feed, fpoken, of, v. 10. is 
 is exponed here by this, that many Jhall be ]ufti- 
 fed 3. The way how this is derived to them, 
 by his knowledge ; which, we lhew, is to be un- 
 derftood of faith in him. 4. The ground from 
 which this flows, and on which it is built, and 
 that confirms if, Fcr he Jhall bear their iniqui- 
 ties', and as it is in the following v. he bare the fin 
 of many, and therefore they muft be. juftified ; 
 it being but reafon, that thefe many, whole ini- 
 quities he bears, and whofe debt of fin he pays, 
 Should be juftified. 
 
 We may fpeak more particularly to the expli- 
 cation of each of thefe, as we come to them. 
 PWe fhall then firft expone and give the meaning 
 of this word juftification, or to juftif), ere we 
 come to the dc&rine, becaufe it will Jenve to 
 clear it, and will make way for it, and fo much 
 the rather as it is the very hinge of the gofpel, 
 and that on which onr falvation depends, the/ yet 
 but very little and very ill underftood; there be- 
 ing nuny that cannot tell what it is, tho' there 
 be not many words more frequently mentioned 
 in the fcripture, and tho' it be that whereby a 
 .perfon is tranflated from the ftate of enmity, in- 
 to the ftate of friendfhip with God. 
 
 As for this word to juflify, or juftification, 
 then, there are three fenles given of it, two. 
 whereof are erroneous, and the lad only is ac- 
 cording to the mind of the Spirit of God fpeak- 
 ing in the fcripture, Vvhich we fhall clear and 
 Confirm. 
 
 ift } Some take this word pbyftc ally ; as if it were 
 
 to make juft, by the infufing of habitual grace, 
 or by a phyfical and real change ; and, fo ta- ' 
 ken, it is the fame with that which we call fan- 
 ftificatlon: But in all the fcripture, we know 
 not one place, where necefTarly the word is fo 
 to be underftood; although. this acceptation of 
 the word, is the great rife of the Popijh error, 
 m that controverfy concerning juftification. 
 idly, Others take it for God's revealing, manU 
 fefting or declaring the way how a guilty per- 
 form comes to be juft : And fo to juftify, is for 
 minifters to teach the way to people, how they 
 may live holily; as it is is faid, Dan.i . 2 3. Tkef 
 that turn many to right eoujnefs, &c By which 
 fenfe, fome wickedly and blafphemoufly detraft 
 from Chrift's fatisfa&ion, as if his juftirying 
 were no more, but a teaching of finners the way 
 how to be juftified, to wit, by living holily 
 and juftly. But the word that follows in the 
 text, For he Jhall bear their iniquities ; cuts the 
 throat of that expofltion ; for it is by Chrift's 
 bearing of the punifhment of the ele£s iniqui- 
 ties, and for paying of their debt, that they 
 come to be juftified ; therefore the one is gi- 
 ven for a reafon of the other. idly> Confider- 
 ing the word according .to the meaning of it in. 
 fcripture, we take it for a legal, forenfich or 
 court-word^ borrowed from mens courts, where- 
 in a perfon .arraigned for fuch a crime is either 
 condemned, or abfolved ; and when he isabfol- 
 ved, and declared to be acquitted or made free 
 from that which is laid to his charge, he is faid 
 to be juftified : So is it before God, and in his 
 court ; juftification is the freeing of a finner 
 from the charge that the law giveth in againft 
 him, and the abfolving and declaring of him 
 to J>e free from the guilt of fin; and from the 
 punifhment thereof, which by the lentence of 
 the law is due to him. The former two 
 fenles run to the making of a man to be inhe- 
 rently holy, or without a fault ; which is, as if 
 a guilty m.an, or a criminal, being fifted before 
 
Serm. $±, Jfaiah <3« 
 
 a civil court of judicature, were declared to be 
 innocent : But this true meaning of the words 
 fets out a man arraigned b fore God's tribunal, 
 and charged with guilt,and found faulty, but ab- 
 folved, and acquitted, notbecaufe he wants iin, 
 but becaufe his debt is paid, and his fins fatisfi- 
 ed for by a Cautioner. Even as a man, that is 
 called before a civil court for fuch a fum of mo- 
 ney, and is found liable to the debt*, but his 
 cautioner coming in, and paying the debt for 
 him,there is both in reafon and law juft ground 
 why that man fhould be abfolved, and declared 
 free of the debt : So is it here, Chrift. Jefus ta- 
 king on and fatisfying for the debt of the ele&, 
 and procuring abfoution for them for whom he 
 hath paid the price ; there is reafon and ground 
 in law that they fhould be juftjfied and abfol- 
 ved. All thefe opinions agree in thefe two, i. 
 That men naturally have fin, and that they mud 
 count for it. 2.That this juftification,whatever it 
 be, where it is,doth fully abfolve and acquit the 
 finner, and makes him free of fin, as to the guilt, 
 the punifhment, and confequer.ts of it, death 
 ana the curfe, as if he had never had fin. But 
 the difference lieth here, that this laft acceptati- 
 on of the word, abfolves a man, tho' he have 
 fin in himfelf, by the interpofing of a Surety 
 and Cautioner, who pays his debt, and procures 
 the fentence of abfolution to him : And in this 
 fenfe, juftification is, as if a man were (landing 
 at the bar of God's tribunal guilty, and having 
 a witnefs of his guilt in himfelf ; and God, out 
 of refpe& to the Mediator his fatisfa<$ion, and 
 and payment of his debt, which he hath laid hold 
 upon by faith, does pronounce that finful perfon 
 to be tree,abfolved, and acquitted from the guilt 
 and punifhment of fin ; and doth accordingly 
 abfolve him upon that account. So then, juftifi- 
 cation is not to be confldered, as God's creating 
 and infufing of gracious habits in us, but the 
 declaring of us to be free,and acquitted from the 
 guilt of fin, upon the account of Chrift's fatis- 
 fying for our debt. 
 
 This we will find to be very clear, if we con- 
 fider how the word is taken, both in the Old and 
 New Teftament. as" namely, Ifaiab <,.2^.Wo un- 
 to them that juftify the wicked for a reward, and 
 take away the rigbtecufnefs of the righteous from 
 him ; and Prov. 17. 1 c .He that juftifietb the wic- 
 
 ' hed. and he that condemneth the juft, even they 
 .brtb are abomination to the Lord ; where the 
 pla'n meaning.of the word*can be no other than 
 this, that when a judge pronounces a man to be 
 juft, altho' he be unjuft, it is a wicked thing, 
 which the Lord abhors: And fo,P/a/. 51. 4. Ztaf 
 
 Verfe u. 2^3 
 
 thou mighteft be juffified when thou fpeak-ft, 
 that is. that thou mighteft be declared' to be fo ; 
 and Mat. 11. \o.Wifdjm is jujtified of her chil- 
 dren, idly. We we will find this meaning of the 
 word to be clear, if we confider juftiticatien, as 
 diftinguifhed from fandtification ; for in that To* 
 pifb (erfe, they are both made pne and the fame : 
 But they are diftinguifhetb in (cripture ;as,]Or» 
 6. 1 1. Such were f me of you? but ye are wafied r 
 but ye are fanftified, but ye are juft ified ; v.here 
 be looks on thefe two benefits of juftification »d 
 fan&ification as diftinft, and diftinguifheth roe 
 one of them from the other : Now, iar.dtifkation 
 being the grace that renews our nature, and 
 makes an inward ipiritual change, juftificaaon 
 muft needs be that a£ of God's grace, that takes 
 away the guilt of fin, and makc-s jinners to 
 be'friends with God, through Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs ; and fo it is a relative change of their 
 flate. ldly\t will be clear ,if we coniider to what 
 it is oppofed in fcripture : It it not oppofed to 
 finning, as fan edification is ; but to thefe two, 
 1. To the charging of a linner with fome^hat 
 unto condemnation : And, 2. To the aft of con- 
 demning. Now the oppofite to condemnation is 
 abfolution,as is clear, R-m.^^.Wbo fiall lay any 
 thing ta the charge of God's el eel ? It is God that 
 juftifies, who fball condemn ? &c God's juftify- 
 ing is put in as oppofite to the charging and 
 libelling of the ele&, and to the condemning of 
 them, therefore none of thefe can be : And fo 
 juftification there, looks both to the part of an 
 Advocate pleading and declaring a man to be 
 free, and to the part of a fudge pronouncing him 
 to be abfolved and juiftified ; which well agrees 
 to our Lord Jefus, who juftifies his people both 
 ways, tfbly. It may alfo be cleared from parallel 
 fcriptures, where juftifying is called reconciling; 
 as 2 CW5. 18,19, 20. God was in Chrift reccneim 
 ling the world to himfelf net imputing their t>ef- 
 pajfes unto them, and hath committed to us. ike 
 And how that comes to pais, is told in the la ft v. 
 For he made him to be fin for us,wbo knew no fin, 
 that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God 
 in him : So that to be made the righteoulnefs of 
 God, is to be juftifkd ; and to be juftified, is 
 to be made friends with, or to be reconciled to 
 God ; and that not by working amoral change, 
 but upon the account of Chrift's fatis'a&ion, 
 bringing us into friendfhip with God. 5o,Epb.u 
 6. where to be juftified, is exponed to be made 
 accepted in the Beloved : And what elfe is that, 
 but to be in good terms with God, to have him 
 parting by all quarrels, as having nothing to lay 
 againft us, but accepting us through Chrift as 
 
 righteous 
 
284 jfaiah-tf. 
 
 f ighteous? So, A3s \ 3. jS, 30. Be it known unto 
 you, that through this Man is peached untoyvu 
 jorgivenefs of fins ', and by him, all that believe 
 Art jufiified from all things, from which ye could 
 not bejuftified by the law c/"Mofes. A place that 
 clearly holds forth that as all theeleft a.c naturally 
 chargeable by the !aw,as being guilty of the breach 
 thereof, and that they cannot be abfolved from it 
 by ought in themfelves ; fo they are through faith 
 in Jelus Chrift freed from it : As if the Lord had 
 faicLYe are freed from the fentence of the law,be- 
 cmfe through Chrift is preached unto you re- 
 million of /ins ; and there is a way laid down for 
 your abfolution, who believe, from the guilt ot" 
 /in, and from all the confequents of it. ^tbly, It's 
 clear from the text,becaule it's fu:h a justifying, 
 as hath in itCbrift's being fentenced in our room, 
 as the caufe of it : Now, he was fentenced in our 
 room, not by having fin infufed in him, which 
 were blafphemous to think, but hy having our 
 iin imputed to him ; and therefore our juftifica- 
 tion mud be our abfolution, by having his righ- 
 teoufnefs imputed to us, as is clear throughout 
 this chapter: Therefore it'sfaid,JJ<? hath carried 
 cur for rows, and born <f«rgriefi\ he was wounded 
 for our tranfgrejftsns, be was bruifed for our ini- 
 quities y by his flripes we are healed Jje laid on him 
 ihe iniquity of us all; and in thefe words, By his 
 ^knowledge flail my right ecus Servant juftify many, 
 for he fiyall bear their iniquities. It's a juftifica- 
 tion that comes to us by Chri/Ts taking on our 
 debt;and this we cannot imagine to be otherwife, 
 but by a legal change, or by a change of law- 
 rooms; he coming as Surety in our room, and 
 we having abfolution by vertue of his fatisfa- 
 £lion : So that the meaning of the words in fhort 
 is, as if the prophet had fai<2, Would ye know 
 what ye have by Chrift's lulferings ? even this, 
 to wit, that many, as many as whofe iniquities 
 he bore and fatisiied for, /hall be acquitted and 
 abfolved from the guilt and punifhmentof their 
 fin, through his fatisfaflion; they /hall be freed 
 from the fentence and curfe of the law, which 
 they deferved ; and /lull be declared righteous, 
 through the righteoufnefs of their Cautioner, 
 which they have laid hold upon by faith. 
 
 Hence obferve, c i. That all men and women, 
 • even all theeleft themfelves 5 are by nature liable 
 ' to an arraignment before the jta. (lice- feat ofGod.' 
 That they are jufiified, fuppofes a bringing of 
 them,as it were, before his tribunal, ere they can 
 bejuftified, and have the fentence of abfolution 
 pail in their favours: The apoftle takes this for 
 granted,K(?w. 14. lO.We Jhall allfland before the 
 ftdgmcttt'feat of Chrift * 7 andif^.9. 29. It's ap> 
 
 Verfe 1 1. Serm. $2. 
 
 pointed for all men once to die £> after that com?s 
 the judgment,, there is a folemn decree pall, that 
 as all men /hall die, fo every man /hall be brought 
 to a reckoning and judgment : And Alls 1 7. 3 u 
 He bath appointed a day in which be Jhall judge 
 the .world in right eoufnefs,9nz. and that cannot be 
 ranverfed.; See 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we mufi all ap- 
 pear before the judgment feat of Chrift-, we mufi, 
 there is an inavoidable necetfity of it. - For fur- 
 ther clearing and confirming of this, ye would 
 know, that there are three courts, that efpecial- 
 ly the hearers of the gofpel are liable unto,which 
 we would make our lelves for ; they are all put 
 together, Rom. 2. i2> 15, 16. There is, ift, The 
 court of the word, wherein God keeps a juftice- 
 feat, or tribunal, jcondemning the wicked, and 
 abiolving the righteous ; as Chrift fays, -fob* 
 12. The word wbieb Jfpeakjhall judge you in the 
 laft day : And this is it that the apoft!e hath in 
 that forecited place,R;w. 2. 12. As many as have 
 finned in the law, Jhall be judged by the law. A 
 2d court is the court of the conlcience ; and this 
 is more broad and extenfive, reaching all men 
 without, as well as within the Church ; where- 
 inGod hath his ownwayof libelling,andaccufing 
 of, and paffing fentence upon finners ; as v. 14, 
 15. When the Gentiles, who have not the law, di 
 by nature the things contained in the law, thefe 
 having not a law, are a law unto themfelves ; 
 which Jhew the work of the law written in their 
 hearts, their confeience alfo bearing witnefs.and 
 their thoughts the mean while accufmg,or elfeex- 
 cufing one another. A 3d court or judgment-feat 
 is that which is more difcernable,diftin& and ter- 
 rible,and that is the judgment-feat of God, when 
 he /hall conveen all and every one before himfelf 
 immediately, and /hall judge and pafs fentence 
 upon them •, whether this be done to a particular 
 perfon, or to the whole world, as v. 16. In that 
 day, when God Jhall judge the fecrjets of men by 
 Jefus Chrifl, according to^my gojpel. 
 
 f//f.Wewould have you confirmed in the faith 
 of this truth, that there are none of us, but we 
 are liable to all thefe courts ; and therefore ye 
 would live ^o, as ye may be in a poflure fit for 
 this appearing : Many of us, alas ! live as if we 
 were never to be called to an accounts and as if 
 there were no tribunal that we were to appear 
 before. 
 
 2*#y,Obferve, *Thata11 men and women, even 
 c the deft themfelves^are naturally,andasinthem- 
 c felves, obnoxious to condemnation, and liable to 
 * the fentence of it before God's tribunal/ For 
 Jelus Chrift his juftifying of them, and procu- 
 ring their abfolution, implies this much., that 
 
 the/ 
 
Serm. 52. * #*'*# 53. 
 
 they, as confidered in themfelve*> arc liable to, 
 and cannot receive another fentence than that of 
 condeui nation : It fays, that not only they have 
 iinned, but that, becaufe of their iin, they are 
 liable and obnoxious to condemnation ; that for 
 theu* fin God's curfe is due to them,jMw3. 18,36". 
 He tbatbelievetb not, is ccndemned already\and 
 He that believetb wi> fiali not fee life> but the 
 wrath cfGodabidetb-on bimiThe fentence is (lan- 
 ding againft him unrepealed, even that fentence 
 which we have, Gal. 3. 10. Cur fed is every one 
 that continueth net in all things- written in the 
 book cf the law to do them* The finner come no 
 fooner to look to the court of the word, nor to 
 the court of his own confeience, but that fen- 
 tence is laid before him \ and when he comes be- 
 fore God, he can expe<ft no other thing* the Lord 
 • proceeding according to the rule of the word .• 
 So, Rom. i.i$Wcknov> that whatever thing the 
 )aw faith jt faith to them who are under the I aw, 
 that every mouth may be flowed, and all the 
 world may become guilty befreGod \ which fup- 
 pones a liablenefs to his curfe, and a fubje&ion 
 to the judgment of God, as the word is rende- 
 red on the marge nt ; there are none, as confi- 
 dered in their natural condition,who have a word 
 to fay againftitr. To clear it a little, ye would 
 confider two things in the law,as it is a covenant 
 of works, under which all men are by nature, 1. 
 The directive, or commanding part of it, that 
 carves out man's duty, and fo is the rule of righ- 
 teoufnefs to men and women ; and what is not 
 conform to the commands and dire&ions of it, 
 is fin, and hath a guilt with it : This is moll 
 certain, that the law, even as to believers, is a 
 rule of righteoufnefs, according to which they 
 are to walk. 2. There is in it the fentence of a 
 curfe, whereby theperfon that fins, is not only 
 declared to be guilty, but liable to God's wrath 
 and curfe ; this may be feparated from the for- 
 mer : The law was, no doubt, a law of righte- 
 oufnefs to man in his innocency, and is fo to the 
 believer (till, who isabfolved from the curfe of 
 it ; but yet the believer, as confidered in his na^ 
 tural condition, is not only guilty, but ftated 
 under the curfe :. And this is the meaning of the 
 do&rine, that naturally not only are all men fin* 
 ful, but they are dated under the curfe of God ; 
 the law fays on the matter,Man and woman,thou 
 baft not abiden in what is written, and therefore 
 thou muft die, thou art liable to the curfe 5 which 
 will light, if it be not prevented. If there were 
 any need of reafons to prove this, they are not-, 
 wanting; It is fo, i.That the Lord may humble* 
 iV &&, as, the apoftle fays, Rm* 3.19. Xbat-e» 
 
 Ver. 11. 2$$ 
 
 very mouth may beftepped^and that alltbewotld 
 may become guilty before Gcd. Itisfo ordered, 
 that his grace may fhine the more confpicuouf* 
 ly ; when the perfon is found guilty, and obnoxi- 
 ous to the curie by the law, grace ihews it felF 
 to be wonderful,in pulling the finner from. under 
 the lafli of the law : As Jfaac was let free, and a 
 facrifice was accepted in his room ; fo the finner 
 is fet free, and the Mediator in his fatisfaclion 
 is accepted in his room : To this purpofe it is 
 laid, Rom, 1 1» 32. Gcd hath concluded them all 
 in unbelief that he might have mercy on all ; 
 not that he ihews mercy on ail that are in unbe- 
 lief, but this is the meaning, that it might be 
 mercy to all that fhould get good of the Media- 
 tor, and alone mercy to the eled, both of Jews - 
 and Gentiles* It's on this ground, that,£p>. 2.3. 
 the apoftle not only taith,Te were dead in fins and 
 trefpajfes ; but alio, turning- it over on himfelf, 
 he adds, And we were all the children of wrath, 
 even as others , liable by fin to the curfe of 
 God, if it had not been gracioufly preven- 
 ted. 
 
 Ufe, 1. Let all of us take a view hereof our 
 natural condition, and indeed it were the bet- 
 ter for -us that we were more frequently view- 
 ing it : What is it, will ye fay ? It is even this, 
 ye are all liable to appearing before God's ju- 
 stice feat ; ye are all guilty, and,by the fentence 
 of the law, under God's curfe, and condem- 
 ned already ; becaufe Gcd hath faid, He that 
 fins Jhall die : We are, I fay, all thus by na- 
 ture. 
 
 Ufe 2. It gives a great commendation to the 
 grace of God in Chrift Jefus •, it makes grace 
 wonderfully glorious, that takes the finner, at 
 this nick,and in this pinch. We lhall not difpute 
 here, nor is it needful, nor edifying, whether- 
 God might have forgiven fin freely, without any 
 intervenient fatisfa&ion tohisjuttice, feeing he 
 hath declared his mind concerning that in his 
 Word, Exvd. 23.7./ will not }uflify the wicked ; 
 and Chap. 34. 7. That will by no means clear the 
 guilty \ andGen.^.The day thou e at s >or fins, tb pie 
 jbalt furely die : This is it that puts a man 9 
 as confidered in his natural condition, to be a^ 
 irwere in hell, while be is on earth \ and puts 
 him in fuch a near capacity to the wrath of 
 God, if we may fo fpeak, and to the a&ual un- 
 dergoing of it, that Mkre needs no more but 
 the blowing out of the breath to put him in the 
 pit; yea, while he is living, he is a prifoner in ■■* 
 chains^ till the day of execution come, if grace 
 reprive him not. Ye would think much of 
 &rjce, O how very much J if ye were feri- - 
 
236 ^ Ifaiab ^. 
 
 oully comparing thefe two together, to be fo 
 rear hei), and yet, as it were, to have a ladder 
 - let up for you toafcend to heaven by, and that;in 
 fuch a way, as by Chrift's becoming a curfe i 
 They will certainly never think much of the 
 gract of God, and of the love of Chrift, they 
 will never think much of their own hazard, nor 
 will they ever in earneft make ufe of Chrift's 
 righteoulhcfs, who have not fome quick and live- 
 ly impreflion and ienfe of this their condition 
 by oature',and therefore, whenever ye go to read, 
 to hear, to pray, to meditate, &c» take up your 
 felves, as naturally arretted before the court of 
 God, and obnoxious to his wrath 5 this would 
 lay your pride, and make Chrift's offers in the 
 gofpel lovely to you. 
 
 Uje 3. This (hews, that thefe, who get any 
 good of Chrift, arc much in Chrift's debt and 
 common,and have in themfelves no caufe to boaft 
 of it. If this be true, even of the ele&.that they 
 are all once under the ientence of condemnation, 
 clfe they could not be juftified and abfol- 
 vtd by Chrift ; ye that think your felves to be 
 Something, what have ye to boaft of ? Who hath 
 made you to differ r and what have ye,but what 
 ye have received ? It fets you well therefore to 
 be humble, and to put a price upon Chrift,as the 
 apoftle doth, on the fame conlideration, Gal. 2. 
 20. when he fays, Who loved we , and gave him' 
 /elf for tne \ that makes him relifh fweetly to the 
 believer \ and this is the ground of his triumph, 
 Hom.%+11, '-s^WhcfhaU lay any thing to the charge 
 cfG&d's eleft ? It is God that )uftifeth, who is 
 be that andemneth ? It is Chrift that died, yea, 
 rather that is rifen again^c. This way of jufti- 
 iication makts Chrift's death wondrous lovely, 
 and it is on this that the fong of the redeemed 
 is founded, Rev. i.<. Unto him that loved us^and 
 zoajbed us from eur fins in his own blood, and 
 hath made us kings andpriefts unto God and his 
 father, to him be glory and dominion for ever 
 and ever, amen ; and of that new ibng,JR.?v- ^.9. 
 10. Thou art wcrthy to take the book, and to open 
 the feals thereof-, for thou waft flainand baft re- 
 deemed us to Gcd by thy blood, &c. It is an evil 
 token., when folks can talk at a high rate of their 
 -hope of being jutbfied, when in the mean time 
 they have i'o little eftimation of Chrift\ and their 
 hearts are io little warmed with love to him, who 
 is fo lovelv to believers^ and when they can fo 
 confidently make application of his purchafe 
 to themfelves, and yet cannot tell when their 
 heart was ever in the leaft meafure ravifhed 
 with the confideration of Chrift's love, neither 
 4id it ever relilh to them, nor were their hearts 
 
 Verfe 11. 
 
 Scrm. ^2* 
 
 ever in the leaft engaged to him, on that confi- 
 deration. 
 
 Ufe 4. All of you, who are lying in this 
 natural condition, and know not what is your 
 hazard, who are living in your prophanity, or 
 at beft in your hypocrify, civility, formality, 
 not regenerate or born again, but have ftill the 
 fame faith and love that ye were born with, 
 and no other, what is your pofture ? Ye are nod 
 in Chrift, but lying naked, obnoxious to the 
 wrath and curie of God, condemned already \ 
 and what if your breath go out intnis doleful 
 condition ? what if a pally or apoplexy over- 
 take you fuddenly ? what if a ftone fall upon 
 you, ere ye go home out of this place f There is 
 even but that much betwixt you and hell ; ye 
 are liable to be arretted before the court of 
 God's juftice, and how will it be with you when 
 ye come there, and when it ihall be faid, that 
 fuch a perfon hath broken the law, and therefore 
 God's curie is due to him, and therefore, Awajr 
 with him?For he judgeth according to mens works* 
 Are there none of you afraid of this ? do ye be- 
 lieve it to be a truth ? O that ye did*, who 
 are lying contentedly and fecure in your natu- 
 ral condition, and it does not trouble you ! Will 
 you yet ly ftill contentedly in this dreadful ftate? 
 is it poflible that ye can be well in this condi- 
 tion, though-ye would heap up riches as the 
 fand ? Ye cannot look into the Bible, nor into 
 your own heart, but it curfes you; ye cannot 
 look to the bar of God's juftice, butthefentence 
 meets you, Depart from me, ye curfed. This is 
 the truth oi God, and if ye think there be any 
 here lying ftill in black nature ( md we are not, 
 fure,all renewed) think then upon your cafe; Q 
 that ye faw your pofture ! The hand-writing 
 coming forth on the wall did not fo afright Bel- 
 fia^ar, as the curfe would afright yoU,if ifwere 
 believed. And, 2^, If this be your natural con- 
 dition, and if ye believe it to be truly fo, we 
 would expoftulate with you, and even wonder, 
 1. How comes it to pals, that fo many of you ly 
 ftill in your natural condition, and endeavour 
 not a change oi' your ftate ? It will be wondered 
 at by angels, and by all the eleft, yea, and even 
 by the reprobate that never heard of Chrift\that 
 fo many heard the gofpel, and had the offer of 
 Chrift,and yet did not ftir up themfelves to make 
 ufe of him. Is it not a wonder that folk can fleep 
 fecure under the curfe of God and blefs them- 
 felves,till their iniquities be found to be hateful? 
 To be in this condition,and to fleep quietly un- 
 der it, will have a dolerul wakning. 2. How is 
 it that fo few take pains to try how it is with 
 
 them ? 
 
Serm. «$3- !f a ' tai *>3- 
 
 them ? it any of ycu were lying under a de- 
 creet of an hundred pound Sects, ye would net 
 be To iecure, till ye knew that >e wire freed of 
 it : And if it be true, that this is. your condition 
 by nature, to be under the (landing Ientence 
 ot the law, and the curfe of God, how is it, 
 ye never try if ye be come out of that condi- 
 tion ? I ask the moil prophane men amongft you, 
 Were ye never under this ientence ? If ye fay, 
 Not,the word of God will (land up againd you, 
 and fay to you, that ye lie falfly ; and if ye be 
 under it, is it not hazardous to be fo ? But I 
 fear, that many of you dream, that the curfe 
 of God wears away as ye grow up. 3. Think 
 ye never of coming to judgment, and of God's 
 proceeding in judgment againft you ? think 
 ye never that ye will die, and after death come 
 to judgment, according to the general appoint- 
 ment pad upon all men ? How cometh it, that 
 ,ye are not thinking on it, and what may be the 
 Judge's procedure towards you ? He will judge 
 you according to this word ; and all that are 
 out of Chrift, and not juflified by him, will be 
 caft into the pit of hell : There is no new fen- 
 tence to be paft, «or to be executed upon you, 
 but that which was (landing over your head be- 
 fore. 4. Know ye^how long he may treat with 
 you, or how long ye may be in a capacity to 
 get your (late changed f Are there not many 
 taken fuddenly away, of whofe (late we (hall 
 not judge ? but may it not be fo with you ? 
 why are ye then fo fecure, and why decline ye 
 the word, and refufe to let it iearch yot£ while 
 
 Verfe 11. 2g7 
 
 ye know not whether the curfe be removed, 
 and whether the (entence be changed, or recal- 
 led ? Some of you perhaps will fay, The Lord 
 knows that, it is not tor us to know ; and that 
 fays, that, ye do never fo much as eflay to 
 know, and to win to clearnefs about } our (late > 
 Others of you will, it may be, lay, That ye hope 
 all will be well ; and yet that at the bed is but 
 a guefling: And ye would be loth to fpeak fo of a 
 decreet that were paft againft you, [about a fum 
 of money, in any poor court of judicature on 
 earth ; and will ye fufFerthis terrible fenterce 
 to (land cVer your Head, in the court or God's 
 /"uftice, and not ftudy to be diftircl, and at a 
 point,upon folid and good grcunds,that it is re- 
 pealed ? If ye did really believe that it was once 
 fo with you, and that yet ye are in hazard of 
 this fentence, ye would not, ye could net, X 
 am fure,ye fhould not be at reft, till *y e knew that 
 it were removed ; it would put you to make 
 ufc of Chrift in good earned for your peace, and 
 to feek after an extract of the repealed ientence, 
 and of your absolution , fealed up in your bo- 
 fom : And this is the thing that we aim at in 
 all this, even that as ye would not have a ter- 
 rible meeting with God before the bar of his 
 juftice, that ye would feek to have the curfe, 
 that ye are naturally lying under, removed, and 
 to have your peace rrade with God, an$ to have 
 fome well grounded clearness about it, that ye 
 might live comfortably, and die with folid con- 
 fidence and Chriftian courage, without which ye 
 can do neither. 
 
 I SERMON LHL 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 11. He jhall fee of the travel of his foul, and Jhall be fatisfed : By his knowledge fnaU 
 my righteous Servant juftify many \ for he Jhall bear their iniquities. 
 
 benefit that comes to us by Chrift's fufferings 3 
 and that is juftif cation, or- abfolution from the 
 guilt of fin, and from the curfe which it de- 
 ierves. 3. He lets us fee the way how this be- 
 nefit is derived, and it is by his Intoledge: 
 This, faith he.fhall be the great refult of ChriiVs 
 furFc rings, Many jka]l be juftifed ; and this 
 lhall be the way how it fh.ill be derived to thefe 
 many, and that is, by'bis knowledge, or by faith 
 in him, reding on his righteoufnefs and fatis- 
 Laion. 
 
 We opened up the meaning of the words the 
 
 lad day.and pointed at WoD&rine s from them, 
 
 1. 'That all men and women have a judgment 
 
 to abide before God, an arraignment and in- 
 
 P p dict- 
 
 TH E way of abfolving a guilty (inner, in 
 the juftice of God, is the great fum and 
 fcope of all the gofpel \ even to (hew how a loft 
 ' finner, obnoxious to the fentence of a tranfgreft 
 law, may, without prejudice to the juftice of " 
 God, come N to be juftified : We are perfwaded, 
 that there is notaing of greater concernment to 
 finners •, and if we knew our debt, and our ha- 
 'iard, we would think, that there is* pothing of 
 greater concernment to us in particular. The fum 
 of the co venant of redemption runs on this, and 
 at is the great thing aimed at in all this Chapter, 
 wherein the prophet lets us fee, 1. What is the 
 great thing that fatisfies juftice ; and, for 
 end, much hath been fpoken of Chrift's furTerings 
 and foul-travel. 2. He lets us fee, what is the 
 
2S8 Ifaiab'rt 
 
 < di&ment there, to which they muft anfwer.' 
 They muft all come to get a lentence from God. 
 2. 'That all men naturally are liable to the fcn- 
 « tence of condemnation.' This is fuppofed here; 
 for, in as far as finnevs are only by faith in Chrift 
 juftified, in as far the fentence of the law, and 
 qf the covenant of works, is (landing againft 
 them, and over their head*, who are not by 
 faith united to Chrift Jefus, and juftified by his 
 righteoufnefs. 
 
 The g/i DoStrine (which is aim oft the very 
 words of the text) that now we intend tofpeak 
 to, is this, i That tho' alfmen naturally be ob- 
 
 * noxious to the fentence of the law, and to the 
 
 * curfe of God ; yet there is a way laid down, 
 c how a finner, fo obnoxious, may be juftified, 
 ■ and freed from that fentence, and this is by 
 c faith in jefus Chrift only.* If any do&rine be 
 of concernment for us to know,and to be well and 
 experimentally acquainted with, this is of con- 
 cernment to us; By Uls knowledge JbaU my righ- 
 teous Servant juftijy many. There are Three 
 things in this do&rine implied, which by one 
 and the fame labour will be proven ; and there- 
 fore we fhall put them together. I. That al- 
 tho' all men be n. turally obnoxious to the 
 wrath and curfe of God, yet he hath appointed 
 a way how guilty finners may be juftifidd and 
 abfolved. 2. That the way 1 of attaining to this 
 benefit of juftiiication, and freedom from the 
 curfe, is by faith in Chrift's righteoufnefs ; it's 
 by his knowledge , faith the text. 3. That there 
 is no other way by which a finner, obnoxious 
 to the curfe, can be juftified, but by faith in 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs allenarly : This laft 
 branch of the doctrine fays not only, that there 
 is no other meaji to fatisfy jufttce, but Chrift's 
 merit and fatisfacVmn; but that there is no other 
 way, but the way of faith, to win to the ap- 
 plication of his fatisfa&ion : Whereby many 
 queftions may be anfwered, and many erors 
 in doftrine and pra^ice confuted ; but our 
 
 , prefenc purpofe is to fhew, how a guilty finner 
 may be juftified. 
 
 And therefore we fhall, 1. Give you a general 
 view of the truth of the de&rine, by confir- 
 
 * ming it from fcripture, in all the parts of it. 2. 
 We fhall fpeak more particularly to the feveral 
 branches of it. And, 3. To the Way of attain- 
 ing juftification, in the feverai caufes of it, as it 
 is here holder, fbr-th. 
 
 . s For confirmation of the general do&rine, ye 
 Jh ill, 1. Look upon fome fcriptures, and 2. To 
 iome grounds of re 
 
 As fur the confirmation of it by fcrifjturc ; if 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. $£ 
 
 we look through the gofpel, it is our Lord jefus 
 Chrift his own do&rinc which he preached, 
 and the way which he laid down therein, for ju- 
 stifying and faving a finner ; fo, John 3. where 
 it is three or four times repeated, as, v. i&.XSod 
 fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
 Son, that whofoever believeth on him Jhould not 
 perifli, but have eternal life : v. 18. he that be- 
 lieveth on him, is not condemned ; but be that be- 
 lieveth not, is condemned already, becaufe be be* 
 lievetb not in the name of the only begottenScn of 
 God: v. 36. He that believeth on the Stay bat* 
 everlafling life ; and be that helievetb not tho, 
 Son, Jhallmt fee life, but the wrath of God abi- 
 deth on him ; and v 14, 1 5. As Mofes lifted up the 
 ferpent in the wilder nefs, fo muft the Son of mart 
 be lifted up, that whofoever believeth en him 9 
 Jhould nctperijky but have eternal life : And that 
 is all one as to Cay, He that believes fhall be ju- 
 ftified; Mark 16, 16. He that believeth, and is 
 baptised, JbaU be faved ; but he that believeth 
 not, JbaU be damned. Thefe are the terms on- 
 which the apoftles are by Chrift warranted to 
 preach the gofpel, and to make the offer of life 
 to every creature ; and therefore, if we look for- 
 ward to their preaching, we will find it to run in 
 the fame ftrain, asAfts 1 3. 38, 39.-6? it known un* 
 to you therefore, men and brethren, that through 
 this Man is preached unto you the forgivenefs cf 
 fins ; and that by him, all that believe, are jufti* 
 fed from all things, from which ye could not be 
 juftified by the law of Mofes : Where, whihPaul 
 is fumming up the whole meffage that he had to 
 deliver, he goes upon the fame ground ; -and 
 wiierein we have thefe three clearly holden forth, 
 1. That all men are liable, as in their natural e- 
 ftate, to God's curfe, and by the law cannot be 
 juftified. 2.That there is a way laid down, thro 5 
 Jefus Chrift, to come by juftiiication and re- 
 miilion of fins. 3. That the way, how finners 
 come by this, is faith in Chrift ; AU that believe 
 are juftified : Look to the£/?//r7w,efpecially thefe 
 written to the Romans and Galatiaas, where this 
 queftion about justification is exprefly and of 
 purpofe handled, and we will find, that it is the 
 fum of both ; as R m- 3. where, having faid, v. 
 23. That all have finned, and come flirt of the 
 glery of God, and \hy that all are liable to God's 
 judgment Jie fubjoins. v. 24. Being juftified fre£ 
 ly by his grate, through the redemption that is in 
 Jefus Chrift ; where is the great mean of our ju- 
 dication: And then he adds, v» 2*,. Wh^rft G d 
 hathfet forth tn he a propitiation th> ough faith in 
 bis blood ; where we h-ive the mean of a n pi i cat ft 
 on, to wit 3 faith : And Chap. 4. 5 . To bijn that 
 
germ. "53. J f aiab 53- 
 
 roorketh naty but believetb on him that jujtifietb 
 the ungodly \bh faith is counted for rigote ujnefs\ 
 which place dcrmonitraits uiis, 1 hai an un^odiy 
 perlon, taking hold by taith of Chri it's ri h'te- 
 oufnels,may be, and is juftined and ahfoh en .and 
 freed from the gm.t of lin> as if he had never iin« 
 nea : So, Gal 2. 15, *6. ^ w&0 are jews by na- 
 ture^and nJ [inner s of the Gentiles, or not with- 
 out the covenant, as they are, knowing that a 
 man is not jujiified by the works of the law, but 
 by the faith of fejus thrifty even we have belie- 
 ved in jefus Cfrnjiy that we might be jujiified by 
 the faith of Ctirift, and net by the works of tbe 
 Uv», for by the works of the law Jhali noflejb be 
 \uftified \ which place Inews not only this, that 
 through faith in Chrift is juftification and life to 
 be had, but it alfo excludes all other ways of ju- 
 ftification, Knowing that* man is not jujiified by 
 tbe works of the law,but by \fait b: But that which 
 we are now fpeaking to, is only the pofitive 
 part or the do&rine, to fbew that a guilty fin- 
 ner, obnoxious to the curfe, may by Taith come 
 to be juftihed, ami .made free from the guilt of 
 lin, and from the curfe, as if he had nerer fin- 
 ned, nor been under the curfe. 
 
 For further confirmation of the do&rine, ye 
 would confider thefe four grounds, and ye will 
 fee from them good reafon for it : Only remem- 
 ber this, that juftification looks always to a ju- 
 dicial procedure (as we hinted before) where- 
 in the Lord is (as it were) on the throne, and 
 the guilty (inner at thenar, pleading through 
 ChriiVs righteoufnefs and fatisfa&ion to be ab- 
 solved \ which is even as if a debtor,arreftedfor 
 debt, fhould plead for a liberation, not becaufe 
 he is not owing the debt, neither becaufe he 
 bath paid the debt, but becaufe his Cautioner 
 hath paid it for him : This being fuppofed and 
 rcmembred, ye would (we fay) confider thefe 
 grounds or reafons for confirming the doctrine; 
 i.TheiufFeringsthat Chrift hath endured, and 
 and the fatisfa&ion that he hath made, in the 
 loom of finners, as the next words hold out, For 
 be Jhali bear their iniquities \ and v. utt. He 
 bare the fins of many : Nay, this is the great 
 fcope of the chapter; therefore wefaid, That be 
 batb born our griefs <, and carried our forrows. and 
 that tbe Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of 
 us ally this makes aground of confirmation. 
 2. Confider, how that there is not only a i'uf- 
 ficient price paid, but there is a covenant of 
 redemption jtfarranting 1^ to p a y { tj an( j ac- 
 cepting it off his hand, as cornpleat payment 
 and fatisfa&ion for the elecVs debt : And except 
 there be a loek had. to this covenant, faith hath 
 
 Vcrfe 11. 2&9 
 
 not a lufEcient ground to reft- on for juftification 
 through jeius his satisfaction, becauie ot'ierwife, 
 We lee not a reaoit why h:s fufferings can be 
 accepted torus ; tor rupjpofe (if fuch a fuppo- 
 fition may warrantabi v be made) Chrift to have 
 fu/Fered, jet it was tree for G<,d to have accep- 
 ted that as a latistacnon tor our debt, or not : 
 But the con fide rut ion of the covenant of re- 
 demption removes that doubt, and gives faith 
 a ground to, Jay hold on Chrift's iutferings. as 
 fatistactory to the juftice of God •, becaufe in 
 the covenant of redemption, it's fo tranfailed 
 and agreed upon betwixt <3od and the Mediator ; 
 therefore thsapoftie, fpeaking, Hd£. ic. 8, o.and 
 forward, from PfaL 40. of this covenant, lhews, 
 that when facrifices and offerings will not do 
 the turn, Chrift comes in, fa>ing, £<?, I come in 
 the volume of thy book it is written if me, I de. 
 light to do thy will* my God ; By which will 
 (taith the apoftle) we are fanfrified : And had 
 there not been fuch a will, his fufferings had 
 not been ufeful to us. 3. Confider the offer that 
 is made in the gofpel to finners, which is the ob- 
 ject of our faith : For|he covenant of redemp- 
 tion is not the ground and obj *& of our faith, 
 tho' it clears the ground and reafon of our faith; 
 but it's God's offer in the gofpel, according to 
 that place, Mark 16. 15, 16. Go ye and preach 
 tbe gofpel to every creature \ be that J?elievetb 9 
 and is baptised, Jhali be faved : He warrands 
 them to go and make it known to all to whom 
 they fhall preach, that there is remiffion of fins 
 to be had through faith in Chrift; and this is a 
 ground tofaith,whenGod makes offer of Chrift's 
 (atisfa&ion in the gofpel, on condition trut we 
 believe, and accept of him -, when we by faith 
 clofe with the offer, it gives us, as it were, an 
 affignation to Chrift's purchafe ; The gofpel 
 fays, as Paul doth, A8s J3..3S. Be it known t$ 
 you, that through this Man is preached to you 
 remiffion of fins, and by him all tbat believe are 
 jujiified ; and faith confents to that, as giving 
 God credit, and accordingly doles with, and 
 refts upon it, as the ground of its plea before 
 God : So that when the quefti«n comes to be ; 
 asked, What have ye to anlVer tbe law, and to 
 pay your debt with ? Faith, or the believing tin- 
 ner, anfwers, I have nothing of my own,but there 
 is a fatisfa&ion in Chrift, according to the cove- 
 nant of redemption, which is holden out and 
 made offer of to me in the gofpel, and is given 
 and allowed to me, for defence againft what the 
 law or juftice can fay ; and I betake me to that : 
 And this is the native and kindly ait of faith in 
 P p 2 juftifi- 
 
290 • If at ah <& 
 
 juih'fication : when it makes ufeof this, defence,& 
 trults toit alone. This is even it that Paul hath, 
 Phil. 3.9. compared with v. 8. I count all things 
 hjiy that I may win Chrift, and be fund in him \ 
 that when it fhall be asked-Ptf«/,where art thou? 
 I may have it to lay, I am here, Lord, even in 
 Chfill, and in his righteoufnefs : This is the 
 ground of Iris plea, having, given up with his 
 own righ'teoufnels as to his jullification before 
 God r and he will have no other defence but 
 thac£' 4. Coniider the end of all thefe, to wit, 
 of Cbrht's TurFerings, of the covenant of re- 
 demption, and of the offer of the gofpel ; it's 
 the praile of the giory of his grace, that God 
 ' may make it known, that he is gracious, and 
 freely gracious, without refpect to any thing in 
 the finner : This end is not only fet out in thefe 
 two places put together, one is, Rom. 3. 26. To 
 declare^ 1 fay, his righteoufnejs, that he might 
 be juf} } and the juftifier of him that believetbin 
 Jejus ; that he might be juft, that is, one that 
 will fulfil his threatnings, and therefore he hath 
 provided one to fatisfy his juftice, and one that 
 is faithful in keeping hi* promiies, and there- 
 fore he is the juftifier of them that believe in 
 Jefus: The other place is, Eph. 1. 6. where, 
 when the apoitle hath fpoken of election, pre- 
 deftination, and adoption, he lets down the end 
 of all, to wit, T# the praije of the glory of bis 
 grace, wherein be hath made us accepted in 
 the Beloved : And this is a ground that makes 
 all fure ; for God cannot fail to juftity the iin- 
 ner that believeth in Chrift as he is offered in 
 the gofpel, becaufe that is the very end of his 
 juftifving finners, the praile of the glory of 
 grace, which he will not mifs, but mult certain- 
 ly andvinfruftrably come by. 
 
 The Ufes arc four in general. The ift whereof 
 is for information, and it's fuch a lelTon of in- 
 formation, as,. without it, all the preaching of 
 the gofpel is to nopurpofe ; and the hope of 
 eternal life were utterly defperate, if fuch a 
 doctrine were not in the goipel, that through 
 faith in Chrift a finner may be jnftified. Would 
 any know then' how they may he absolved ? 
 This anfwers the question, and tells us that it is 
 through faith in Chrift's righteoufnefs, and no 
 other way : And if we digeftedly believed the 
 former two doctrines, 1. That we muft all 
 come before the tribunal of God ; And, 2.Tnat 
 we are all obnoxious to the curfe of God ; we 
 Would think this were a very concerning que- 
 stion to be put, How fuch a guilty finner may 
 be abfolved and juftified ? And indeed,if we be 
 not clear in this point, it's, as to any fruit, in 
 rain for us to prea.cn, aj^ for you fo hce^ or 
 
 Verfe it. Serm. <£ 
 
 to think of coming to heaven ; which is in a 
 word, Thatahnn-.r, through retting on Chrift's 
 righteoufnefs,aceording to the covenant of gra:e, 
 may come to be abfolved, and freed from the 
 guilt of fin, and from the curie, as if he had ne- 
 ver iinned, nor been liable to that curie. 
 
 For further clearing of this Ufe, Confider, 1. 
 What juftifi cat ion is. 2. What we mean by faith. 
 And, 3. What are the caufes of this justification 
 fpoken of in the text. \ft. By juitin^ation, in 
 this place, is not to be underltood the making 
 of a perfon perfectly holy, nor to have grace in' 
 fufed into him, tor that is fanctification ; but 
 it is to be abfolved, and declared free, in re- 
 fpect of the guilt of fin, and of the curfe, as if 
 a man had never finned ; as it's laid, Eph. 1. <5. 
 Wherein he hath made us accepted in the Belo- 
 ved : It's an act of God's free grace,whereby our 
 fins are pardoned, and we accepted as righteous 
 in his light, 6V. (as our Catechifm hath it) as if. 
 our fin had never been. 2<i/y,When we fpeak of 
 faith, we mean not a general hiltorical faith, 
 that devils, or reprobate men may have, and 
 whereby an affent of the judgment is given ta 
 the truths of the word, tho' indeed juttifying 
 faith doth prefuppole that ; neither by faith 
 do we mean fuch a faith whereby a man doth 
 at the very, firft believe that he is pardoned, and 
 which puts away all doubting, and. lifts him 
 in his own conceit to the height of affurance 
 about the obtaining of the thing ; it's theAnti- 
 nomian prelumption, to believe at firft-hand, 
 that I am juftified and pardoned : But it's fuch 
 a faith, that takes hold of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs, made offer of in the gopel, that I may 
 obtain juftification and pardon of fin through 
 him; according as it's faid.G^. 2. 16. We belie- 
 ved in Jefus Chrij}, that we might be juftified 
 by the faith of Chrift : It's an actual clofmg with 
 the offer of Chrift's righteoufnefs, and a fub- 
 mitting to the terms of it, for juftification : 
 the foul's founding of all it's defence before 
 God, on Chrift's righteoufnefs and purchafe 
 offered to it in the gofpel, and retting on it for 
 life and falvation : As, fuppofe there were a mul- 
 . titudeof rebels, to whom pardon were by pro- 
 clamation offered, on condition that at fuch a 
 time they fhould lay down their arms, and coma 
 in ; and if one of them were challenged, and 
 called to a reckoning, after his corning in, for 
 his rebellion ; the ground of his plea would 
 not be, that he never was out in rebellion, but 
 that fuch an offer was made, and that he did 
 hazard his life on it: So it is here, a finner is a 
 rebel againft God by nature, and being in re- 
 
Serm. $3.' - IfaUb^. 
 
 Bellion, hath the offer of pardon and life made to 
 him, on condition that he clofe by faith with 
 Chrift's righteonmeis, and'the (inner doth by 
 faith give Cod credit, and hazards his foul on 
 that j whereas unbelief (to follow the fimilitude) 
 is, as if a rebel, hearing of fuch a pardon orb»- 
 red, would not think that a lure way to come 
 off, but would either plead innocent,or tal>e him 
 to iome other lhi ft : 1 his then is the faith that I 
 mean of, which a&u.dly clofeS with, and makes 
 ufe of God's offer of Chrift's righteoufnefs for 
 absolution, idly, Confider the caufes of justifi- 
 cation; and there are three in the words. i.The 
 meritorious caule, that he hath" procured and 
 bought this benefit, is Chrift's fatisfa&ion, his 
 bearing of our iniquities ; he (ball jufiify many, 
 for be fhall bear their iniquities. 2. The influ- 
 mental caule, condition, or mean, or way, how 
 that benefit is derived to us, is faith, called here 
 bis knowledge ; it's the. true faith we fpoke of 
 juft now ; faith taking hdTdof fuch a promife,and 
 reding on God's faithfuinefs for the making out 
 of it ; it's this which gives the foul a title to 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, which formerly it had not, 
 and makes Chrift's purchafe of due to belong to 
 it,by vertue of God's offer; and confequcntly the 
 benefit of juftification is derived to it, by its tak- 
 ing hold of the offer, which otherwife it could not 
 partake of. 3. The formal eaufe, wherein juftifi- 
 cation properly confifts, is this, even God's ab- 
 folving or judicial pronouncing of the finner to 
 be free, and his accounting of him as righte- 
 ous,on account of Chrift's righteoufnefs imputed 
 to him, and taken hold of by his faith. Where 
 the fentence is paft, we need not curioufly en- 
 quire : It's like, as the fentence of condemna- 
 tion ftands in the word, while the finner is in 
 unbelief.; foby believing in Chrift, he hath 
 abfolutio« in the word, as John 3. 18. He that 
 believeth in bim 3 is not condemned ; and this 
 fentence of. the word is as effe&ual for abfolv- 
 ing of the fihner, as if the fentence were pro- 
 nounced in an immediate way, or with an audi- 
 ble voice from heaven, by God, with the finner's 
 name, and firname in it : And therefore let me 
 commend this, with 'the other places I named 
 before to you, that from them ye may learn to 
 take up the way, how a finner is abfolved and 
 juftified ; it's ChrUVs fatisfa'&ion that makes the 
 amends, and is the meritorious" caufe ; it is 
 God's word that makes the offer of that fatis- 
 faftion ; and it's our faith, begotten and quick - 
 ned by God's Spirit, that taketh hold of it ; and 
 juftification it felf is God's abfolving, and ac- 
 cepting of the perfon, as righteous in his fight, 
 who is fled to Chrift's righteoufnels. And thus, 
 
 Verfe it. . 291 
 
 though God's grace and mercy be the efficient 
 caule that admits of the ranfom, yet neither is • 
 grace in us the formal caule, nor is grace in 
 God the meritorious caufe, but it's that which 
 lays down the way how a fatista&ion fhall be 
 provided, and accepts ot it when provided, and 
 of the finner on account of. it, when by faith he 
 betakes himfelf to it. 
 
 UJe 2d. Seeing there is fuch a way of purifi- 
 cation provided, and by the gofpel brought to 
 light, revealed and made manifeft, as thSfcord 
 is, Rom. 1. 17. and 3.21. Since, I fay, that 
 my fiery, which before was hid, is difclofed, and 
 life and immortality brought to light by the 
 gofpel ; let me earneftly intreat you. that ye 
 would make ufe of this mean and way of jufti- 
 fication, for the obtaining of abfolution before 
 God ; The end of preaching (as we faid) is to 
 reveal this righteoulnefs ; and the end of the re- 
 vealing of it is, to engage finners to make ufe 
 of it ; of which tho' we fhould preach to you 
 from the one end of the year to the other, if ye 
 do not betake your felves to it, fo as to clofe 
 with it, and heartily to fubmit unto it, it will 
 all be to no purpoie* 
 
 For preffing ol this Ufe a little further, con- 
 fider the great concern and moment of this 
 application, and what may induce you, ferioufly 
 to mind it: And,to this purpofe, 1. I would pofe 
 and put you to it, if "ye believe that by nature 
 ye are liable to God's curfe, and that ye muft 
 compear before his judgment-feat ; and if ye be 
 found in nature when you compear, that will be 
 a woful and dreadful fentence, that ye will 
 meet with from God : And if withal ye believe 
 this, that by juftification, ye may have fin par- 
 doned, be reconciled to God, and have the curfe 
 removed from you, and be put in fuch a ftatc 
 as if ye had never finned : If, I fay, ye believe 
 thefe things to be the truths of God, is noC 
 this of your concernment, whether ye be made 
 friends with God, and have your fins pardoned, 
 or not; whether ye fhall be eternaly happy, or 
 eternally miferable ; whether ye fhall get God's 
 blefung, or ly for ever under -his curfe? If 
 this, I fay, be of your concernment, then fu rely 
 obedience to this exhortation, is of your con- 
 cernment, becaufe there is no other, way to 
 win to abfolution but this. 2. Confider, That 
 it's the very defign of x\\q gofpel, and of this 
 benefit that is made offer of to you therein, 
 which all the nations that have not the gofpel 
 want, the privilege beinp. denied to them: 
 God makes offer of a way to you, how ye may 
 be juftified ) ana* ye profefs your defire to learn 
 
 it, 
 
202 If at ah "J 3. 
 
 it, and to get ifcpraeVtcally made ufe of, and im - 
 proven, and (as Vaul hath it, Philip. 3. 8, 9, 10.) 
 thai ye may know Chrift, thac ye may win him, 
 and be found in him \ ; rd it is the fum of the 
 gofpel, as we have it, Acts* 13. 38. Be it Vnc-wn 
 untiyu, men and brethren: that thro* this 
 Man is preached unto you remijfiin of fins -.and by 
 bim all that believe are juftined : This is even 
 the time that the Lord is making this procla- 
 mation, that was before prophefied of, and pub- 
 lilhec^y Jfaiah, By his knowledge flail my rigb- 
 teouf^ervani jujtify many ; this is it that is even 
 now revealed ,declared,and made manifeft to you, 
 that by Chrift Jelus alone ri^hteoufnefs is to be 
 attained : And if it be of fuch concernment, that, 
 for this very end, Cod hath fent his Son to die, 
 and hath fent this goipel to declare and make of- 
 fer of this benefit of his death unto you ; it's 
 no doubt greatly of >our concernment, to make 
 ufe of it, when it comes to you. 3. Confider,that 
 if the Lord's proclamation of it hare not that ef- 
 fe&, to engage you to Chrift Jefus, for the ob- 
 taining of righteoufnefs thro' him, it will leave 
 you in a worfe condition than it found you int 
 It's not now, whether ye will perifh or not? tho* 
 that be a great matter (the moil barbarous Hea- 
 thens will readily think, that God's juftice is ter- 
 rible to meet with; but it layeth thefc two in the 
 the balance ; It's either a mod inconceivable 
 condemnation, beyond what others, who have 
 rot heard the gofpel,will come under, if the offer 
 be flighted; or eternal falvation, if it be imbraced: 
 Wo to thee Chorazin. too to thee Bethfaida (fiith 
 the Lord, Mat, 11. 21, 22.) For if the mighty 
 »orks which are dene in thee, had been dene in 
 Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long 
 ago ; and it flail be mere tolerable for Sodom in 
 the day of judgment, than /<?rCapernaum,who, 
 becaufe they were lifted up to heaven, in refped 
 of a glorious difpenfation of gofpel-ordinances, 
 and improved them not,jhall be caf} down to hell: 
 And whereon is this dreadful denunciation foun- 
 ded ? Even on this ground, juft now hinted at. 
 the gofpel was more plainly and powerfully 
 preached to them, than it was to lyre and Sidcn y 
 to Sodom and Gomorrah , who had Lot's teftimo- 
 ny ; but Chrift's and his apoftles teftimony, in a 
 manner, fwailowed up that,which teftimony they 
 '■'. ,\ted. «Now, pole your fclves, whether this 
 £oTpl hath not founded loud in your ears ? have 
 yc 1. ;t heard it? yes verily : We may here al- 
 lude to that word, Rem. 10. 16. doubtlefs ye have 
 beard, the found thereof is come to you, and ye 
 (hall never have that to object, that ye heard it 
 not. This text, andthis fame fermon on it, and o- 
 thers will bear witnei's ; that, thro' Jefus Chrift, 
 
 Vcrfe 11. > Serm. 53. 
 
 ye fad a way laid down to you for remiifion of 
 firs and for juftification ; And what will follow? 
 either )emuit betake } our ielvts to Chrift's 
 rjghteouineis for juitification, and ftudy to be 
 holy ; or eile ye will bring upon your felvesa 
 more terrible condemnation than came upon the 
 IWiabitaBts of Sodom ana Gomorrah, who were 
 Confumed and barnt quick, by fire aid brimilone 
 from heaven : And therefore there is ground here 
 for all to look well about us, what ufe we make 
 of this benefit offered to us, that we raifcarry 
 not, and make not our felves moll intxculable, 
 for flighting of it. 
 
 I ihall here fpeak a little tt^bme forts of perfons, 
 that ought mainly to lay this to heart. \fl To fome 
 that are fo utterly carelefeand indifferent ir&nak- 
 ing their peace with God \ that to this day all 
 warnings, threatnings, and ditpenfations that 
 they have met with, could never prevail with 
 them, once to make them that far ferious, as to 
 ask that queftion, What they fliould do to be fa-, 
 ved ? to whom much 'preaching is but a beating 
 in the air, to whom fuch preaching _is fruitlefs, 
 and Chrift ufelefsjit's of thefc that he i peaks, Mat, 
 22. who being invited to the wedding,- Tbej 
 made light of it, and went away, one to bis far /w, 
 another to his merchandise : There is a generati- 
 on of fuch perfons amongft us to this day, who 
 never thought feriouily of the gofpel, nor of this 
 do&rine, which is the fubftance and life of the 
 golpel, and without which we can enjoy no mer- 
 cy nor benefit holden forth and made offer in the 
 word ; but flight pardon of fin, and think little 
 of juftification who will, the day is coming,when 
 it will be much thought of, and when many of 
 you, if God prevent not, would give all the 
 world for an "offer of it, and would be glad to be ( 
 burnt with the world, or covered with, and fmo« 
 thered under a hill or mountain, rather than to 
 come and receive your fearful doom and fentence • 
 from the Judge, becaufe ye. had this favour in 
 your offer, and made not ufe of it. A 2d fort 
 are a prophane company, who if their carriage 
 be looked on, it fays plainly, nay it openly pro- 
 claims, that fuch men believe not that there is a 
 judgment coming ; otherwise they durft not for 
 a world live as they do : Is this, think ye, the 
 way to be juitified, to be laughing, fporting, 
 •gaming, tipling, and trifling away your time, 
 in (pending it in decking and drcifing of your 
 bodies, in beftowing of more time in one day 
 on the body, than ye do in eight, or many 
 more days on the foul; to be glutting in tnc 
 world, to be following the defires of your hearts 
 and the fight of your eyes ? Prophane as ye are' 
 
 thinu 
 
Serm. 53- ^ atah !*' 
 
 think uponTt, for we declare even unto you, 
 that there is a way how the ungodly may be ju-' 
 (Hfied, held forth, and offered in this gofpel; 
 and if ye contemn it, Godihall vindicate his 
 grace, and your trampling on it fti.ill return on . 
 your own head. A 3d fort are fuch as have ne- 
 ver taken with their iin, nor with the fud be- 
 'twixt God and them : .We invite the filthy to 
 come and waih, Tinners to come and get pardon, 
 the ungodly to come and be juftined ; but alas ! 
 we cannot get linnets that walk under the due 
 fenfe of their fin to preach to : I dare fay, that to 
 many of you,- the do&rine of juftification i* in 
 fome refpeft needlefs, I am fure for the time ufe- 
 lefs ; for ye were never convinced of your fin, nor 
 of your hazard, but thought that ye were always 
 fure of - your justification ; you never evened 
 your felves (to ipeak fo) to hell ; God always, ye 
 think, loved you ; and perifh who will, ye will 
 not perifh: Thefe, and iuch as thefe, have been 
 your thoughts of your felves, and of your (late ; 
 and we have more difficulty to get you prevail- 
 ed with, to think ferioufly of making your peace 
 with God, than we would readily have in this 
 to prevail with Pagans, or with adulterers and 
 murderers, whole natural confeience would foon- 
 er be awakned than yours. Juftifi cation is not 
 a ferious matter to many of you, ye think to flip 
 thro' God's judgment: If ye be asked, Whether 
 or no ye be abfolved ? Yes, that we are, will ye 
 fay, long fmce : But ah ! how cameyt to be ab- 
 folved ? was ye ever chafed, and did ye ever flee 
 for refuge to the hope fet before you ? was ye 
 ever purfued by the law to Chrift ? and were ye 
 ever made cordially to clofe wig^him, and to 
 found your plea on his righteoufnefs ? It will be 
 ftranges if fo many (hall flip in to heaven, and 
 never know how : We grant, there may be fome 
 brought in, who have not diitin&ly difcerned 
 the manner bow ; but that almoft whole congre- 
 gations, and country-fides fhould be made friends 
 with God, and never know, or at leaft never 
 kindly take with the feud, we profefs, we fee 
 not through it, it's to us an unintelligible riddle 
 and a paradox : therefore be intreated to reckon 
 
 tgain ; tho' there be a justification, thro' the 
 blood of Chrift to be gotten, yet aflure your 
 
 s that ye are not in the way to it, while' ye 
 continue fenflefs of your fin and of your hazard. 
 A 4.tb fort are thefe, who think that they have 
 ^nothing to do with this doftrine ; they are rich, 
 they are wife, they arc of honeft_rank y and have 
 a name and commendation in the place where 
 •they live and t! ey have, may be, fome fchool- 
 craft, and learning, and therefore they are per- 
 
 Verie it. 293 
 
 fwaded that they cannot rmfs juftifi cation ; and 
 where is there one perfon among it m my, if it be 
 notfom. 3 poor body, eVen it m.ny be poor in the 
 world, that ever thinks that the feverity of the 
 law, or the threatnings thereof, concern them ? 
 But, are there any mo ways to heaven, but one? 
 or. is there one for the rich, and another for 
 the poor i do not all come in at this door? is 
 not this the way, even to take with your fin,and 
 to flee to Chrift for life r\ And yet, are there 
 not fome amongft you, that cannot endure to 
 think of hell, to dread it, or (as we ufe to fpeak) 
 to even your felves to it ? becaufe ye are thought 
 fomething of, able to do your turn, and have 
 fome parts, and abilities : But there are many 
 more rich, more wifeand learned folk than you 
 are in hell, that were never abfolved before God, 
 nor never fhall ; yet there is a propenfnefs in 
 great men, in rich men, and in men of parts, to 
 flight this do&rine : But i'uch have in fome re- 
 fpe& more need -to give all diligence to make 
 your calling and ele&ion fure, than many others, 
 *nd yet ye go not fo far as they do, who yet go 
 not the juft length. A ztb fort, are fuch as ne- 
 ver knew any inward work, or exercife of the 
 Spirit of God upon their confidences, but have 
 lived with a fort of wholenefs of heart all their 
 days : If any be called to take notice of this do- 
 ctrine, they are called to take notice of it ; 
 There is a generation^ faith Solomon, Prcv. 30. 
 1 2. wbicbarg pure in their own eyes, and yet are 
 not wajhed from their fijthbtsfs ; they conclude 
 they are abfolved,' but never look inward, to fee 
 if there be ground to bear that conclufion. 6thly y 
 and laftly. There are a fort that are formal, and 
 hypocritical ; they were never grofly prophan-j 
 but they were as little truly and ferioufly reli- 
 gious : Ye had need, therefore, to take heed 
 whereon yeTbund your peace, and beware that 
 ye take not the form of godlinefs for the power 
 of it, efpecially when the form is come to fo great 
 a height. And feeing this w r ay of juftifieat on is 
 holdcn out to you through Chrift, we exhort 
 and befeech \ ou all, and eipeciaflv tho'.'e of fuch 
 forts as. we have named, to look well that this 
 grace be not received in vain. In a word, thefe 
 two forts woud take fpecialheed to this dc&rine, 
 I. Some that mind not religion at all. 2, Others, 
 who, if they mind it, mind it not in the w y of 
 grace, but as it were by the works of the law : 
 We declare to you, that juftification is by faith 
 in Jefus Chrift, and by'roilihg on his righttotif- 
 new i :ft mmv as tike that way, they may be 
 aifured to come fneed : and they that misken, 
 andjli^ht that way, ftull never win to beaven; 
 
 fajf 
 
294 J f ata ^ *3- . Verfe u. Serin. U« 
 
 yi?r rAff^e is no ether name given, wbertbj a fin- be is the way, the truth, and thmif'e, and n$ 
 tier canhefaved, but the nctne of Jefus .only ; man ccmeth to the Father but by him* 
 
 Ifaiahlui. it. ! 
 
 THereisCasI faid lately) nothing of greater 
 concernment to a firmer to know, than 
 thefe two, i. What it is thatrlatisfies judice, and 
 makes a Tinner acceptable before God i 2. To 
 know how that may be attained, or what way it 
 is to be applied P And tins verfe, fhortly, but 
 very clearly, anfwers both, ifl, That which fa- 
 tisfies judice, is tb* travel of Chrifl's foul, or his 
 furferings. 2. The way how flrfs is applied, de- 
 rived, or cofjmunicate,'is fet down in the latter 
 part of the verfe, By his knowledge jhall my righ- 
 teous Servant \uflify many, for he fhall bear their 
 iniquities : This is the effc€t of Chrid's fuffer- 
 ings, that many by them fhall be abfolved from 
 the guilt of fin, and from the curfe ; and this is» 
 the way how thefe many come to be thus abfol- 
 ved, it is by believing on him ; for thus his fa- 
 tisfa&ion is accounted theirs, as if they them- 
 felves had fatisfied. We propofed, the lad day, 
 this doilr'me to be fpoken to from the words, 
 •That there is a way through faith in Chrid, 
 c and reding on his fufferings, by which a firmer, 
 
 * obnoxious to God's curfe, may attain to be 
 
 * juftified and declared free before the throne of 
 
 * God.* This doctrine implies thefe two things 
 in genera', 1 . That there is fuch a thing poffib- 
 ly attainable by a guilty finncr, as judication. 
 2. That judication is to be attained allenarly 
 by faith in Jefus Chrid., reding on his righteouf. 
 nefs ; By bis knowledge fhall be juflify many: 
 As there is a necefTity to be abfolved, fo there 
 is a necefTity to take this way for abfolution ; 
 becaufe this, and this only, is holden out to be 
 the way how judication is attained : It's by 
 Chrid's knowledge which in fhort is by faith in 
 him. 
 
 W T e difcourfed fome-what of the pofitiye part 
 cf this truth the other day, which is of great 
 concernment ; the underdanding thereof being 
 the very hinge of the gofpel, and that wherein, 
 in a fpecial manner, j]ic gofpel and covenant of 
 grace differs from the law and covenant of works; 
 and pointing out a way for coming by righte- 
 oufnefs and life through Chrid, in oppofition to 
 the law as a covenant of works, that holds out 
 a way to rightcoufnefs and life through our own 
 performances. 
 
 SERMON LIV. 
 
 By bis knowledge Jball my ngbteoas Servant juflify many, 
 
 W« touched alfo at fome ufes of the do&rine, 
 for directing of you to the believing ufe- mak- 
 ing of Chrid, for coming at peace with God; it 
 would follow now, that we fhould fpeak a 1 if tie 
 to that ufe ~of refutation, that flows natively from 
 this do&rine : For if this be the way, and the on- 
 ly way of the judication of a finner before God, 
 to wit, by or thro' faith in Chrid's righteouf- 
 nefs ; then all thefe ways that lead not finners to 
 reding on Chrid's righteoufnefs alone for judifi- 
 cation and peace,mud be inconfident with the gof- ' 
 pel, and fo to be reje&ed and abhorred, whether 
 they be in dodtrine or in pra&ice: And we choofe 
 the rather to fpeak a word to this, becaufe it will 
 clear the do&rine of judication by faith the 
 more, when we come to fee and confider thefe « 
 corruptions and errorsT that are foided in by 
 heterodox men, in this great truth of God, to 
 the perverting and corrupting thereof; and it 
 will the more provoke us to thankfulnefs to God, 
 who hath gracioufly delivered us from thefe 
 fnares, errors and corruptions ; an error and mif- 
 take here, about the fubdance of this truth, be- 
 ing fu.cb, as, though we held all other truths in- 
 corrupted, will ruine us. N 
 
 There are, we fuppofe, four forts of errors 
 efpecially, thftf contradict this grand truth, 
 apent judication by faith in Chrid's righte- 
 oufnefs, to which we fhall fpeak a little. The 
 i/r is that old rooted error of Papifts, who, in 
 this point, enervate and overturn the whole way 
 of the gofpel : And becaufe this is it that a great 
 part of the Chridian world hath been deluded 
 with, though it be in thofe days little thought 
 of by many, and becaule it is not one fingle 
 error, but as it were a chain of very momen- 
 tuous and fundamental errors ; we fhalf infid 
 a little, in.laying it out before you : and ye 
 , would not fo much look on it, as a controverfal, 
 or meerly fpecu'ative, as a grofly pra&ical er- 
 ror, and fuch as is naturally rooted in all men ; 
 ye wouid alfo look upon it, with holy fear 
 and jea'oufy over your felves, led inadvertant- 
 ly ye Aide into it ; and withal, ye would look 
 on it, and make ufe of it, as a motive, to pro- 
 voke you to love the truth more, and to 
 be, as I faid, the more thankful to God, wh» 
 
 hath 
 
Serm. 54. ■ I fat ah. K. 
 
 hath freed you from that dark, heavy and com- 
 fortlefs way of juftification by works, which 
 is now impoflible. 
 
 It may be that this error of Papifts will not 
 be thought much of by fome, when they hear 
 that they fpeak of juftification by Chrift,and by 
 his merits, and by faith, as well as we Prote- 
 ftants do ; but it is the more dangerous that 
 they do fo: and therefore, ere I fliew their way 
 of juftification, and the inconfiftency of it with 
 .the gofpel, I would have you to advert to thefe 
 Three things, 1. That in this matter of juftifi- 
 cation, though Papifts acknowledge the name, 
 yet they do not acknowledge the thing it felf ; 
 and fo, upon the matter, the controveriy is not 
 fo much, what juftification is, as whether there 
 be fuch a thing as juftification at all, taking it to 
 'be a thing diftinft from fan&ification, and re- 
 generation, which they in effc& deny : For if 
 the form conftitute juftification, and if to them, 
 the form of juftification, be the infufing of ha- 
 bitual grace in the foul, then it's nothing dif- 
 ferent from regeneration and fan&ification ; 
 and therefore, when they fpeak of juftification, 
 they fpeak of it in this fenfe : For a juftified 
 perfon, to them, is a nun renewed, and made 
 holy, even as to calify, or to heat water, is to 
 make that hot which before was cold ; fo jufti- 
 fication to them, is to make a finful perfon juft, 
 becaufe of inherent righteoufnefs in himfelf. 2i 
 When they fpeak of juftification, they make a 
 two-fold juftification: The ift whereof is that 
 which they call the juftification of a wicked 
 perfon, or of an unrenewed man, when grace 
 is at firft infufed into him, which they grant a 
 man cannot of himfelf condignly merit : The 2d 
 is of a man's growing, or increafingin grace, 
 when he attains to more grace, and to more 
 glory ; grace and glory being of the fame nature, 
 (wherein they and we do not differ.; And to this 
 Second juftification, they make neceffary a man's 
 proper merit of works ; for they fay, That the 
 firft juftification will not do a man's turn, who 
 is come to age, though to a child it be fufficient; 
 becaufe their attaining of glory, who are at 
 age, is the proper hire of their works, which 
 juppofes holinefs .* And therefore, when they 
 fay, that Chrift's merit procures juftification, 
 their meaning is, that it procures the Firft jufti- 
 fication, but not the Second \ that is in effeft, to 
 (ay, that it buys habitual grace, as a ftock to 
 a man, wherewith he may trade : But when 
 they come to fpeak of heaven and glory, which 
 is obtained (as they fay ) by the Second jufti- 
 fication, that is come at by the man's own trad- 
 ing with that ftock of habitual grace ; and io 
 
 Verfe 11. 29s 
 
 the man's trad in?, or traffiquing with this 
 ftock, comes in, as that which procures, wins, 
 and merits the prize. 3. Though they ufe the 
 fame names that we ufe, as of faith, and pardon, 
 or remiffion cf Jin, yet there is very great dif- 
 ference betwixt them and us, as to the thing ; 
 for they count nothing to be faith, but hifto- 
 risal faith, which the devils have : and for re- 
 million of fin, they divide and diftinguifh be- 
 twixt tk° removing, or remiffion of the blot of 
 fin ; and the removing, ana remiffion of the pu- 
 niihment of fin ; and they fay, that in the Firft 
 juftification, the blot of fin is expelled, by the 
 infufing of habitual grace, even, as darknels is 
 expelled by the coming in of light : But as to 
 the punifhment of fin, they leave a man to Citif- 
 fy in part for himfelf, after his juftification. 
 
 Now, Cas we laid; becaufe there is not one 
 error ot two here, but a concatenation, or chain 
 of many errors, therefore, for further clear- 
 ing of the truth, and difcovering of thefe er- 
 rors, ye would confider, that when the quefti- 
 on is propofed, this is the great ftate of it, 
 What that is, on which a finner may ground his 
 peace before the tribunal of God's juilice, as a 
 folid defence, to anfwer all the challenges of 
 the law, and whereupon he may expeft to be 
 abfolved, and admitted to heaven ? They fay, 
 that it's inherent holinefs, wherewith a man's 
 foul is fan&ified, renewed and made conform 
 to the image of God, which (fay they) is of 
 that nature, that it cannot but make the perfoa 
 acceptable to God ; fo that, in coming before 
 God's tribunal of juftice, he hath in himfelf 
 wherewith to anfwer all his challenges, or all 
 the challenges that the law can bring againft: 
 his inward and habitual grace and fan&iricati- 
 on : It is true, they grant, That God works this 
 grace in them, arrd that men are not naturally 
 born with it, and that Chrift's merit procures 
 the beftowing of this grace ; but yet they fay, 
 Though a man do not merit this firft grace, 
 yet he muft difpofe himfelf for it, by the ex- 
 ercife of his free-will, faith, alms-deeds, and the 
 like ; and fo he makes himfelf congruoufly meet 
 for, and capable of fan&ification, and habitual 
 grace,withoutwhichGoddoes notbeftowit: and, 
 if we look to the inftrumeuial caufe,they take in 
 the facraments of baptifm, penance and extreme 
 unftion, as means whereby God worketh that 
 grace, (and that, as they fay, by the very work 
 wrought) if he be a man come to age, and 
 if there be not opportunity o!" getting the fa»\ 
 cramer.t, he hath it in his vow, which comes 
 in place of the facrament V by which means, 
 Q. q they 
 
2o6 Ifalah 53. 
 
 they have thefe Two effe<fts : The Firfl is a po- 
 fitive bringing in of grace into the foul ; the 
 Second is privative, whereby the blot or fpot 
 of fin is expelled, as heat expels cold, or 
 light expels darknefs ; and this they call re- 
 milfion of fin, when grace fhuts, and drives it 
 out, fo 'that the foul is not polluted with it : 
 And becaufe all this takes in but the guilt of 
 fin, which they lay is removed in the Firfl pu- 
 rification ; they have a Second juftification, 
 whereby they fay that the punifhment of fin 
 is removed, and whereby they merit Glory ; 
 and here come in their donations, faflings, pil- 
 grimages, perigrinations, £5V. whereby they make 
 amends to God ; and becaufe they cannot win 
 to make a full amends here, they have their 
 ■purgatory and foul-mafjes ; and {o they have 
 not only God to fatisfy, for the wrongs which * 
 they have done to Him, but heaven to pro- 
 cure by their own merits : For they lay down 
 this as a ground, that glory, in its full being 
 is the projper reward of merit, which, fay they, 
 it not founded on God's promife, for that were 
 to merit congruoufly only, and not condignaUy ; 
 nor is it founded on Chrift's merit, for that 
 were to reward his merit, which to them is 
 abfurd, though they grant an intrinfick worth 
 to be in both ; But it's merit in ftricl: juftice, 
 on, and by, which, they expe& heaven, and 
 glory : and having heaven (as we fay) to 
 procure by their own merit, becaufe they can- 
 not thus merit it, efpecially if man^s nature be 
 look'd on as corrupted ; they invent two things, 
 or forge two devices for that; 1. To deny concu- 
 pifcence to be fin; And 2.T0 diftinguifh betwixt 
 mortal and venial fins; and venial fins they make 
 to be confident with merit,in which they take in 
 a world of things as not deadly : And if a man - 
 have not merit enough of his own, they have a 
 treafure of merits of many faints, who have fatif- 
 £ed for more than there own guilt amounted to, 
 &have merited more than heaven to themfelves; 
 and the Pops being by them fuppofed to have a 
 right a»nd power to difpenfe thefe merits, he 
 gives to them that want, a right to fuch and 
 fuch a faint's merits : And when all is done, 
 they conFefs that this way of juftification is 
 not certain, that it cannot give peace, that it 
 m^ be loft, and that, being loft, it cannot be re- 
 covered,but by a new grace gotten by the facra- 
 ment of penance; the very rehearfing of which 
 things may let you fee,how unlike their juftifica- 
 tion is to the gofpel, and to the way of juftifica- 
 tion that it lays down;and what ground of thank- 
 fulncfs we have toGodj\vho hath not only contri* 
 
 Verfe II, Serm. $4; 
 
 yed,buc revealed unto you,a more folid and com- 
 fortable way of juftification. 1. Though their 
 way hath mu:h pains, and labour and toil 
 in it, yet ye fee what it amounts to, and how 
 much uncertainty, anxiety, and horrour do 
 accompany it ; neither do they ever attain to 
 juftification before God by it. And this is the 
 2d thing we would (peak a word to, even to 
 fliew that this way of juftification is inconfift- 
 entwith the gofpel, and that wherein a foul 
 can neither have folid peace nor comfort: And 
 we fhall fpeak a little to this, 1. In general, and 
 then, 2. more particularly. \fl, In general ? their 
 way of juftification is the re eftabKfhing of the 
 covenant of works; for it fuppo!eth,tbatGod hath 
 conditioned life to none,but on condition of their 
 works,which in their value are meritorious. It is 
 true, they Firfl allow to Chrift's merit this 
 much, that he hath thereby procured this 
 merit to their works. And idly, That he hath . 
 procured to them habitual Grace, to work " 
 thefe works ; though (as we laid before ) 
 they muft difpofe themfelves for that Grace. 
 But that doth not alter the nature of a cove- 
 nant of works, feeing the terms are ft ill the 
 fame ; For, confider, Adam before the fall, he 
 was to expe<& life according to the terms of 
 the covenant, Do this and Jive ; and here the 
 terms of the covenant are the fame, though 
 their ufe be different ; and if the fcriptures 
 do oppofe thele two," that if it be of grace, it is 
 no more of works ', and contrarily,then fure this 
 way of juftification, that puts a man to the fame 
 terms of the covenant that Adam had to ex- 
 pect life by, muft neceffarily be confident 
 with the gofpel. This will be the more clear, 
 if we confider, how they themfelves illuftrate 
 their meriting by the works of the faints, 
 by Adam his meriting of life while he flood ; 
 the which meriting flows from an intrinfick 
 worth in the works themfelves, without refpeft 
 to Chrift's merits ; and if the covenant of works 
 hath thefe fame terms, then their juftification,no 
 doubt,muft be a re-eftabltfhing of that covenant. 
 2.The fcripture (peaks of our obtaining juftifica- 
 tion & righteoufnefs always in this fenfe,to wit, 
 by God's imputing the righteoufnefs of Chrift, 
 to us, not only for coming at the firfl grace, 
 but for attaining heaven and glory ; it's that 
 which Paul leans to, when he comes before 
 God, Phil. 3. That I may be fund in him, not 
 having mine own righteoufnefs which is by the 
 law, but the righteoufnefs which is through faith 
 ofChrifl ; he lays by the one, and betakes him- 
 lelf to the other, as his only defence, and that 
 
 whereon 
 
Serm. $4. . J f aiab *3- 
 
 whereon be cloth ground his plea before God. 
 Now, this being the fcripturc way of juftifica- 
 tion, and their way being quite contrary to it, 
 (for if they were asked, How think ye to anfwer 
 before Godr they behoved to (ay, By the merits 
 of our good works) It muft needs be inconfift- 
 cnt with "the grace of the gofpel, and that 
 .which Paul would by no means hazard his peace 
 upon. We will find nothing more frequently 
 mentioned in fcripture, for the making of our 
 peace with God, than covenanting with God, 
 the imputation of Chrift's righteoufnefs, and 
 juftification by faith: But all thefe three are 
 here, in their way of juftification, ihut out and 
 excluded; for they have no fuch thing as 
 covenanting, they fcorn the imputation of 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, as but a putative and 
 imaginary thing, and they cannot endure ju- 
 stification by faith. 
 
 But idly, and more particularly, Behold 
 and confider how universally it corrupts, and 
 even deftroys the do&rine of the gofpel. 1. 
 It corrupts and deftroys the nature of grace ; 
 for 'it hangeth it on man's free-will, he muft 
 difpofe himfelf for it, and gives him liberty to 
 choofe, or rejeft it as he pleafeth ; and it makes 
 that flow from man himfelf that fatisfies God's 
 juftice, as if re million of fins were not free : 
 And in the fecond, juftification and admiifion 
 to heaven and glory, it utterly excludes 
 grace, and takes in merit , and makes heaven 
 the proper reward of man's own merit. 2. 
 It enervates the merit of Chrift, and his pur- 
 chafe, though it feem in words to acknowledge 
 it •, becaufe it neither admits of the merit of 
 Chrift, as the fatisfa&ion to juftice, by which 
 the puniihmenfr is taken away ; nor to be that 
 by which life is procured : but it takes in 
 works, fatisfa&ion by penance, whippings, 
 pilgrimages, £5V. and all that it leaveth to 
 Chrift's death, is the procuring of a new cove- 
 nant of works, and the buying of a ftock of 
 habitual grace to man to fend for himfelf: but 
 lays not the removing of the puniihment, 
 ' on Chrift as our cautioner in our name fatis- 
 fying the juftice of God for our fins ; but it 
 leaves it on our felves, and on our keeping the 
 covenant of works, as that whereto the pro- 
 mile is made. 3. It overtures the nature of 
 God's covenant ; for either it makes no cove- 
 nant at all, or it transforms the covenant of 
 grace into a covenant of works, putting us to 
 I expe& life through the merits of works ; for 
 they will have no promife of life to be m.ide 
 on condition of Chrift's merit, laid hold upon 
 
 Verie II. 297 
 
 by faith, but on condition of our own works 
 alone : for though they pretend that it may be 
 called Chrift's merit, because, lay they, he hath 
 procured grace to work thefe works ; yet in 
 erfeft their way of juftification is to reftore us 
 to that covenant which Adam had, and to abili- 
 ty to keep the fame terms, though, as we faid, 
 the rife be different. 4. It's inconfiiten? with 
 our natural ftate ; for it fuppones man before 
 converfion to have a free-will to good, and abi- 
 lity to difpofe himfelf to receive grace, and 
 gives him a hand in turning himfelf to God, as 
 if he were not dead in fins and trefpafl.es ; and 
 fo the fbvereignty ofGod is boundeel and limi- 
 ted to wait on a man Co difpofed, and fo dif* 
 pofing himfelf. 5. It deftroys the nature of 
 God's law, asif it were confiftent with his holy 
 law, to have fuch and fuch Jufts abounding 
 within, and did not exacft a reckoning for fuch 
 branches pf it, as they call venial fins. 6. It o- 
 verturns the fcripture-do&rine concerning fin, 
 for it makes many fins to be in elfcft no fins. 7-It 
 corrupts and deftroys the nature of all the facra- 
 ments, and makes new facr am ents that God ne- 
 ver appointed ; and gives them power to work 
 that which God never gave them, as if the very- 
 works wrought did confer grace. 8. It is incon- 
 fiftent with the juftice of God ; as if, forfooth, 
 fuch poor trifles and toys, as thefe which they 
 invent, were fatisfa&ion enough to his juftice : 
 yea, as if fome men could more than fatisfie ju- 
 ftice, and could not only merit heaven to them- 
 felves, but alfo help to merit heaven to others ; 
 and as if God were bound in proper juftice to 
 the creature, and that not only on the account 
 of this promife, but alfo, if not mainly, on the 
 account of merit of condignity : all thefe things 
 are involved in this Pepijh way of juftification, 
 and inconfiftent with the truth of the gofpel ; 
 and we have touched on them, to let you fee, 
 that it is not one error that is here, but a com- 
 plication of errors : and truly, if there be not 
 an abhorrency of Popery , becaufe of this grofs 
 error of juftification, there is but little ground 
 to cxpe&, that men will keep at fuitable diftancc 
 from it in other things. 
 
 > And therefore, from what hath been faid, take 
 a few direttions^s your ufe or if, and if we were 
 tender, it might do us good,now and then to get 
 a little view of fuch errors. i/?,Then fee here the 
 necefllty of being more diftinft and clear in 
 God's way of juftification,in the way how peace 
 is made betwixt him and a finner when we fee 
 how many errors follow and creep in after one 
 Q^q 2 er- 
 
i'9^ If Utah- 53,. 
 
 error \ and when we confider,how "Pcpijb priejis 
 and fefuits are moving, and how this lame 
 error, which hath To many errors with it, is 
 dealing in, ye had much need to be well ac- 
 quainted with the truth,and to be guardiugyour 
 leives againd error, efpecially when fome lay 
 fo little weight on it, that they call it a driving 
 about words, which faith that there is but little 
 abhorrence of the thing. I am apt to think, 
 that the moft part of them that are called Chri- 
 iKans, could not well tell how to oppofe Popery, 
 Arminiamfm, or Antinomianifm, if they were 
 tempted to imbrace them, or any other error or 
 herefy ; and when withal we confider how natu- 
 rally we are inclined to fhuffle by the covenant 
 of grace, and to cleave to the way of works, 
 or to turn the covenant of grace into a covenant 
 of works, we would try well, what we incline 
 to in this point, whether in our judgment, or 
 in our pra&ice, Left we fall from that which is 
 right in practice at lead, if not in opinion alfo. 
 I intreat you to dudy this, as a main point of 
 Chridian religion, even that ye may know and 
 be clear in your knowledge of the way, how 
 God accepts of, and judifies a finner. idly, 
 Know, that this error of Popery in particular, 
 is not of fo little concernment as many think it to 
 be: It's a wonder that men fhould think, dif- 
 ferences about matters of religion to be fo light, 
 and fo little amatter,as ifitwere but the change 
 ©f outward ceremonies, or of words ; hence it 
 comes to pafs, that there is fo little care and 
 2eal to prevent the rife, and fpreading of errors: 
 we fhall only commend to you three things, 
 for guarding you in reference to this error. 1. 
 Sid your {elves often before the tribunal of 
 God's judice, till your hearts be brought under 
 Suitable impreflions of God's holinefs and judice, 
 of the fe verity and dri&nefs of his law, and of 
 the neceffity of your anfwering to it in your own 
 perfons, or in the perfon of a cautioner; and 
 then confider,. what will be your defence in 
 fiich a podure. 2. Carry always alongft 
 with you the impreflion of your original fin, 
 and natural corruption, and of the fmfulnefs 
 ef your pr;i&iceS: this will make you loth- 
 fom and abominable in your own eyes, and 
 Chrid precious ; and fuch a foul will not be in 
 fuch hazard of putting his own merits in the 
 room of Chrid's. 3. Think upon that which 
 in God's offer is prefented to you, as the way 
 of making your peace; though ye would du- 
 dy holinefs, in order to that end, when ye are 
 fo fmful, and when divine judice is fo fevere, it 
 looks not like the way to peace. But when we 
 
 Verfe l> Serm. ^4 
 
 conhder God's offer in this Gofpei, as it is held 
 forth, Acls 13. 38, 39. Be it.Vnown unto you , 
 men and. brethren, that through this Man is 
 preached unto you firgivenefs of fins ; and by 
 him, all that believe are jufiified from all things 
 fi'om which they could not be jufiified by the law 
 of Mofes; and die invitation that is given, Jfa. 
 5 5. to them that have no money U come and buy 
 freely, without money, and without price-, and 
 fee God tabling his call on another ground than 
 your holinefs, and putting in your offer Jefus 
 Chrid and his righteoulhefs ; it's a raifing and 
 rouzing up of the foul, to expeft abfolution be- 
 fore the throne of God, en a more folid founda- 
 tion, that will bear its weight. We would be- 
 ware of taking that way of judication, and of 
 making our peace with God, that feems to be 
 mod rational like to our corrupt nature ; for, as 
 many fay,to be lorry for fin, to dudy to make a- 
 mends,and to do what they dow, feems to be the 
 mod reafonable way, and agrees bed with our 
 corrupt nature t but that is not it which will do 
 your turn, but the way which God hath holde* 
 out,and that is,by his knowledge^by faith in the 
 righteous Servant, idly, See here, how much 
 we are obliged to God, for holding out to us the 
 right way to life. If ye look to many nations 
 abroad, the way to life is holden out to them 
 on this ground, even their own inherent holi- 
 nefs, their own good works, their giving of con- 
 fiderable parts of their edates, their penances, 
 £$V. which yet can never quiet the confeience, 
 nor fatisfie God's judice : Yea, our own prede- 
 1 ceffors in this nation were drowned in the fame 
 errors, and were as foolifhly and fenflefly fu- 
 perditious as the inhabitants of any other na- 
 tions, before the light of the Gofpei brake up 
 among us ; accounting fuch and fuch fins to be 
 no fins, leaning to their merits, to the' merits 
 of faints, to indulgences, to foul-maffes, whip- 
 pings, and a number of things, of that kind : 
 And now, that God hath mercifully freed us 
 of thefe toolries, how much are we obliged to 
 him ? Hath ever Scotland been thankful as it 
 becometh, for this mercy f We do, by our un- 
 thankfulnefs, darke^and obfeure the freedom 
 of grace, that by this Gofpei is preached un* 
 to us; and there needs no other evidence of 
 it but this, that many are to this day as ig- 
 norant of the way of judication of finners, 
 and as abdraft from,and as great drangers to the 
 right way of making ufe of Chrid's righteouf- 
 nefs,as if it had never been revealed unto them; 
 or if they know, and can fpeak any thing of it, 
 
 all 
 
Serm. $4* J f a ' ldb S3, 
 
 all the ufe they make of it, is to turn the grace 
 of God into wantonnefs ;.and, becaufe holinefs 
 is not the ground of making their peace with 
 God, to take the more liberty to looinefs : thefe 
 are not fruits of the Gofpel, other fruits mutt 
 be brought forth, or die ye will repent it, when 
 y& cannot mend it. Let it therefore affect you, 
 tJiat God is lb ill requit for his go'odnefs ; and 
 ftudy to be more thankful to him, that we may 
 fpeak of thefe truths, and difcover thefe errors, 
 and that we are not judicially blinded as many 
 other people and nations are. tfbly, Pity them 
 that are lying under darknefs of their delufions 
 and errors,and pray for them: It's a fore matter, 
 that the mod part of the Chriftian world fhould 
 hare the name of Chriftians, and yet fhould 
 maintain fuch do&rine, and lay down and hold 
 fuch a way, as keepeth from benefit by Chrifl 
 Jefus *, yea, as denies on the matter, that he is 
 come : For this is indeed the fpirit of Antichrift, 
 and of the man of fin, that takes fouls ofF from 
 Chrift ; and yet how few make confeience to 
 pray for thefe poor people, and that God would 
 purfue the whore, and break up and skale that 
 market fpoken of, Rev, 18. and would difcover 
 his truth, and make his Gofpel to be purely 
 preached to them that are fitting in the region 
 of darknefs,and in the fhadoW of deatfyye would 
 pity bound up and impriibned fouls in this er- 
 ror, and pray for their reclaiming! and that God 
 would keep this land from it : It's an old feated 
 and rooted error, and the reft are but foolries 
 in comparifon of it ; this is the devil's great en- 
 gine and army, others are but vapours,to fay fo; 
 which may tell us, that fpeaking and hearing of 
 fuch a bufinefs is not altogether ufelefs. What 
 if the day fhould come, that all our Bibles, and 
 every Englijb book that ferves to hold out truth, 
 and to difcover error, fhould be taken from you, 
 and ordered to be burnt, and that books fluffed 
 with their errors fhould come in their room? 
 Many of you think little or nothing now of the 
 light and liberty of the Gofpel which ye enjoy ; 
 but if heaven be fo much worth, this Gofpel is 
 of much worth to you, and this truth of it in 
 particular. ^tbly 9 L,et not this Gofpel be preached 
 for nought ; O ! receive not this gi*ace in vain, 
 that is, this grace offered to you in the Gofpel, 
 and the clearing of fuch trurhs to you. O what 
 a challenge, and aggravation of our guilt will 
 it be, when we come before the throne ! when 
 many other nations will be condemned, becaufe 
 they leaned to their own merits, and made not 
 ufe of Chrifl; j and- many of us fhall be condem- 
 
 Verfe u. 299 
 
 ned, becaufe tho' we profeiTed an indignation at 
 thefe errors, yet we made no more ufe of Chrifl 
 than thefe, who by their do&rine excluded him. 
 If our predeceffors could fpeak, what could they 
 fay ? would it not be this, It is juft that ye pe- 
 ri fh, for ye had Chrift and his righteoufnefs 
 clearly preached to you, which we had not, and 
 yet ye flighted him r" Therefore take hold of, and 
 improve the opportunity. God hath clearly re- 
 vealed this truth to the land, and to this place ; 
 wa'rk in the light while ye have it, elfe your con- 
 demnation will be the greater, as it is, Jckn 3. 
 1 9. 6tbly, Seeing God hath given us this lingular - 
 mercy, even the clear revelation of the way of 
 juftification by Chrift's righteoufnefs and merits, 
 let us not, through our evil coaverfation, make 
 the truth of God to be evil fpoken of j turn not 
 the grace of God into wantonnefs. It was an evil 
 that foon arofe in the primitive Church, and 
 which the apoftle diiputes againft, Rom, 2. 3,6. 
 Becaufe he preached juftification by grace, and 
 not by the works of the law, fome were ready to 
 abufe that fweet do&rine, and to fay, Let us fin 
 that grace may abound, and let us do evil that 
 good may come of it, vobofe damnation, fays he, 
 is ]ufl : And he follows out thefe obje<5Uons,and 
 iniifts in anfwering of them ; and O but this is 
 damnable, from the abounding of God's grace, 
 to take the more liberty to fin ! And yet, what 
 other language have the lives of many, but this, 
 Becaufe juftification and happinefs are not buil- 
 ded on our works, therefore we may live as we 
 lift ? defpitefully and prefumptuoufly reflecting 
 on the way of juftification by faith, and on 
 God who hath contrived it : But if any of you • 
 Will abufe God's grace, and fin the more, God . 
 fhall charge it on your own heads, this Gofpel 
 fhall never do you good, God will require it of 
 you; your fins are multiplied, and your plagues 
 fhall be multiplied above any that have lived 
 under black Popery* I dare fay, many of yow 
 would probably have had a greater reftraint on 
 you from fin, and would have been more chari- 
 table, and forward in many external good works, 
 if ye had been profeft Papifts, than now ye are, 
 being profeft Pre teftants; a judicial ftroke on 
 £ou, for the abufing_of grace: And is this the 
 fruit of the Gofpel ? No certainly ; Grace was 
 never preached,, that men fhould grow cold and 
 indjrferent in the practice o'' good works ; but m 
 that, through the laying hold on Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs, they might have peace with God ; 
 and that, through the ftudy ©f holinefs, God 
 
 might 
 
300 If at ah 33. Verfe 11. Serm. 5$. 
 
 might be glorified . Therefore ftud y the excr- grace 5 and put thefe two together, which are 
 cife of faith Co, as ye feclude not holfnefs ; and the compend of the Gofpel, whenfuitably pra- 
 iludy holinefs fo, as ye mar not the freedom of Ailed. 
 
 ^§^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 S E R M O N LV. 
 
 Ifaiah 53. 11. >By his knowledge pall my righteous Servant jxftijy many, &c. 
 
 THIS bleifed death and foul-travel of our 
 Lord jefus, hath been good news to ma- 
 ny ; and it is the ground of all the hope of life 
 that arifeth from the word to a finner : It fhould 
 never be taftelefs nor difrelifhing to us, in men- 
 tioning, reading, or thinking of it ; but it 
 ihould in reafon make finners glad, that ever 
 there was fuch a'fubjeft to be fpoken of, and to 
 be confidered; it behoved certainly to be a great 
 bufinefs, that brought the Son of God to die ; 
 the falvation of iinners is a great work, though 
 many of us think but very little of it. 
 
 The fiim and fcope of Chrift's fufferings and 
 death, are briefly holden forth in thefe words, 
 JBy his knowledge Jhall my righteom Servant ]u~ 
 ftifiemany; Where we have, 1. The great be- 
 nefit that comes by his death, which is juflif ca- 
 tion, or the abfolving of finners from the guilt 
 of fin, and from the curfe of God due to them 
 for fin : by Chriil's interpofing himfelf to be- 
 come a Sin-offering, there is a way laid down, 
 liow finners may be relieved. 2. The parties 
 made partakers of this benefit, and they are cal- 
 led many. 3. The way how it is derived to 
 thefe many, it is by his knowledge \ that is, by, 
 or through faith in him. 
 
 We have fpoken fo me what of the benefit itfelf, 
 purification \ which is the thing aimed at, for 
 the moft part, in preaching, and in all other or- 
 dinances, that God may, by the righteoufnefs of 
 his Son in the gofpel, carry on the juftification 
 ©f finners, through their knowledge of him, or 
 hy caufing them to reft upon his righteoufnefs 
 by faith, in order to their falvation. It's fad, 
 that in this point, which is of fo great concern- 
 ment, fo many fhould go fo far wrong, and 
 miftake fo grcfly, that it is no great matter, in 
 ibme refpecl:, whether they be called Chriflians, 
 or not ; this being the advantage of a Cbriflian, 
 that he hath a way to juftification, and abibluti- 
 *n from fin and wrath before God, revealed to 
 him, which others have not ; who, if he come 
 fhort of this, or fall in grofs errors about it, he 
 hath little or no advantage beyond Heathens, 
 who may have more of the fat of the earth, and 
 of the things of the worldj than thefe who are 
 
 within the yifible Church have ; But in this, in 
 a fpecial manner, the Cbriflian excels and goes 
 beyond the Pagan or Heathen, that he hath a 
 way laid down to him, how he may come to be 
 reconciled to God, and freed from wrath, and 
 from his curfe due for fin ; which we have fhew- 
 ed to be by fleeing to Chrift, and by faith reft- 
 ing on his righteoufnefs and fatisfa&ion : For 
 Chrift the Cautioner having paid the debt, by 
 laying down a price fully fatisfa&ory to divine 
 juftice ; and this fatisfa&ion being offered in the 
 Gofpel, upon the condition of receiving him ; 
 a finner giving his confent to God's offer, and 
 clofing therewith, -may confidently exped, ac- 
 cording to that offer to be juftified, and no o- 
 ther ways. 
 
 We fhew you one particular, great and grofs 
 error, wherewith thefe,who are under the dark- 
 nefs of Popery, are wo fully carried away ; which 
 we did the rather touch upon, becaufe tho* it 
 be a do&rinal error in refpe£ of them, and dif- 
 puted for by them •, yet,in refpeft of the practice 
 of many Proteftant Chriflians, it's very rife and 
 ordinary, that is, to miftake, err,, or go wrong 
 in the way of making of their peace with God : 
 And there are three forts efpecially, who do 
 exceedingly miftake, err, and go wrong here ; 
 thefe of whom I mean, and am now fpeaking, 
 are not fuch as are maintaining, difputing, or 
 writing for fuch errorsjbut fuch as count them- 
 felveYto be found Proteftant Chriftians, and 
 haters of the grofs Popiih. error, that we fpake 
 fomewhat to the laft day. The .firfl fort are 
 thefe who to this hour never laid down any folid 
 reckoning how to make their peace with God, 
 or what way to come at abfolution before him ; 
 thefe perfons do in pra&ice deny, whatever may 
 be their proreffions, that there is any fuch thing 
 as a reckoning to be made betwixt God and 
 them \ or that there is a necefiity of juftification, 
 for preventing of their eternal ruin and deftru- 
 £ion : they live from their birth, with a hope 
 of coming to heaVfen? without looking how they 
 may pafs this great fte-p of juftification before 
 God, they never faw nor laid to heart their need 
 of it j are there not many hearing me to day,that 
 
 are 
 
Serm. ff. . Ifaiah <>%. 
 
 are of this number ? who will needs keep up 
 confidently their fancied hope of heaven, and 
 yet never knew what it was to anfwer a challenge 
 tor Sin, or a threatning of the curfe, for the 
 breach of God's law,from Chrift's righteoufnefs; 
 nor did they ever fifl:,\and arraign themfelves 
 before God's tribunal, as guilty, nor did they 
 ever think feriouQy of their charge, nor of their 
 fdmmons, nor of the way of making their peace 
 with God, by taking hold of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs. kfecond fort are the generality oi: legal 
 ProfefTors ; I do not fay, that they are legal in 
 their practice ; that is, that they make it their 
 bufinefs to keep the law, for they are as little 
 concerned, or careful in that as any ; but they 
 are legal in this refpe&, that when it comes to 
 the making of their peace with God, they know 
 nothing but the law to deal with, as that man 
 fpokeirof, Matth. 25. that got the one talent, 
 and was utterly carelefs to improve it; yet.when 
 it comes to a reckoning, he (lands and (licks to 
 the rigor of the law, Mafter, faith he, lo, here 
 thou haft thativhich is thine ; juft fo,fuch will be 
 ready to fay, We have no more grace than God 
 hath given us, we have a good heart to God,we 
 are doing what we dow or can. Here come in 
 prophane men, meer civil men, and hypo- 
 crites ; and more efpecially the meercivil men, 
 who do much in the duties of the fecond table 
 of the law, and they will profefs that they do 
 mind judgment and a reckoning; but, as if they 
 had been bred and brought up in a Pepifb fchool, 
 they foiil in a legal righteoufnefs, inftead of 
 Chrift's, as the ground of their juftification be- 
 fore the tribunal of God. Ye may take thefe 
 [ inftances cf this fort of perfons, which are very 
 ; common, and who in their pra&ice almoft in 
 : every thing agree with the Popifh do&rine. The 
 1 ft inflance is of fuch perfons that know nothing 
 of the imputation of Chrift's righteoufnefs,yet if 
 we fpeak of it, they will fall out in fuch expref- 
 fions as thefe, We can do nothing of our fclves, 
 there is no goodnefs in us, its God's grace that 
 mu-ft do our turn; yet in the mean time it is not 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, they lay down to them- 
 felves as the ground of their juftification, but 
 the good which they have done as they fuppofe 
 inChrift's ftrength,and the grace which is given 
 them to work, and do that good by ; which is 
 the fame thing with the Pvptjhway of juftificati- 
 on, as if Chrift had procured an ability to us 
 to keep the law our felves, in order to our be- 
 ing juftified thereby : Hence they will believe, 
 pray, hear the word, praife, and go about other 
 duties, and will protefs that they acknowledge 
 
 Verfen. 3ol' 
 
 Chrift in thefe., and that they have the grace 
 from him to perform them ; He furnifhes the 
 flock, and they trade with it, and fo for the 
 attaining of life, they are obliged to their own 
 trading ; which is in words to pretend grace, 
 but really to put cur own works and righte- 
 oufnefs in the room of Chrift's righteoufnefs, 
 as the ground, or meritorious caufe of juftifi- 
 cation ; for the grace given to us, inabling us 
 to work, is not Chrift's righteoufnefs, but our 
 own, becaufe given to us, and working in us ; 
 and fo it is always our felves and our own 
 righteoufnefs, not Chrift's and his righteouf- 
 nefs, that we reft upon, Kfecond inftance of fome 
 folk, that fpeak of Chrift, and of attaining 
 life through him, yet it is not in refpeft of 
 his merit, but in refpecl of his ftrength ; for 
 fuch will fay,W 7 e hope through Chrift's ftrength 
 to come to heaven ; their meaning wherein is, 
 
 . that he will help them fo to repent and believe, 
 io to be holy and refill temptations, as they 
 fhall come to heaven thereby, as the deferving 
 caufe of their coming thither. It's true, there 
 is fomething right here, when in its own place ; 
 if whole Chrift were reded upon, juftification 
 being put in the firft place, and his merit refted 
 upon for that, it were good that his ftrength: 
 were leaned to, and made ufe of, for performing 
 the duties of falsification: but when his ftrength 
 is refted upon as the alone thing, and when we 
 look not to Chrift's purchafe and merit as the 
 ground of our acceptation, but to Chrift as en- 
 abling us to do duties, to the end that we may 
 give God a recompenfe thereby ; at the bed it 
 is but he and we together : This certainly is 
 wrong ; for nothing is propofed as a fatisfaclion 
 toGod's jufttce here,but what is immediately our 
 own. A third fort are fomewhat wifer, who, it 
 may be, think, that any thing that is in them- 
 felves, is not worth the naming; but, partly 
 through Chrift's merit,and partly through what 
 they have, and can do themfelves, or by thefe 
 joined together, they hope to be faved. ' This 
 was the do&rinal error of the Galatia&s,who at- 
 tributed juftification to Chrift,and to the works 
 of the law jointly. This way afcribes to Chrift's 
 righteoulhefs this much, that it makes our own 
 righteoufnefs to be accepted, as the ground of 
 our juftification before God, which in fome re- 
 fpecl is vvorfe than the covenant of works for 
 the covenant of works fought a perfect righte- 
 oufnefs ; but this way offers an imperhcl righ- 
 teoufnefs, and to amend, and to eke out our im- 
 perfect righteoufnefs, it takes in the rig'teouf- 
 nefs ofChrill;but there is no fuch covenant,orway 
 
 of 
 
^CfT. Jfalab $% s Verfe n. ^ Serm. $£ 
 
 of juftification in fcripture ; for God made but that he died, that their j unification might a&u- 
 two covenants for men to attain life by, one of ally and certainly fellow as a fruit of his pur- 
 jvorks, which is now impoiuble j the other of chafe. In a word, his death and fufferings were 
 grace, by which only it is polfible to attain ju- not to make juftification poftlbleto all, but that 
 
 - fo many as he bargained for might " 
 
 ilification and life: 1 his makes a third covenant, ' 
 or contrivance, by a mixture, partly of fome 
 works in us, and partly of fome grace in Chrift, 
 to make up what is inlacking in our works \ and 
 yet this way -is very pleafmg to our nature, and 
 that to which we are much inclined for justifi- 
 cation ; for men are naturally difpof'ed to think 
 that they give Chrift enough, when they allow 
 his righteoulhefs to make up what is defe&ive 
 in their own. It's true indeed, that Chrift's me- 
 rits do wafh our duties, but our duties come ne- 
 ver up to be the ground of our juftification in 
 whole, or in part ; which is evident from this, 
 that,ere Chrift make our'duties or performances 
 acceptable, he makes our pert'ons iirft to be ac- 
 cepted ; and that once being, then any thing 
 performed by us, in ChriiVs ftrength, accor- 
 ding to the will of God, is acceptable alio. 
 
 But now we proceed further in the words of 
 the text ; and, before we come to the caufes of 
 our juftification, we fhall briefly obferve two or 
 three things that ly obvioufly in our way ; the 
 ift. whereof is this, that the abfolving of a fin- 
 ner, through the imputation of ChriiVs righte- 
 oufhefs,is the proper and native refult of Chrift's 
 purchafe, and the great intendment of it ; his 
 iufferings and foul-travel were undergone, to 
 procure juftification to many: So that if we 
 would know what is the fruit of Chrift's foul- 
 travel, here it is, by his knowledge ft) all many 
 he juftified-^ therefore, Rom. 5.9 it's attributed 
 toh.isb\ooo\,b eing juftified by his blocd,weJhallbe 
 faved from wrath •, and, 2Cor.^. ult.he'was made 
 fin for us ,w bo knew no fin, that we might be made 
 the righteoufnefs of God through him\ that which 
 I mean is this, that Chrift's intendment in his 
 dying was to redeem, and really and a&ually to 
 procure abfolution and juftification before the 
 throne of God, to fo many as fhould believe on 
 him ; or we may take the doctrine thefe two 
 ways, which yet come both to the fame account. 
 1. Thus, That the thing which Chrift intended 
 in his death,was not a mere pollibility, that iin- 
 ners might be juftified, nor to lay down a con- 
 ditional way of their juftification, whereby they 
 might come, or not come to it, and Co to make 
 it poffible; but that which he intended was, that 
 their juftification might follow abfolutely ; I do 
 not mean inftantly,and without the interveening 
 of a condition ; for here his knowledge comes 
 in 3 as the condition ; but that which 1 mean is, 
 
 many as he bargained for might be abfolutely 
 juftified ; or that many, that is, all the ele&, 
 might be actually juftified, becaufe be fhall bear 
 their iniquities, therefore by his knowledge they 
 fhall be juftified. ' * 
 
 We obferve it for thefe ends or ufes, ift, To 
 give an anfwer to that queftion, What is the na- 
 tive refult of Chrift's death to his people ? We 
 fay, It is their abfolute and actual juftification. 
 Thefe that would extend the grace of God, and 
 the death of Chrift, fo broad and wide, as to 
 leave out none, fay in effect, that the defign 
 thereof was to lay down fuch a way as makes it 
 poffible to all to be juftified, and yet fuch a way 
 as makes it poifible that none at all fhall be jufti- 
 fied; for it hangs juftification on the free-will of 
 the creature ; and fo, in driving to make grace 
 broader than God allows, they come to make it 
 none at all, by leaving it on mans free-will, 
 whether it fhall be effectual or not : but, blefled 
 be God, the covenant of God was not on thefe 
 terms ; for it is faid here, That by his knowledge 
 he fhall juftify many, idly, It gives us thefe two 
 pra&ical ufes* 1. It fhews what fhould be our 
 intendment,in our ufe-making of Chrift's death, 
 and that is, that we may be juftified, and absol- 
 ved by it, even to make ufe of it for attaining to 
 pardon of fin, and peace with God : If this be o- 
 verlooked and negle&ed,all other fruits of it are 
 ufelefs ; it will avail but little to be a member of 
 the vifible church, to be baptized, and to be ad- 
 mitted to the Lord's f upper, to have literal know- 
 ledge of the principles of religion, to have a gift 
 of preaching, or of prayer, £5V. thefe will not 
 juftifie : The peculiar thing aimed at in Chrift's 
 death, and that which his people aim at, and 
 tave to rejoice in, v is juftification through his 
 knowledge, which is always to be underftood 
 without prejudice to the ftudy of holinefs. 
 
 2. It gives us this Ufe, Whoever would have 
 abfolution before God, would know that this 
 was the very thing ingaged for by Chrift, and 
 his intendment in his death, that finners, be- 
 lieving in him, might be abfolutely anda&u- 
 ally juftified by him ; it was not fimply to pro- 
 pofe juftification to them,but that abfolutely they 
 might be abfolved from the curfe of God due to 
 them for fin : and now, may I not ask, whether 
 this is/nore encouraging to finners,tohaveChrili 
 procuring juftification only conditionally to 
 them, or to have the thing abfolutely conferred 
 
 upon 
 
Scrm. tf. V**** 53 
 
 upon them ? this is a ground whereupon be- 
 lieving finners lift up their heads confidently, 
 ^and expect juftification through his righteouf- 
 nefs : it is this that was promiled to Chrift, and 
 it is this that is the native fruit cf his death, 
 without which it will be fiuitlefs: and this 
 may remove the great obftiuclion that readily a 
 finner, when he is ferious, feeth lying in his 
 way, to wit, the want of righteoufnefs, and the 
 fear of not being abfolved ; the want of inherent 
 righteoufnefs in himfelf, which makes him li- 
 able to the curfe of the law ; when he feeth u- 
 pon what terms Chrift died, Fir/}, To pro- 
 cure a righteoufnefs to them that wanted righ- 
 teoufnefs. And, Secondly, Upon thefe terms,that 
 finners, through faith in him, might be juftified, 
 and freed from the guilt of fin, as if they never 
 had finned themfelves. Confidering this to be 
 his intendment, according to the terms of the 
 covenant of grace, what have they, or what 
 can they have, to skar or fright them from expe- 
 cting the fulfilling of this promife ? becaufe the 
 contrivance of the covenant of redemption, is 
 to buy juftification absolutely, and not the pofli- 
 kility of it only, not to buy grace to us,whereby 
 to juftify our (elves, but juftification it felf, fo 
 •as we may be beholden to him alone for it. 
 
 Again, idly, When we fay,that the juftificati- 
 on of a finner is the proper refult of Chrift's 
 death, it may be thus underftood, that the 
 righteoufnefs whereby a finner isjuftified, is 
 -immediatelyChrift's death and purchafe,as to the 
 meritorious caufe thereof: fo that if we look to 
 what juftifies a finner, as to the meritorious 
 caufe of it, the knitting of thefe two together, 
 He flail fee of the travel of bis foul, and JhaU be 
 Jatisfied ; and, By bis knowledge Jball my righ- 
 teous Servant juflijy many, doth hold it forth to 
 be Chrift's death and purchafe ; the travel of his 
 foul is, and muft be the ground on which a loft 
 finner is juftified before the throne of God. This 
 both confirms what we formerly propofed con- 
 cerning this doftrine, and alfo fhews that the ju- 
 ftification of a finner is not by inherent holinefs. 
 Whence comes it,JI pray, that makes a finner ac- 
 ceptable before God? It is not from habitual,nor 
 actual inherent grace, but from Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs, laid hold on by faith, that grippeth and 
 adhereth to it : but from the latter part of the 
 words, we will have more particular occafion 
 to fpeak to this, where thefe two are knit to- 
 gether ; By bis knowledge JhaU my righteous 
 Servant iuflify many, for be Jball bear their ini- 
 quity ; therefore we do now pafs it. 
 
 The Qbjeft of this benefit is many \ many or- 
 
 • Verfe 1 1. . 303 
 
 dinarily in fcripture implies thefe two things, 
 ifl A great number, and fo it fhews the extent 
 of the ■ object ; that is, that Chrift fiiall purchafe 
 _and redeem many, or by his death procure 
 juftification to many, idly, A reftriction, and 
 thus many is oppofed to all; and fo the meaning 
 is, there -{hall many be juftified by Chrift's 
 death, but not all ; and therefore, as none ca"n 
 from thefe words plead tor an univerfality in 
 juftification, fo neither can they in redemption, 
 for he only bare their iniquities, whom by his 
 knowledge he juftifies. 
 
 Looking on thefe many, in this twofold con- 
 fideration,/we may take thefe Obfervations from 
 it. ifl, Taking it extenfively, Obferve, i.That 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift is of it felf able to 
 juftify many ; it's a righteoufnefs that can fa- 
 tisfy for the fins of many ; or thus, That in 
 the covenant of redemption, there is an in- 
 tended application of Chrift's righteoufnefs and 
 purchafe tojmany. idly, That there are many, 
 who fhall indeed partake of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs, and be juftified by it ; it's not one, or 
 two, or a thoufand, but as it was intended to 
 juftify many, fo it fhall be actually applied to 
 many for their juftification. 3<ify,Comparingthe 
 former words, He Jball fee of the travel of bis 
 foul,andJbaU befatisfied, with thefe words, Bjf 
 bis knowledge jball my righteous Servant juflijy 
 fhany • Obferve, That Chrift is not fatisfied for 
 the' travel of his foul, except many be juftified 
 by it ; or thus, It is Chrift's fatisfa&ion, how 
 many there be that make ufe of him, and that, 
 by making ufe of him, come to be juftified by 
 him, as afterward we will fee : Thefe many 
 are all thefe that believe, all thefe that have this 
 true and faving knowledge of him, and d» 
 rightly acknowledge him. 
 
 The making out of one of thefe do&rines will 
 make them all out, that Chrift's righteoufnefs 
 is able to juftify many ; that many fhall be jufti- 
 fied by it ; and that it is his fatisfac'tton and de- 
 light, that many may be juftified, and get this 
 good of it : it's faid, Mattb. 20. 28. That be 
 came to lay down bis life a ranfom for many, and 
 Rom. 5. 5. That the gift of grate, which is by one 
 manJefusChrifl,hath abounded by unto many, and 
 v. 19. As by one maris dif obedience many were 
 made finners, fo by the obedience of one JhaU many 
 be made righteous. Let but thefe four things be 
 put together and considered, and if it be found, 
 that there is no juft ground to quarrel thefe doct- 
 rines, ifl. The native worth, and intrinfick 
 value that is in the fatisfa&ion of Chrift ; it's 
 the blood cf God, of the Perfon chat is God -. 
 R r it's 
 
304. Jfaiah $3. 
 
 it's an offering that flows from a willing and 
 cheerful Giver, which makes it the more accep- 
 table ; he was content with delight to pay the 
 price; there cannot be a limiting or bounding of 
 this worth or value, becaufe there cannot be 
 any bounding~or limiting of the Perfon that 
 gives the value to it, if it be confidered in it 
 felf. 2^/y,Confider thefreenefs of the offer,which 
 takes in many:o\xr Lord communicates very free- 
 ly what he hath bought very dear ; and it's done 
 with refpe& to his taking in or "many, to take a- 
 tvay all exceptions from the poor and needy ,and 
 from them that want money, 'idly. As the terms 
 are free, fo the offer is very broad, and compre- 
 henfive, as we feejfaiah 55.1. Ho,every one that 
 thirfts, come to the waters', and Rev. 22. Who foe- 
 war will, let htm come, and take cfthe water of 
 life freely. And we find thefe expreifions^// that 
 believe, and, whoever believes, to be frequent- 
 ly ufed in the f captures ; which takes in all that 
 will,yield themfelves to him on the terms of the 
 covenant, to clofe the bargain with him. 4-thly, 
 Coniider, God's end in the juftification of fin- 
 sers, which is to make his grace to fhine, and 
 to triumph, and to make its victory over man's 
 fins confpicuous and glorious, by being beyond 
 it j not in refpe&'of the number of perfons, but 
 in this refpecfc, that as Adams one fin Drought 
 death on many, fo the death of Chrift. hath 
 brought, juftification to many ; as it is Rom. 5. 
 The judgment was by one to condemnation, but 
 the free gift is of many offences unto juflificati:-,^ 
 Whereas Adam's one offence brought death to 
 many, fiere the relieving of one finner is the 
 procurirg of freedom to many, becaufe in that 
 refpecl: Chrift is a fatisfa&ion for many offences. 
 But it may be ob jetted here, Is it not (aid, that 
 the way to Heaven is ftrait, and few there be 
 that enter in thereat i They are thin fown, to 
 fay fo,thatare heirs of this inheritance. Ianfwer, 
 by a diftin&ion; Though they be comparative- 
 ly few, yet, coniidered in themfelves abfolutely, 
 they are many, or they are (imply many,though 
 comparatively but few : confider and compare 
 them with the multitude of reprobatea that are 
 even in the viflble church, they are few ; yet if 
 ye will confider them in themfelves, they are 
 many; and it's mod true that is fpoken, Rev el. 7. 
 9.- If aw a number which no man could number : 
 if we look fince the beginning of the world, how 
 fome are taken in this age, and fame in that, 
 fome of this nation, and fome of another, they 
 will be found to be but few, when all nations 
 are put together; yet in themfelves the ; y are ma- 
 ny. There are thefe f£n?e ufes of it, which may 
 bi-reafons why it is put in here. Jfh'e Fir ft is, 
 
 Verfe ft. Serm. <<. 
 
 to let us fee- the largenefs of the extent of the 
 worth of Chrift, and of the allowance of grace 
 in reference to the juftification of finners through 
 him ; which lhould make us ftand, paufe, and 
 wonder. It had been much, if grace had faved 
 but one, more if it had laved a thoufand, or 
 twenty thoufand : But O ! what ground of ad- 
 mirationis it, when many are faved by it/ This 
 is the native end, why it is put in here, even to 
 fhew, that it is not for nought that Chrift; died, 
 it^hall be a blefUng to many. I mark it, becaufe, 
 though the prefumptuous thoughts of many lead 
 them to extend the merits of Chrift to all in the 
 vifible church ; yet it may be, that in others 
 there are too narrow limiting thoughts of the 
 extent of his merits, and of the allowance of 
 grace, as to the number of the ele<& that fhall be 
 laved; it being certain, th.t as we are in hazard, 
 and ready to abuie any thing; fo this,- if it be 
 faid that they are many that are juftified, we 
 are ready to exclude none"; and if it be faid that 
 they are few, we are ready to make grace as it 
 were anigard and churl, and to contract and 
 narrow too much the application of it. 
 
 The fecondufe of it (which is afecond reafon, 
 why this word many is put in here ) may ferve 
 for encouragemtnt to firmer^ and to hearten 
 them to effay to get this benefit of juftification 
 made their own : many trow (and in fome re- 
 fpecl: it is a truth ) that it's a fingular and odd 
 thing to come by juftification ; and hence they 
 conclude, that they will never get it ; and in- 
 deed, if the thought of its fingularity and rare* j 
 nefs made them careful to win at the thing, it 
 Were a profitable uie of it ; but, when it makes : 
 them heartlefs to attain the thing, it's a wrong j: 
 and prejudicial ufeofit: but finners, there is 
 here ground of encouragement, provocation I 
 and up-ftirring to you, to leek after juftificati- I 
 on through Jeius Chrift, becaufe there are many \ 
 that are the objects of it. The righteoufnefs 1 
 of Chrift is a righteoufnefs that will fave ma- I 
 ny ; it's an article of the covenant of redemp- 
 tion, that Chrift fnall get many ; the prormfe 
 will give title and right to many, he will not be 
 content, if he get not many. Now, putting thefe j 
 together, it cannot but be very great encourage- 
 ment to leek, and a ftrong ground to expeft ju- J 
 ftification on this account, becaufe, 1. That J 
 which a believing finner gets, is juftification, 
 pardon of fin, both original and a&ual, and its 
 complete aftual juftification, not only the procu- 
 ring the offer of it, but the application ofit,jufti- 
 Jhat ion from all things, from which we could 
 n.tbc jvftfad by t be law ofMofcs y and juftifi- 
 cation 
 
 1 
 
Serm. <$• Ifaiab 53. 
 
 cation never to be revered. 2. This juftifica- 
 tion is deflgned for, and allowed to many \ the 
 ftepping in of fome before others doth not wrong 
 them : and there needs not be difputes about e- 
 le£ion •, for the text lays, that the allowance of 
 grace is to many. 3. It's Chrift's fatisra&ion 
 that he gets many to be juftified } and the mo 
 that ftep to, to lay hold on this benefit, he hath 
 as it were the more fatisfacUon. And if the fin- 
 ner fhould fay, I know not if I be included in 
 that number \ the terms of the covenant run to 
 all that believe.: if there be a flying to Chrift 
 by faith for refuge, there needs not be anxious 
 disputing, whether the finner will comefpeed; 
 but there fhould be a ftepping forward. Many 
 have'gotten good, and many will get good, and 
 there is room fufficient for as many as -mfr yield 
 themfeives up to Chrift, and reft upon his righ- 
 teoufnefs \ it's a large mantle that covers thou- 
 fands, and the Lord will have thoufands to be 
 bidden under it, and juftified by it. 
 
 idly, it ferves to be a moft terrible ground 
 of inexcufablenefs to thefe, to whom Chrift's 
 nghteoufnefs is fpoken of, and offered in the 
 gofpel, who yet neglect to make ufe of it, that 
 he was content to lay down his life, and that as 
 a ranlbm for many. None needs to fay, I knew 
 not if I would be welcome ; he faid, It was for 
 many : and though he faid not, it was for all, 
 yet it's for all that will believe in him; and 
 therefore it is not, nor fhall not, becaufe he bath 
 confined the benefit to few, that ye are, or 
 fhall be excluded ; but becaufe, tho' he extended 
 the benefit to many, yet ye excluded your 
 felves : and none of you, who hear this gofpel, 
 fhall have it to fay, I betook my felf to Chrift 
 by faith, but he refufed to admit of me, and he 
 would have no mo than he had. There are 
 many who pleafe themfeives with fuch a word 
 as this, when they hear that many will be fa- 
 j ved-, but it will be the deareft bought doctrine 
 that ever ye heard : It had been in fome refpeft 
 : better, that ye had heard that it was but two 
 I or three that will come to heaven ; becaufe the 
 hearing of manfs coming thither, will greatly 
 aggravate your guilt, who neglect [o great a fal- 
 i vation. 
 
 Therefore take two or three caveats of this 
 Do&rine. And, 1. Beware of being fecure be- 
 j caufe there are many that fhall be juftified, there 
 are many mo that fhall periih ; compare thefe 
 that periih with thefe that will be faved, and it 
 will be found, that they are but a handful that 
 will be ftved, and that fwarms and multitudes 
 will go to hell : Therefore, when ye hear that 
 
 Verfe. u, -}Q\ 
 
 the door is opened to many, let it encwufcags* 
 you to enter in ; but remember this, that ma 
 will be excluded, and perifh, than will enter in 
 and be faved. The fcripture fays, Many an 
 called., kut few are cbofzn, even in refpe<A of 
 the called within the vifible Church. 2. Con- 
 fider that grace is inlarging of this benefit r to 
 take in many, will be your greateft challenge 
 and aggravation that fhall mils, and come Ihort 
 of it ; Therefore let us Cas it i^Heb. 4.) fear, left, 
 having a prcmife left m of entring into his refl y 
 any oj usjhould feem to corns Jbort af it. When 
 this door is opened to us, we would by all 
 means fear coming fhort, or not entring,through 
 unbelief ; for it will be worfe with us, than if 
 the' door had never been opened. Folks ordina- 
 rily think not fo much to mife or come fhort of 
 a privilege, which but one or two have accefs 
 to ; but when it is fuch a privilege as is. made 
 attainable by many, the miffing of it galleth 
 and tormenteth the more ; and when many fhall 
 come from the eaft, weft, fouth and north, and 
 fhall fit down with Abraham, Ifaac and facob 
 in the kingdom of heaven, what weeping and" 
 gnafhing of teeth will -it caufe to them, who 
 ihall be fecluded ? And therefore, 3. Beware 
 of thinking that there is the lefs diligence or 
 fear required, becaufe we fay, that many will 
 be juftified ; for, tho* there be many that are 
 redeemed, and many that fhall be juftified, yet 
 all thefe come to be juftified through Chrift's 
 knowledge : And therefore fuch as are ignorant 
 and profane can but take little or no comfort 
 hence, while they continue to be fuch. Tho' 
 there be many that are juftified, yet none but 
 believers are juftified ; and none can warrant- 
 ably look on themfeives to be believers,but fuch 
 as are fincere ftudents of holinefs : I would not 
 therefore have you laying weight, either on ma- 
 rly or few's being juftified, except by way of 
 motive, but on the way that ye take to come by 
 the end, tho' a great many mo were faved than 
 will be ; if ye take not the way of faith and ha- 
 linefs to come to falvationj ye will not get your 
 felves mrouded in the croud, but tho' there 
 were never fo few damned, ye fhall make up the 
 number. In a word, it's ground of encourage^ 
 ment to a poor finner, that would fain be jufti- 
 fied in God's own way ; it is alfo ground of 
 fhame and confufion of face to the unbeliever, 
 that reftrains the benefit of Chrift's parchafe, 
 and fhuts himfelf out, when grace doth make 
 ufe of fuch expreifions to bring him in ; and it 
 will be ground of conviction to all that have fo 
 wide a deor opened to them, and do not ilrive 
 R r 2 w 
 
'305 ; 7/Wa* 53. Verfe 11. 5^ $5# 
 
 to enter in. It may be many of you think little duced to be in earned in this one thing, there 
 
 of this now ; but in the day when many ihall were a great point gained on the hearers of the 
 
 be taken into the kingdom of heaven, and others Gofpel *, and till it be ferioufly minded, there is 
 
 ihut out, it will be known to be a matter of the nothing that we can do in religion, that will b» 
 
 greateft concernment. If once we could be in- to any purpofe. 
 
 f 
 
 SERMON LVI. 
 
 I&iah 53. 11. » ■ - By his knowledge Jh all my righteous Servant \uftify many > &c. 
 
 IT is a great matter to have the folid impref- 
 fion of Chrift's ftrfwefs on our fpirits, and to 
 be throughly perfwaded that there is a righte- 
 oufnefs to be had in him ; yet the confolation is 
 not full, unlefs there be a clearnefs in the way 
 how this righteoufnefs is applied and come by, 
 and a kindly yielding to follow that way : For, 
 tho' we know that Chrift died, and that there is 
 a righteoufnefs purchafed, yet there are many 
 that are never juftified, and that fhall never be 
 faved by it ; and therefore it would not be fo 
 much to know that there is fuch a thing, if he 
 had not laid down a way how we may be parta- 
 kers of it ; which way can no more fail and mif- 
 give, than Chrift's righteoufnefs can : and thefe 
 words hold out the way, By his knowledge fhall 
 my righteous Servant juftify many; that is, 
 Through faith in Chrift many fhall be made 
 righteous ; his fatisfa&ion lhall be accounted the 
 believers,whereby it ihall come to pafs,that they 
 lhall be as really juftified, as if they had born 
 their own iniquities, becaufe his bearing of them 
 lhall be accounted theirs. 
 
 We fpake, 1. Of this general, That there is 
 fuch a thing as justification, or God's abfolving 
 of a finner, who by his own iniquity is liable 
 to the curfe. 2. That this juftification is the 
 proper effect of Chrift's death. 3. From the ob- 
 jects of it; That they are many, yet not all,who 
 are juftified, many being put as a mids betwixt 
 two extremes, neither including alt, nor only 
 taking in a very few. Having put by thefe more 
 general dvllrines, we would now (peak a little 
 to this great benefit of juftification, in reference 
 to the particular caufe s that concur to the at- 
 taining of it, which will lead us to-a more di- 
 stinct uptaking of it : there is ground for them 
 all in the text ', and therefore we fhall put them 
 together, that we may have a fhort view of this 
 ^great benefit complexly. 
 
 There are commonly fix daufes afligned to, or 
 made neceifary to concur in juftification, tho 1 
 we know not well how to exprefs them, fo as 
 ye may take them up, becaufe of the ignorance 
 of many of you. 1. T^ere is the efficient caufe, 
 
 and that is God, the Party that doth juftifie. 2. 
 The end,or final caufe,and that is his own glory. 
 3. The meritorious caufe, or that which pro- 
 cures it, or the ground on which God juftifies, 
 and that is Chrift's merit. 4. The inward 
 inftrumental caufe, by which we get a title to, 
 and an intereft in Chrift's merit, and that is 
 faith. 5. The formal «aufe, or that wherein: 
 juftification confifts, and ti:at is imputation of 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs to the finner upon his 
 acceptation of it, and the abfolving of the fin- 
 ner by vertue of his righteoufnefs. 6. The ex- 
 ternal inftrumental caufe, and that is the word of 
 God, by which this juftification is revealed,and 
 wherein God declares and paifes the fentence.. 
 
 For the fir ft ^ ye would, for clearing of it, re- 
 member what we fpake in our entring on this 
 doctrine, that this word juftification is a le- 
 gal, forenfick, or judicial word : and we are 
 to conceive of God, who is the Party offended, 
 as the Judge ; and of the finner arraigned, and 
 brought before his tribunal to be judged, as a 
 delinquent : the law gives in the libel or indict- 
 ment, founds the challenge or accufation \ the 
 finner's confeience and actions are fo many 
 witneffes, proving the breaking of the law, 
 and him to be obnoxious to the curfe on that 
 account. In this we fay that God is the efficient 
 xaufe, and fo we may take the words, By his 
 knowledge fhall my righteous Servant juftifiema* 
 ny, actively and efficiently to l-ooktoChrift,as ha- 
 ving this power, as he is God ; which is proper 
 to God alone, as is clear, Rom. 8. 34. It is God 
 that juftifies. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Tho' I know nothing by 
 tny felf, yet I am not hereby juftified, but he that 
 judge th me is the Lord ; And this is a reafon of 
 the former, to wit, that no other can absolve 
 but God, the Party offended, who is Judge. 
 
 We mark it for this practical ufe, which the 
 Apoftle makes of it, which is to biduslaylefs 
 weight upon others thinking well of us, or ab- 
 folving us,and on our owe abfolving our felves; 
 the Lord chargeth fome thus, Luke 16..1 «j. Te are 
 they which \uftify your f elves before m&fl>bu.tG?d 
 
 knows 
 
Serm. <>6> J^tah 53. 
 
 incrvsy cur hearts : JWwiIl not juflify himfelf, 
 for that is God's place and prerogative. How 
 inany are there, who take another perfon's teili- 
 mon'y tor God's,and think, that fince others love, 
 refpeft and commend them, they are in a good 
 condition, and well enough ? But,alas, is that 
 perlbn God ? Except mens tefumony be foun- 
 ded on the grounds that are held forth in the 
 word [and it fo, then it's God's tellimony) 
 it will not do the bufinefs, nor avail you any 
 thing ; except there be a fentence of a 
 pronounced and pad by him, their I 
 or yours,will be recalled ; though many of you 
 do not down-right profefs this,yet many of you 
 practically tall into it : always remember that 
 it is God that juilifics, and that his absoluti- 
 on is different from mens, and from your own ; 
 
 Verfe 11. 307 
 
 nitely jufl, gracious, wife and holy, in the 
 justification ot Tinners : thefe we may fee, Rom-i* 
 24, 25, 26. Being juflified freely by bis grace, 
 tbr: tag .1 1 is in JefusCbrift .there, 
 
 jullice and grace mine clearly ; justification is 
 free, yet there is a price laid down, and a :atif- 
 fa&ion made to juilice ; and the 26. -jfr.fhews the 
 end, to wit, Tc declare bis rigbteoufnefs* that bt 
 might be )uj}> and the juftifier cftbem rchcbeliev* 
 in fefus. He hath indeed tajcen a way, how to 
 pardon fin, but fo as it is through a redempti- 
 on, or by the exacting of a price, that he may 
 be feen to be juil,who will not pardon fin with- 
 out a fatisfaction ; jullice kythes in this, that 
 Chrift is put to pay a great price: and that he 
 may be feen to be gracious, he hath laid dowa 
 a way, how the price, that was to be paid by 
 
 many have good thoughts ot ycu. and fo may Chriil, might be imputed to, or reckoned on 
 
 ye of your felves, when God may have none. the account of the guilty finner, and that he 
 
 For the 2d. to wit, the Final caufe, it is clear might thereby be absolved : And thus jullice 
 
 here alfo, by comparing the former verfe with and grace may kifs each other, in this admirable 
 
 the word going before, in this fame verfe; and contrivance. And although none almoft except 
 
 ye may take it in this Obfer-jati:n, That the glo- Sccinians deny the jullice of God, in the jufli- 
 
 ry of God, and of the Mediator, is the end that iication of Tinners; yet as they do do&rinally in 
 
 God hath before him, in the juflifying of fin- fubilance deny it, fo many of us, who profefs to 
 
 ners ; therefore it is called the Lord's pleafure.or abhor their doctrine, do pra&ically deny it alfo. 
 
 delight, and the Mediator's fatisfacVcn;beca\ife And therefore, as the if}. Ufe of it', let me 
 
 lie hath propofed to himfelf therein the glory Tpeak a little to unbelievers, and ask you, What 
 
 of his grace efpecially, and alfo of others of think ye will become of you ? ye muft either 
 
 his attributes, as his end, and fo hath a kind betake your felves to Chrill's fatisfadtlon, or ye 
 
 of longing defire and tbirft after; for the Lord, muft refolve to fatisfy^br your felves : Secure 
 
 being abfolutely glorious, cannot but love his hypocrites think of nothing but ot grace, and 
 
 own glory ; and being the infinitely pure, all- that God will always be gracious, and never 
 
 fufficient Good, he cannot but love himfelf and furrer themfelves to- think of the oeoeffity of a 
 
 his own glory ; and therefore for attaining of fatisfa&ion to be made to his juftice ; and thus 
 
 this end, he juftifies andabfolves poor finners. they flight, and on the matter deny his juflice, 
 
 Now Godis glorified here two'w ays, 1. He gets as if he were not to be glorified in that attri- 
 
 the glory of his grace,that is exceedingly magni- bute, as well as in his grace and mercy ; wkere- 
 
 fied thereby, as is clear, Epb 1.5. Having pre- as there is no other way to declare God to be ju(t 
 
 deflinatedus te the ad:pti:n of children by Jefus in the jollification of them that believe. but this, 
 
 €brifl tc himfelf. according to the g.;d pUaftre of w hich brings them to Chrill's fatisfaction. 
 
 bis will, to the praife of the gl.ry :f bis grace : Ufe 2. It's ground of notable confolation, and 
 
 It's the Lord's pleafure, to gloriry his grace ; 
 and this proves to be the glory of his grace, 
 when a finner liable to wrath is fully juilified, 
 and intitied to heaven. 2.He gets thereby the 
 glory of his jullice*ar.d rightecufnefs, which 
 takes in the glorifying of God's holinefs and 
 wifdom : He is feen here to be a holy God, 
 who will needs telliry his diilike at fin, where- 
 
 encouragement to a poor exercifed foul. 6?n- 
 fibleof lin, whereupon to expect, juftification ; 
 It's God's end,in jutlifyingfinners, to fet out the 
 glory of his grace : and is it not much, that God 
 mould contrive fuch a way for glorifying of 
 himfelf, as mould carry along with it good to 
 us, yea fuch a way as ihould refolve in cur good, 
 which comes in as a fubordinate end. to the g 
 
 ever it is ; a jull God, that will needs punifhit; fying of his grace, as the ultimate encr m v net 
 
 a gracious God, that will pardon ; and fuch a this be an encouragement to tb.ru, to le.-k iftei 
 
 wife God, as finds out the. way, how both to jutlification on thefc terms, ar 
 punifh and pardon, without any the leaft im- Ufe $. Itihews, That as many as fubmit not^ 
 
 putation, either to his juftice, or to his mercy to the way ot this righteoufoefs, and of jufti— - 
 and grace *, and fo he. Qievta himfelf to be infi- fccationi 
 
3os , V&& iv 
 
 fication bygrace,are thwarting with God's end •, 
 they let themfelves to hinder and obftruft it, 
 even that he ihould not be gloxified in his 
 juftice and mercy : they do what they can, that 
 God Ihould neither be jail nor gracious j but 
 he (hall be juil in condemning them, whether 
 they will or not : though he be not glorified 
 in his grace, as to them, they fetting them- 
 felves, what tiny can, to let it; ye in his ju- 
 ftice he fhall moll certainly be glorified. O 
 that men and women believed ho.v deep their 
 guilt draws, who are ftanding in the way of 
 the glorifying of God's grace ! it will be found, 
 in fome refpe&, to draw deeper than the guilt 
 of thefe abominable fins of adultery and mur- 
 der, in the day of the Lord : and yet many of 
 you will be found to have done this, and to 
 have come fhort of righteoufnefs. 
 
 For. the id, that is the merior'r.us caufe : take 
 it in this Doctrine, That the meritorious caufe, 
 that.procures our juftification, and with rtfpett 
 to which God juftifies a firmer, is the alone 
 merit and fat is fa ttion~of Chrift Jefus. And this 
 arifes from the text, on thefe two confederati- 
 ons,.^. Becaufe this j unification is bid down, 
 as an effect of Chrift's foul-travel, and Tuffering : 
 if justification be the proper and immediate ef- 
 fect of Chrift's fufferings, then his foul-fufferings 
 muft be the meritorious caufe of it, we cannot 
 imagine another : He purpofeth, by his Of- 
 ferings for the deft, |^at they fhall by his 
 knowledge be juftified; therefore they mull be 
 "abfolved, and juftified, by his inter pofing to 
 take on our debt, and lb his fufferings muft be 
 the procuring caufe of it. The 2d confiderati- 
 on is taken from the words following, He fhall 
 juftifie many, for he jball bear their iniquities : 
 if Chriil's bearing of our iniquities be the 
 ground of our juftification, or that by which it 
 is procured, then his Sufferings muft be the me- 
 ritorious caufe of our juftihC4Uion,or that on ac- 
 count whereof we are juftified ; becaufe his 
 bearing of our iniquities can no other ways be 
 the caufe of our juftification, but by his inter- 
 pofing to merit the fame to us by his fuflferings. 
 Would ye know, as if the prophet had faid, 
 how Chrift's fufferings fhall be the caufe of our 
 juftification? here it is, he fhall bear our iniqui- 
 ties , and therefore our juftification flows there- 
 from : the Lord, by the prophet, hath fo knit 
 thefe two together, that his fufferings both go 
 before, and are fubjoyned to his juftifying of 
 many, that it may be put out of queftion, 
 that the Mediator's fuflferings is the alone 
 meritorious caufe of his pronouncing the 
 fentence of juftification, and of accepting 
 
 Verfe 11. Sertn, J&. 
 
 and _ accounting us as righteous before him. 
 
 This is not in fo many words profefledly con- 
 troverted, or denied by the .Papifts, with 
 whom we here deal: for they grant, that Chrilt 
 by his fufferings procures grace, aod God's ac- 
 ceptation of our good works, in fo far as they 
 are rewarded beyond their condignity : but, to 
 make the difference betwixt them and us the 
 more clear, we (hall put in feur'words in the. 
 docfrine,and fpeak a little to them ; we fay then, 
 that Chrift's fatisfa&ion is not only the meri- 
 torious caufe of juftification, but alio, 1. It is 
 the neareft and moft immediate caufe. 2. The 
 alone meritorious caufe. 3. The meritorious 
 caufe, as contradiftiguilhed from, and oppo- 
 (cd to our works, and inherent righteoufnefs. 
 4. It is the meritorious caufe,as inherent in him, 
 and as imputed to us. Thefe four are clear in the 
 text, and may very well be put in the dodlrine. 
 
 i//,Then we fiy,it's not only the meritorious 
 caufe,but the next immediate caufe, caufa propin* 
 qua (as we ufe to fpeak in fchools) of our juitifi- 
 cation; fo that if it be asked,What is the caule or 
 ground on which God abfolves a (inner, or the 
 next immediate thing, that he hath a refpedf to 
 in his juftifying of him ? It's Chrift's merit, his 
 foul-travel and fuffering : Papifts deny this, 
 and make the next immediate caufe to be the 
 grace tnfufed in us, that which is called, gratia 
 gratumfaciens : but if ye ask the prophet, what 
 is the ground, I mean the next immediate cauf5, 
 on which juftification is derived to many ? he 
 t'eHs us, that it is not the inherent righteoufnefs of 
 thefe who are juftifu d,but that it's Chrift's/: ul- 
 travel, and his bearing of cur iniquities : hence, 
 1 Cor. I- 30- Chrift is called our righteoufnefs, 
 He is (faith the apoftle) made of God unto us, 
 voifdom, righteoufnefs, &c. Not only by Chrift 
 have we a righteoufnefs, that makes us accep- 
 table to God, but his righteoufnefs is ours, and 
 God's refpecting of us, in, or through it, ma- 
 king us acceptable. 
 
 2dly, Not only is his righteoufnefs the meri- 
 torious caufe, but it's the only meritorious, or 
 the alone meritorious caufe ; and herein Papifts 
 and we differ : They grant, that Chrift's latif- 
 fa&ion is the meritorious caufe ; but remotely- 
 only, as it procures inward or inherent grace, 
 by which we merit; but they will not have 
 it to be the only meritorious caufe, but will 
 needs have our own works to merit alio, and 
 that properly ; whereas the prophet fpeaks of 
 juftification, as the effect of Chrift's foul -tra- 
 vel only : and if fo, then there can be no 
 other thin2 admitted, for there cannot be 
 two 
 
Serm. <J6. • *f **<**> 53- 
 
 ' two focial or joint meritorious caufes ; there- 
 fore throughout the fcripture, when the me- 
 rit of juftification is attributed to Chrift, it 
 excludes all other things, and is oppofed to our 
 own works ; which is the Third thing. 
 
 ^dlj, Then we fay. That ChriuVs righteouf- 
 nefs is the meritorious caufe of our juitificati- 
 on, as contradiftinguiihed from, and oppofed 
 to our own inherent righteoufnefs, or works ; 
 and herein alfo Papifls and we differ : they 
 grant indeed a meritorious influence to Chrift's 
 righteoufnefs; but that is (fay they) as it makes 
 our own righteoufnefs meritorious, not as con- 
 tradiftinguifhed from, and oppofed to our own 
 righteoufnefs, but as having influence on it. 
 Now thefe are dire&ly oppofed in fcripture ; 
 Ifliall only name that one clear place, Phil. 3. 
 9. That J may be found in him, not having mine 
 own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that 
 which is by the faith oj'Cbrifl \ where Paul is con- 
 futing, and refolving what he will take himfelf 
 to, as his defence at the bar of God ; we fee, 
 1. That it is his fcope and defign, that, in the 
 day of judgment, he may be found in fuch a 
 ca'e and pofture, that he may be able to abide 
 the trial. And 2. That he fpeaks of Two righ- 
 teoufnefles, the One is his own, that is the inhe- 
 rent grace which he hath gotten, and the works 
 which he hath done ; the Other is the righ- 
 teoufnefs of Chrift without him, which is by 
 faith ; Now, when he lays his reckoning, he 
 is fo far from joining thele two together, as 
 con-caufes, or focial caufes of his juftification, 
 that he oppofes them;That I may be found in him s 
 not having mine cwnrighteoufnefs\ in him, with- 
 out my o'wn,or.»^ having my cwn^&cc. in him,as 
 having given up with, denied and renounced 
 my own righteoufnefs : He will not admit of 
 that, on any terms, ia lefs or in more; fo clear- 
 ly doth he, as to his juftification before God, 
 feclude his own righteoufnefs, and betake, him- 
 felf to Chrift's righteoufnefs alone, as contra- 
 diftinguifhed to his own. 
 
 AthJy, We fay,That Chrift's righteoufnefs,as 
 it is in him, and imputed to us, or made ours 
 by imputation, is the alone meritorious caufe 
 of our juftification and fdvation ; fo as that 
 which he hath purchafed is reckoned and ac- 
 counted the finner's, as if it were his own in- 
 herently and perfonally : This I alfo gither from 
 the words, i?y his knowledge Jhall my righteous fer- 
 vantjuflify many f r he Jhall bear their iniquities', 
 Would ye know, as if the prophet had faid, 
 how Chrift is the meritorious caufe of justifi- 
 cation ? Thus it is, becaufe he fhall bear their 
 iniquities ; if he hath taken on the burden of 
 
 Verfe 1 1. 309 
 
 their fins, and had their fins imputed to him, 
 then it will follow by proportion, that they 
 are juftified by the imputation of his righte- 
 oufnefs to them. And there is nothing that the 
 fcripture doth more inculcate than this, that we 
 are juitifled by the righteoufnefs of Chrift, 
 without us, and imputed to us, or reckoned 
 ours; we by faith laying hold upon it, and God's 
 accepting of it- for us<> makes it become ours ; 
 and yet there is 'nothing that we do more 
 pra&ically err in, and which Papifls do more 
 fcorn and flout at, wholly enervating the way 
 and contrivance of grace, by excluding and 
 Ihouldering out the righteoufnefs of Chrift, cal- 
 ling itjin derifion, a.putative,or meerly fancied, 
 and imaginary righteoufnefs. (as if there were 
 no reality in it) and by bringing in, and efta- 
 blilhing their own righteoufnefs ; though it be 
 very clear from this, and many ether Scriptures, 
 that Chrift's righteournLfs muft be ours by im- 
 putation, becaufe he bare our iniquities : He 
 became our righteoufnefs, by paying of our 
 debt, as our Cautioner, and no other ways ; 
 the fcripture never fpeaks of his being our righ- 
 teoufnefs, by procuring ability to us to pay 
 our own debt. 
 
 I fhall clear this qth Branch a little further, 
 becaufe it will ferve to clear the reft, that is, 
 That ChriiVs righteoufnefs, as it is in him, and 
 imputed to us, is the only meritorious caufe of 
 our juftification ; and if we confider, 27r/?, The 
 way of juftiheation that is ufed among men, 
 this will be the more plain ; There being two 
 covenants, by the one of which life was once 
 attainable, and by the other of which it is now 
 attainable; 1. The covenant of works, which 
 abfolves a man thit never brake it, which is, as- 
 when one among men, or before mens court, is 
 declared to be tree, becaufe he was never ow- 
 ing the debt. 2. The covenant of grace, that 
 provides a Cautioner to pay the finner's debt, 
 upon whofe payment thereof, bad reccurfe to 
 by faith, there is accefs in law to the finner 
 to call for abiblution : Even as it is in mens 
 courts, though the principal debitor hath no- 
 thing to pay, yet if the cautioner pay the debt, 
 it is the principal debitor's clearing •, and if he 
 fhouldbe again charged to pay the debt, his im~- 
 mediate defence would be, that the cautioner 
 had paid it already ; So is it here, the Lord- 
 hath borrowed, and made ufe of this way, that 1 
 is ufrd among men, to make the myftery of ju-- 
 ft ification, which paifeth in the court rf God,t he- 
 more clear to us: it is as if one fhould alledge,that- 
 fuch a perfenis owing ib much^and he ibouid fay, 
 
3 *° Ifaiab. $3* 
 
 I cannot be charged with it, and upon what 
 ground ? no, becaufe lam not owing the debt ,b at 
 becaufe fuch a one has paid it for me ; fo fays the 
 Apoftle, Rom, 8. 34. Who jhalllay any thing to 
 the charge of God's cleft? it is God that jujiipth, 
 mho fball condemn ? it is Chrift that died, &c. 
 The defence propoied before the tribunal oF 
 God, is Chrift dying, and that is as much as he 
 hath paid the price, or debt •, who then can 
 charge it on the principal debitor ? And the 
 frame and contexture o\' the words fhews, that 
 it is a judicial procedure ; for they fuppofe a 
 charge or libel, and a fentence ; and the meri- 
 torious caufe of the fentence of abfolution isjhat 
 Chrift hath died. 
 
 idly, If we confider the nature of the two co- 
 venants,- and compare them together, it will be 
 clear, the Papifts confound the two covenants ; 
 for works to them is the condition of both co- 
 venants, making ufeof that place, Matth. 19. 17, 
 1\,Keep the commands) if thou wilt be per fell, fell 
 all thou haft, and give to the poor ; quite con- 
 trary to the fcope of it : For therein Chrift is 
 putting the man to a thing impoifibleto himfelf, 
 to bring him to fee the neceflity oi a Mediator, 
 anddifcover his unfoundnefs, when he will not 
 forgo his great pofTefTions for him : But the fcrip- 
 ture doth clearly difference the covenant of 
 grace, and the covenant of works, that they 
 are oppofed ; for the covenant of works faith, 
 Do this and live ; and the covenant of grace 
 faith, Jfthoujhalt believe with thy heart in the 
 Xord Je fm, and confefswith thy mouth, thou Jhalt 
 be fayed: and therefore the account of one's be- 
 ing juftified in the covenant of grace, muft be 
 different from the account whereon one is jufti- 
 fied in the covenant of works, otherways they 
 could not \>e oppofite ; the covenant of works 
 refpe&s the inherent righteoufnefs, as the con- 
 dition ; the covenant of grace refpe&s faith, 
 taking hold of the righteoufnefs of Chrift ; and 
 therefore his righteoufnefs muft juftify, as 
 being in him without us, and as imputed to us: 
 it cannot be our -righteoufnefs within, that ju- 
 ilifies ; for fo, it Should be the fame with the 
 covenant of works ; for though Chrift did pro- 
 cure inherent righteoufnefs to us, it makes no 
 difference in the condition it felf,whichis works. 
 
 3dly, It will be clear, if we confider how the 
 fcripture fpeaks of Chrift's righteoufnefs be- 
 coming ours, even as our fins became Chrift's, 
 a-nd was the caufe (if we may fo (peak) of his 
 condemnation; that is, as he became liable to 
 the curfe, that as he flood a legal Perfon in our 
 room, he became guilty, and liable to ihc 
 payment of our debt ; for otherways it is a- 
 
 y erfe *<• Scrm. <6. 
 
 bomination once to fpeak of his condemnati- 
 on ; and if his righteoufnefs become ours, as 
 our fin became his, then certainly his righte- 
 oufnefs is the caufe of our juftification, as it is 
 in him inherently, and in us by imputation 
 only. Theblafphemy of Antinomians is moft de- 
 tcilable and not at all pleaded for, even by Pa- 
 pifts) and therefore weftand not on it here. Now 
 our fin became Chrift's by imputation, there- 
 fore his righteoufnefs muft be ours the fame 
 way .- If it then were asked, How we are jufti- 
 fied ? The text anfwers, He Jhall jxftify many, 
 becaufe he foall bear their iniquities: the prophet 
 makes his fufferings to be the antecedent, 
 whereof our juftification is the confequent; for 
 his bearing of our iniquities is given as a reafon 
 of our juftification; this is alio clear, 2Cor. 5. ult. 
 He was made fin for us. who knew no fmjbat we 
 might be made the righteoufnefs ofGodinhim: in 
 which words the Spirit of the Lord doth (o ex- 
 plain, bound and inculcate this, that there can 
 be no^ rational exception againft it, nor evafion 
 from it ; He was made fin, that is, a fin-offering, 
 or an offering for our fin, though there was 
 no guile found in his mouth ; though he had 
 no fin, neither v w*s capable of fin, yet he was 
 made a facrifice for our fin j as£? was made fin, 
 fo are we made the right ecufnefs of God in him. If 
 any fhould ask, Vv hat is it to be made righteous? 
 the A poftle anfwers, Even as Chrift was made 
 fin, the fame way are we made righteous ; and 
 that is, by imputation of Chrift's righteoufnefs to 
 us, and not by our own merit; we have no more 
 merit than he had fin : But as he was account- 
 ed to be the finner, though free of fin in his 
 own perfon ; fo a believing finner is account- 
 ed righteous, though without any merit in him- 
 felf, becaufe God hath ingaged in his cove- 
 nant, to make Chrift's righteoufnefs forthcom- 
 ing to the believer : Though that were enough, 
 yet the Spirit of the Lord addeth a further 
 Word, in him, to anfwer that queftion, Whether 
 Chrift hath procured inherent holinefs to us, 
 that thereby we may be juftified ? No,faith he, 
 that is not the way ; our righteoufnefs is in him, 
 and not inherent in us : even as the fin imputed 
 to Chrift is inherently in us ; fo the righteouf- 
 nefs, whereby we are juftified, is inherently in 
 him. 
 
 A-thly, It may be clear from this, that frequent 
 ly it is called a righteoufnefs that is attained 
 by faith, and that it is oppofed to our own 
 righteoufnefs and working ; now it cannot be 
 conceived, how we can get a righteoufnefs by 
 faith, but by pleading that his righteoufnefs 
 
 may 
 
Serm. $6. T/aiab J* Verfe it. ^09 
 
 may be imputed untous,flow.3.22. It is called the which can be no other but the righteoufnefs of 
 rlghtecufnefs which is by faith, and v. 25. Whm Chrift. 
 
 God hath fet forth for a propitiation through faith v tfblyjt is clear from the plain and dircft ex- 
 in his 'blood; and cbap.$. v.^. To himtba't worketh prefiions of fcripture to this purpofe ; take but 
 not, but believeth on him that juftifieththe itngod- thefe few, as Rom. 4. 3. and 22. compared with 
 ly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs : Faith Gen. i^'.6. Abraham believed God, and it was 
 taking hold of his righteoufnefs offered to' Tin- counted to him for righteoufnefs; he'hadthe pro- 
 ners in the gofpel, c; his righteoufnefs fo taken mife of Chrift to come,and received and refted ort 
 hold of, 'becomes a "propitiation to pacify God it ; it was'not his faith; but the promifcof the 
 towards the Tinner, as if he had fatisfied in his 'Mejfiah refted on by faith,- that was imputed to 
 own perfon : Even as if a company of men had him for iightebufnefs ; and v. 6. Even as David 
 been out in rebellion, and a proclamation of defcribetbfke ■blefjednefs of the mantowbemCod 
 pardon comes forth from the King, : becaufe he ' impfiteth right er.ufnef smith out works ; It is not, 
 is fatisfied by a great friend, who hath paid their Bleffed is the man who is holy(thoughfuoha man 
 ranfom : Which proclamation of pardon runs on « ferioufly ftudying to be holy, albeit not in or- 
 thefe tefms, Whoever will lay down arms, and ^der to his Juftification thereby) but bleffed is he 
 come in,and accept of the King's pardon, that is ' to whom righteoufnefs is imputed without works ^ 
 procured, and made offer of, fhall be acquitted and he confirms it from 'P fat. 32. r Bleffed is he 
 
 ' of the guilt of rebellion, and received into favour; * rohofe tranfgrbjfion is f )r given, and who fe finis co- 
 who, whenever they are challenged, will plead vcred;blejjed is the man to whom the Lord impu- 
 their abfolution on that friend's procurement,and tetb not iniquity. 'Bleifed is the man to whom the 
 offered on fuch terms in the proclamation : Now ; Lord imputes righteoufnefs,tho' he haveit not in 
 fuppofe(as I hinted before,not long ago)thatwhen himfelf, and to whom he imputes not fin,though 
 thele rebels have yielded themfelves, andaccep- f he haveit in himfelf ; fo, 2 Cor. $.19. God was in 
 ted of the terms, if any of them fhould be cal- v Chrift reconciling the world unto himfelf not im- 
 led to anfwer at the bar, or the King's bench, as puting their trefpajjes unto them. Jefus Chrift it 
 being challenged for his rebellion*; his anfwer the Reconciler ofthe world to God by his own 
 and defence would be, That fuch a proclamati- merit ; being Gcfd and Man in one Perfon the 
 on was made to us, and I laid down my arms, efficacy of his furferings' reconciled the world 
 and accepted of the pardon ; this* in juftice' of the elecf : and how is this purchafed reconci- 
 would be admitted, arid /fuftalned as Relevant, liation applied ? By not imputing their trefpaf- 
 becaufe that proturement or proctfred pardon ' ferunto them. That which here is called jufti- 
 
 ' becomes the perfon's, according to the terrhs of fi 'cation, is there Called not imputing oftranfgref- 
 the proclamation : It is even Co here, we are re- grejjion, through that righteoufnefs which Chrift 
 bels to God, Chrift Jefus fteps in, as the great hath purchafed, or through offering up of him- 
 Friend of finners,and fatisfied juftice; and there- felf a facrifice to God, to fatisfy his juftice. 
 upon the proclamation comes out,as itis,A3si.2» 6thly, We might fay, That this way of juftifi- 
 38, 39/ Be it known uhtoyou,'men and brethren^ cation,through the imputation of Chrift's righ- 
 that through this Man is preached unto you the teoufnefs, ought to be admitted according to 
 forgivenefs of fins ; and by him all that believe are Tdpifls own grounds ; For, 1. they grant that 
 juftified from all things, from which ye could not young children,' who cannot merit, are juftifi- 
 be juftified by the law of Mofes ; When thefinner ed and admitted to glory *by' Chrift's merit, as 
 is arraigned before the tribunal o^ God, he hath the immediate and proxime caufe of their jufti- 
 two afts -of his faith ; one that fubmits to fication; and why not alfo of thofe that are at 
 God, and to his way of ahfolving finners, and age ? Is he not the common caufe ? what abfur- 
 another that pleads for abfolution, ' not on the dity is in the one more than in the other ! Is not 
 terms of his own innocency, 'but on the terms " J the justification of both alike Free? Though 
 on which Chrift's fatisfa&ion is made offer to there be difference in the manner of application, 
 him ; and fo faith juftifies. as it takes hold of yet in the meritorious Caufe there is no' Siffe- 
 the meritorious caufe, and builds its defence rence ; and feeing to children, ChrtfHs the me- 
 at God's bar, on Chrift's righteoufnefs alone; ritorious caufe of their juftification, why not 
 it is the procurement of the Mediator that it -alfo to thefe come to age ? 2. They will grant 
 pleads upon, and in this fenfe the imputed an imputation of the righteoufnefs and merits 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift, and the righteoufnefs of other faints to them that want tf their own, 
 of faith, are one and the fame, becaufe faith ;as to the removal of temporal plague:-, and the 
 takes hold of the righteoufnefs without us, "S f • taking 
 
310 IJalah ^3. 
 
 taking them out of purgatory ;and if the> grant 
 that there may be an imputation of the merits 
 of faints, why deny they the imputation of the 
 merits of Chrift, as to the removal of eternal 
 wrath ? Is there any probability, that there can 
 be any imputation of the one, and not an impu- 
 tation of the other ? 3. They allow an imputa- 
 tion of Chrift's merits, as to the procuring of 
 the iii ft grace, without all faith apprehending 
 lum ; and if, by their own do&rine, it be not 
 abfurd to fpeak of Chrift's merit, as to the infu- 
 fing of grace at firft, why fhall it be thought ab- 
 furd to fpeak of Chrift's merit, as to the procu- 
 ring of glory ? 4. They grant, that there is an 
 imputation of'ChrirFs righteoufnefs, as to the 
 procuring of glory, in a higher degree (though 
 they fay, that it is a far better life, which comes 
 by our own works) and why not, as to the procu- 
 ring of glory in a lower degree, yea, both o grace 
 andglory,and of every good thing? We have in- 
 lifted on this the more, 1. Becaufe it's the main 
 foundation of our faith, and the end of it, and the 
 great fcope of the gofpel. 2. Becaufe there are fo 
 many miftakes about this,and a grofs miftake in 
 this is remedilefs,whenwecomebeforeGod.Even 
 before the tribunal of men, if we make a wrong 
 defenee, it hazards our caufe ; fo is it here, for 
 to have a hiding-place in Chrift» and under the 
 covert of his righteoufnefs, is our only de- 
 fence before the dreadful tribunal of God. 3. 
 Becaufe it ferves much to clear this truth ; for 
 we would have you knowing, that it is not e- 
 nough to fpeak of Chrift's merit, as the caufe 
 of our friendship with God ; aPapiJi will do that, 
 who yet leaneth not to Chrift's merits alone, but 
 to his own, at leaft in part, and in conjunction 
 with Chrift's ; and therefore we would now and 
 then fpeak of this, becaufe there is fuch horrible 
 ignorance of it,thougha fundamental truth. How 
 many gay honeft folks (as they are called and ac- 
 counted) are there among us, that cannot tell 
 how they, came to be juftified, or what is the 
 ground which they have to reft on,if they were 
 
 toina to die ? Ts it not abfurd, that men fhould 
 e called Proteflants, and live fo long under the 
 clear light of the gofpel, and yet be ignorant ©f 
 dus main point of the proteftant religion f 
 
 Therefore, i.Make this Ufe of it, to inform 
 your felves in the caufes of your juftification, 
 and to turn them over into queftions and an- 
 fwers to your fely.es ; fo that if ye ask, what is the 
 efficient caufe of juftification? It's God the Party 
 offended. What is the final caufe of itP It is his 
 glory. What isths meritorious caufe?It'sChrift's. 
 anejrit^or his righteoufnefs imputed, to us* What 
 
 Verfe I*- 'Serm. t$fr 
 
 is the inward inftrumental caufe ? It's faith 
 &c. according to the folid anfwer given in ourCa- 
 techiim, to that queftion, What is juftification ? 
 It is an att of God? s free grace, wherein be par* 
 donetbaU our fins, and accepteth us as righteous 
 in bis fight, only fir the righteoufnefs ofCbrifl im- 
 puted to us and received by faith alone; where the, 
 efficient caufe is God's free grace, Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs the only meritorious caufe, and the on- 
 ly inward inftrumental caufe, faith alone ; the 
 formal caufe, God's pardoning our fin, and ac- 
 cepting of us as righteous : Remember well, 
 that it is not Chrift's righteoufnefs, as having a 
 merit in it, to procure inherent righteoufnefs, 
 but as it is imputed unto us,and accounted ours,- 
 that juftiiies us ; thus ye will remember the 
 difference betwixt Chrift's righteoufnefs and our 
 own.And as for the externalinftrumental caufe,ic 
 is holden out.in thefe words of our Catechiirn in 
 the defcription of faith, as be is offered to us in 
 thegcfpel : all thefe caufes muft in ordinary dif- 
 penfation concur to our juftification, and the par* 
 doning of our fins. 
 
 The 2d Ufe ferves to teach us to be on our • 
 guard againft the Vopifja error of juftification by 
 works : though we are here mercifully keepea 
 free, yet the land is tempted in feveral corners 
 of it, to ihuifle by Chrift's righteoufnefs, and to 
 bring in mens own righteoufnefs or Aolinefs, as 
 the ground of their acceptation before God ; 
 There are fome fpottings of it within a few 
 miles to this place \ and fince this error draws 
 fouls away from that which is therr right and 
 only defence before .God, that is Chrift's righte« 
 oufnefs, it cannot but ruin them ; which fhould 
 make you all to look well about you, and upon 
 this account to abhor it : It's one of the great 
 delufions of the man of fin, which being once 
 admitted, will, with your ownconfent,bringyou 
 again in bondage to a covenant of works. 
 
 Ufe 3. Follow this way in your practice in \ 
 your feeking after juftification, renounce your- 
 own righteoufnefs, and lean to Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs alone. W hat better are many of us in our 
 practice than Papifts ? If ye ask many, What is it 
 that fatisfies the juftice of God f Some will an- 
 fwer, 1 .Their good prayers,or their good works}, 
 and if they have don* a faulty they fhall make 
 amends. 2.0therswill fay,That they have a good 
 heart to God, and they mind well, though it's 
 but little they dow do.3.0thers will thankGod, 
 that they have been keeped from grofs evils*, and 
 that he hath helped them to pray, and to wait 
 on ordinances^ and though they have no righ- 
 teoulhefs of their own, yet God hath helped 
 
 shesa . 
 
Serm. <# ■ I/aiab $3. 
 
 them to do many good things ; and thus all that 
 they lean to, is ftill within them. 4-Others will 
 fay, We warrant you, we can merit nothing,but 
 we hope,through Chrift's righteoufnels, our ho- 
 linefsand prayers will be accepted;not as duties, 
 or fruits of faith, but they think to make thefe 
 two concur, as the ground of their juftification; 
 U wit, Chrift's righteoufnefs, and their own per- 
 formances together. And, What is all this but 
 black and abominable Popery ? And yet, if we go 
 through the generality of profeffors, great folk, 
 and mean folk, we will find few, but,, by one or 
 other of thefe ways, they delude themfelves; and 
 that but very few have Chrift's righteoufnefs, as 
 the immediate ground of their juftification and 
 defence before God: Be afhamed therefore, that 
 ye are fo ignorant of this point, and be exhor- 
 ted to ftudy it as the main thing, if ever ye think 
 to (land before God's tribunal, and to carry your 
 caufe ; be exhorted, I fay, to be clear in this de- 
 fence, which only will be found relevant before 
 God, and nothing but this, t wit, the fatisfacK- 
 on of Chrift, taken hold of, andreftedon by 
 faith. 
 
 The 4th. Ufe ferves for notable confolation 
 to a poor finner, that hath no righteoufnefs of 
 his own, and who without this would never 
 have peace. What would any of you think or 
 fay, if ye had your prayers and good works to 
 hold up to God, for the ground of your juftifi- 
 catioh ? But here is a way for the mod prophane 
 
 Verfe Ii. 31;-, 
 
 and gracelefs to be juftified ; which we do not 
 mention to fofter prophanity, or an indifferency 
 as to the having or wanting of inherent grace 
 and holinefs, God forbid we liiould : But to hold 
 out the excellency of this way of juftification by 
 Grace, whereto, if ye kindly fubmit, ye. may 
 come to be juftified. It's not your own righte- 
 oufnefs, whether ye have lefs or more of it, that 
 juftifiesyou; for to that ye muft be denied, and 
 endeavour to make this fure and ficker : there- 
 fore let not this grace be offered to you in vain ; 
 if ye flight it, it will be a fearful challenge, and 
 will make you one day ftand with a iilent mouth, 
 and an empty hand, when ye fhall be charged,, 
 becaufe ye have not laid hold on this righteouf- 
 nefs, which only can anfwer all challenges ; and 
 ye fhall ftand naked before God, becaufe ye had 
 this Robe of Chrift's imputed righteoufnefs, for 
 covering of your nakednefc, in your offer, and 
 would notput it on. This is it that bare through 
 David, Abraham and Paul, and all other be- 
 lievers ; yea, that which (to fay fo) bare through 
 our Lord Jefus, who was juftified in the Spirit, 
 as he flood in the room of ele& finners ; and be- 
 lievers in him may be fully aifured of their jufti- 
 fication, through" his imputed righteoufnefs, 
 not that which is his&fTential, but cautionary 
 righteoufnefs ; therefore throng in to make 
 ufe of it. And let God himfelf blefs through 
 Chrift what hath beenjaid to you to this pur- 
 pofe. 
 
 ^r ^ P * ^ v *v ^ '$* T r V z V V *r r 1 V V *& V *? V t 1 r 1 '? *? *? V *? *? ^ V '^ *{* ^>^ x fy %^fy fy<? fy ^ <?*?*£ 
 
 SERMON LYII " 
 
 bis knowledge fhall my righteous Servant jujttfy many, for he fhall bear theh 
 iniquities* 
 
 *Hefe words fhewthe great fcope andde- faith is confequent to, and fuppofes preceeding 
 fign of the covenant of redemption, and of knowledge, as we may fee, Rom. 10. How fnall 
 
 Ifaiah$3.u. 
 
 Chrift's' fufferings agreed upon therein, which 
 have been fo much infifted on in the former 
 vtrfes ; and that is in a word, that there may 
 be a ground laid down, how a ilnner may be ju- 
 ftified ; therefore there is the greater need, that 
 this point be well ftudied, in "all the caufes of it. 
 
 they believe in him of whom they have not 
 heard ? Thus, faith is expreft by knowledge, 
 John 17. 3. This is life eternal, to know thee, 
 the only true God, and Jefus Chrift, &c. Now, 
 it cannot be eternal life, to know, by a mere no- 
 tional or fpeculative knowledge, for feveral re- 
 
 It follows now, that we confider this part of probate men exceed many believers in this; but: 
 the words, which holds out the mean, by which it's to know fo, as to believe in God, and to red 
 this benefit is made ours, and that is, by his on the Mediator for life through him, as it is, 
 knowledge, vyhich holds out the inftrumenial 2 Pet. 1.3. He hath given unto us all things that 
 Caufe or our juftification ; it's ordinarily fo cal- pertain to life and go dli fiefs, through the know- 
 led, and we fee no cogent reafon inducing us to a ledge of him, &c. Mere fpeculative knowledge 
 change of the defignation. Faith here is called cannot be the condition of the promifes.fbr they 
 Knowledge, not as if it were a bare fpeculative are made to the man that believes ; which belie- 
 notion, fuch as devils may have ; but becaufe ving,takes in,not only trfe a& of the mind, know- 
 knowledge is a notable antecedent to .faith, and ing and affentirig,but of the Will, conferring and 
 
 5 -f 2 clofip* 
 
312 Ifaidbte. Verfe ir. Serm. <il 
 
 cloftng with the Obje& known : And this will faid to be ftrong in faith, who are.tlrong in 
 be the more clear from thefe two,. i.Tnat by knowledge j and they are, faid. to. beuwcak in 
 knowledge, here is meaned that by which juftU knowledge, who are weak infaith, Rom. 14. u 
 ii cation is made ours, or. applied to us,, and that and 15, 1 . Becaufe they knew not that the cere- 
 which intitlesusto.it; Now, mere fpeculati/& monial law was taktn away, and particularly 
 knowjedgedoth not that,butit , s,faith embracing the diiFdrenje of meats, and fo durft not hazard 
 him, who is made known. 2.1fwe compare that on fome things, which their Chriftian liberty 
 which is attributed to knowledge here, with that gave them accels to.. 3. Corifider, that,, in jufti- 
 which is attributed to faith elfe where, Rom. 5.1. hcation, God would have a finner to proceed 
 Being juftified by faith , we have peace withGod% as a man doth, who tables his defence before an 
 aodifrwr. 3. 25. He is tbejuftifier of him which earthly tribunal of jullice; who, if he plead 
 bclieyethinrjefui-it we will find, that what is well, and on relevant grounds,^ he comes the 
 callqi Knowledge here, is called Faith there : better to.: and as it is dangerous, in a weighty 
 fo that we may, without hefitation, take the caufe depending,, to. have an. ignorant advocate, 
 meaning of the words th\is y My righteous Servant . who puts in. a wrong defence, fo is it here, and 
 Jball, by faith in him, juftijy many* who, by his in this cafe, to be ignorant ; hence, Rom. 10. it's 
 bearing ,of their iniquities, ihall beabfplved given,asthereafonof the jfewx mifcarriage in the 
 andfet free* .Therefore, what is fpoken of know- point of juftification; But. being ignorant of the 
 ledge in the do£trinc, we may look on it as a- right eoujnefs of God , they went about to eftablifh 
 greeing to, and meant of faiths their own.righteoufnefs ; that is, being ignorant 
 
 We fhall here infift a little on this JDo&rine, to that wbich r God. .would, accept f pr righ^eouf- 
 which is implied in the words, That juftifica- nefs, they thought to patchup one. of their own s 
 tion through faith, or theobtaining of the par- and Co is. it ftill, for,fpme hope to. come fpeed by 
 don of fin, through Chrift's righteoufnefs, ta- ; their prayers,- others. think to come fpeed by 
 ken hold of by faith, doth neceflarily prefupr- their gopd heart tA God ^ , a third jbrt puts in 
 pofe knowledge in the perfon that may exped , their good works, if not in exprefs words, yet 
 It; or thus* Faith, w heie.it is. faving, anoUuch. practically .• all which may let us./ee thenecef- 
 as jufti£es, hath always knowledge going along fityof knowledge to juftifipation, \ r Conflder, 
 with itiOtherwife faith could not be called Know>- , that there muft be repentance, ere a finner can 
 ledge f. there may be knowledge without faith, be juftified, < which fuppofeth, knowledge ; for 
 but there can be no faith without knowledge ; he muft needs, know his fin, and that his own 
 and fo cojnfequently a finner, cannot expect, jufti- , righteoufnefs . will not do his turn .*. and fo long 
 iication,jv/ithoutjcnowledgc» For making out of. as he is ignorant, he cannot repent, nor renounce 
 this, ye may confide* thefe things, I 1.. faith is, his own righteoufnefs ; for, while he is fo, he 
 of it felf nothing, but as it lays hpid onfome cannot know what is fin, and what is not fin ; 
 objeft v How can faith lay hold on».an object, ex- what is faith, and what is prelum ption, unlefs it 
 cept it know it? as the word is, Rom. 10* How, be by guefs ; and folk will never be fuatably af- 
 san they believe, except they heat ? Can any per- fefted with fin by guefs. The Apoftle Paul fays 
 fon reft, on an unknown Mediator ? That fure. (as it is r Rom.%. £•) Before the law,came y I was 
 were not faith, but a blind guefling; it's juft, as aliv^\ that is, before it canietp him,in the know- 
 if ye fhouldfay thatye believe fucha thing,when, ledge of its fpirjtual meaning, and broad extent 
 yet ye cannot at a\i.tell what it is.; whicty ^ not^> of if : while, he was a Fharifee, he was alive, in 
 faith, but, as I faid,. blind gueifingaridprefump-* his own efteem; But when the commandment 
 tion. , 2* Faith,, as juftifyingj is, always hplden fame,finrevived, and he died \ he then faw need, 
 forth, as makingufe of, and giving cred,it to that of another, righteoufnefs than his own.. We preach 
 which is, revealed in the word * hence, we that to you Sometimes the necefTity of repentance,, 
 hear the gofpel, have that revea|ed to us there- and of your being humbled ; and that ye fhould 
 in> binding us to. the belief of it, t,hat heathens deny your- own righteoufnefs, . and, betake you 
 have not ; asjt is, . Rom» 1 • 17*,/ am notafbamedk to Chrift 's ; r but, except there be knowledge of 
 tftbie gofpel of (thrift j for therein {s the,rigbte- t your unrighteoufnefs,. „ it's as. if we fhould bid 
 vrfnef&ofGoartv&alefl pom faith to fajtb^yihere: you wafh. where there, is no Tpot feen* 5*Look. 
 itis.neceuarily preuippofed, that the revealing;, foreward to the duties,of holinefs, which arene- 
 of the. righteoufnefs, ot the-, golpel (which* here^ ceirary, though not to iuftify you^ yet that ye 
 comprehends, the knowing Qt it) mu(l go, before : may live as it becomes juftified perfons; though 
 faith; and as a perfon grows in faith,, he grows -. not to make your peace, yet to glorify God, , 
 in the knowledge Qt \S,< Hence alfb, they are ^ and.. 
 
Serm. fr V**at H* Verfe n. 313 
 
 and to keep up friendships with him* Now, can feparating of thefe two, knowledge and faith, 
 any know, or do duties, who are ignorant I ? If it- be asked here, What knowledge is requi- 
 hence it comes to pafs, that fome hazard on fite to justification ? I would fpeak a word to 
 fin, taking it to he duty, and fear fomeiimes this queftion, not fo much for tatisfying of : cu- 
 at duty, as if it were .firu 6. Coniider your riofity^ but for your inftruftion, who are more 
 own peace, and in order to.it, there is a necei- ignorant \ and to fhew-the neceflity of the thing 
 fity of knowledge, elfe there wilL be iliLl &doubt«- and to give you a fliort view of thefe things that 
 ing whether ye are right or wrong ; hence it's arenereflfary to be known about this matter: and 
 faid, Rom.14. He that doubtetb, or doth doubt* therefore, L Ye mud know God that juftifies 
 ingly, is damned ; for he hath a fentencein his you, ere ye can be jullified ; as it is, John 17.3. 
 own confeience againft himtelf, though he may This is life eternal, to know thee the only true 
 be doing that which on the matter is right. 7. God,and him whom thou baft fent,Jefus Chrift ; 
 In a word, ignorance puts us out or cafe to If ever ye be abfolved before fuch ajudicatory,ye 
 make ufe of many notable opportunities and muft know your Judge ; that there is one God, 
 privileges ; we know not what u(e te make of that he is one in his erfence, and that there are 
 the word, of the facraments, or of Chrift : how three Perfons, yet fo, as the Trinity of Perfons 
 many have lived aconiiderable number of years doth, not hinder or obftrud the unity or~onenefs 
 ftrangers to the advantages that are to be. got- of the God-head, 1 John <>. 7. There art- three 
 ten'by him, through their want <of knowledge I that bear record in heaven, the father the Word % 
 therefore,. John^CbndS^sXQ the Samaritan^ and the holy Ghoft , and. thefe three are one* 
 woman, If thou badft known who it is. than ask- Study then to know. God, who. is your Judge, 
 ed it of tbee y thou wouldeft have given him not fo much out of curiofity, feeking. to know 
 drink, and bejhould have given thee living wa- how the Perfons differ, as to their manner of 
 ter \ where he infinuates, that her ignorance fubfifting, as bow to be fixed in the faith of the 
 was a great caufe why fhe keeped at fuch a'dift- thing. 2. Ye would know your felves, and what 
 ance from him* It's hardly poflihle, that fo many may be charged, on you before God-; can men 
 poor fouls would abide at fuch a.diftance from, carry rightly before a judge, or before a judi- 
 Chrift, it they knew him:. There is nodefire. catory, if they know not-.how • it ftands with 
 after that which is unknown; and therefore ma- them : and this will lead to know. the ftate and 
 t\y do live atiuch adiftancefrom Chrift, becaufe cafe wherein ye were made at firft,. and the co- 
 they have not fo much as the literal knowledge, venant-of works,, which God made with man 
 or hiftorical faith of bis worth. at the beginning, . when he gave to him the 
 
 The ufes are three,, I* Take it f&r granted, if promife oflife upon condition of obedience; 
 ever ye would. fee the face of God, that there is and that ye are liable to the curfe, due for the 
 a neceflity of knowledgejfor knowledge is a pieces breach of that law and covenant, elfe ye will ne- 
 of God's image,, as well as holinefs *, and know* ver know your hazard ; and knowing the breach 
 ledge is commanded, as well as holinefs.. Jtnow- of the law, and covenant of works, it will make 
 ledge was placed in the firft man Adam, as.well you, through God's blefling, to feek after jufti- 
 as holinefs v. and when we are renewed after the cation , which other wife ye will never do. And 
 image of God, in conformity to the. fecond^r fo ye are to know, that the firft covenant was 
 dam, we are renewed in knowledge : and. not broken by Adam> and that this made him and 
 only fo, but. knowledge is a mean of the exer- all his pofterity. liable to. the curfe, as being 
 ciie of faith, of repentance, and of holinefs •, and guilty of his tranfgreflion •, and this takes in the 
 if fuch a thing be needful, by the neceflity of a, knowledge of original fin,. ev«n of the finful 
 mid.s>.in order to. an end \ if obedience to a com- eftate wherein ye were b©rn,and of your actual 
 mand;or,if the thing it felf that is to be known, fins. 3. Ye muft know, how a finner, lying in 
 be neecjful \. then knowledge, muft be needful* fuch a ftate and cafe under fin and wrath, may 
 It's true,, we would, beware of extremities here ' y come to be abfolved ; and this, leads you in to 
 as either to v fay, on the one- hand; that .there know, that there is a new covenant made 
 muft be fuch a high degree of knowledge r for through a Mediator, in which there is a promife 
 in the fpeculative part of knowledge, (to fpeak: oflife and falvation, through, believing in him, 
 fo) reprobates may go beyond believers •, or upon- which; Rams 10. is> called the- law of faith, 
 the oth^r hand, to think that knowledge is ^which'gives: a finner ground of hope to be ju- 
 enougti, and that -there needs no, more but ■• ftified by the righteoufnefs of a Cautioner, and 
 knowledge, as alas many do reft upon their leads him in to know the defence^ that he may 
 knowledge : and therefore. ^Yc would beware of - and* 
 
314 faith $3* 
 
 and ought to plead upon before God. And there 
 is here prefuppofed, as a necefltty of knowing 
 your felves, fo a neceffity of knowing the law, 
 and covenant of works (for if we plead innocent 
 in any <jne fin, whereof: we are guilty, it may 
 hazard our eternal ruine) and a neceifity of 
 knowing Jefus Chrift, who is the meritorious 
 Caufe of our juftiiication ; that he became Man, 
 and did take to himfelfa true humane body, 
 and a realonable foul, that by the union of his 
 two natures^ he might be God and Man in 
 one Perfon ; in reference to which, he muft 
 needs be known ; for if we know him not to be 
 Man, we cannot underftand how divine juflice 
 is fatisfied ; and if we know him not to be 
 God, we cannot underftand how the humane 
 imture can be fuftained, and fupported and 
 carried through; in fatisfying the juftice of 
 God. And withal, a neceflity of knowing how 
 the Mediator procures this juftification : and 
 this leads us in to know his offices ; how he was 
 a Prieft, and inter'pofed betwixt God and fin- 
 flers, and made himfelf an offering for our fin, 
 and riiaketh interceffion for us ; hoy* he was a 
 Prophet,and how,when the thing was unknown, 
 to vvit, how a finner might have peace with 
 God, l\e revealed it of old by his prophets, in 
 the old teftament, and hisapoftlesand minifters 
 in the new teftament, and doth by his Spirit 
 enlighten the foul, to take up the difference be- 
 twixt juftification by faith, and juftification by 
 works ; how he is a Ring, to fubdue fin in us, 
 to'mortifie our corrupt nature, that will ftill 
 boaft till it be fubdued, to guide us in his way, 
 to right our fpiritual battles in us, and for us ; 
 and to take courfe with all his and our enemies: 
 otherwife, if we know not this, though we are 
 guftified juft now, we would be led, captive by 
 fin and Satan to our ruine within an hour ; but 
 knowing him to be King, it gives faith footing 
 to expert through-bearing and vicftory. 4. As 
 we muft know what Chrift is, ib we muft know 
 what is in Chrift, and what is communicated 
 and applied to finners by him, and lb the condi- 
 tion of the covenant of grace, which is faith, 
 whereby we come to be united to Chrift ; and 
 that this faith is not a bare affenting to the truth, 
 but a clofing with, and a refting on him : for 
 .we can pev'er believe, except we know, what faith 
 is. <5» It is needful, that we know what duty is 
 called for from a juftified perfon, to wit, repen- 
 tance and holinds \ becaufe, though he jufti- 
 fies none for repentance, yet he juftifies none 
 but penitents, and he requires repentance from 
 all whom he juftifies ; Except ye repent^ faith 
 <ChTiR 3 jcJba!Uli!ik;najs$eriJb ? for the curfc 
 
 Verfc 11. Serm. < 7 . 
 
 hts at the door, and we are Co to repent, as that 
 with grief 5 and hatred of fin,we turn from it un- 
 to God,with full purpofe of heartland endeavour 
 after new obedience. 6. There is alfo a neceffity 
 of the knowledge' of Chrift's ordinances (though 
 not abfolutely) in order to juftification ; to know 
 the lacraments, and how they reprefent Chrift 
 and the benefits that come by him; and how 
 they do ratifie and confirm the believer's right 
 to him, and thefe good things promifed through 
 him. Let me intreat you, believers, and as ma- 
 ny as look for juftiiication, to ftudy throughly 
 to know, that thefe things are neceffary to be 
 known ; even to know God, and your felves, arid 
 What ye may be juftly charged with before him, 
 that your mouths may be flopped ; to know 
 Jefus Chrift, and his offices, ( for ye can never 
 upon ground expert justification, except ye know 
 who hath procured it) to know what God re- 
 quires of thefe who are juftified : In a word, 
 ftudy fo much as may bring you to know your 
 loft eftate, and the remedy thereof, and how to 
 found your defence, when ye come before God, 
 CSV. And if ye would ftudy thus to .know God, 
 and know your felves, and your natural condi- 
 tion, and. Jefus Chrift, and the way how ye 
 come to be juftified through him, and your 
 duty to him, and.fo make a catechifm to your 
 felves out. of thefe few' heads, it were a fhort 
 and fure way to come to knowledge, 
 
 The 2d. Ufs ferves for reproof and con virti- 
 on to them that ly {till in ignorance, which is 
 a moft finful and dangerous condition ; for if 
 knowledge be a duty, and if ignorance be a fin, 
 and fuch a fin as hazards the foul, then what a 
 woful cafe are many of you in, who now hear 
 me ? lay afide all other fins, I would be atta- 
 ined to fpeak of the great ignorance that is a- 
 mong you ; how many of you are there, that 
 cannot give any tolerable account of your Cate- 
 chifm ? who know not your natural ftate and 
 concfition, nor the way how to come at peace 
 with God, nor any ground for your faith to reft 
 upon, nor Chrift, nor his offices ? and alas, if 
 it be fo, what better are ye than heathens ? fure 
 ye are much worie, becaufe ye have defpifed 
 knowledge ; can the gofpel give you faith, to 
 whom it. never gave knowledge. There are fe- 
 veral forts of perfons, to whom I would here 
 fpeak a word, 1. There are fomc that never 
 lay the neceifity of knowledge to heart, betwixt 
 whom and Turks and Pagans there is in this re- 
 fpert but little difference ; and yet fuch will be 
 ready to fay, We live, and do as well as we may ; 
 that tJtoe jnay .iiQt be a quarrel or controverfy 
 
 bewixt 
 
Serm. ^7. - #*'*» 53- 
 
 betwixt God and us: But is it poflible but there 
 mud be a quarrel, if it were but on this alone 
 account, that ye think there is none ? O that 
 ye wouid confider,what a fin ignorance is ! when 
 the devil appeared in the world, he made it a 
 great part or his fird work, to extinguifh and 
 put out the light of knowledge, and by this 
 means he labours dill to keep folk in ignorance ; 
 hence the apoflie fays, 2 Cor. 1. If our gofpel be 
 bid, Jt is hid to them who are loft, whofe eyes 
 the god cf this world hath blinded. Profanity 
 and error are great baits and fhares, but igno- 
 rance carries mo to hell than both thefe do; for 
 ignorance fodereth and cherifheth, if it do not 
 alfo beget, profanity and error ; as the apoftle 
 feter infinuates, when he fays, that the ignorant 
 or unlearned^ wrefl, or pervert the fcriptures 
 unto their own deflruftion. Much ignorance, and 
 conceit of knowledge, will foon and eafily fhake 
 people loofe, and make them a prey to error, and 
 alfo to profanity : Muft not ignorance then be 
 an evil thing, when it leads the way to fo many 
 other fins, and at lad to hell and dedru&ion ? 
 Hence it is, at lead in part, that the kingdom 
 of Satan is called the kingdom of darknefst and 
 fure they are very proper fubje&s of nisking- 
 dom, who are ignorant : And is it poffrble,think 
 ye, that people can think of God, or of their 
 duty aright, or have any folid peace, who are 
 in that condition? They are jud like to one 
 Sleeping on the top of a mad, in great hazard, 
 and yet utterly fenflefs of it. Look but to two or 
 three words, that hold out the dreadful danger 
 and hazard of your condition, who are ignorant ; 
 The fi rfl is that, 2TheJf. 1. Cbrifl will come in 
 framing flre^ to render vengeance to all them that 
 know no^Gody and obey not the gofpeU The 2d 
 is, Hof. 4. My people perijb for want of know- 
 ledge. The id is, If a. 27. This is a people of 
 no underftanding \ therefore he that mads them, 
 will have no mercy upon them. Think not then 
 little of ignorance, neither think your felves to 
 be well, fo long as ye live in it A 2d fort will 
 readily grant, that ignorance is -an evil thing, 
 and that knowledge is good and deferable ; but* 
 yet they take no pains to have. their ignorance 
 cured and removed, or to attain knowledge : 
 they are fecure and confident, tho* poor, blind 
 and wretched, and make their ignorance a cloke 
 of excufe for their other fins; hence fome will 
 fay, We have been poor ignorant bodies, and we 
 hope that God will not lay fin to our charge. O 
 what delufion and defperate danger is here ! If 
 it be asked, (and it would become us well to en- 
 quire in it) What can be the reafon of this hor- 
 ribly grofs. ignorance that is among us, which 
 
 Verfe 11. 
 
 m 
 
 is fuch, that we are al mod hopelefs of many of 
 you, if fome extraordinary work of God's Spi- 
 rit fall not in on your minds and hearts ? Very 
 readily thefe go together, the moll ignorant are 
 the mod fenflefs, and the moll ignorant are the 
 mod confident. The caufes of this may be fe- 
 veral; as, 1. Folks undervaluing the practice 
 of religion ; let the moft ignorant perfons be in 
 earned in the practice of religion, and they will 
 readily through God's bleffiiw, as feek after, fo 
 come at fome meafure of knowledge : This is a 
 fountain of your ignorance, that ye are not in 
 earnell in religion ; Then Jball ye know (faith the 
 prophet Hofea> chap. 6.) if ye follow on to know 
 the L. rd. Excufe not your ignorance, and want 
 of knowledge, by your not being book-learned, 
 by your want of time and leifure, and by other 
 fuch fhifts: If ye were in good earned, and fe- 
 rious in feeking after the knowledge of the things 
 of religion, ye would foon in fome meafure un« 
 derdand, and take them up ; but ye come and 
 hear, and fit for an hour, and take no heed what 
 is fpoken : ye will not read the Catechifm, nor 
 ask a queftiori about what ye are ignorant of, nor 
 will take heed to what is faid, when others are 
 examined. There are none of you, but if ye 
 were in earned, ye might come to fome good 
 meafure of knowledge; becaufe they were fome* 
 time as ignorant as ye are, -and as incapable, 
 who yet have come to knowledge, and thefe will 
 be witneffes againft you, who had the fame go- 
 fpel, the fame feafons and means of knowledge, 
 and yet continued dill in your -ignorance. 2. 
 Many of you do not ponder the ilnfulnefs and 
 hazard of ignorance ; for ye continue as fecure, 
 as if God would never lay it to your charge- 
 Ye would not readily ly in the fin of drunken- 
 nefs, or of fwearing, or of any other fuch things, 
 without a challenge-; but ye can ly dill in your 
 ignorance, and in the fin of not profiting. by the 
 means which ye are under, and yet difpenfe 
 with your 'felves therein ; and ye fecretly fay 
 within your felves, If we be well otherwise, we 
 hope knowledge will not be required of us: But' 
 will not, think ye, God's image be required to 
 be in you ? Are riot faith, repentance and holi- 
 nefs required ? and can any of thefe, I pray, 
 be without knowledge ? Do ye lee any touched 
 with the impreffion of their fm and guilt, but 
 as foon they (all to the dudy of knowledge? 
 and who continue to be ignorant, but dupid 
 bodies, that never faw their hazard ? which is 
 an ordinary companion and attendant of igno- 
 rance, h. id ca'ufe is negligence and flothful- 
 nefs.. The wife. man fay 5, Xfo hand of the-di- 
 
 ligent 
 
fi6 Jfaiah W» 
 
 lig&it waketb rhh> and flothfulnefs brings on 
 -poverty: in every thing, if ye compare folks 
 together, ye will find, that wherever any are fo- 
 berly and ferioufly diligent, God bleffes it ; fo 
 that we may gather and conclude their diligence 
 from their .knowledge. There are many here, 
 who I.fuppofe are very ignorant ; but let me ask 
 you, What time and pains have ye everbeftoV 
 ed on the ftiidy of knowledge t .Ye hear the 
 -preaching, and ye read a chapter of the Bible 
 now and then ; but that's not enough, for ye 
 may be prefent here, and yet not hear to any 
 purpofe. How many come to hear the preach- 
 ing of the word, from vvhom, through their own 
 fault, devils come, as fo many crows on .new- 
 Town land, .and fnatch away the .word. that is 
 fown? and it's never known that fuch feed Avas 
 fown. For mod part, ye either hear negligent- 
 ly, or ye quickly forget all that ye hear ; ye ne- 
 ver fpeak of it in y4*r fomflies, neither take ye 
 any time for reading and pondering the Cate- 
 chifm. -How many of you did ever fet any days 
 or hours apart to ftudy knowledge ? Ye will cry 
 out againft pretended enthuflafms and infpirati- 
 ons, as delufions, . and there is good reafon for 
 it ; but, hpw-fliall ye get knowledge, if ye will 
 be at no 4>ains for it ? Your practice fays, ye 
 expect it fholiid come by immediate infpiration, 
 without all ufe ofordinary and appointed means* 
 4. Others will fay, -that they would fain know, 
 but they are very dull and incapable ; and it's 
 often true, that they arefo : But, are fuch -in 
 earneft, out of love to knowledge, ftudying to 
 come by it ? It's faid of fome, 2 Tbeff. 2. Be- 
 caufe they received net the truth in love, God 
 gave them up to Jlrong ddufions^to believe a 
 He. There arc many, who ftudy \knowledge, 
 "but not from a right principle, nor from a right 
 motive ; -it may be, that they may get their 
 token to come to the Lord's Supper, to efchew 
 fhame when they .are examined, or that they 
 may be able to talk :. It's juft with God to let 
 fuch want knowledge. 5. Folks go not about 
 the ufe ,of ordinary , means, as having therein 
 need of God's blefling, and of his Spirit to help 
 them rightly io jtake up his myfteries j they 
 pray not for know ledge as God's gift. How 
 many of you, when ye take up the "Catechilm to 
 read, fall down oh your knees to feek God's 
 blefiing on your reading thereof ! When John is 
 /peaking of the benefits that come by Chrift, 
 this is by him put in among the reft, And hath 
 given us $n underflanding, that we may know 
 him that is true, 1 John 5. 20. If therefore ye 
 would know God aright, feek his blefiing in 
 the ufe of his own appointed means* Vc ftudy^ 
 
 Verfe It. $erm. *.- 
 
 the knowledge of God, even as if ye were to 
 read a common humane hiftory; if ye feek a blef- 
 iing to your meat, why fetk ye not a blefling on 
 ..the means of knowledge, .which is as neceiiary 
 :<to the ioul, as meat -is to the belly ? how often 
 hath David fuch a fuit to God, when he fays, 
 Pfal. 119. .Open mine tyes, that I may fee 
 the w ndrous thing s-vjjhy laro j teach me thy 
 flatutes, &c. he thought no fhame to pray for 
 knowledge -,;fure if we prayed more for it, -we 
 *would thrive better in it. Other reafons fall in, 
 in the "direitions, anent the 4ludy of know- 
 ledge, which -we (hall give you. 
 
 The id Ufe ferves to exhort you to, and to 
 commend the iludy of knowledge to you, as a 
 neceffary, commendable, and profitable duty, 
 Xan we hope to prevail with you in any thing, 
 -if we prevail not with you in this,even to lay the 
 ^neceffity of knowledge to heart ? -will not the 
 excellency of the Object, the authority of God 
 commanding it, -the advantages that come by 
 it, with the prejudices .that attend and follow 
 the want of it, commend it to you? will ye 
 ever be perfwaded to feek alter faith and holi- 
 nefs, that will not be perfwaded to ftudy know- 
 ledge •? It's a wonder how many of you can 
 have 'the confidence to fay, that ye keep yeur 
 hearts to God, jwhen ye are fo void of the very 
 form of religion, which much confifts in know- 
 ledge ; for it's that wherein it's keeped, and 
 whereby through grace it's fuitably exercifed. 
 Sure ye can never have the power of religion, 
 who want the form of it ; threforelet me ex- 
 v hort you all, efpecially fuch of you as have fome 
 *eminency above others,to ftudy knowledge : let 
 the more aged ftudy it \ and let thefe that are 
 younger ftudy it ; if the time of youth go over 
 without it, it's one' to many if ever the lofsbe 
 recovered and made up again ; and ye that can 
 read, have time and .parts, ftudy the know- 
 ledge of God ; many of you will be very fad 
 and dreadful fpectacles in the great day, when 
 ye fhall be charged with this, that ye never jud- 4 
 ged precious Jefus Chrift to be of that much 
 worth, as once to put you ferioufly to the ftu- 
 dy to know him; this is no fable nor fiction, 
 but a fad truth. When men value and efteemany 
 thing, be it fcience or art, they will be at pairs 
 & give diligence to know it becaufe they prize it: 
 therefore, for helping you to the ftudy of know- 
 ledge, take thefe few direllions, and a caveat 
 or two in thexlofe. 1. Let none put themfelves 
 without the reach of this exhortation, let none 
 fay, We are too 6td to learn ; jf ever ye think 
 to be juftiiied by Chrift, knowledge concerns 
 
 you 
 
5erm. ty , 1J&& fa 
 
 you greatly. It were a ^Commendable thing to 
 fee aged men and women carefully and confcien- 
 tioufly reading the Catechifm ; and could we 
 once but get you under the impreffion, and con- 
 vi&ion of this as a duty, we would think -that 
 much were gained. 2. Spend fome time about 
 this in private weekly ; it may be, it were fit 
 that fome of you did fo daily, ye fpend much 
 time more idly ; if ye knew the hazard of ig- 
 norance, ye would even take fome fet time to 
 ftudy knowledge, and this would not need to 
 be counted any wronging of, or incroaching u- 
 pon your Chriltian liberty ; as ye flint fome 
 time for prayer, may ye not (lint fome time to 
 read the Catechifm, or to gd to fome family 
 where ye that cannot read yourfelves, may have 
 one to read it to you? And to feveral, I may add 
 for a help to this, that ye would take a part of 
 that time, which ye fpend on tipling ; is it 
 not obvious, that the perfon that is ofteft in 
 the hoftler-houfe, or in the tavern, is ordinarly 
 the mod ftupidly ignorant ? tell me whether 
 it is better fpent time to take an hour, in two 
 ©r three days, and beftow it iin reading of the 
 fcriptures, or of fome good and edifying book, 
 whereby you may come to knowledge, and to 
 grow in it, than to take feveral hours, every day 
 almoft, in an ale-houfe, or tavern. Many of 
 you, as it is well known, will fit down in fuch 
 places at four or five a clock in the after-noon, 
 and eontinue till eight or nine at night ; how 
 much ye drink, I fpeak not of that, but fure ye 
 mifpend much precious time, and much de- 
 bauch your own fpirits : What if,by fuch doings, 
 ye be laying a ground for this challenge ? Sir, 
 you lived in fuclrt place, under fuch means,and 
 you fpent your timefo and fo ; you might have 
 been fred from the guilt of mifpending of your 
 time, and of your ignorance, had you taken 
 a part, -or the whole time, and fpent it in the 
 ftudy of knowledge ; would not this be better 
 for your families, better for your fouls, and 
 better for *y our bodies? would it not prevent 
 much fin, and much reproach ? and therefore, 
 if ye lay weight on the good «f foul and body, 
 beftow more time in the ftudy of knowledge : 
 that fin of tipling brings alongft with it many 
 other fins; and were it not well done,to put fome 
 duty, and even this duty in particular, in the 
 place of it? Others of you that drink and tiple 
 not away fo much of your time, ye know what 
 time ye fpend walking on the plain-ftanes, and 
 in pratling and talking of idle and unedifying 
 fubje&s, in drolling and jefting, or in fitting o- 
 vcr the fire (as we ufe to fpeak) in your houfes, 
 
 Verfe 11* 317 
 
 doing nothing • when will ye take fome of that 
 time, in feeking after knowledge ? Others of 
 you, that follow you* callings, will ye leave 
 your work a little fooner than ye ufe to do, on 
 the faturday evening, or Jake the fabbath af- 
 ternoon for this work ? Some of you may flu- 
 dv knowledge in your fhops, others may do it 
 iri^-our houfes, if ye would but give over to 
 walk up and down the ftreets, when ye are not 
 at all called to do fo.' 3. Make confeience to im- 
 prove the means of knowledge which ye have ; 
 read efpecially the Bible, and alfo the grounds 
 of religion, compendioufly fummed in the Cate- 
 chifrns ldfer and larger. Ye have frequent 
 preaching and catechifing ; at every diet ftudy 
 to get fomething, and put every day's leffon 
 to another, and this would, through God's blef- 
 fiing,increafe your knowledge *, for inftance,take 
 this leffon to day, that nothing can ju'ftifie but 
 the righteoufneis of Chrift, laid holdon by faith; 
 take another with you, the next day and let not 
 one day's leffon fhoulderout another: let the 
 husband and the wife, the children and fervants* 
 compare their notes, or what they remember 
 of fermons together ; be often fpeaking of what 
 ye hear in your families. Ye have, it may be, 
 fome neighbours, who would be content that ye 
 come in to them]; or, it may be,they have chil- 
 dren who can help you: make ufe of fuch means 
 and perfons, and that would both help your 
 knowledge, and evidence your love (when fin- 
 cerely gone about) to the communion of faints, 
 4« Be about the ufe of the means, with an eye 
 to God for his blefung on them ; pray to him 
 for opened eyes, and that he would give you an 
 underflandingto know him. There is a ftupidity 
 in many of you, that makes all that ye heart® 
 go by you, and as it were to Clide off you ; fo 
 that if it were known, feme would wonder 
 how there could be fuch ignorance amongft them 
 that frequently hear the Gofpel. 5. Any light 
 of knowledge that ye have, be tender of it in 
 your pra&ice ; God ordinarly refufeth to give 
 more, where that which he hath given is not 
 ufed well ; where men do not like to retain 
 God in their knowledge, or where the truth is 
 detained in unrighteoufnefs, it provoketh God 
 to give up to a reprobate mind, as the apoftle 
 tells us, Row* 1. If ye continue in my word (fays 
 Chrifl:, John 8. 31, 32.) then are ye_ my dif- 
 ciples indeed, and ye JhaJl know the truth, and 
 the truth fiall fet you free: And, John 7. 17- 
 Ij any man will do his wiU, he flail know of thz 
 dottrine, whether it be of God, or whether 1 fpeak 
 cf my felf. He thatgoeth confeic'nuoufly aac * 
 T t con- 
 
318 IfaiahK* 
 
 constantly about the duties oFholinefs that he 
 knows, (for he mutt make confcience of_ all, elfe 
 he will thrive in none) he fhall increafe in know- 
 ledge. 
 
 There are alfo fome things that more general- 
 ly conduce to knowledge, as that, magiftrates, 
 minifters, elders, parents, mailers of fchools, 
 and mailers of families do their refpe&ive pi- 
 ties. l.Then let me defire you to fee to the edu- 
 cation of the youth ; I mean of the children of 
 the meaneft and word,' to bring them up at 
 fchools : it's fad to confider, how many young 
 ones of gracelefs, carelefs, and ignorant parents, 
 are brought up to the devil ; it were no 
 great bufmefs to help them that cannot enter- 
 tain them at fchool. O that we were all wil- 
 ling to contribute for fuch a work ! it might 
 help them to know fomething of God, or to be 
 civil atleaft; it would alfo remove the excufe, 
 that we frequently meet with from many,to wit, 
 that they cannot read; and if parents will not 
 be ferioufly concerned jn this themfelves, God 
 requires us to take fome courfe to bring up their 
 young ones in the knowledge of God ; and 
 truly, if this external eafie mean be negle&ed, 
 we can expe& little of other means ; if this were 
 minded, it might be an ornament to the city, 
 and the burden would not be fo very great, if it 
 were once put to the trial. Will ,ye that are pa- 
 rents, and able, be induced to put your children 
 to the fchool ? if ye be not able, make it-known. 
 I know- there are fome who will drink more in 
 one. day fometimes, than would keep their chil- 
 dren at the fchool for many days; and I fup- 
 f'ofe, .that there are but few who can fay, that it 
 is meer neceffity that lets them. Are there any of 
 you that can fay, ye would fain bring up your 
 children at fchool, and ye fpake to magift rates, 
 ox to church'fe/fion for help, and that it was re- 
 ftifed you ? it's your part to feek for help, that 
 are really unable, and it lyeth on you, to fee 
 to it your felves who are able ; and while ye nei- 
 ther do your felves, nor feek help from others, 
 ye are- utterly inexcufable. 2. I would com- 
 mend to you the neceffity of ufing private means, 
 and that ye would not lay all the weight of your 
 profiting on your being in the Church, and on 
 your coming to be catechifed, or to hear others 
 catechifed ; butr give diligence in private to 
 come to knowledge, elfe it will be long ere ye 
 thrive and profit* Ye that are in one family, 
 -when ye come home from fermoD,. confer toge- 
 
 Verfen. Serm. |£ 
 
 ther now and then, and be fpeaking of what, ye 
 hear on the fabbath, betwixt fabbath-days; and 
 when ye can get any to anfwer a doubt or que- 
 ftion to you, make ufe of the opportunity : 
 though we could go through you all twice a 
 year in examination and catechifing, it will not 
 do your turn if this be negle&ed: But as ye 
 would be careful to keep your children at fchool, 
 fo ye would be bufie in your families, at all fa- 
 mily duties ; this was wont to be the old way^ 
 of God's people, and it would make hearing of 
 fermons profitable. 3. I would commend you 
 to careful attendance on, and confeiencious ufe-- 
 making of the miniftry of the word, the great 
 ordinary mean of knowledge ; and that ye who 
 are moft concerned would be thinking of the 
 great conveniency, if not neceffity, of moe la- 
 bourers. If it were known how numerous a peo« - 
 pie we are ; how many hundreds every one, who 
 labours among you,hath under his charge; how 
 little time we have to go through you all parti- 
 cularly, and what abounding ignorance there is 
 in the greateft part of the people ; I fuppofe it 
 would be thought, that the charge of any one 
 of us might require two to difcharge it fuita- 
 bly ; which we do not prefs to fpare our own la- 
 bour and pains, but to ftir you up to a neceffa- 
 ry duty : the efife&ing of the thing is not impof- 
 fiMe, and it is a work -and duty well becoming 
 you, and worthy of you ; the Lord, himfelf per- 
 fwade you to mind it. I lhall clofe up all with 
 a caveat or two. 1. Beware of placing over 
 much religion in knowledge, or of being puff- 
 up with your knowledge, when ye attain to 
 any meafure of it. 2. Beware of counting 
 meer knowledge to be faith ; b*t when ye come 
 to know and difcern the object, be fure that ye 
 take hold of, and reft upon that which the eye 
 of faith difcerns : the land is, to fay (o, afar off, 
 and within the vail; cafl therefore the anchor 
 of hope there- 3. Beware of thinking, that ye 
 meerly of your felves can acquire any found 
 and faying knowledge, or pump it out of your 
 felves: we bid you. not Uudy the knowledge 
 of God,as ye'ftudy other common things ; there 
 are here requifite humility, fear,^ reverence, 
 love to the truth, dependance on^od, prayer 
 to him, and acknowledgement of him: let. 
 me again ferioufly commend this ftudy to you, 
 and through it let me commend ClWift unto 
 you, whom to knew h- Hfi 9tcrnal\ to him ba 
 praifc for ever* 
 
&rm. 58. 
 
 Jfaiab 53. Verfe 11. 
 
 SERMON LVIII. 
 
 V9 
 
 T(aiah ",3. $h &J ^is knowledge {ball my righteous Servant jujtify many, fir be Jball be* 
 
 their- iniquities* 
 
 IF any thing ftiould be ftudied with diligence, 
 Aire this itiould be, even to be clear how we 
 rnay come to be at peace with God, how we 
 may be abfolved and juftifled, when we come 
 to reckon before him : it is no curiofity, fingly 
 and diligently to make enquiry here, altho' the 
 unfaithfuinefs and pride of Tome unhappy inen 
 have made the ftudy of it unpleafant, l>y cor- 
 rupting' and making crooked God's plain and 
 Gr.aight way of making of our peace with him, 
 and of our being juftified before him. 
 
 We entred to fpeak of the great mids, or mean 
 by which this righteoufnefs, that juftifies a fin- 
 ncr before God, is derived ; or, by which we 
 come to have a title to, and an intereft in it : 
 and as we have #reat need to be clear in that 
 .righteoufnefs, which will be a relevant defence 
 .before the tribunal -of God's juftice, that we pro- 
 pofe not one that will be caften and reje&ed ; fo 
 we have as great need to be clear in the way, 
 how that righteoumefs may be made ours/eeing 
 many are, and will be condemned, notwithstan- 
 ding of Chrift's righteoufnefs, becaufe there is 
 •00 application of it made by them to themfelves. 
 
 We (hew you,thatby Knowledge here is mean- 
 cd Faith, as the fcriptures in the New-tefta- 
 ment ( which hold out juftiiication to ,be by 
 faith) make clear, it. being evident^ that no 
 merely fpeculative knowledge can intitle to this 
 juftification ; yet it's called knowledge, 1 . Be- 
 caufe faith necelTarilyprefuppofes knowledge: if 
 it be not* a part of it, yet certainly it's a necef- 
 fary antecedent of it. 2. Becaufe, though there 
 be not an evidence to reafon in all the things 
 which we believe, yet there is is a certainty; and 
 faith gets this name, becaufe it makes men cer- 
 tain of thefe things which it takes up, as if it 
 •were a fcience or knowledge. 3. To diftinguifh 
 it from all other forts of knowledge,and to bound 
 .and include it, moftly at lead, within this Ob- 
 jeft, Cbrifi, to fpeak fo; therefore it's faid,2?/ his 
 knowledge, or as the word is- better rendred, by 
 the knowledge of him {ball my righteous Servant 
 juftijy many, which fhews, that it*s not know- 
 ledge taken largely that he means of, but know- 
 ledge with refpeft to Chrift,the great Objeft of 
 it, as it is, 1 Cor. 2. 2. / determined to know no- 
 thing amongyou, but Jefus Chrifl,and bim cruci- 
 fied.: And faith Paul, Philip. 3.8. / count all 
 things to te but hf$ ,fir the excellency of the know* 
 
 ledge cf Jefus Chrifi my Lord. Ye will ask then* 
 how doth knowledge and taith differ, feeing 
 wherever there is faith there is knowledge, 
 though not contrariwife, wherever there is 
 knowledge there is faith ? We (hall not (land 
 upon this, butfuortly we conceive, thatknow- 
 ledgedifcovers the Obje&, and faith takes hold 
 of the Object, and reits upon it ; knowledge is 
 the eye of the new creature, difcovering fuch a 
 thing ; and faith is the hand that catcheth hold 
 of, and grips thaf thing .that is difcovered : or 
 thus, knowledge is like to the head, that takes 
 up fuch a thing in a notion ; and faith is as the 
 heart, that clofes with it; therefore, Romaic* it's 
 faid, With the heart man believes unto righteoufi 
 nfs, and with the mouth confeffton is madeunt9 
 falvation, I know many take knowledge for faith* 
 yvhich at the beft is but hiftorical faith ; and 
 it's as if a man who is a drowning fhould fee 
 another cafting in a rope to him, and he fees and 
 knows fuch a thing, but takes no hold of it, and 
 therefore perifhes ; or, as a fea-man's difcove- 
 ring good ground to caft anchor on, but not 
 cafting forth his anchor thereon, is expofed to 
 the violence of the ftorm, and fo fhip-wrecked ; 
 knowledge difcovers the ground, but faith cafts 
 the anchor on it: it's much to get you broughtnip 
 to know, but much more to get you brought to 
 know the difference that is betwixt faith and 
 knowledge; hence it is, that many fay, thatthey 
 believedeverflnce they knew good by illjbecaufe 
 they never looked on faith, but as the knowing, 
 profeffing and declaring fuch a thing to be true; 
 but it's one thing to know a phyfician,and another 
 thing to imploy him, & to make ufe of his phyfickt. 
 We fpake of this general doftrine, that know- 
 ledge is a neceffary thing, as being prefuppofed 
 to faith, and particularly the knowledge of 
 Jefus Chrift ; Therefore it's called. The know* 
 ledge of bim, becaufe it's Chrift Jefus which is 
 the Object of faith ; therefore our ftudy of 
 knowledge would efpecially be with reference 
 to him. There are two forts of perfons, who are 
 not utterly ignorant, and yet are defective 
 here; 1. There are fome that love and ftudy to 
 be fcholars, but Chrift is not theObjeft of their 
 knowledge ; it's not the knowledge fpoken of 
 here,to be well skilled in Philofophy,inTongues, 
 in Mathemaucks, &c which we difcommend 
 T X 2 not : 
 
320 / fpuahft. 
 
 not; nor is it to be able, fpeculatively to difpute 
 and difcourfe of divinity, but it's the knowledge 
 of Chrift's righteoufnels, and to ftudy experi- 
 mentally and pra<fHcally to make ufe of it, and 
 to be clothed with with it ; as one fays well, If 
 tve know him, we know all; and if we know not 
 him, though we know all, we know nothing ; 
 therefore though Paul was a very learned man, 
 and a great fcholar, yet , fays he, i Cor. 2. 2. 
 J determined to know nothing among y-c >u>butCbrift 
 jfefus, and him crucified. A iecond fort,are fuch 
 as want not affe&ion to truth, nor love to pie- 
 ty, yet to them the ftudying of this do&rine, 
 that concern's Chrift, and his offices, is fome- 
 what taftelefs and wearifom ; they would be at 
 tearing of duties, cafes and queftions fpoken of, 
 though we may in foroe refpeft fay, that none of 
 thefe are objects of faith properly, at lead as it is 
 juftifying, but means and midfes to guide you to 
 make ufe of, and to carry fuitably to the privi- 
 leges- that are in the covenant. Hence many 
 have good affe&ion, that are very fhallo w in their 
 knowledge of Chrift, and think but little of 
 preaching, and books that hold out the doctrine 
 concerning Chrift, becaufe they come not in fo 
 clofeuto practical things and cales ; whereas, if 
 they were better fettled in the knowledge of 
 Chrift,- it would anfwer all their cafes, and loofe 
 all their queftions and doubts : let therefore thefe 
 be well looked to, and this, by no means, be nau- 
 feated or flighted ; though knowledge of the 
 truths of God be necelTary, yet it's efpecially the 
 .knowledge of Chrift that is neceffary. 
 
 There is another thing fuppofed here, that 
 fer.ves to clear the doctrine of juftificatton,which 
 tve mall obferve, ere we (peak of faith it felf par- 
 ticularly, becaufe 'tis antecedent to it ; and 'tis 
 this, That the gofpel is a neceffary external mean 
 fon psromoving of our juftification : For faith, as 
 we have fhewed, prefuppofes knowledge, and 
 knowledge prefuppofes the revelation of God's 
 mind in the gofpel ; and if knowledge be necef- 
 fary to faith, then the Gofpel muft be neceffary, 
 for 'tis laid, Rom. 1. 17. That by it the righte- 
 oufnefs of God is revealed from faith to faith ; 
 there is great need toobferve all the fteps of this 
 •do&rine well, and this among thereft ; the gof- 
 pel is not a thing chat bred in nature's breaft, or- 
 a thing that men by nature have the knowledge* 
 of; nay, it's foolifhnefs to the wife men of tha 
 world, as we may fee, 1 Cor. \. We (fays the A- 
 Tpodlc) preach Chrift crucified, totbe^cwsaftum- 
 kiing-block, to the Greeks foolifhnefs', Faith corner 
 by hearings it is, Rom. 10. 17. and bearing by 
 the word ofGod; and in the fame Chapi v. 14, 
 1.}. Hfafyali they bcticvsinktm of wfcw thfy 
 
 Verfe n. Serm. -TfflJ 
 
 have net heard f and hm Jhall they hear without 
 aprcacber? and hzw Jhall they preach except tbey 
 befent ? where the Apoitle clearly and convin- 
 cingly infers the neceiftty of a lawfully called 
 miniitry tor preaching of the gofpel, and tor 
 carrying on the work, of juftifying and faving 
 faith ; the reafon ist, becaufe, if there be a ne- 
 ceflity of faith, and if no faith can be without 
 knowledge, then there muft neceffarily be fome- 
 thing fro reveal it : I fpeak here of the ordinary 
 way of God's revealing himfelf ; what he may- 
 do extraordinary towards dumb and deaf per- 
 ions, to idiots and young children, I meddle not 
 with that, but leave it to himfelf as a fecret, 
 which he thinketh not fit to impart to us. I call 
 the gofpel the external mean of promoving our 
 juftification, in four refpe&s, 1. Becaufe it lays 
 before us the obje<&of our faith; for in it (as it 
 is, Rom. 1. 17.) is the rigbteoufnefs- of God re- 
 vealed, &c. and Rom, 3. 21, 22. it's fa id, Now 
 the righteoufnefs of God without the law is mani- 
 fefted, &c. We would never know the way how 
 a firmer comes to be at peace with God, and to 
 be juftified without the gofpel. 2. Becaufe it 
 not only reveals the objecl: of faith, but it makes 
 offer of it ; and hereby a finner, that hears the 
 Gofpel, hath warrant to embrace and make ufe 
 of jefus Chrift's Righteoufnefs, and to reft: uporr 
 it : and therefore, if tentation mould fay to 
 the finner, Though Chrift died, what is that for 
 thee? Faith hath this to reply. The gofpel calls 
 me, and that warrants me to come to him, and' 
 to make ufe of his- death; the promife, as it is, 
 Alls 2. is to as many as the Lord our God Jhall 
 call: and in this refpeft, the promife is our right 
 and evident, whereby we come to have a claim 
 to Chrift. 3. Becaufe God makes ufe of the word 
 preached, for engaging of fmners to Chrift, and : 
 for making them to take hold of him ; it's true, 
 that it is not powerful of it felf, and without the 
 Spirit,yet it's the ordinary mean thatGod makes 
 ufe of; therefore faith' the Apoftle, 2 Cor* 10. 4. 1 
 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, though- 
 they be weak in themfelves,yet they are mighty 
 through God, to the pulling down offtrong holdsi 
 And in this refpe&j the gofpel not only offers 
 life, but, though God'sbleiling, as a mean, be- 
 gets life ; and, by the Spirit accompanying itf 
 iinners are engaged to take hold-of Chrift, ancfc 
 to reft on him for falvation. 4. Becaufe this 
 word being taken hold of, and ; clofed with, 
 contains the pronouncing of the finner's abfol- 
 vitor> or of his abfolving Fentence, when he fays* 
 If thou believe/}, thoujhalt be juflified and fa*- 
 H$d^ upon fuppofition of heaving). the fentence. 
 
SernH «J& .If a fab 53. 
 
 ftands good to the believer, T^« arf paft from 
 death to life ; there being no condemnation to 
 tbem who are in Chrift Jefus* 
 
 The 1. Wfe ferves to clear that which we hin- 
 ted at before, in naming this for a caufe of jufti- 
 fication; though it be 1 the external inflrumental 
 oaufe, yet it is a caufe. 
 
 The 2. Ufe ferves to teach you to put a price 
 on the gofpel ; it's the bane both of prophane 
 fecure finners, and of a fort of vain and giddy 
 people among us, that they prize not the preach- 
 ing of the gofpel, as the external inftrumenta-l 
 caufe, that concurs in the juftification of fin- 
 ners ; but if ever ye be abfolved, ye will be be- 
 holden to this preached gofpel; I will not lay 
 always to the preaching, but fure to the gofpel 
 that is preached. This on the one hand reproves 
 thefe who will be ready to fay, that they have 
 faith, who yet never knew the gofpel to do them 
 good, and fuch alfo who feldom come to hear, 
 and who never care for preaching ; 2nd upon 
 the other hand, it reproves thefe, who, when 
 they fall a tottering, reeling and wavering, and 
 begin to incline to error, cad at the preaching 
 of the gofpel, having, it may be, flighted it be- 
 fore in their hearts; whither when- Satan onee 
 gets them,hetofTes them in a great meafure,ashe 
 pleafes,and makesthemfo giddy,by frequent tur- 
 ning about,that they fcarcely leave to themfelves 
 afoot-broad of fcripture-ground to {land upon : 
 But as ye refpe& the glory of Chrift,the good of 
 your fouls, and your abfolution before God, e- 
 (leem much of the gofpel ; for iff the power of 
 Cod to falvation : and if ever ye come to heaven, 
 it will be by this gofpel, as the external mean ; 
 thefe nations that never heard it will think- you 
 to be mod defperately wicked & miferable, who 
 have had it, and yet fa unworthily flighted it. 
 
 For preffing of this Ufe a Httle, take Two or 
 Three directions in reference to it. 1 . Walk under 
 the conviction of the neceflity of the gofpel, for 
 there is no abfolution without it ; it is true, 
 God might have taken another way, but on the 
 fuppofition, that he hath appointed faith to be 
 amids to juftification, and that faith fuppofes 
 knowledge, then certainly knowledge doth fup- 
 pofe a neceflity of hearing the gofpel : ye will 
 never value preaching, nor any other ordinance 
 of Chrift, if ye fee not a neceflity of them, and 
 know them not to be for your good. 2. Study 
 to know what is the main end and defi£n of, 
 and what- is the advantage that is to be had by 
 the ordinances. Many come to the preaching 
 of the gofpel, to hear and: learn feme leffon 
 
 Verfe 1 1* 32* 
 
 fome to get a doubt loofed; none of which are to 
 be ditfallowed in themfelves, but rather in i"o far 
 to be commended : but how few come to it, as to 
 a mean to carry on, and bring about their juftifi- 
 cation ; and to bring them out of black nature,in- 
 to a ftate of grace ? .It's the fum of Paul's preach- 
 ing, and the end of it, as tke divine hiftorian 
 {he\\s,Atts 26.1%. To open blind eyes, to turn them 
 from darknefs to light. and from the power of Sa- 
 tan unto God, that they may receive fcrgivenefs 
 cffins, and an inheritance among tbem that are 
 fanllified by faith that is in him. 3. Aim in your 
 practice to carry on this defign, even to put. a 
 ■clofe to the treaty anent juftification betwixt 
 God and you. When ye come to the preaching* 
 and hear us- declare in the name of the Lord, 
 that a believing flnr.er hath aecefs to' have his 
 fin taken away, and to be juftified through the 
 imputation of ChriiVs righteoufnefs ; ye would 
 ftep to, hearing this proclamation made of the 
 pardon of fin, by one of Chrift's ambafTadors 
 in his name, and accept ofj embrace and cor- 
 dially clofe with it, if it were jufl now, at this 
 very occafion. 4.T his would be the great defiga 
 both of preachers and hearers-; of preachers, to 
 follow that way of preaching moft, that lays 
 open the -my- fiery of faith in Chrift; and of hea- 
 rers, to love that way of preaching beft, not 
 fo much that which fills the head with notions., 
 as that which ferves to help to clofe a bargain be- 
 twixt God and you. This was Paul's great defi&n 
 in preaching, as we fee, 1 Cor. 2. 2. and \.Qor. 1. 
 23, 24. He no doubt taught other things, but 
 he compended all in this, or levelled all at this, 
 as the rcope ; and this was his main defign in his 
 preaching, and prefling of other things*. 
 
 The yl ufe ferves to make a fad difcovery of 
 many of you. Is this- gofpel the external mean 
 of juftification ? Then fee if ye ever knew any 
 benefit ye got by it. Ye will be like to fay, that 
 ye are in friendship with God ; but how I pray 
 you came ye by it ? There is little change to the 
 better in your knowledge, and as 1 little odds in 
 your practice : ye are as much given to cove- 
 toufnefs, tipling, lying, fwearing, pride, vanity, 
 CSV. as ever ; and are thefe, think ye, the fruits • 
 of juftification ? do ye think that to be juftifi- 
 cation,which is neither from the word ; nor con- 
 form to it? If God would commend this to your • 
 hearts, I think it might alarm you* to more fe- 
 rious thoughts of your condition. I put it to 
 your confcience, if ye can conceive any diffe- 
 rence. betwixt you, and thefe that never he^rd 
 the Gofpel? Ye are baptized,and hear preaching,. 
 
 for informing their judgment ; fome come toget- Cfr,But.aks ; it's none of thole that j^tlifies ; they 
 directions, in reference to fome particular duty y K ars^ 
 
32* Ifaiah $3. 
 
 are only ufeful,as they lead you forward to the 
 ufe-making of Jefus Chrift. Again, let me ask 
 you, what effe& hath preaching upon you : riath 
 it convinced you of fin P no; how then can it 
 convince you of righteoufneis r Therefore, if 
 ye would make fure juftification indeed, try it 
 by the word. I. What was it that put you to 
 feek after righteoufnefs, and juftification ? was. 
 ye ever convinced of the need of it P and if ye 
 have been convinced, was it by preaching of the 
 word ? 2. If ye have been convinced of your 
 iin and mifery, where fought ye for a remedy ? 
 was ye led in through the word, to feek a plai- 
 . fter to heal that wound of con vi&ion P 3. What 
 was it that warranted you to take hold of that 
 word, or that gave you a right' to it P I'know 
 ..that ye will fay, that it was Chrift holden out 
 an the word, that ye did betake your felves to; 
 but what weight laid ye on God's call in the 
 .gofpel, warranting you to lay hold on the pro- 
 inife of righteoufnefs and pardon of fin through 
 Chrift P 1 know there are many, who,though 
 there had not been a call from God, would have 
 confidently ftepped forward to the promife ; but 
 were ye ever like to Peter's h carers,/? wfod inycur 
 heart j ,& made to fay,.Me# and brethren what foaJl 
 3»e do ? Or,being fome way pricked, was itGod's 
 call,hoiding out the promife to you> and to your 
 children, and to as many as our God JhaU call, 
 that brought you to reft on the promife I God 
 hath defigned preaching for this end ; and ye 
 would try, if ever ye was put to it, to look to 
 God's call, that gave you warrant to believe ; for 
 there is nothing more certain than this, that 
 wherever faith is ficker and well built/tis groun- 
 ded on God's call, and doth take his faithfulnefs . 
 for its backbond (to fay fo) and warrant. 
 
 More particularly, we come to (peak of this 
 word, as it refpe&s the inward mean-, orthei/i- 
 voard inflrumental caufe of juftification,which is 
 faith ; for there is this order and method, i.The 
 iinner is convinced, and made fenfible of {in, 
 and brought to reckon for it, in his own con- 
 fcience before God. 2. There is Chrift's being 
 holden forth, interpofing himfelf to take on the 
 dinner's debt, and fatisfying the juftice of God 
 for it, which is the meritorious caufe. 3. 
 There is God's offer in the gofpel, holding out 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs to loft finners, and cal- 
 ling them to make ufe of it. 4. Upon this, 
 there is faith's receiving of the offer, and reft- 
 ing upon Chrift, and his righteoufnefs for life; 
 which (to fpeak fo) is the inward inftrumental 
 caufe,' taking hold of the external, and as I faid 
 of Chrift in it. 5. And laftly follows God's im- 
 puting the rightcouihefs of Chrift to the fin- 
 
 ner, and abfolvmg him, by vertue oftbat righ- 
 teoufnefs; from the guilt of his fin,as if .he had 
 never finned.. 
 
 in [peaking of this inward inftrumental caufe 
 Five things would be cleared, which we fun pole* 
 are implied in the words. 1. The neceifity of 
 faith, holden out, as the mean, by which ju- 
 ftification is come by. 2.The immediate Objeci 
 of juftirying faith,and that is Chrift's fufferings 
 or Jefus Chrift, as fuffering, travelling in foul' 
 and paying our debt. 3. The ait of this faith 
 on this Objca:, which is not a bare fpecuiative 
 .knowledge, or a meer hiftorical raith, but fome- 
 thing that really afts on Chrift, with refp^ to 
 his fufferings. - 4. The effeft of this faith, ta- 
 king hold on Chrift and his fufferings, and that 
 is juftification, which is not the making a iin- 
 ner to be juft by inherent righteoumeis, but 
 the a&ual abfolving of him from the guilt of 
 fin, and from God's curfe ; the changing of bis 
 ftate, and the bringing him from under the* 
 curfe,into good terms with God.' 5. The manner 
 how faith concurs in producing, or bringing 
 about this effe& ; wherein we have this general 
 that faith hath a peculiar influence in the jufti- 
 fication of a finner, that no good worjv nor any 
 other .grace hath. There is none of all .thefe 
 things but it is in this miferably declined gene- 
 ration (wherein the devil fets himfelf mightily 
 to obfeure truth, as the Lord by the gofpel 
 doth clear it) controverted: I fhall only endea- 
 vour to clear the pofitive part, and let you fee 
 what is truth in thefe things, whereby ye may 
 be brought to difcover and abhor the errors that 
 are contrary thereto. 
 
 The 1 ft Do&rine then is this, That, before a 
 man can be juftified and abfolved from the curfe 
 of God due to him for fin, there is a neceifity of 
 faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift. This is clear 
 from the words, and from what hath been faid 
 in the opening of them up ; if it hzby bis know- 
 ledge 3 or the knowledge ofhitHyth&t many arejufti- 
 fied, then it cannot be that they are juftified be- 
 fore they come to the knowledge of him, or from 
 eternity. Only in pafling, take two or three 
 words of ad vertifement, and then we ihall con- 
 firm the doctrine. 1. When we fpeak of ju. 
 ftification, it's in refpe& of our being abfolved 
 and freed,not from the pollution of iin,but from 
 the guilt of it, as it makes us obnoxious to the 
 curfe; the clearing of the effect, will clear this 
 more. 2. When we fpeak of faith, it's not to 
 be underftood as it were a declaration, or ma- - 
 nifeftation of our juftification ; or, it is not to 
 be underftood of faith in the height of full afiu- 
 
 rance, 
 
Serm. 58. „ - $*!?* 13- 
 
 ranee, and as it is a plerophory, but of raith, as 
 it is a laying hold upon Chrift. 3. When we 
 {peak of the neceflity ©f faith in order to jufti- 
 fication, we mean not, as if there were I'uch an 
 abfolute neceflity o^ it in itfelf, that God could 
 not do otherwise, or juftirie without it ; but we 
 mean a neceflity, in refpe& of the order which 
 God hath laid down, and held forth in the Go- 
 fpel, which is by the knowledge of his Son to 
 juftify many. And from thtie confiderations 
 many arguments of our adversaries are made 
 Very little regardable, yea utterly void. 
 
 tor confirmation of the do&rine,then, 1. Con- 
 fider thefe fcriptures, thatexprefly limit, confine 
 and bound juftificatioirand pardon of fin to the 
 perfon that doth believe: So, Rom. 1. 17. The 
 rigbteoufnefs of God is revealed from faith to 
 faith ', as it is written^The juftjhalllive by. faith. 
 Rom. 3. 24,25. Being juftified fteely by bis gra^e, 
 ■ through the redemption, that is in Cbrift Jefus, 
 rob cm God hath fet forth to be a propitiation 
 through faith in his bleed, &c. Col. 3. 22. God 
 hath concluded all under fin, that the promife 
 by faith of Jefiu Cbrift might be given to them 
 that believe* Ads 13. 38, 39. Through this Man 
 is preached unto you the forgive nefs of fins, and 
 by him, all that believe are juftified from all 
 things, from rohich they could not be juftified by~ 
 the law of Mofes. Confult thefe fcriptures, and 
 ye will find, that Paul clears both thefe quefti- 
 ons, 1. Who are juftified? All that believe. 
 2. When are they juftified ? When they believe. 
 2dly, Confider thefe fcriptures, that place all 
 men before believing into a ftate of wrath, and 
 they will furnifh a fecond ground for this ; as, 
 John 3. 18. He that believeth on him, is not con- 
 demned : but be that believeth net, is condem- 
 ned already] he lies under the covenant of works, 
 and is condemned, as confidered in himfelf, tho' 
 God may have a purpofe to make a change of his 
 ftate : So, Epb. 2. 1, 2, 3. Tou hath he quickned, 
 who were dead in trefpajfes and fins, wherein 
 in time paft ye walked, and were children of 
 wrath even as others, &c. And v. 12, 13. We 
 were fometimes without Cbrift, being aliens from 
 the common-wealth of lfrael, andftrangers from 
 the covenant of promife, without hope, and with- 
 out God in the world : But now in Cbrift Jefm> 
 ye who fometimes were far off, are made near by 
 the bleed of Cbrift. And v. 8. By grace ate ye 
 faved, through faith, and that not ofyourfelves, 
 it is the gift of God ; net of works-, left any man 
 Jbould boajt. It's faith that gives the title, which 
 we had not before, idly, Confider, that the 
 fcriptures do exprefly make believing to preceed 
 juili£c*Uo3j and make juiUficatiojuabcaivcf- 
 
 Verfe 11. 323 
 
 fed:, or rather a confequent of faith, to which 
 faith neceflarily concurs; as all thefe places, 
 which fay, that we are juftified by faith in 
 Chrift, do clear : as, Rom. 5. 1. Being juftified 
 by faith, we have peace with God, through our 
 Lord fefus Chrift \ which place looks on faith's 
 concurring in juftification with a kind of caufa- 
 lity. Rom. 3. 22, 25. The righteoufnefs ofGod 9 
 'which is by faith of fefus Chrift unto all, and 
 upon all them that believe, &c. Epb. 2. 8. By 
 grace are ye faved, through faith. See more 
 fully to this purpofe, Gal. 2. 16. where the A- 
 poftle defignedly, as it were, fets himfelf to con- 
 firm this truth; for, fpeaking of the way how 
 finners oome to be juftified, and as it were en- 
 tring into the debate, he fays, Knowing that * 
 man is not juftified by the works of tbs law, but 
 by the faith of fefus Cbrift, even as we have, 
 believed in Jefus Cbrtft, that we might be jufti- 
 fied by the faith of Chrift. In which place we 
 have three things confiderable to make out the 
 point ; !• He compares the concurring of faith 
 to juftification, in the covenant of grace, to the 
 concurring of works to juftification, or to the 
 obtaining of life, in the covenant of works ; as 
 works did juftify in the covenant of works, fo 
 does faith in -the covenant of grace 1 Now cer- 
 tainly the performing of works, in the covenant 
 of works, behoved to go before juftification that 
 way ; therefore the want of works made Adam 
 to come fhort of juftification by works* 2. He 
 looks on faith, and fpeaks of it, as concurring . 
 to juftification, with a refpeft to Chrift ; and 
 never looks on it in this matter, as a grace con- 
 fidered in, and by itfelf, but as acting on Chrift 
 in a peculiar manner. 3. In exprefs words, he 
 fays, We have believed in Chrift Jefus, that we 
 might be juftified-, which clearly implies* that 
 they could not be juftified before they believed 1 
 And we may weil and eaflly gather, that the 
 juftification here meant is that which is real and 
 afrual, and not the declaring of a man to be ju~ 
 ftified to himfelf, elle works might declare a mair 
 to be juftified to himfelf, as well as faith; but 
 he.contradiftinguiihes faith and works here, and 
 oppofes the one to the other. 
 
 Thefirft ufe ferves for clearing of this truth. 
 That there is a neceflity of faith's taking hold cf, 
 and refting on Chrift, ere we can be abfolvcd 
 and juftified ; and fo bath thefe errors of Anti- 
 mmiansfaW to the ground, 1. That by which, 
 they afTert, That thefe who are juftified, were 
 juftified from eternity, and were never under 
 God's. curfe. And, 2. That faith is not neceua- 
 ry to the attaining .of juftification, but^only to 
 
32+ m Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 a perfon's knowledge that he is juftified \ and 
 fo they fay, that faith enters us not in the cove- 
 nant ; which is falfe, it being the terms or con- 
 dition, on which God propofeth and promifeth 
 pardon in his covenant -, as is clear, John 3. 18. 
 Whofoevzr believes Jbali net be condemned, but 
 Jball have everlafting life* And Mark 16. 16. 
 He that believes, and is baptised, Jball be faved; 
 with this oppofition, He that believeth not Jh all 
 be damned ; Faith being it which enters us in 
 the covenant : for either finners are juftified be- 
 fore they can be in covenant with God, which 
 is an abfurdity, and inconfiftent with God's co- 
 venant ; or it's by faith that they entred in the 
 covenant. There is here alfo a clear difcovery 
 and confutation of a id error of Antinomians, 
 concerning the nature of -faith, that it is perfons 
 believing, that tkey .are juftified : No, not fo ; 
 for, as the apoftle fays, Gal, 2. 16. We have be- 
 
 y erfe «•" Serm. <«.' 
 
 heved that we might be juftified ; we believe, m 
 order to juftification : And to fay, as Antino- 
 mians do, would do much to infer uriiverfality 
 of juftification, as well as of redemption. It's 
 God's mercy, that this error is difcovered, and 
 that we have his truth pointing out to us, that 
 juftification muft have faith going before it, and 
 alongft with it. 
 
 The id ufe ferves to demonftrate the abfolute 
 necefllty of believing, and taking hold of Chrift. 
 If abfolution and juftification be necefTary, faiti 
 muft be necefTary : And therefore, it Chrift be 
 preached to you, and if by him all that believe 
 are juftified ; take hold then, I befeech you, of 
 the offer ; receive, embrace, clofe with it* and 
 let your very hearts open to it, without which 
 ye can never expect, to be juftified before the tri- 
 bunal of God. Now let God himfelf blefs this 
 fame word to you through jefus Chrift. 
 
 Ifaiah ^3. 11. 
 their iniquities. 
 
 s e R M 
 
 *By his knowledge Jball my 
 
 SOmcj further and more ferlous apprehen- 
 fions of our fin and hazard would make the 
 reading of thefe words to*be refrefhful and wel- 
 come to us ; the ftayed thoughts of an arreft- 
 ment laid upon us, to appear before God's tri- 
 bunal, and to reckon for our debt, would make 
 us think much of a Cautioner ; the want where- 
 of make the glad tidings of the Gofpel to be 
 taftelefs, and without relifh: This is the great 
 fcope of thefe words, to fhew how a fummoned 
 finner, arraigned at God's bar, may be juftified, 
 and freed from the charge he is liable to ; for, 
 fays the prophet, By his knowledge, who is the 
 Surety of the covenant, Jhail many be juftified. 
 That which we laft left at was this, That faith 
 in Chrift, receiving and refting on him, is ne- 
 cefiary for the attaining of juftification ; fo that 
 in God's way, thefe arc fo linked and knit toge- 
 ther, that never one fhall be juftified but a be- 
 liever ; tho' there be a righteoufnefs in Chrift, 
 yet it fhall be derived and communicated to 
 none, come to age, but to thefe who by faith be- 
 take themfelves to Chrift : What way the Lord 
 takes with infants, elect infants I mean, is not ' 
 that -which the prophet aims to fpeak of ; tho' it 
 heChrift'6 righteoufnefs that is communicated 
 to them, as well as it is to them who are at age, 
 yet as to the manner of communicating it, God 
 hath his own way, which we know not. 
 Now that we may learn, in fpeaking to thefe 
 
 O N LIX. 
 
 rigbteoui Servant \uftify many, for he Jhall bear 
 
 truths, not only to get fome light for informing 
 of our judgment, but alfo fome help for our pra- 
 ctice ; take two or three ufes, ere we proceed 
 any further. 
 
 The if} ufe then is, To let you fee the abfo- 
 lute neceffity of believing in Chrift Jefus, and 
 that it is as necefTary for the attaining of our 
 juftification, as Chrift's dying is ; for our jufti- 
 fication is an effect flowing from feveral caufes, 
 and the want of any of them will mar it : There 
 muft neceffarily be a concurrence of them all, 
 to bring it about ; and therefore, tho' there be 
 an excellent worth in Chrift's righteoufnefs, yet 
 there is a neceffity of faith, to lay hold upon it, 
 and to make it ours : God's order in the cove- 
 nant bears this out, wherein he hath knit the 
 promife of pardon of fin, and of juftification, to 
 faith, and refting on Chrift; and there is good 
 reafonforit, as, 1. The Lord will have a finner 
 to know what he is obliged to Chrift, which 
 faith contributes much unto*, for faith ftands not 
 in the way of the freedom of juftification, but 
 rather commends it *, for the Lord would have 
 us know, that we hold our life of him : And 
 not to receive him by faith, is an evidence of 
 higheft preemption j therefore it's faid, Rom, 
 4. 16. It is by faith, that it might be of grace : 
 God hath cholen this way, that the frecnefs of 
 his grace, in pardoning of iin, may he feen. 
 
 2* The 
 
Serm. ft. JJaiah 
 
 2. The Lord by this lets the unbeliever know, 
 that the reafon of his own ruin is of hi'mfelf ; 
 there fhall not be one unbeliever found/ that 
 ihall have it to fay, that the blame lay on God, 
 or on Chrift, becaiife the offer was made to them 
 on condition of receiving it by faith, and they 
 not performing the condition, their guilt is ag- 
 greged by their flighting of the offer ; It's true, 
 that we are not now dealing with them, who 
 -downright deny the truth of this doftrine ; 
 but, alas, what better arethey, who do in their 
 pra£ice deny it, and live (enflefly and fecurely 
 under the gofpel ? We' conceive that there are 
 Three forts of perfons, that have need of a word 
 to be fpoken to them here. i. Such as live care- 
 lefly, and fecurely fas we juft now faid) as if 
 God required nothing of them at all i as they 
 nvere born, they know not how ; fo they live, 
 they know not how ; and when they are preflfed 
 to a change of their ftate and way, they makeex- 
 cufes, partly from the finfulnefs of their nature, 
 that they can do nothing, partly from the abun- 
 dant grace of God,thache muftdo all : but it will 
 never exeufe you, that ye wanted grace,and had a 
 finful nature-tor whom,! pray, can yeblame for it? 
 ye that make a bachel of his mercy, if ye con- 
 tinue to do fo," fhall never get good of it ; for 
 'he h 'th (aid that he will juftifry and fave none 
 but the believer : There is none other that hath 
 the prcmile of pardon ; it is not made to any 
 thin 5 that is to be brought forth, or done by your 
 own ftrength, nr by the ftrengh of nature, or 
 of free-will; bat God hath laid downthis order 
 and method, and made it known that ye fhould 
 believe and receive the offer of Chrift in the 
 gofpel ; renounce your own righreoufnefs, and 
 betake you to ChrilFs righteoufnefs, otherways 
 ye cannot on good ground expedt to be juftifled. 
 2. Others will fet about many things that are 
 good*, but the wnrksof believing they can never 
 be brought to mind or own: they will make a fort 
 of confeience of prayer, of keeping the Church, 
 of reading the fcriptures, $Vr butto give qbedi- 
 ence to the command ot believing, they mind it 
 not, they can ive and die without it ; this was 
 the wo!ul and foul-ruining pra&ice of the Jews 
 of old, as w» are told, Rom. 9. They took mu?h 
 pains to come by righteoufnefs, but they attain- 
 ed it tint, becaufe they f ught it not by faith , 
 hut as it were by the works cfthe Jaw, fr they 
 (tumbled at that ^tumbling ft one ; when they 
 had gone a part of the way, as itwere,and come 
 to the (tone of believing, there they fell and brake 
 their necks. Hence there are many, who pro- 
 mife he ven to themfelves, and think that they 
 have done fomething fork, who yet never laid 
 
 53. Verfen. 3*5 
 
 hold on Chrift for their juftification ; but let 
 me tell you, that though ye could go the grea- 
 teft length in holinefs that ever any did fince A- 
 dam\ fall,it will not avail you, if ye negle& faith 
 in Chrift : I fay not this to diffwade you from 
 the duties of holinefs, God forbid; but to divert 
 you from feekin'g juftification bv them: ftudy the 
 duties of holinefs, but feek always by any means 
 to be found in Chrift, and in his righteoufnefs, 
 and not in the righteoufnefs of your duties, as to 
 your justification. It is true none that have any- 
 tolerable meafure of knowledge,will profefs down- 
 right, that they lean to holy duties; yet many are 
 fo ignorant, that they cannot diftinguifti betwixt 
 faith and works ; and there are not a few,who have 
 a hope of heaven, fuch as it is, who never knew 
 any thing of the exercife of believing. A ^d 
 fort are thefe, who, becaufe of fome common fa- 
 vours that they have received, as evidences of 
 Gods care and kindnefs, conclude their jufti- 
 fication. It may be fome have had now and. 
 then deep convi&ions, or have win to tears in 
 prayer, or at a fermon : Others, it may be, 
 have had fome joy now and then, at hearing 
 the word : Others will, it may be, dream of 
 fuch and fuch heavenly things, and have, as 
 they fuppofe, a vifion ofthem in their fleep, and 
 fome joy will follow on it when they are awa- 
 ed : Others may have met with many delive- 
 ries by fea and land, and God hath dealt well 
 with them, and their children, in external 
 things -ffbat alas, thefe things may befal unbe- 
 lievers : hot one pf them, nor all of them to- 
 gether, if there be no more, will juftify ; ye 
 would rather try thefe things, whether they be 
 found, and evidences of fpecial loye, or not, by 
 your believing ; ifthey have faith in Chrifl carri- 
 ed along with them, it's well ; if ye can fay, that 
 after ye believed, ye were fealed with the holy 
 fpirit ufprowife, and that your joy followed upon 
 your doling with, and refting upon Chrift, ye 
 have no reafon to queftion it ; but where fuch 
 taftes^oes before, and are without believing, 
 it's (ufpeft like ; there are many of you. that 
 have multitudes of things, that ye lean to, be- 
 llde Chrift, and never feriouflv put your felves 
 to the trial, whether ye be indeed fled to him, 
 2. Ufe. We would commend this to vou, as a 
 ground of trial of your felves, if ye be juftifi^d, 
 if ye have feriouflv taken with your jdn, and em- 
 braced God's offer of the righteoufnefs of Chrift, 
 andrefted on it; mike this once fure,that ye have 
 been fenfible of fin, that ye have been beaten 
 from your own righteoufnefs, -that ye have fled 
 to Jefus Chrift, and clofed' with hi$ rdgfiteouf- 
 »U ^i nefc 
 
326 Ifaiah 33. 
 
 nefs offered in the gofpel ; then, this will na- 
 tively follow, that by his knowledge thou art 
 juftined ; his word fpeaks-it out-piain to thee : 
 It may bs that Jbrne think this to be a broad 
 mark, and that others will think it narrow ; 
 yet it is afolid mark, and no other thing is oc 
 can be a. mark, but as it implies this. Though 
 fome may. prerumtuouuy. gather from it a broad 
 conclufion, yet it will be found to be asftjrait? 
 ning and Searching a mark, when well confider- 
 cd, as other marks and evidenc«s are, that we 
 cannot at firft fo eaiily lay bold,upon ; and there* 
 fore we would fay, that, it's- not every one that 
 thinks he believes, but it's fuch as really believe* 
 who have this evidence ; and for, preventing of 
 miftakes, we fhall follow this ; evidence of juftiftr 
 cation, to wit* faith, to the very rife of it. I. 
 It fuppofes a charge and fummons, as it were^gi? 
 ven. to the perfons, to appear before God. 2. 
 There is a fentence difcovered, (landing againft 
 them, and over their heads, by the covenant of 
 works.* now,what can ye fay..to thefe Two ? where 
 I delire you not fo much to (peak your light, as 
 your practice and experience ; what a charge,or 
 fummons was putin your hands? Haye ye read' 
 the libel of your (ins;? aad have, ye feen.the 
 breaches of the law, and your liablenefs to the 
 cur fe of God for the fame ? If fo,then what means 
 the good opinion that many of you have or your 
 felveS ? 1 his is. even the thing that the apoftle 
 faith of himfelf before his converfion, Rom. 7. 9. 
 Before the law came, I was alive ; bup\when the 
 commandment came, fin. revjve^ and I died : 
 That is, before the charge was put in my hand, 
 and, I fummoned to appear before God's bar* I 
 had a good opinion of my felf, and I thought 
 that all was well ; but when I came to take up 
 thelaw in the fpiritual meaning,, and broad ex* 
 terit of it* I faw my felf loft'and gont?, and. that 
 conceit fell. Thefe X6ree then ufually proceed 
 faith, I. Thataperfon hath had a good opini- 
 on of himfelfi 2. That this-perfon is fummon- 
 ed or charged to anfvyer at God's bar. 3. That 
 the perfon is made to pais-, fentence on himfelf, 
 as loft and undone, by reafotv of the law's fen- 
 tence, and curfe {landing over his head unre- 
 pealed* Now> how hath it-been with you as to 
 thefe ? The mod part are quite of another dif- 
 pofition than P*#/ was; they think they are well 
 enough, becaufe they never difcovered their rot* 
 ten condition : but try well how it is with you; 
 go in and fee if ever ye difcovered in your 
 (elves, 1. An inclination to eftahlifh your own. 
 righteoufnels. 2. Was ye ever under a work 
 of the law humbling you ? And 3. Was ye ever 
 in your own appreheafioji loft ? If fojthen ye are 
 
 Vvfe 11. Serin. ^9: 
 
 fuch as, Chrift came to call. idly. In the next rooat 
 consider what ye betook your fel ves to,for anfwe*f- 
 ing that charge, and for- a remedy of that loft cor>- 
 dition;there is no remedy but the offer of Chrift '-9 
 righteoufnefs in the gofpel. Some being charged 
 with guilt, betake themfelves-.to prayer,and that - 
 is well done info far ; but if ye hold there, and 
 go no further, it' snot right.* it's here,as it \\ as with 
 tbefe,wholived under the law,who,wben they had 
 finned,made ufe of facrifues.,and thegreateft part 
 held tbere,and went no further ; whereas the belie- 
 ver looked through the facrifio. s to Chrift : fo, 
 if ye hold at, prayer, and other duties, and go 
 no further, thefe will not profit you •, but know- 
 ye what itis to go. to>prayer, and in prayer to 
 go-to Chrift, and reft.on his facrifice for your 
 acceptance? I fear there be greatignorance here; 
 the mod part- know not Whatthey have done, 
 when they were charged; or, if the y did any 
 thing, they prayed ; or, if they went -any fur r 
 ther on, they looked to the promife of God's 
 mercy ; but that is not far enough gone. How 
 many fuch .are there, who have made their pray- 
 er, their only interceifor, and have prefumed 
 to ftep in on God's- mercy ^without a Mediator ? 
 idly, Suppone that ye have betaken your felves- 
 to Chfift, as to the remedy ; come on, and try 
 how your union hath been made up with, him, 
 where did ye feek and find him? Chrift Jems is 
 to be found in the gofpel, in the miniftry of 
 the word ; therefore that is put in on good 
 reafon in the definition of taith given to us in the 
 Cdtechifm, That it's arefihig-onb'wu at be is of- 
 fered in the gofpel: but Ifear^and fuppofe that 
 many have another Chrift (to fpeak fo) whom ; 
 they have gotten without knowing, or making 
 any ufe of the word, or offer of the gofpel, which 
 is the power of Gcdfor jalvation to them that be- 
 lieve* ^/j*, Wherewith did yetake hold on him? 
 or how. did ye acfc on him.? Was it by faith, or 
 not ? There are many, who act. on him as they 
 think by prayer, not as the meritorious caufe, . 
 but as the efficient caufe of juftiiication, pray- 
 ing for- pity and pardon from him.; but this is 
 not to take hold of Chriil's righteoufnefs by 
 faith : others think, that if they can love and 
 ferve him , and pleafe him with duties, they 
 will engage him, to give them, pardon ; and*: 
 in this they ha»ve (to fpeak fo) an underhand 1 
 covenant /£ works • they will do fomething 
 to pleafe the Mediator, and wherein they come | 
 ihort, they expect, that he will make it up ; andTj 
 this is very ordinary in practice. Tf ye ask fome, 
 What hope have ye of juftiiication ? They will 
 anfwer,Through Chriil's righteoufnefs, and that 
 
 is 
 
£erm. ft. , L . »**£■ 
 
 is good in fo far ; but ask them again, How they 
 will get it? they will anfwer, That they will do 
 •what they dow or may, and they hope that he 
 •will pity them : ye would look in upon your own 
 hear-ts, and- fee whether it be not fecretly making 
 fomethingof this kind the ground of your title to 
 Cbrift, and of your juftincation. And yet all this 
 may be, and often is in them that will not (loop 
 to the way of grace,nor fubmit themfelves to the 
 righteoufnefs of God. They will fpeak of Chrift *s 
 righteoufnefs, and yet they will needs give him 
 fane compenfation; and fo come, never really,,to 
 renounce their own righteoufnefs,and toflee unto 
 his,and to hold it up as their defence before God. 
 Take but an impartial view ofthefe fteps, and 
 many of you, who fuppofe that ye are believers, 
 will not be found to be fo, nor juftified before 
 God, beeaufeye lay not claim to it by faith, but, 
 as it were, by the works of the law. 
 
 . Uf$ 3d. There is here ground for all that neglect 
 Chrift, and do not by faith take hold of him, to 
 look for a moft dreadful fentence; and ground for 
 others, who feel^ righteoufnefs through faith, to 
 look for a mod comfortable fentence. i/?.then, Is 
 this a truth, that juftification is through faith in 
 Chrift? Then many of you are not juftifled, a?4, 
 if the Lord prevent it not, ye will never be jufti- 
 fied : -If fo, then it mull be a moft dreadful thing 
 not to believe. If ye would know what is your 
 condition, ye may read it, fohn 3.18,26. He that 
 4>elieveth not is condemned already, and hefball 
 not fee life, but the wrath of God abidetb on him\ 
 and. Gal.2.io.Asmany as are of the works of the 
 Jam, are under the curfe; for it is written, Cur fed 
 is every one that continues not in all things-written 
 in the book of the law to do them. If ye really be- 
 lieved this, many of you would be under horror, 
 to hear what a^ad condition ye are in, even con- 
 'dermied already, and having the wrath and curfe 
 of God abiding on you ; becaufe.the word curieth 
 andcondemnethalltbatarenot in Chrift byfokh. 
 This,I fear, belongs to very many, who are alto- 
 gether fecure andcarelefs, and yet are in reputa- 
 tion amongft us : and is it not very fad to be pro- 
 tecting fair, to have the offer of life,and to be treat- 
 ing with God about your peace, and yet to be 
 ftill inthetheftate ot enmity with him, fo'that 
 if death were within twenty four hours march to 
 you, ye could have nothing to expec%but the ra- 
 tifying of this fentence of God's curfe upon you ? 
 We are lure there is as much in this,as might, in 
 reafon, put you, by all means,to ftudy, 1. To be 
 believers, for without faith ye are never over the 
 borders of-God's curfe j which may lay a chafe to 
 y«u, and put you to. the necefitty of fleeing to 
 Ofcrift for refuge. 2. To take fomc^ains to try> 
 
 VcrCe'iu 327 
 
 whether ye be in' faith, as tbe apo"ftle efchonrs, 
 2 CVr.13.5. Examine your felves, whether ye be in 
 the faith, prove your Jelves •, know ye not your own 
 felxes, htwthat Chrifi is in you, emeptye be re- 
 probata His meaning is, Know ye not, that this 
 is a truth,that ye are in a .reprobate or unappro- 
 ven condition, except Chrift be in you ; and 
 Chrift is in none, but in the befiever : If {o y 
 ought ye not to try your ielves, if ye be in the 
 faith, if .ye be believers. There is no ordinary 
 way, to win to the fure and comfortable know- 
 ledge of it, but by trial ; and *f ye be not be- 
 lievers, is there not reafon, and is it not of 
 your concernment, to endeavour, by trial, to 
 come to the knowledge of it ? As*this is ground 
 of terror to the unbeliever, fo it's ground of no- 
 table confolation to the believer, who, if he-were 
 even put to the reckoning with Paul, I was a 
 blafphemer, a perfecuter, injurious ; yet here is 
 , hope for him, thathe jfhall be found in Chrift,not 
 having his own righteoufnefs, but Chrift' s :' be- 
 lieving in Chrift will obtain juftification to fuch 
 a perfon ; his righteoufnefs taken hold of,and put 
 on by faith, is as. pleafmg and acceptable to God, 
 as the unrighteoufnefs or the finner is difpleafmg 
 tabim. This was it that -made David to fing 
 fweetly, PfaU 32. Bleffed is he wbofetranfgref- 
 Jivi is forgiven, who fe Jin is covered \ bleffed is 
 the, man towhomihe Lord imputetb no, iniquity \ 
 to wit, throughthe imputation of Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs, as the apoftle clears, Rom. 4. As the 
 fir ft branch of the ufe fhews the neceility of faith 
 for chafing finners to Chrift, fo this branch is a 
 fweet motive to draw them to him ; and if there 
 were more fenfiblefinners among ft us, wbofe own 
 righteoufnefs mil^ives tbem,and wlio are brought 
 to thtft pafs, that the f-aylor and Peters hearers 
 were in, crying out, What fnall we do to be fn* 
 ved? This word, Believe in the Lcrdf-efusj 
 and ye Jkall be faved, would make them come 
 in cheerful, as he did, from the brink, not only 
 oftemporal, but of eternal death. *Tis this 
 faith, by .which we have accefs to ftand before 
 God: ye would therefore be ear neftlv intreated 
 to betake your felves to it, and to Jefus Chrift 
 by it, for your pardon and peace, even for your 
 juftification before God. 
 
 idly, Confider thefe words, as they hold out 
 the Object of juftifying faith, which is the great 
 thing in them, even-to defcribe juftifying faith, 
 as to its Qbje&, and efre&, and in its concur- 
 ring to produce this errecT: .* and here there are 
 miftakes and errors, both ia.the 'doctrinal and 
 pra&ical part of all thefe. 1. The Object of it 
 then is him, jftjus Chrifl^ the knowledge ofbihr 9 
 U » 2 «c 
 
22 S- t Ifaiah <,!• 
 
 or the faith of him, or faith in him, as other 
 i'criptures have it ; or,looking more nearly to the 
 words, it's faith in him, as furfering, as fatis- 
 fyingforfin, as in ibul-travel, bearing our ini- 
 quities. Hence obfervs, That Chriit Jefus, his 
 righteoufnefs, holden forth in Goo's promife of 
 freegra:e, is the native and proper Object, 
 that laving and jullifying faith takes hold of, 
 and reits upon ; or, to the fame purpofe, The 
 faving grace or aith, that juilifies, is that faith, 
 that docs peculiarly apply and red upon Chrift 
 Jelus, holden forth in God's promife in the 
 gofpel, as the righteoufnefs of a iinner that be- 
 lieves on him ; hence the prophet calleth it 
 here, not knowledge more generally taken, but 
 the knowledge of him, and that as he is holden 
 out in this Chapter, to wit, as Surety for din- 
 ners, and (uttering for their debt. This will 
 be clear, if we eonfid. r all thefe fcriptures that 
 make offer of the pardon of lin ; for it's offered, 
 not on condition of faith in a more general 
 nption of it, but on condition of faith /;/ bim\ 
 fo Rom. «$.. 22, 24, 25. The righteoufnefs of 
 God, which is by faith of fefus Ctirift, unto- 
 nil, and upcn all them that believe: Being jufli- 
 fied freely by bis grace, through the redemption 
 that is in Jefus Chrift, whom God hath fet 
 forth to be a propitiation through faith in bis 
 blood. Rom. 5. 1. Being juftified by faith, roe 
 have peace with God, through cur Lord Jefus 
 Chrift* John 1. 12. To as many as received 
 him, he gave power to become the fons of God 3 
 even to as many as believe in his Name ; where 
 the faith that hath the promife of juitifi cation, 
 and the privilege of adoption annexed to it, is 
 called the receiving of 'Chrifl, and- believing; on 
 his Name, 
 
 It muft alfo be cleared,and confirmed, by good 
 reafon. 1. Faith does not juitifie as it's confi- 
 dered in it felfas ana<5t, but as it relates to, and 
 unites with Chrift, as the meritorious caufe of 
 |uiti£cation. 2. Neither does faith juflify as 
 it looks to every objeclr which the word holds 
 forth, but as it refpe&s Chrift offered in the 
 gofpel, whom it receiveth, becaufe there is no 
 ©ther thing that can bear the foul's weight and 
 burden : Therefore he, as offered in the gofpel, 
 rnult be the Obj^cT: of faith, as it is Hiving and 
 jufl Tying. 3. The terms, of the covenant, and 
 God 'sorter clears it alfo ; for God's offer of ju- 
 dication is not on thefe terms ,that a finner fhall 
 believe his word in the general, hut that he 
 believe on his Son, whom he hath fent, and 
 receive him : as thefe feriptures cited betbre, 
 to wit, John 3. 16, 18. and Mark 16. 16. fhew, 
 where the terms are fet down, whereon God 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. $ 9# . 
 
 offers life to iinners. 4. If we could imagine 
 a man to have all knowledge, and all faith, if 
 faith act not on Chrift as Redeemer, Cautioner 
 and Surety for fuch aseome to him, it will not 
 avail us, nor be counted to us for righteouinels s 
 which may alio coniirm this truth. 
 
 The Ufes of this doctrine are iuch,asferve both 
 to clear the nature of raith, and to dire& us in 
 our practice. 
 
 The firil Ufe then ferves to clear the truth;, 
 as the Papifts corrupt many truths, ib tfiey cor- 
 rupt this truth, concerning the nature of jutH» 
 tying and laving raith, in thefe Three, 1. .n the 
 Ohjeth 2. in the Subject. 3. In the Atl of iu 
 As for the Objett of this faith, they make it to 
 be every thing that God reveals, and fometimes 
 they take in their own Traditions \ the reafon is, 
 be.caufc they give not raith a caufality in juili- 
 tication, nor the capacity and place of a thing, 
 acting on Chriil peculiarly ; but take it in as a 
 common, grace, or at the heft, as a grace that 
 is radical, and gives life to other graces, but 
 never as taking hold of Chrift's righteoufnefs 1 
 ■ which quite overturns the way of jutlification 
 through faith in him ; for faith, that la-yeth not 
 hold on his righteoufnefs cannot juflify : and 
 their making the Object of faith to be fo broad, 
 doth enervate both the immediate merit of 
 Chrift's righteoulnefs, and the exercife of faith 
 on it. ifl. T hen we grant, that there is a hifto*. 
 rical faith requifite,as to the whole word of Godj: 
 yet we fay, That the faith that juftifies is pro- 
 perly, that faith that iingles out the righteouf- 
 nefs of Chrift, and takes hold of it.: fo that it's 
 Kot our believing that the world was made, 
 that there will be a day of judgment, nor our 
 believing that a Saviour of iinners is come into » 
 the world, and hath fuffbred, S5c rhat jufti- 
 fies; but it's a doling with, a receiving of, and 
 reftingon that Saviour; a fingiing out of the 
 promife that makes offer of him, (as for inftance, 
 where it's [aid.Jfthou believe •.nthe Lord Jefus,. 
 tboufhaItbefaved)ar\d pitching on thatandreft- 
 ing on him holden out in the promife: faith gives ' 
 the foul footing here, whereas before,its ^afe was 
 very defperate. idly^'e may ciear what we are 
 to look to, as the object or jullifying andfaving; 
 faith, by our putting in thefe three words, or 
 expreffionsin the do&rine,to wit Chrift fe us bis 
 righteoufnefs holden forth in the promife of Gcd y s 
 free grace in-the g fp^l] and which are needful to- 
 be taken in,though it be not always neceffary,that 
 we beexplicite in the uptakingof them. i. There 
 is need of taking in Chrift^s rigote"ufuefs.,beca\iC& 
 it's our defence at the bar otGou's jutticej even 
 
yet God's promife muic be looked on by faith : 
 for the ufe- making of Chrift and his righte6uf- 
 nefs, and as a warrant to reft on him, and to ex- 
 pect justification through him : And thus faith 
 hath Chrift's fulnefs, or his full and complete 
 fotisfa&ion, for righteoufnefs ; and God's faith- 
 fulnefs unpledged, that the believer ihall be ac- 
 
 Serm. 59. Ifaiab H. Verfe 11. ^ ^ ^ 
 
 as a debitor, whofe debt the cautipner hath paid, on; a complete Mediator; a faithful God promi- 
 hath that to anfwer when he is charged for it, fing to anfwcr all grounds of fears, doubts and 
 that his cautioner hath paid it. 2. There is jealoufies ; and free grace, which aniwers all 
 need to take in this, Holder* forth in God's pro- challenges that may come in to hinder his clo- 
 tnife in the gofpel ', becaufe, tho' Chriil be the fing with, and reiling on the promife : For if it 
 Object of juftitying faith, and his righteoufnefs ihould be faid, How dareft thou lay hold upon 
 be the ground of the foul's defence before God, the promile ? The anlWer is, It's free, it's not 
 
 the mount that may not be touched, but it's *}e- 
 fus the Mediator of the new covenant, &c. It's 
 grace that is the rile, the end, and the condi- 
 tion of it : Thefe are the Three on which' faith 
 yields itielf to Chriil, and which are the Objedtr 
 of it, on which it dare hazard, and on which it 
 does hazard ; and theie Three are revealed in the 
 cepted througrTit : And it's on this ground, that Gofpel of the grace of h m that is faithful, and 
 faith fometimes looks on God as able, fom^times cannot deny himfclf : May we not then fay, O 
 
 finners, ir ye will believe that, ye have a good 
 refting place, a fure Foundation a tried C rner- 
 fi'.ne, as it is If a. 28. cited Rem. 9. where the 
 apoftle harh it. He that believes <n him ft) all ne- 
 ver be afhamed : There is a fufhcient buret} - a- 
 iull A ediator, there is a faithful God that will 
 keep his word, and there is a free covenant and 
 promife, footer for a bruifed foul to roll itfe'f o- 
 ver upon, than any bed of the fineft dowrs is 
 for a weary and crazy body ; this is a chariot 
 paved with love for the daughters- c\ Jerusalem* 
 single out Chrift from all that is in the word,* 
 without flighting any part of it, and believe i« 
 him, and Hppento him-; let him have a other 
 weight and tit of you than ye give to any other 
 thing, he is ab^e to bear it, and God vu\] nevetf 
 quarrel you for fo dftirig but will keep his w id 
 to you that do betake your feives or th r h ve 
 betaken your feives to him; Me that belives.. 
 
 as faithful', therefore it's faid, Heb. 7. 25. He 
 is able to fave to the utter mofl; and Heb. I. Sa- 
 rah judged him faithful who bad promifed : 
 Whereupon there is a clofing with the orfer in 
 the promife, and a looking to obtain that which 
 is promXed, as if they had a righteoufnets of 
 their own; and this the apoftle calls the law of. 
 faith, Rom, 3. 27. becaufe to juftification there 
 is, befide the payment of the debt, a law, de- 
 claring the man to be abfolved, requiflte ; and 
 the iinner, having God's offer and promile, that 
 upon his accepting of Chrift's righteoufnefs he 
 Ihall be juftified, inftru&s that his debt is paid 
 by his Cautioner, and that therefore he ought 
 to be, and is accordingly abfolved : And tlio' 
 God's promife be not fo properly a law, yet the 
 apoftle calleth it fo, and it. is a I olid defence to 
 the foul that is fled to Chrift, who may thus 
 reafon, 1 have no righteoufnefs of my own, but 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs by proclamation is offered fo all never pe>ijb. nr cme into cendemnati a 
 
 to me in the Gofpel, and I have heartily recei- 
 ved it, and God is faithful to make good his 
 promife to me ; and this looks to Chrift as he is 
 revealed in the Gofpel. 3. There is need to. 
 put in this word, The promife of God's fiee grace, 
 becaufe hereby the iinner is made to fee whence 
 the promile came, and of what nature it is, and 
 gives ground to take hold ok the promife, and 
 oi' that which is made offer of in it. 'The pro- 
 mile is of free grace, therefore it's always called 
 the covenant o> grace; fo, Rom. 4. "16. It's of 
 faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the 
 pr mife might be fure to all the feed; i or. if 
 it were not of grace,the finner would never think 
 himfelf fure, nor would he know it fuch a finner 
 might take hold of fuch a promife ; but, confi- 
 dering that the promife is of grace, and his ac- 
 ceptance is of grace, as is often repeated, Eph. 
 1, 2, and 3 chapters, thefe Three are the great 
 warrant that a iinner hath to roll himfelf over 
 
 O ! know what a ground ye have to reft upon* . 
 it's even the fubftance and marrow of all the 
 worH of God, ye have Chrft and his hu'r^fs^God 
 and his faithfulnefs, grace and its freer.eis r arul 
 are there lu h three things b.iide r or is it ima- 
 ginable, or potfibh: that there can be an) begui'e, 
 or failure here r fpare not then to lay the Weight 
 of your fouls upon it, let it be the foundation 
 of your peace, and let it anfwer all chatler^ 3 
 that may be, whether for many, or for greajfc 
 and grievouQy aggravated fins:on!v by faith take 
 hold or this righteoutnefs, and reft upon Goi's 
 faith ulnefs, and free promile, to make it forth- 
 coming to you Eut upon the other fide, O 
 how great will it aggrege your guilt, that had 
 iu'h a remedy in your offer, fuch a' ttied Crnev 
 ftone, elect and precious, to reft upon and >et 
 imde no ufe of it! Let me exhort, befe'rh, and e- 
 ven obteft you, That ye receive not this grace in 
 
 vain ; 
 
333 Jfaiab <,z. Verfe u. 5ertn.Tfa. 
 
 3/4/tf ; but as Chrift is laid fcr a fure Foundati- focver they may hold up their heads now, Jhall 
 
 en, fo aome to him, and build upon him, that , be ajhamed and confounded, -world without end. 
 
 ye may novbe. ajhamed inthe day of the Lord, O happy, thrice happy will they all be found 
 
 when- all that believe .not, how . prtfumptuojufly to be then, who have truftedin him. 
 
 SERMON LX. 
 
 Ifaiah ^3. 1 1. By his knowledge Jhall my righteous Servant jujiify many, fcr he Jhall bear tteW 
 
 iniquities* 
 
 THE knowledge of Chrift was wont to be to wit, Whether j unifying faith -lays hold oh 
 much thought of by the people of God, Chrift as a Saviour and J ricft only ; or whether 
 and to be in high eftimation among them ; and it lays hold on him- not only as a iri^rft to fave, 
 we may fay, we wot well it was defervedly fo, but alfo as a King to command < Though this 
 considering that it is by his knowledge, that ju- doth not look atnrft blufh to be-ofarry great mo- 
 llification was derived to them, and is derived mefit, and that luch an inconfidera-ble like dif- 
 to us: This is that which the Lord is -clearing ference is-nottobe ftood upon; yet we will find 
 by the prophet here, to wit, bow the benefit of that this laft wantsnot its own influence on alte- 
 Chrift's fufife rings anid purchafe^nay be derived rin^ the common and ordinary, and' (as W e con- 
 and communicate unto a finner ; which thefe ceive) the folid received doctrine, concerning 
 words (though but few) as purpofly made-ufe of, the way of juftificatien, if we fhould admit it : 
 do cleary even that his iufferings ihould not be And therefore we anfwer the Queftun from the 
 in vain, but that he Ihould fee a feed; and -tho* Text, That Chrift, considered- as fuffering, and 
 that feed, ihould not be all men, yet they fhould bearing our fins, and (b as offering -himtelf in a 
 be many: And the way how thefe many ihould faoriiice, -is the Object that juftifying faith, as 
 come by the bendit of his fufferings, is alfo fiich, takes hold of; therefore the connexion erf 
 beld forth ; and -that is, By his knowledge, who thefe two is clear in this verfe, He Jldil fee of 
 is the righteous Servant. We fhew you,that this the travel of his foul and be fatisfied: and by 
 doth upon the matter look-to faith, and is meant kis .knowledge Jhall many bejufiifie-d ; and again ' 
 ©fit 5 and confirmed it by other, parallel Scrip- it is fubjoined, as-the jreafon why many ihall by 
 tures, which fay, that through faith in him, all faith in him be juftiiied, bet-aufe he Jhall bear 
 that believe are jujiified. Vfb came alfo to fpetfk their iniquities* By the knowledge of him that 
 of this faith which juftifies, and did preppfe offered himfelfina facrifice, many are juftified; 
 live things to be fpoken of concerning it, fand and many are juftified, becaufe he bears their 
 indeed if any thing be of concernment, this is i iniquities; which will infer this, that faith 
 if a right to Chrift and his purcrfcfe be of con- * conliders him as fatisfying for the iniquities of 
 cerment, then fure it muft be of concernment t© his people, m ks a6Hng on 4iim for juftificati- 
 know, how we come by that right) 1. The ne- on, and pardon of fin. It is true, Chrift's offices 
 ceQity of it. 2. The Objeft of it. ?. The a& are not divided, and it is not true faith, if it 
 of it. 4. The effe&s that flow from it. 5. The take not hold of him, and make not ufe of him 
 manner of its concurring in the attaining of in all his offices ; but as there are feveral evils 
 juftification. We fpoke of the firft, to wit, of in us, which his offices do meet with, and are 
 thenecefcty of faith, and fhewed, that though fai ted unto, fo ihould faith take hold of. them, 
 there be a full fatisfaction laid down to merit and and make ufe of them for curing and removing 
 procure juftification, yet it's applied to none but of thefe evils : He is King, Prieft, and Prophet^ 
 to believers, and not till they believe. and faith takes hold of him, as a King, to com- 
 
 2. We fpokc alfo to this, that faith, as it ju- mand and fubdue us to hknfelf; as a Prophet, 
 
 (liiies, looks not >to all the word of God as its ob- to illuminate us, and cure our blindnefs ; and as 
 
 ject, but mainly and principally to Chrift, and a Prieft, to fatisfie dmne juftice, and to pro- 
 
 to the word only, in fo far as it holds out Chrift cure the pasdon of fin ; as we are not to feparate, 
 
 in the promifes and offers of God's grace, as it's ^o we are not to confound thefe : -We ufe not to 
 
 here called the knowledge of him, or faith in fay that Chrift as a Prophet doth juftifie us,no*> 
 
 him.. that as a Prieft he doth illuminate us ; no more 
 
 We now proceed -to hint a word for clearing ihould we nor can- we well fay, that as a King he 
 
 of a fkefliw, and it's a new and very late one, fetisfied 
 
aerm. oo. 'j<"*o ( 53« 
 
 fttislied juftice for us ; the fame Wetted God is 
 fife, righteous, holy, faithful, toft, merciful, 
 t£c. yet Ire is diverfly confidered in refpeft of 
 our conceiving and ule-making, according to our. 
 need ; fo is it here. For clearing whereof", take 
 thefe grounds, i. The fcripturefpeaksof and 
 points Chrift out in his fuflferings. as the Object 
 of juftifying faith, Rom* 3. 25. Whom Godhatb 
 fit forth for a propitiation though faith in his 
 blood : where the blood of Chriit, and he as fuf- 
 fering,is purpofed as faith's Object : fo 1 Cor. 1, 
 We preach Chrift crucified. 1 John 2. We have 
 4n Advocate witbthe Father, Jefui Chrift- the 
 righteous, and he is the propitiation fir our fins ; 
 where he is holden forth rn his fiiflterings, as the 
 propitiation that faith layethvhold on, John^. 
 14. As Mofes lifted up the ferpent in the wilder- 
 nefsy fo muft the Son of man be lifted up, that 
 rohofoever believtth on him, &c. where Chrift- 
 lifted up, and as dying on the crofs,Js made the. 
 QbjVcl: of juftifying faith*, evenas the brazen fer- 
 pent lifted up was the objeft that they looked 
 to, when they were ftung,and cured. 2. It's alfo 
 clear from' the law's libelling andcharging us for 
 the debt of. our fin, that makes us liable to con- 
 demnation ; and faith being the mean of our ju- 
 stification, and absolution from the debt, it muft 
 needs look to the Cautioner's paying of our debt, 
 and fo'anfwering the charge, which was done in 
 his death ; for he paid our debt, fatisfied the 
 penalty, of the law-, and came under the curfe, in- 
 futife ring death ; asis-clear, Gal. 3. the 10 v. be- 
 ing compared with v. 13. So Rom 8. 34. Who 
 Jhall lay any thing to the chrarge of Gcd's eleft? 
 ft is Gpd that juftifies, who Jhall condem ■? ifr 
 is Chrift that died \ which is brought in as faith V 
 anfwer to the charge. The charge cannot be de- 
 nied ; for we are guilty of fo many fins, and 
 therefore liable to condemnation ; but, faith 
 faith, Ch'fiil hath died : It propofes him dying 
 as a ftisfa&ion for anfwermg the charge, and 
 for obtaining of abfolutiom 3. Chrift as fufFer- 
 ing and fatisfying juftice is our righteoufnefs, 
 and^ therefore muft be the ObjecVof £iith,as it's 
 juftifying, whereupon it pleads an abfolution 
 before the throne .of God ; fo that, when we 
 come to plead and found our defence before 
 God's throne, it is not on this, that Chrft is a 
 King, and hath fubdued us •, but it is on this 
 ground, that he is our Prieft, and hath fatisfied 
 juftice for us, and paid our debt, and procured 
 a difcharge to* us: So the apoftte, fpeaking of 
 Ghrift's fufferings, Col. 2. fays, That he blot- 
 ted cut the hand-writing of ordinances that V 
 v>as againft us, and took it out $f the way, 
 nailing it- u bis crofs.; It's Chrift as furring 
 
 vene. 13. 331 
 
 that is the ground of our peace, and there' ore 
 faith as juftitying muft lb confider him. T ho' 
 we defire to mow nothing needlefly, yet lay- 
 ing it once for a ground, that juftifying faith 
 lays hold on Chriit as a-King,this will follow as 
 a confequence, and, as we luppoie, as a reafon, 
 that- our obedience to Chrft as a King hath 
 the fame influence, and the fame cau(a'ity iff 
 our jurtifkation, that faith's refting on Clirift's 
 fatisfying for us as a Prieft hath ; becaufe as 
 Ghrift's prieftly office gives us a warrant to 
 reft upon him for juftihcatkm, fo would his 
 kingly office (%£ it were the object of juftifying 
 faith as fuch) when taken hold of for our obdi- 
 ence. We have touched upon this* 1. That ye 
 may fee the w-arrantaWnels of this* do&rine 
 which is- received in the Churches of Chrift^ 
 and that ye may confider Chrift as the high Prieft 
 of your profcffion, and plead juftification from 
 his facrifke, a&ing faith upon him accordingly* 
 2» That we may put a bar againft the introdu- 
 cing of juftification by works, under one pre- 
 text or another, how-fpecious foever, feeing tfi£ 
 fcripture lo dire6bly oppofes faith and works in* 
 our. juftification; for if we once admit that: 
 Ghriti as King, istheObje& of juftifying aith 
 as fuch, if would overturn the diftinft; way of 
 fakh's acting upon Chrift 's^righteoufnefs, for 
 anfwering the charge put in the fkmer's hand by 
 the law; and when the foul getteth a chal- 
 lenge for fin, would put it to look what obedi- 
 ence it hath given to Chriilas a i£ing, to an- 
 Aver that challenge or charge by ; and would in* 
 the fame manner alfo put the foul to gather the 
 ground of its-peace from-the one, as well -as from 
 the other, that is, both from Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs,- and from its- own ob-dience, net only as- 
 an evidence, but a focial caufe, or not only tc* 
 its own fenfe, but as to the effect. But we. 
 leave this as a thing to be regreted, that when 
 there is ground enough of (tumbling, becaufe of 
 our ignorance and hlindnefs, there ihould, andt 
 that very neceifarly, be- fuch new occafion of 
 ftumbiing to fouls caft in the way of faith. 
 
 We come nowtofpeak of the AH of faith as 
 juftifying/ called here knowledge, and the know* 
 ledge of him. to fhew that it points at juftifying 
 faith ; for if it were not fo, it were the lame with 
 common knowledge, whereby we believe any 
 hiftory of the Bible : but this being juftifying 
 knowledge, it muft be knowledge of another 
 kind. We ihall here clear, 1. Wherein the aft 
 of juftifying faith confifts. 2. Remove fome 
 miftakes about it, and' make fome uie of it. 1 
 
 For thefirfti we fuppofe t&ere are thefe four 
 
%%1 Tfaiah «$3. 
 
 requisite, hi, or %o jufUfying faith, though not 
 always in the lame degree. 1. That there be a 
 diitind-t knowled ge in Come meaiure of the ob- 
 ject •, an antecedent that faith prefuppoles, and 
 tor which caufe Faith gets the name oiknewkdge 
 here and eifewhere in lcripture, the antecedent 
 being put for the confequent: For faith hath al- 
 ways knowledge with it, tho* knowledge hath 
 not always faith. 2. That there be an aifent to 
 the thing known ; as wh.n we know that we are 
 iinners, and that it is the blood of Chriii that 
 mult cleanfe us from fin. we mull aifent to the 
 truth of thefe, as Chrift lays, }.bn %, if \ye believe 
 it t Mifes bis writings, bow f) ail ye believe my 
 words r If ye aifent not to the tr.,th of what he 
 hath written, how can ye be i; ve mv (peaking? 
 Both thefe are in the und^rfjnndiug ; and if 
 there bemo more, this makes bui biilorlcal faith, 
 3. V. hen the lou! knows it's a iinner, and under 
 the curfe, and -that Chriii is a >avrour, and that 
 there is falvatiort to be gotten by lu:h a mean, 
 and that he is an able Saviour, and hath affen- 
 ted to the truth of thefe ; there is a consenting 
 of. the heart to that truth conditionally propo- 
 fed, and made otFer of, that is, to receive Chrift 
 as he is olfered in the gofpei ; which in f;rip- 
 ture is called a receiving of him, John 1. 12. To 
 as many as received him, &:. And this is an 
 aft of the will, refpe<5Hng Chriii as offered, and 
 a bargain propofed that will make the foul hap- 
 py, >^vhere faith accepts. 4. There is a retting 
 on Chriii received as a -good bargain, which is 
 alfo an a& of the heart, or will, called in lcripture 
 a committing cur [elves to him. a leaning en 
 him ? or rolling car felves en him\ which we 
 conceive to be the fame that Paul hath, PhiU 3. 
 9. That J may be found in him : When the foul 
 places its fafety here, and lippens to Chriil's 
 righteoufnefs alone, as contradillinguiihed to its 
 own ; thefe two lafl: a&s are properly the effence 
 of faith as jutTifying, and they are well holden 
 -out in the Catechifm, where faith is defcribed t« 
 be a favinq grace, whereby we receive andr^efi 
 upon Cbrift as be is offered in the Gofpei. We 
 fhall illutlrate it h\jx companion made ufe of be- 
 fore to this purpofe: Suppofe there were a num- 
 ber or rebels, that had incurred the prince's dif- 
 plealure, and were guiity of treaibn by the law ; 
 iuppofe alfo the prince's fon, or fome courtier, 
 hath fatisfied for them, and procured their par- 
 don and peace ; upon which there comes out a 
 proclamation, that if they will fubmit, and yield . 
 themfelves, and lay down their arms, they (hall 
 be pardoned, and admitted to friendship, as if 
 they had never rebelled :Thefe rebels mufl know, 
 1. That there is an adl of favour pail, and a pro- 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 60. 
 
 clamation made on fuch terms. 2. They muft 
 have a general faith and aillnt to the thing, 
 and that there is no queilion but fuch a thing 
 is done. 3. There is a confutation by the un- 
 derftanding with the will if they wi 1 adm t o£ 
 and receive it, ard trull themfciv.sto it. And 
 ti;en . , There is the hart's comeniing to ac- 
 cept 01 ik. oiFerof g.aee. on the terms of the 
 pro h niation, and a reilin^ on t, which is a lip- 
 p.i.Lrg or jtheir deience to it, that if ever they 
 ihoii d be :af._ d to an ac ount, they wiH make 
 ufe of fuch an act of gra :e, .and oftiu procla- 
 mation for theii defence and faft), and lippen 
 to it, and to his faithfu'nels who made the pro- 
 clamation, believing that he will iulfn-his word 
 and promife : t is juil fo here, in a iinner's ail- 
 ing faith for jutliti cation. We ma) usance and 
 illuitrat-. :t alfo in f <e exalttpk of .the pro'di 6 aI, 
 where. n we may find fomething of all this; 
 Vvhen he a el been in the height of his diilracli- 
 on and madfiefs, in his natural condition, it's 
 la'id, He came to himself, he knew and believed 
 that there was meat enough in his father's houfe, 
 alnd-refolved to go home; upon his knowledge 
 follows his refolution, and his will confents, 
 / will arife and go, which fuppofes his faith of an 
 offer of meat, on condition of his going ; and 
 then there is that whereon he grounds his de- 
 fence, / will fay, Father, I have finned ; I will 
 difclaim all, and betake me to thy grace, implied 
 in the word Father: He refolves to table his de- 
 fence on this ground,and upon this comes home* 
 More particularly, 1. Knowledge of the ob- 
 ject reded upon is neceiTary, Rom. 10. H w can 
 they believe on him oj whom they have not heard ? 
 It is not poiuble we can believe what we know 
 not. And as every other flep hath fome doctri- 
 nal miilake, and fome practical, fo hath this. 
 Thedo&rinalmiltake is that error of Papifis y 
 unworthy to be refuted; they fay, There is no 
 knowledge requifite to faith ; yea, fome of their 
 prime men have faid, That faith is rather ig- 
 norance than knowledge ; but furely then faith 
 would not he called kncTvledgc,\\ fit might rather 
 be defined ignorance; but this they maintain, 
 to keep the people in ignorance of the gofpei ; 
 and it's the ground of many mo errors, and 
 much deluiion : It's even as if a blind man could 
 go well in a flippery place,where are many pits; . 
 for knowledge is no lei's neeeifary to faith, than 
 eyes are to fuch a man. The pra&ical errors in 
 this,are fuch as we find in many" of you, who 
 think ye can believe well ; but ask, and put you 
 to it, ye cannot tell what ; >lany of you are or- 
 dinate maintainers of implicite faith, while ye 
 
 fay 
 
Serm. 60. JJatab. 53* 
 
 fay, ye have faith, and yet cannot tell what is 
 is, nor whereon it is grounded ; but we fay,that 
 knowledge is fo neceffary to faith, that if it be 
 not a part of it, yet it's neceffary antecedanious 
 to it, and prefuppofed ; therefore, if ever ye 
 would beraccounted believers, ftudy knowledge, 
 and the knowledge of Chrift crucified, at leaft fo 
 far as'to ground your faith upon. It's fad that 
 Co many twill maintain the reality of their faith, 
 and yet are grpily ignorant of the fundamentals 
 of religion ; knowledges the Very rife of, and 
 iirftftep to believing; and yet it's hardly poflible 
 to brangle the vain confidence of many, whom 
 it's as impouible to bring to knowledge. 
 . 2. There is an Affent requifite to the obje& 
 known, which is that we call Hiftorical faitb, 
 and this is to be confirmed in the general truths 
 contained in the gofpel : as, th^t Adam was made 
 according to God's image; that he fell,and brake 
 the covenant of works, and made himfelf, and 
 all his, liable to God's curfe; that we are by that 
 covenant under God's curfe ; that Chrift Jefus 
 the Son of God, according to the covenant of 
 redemption, entred himfelf Cautioner for the 
 cleft ; that he really died and paid their debt ; 
 that his purchafe is made offer of in the gofpel ; 
 and that, according to the covenant of grace, 
 there is a real abfolution from fin, and an eter- 
 nal happinefsxto be had at the great day,through 
 embracing of him. There mull be an affent to 
 the truth of.thefe things; for it is impoflible, 
 that they, who think not themfelves finners, 
 and that mind not a day of judgment, and a 
 reckoning, will ever clofe with Chrift, and lip- 
 pen to his righteoufnefs. I fear there are but 
 few hearers of the gofpel,that come the length of 
 devils in believing, and yet all will needs be 
 counted. Chriftians : We would here,uponthe 
 one hand, difclaim the Popifh error, that placeth 
 all the effence of faith in the underftanding, 
 which is fomewhat ftrange, (being they fcarce 
 think knowledge of the thing to be believed 
 neceffary; the reafon is, becaufe they know, or 
 at leaft own, nothing more of the concurrence 
 of faith in juftification, than is obedience to a 
 commandment : they think 'tis a duty and obe- 
 dience to a commandment, to affent to any 
 truth ; therefore they take this general hiftori- 
 cal faith to be the only faith, as they take ho- 
 linefs to be the only ground of their peace, when 
 they are called to an account ; and thus faith, 
 as a part of their holinefs, comes in, but they 
 admit of no particular refpeft to faith's taking 
 hold of Chrift's righteoufnefs, as the immediate 
 ground of their peace. Upon the other hand, 
 we would feclude the*vaia faith of many pro- 
 
 vene 11. 333 
 
 feffors, who fome way believe all that's in the 
 Bible, fo as they queftion nothing therein, they 
 know no other faith but this ; yet if this were 
 juftffying faith, the devils fhould have it, For 
 they believe and tremble; th^y believe there is a 
 God, that Chrift is the Son of God, that they 
 that believe fhall not perifli, that God is faith- 
 ful, &r. But this hiftorical faith is not enough, 
 
 1. Becaufe (as Ijuft now faid) it may be in 
 reprobates and devils. 2. Becaufe the fcripture 
 exprefly differcnceth this fort of faith, from (li- 
 ving faith; many were called beHevers,to whom 
 Chrift would not commit himfelf, as it is, Jcbn 
 
 2. 24. For, though they believe it to be truth 
 which he (pake, yet; they refted not on him*; 
 fo in the parable of the fower, Mattb. 13. 
 there are three grounds that receive the feed, 
 which imports, in two of them' at leaft, a kind 
 of believing; but the fourth ground is only good. 
 
 3. Becaufe this faith acts upon every revealed 
 truth alike, and affents to all pauages recorded i» 
 the Bible alike ; as on, and to that, Paul left 
 his clokeatTroas^nd the like ; as it a£s on that, 
 This is a faithful faying, tbat Cbrifl came into 
 tbe world'tofave finners, and fuch like ; but, ac- 
 cording to that ground formerly given, faith, 
 as it juftifies, a&s on Chrift only, and therefore 
 this bare affent to the truth of the word cannot 
 be juftifying faith, becaufe it a&s no otherways 
 on Chrift, than it doth upon other things ; 
 ye would therefore know a difference in your 
 practice betwixt thefe two, the crediting the 
 truth of a thing, and your actual receiving, and 
 refting upon that truth : as for example, A man 
 propofeth marriage to a woman, and fhe be- 
 lieves that he is in earned, and not in fcorn, yet 
 there is a great difference betwixt that and her 
 adhial contenting to marry him ; fo it is here, 
 the man may believe thatChrift doth really make 
 offer of himfelf 'to him, and yet be far from cor- 
 dial receiving of him; or take it in the example 
 made ufe of "before, Suppofe that fome of the 
 rebels v/e fpake of, believe the proclamation to 
 be a truth, yet thinking it hard to be under the 
 bands of government, they, do not embrace it. If 
 it1>e ob jetted here, that the fcrip't'ure often calls 
 juftifying faith a believing that Cbrifl is the Son 
 of God, which is no more than this affent of the 
 judgment, ' or hiftorical faith ; For anfv>er, It 
 would be considered ' ©f whom the icripture 
 there frJeaks. 1 . It is of Jews for the moft part, 
 wholiad the faith of the Mejfiab generally among 
 them : And no queftion, the believers of them* 
 fuch as the pTofe\ytedE\inuch,Martba,ar\<\ Mary y 
 Itad the faitb of the MtJTtab's fatisfyinz divine 
 
juftice, and of their juftification through his 
 latisfaftion: But the great queftion of the Jews 
 was, Whether Jefus theSon oi Mary was the Mef- 
 fab or not ? and it being revealed, and believed 
 that he was, the other Followed, they retted on 
 him of will, (to fay lb) as the Mejfiah, 2. Be- 
 
 Vcrfe II. Serm .6*0. 
 
 is ftill the fame faith, but another aft o£ 
 it \ not as if there might be a receiving, and 
 not retting, or a retting, and not a receiving ; or 
 as if we were to difference them in refpeft of 
 time ; but taith is (aid to receive, as it refpe&s 
 the gofpel-offer of Chrift, and his fatisfa<£tion $ 
 
 lieving of Chrift to be the Son of God, doth not and it's faid to reft or rely, as it refpe&s Chrift 
 exclude, but include their confenting to the re- and his fatisfariion $ the thing offered and recei- 
 ivirm nf rhria-' Kn.t Sf K^Mc f^rt-h aif« tK^v ved, with regard to the charge to which it is li- 
 able : It's here that it refts,and to this it betakes 
 itfelf, as to its defence, when challenged; It's 
 difficult to difference thefe two, or peremptory 
 to fay whether Chrift's rigbteoufnels be receiv- 
 ed, or retted upon ; yet it's made our defence, 
 becaule it's doled with, and we make them two 
 a&s of the fame faith, though it's hard to make 
 the one of them to be the e/Fe& of the other, or 
 the one of them to be antecedent to the other, 
 in refpeft of time at leaft; as a proclamation of 
 pardon being made to rebels, they fay, This pro- 
 clamation gives a freedom from the law's pur- 
 
 ceiving of Chrift; but it holds forth alfo their 
 a/Tent to, and perfwaflon of that truth that was 
 then debated, that he was indeed the promifsd 
 Mefftab, and the Son of God \ for the devils con- 
 feifed him to be the Son of God : and none will 
 fay, but there was more in their believing him 
 to be the Son of God, than in the devils believ- 
 ing it, who never believe unto falvation, as they 
 did. 3. Confider, that as fometimes knowledge 
 is put for faith, fo this affent may be put for 
 faith, where yet more is implied in it ; efpeci- 
 ally confidering that, Rom* 10.. faith is called, 
 faith of the heart, With the he Art man believeth ; 
 
 Now, believing with the heart being an a& of fait, becaufe they have embraced it j and thefe 
 
 the will, thele teftimonies fetting out faith 
 to be a believing Chrift to be the Son of God, 
 mutt imply a lipning to him following upon it : 
 we are therefore never to look on thefe places as 
 comprehending a bare affent only, but as inclu- 
 ding alfo, and carrying alongft with it, thecor- 
 dial receiving him, and of refting upon him. 
 
 For the 3d, to wit, the receiving A3; of faith, 
 which differs from the former, as we fhew in the 
 examples hinted at before ; it looks to the co- 
 Tenant of redemption betwixt Jehovah and the 
 ^Mediator ; it accepts of the Terms oftheco- 
 Tcnant, as they are propofed in the Gofpel, and 
 confents to the bargain ; and as God propofes 
 the righteoufnefs of Chrift, it fubmits to the 
 fame ; which Paul y 1 Tim* l« calls a faying wor- 
 thy of all acceptation, to be welcomed and belie- 
 ved as fuch; and the believers mentioned,H*^.i 1. 
 are faid, not to have received the promifes> but te 
 havefeen them afar offend to have embraced (or 
 faluted) them : f his receiving is no phyfical,or 
 natural aclt, as if we were to receive fuch a thing 
 by the mouth, or bodily hand ; 'tis an acl: of 
 faith in the heart, proportioned and fuited to 
 this fpiritual bargain, or marriage, propofed in 
 the covenant of grace ; and it's like a man 
 confenting to a civil bargain, or like a woman ? s 
 confenting to marry a man : As when it is faid 
 to finners, Ye are natually dead in fins and 
 trefpafTes, and under God's curfe ; but, be it 
 known to you, that we preach remiifion of fins 
 to you through the blood of Chrift ; faith con- 
 dors this offer, accepts of, and welcomes it. 
 T he 4*£, and lad a&jis a refting on bim> which 
 
 rebels make that the ground, if ever they be 
 challenged, whereon they found their defence : 
 they have this to lippen to, and upon this they 
 reft ; though none of thefe a&s can well be faid 
 to be before, or after the other,in refpe&of time. 
 For clearing of this a little more, confider, that 
 this refting may be looked on, either faffive)y t 
 or A&ively, Vaffively, inrefped* of the believer's 
 acquiefcing in Ckrift, and alluring himfelf that 
 all ftiall be well ; this is not that a<ft of faith 
 that is called for to juftification, but fuppofes 
 the perfon to be juftificd/or he muft be juftified 
 ere he can reft, or acquiefce in it. Aftively, in 
 refpecfc of our refting on him that we may be ju- 
 ftified,as the Apoftle hath h>Gal.2.i6. And this, 
 Ifaiah 5.6. is called a taking hold of God's cove- 
 nant - y it is an actual committing of our felves to 
 him, that we may win to peace, or a leaning an 
 him, as fuppofe one were to reft upon a fta/F: 
 it doth not only imply the efre<ft, his having bt 
 eafe ; but alfo, and firftly, his leaning to or reft- 
 ing on it, in order to eafe ; therefore it's faid, 
 Mattb.i 1.28. Come unto me, all ye that are weary 
 and heavy loaden, andye Jballfind reft : The aft 
 that juftihes, is this laft and aeHve a«ft, the' aft 
 of coming, or leaning, or refting ; and the paf- 
 five aft of acquiefcing, or affurance, is that 
 which follows upon it, as a fruit and effeft of 
 it : And therefore we humbly conceive, that it 
 is not 'fafe, to define juftifying faith by AJJu- 
 ranee ; or to fay,, that wherever faith is, 
 there is affurance. : iris rather a retting on Chrift 
 that wc may hare reft J and aground of defence, 
 
 and 
 
arid reafonto be propofcd,if we fhould be quar- 
 relled for, or charged with the debt of fin. 
 
 ThcUfeszre, 1. To remove the difficulties; 
 as namely,it may be asked here, Is there no con- 
 fidence nor affurance in this a&i\re aft of faith, 
 which is the effence of it ? We anfwer fhortly, 
 There are three forts of confidence pleaded for, 
 that are far from the nature of faith, and yet 
 faith wants not its own confidence and affu- 
 rance, if it be taken in a right fenfe. The 1. is 
 for a man to believe, that Chrift died for him 
 in particular, an the firft hand,and to think that 
 he hath no more to do,but to believe that Chrift 
 died, and futfered for him, and that thereupon 
 he is juftified ; for this layeth a ground for u- 
 niverfal Redemption againft the current of the 
 fcriptures, and can never be a ground of in- 
 tereft in Chrift's righteoufnefs : It fuppofes that 
 to be done, -already, and admits not the ibul to 
 concur by believing for coming to the applica- 
 tion,and yet this is very rife amongft people, I 
 believe that Chrift died lor me, and fhed his 
 precious blood for me : and fo long as they can 
 maintain this prefumption, and rtot fuffer them* 
 felves to admit of any debating, and queftio- 
 ning, whether they have ground and reafon for 
 it, or nof, they think they have faith enough : 
 butthisis no ad of faith, nor of the nature of 
 truejuftifying faith; which is to take hold of 
 Chrift offered, that we may come to be abfolv- 
 ed through him : therefore, whenever the 
 fcripture puts us to believe, it commands us to 
 take hold oi' Chrift offered, and not atfirft hand 
 to believe, that he died far us in particular ; I 
 fuppofe many are carried away with this pre- 
 fumption, that will, to their coft,at laft find it to 
 be otherwife. 2. Others think that all faith 
 confiftsin this, to believe that God loved them 
 from all eternity, and that they are already ju- 
 ftified, which is the Antimmian way; they be* 
 lieve not that they may be juflifird y vfhich was 
 PauVs way, Gal. 2. 10. but they believe that 
 they are juftified, and this alfo prefuppones uni- 
 verfal redemption: and to prefs it upon you, were 
 to bid you all believe that God hath loved you, 
 and pardoned you from all eternity, which were 
 to bid you believe a lie ; for we wot well from 
 the fcriptures of truth, that God hath not loved 
 all from eternity, and yet this is the faith that 
 many of you prefumptuoufly pra Ailes; we are all 
 naturally fome way Antinomians, Papifts, and 
 Armenians in our practice ; and the way of error 
 is more confiftent,and current with our nature, 
 than the way of truth : Bat, O / prcfumptu- 
 ous hypocrites, will ye daringly, and without 
 
 VcrCe iu 33$ 
 
 any ground, believe God's love to you ? God 
 fhall lhake you out of that confidence, and blow 
 upon it,and make it evanifh: ye cry out on them 
 that live in error, yet ye pra&ife thefe fame er- 
 rors (to fpeak fo) as faft as ye can; we cannot 
 by much preaching get you brought to the know- 
 ledge of the truth, but ye can drink in error ere 
 ye hear of it, and it will ruin your fouls, if grace 
 prevent not; and many of you fhall find that thus 
 you have deftroyed your felves. A id Sort of 
 rotten confidence, is that which fome have, who 
 cannot fay they are for the time juftified, yet 
 they have a perfwafion to get heaven, and to be 
 juftified ere they die, or that at death they will 
 be fure of it, and they wot well they fhall not 
 difpair. This is alfo naughty prefumption, and 
 continued in, as hazardous as utter defperation, 
 and killeth mo fouls than defpair doth ; for fuch 
 reft quietly in their hope of being freed from 
 wrath, and having their peace made witfi God, 
 and yet never go to Chrift to have it done : this 
 is like that man's prefumption, that fays, Tufh, 
 Ijhall have peace , tbo* I walk in the imaginati* 
 on of my own heart : God is gracious and mer- 
 ciful, and I hope he will not be fo fevere as he is 
 called : The Lord called this a belying of him ; 
 for he fays in his word, that there is no peace 
 to the wicked ; and the foofifh prefumer fays, / 
 Jball have peace : fhall his word or theirs ftand ? 
 They fay, fer, <j. 12. and 7. 9. The temple of the 
 Zord, the temple of the Lord are thefe* Thejr 
 make a fair fhew of attendance on ordinances, 
 and yetfteal, murder and commit adultery, and 
 fay. We are delivered to all thefe things : It 
 net this a grofs belying of the Lord ? God 
 fhall beat back many of yo.ur vain confidences in 
 your faces, and your faces wax pale ; when God 
 fhall caufe your charge and fumomns to cotac 
 unto judgement, found in your ears, thefe and 
 fuch like confidences will never bear you 
 through, it is not thefe we fpeak of. 
 
 Yet 2dly, We fay, that the right exercife.of 
 faith wants not its own confidence, comfort and 
 affurance, when taken in a right fenfe, muck 
 whereof is attributed by fome to the definition 
 of faith ; for fome miftake faith, and others are 
 miftaken or mifunderftood in their fpeaking 
 of faith : fome divines that write of faith, fpeak 
 of ift being an affurance, defining it at its 
 height ; yet generally they take in,and prefup- 
 pofe the a&ive a£ of faith refting on Chrift. O- 
 thers define it by thefe two a£s, a receiving of % 
 and refting upon Chrift ; Therefore we would 
 ner conceive of them, at leaft of many of them* 
 as making this affurance to our fenfe to be 
 Xx 2 cflentiaV 
 
33$ Ifdiab 53. 
 
 effential,and abfolutcly neceffary to the being of 
 juftif) ing faith; much lefs would we think, that 
 they niisken and pafsby the true acts of receiv- 
 ing and refting upon Chrift : only Tome of 
 them (which we humbly think is their miftake) 
 baling to do with Papifts,who place faith in the 
 underitanding, add an affurance of faith to the 
 former acts ; in which we lay there is a ground 
 of confidence, or a conditional affurance: upon 
 fuppofition that fouls receive Chrift, and reft 
 upon him, they may be confident, that that 
 is a ground that will not fail them; they may be 
 confident that he will not deceive them ; a con- 
 fidence in this, that they may ftep to, or lean 
 upon Chrift, and not fear that he fail them, or 
 that they may without all fear of hazard caft 
 themfelveson Chrift ; therefore he is called a tri- 
 cdyeUtliprecious Gmerftone,afure Foundation', 
 and indeed that is no fmall ground of confidence, 
 that when a foul comes to Chrift b^y believing, it 
 may be fure he will not fail it. 2. Being lure 
 that we have committed our felves toChrift( which 
 fuppofes faith's being put to exercife and practice) 
 there may be a confidence in this refpcet, we 
 *iay be lure he wilj not fail us in particular. 
 2 Tim. 1. 12. 1 know in whom J have believed, 
 and that he is able to keep that which 1 have 
 committed to him,and that J fball not be ajhamed* 
 He puts both thefe together, I know that he is 
 able, and that he will not fail me, I fhalLnot 
 be afhamed ; So, Rom. 8. / am perfwaded, that 
 neither death nor life, &c. Jhall be able t» fepa- 
 rate us from the love of God that is in Chrift Jc- 
 fus : If fouls have received the offer, they may 
 i>e fure it will no mifgive them. 3. Add, That 
 this actual, or active refting on Chrift, may be. 
 
 Verfe n. 5 €rm . <5 6 
 
 feparate from the fenfe of it, or from the paffive 
 act of faith, or quietnefs that follows on refting 
 on Chrift ; for there is a refting on Chrift,which 
 is very faith it felf, and not the effect : Come, 
 and ye fball find reft ; Coming is before find- 
 ing of reft, to our fenfe at leaft. We are not to 
 knit this paffive reft, with the other a&ive aft 
 of refting, as if it were impoffible to reft on 
 Chrift, without prefent lenfible eafe 1 befkde, it 
 is this a&ive refting that gives us right to 
 Chrift, and not the paifive, Gal. 2. 16. We be- 
 lievedthat we may be juftified: This neceffarly; 
 goes before our believing that we are juftified, 
 Toclofe with a word of more particular Ufe y 
 Let me exhort you to lay lefs weight on your 
 bare thinking that ye believe, on your prefent ill- 
 grounded hope and peace. Aim, and endeavour 
 to act,, and. exercife, faith on Chrift actively, 
 receiving and refting on him for winning, to 
 peace : This.pra6~t.ice of faith is the over-word 
 (to fay) of the doctrine of juftification ; that 
 feeing there is fuch ground of juftification laid 
 down, the righteoufnefs of Chrift, and that it 
 is propofed to you; and feeing this is the very 
 act of juftifying faith, to receive and reft on 
 Cfcrift, as he is propofed and . offered;, when this 
 offer, is made to you^ let your faith receive, 
 takehojd of, andconfent to the bargain ; and 
 ground and found our defence here, for anfwe* 
 ring all challenges that the law and juftice 
 may prefent againft you : That .there was a Sa- 
 viour offered to you, and that ye received him, 
 and refted upon him, will be a ground that 
 fhall bear you out, when you come before God; 
 and except this be made fure, our (peaking, and 
 your hearing of faith, will be to no purpofe. 
 
 S E R M 
 
 Ifaiah 53. 11. <By bis knewle-dge Jhall my 
 
 their iniquities 
 
 THis is a great afTertion, and of mighty mo- 
 ment, wherein to the knowledge of Chrift, 
 the juftification of many is attributed: and in- 
 deed, if we knew what an advantage and bene- 
 fit it were, there would be nothing more flu- 
 died than how to obtain it ; for it is the very in- 
 let, and opens the door to glorification f and 
 if to be happy in the enjoyment of God be a be- 
 nefit of great concernment, then this of juftifi- 
 cation muftbelb. 
 
 We propofed to fpeak of the way how this 
 benefit is applied, and that is by faith, let out 
 under this expreffion,6f* know I edge, or the knrw 
 ledge of him j and touched on the benefit of faith, 
 
 O N LXL 
 
 rightecm Servant \uftify many, for he fball bear 
 
 and the neceffity thereof for attaining juftificati- 
 on, God having fo ordered it in the covenant, 
 that none others fhould be juftified, but fuch as 
 have faith. 2. We fpoke alfo to the Object of 
 this faiths Chrift Jefus as our righteoufnefs and" 
 peace : So that Chrift becomes in a peculiar 
 manner the Object of faith) befide any other 
 thing; becaufe it's^rily in Chrift it can find a 
 fnelter, there ore it's only to Chrift that it flees, 
 when it is purfued. 3. VVefpake Hkewifeof the 
 nature of this faith, or itsaCt,it being the heart's 
 trufttng it felf to Chrift's righteoufnefs, whereon 
 it hazards the weight ot its peace, and relies 
 
 heres : 
 
Scrm. 6u . */"** ** 
 
 here : And as all the terms of juftification are 
 borrowed from law, wherein there is fuppofed 
 a charge, a tribunal, and a judge ; fo is this reft- 
 iRg in like wanner; it's in effect an arraigned 
 perfon's making of Chrift's righteoufnefs his le- 
 gal defence againft all challenges : the fubftance 
 of the phrafe is in that of Phil. 3. 9. Th,at I may 
 be found in him, not having my own nghtecuf- 
 nefs, &c. Where, prefuppofing a libelling and 
 charge,whereto does the Apoftle betake himfelf? 
 and what is his refuge ? It's Chrift and his righ- 
 teoufnefs, even to be found in him ; as if the 
 queftionwere propofed,P««/,what wilt thoudo in 
 the day of judgment ? what wilt thou jean to for 
 a defence in that day ? To .which he anfwers,Not 
 to my own righteoulhefs,but this is it,even to be 
 found in himj-which he expones to be,the having 
 of his righteoufnefs by faitb,that's the righteouf- 
 nefs of Chrift by faith taken hold of by me;which 
 faith lhuts up as it were Paul in that righteouf- 
 nefs, and hides him fo, as he is paft over, as if 
 there were no .unrighteoufhefs at all in him. 
 . The effett of this faith follows, when a perfon. 
 is chafed> and hath fled unto, and laid hold on 
 Chrift - % the effect, I fay, is, he ftiall be juftified. 
 We may confider this feveral ways ; and, for 
 explication's fake, I fhall ihof tly put by fome of 
 them. 
 
 1. Then, according to the expofition of the 
 words, take this obfervation, That there is fuch 
 a thing as juftification diftin<& from fan<ftificati- 
 on. That benefit of juftification follows on faith's 
 taking hold of Chrift, becaufe it's fuch a benefit 
 as follows Chrift's taking on our fin j By his 
 knowledge Jhall he jujiijy many, for he Jb all bear 
 their iniquities. Now fan<ftification is not that, 
 but the infufing of holinefs in us,and is the work 
 of God's Spirit, inwardly working a change in 
 the man. We did fome way clear and confirm 
 this in the expofition of the words, and ftiew 
 you how fanctification differeth from juftificati- 
 on ; Now ye are juftified, now ye are fanftified, 
 fays the Apoftle, 1 Cor 6. making them ditlin& 
 benefits. To clear it a little further, two things 
 are to be confidered in fin, both which are to 
 be removed by Chrift,but differently ; i. Some- 
 thing that defiles and pollutes us, and makes us 
 difronform to God's image; hence fin is in the 
 fcripture compared to boils and lores, and men- 
 ftrous clothes, and is caWe&filtbinefs. 2. There 
 is a guiltinefs that follows on this, whereby we 
 are not only prefuppofed unclean, but are made 
 liable to the law's cert:fication,wherein it's faid, 
 Cuffed is every cne that ccntinucth not in every 
 th'ng written in the bock cf the law to dj it. 
 Now, if wefpcak of the removing of thefe two, 
 
 Verfe ii. 337 
 
 juftification takes away the guilt of fin ; when 
 the finner is purfued* before God's tribunal, he is 
 difcharged by the imputation of Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs, to which he is fled for refuge ; the 
 law abfolves him, not becaufe he wants fin, but 
 becaufe the Mediator hath fatisfied for his fin, 
 and that fat is fact ion is by faith laid hold of: fan- 
 ctification takes away the pollution and blot of 
 fin ; the perfon that had thefe boils and fores is 
 cleanfed, or healed, or is a healing, and under 
 cure (for there is no compleat healing while on 
 this fide of heaven) As, fuppone a man,by tranf- 
 greffing the law, had wounded himfelf, in woun- 
 ding or hurting another; there is here both a 
 guilt, and a deformity ; a guilt in tranfgreffing 
 the law by hurting his neighbour, and a defor- 
 mity in wounding himfelf : juftification is as if 
 the penalty of the breach of fuch a law were not 
 exacted, by the interpofing of a cautioner ; 'and 
 fan<ftification is like the healing of the wound in - 
 a man's felf, by taking or application of fome 
 phyfick or plaifter : So is it here,juftifi cation lets 
 us free from the guilt, and fan&ification cures 
 us of tj^e wound of fin. Man's fall was a guilt, 
 and by that fall he wounded himfelf; and by 
 Chrift both are removed from the believer : by 
 his fatisfa<5Uon he juftifies, "and by his grace and 
 Spirit he fanctifies him. 
 
 Ufe. We oblerve it only in pafling, becaufe it 
 ferves to clear all that concerns juftification ; 
 and therefore, when we fpeak of juftification by 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, 1 . It's not as if we had - 
 a righteoufnefs communicate to us, and were 
 made actually holy, but it's the imputation of 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs to us ; the confounding of c 
 thele two does ill, and is very prejudicial, not 
 only to thePapifts, but to others, who think they 
 are juftified, when they think they have fome 
 good frame, which being w.nting, they fufpect 
 their juftification. 2. The meaning is not as if « 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs were our fan&ification, 
 which is the error of the Antinomiam, who 
 make all fan&ification to be juftification, even as 
 the Papifls make all juftification to be lan&ifica- 
 tion ; therefore we would learn to diftinguiih 
 thefe two, yet not fo as to feparate them. 
 
 idly, Obferve, That this effect, juftification, 
 is not only, nor mainly, the fenfe of being pardo- • 
 ned and abfolved ; but it's real abfolution and 
 pardon itfelf ; becaufe this juftification that fol- 
 lows faith, is that which Chrift hath purchafed 
 by hislbul-travel, and bearing of our iniquities, 
 and entitles the juftified perfon to him, and 
 makes him. to be of his feed ; and that is, not 
 to have the fenfe that we are juftified, buta&u-. 
 
 al> 
 
338 Jfajab ffti 
 
 ally to be juftified. And here there is another 
 .jm&ake to be averted tc,to think juftification to 
 v be the evidence of what is paft before we were 
 ■ born; yea from eternity : The juftification here 
 fpoken or, is that which makes us Hand before 
 God, is oppofite to works, and to the curfe, 
 and frees us from it; but the fenfe of juftificati- 
 tion is not that, whereby we ltand before God, 
 and is oppofite to works and the curfe : And 
 therefore take this advertifement, that juftifi- 
 cation is not to be fenfible of our juftification, 
 but it is really to befo, whether we know and be 
 fenfible of it or not,and that by vertue ofChrilVs 
 righteoufnefs appprehended by faith. 
 
 1 he Third, and main thing in this effect, is, 
 That laying hold on Chrift by faith, as he is 
 offered in the gofpel, does before God ferve to 
 the juftifying of a finner, and the ablblving of 
 him from the guilt of fin; that is, when a fin- 
 ner, fenfible of fin, is brought to lay hold on 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, then follows God abfol- 
 ving of him, as if he had never had fin, or had fa- 
 tisfied for his own fin; which is not only holden 
 out here, but is frequently fpoken of through the 
 Epiftles, and is the juftification that (lands in op- 
 pofition to the way of works; to wit, when a 
 Jo«r finner,fenfible of fin,is perfwaded by God's 
 Spirit to flee unto, and reft upon Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs offered in the gofpel, upon which fol- 
 lows God's abfolving of him. ThisDoftrine takes 
 in the fubftance of the text, By the knowledge oj 
 my righteous Servant Jhall many be juftified. 
 
 There are feveral things that will fall to be 
 cleared in the proficuting of this, which we (hall 
 ipeak to fhortly, for clearing of that queftion of 
 the Cutechil'm^bat is juftification? becaufe this 
 dottrine holds out the form of it, and deduceth 
 it in thi§ order, i. A finner is here fuppofed 
 to be living under God's curfe, according to 
 that,G*/. 3. 10. Cur fed is every one that conti- 
 nues not in all things written in the law : This is 
 man's condition by nature. 2. It is fuppofed that 
 Chrift becomes Cautioner for ele& finners, and 
 takes on their debt, and fatisfies for them, on 
 condition that if they fhall believe on him, they 
 fliall be juftificd, and have his fatisfadtion impu- 
 ted to them ; and that the Lord Jehovah accepts 
 of the Mediator's fatisfa&ion, and ingageth to 
 make out the condition. 3. The Lord in the 
 word of the gofpel hath revealed this, and hath 
 comprehended the way of a finner's juftificati- 
 on in the gofpel-covenant, and promifes and 
 makes offer of it to all that hear of it, faying, He 
 that believes in the Son Jhall not perijh, but have 
 eternal life : and all that believe on him fhall be 
 juftified from all things^vfkerefrom they could not 
 
 Verfc 11. Send. 6u 
 
 be juftified by the law cfMofcr. This h the exter- 
 nal inftrumental caufe of juftification, that holds 
 out the way to life, which fuppolesthe former, 
 4- When this is made offer of in the gofpel, 
 there is the operation of God's Spirit on the 
 foul, inlightning the mind or the finner, convin- 
 cing him of his hazard,chafing him toChrift,and 
 powerfully perfwading him to take hold of his 
 righteoufnefs made offer of to him; whereupon 
 the foul comes to put forth the a& of faith, and 
 to reft upon his righteoufnefs ; as when it was 
 faid by Philip to the eunuch, A&s 8. If thou bt- 
 lievefty thou mayeft be juftified ; The foul an* 
 fwers, I believe in Chrift the Son of God', where* 
 upon it becomes a bargain ; And this is the in- 
 ward mean, or inftrumental caufe, of juftificati- 
 on. 5. Follows God's imputing to that finner, 
 that receives Chrift as he is offered, and refts 
 upon him by faith, his righteoufnefs; andChriiVsi 
 payment andfatisfaefcion to juftice is counted his, 
 and according to this his fins are pardoned, for 
 the merit of that righteoufnefs,and he himfelf is 
 accepted and accounted righteous,as ifhe had ne- 
 ver finned ; and he hath luch a fentence paft on 
 him,as is held forth in thefe words oSVfal. 32* U 
 JBleJfed is the man whofe tranfgrejfton is forgiven, 
 whofe fin is covcredjo whom the Lord imputes no 
 iniquity ; and in thefe,Kww. 8. 1. There is there- 
 fore now no condemnation to them who are in> 
 Chrift Jefus,oXc. Even as, before he fled toChrift, 
 there was a curfe (landing againft him : And 
 this is an ail of God, the fovereign and efficient 
 caufe, To declare bis righteoufnefs -that he might 
 be juft,and the juftifier of him that believes inje~ 
 fus y as it iSyRom. 3. 25. which is the final caufe. 
 We may confirm this, either as to the pofitive 
 part, that by believing a finner is juftified; or as 
 to the negative part, that there is no other way 
 poffible, whereby a finner can be juftified, but by 
 believing : So that this great effeA follows from 
 a fenfible finner's taking hold of Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs by faith. Ye may look upon a few (cap- 
 tures to this purpofe, as namely, GaU 2. 16. 
 where the apoftle, entring in the debate, lays 
 down this conclufion, Knowing that a man is 
 not juftified by the works of the law, but by faith 
 in Jefus Chrift, even we have believed in Jefus 
 Chrift, that we might be juftified by the faith of 
 Chrift : as if he had faid, We have taken this way 
 for the attaining of this end, believing that we 
 might be juftified. The apoftle fpeaks here, i. Of 
 a juftification by faith,which isoppofiteto works; 
 and as he afcribes it to faith to he denies it to 
 works. 2. He makes it exclufive, & will have no 
 other thing to con:ur in the manner at lead, by 
 I kith; 
 
frith ; Knowing (faith he) that a wan is not ju- 
 ftifiedby works, but by faith, 3. He hold our his 
 own,and other believers practice ; Even we have 
 IcUcvcdytbat we might be juftified \ as if he had 
 laid, We took this way of faith to be abfolved be- 
 fore'God, which by the law> or the works of the 
 law, would never hare been. See alfo to tbis pur- 
 pofe, the epiftle to the Romans, 1, 2, 3, 4> and 5. 
 Cfc*/>ferj } efpeciaily the 3, and 4. In the id* Chap, 
 v. 2$. ^hen he is fumrhing the do&rine of jufti- 
 fication into a compend,he fays, Whom God bath 
 fet forth to be a propitiation through faith 9 to de- 
 clare bis righteoufnefs for the remijpon offms,&c. 
 Where Chad's righteoufnefs is called a Propiti- 
 ation through faith, and faith is holdt n out as the 
 (channel in which judication runs ; and in the 
 ■words following,the believer is holden out as the 
 obje& of it ; fo chap. 4. it is holden out in the in- 
 ftance of Abraham, particularly in v. $. To him 
 that worketh not, but believetb on him that jufti- 
 fiethtbe ungodly, bis faith is counted for righteouf- 
 nefs \ where the Apoftle propones Two ways of a 
 
 by any other thing, it eould not be by grace. 
 But faith claims nothing but the righteoufnefs 
 of Chtift to reft on ; he hath paid the price, 
 and made the fatisfa&ion, and that fatisfa&ion 
 is mine, faith faith, becaufe it was offered to 
 me, and I have been brought to lay hold on it. 
 And the nature of this pleading ftops the mouth 
 of the creature, and preclaims justification to 
 be alone the effect of God's grace,and of Chrift's 
 procurement*, 3, Confider, that.if it depended 
 on any other thing, our juftification could never 
 be perfite ; when we (peak of justification, and 
 call it perfite, it is not foto be underftood, as 
 if faith were perfite \ but Chrift's fatisfafHon, 
 which is our righteoufnefs, and which faith 
 lays hold on, is perfite, though our faith's grip 
 be weak: hence it is, that the weak believer is 
 juftified, as well as the ftrong ; all who look 
 unto Chrift, though with a weak-fighted eye, 
 get falvation through him, as well as Abraham, 
 becaufe his righteoufnefs is perfite, which weak 
 faith takes hold of, as well as ftrong faith. Now 
 
 perfoVs aiming to be juftified, the 1 . whereof is, if juftification were founded on ought within us, 
 When a man worketh, and on that account feeks it could never be perfite, but by him all that be- 
 
 to be juftified,and that way is rejected. The 2.is, 
 When a man hath no works, or worketh not on 
 that account to be juftified by them, but by faith 
 betakes himfelf to Chrift's fatisfaftion ; and that 
 way is edablifhed, for that man's faith is counted 
 for righteoufnefs, and is the ground of his peace 
 fcefore God : we gave fome fcriptures before for 
 this, and fhall not therefore now infift. There 
 is alfo good reafon why it cannot be otherwife, I. 
 If we confider what man is in himfelf,ungodly,re- 
 bellious,having nothing to prefent unto God ;but 
 when a righteoufnefs is prefented to him by way 
 of offer, and he is through grace brought to ac- 
 cept of the offer of the righteoufnefs of ano- 
 ther, nothing can be conceived to be brought to 
 receive it, but his faith : And if Chrift's fatif- 
 faftion be his juftification, and if it be faith that 
 takes hold of it, we have a clear reafon why 
 juftification is attributed to faith. 2. Confider, 
 That this contributes moft to God's end, which 
 is, to glorify himfelf, efpecially in his grace, in 
 the juftification of finners, even to hold forth 
 the manifold riches of his grace ; and nothing 
 -contributes to this fo much, and fo well, as that 
 which fpeaks the finner to be empty: and no* 
 thing empties the finner more than faith ; it 
 being the great a& of faith, to bring the foul 
 off its own bottom, and to ftop all boafting ; to 
 drive it but of it felf,to be found in him ; there- 
 fore^ it is faidto be of faith, that it might be of 
 gran, Rom, 4. 1$. As if he had faid, If it were 
 
 lieve are juftified from all things, from which they 
 could not be juftified by the law ofMofes \ and one 
 of them made as free as another: It's not here, 
 as if one part of the debt were fcored and blot- 
 ted out, and not another ; but all is blotted 
 out, becaufe the righteoufnefs prefented be- 
 fore God s tribunal, and imputed to us, which 
 is the defence that faith gives in, is perfite. We 
 may compare ftrong and weak faith to two 
 advocates, the one more able, and the other 
 weaker, pleading the fame caufe before a juft 
 judge ; ftrong faith pleads more ftrongly, fully 
 and diftin&ly, weak faith pleads not fo fully 
 and diftin&ly ; but both pleading on the fame 
 ground, God the Judge judgeth not according 
 to the diftin&nefs, or undiftin&neis of the 
 pleading, but according to the defence, or rea- 
 fon given in, and abfolves both alike, and the 
 weak believer is as fully pardoned as the ftrong is. 
 The Ufes are many and comfortable; 1. It 
 ferves for our direction. If any were asking, 
 how they maycometo be juftified? Thisdo&rine 
 anfwers, By faith" in Jefus Chrift, by taking 
 with your fin, and taking hold of Chrift's righ- 
 teoufnefs offered to you in the gofpel, and by 
 making that your defence beforeGod: And is not 
 this a leflbn worthy the learning, which the 
 whole word of God aims at, even to inftruft 
 you how to make your peace with him ? It's by 
 the knowledge of Chrift, or by faith in him, 
 by refting on him, as he is offered in the gof- 
 pel*, 
 
340 . Ifaiab ^ 
 
 pel : and this cannot but be a folid and ficker way 
 of juftin* cation, becaufe we have God's word for 
 it ; it's founded on his faithfiilnefs, and on the 
 tranfa&ion made betwixt God and the Mediator. 
 Wehave alfo the experience of all the faints for it: 
 Abraham before the law, David under the law, 
 and Paul fince the law, all of them were led the 
 fame way. Ye would take notice of this, not only 
 as the great queftion in catechizing, or examina- 
 tion, but as the ground whereon ye build your 
 peace,if ye were dying-, there is a perfect righte- 
 oufnefs inChrift, made offer of to you in the gof- 
 pel, on condition ye will receive him as he is offe- 
 red ; and if ye fo receive him, it fhall be yours, 
 and ye fhall at God's bar beabfolved ; the righte- 
 oufnefs of Chrift fhall be as erfe&ual for your ab- 
 folution,as if it were inherent in your felves,and 
 faith fhall unite you to him, and make you one 
 with him : In a word, ye mud all come before 
 God's tribunal ; and there are but two defences 
 to be propofed, either fomething in your {elves, 
 as your love and charity, or good carriage and 
 duties; or to take with your fin, tocondemnyour 
 felves, and to flee to Chrift, and prefent his 
 righteoufnefs, as the righteoufnefs of the Cau- 
 tioner that hath paid your debt j and according 
 as ye take the one way, or the other, ye may 
 expe& to be juftiiied, or not; and this Dottrine 
 reje&s the one way, and.owns and confirms the 
 other, which is by faith. 
 
 And therefore, 2dly, (which is the great Ufe o? 
 all thisZ> otlrine) Here there is ground laid down 
 to any that would be juftified, how they may 
 win to it, and a warrant to propofe juftification, 
 as a thing attainable through faith in him ; ye 
 have it in your on% on thefe terms, and there- 
 fore let me earneftly intreat you to accept of the 
 offer ; if this be the way of juftification, take this 
 way : feeing there is an abfolute neceffity of faith 
 in every one that would be at juftification. make 
 it fure that ye are indeed fled to Chrift, and that 
 it is his righteoufnefs, which ye make your de- 
 ' fence before the bar of God's tribunal. • We 
 ihall branch forth this Ufe of exhortation in 
 thefe Two or Three words, ift. When Chrift is 
 fpoken of in the gofpel, let him be by faith 
 received ; and if ye wouid know what this is, la- 
 hour, i. To know, and to take up the difference 
 betwixt felfrighteoufnefs, and that righteouf- 
 nefs which is by faith ; for many are fo igno- 
 rant, that they know neither the one nor the o- 
 ther,or at leaft not the-one by the other. 2. When 
 ye are come to know the' difference betwixt 
 thefe two, and are foberly weighing what ye 
 fhouldlippen to, in your coming before God ; 
 with indignation fhuffle out, and caft by, dif- 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 61. 
 
 claim- and renounce your own righteoufnefs, 
 and grip to the righteoufnefs of Chrift: here 
 faith will have a double work, upon the one 
 hand to reject felf-righteoufnefs, and upon the 
 other hand to reft upon the righteoufnefs of 
 Chrift alcne, according to that, Philip, 3. 9. 
 3. When ye have gotten your own righteoufnefs 
 caften, and Chrift's righteoufnefs clofed with, 
 there is a neceffity to cover,and hide your felves 
 in it,that ye may never fomuch as in the vaguing 
 conceit of your mind, be found out of it ;» it 
 alludes to the city of refuge, wherein, when 
 onceentred into, and abiden in, the perfon was 
 fafe; but if he was at any time found without, 
 he was in hazard to be killed by the avenger of 
 blood : which held out not only the aft of faith 
 fleeing to Chrift-; but its abiding in him, being 
 hid in him, containing and keeping it felf in 
 him, and continuing to plead its defence; on 
 that ground : there may be, in a fit of fad. exer- 
 cife, a* renouncing of our own righteoufnefs; 
 but when that is over, and we begin to conceit 
 fomething of that which we have done, we are 
 ready; to forget Chrift's righteoufnefs, and to 
 lean to our own ; and that is in a manner to 
 come out of Chrift, and from our city of refuge, 
 if ever we were in him: faith, as it betakes 
 it felf to Chrift,fo itftates it felf in Chrift,where 
 only it dare abide the trial. 2^We would com- 
 mend this to you, as the great ground of your 
 peace and hope,even that ye would put it to the 
 trial, and make it fure, whether ye be in the 
 faith or not ; it is true, there are many beguil- 
 ed in this, and take thernfelves to be in the faith 
 when they are not ; and others queftion their 
 faith, and their being juftiiied, without juft 
 ground; yet it's impoflibleto wintoclearnels of 
 intereft in Chrift, or to the having of any folid 
 and comfortable hope of enjoying God, except 
 there be fome clearnefs that we are in the faith, 
 and have indeed betaken our felves to Chrift ; 
 which cannot be win at, without putting it to 
 the trial : other evidences ferve to clear our ju- 
 ftification, as they clear our faith ; and as they 
 prove faith, io they conclude and prove our ju- 
 ftification, and the out-gate promifed. Now, if 
 believing befuch an evidence of juftification ; and 
 -of a well-grounded hope of heaven, is there not 
 reafon we fhould put it, in goodearneft, and fre- 
 quently, to the trial, and feek to know whether 
 we be in the faith or not? TheApoftle,2 Or. 13.5. 
 doubles his exhortation to this pxirpofe, Examine 
 your felves, if ye be in the faith, prove your own 
 felves, know ye not your own felves, how thatjefiis 
 Chrift is inyou % except ye be reprobates $ We do 
 
 the 
 
Serm. 62. Vaiah 53. 
 
 the rather prefs this, becaufe, if we were feri- 
 ous in the trial, there would, through God's 
 blefling, be more faith in fome, and lefs pre- 
 fumption in others; and the fe that have faith, 
 would have more peace and comfort in it. But 
 that which makes many content themfelves 
 with a counterfeit inftead of faith, is, that they 
 put it not to the trial ; and that which makes 
 them who have faith to want peace, and live 
 in much anxiety, is, that they do not more 
 
 Verfe 11. 541 
 
 prove themfelves, as to their faith : Thefe are 
 then the two main points of believers duty, By 
 faith to take hold of Chrift, and to reft on and 
 in him ; and, By trial to make it clear ard fure 
 to themfelves, that they are believers: And 
 thefe two are the great up {hot of all this do- 
 ctrine, To perfwade us to believe, that we may 
 be fure ', and, To perfwade us to ftudy to be 
 fure and clear in it, that we may be comforted 
 thereby. 
 
 ^^MU£^MM^'<f%W<&^%&m&^WS£^^w^^!mm 
 
 SERMON LXII. 
 
 -By his knowledge Jball my righteous Servant juftify many, for hefball bear 
 
 Ifaiah liii. n.. 
 their iniquities* 
 
 THE do&rineof jufHfication through faith 
 in Chrift Jefus was wont to be much 
 thought of among the people of God : It is cal- 
 led, Gal. 3. 8. The peaching of the Co/pel to 
 Abraham, when God foretold him of a way of 
 jufHfication and falvadon, through Chrift's co- 
 ming of himj That in him all the Nations of the 
 earth Jbould be blejjed : This was the telling of 
 good news to him, and we are fure it is as good 
 news now as ever it was, and would be fo to us, 
 if we could look on it fpiritually, as they did ; 
 for there is as great hazard in fin, and the curfe 
 is as terrible and infurrerable, and the love of 
 God as frefh now, as they were then. 
 
 We have for fome daw beenfpeaking of this 
 doftrine of juftificatiori^and it will be much to 
 fpeak and hear of it profitably. We defire not 
 to infift on what may be unuleful, but we con- 
 1 ceive there is fome neceflity in infilling on this : 
 it's our own negligence and ignorance that makes 
 many things of this kind to be very unufeful, 
 even fo that we fcarcely conceive them ; and we 
 are made heartlefs in fpeaking of them, becaufe 
 to many they are, as if fpoken in a ftrange lan- 
 guage; which is,and ftiould be for a lamentation. 
 The laft thing we propofed, was, to hold forth 
 the mean by which juftification is attained, to 
 wit, Faith \ which we obferved, to fhew how 
 faith concurs in the attaining of jufHfication. 
 Few or none ever denied faith to be necef- 
 fary for the attaining of jufHfication, neither 
 can any that read the word of God with the leaft 
 confederation, but have that impreffion of it ; 
 but the great thing, wherein the difference lies, 
 and wherein men mifcarry, is, in atttibuting to 
 faith the right or wrong manner of its concur- 
 rence, in the attaining of this efftft. Tho' thefc 
 
 things may, at firft btufh, look like meerly mo- 
 tional fpecularions, and fuch as do cot concern 
 Chriftians practice ; yet there is no error in 
 do&rine about this matter, but there is Some- 
 thing in folks practice, that looks like it, and 
 is influenced by it ; and it's mens inclination to 
 error in prac*Hce, that makes them as it were to 
 coin errors in judgment. 
 
 We fhall obferve two generals fiwther,and pro- 
 ceed . The ifl whereof is, That faith hath a pe- 
 culiar way tf concurrence for the attaining $f 
 juflifi cation, which can agree to no other gr-ace, 
 ntr work, nay nor to faith it f elf, confidered us a 
 work. Therefore juftification of many is here 
 derived to them by knowledge, or by faith in 
 him, that is, by faith in Chrift, as fecluding all 
 other things ; it's by faith that juftification is 
 derived and applied to us, and by faith we come 
 to have right to it, and an intereft in it. 
 
 The id is, That bewevtr faith concur fir at- 
 taining of juftification', yet it's net faith of it- 
 felf, or by any virtue or efficacy in it f elf, but as 
 taking hold of Chrift as the Objetl of it, that it 
 juftifies. Therefore it's faid to be by the know- 
 ledge of him, or by faith in him ; it's by recei- 
 ving him, uniting us to him, and refting on 
 him, that we are juftified. 
 
 We {hall fhortly explicate both thefe branches, 
 and then come to fome practical ufe of them to- 
 gether. 
 
 1. Then, we fay, That there is fomething in 
 Juftification attributed to faith, that cannot a- 
 gree to any other thing ; which is implied in 
 many fcriptural phrafes, and in this text, in as 
 far as it is faid, that by his knowledge, or by 
 faith in him, juftification is attained : and there- 
 fore, when we are faid to be juftified by faith, 
 
Ml If at ah 53. 
 
 we affirm that- faith hatlr a peculiar way of con- 
 curring for the attaining or juftification, which 
 can agree to no other grace, as to repentance, 
 love, meeknefs, patience, t5c. nor to prayer, 
 alms-deed, or any other good works, or work. 
 For confirming of this, confider, x. That we 
 are faid to be juftified by faith, in oppofition to 
 works; and that there is fomething attributed 
 to faith, which is denied to works; Generally 
 this is clear in thefe epiftles written to the Ro- 
 mans and Galatians ; particularly, Rom. 4. 2, 
 3. If Abraham were juftified by works y ,be hath 
 vehereof to glory, but not before God ; for what 
 faith the fcriptures? Abraham believed God, 
 and it wm counted to him for righteoufnefs* 
 New to him that worketh is the reward not rec- 
 koned of grace, but of debt\ but to him that 
 worketb not, but believeth on him that juftifietb 
 fbe ungodly, his faith is counted to him for righ* 
 teoufnefs; where, mod clearly and convincing- 
 ly, believing and working are directly, oppofite, 
 the one to ths other; and Gal. 2. 16, We who 
 are Jews by nature, knowing that: a man is not. 
 juftified by the works of the law, but by the faith 
 ef Jfcfus Chrift ior, as the word is, no not by 
 faith, that is, a man is not juftified by works, 
 but by faith) even we have believed in Jefm 
 Chrift y that we might be juftified by the faith of 
 Chrift, and not by the works of the law : Where 
 tile apoftle cannot more purppfly and preffingly 
 make a difference betwixt any two things, than 
 lie doth betwixt thofe two, juftification by 
 works, and juftification by faith. And. in all' 
 this difcourfe it cannot be faid, that the apo- 
 ftle only excludes works in refpeft of merit, or 
 works as they look to the works of the ceremo- 
 nial law ; for he oppofeth faith* and all forts .of 
 works, or works in whatfoever refpeclr, as inr 
 confident : it's not one or two forts of works, 
 feut all forts of works of the law ; and there can 
 be no works, but fuch as are commanded by 
 the law, which are excluded. Now, if the 
 apoftle feclude all thefe, what are the works 
 that we can be juftified by ? 2. Confider the 
 peculiar phrafe, that the fcripture u.feth to this 
 purpofe ; and, where we are faid to be juftified 
 by faith, there is a fort of caufality attributed 
 to faith, that can be attributed to no other grace, 
 nor works: hence the righteoufnefs of Chrift 
 is called-the righteoufnefs of faith, and we are 
 faid to be juftified by faith in his blood. So, 
 Tbil. 3. 8, 9. / count all things to be but dungy 
 that I may win Chrift, and be found in him, 
 n$t -having mine own right eoufnefsy which is of 
 the jaw; but thaj, wb'uh h through the faith cf ; 
 
 Verfe 11, Serm. 6*2. 
 
 Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God bf 
 faith. And Rem. 3. 25. Whom God hath fet 
 forth to be a propitiation through faith in bis 
 blood. • Many mo fuch phrafes there are ; and 
 truly it would look very unlike the fcripture, 
 to expone thefe fcripture- phrafes of a righteouf- 
 nefs of works, or by works, 3. Confider how 
 the apoftle oppofeth the two covenants, the co- 
 venant of works made with Adam, and the co- 
 venant of grace made with believers in Jefus 
 Chrift, Rom. 10. 5, 6. Mofes defer ibeth ths 
 righteoufnefs of the Imj that the man which 
 doth thefe things Jhall live by them. The righ- 
 teoufnefs of. the. law fpeaks of doing, by which 
 we come to be juftified ; But the righteoufnefs 
 of fait h, or the covenant of grace, fpeaheth on 
 this wife, The word is near thee, even in thy 
 mouth, and in thy heart ; that if thou confefs 
 with thy mouth the Lord Jefm y andjhalt be- 
 lieve in. thy heart, that God raifed him from. 
 the dead, thou Jhalt.be faved: Where the apo-. 
 ftle opp-ofeth thefe two covenants, not in refpeet 
 of merit only, as if the one were inconfiftent 
 with grace, and not the other : but he oppofeth 
 them < in this, that the righteoufnefs of the one. 
 covenant is in doingy and the righteoufnefs of 
 the other covenant is by believing ; and there- 
 fore, according to this oppofition, whatever is- 
 a man's doing is not the ground of his peace,, 
 and juftification before God, becaufe the righ- 
 teoufnefs of his doing is the condition of the, 
 covenant of work's ; and the righteoufnefs of the 
 covenant of grace is q*jte of another nature, 
 to wit. Believing in him who juftifietb the un- 
 godly. 4. Confider, that the thing, that is the. 
 ground of our juftification before God, is 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs inherent in himfelf, and 
 imputed to us, for the covering of our naked-, 
 nefs; becaufe he, as our Cautioner, hajth paicL 
 the debt : hence it follows, that faith -hath ano», 
 ther way of concurring in juftification, than 
 any other thing can have ; becaufe it's faith. 
 which receives and puts on that righteoufnefs, 
 which no other tiling doth .; That I may bt- 
 found in him, faith the apoftle, Philip. 3. 9. 
 not having mine own righteoufnefs, but the 
 righteoufnefs which is by the faith of Cbrift : 
 So that to be in him, is to have his righte- 
 oufnefs> and this righteoufnefs is put on by 
 faith. Only take two words of ad vertifement, 
 ere we come to clear the other branch of the 
 do&rine. The firfl: is this, W r hen we fpcakoi 
 the peculiarnefs of the way of faith's concur- 
 ring in juftification, Jo as no other grace or 
 work doth ; we defign not to weaken or cry 
 
 do\yn , : 
 
Serai. 62. Jfaiah <>3. 
 
 ' down the necefiity of repentance, and of other 
 graces, nor of good works, the very thoughts 
 whereof we abhor, but to give every one of 
 them their own, and the right place : And there- 
 fore it's a grofs calumny to fay that we affirm, 
 that the ftudy and pra&iceof hoiinefsand good 
 works is not neceffary : we only cry them down 
 on this account,that when we come before God, 
 our works, or holinefs, are not to be prefented 
 to him as the ground of our juftification, and 
 abfolution, but the righteoufnefs of Chrift, 
 that faith takes hold of; and in this we fay, 
 that faith peculiarly concurs as no other grace 
 doth, becaufe it's fitted with an aptitude to re- 
 ceive and apply Chrift's righteoufnefs, which 
 no other grace is : As we fay it's by the eye 
 that a man fees,tbough,if he had not a head and 
 brains, he would not fee ; fo> though faith and 
 holinefs, or gcrod works, be not feparate, yet 
 faith is as it were the eye of the foul, that dif- 
 cerns and takes hold of Chrift's righteoufnefs. 
 The 2d is this, That when we Ipeak of good 
 works, we ipeak of them as the Apoftle doth, 
 lit, 3.5 . where he hiih.Not by the works of righ- 
 teoufnefs vobich roe have done, but according to bis 
 mercy he favedus : and by good works,denied 
 in the point of juftification, we .underftand all 
 that is our own doing, not excluding only fome 
 things that were fo accounted in the time of 
 darknefs, as alms-deeds and the like, but (as we 
 have faid) all that is our own doing. 
 
 The id Branch is, That this peculiarnefs of 
 faith's concurring in juftification, is not from 
 any efficacy in faith, or from faith confidered 
 as our deed or work, but as it a&s on Chrift, 
 as the Objeft of it ; and therefore, when it is 
 faid, Rom. 4. 3. That Abraham believed Gcd y 
 and it was accounted to him for righteoufnefs ; 
 the meaning is not, as if God had accepted his 
 believing, as an aft or work for his righteouf- 
 nefs,andthatit was accounted as a perfect grace; 
 but the meaning is, that Chrift Jefus the promi- 
 fed feed,received by faith,or his betaking of him- 
 felf to the righteoufnefs of Chrift holden out 
 to him in the promife, was accounted his righ- 
 teoufnefs, as if he had had an inherent righte- 
 oufnefs of his own; and fo faith is imputed, not 
 in refpe<9b of its a«ft, but in refpeft of its ObjecY; 
 by his union with Chrift through faith, Chrift's 
 fatisfa&ion became his. To clear it a little, 
 take thefe Confiderations, 1. Confider faich 
 as a grace in us, and fo it cannot be imputed 
 for righteoufnefs ; for in that refpe£ it's a 
 work, and is excluded by the Apoftle's oppo- 
 sition, nwcie or &i^i and works : it muft there- 
 
 Verfe. 4 ir. 343 
 
 fore be faith confidered as a£ing on its Objec*. 
 2. Confider that in fcripture,to be juftified by 
 Chrift, by his blood^nd by faith, are all one, be- 
 caufe when it is faid, we are juftified by Chrift, 
 or by his blood, it takes inChrift and his blood 
 laid hold on by faith ; therefore fometimesC6r//r, 
 fometimes/dif£, is called our righteoufnefs ; be- 
 caufe as Chrift^onfidered as fufferingand fatis- 
 fying, is the meritorious caufe of our juftifica- 
 tion, h faith is the inftrumental caule taking 
 hold of his fatisfa&ion, which is our righteouf- 
 nefs : both are neceifary in their own way, and 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs implies faith, and faith 
 implies Chrift and his righteoufnefs ; the one 
 implies the other neceffarily. 3. Confider the 
 phrafes ufed in Scripture to this purpofe, as 
 where we are faid to be juftified by faith, it 
 ever refpe&s Chrift ; and where we are faid by 
 faith to put on Chrift, it is not faith confidered 
 as righteoufnefs £>f itfelf, but it is faith con- 
 fidered as acting on Chrift and his righteoufnefs; 
 therefore it's the righteoufnefs which is by faith, 
 the righteoufnefs which is in Chrift, and by 
 faith, taken hold of by us, and becoming ours. 
 The ufes are feveral, ift, For information and 
 conviction; and we would, (1.) be informed in, 
 and underftand well the meaning of this doft- 
 rine. When we fay, that faith is neceffary to ju- 
 fhfication, and concurreth in attaining of it, as 
 no other thing doth, that ye may give it its 
 right place, and may make no confufion of thefe 
 things that are diftin&, 1. We deny not work*, 
 notwithftanding of all that we have faid, to be 
 neceffary, more than we do faith ; but the great 
 difference is anent the giving of faith and works, 
 or faith,asit is awork,anequal lhare, in refpeft 
 of caufality, in our juftification : And therefore 
 we would beware with Papifts to atteribute a 
 fort of condignity to faith, as if it merited eter- 
 nal life, which flows from their ignorance of 
 God's covenant ; for they think, that fince he 
 commands us to believe, and promifeth life to 
 believing, that there is a merit in believing, as 
 they fancy there is in prayer, alms-deeds, and 
 other duties, or good works ; but in this re- 
 fpe&, as it is a work in us, the apoftle excludes 
 faith, and makes our juftification free \ whereas, 
 if faith in juftification were confidered as a 
 work meriting our juftification, it fhould not be 
 free. And altho' there be no Papifts in profeflion 
 here amongft us,yet it may be there are fome, 
 and that not a few, that think God is obliged to 
 them,becaufe they believe,and that expect hea- 
 ven and life eternal on that ground ; even as 
 when they pray, they think they flwuld be. heard 
 Y y 2 for 
 
244. , . Ifaia&H. 
 
 for their praying ; and when they give alms, 
 that they ihou'd bj rewarded for the fame as a 
 meritorious work. 2. Neither do we underftand, 
 when we fay that faith is neceffary to juftifica- 
 tion, and con:urrethin the attaining of it, that 
 by believing we are difpofed to be holy, and fo 
 more enabled to juftifie our felves ; which is al- 
 fo a PcpiJJ) error, wherein, I fear, many profef- 
 fors of the gofpel amongft us ly who think 
 they are obliged to their faith, becaufe it dif- 
 pofeth them to hear, read; pray, and the like, 
 and fo enableth them to work out a righteouf- 
 nefs to themfelves, whereby they expe<ft to be 
 juftified : this is another fault, and error to be 
 guarded againft ; for though we give faith a ra- 
 dical vertue, to keep life in other graces, yet fo 
 confidered,it is dill a piece of inherent holinefs, 
 and pertains to fan&ification, and not to juftifi- 
 cation.T 3. When we fay, that faith concurs in 
 the attaining of justification, we do not fay 
 that it concurs in the fame manner that repen- 
 tance, prayer and good works do concur : 
 Bilt it may be faid here, Seeing we grant, that 
 good works and duties are neceffary, what 
 then is the difference? I anfwer in thefe two, 
 ifly Faith is the proper and peculiar condition 
 of the covenant of grace, and not our works, 
 er holinefs, whereof faith, confidered as a 
 xvorky is a part : Works is the condition 
 of the covenant of works, for it fays in 
 this manner, The man that doth thefe things 
 fiaS live by them ; but the covenant of 
 grace, in oppofition to it, fays, If thou believe 
 with thy heart in the Lord Jefus, and confefs 
 yoith thy mouthy that God raifed him from the 
 de<ad> thou /halt be faved ; as it is Rom. 10. 
 What works is in the one covenant, faith is in 
 the other covenant, and that as it is oppofed to 
 works, and to faith it felf, as it is a work in us. 
 idly, There is a pecuHarnefs in faithVconcur- 
 ring for the attaining of juftification, in refpe& 
 ©fitsinftrumentalnefs, in taking hold of Chrift; 
 for our juftification, or in receiving and refting 
 upon him (as we faid before) for that end r for, 
 when Chrift is offered in the gofpel, faith flees 
 to him, receiveshim, takes hold of him, and 
 refts on him ; neither repentance, nor prayer, 
 jaor any good works, hath an aptituae, and 
 fitnefs to receive Chrift,' and prefent his fatis- 
 htfion to God as the ground of the finner's de- 
 fence, as faith hath ; and therefore it's fo often 
 faid by divines according to the Scripture, that 
 faith is the inftrumentai caufe of our juftifica- 
 tion ; which we fhall clear in two or three fi- 
 unilftudes, which the Scripture makes ufe o£ 
 i. Chrift compares himfelf to the brazen Ser-, 
 
 Verfe 11. Serm. 6*2, 
 
 pent lifted up in the wlldernefs,^* 3. 14. Maa 
 by finis ft ung deadly, as the Iftaelites were by 
 the fiery ierpents:Chrift Jefus as fuifering, and 
 hung, or lifted up upon the crofs,is propofed to 
 our faith to look upon,as the brazen Serpent was 
 propofed to them that were ftang, and put up 
 on a pole for that end; and as there was no heat- 
 ing to the ftung Ifraelites y exceot they looked to 
 it, and the cure followed to none but to thefe 
 who did behold it ; i^o Chrift fefus propofed as 
 the Objecft and meritorious Caufe of juftifi na- 
 tion, juftifies none but fuch as loo*: to him by 
 faith ; and although they were to look to ttfc 
 brazen ferpent, yet their look gave them no 
 efficacy to the cure, but it flowed from God, 
 ordaining that as a mean of their cure ; evenfo 
 it is not from any efficacy in faith confidered 
 
 . in itfelf, thatfinners are juftified,but it is from 
 Tefus Chrift the Obje&, that faith, eying him 
 lifted up as the Saviour of the eledt, and his 
 fatisfa&ion as appointed of God for that end, 
 
 * doth juftifie : and therefore it may well be cal- 
 led an inftrumentai caufe,becaufe it is not Chrift 
 abftra&ly confidered, that juftifies, more than 
 it was the ferpent confidered abftra&ly, with- 
 out their looking to it, that did cure,but Chrift 
 confidered, and laid hold on by faith ; and in 
 this refpea, faith is faid to juftifie, even as thi 
 eye looking to the brazen ferpent put them in 
 capacity of the cure, though the cute flow 
 from God's appointment, and not from their 
 looking; fo is it in faith's concurring for the 
 attaining of juftification, A 2d fimilitude is 
 that of miraculous faith, we find it often faid 
 by the Lord in his working fuch cures, Thy fait & 
 bath made the whole; there Was no efficacy 
 in faith it felf for producing the cure, but it 
 wa$ the mean by^wnieh the cure was tranfmit- 
 ted to the perfon urder fuch a difeafe ; fo it is 
 in believing, in order to our juftification ; it is 
 by believing on Chrift, that our fpiritual cure 
 in juftification is tranfmitted to us, and we arc 
 faid to be juftified by faith, becaufe by faith, 
 it is conveyed to us. A 3d fimilitude, far 
 clearing that faith may well be called thfi 
 inftrumentai caufe of juftification, may be 
 this, Even as the advocate's pleading may 
 be called the inftrumentai caufe of the clients 
 abfolving ; as, fuppofe a man, whofe cautioner 
 had paid his debt, were cited to anfwer for 
 the debt, his advocate pleads his. abfolution 
 and freedom from the debt, becaufe his cauti- 
 oner had paid it ; although the debt was paid, 
 yet the man had not been abfol yed, if it 
 had not been fo pleaded on hrs behalf ; So the 
 
 con-. 
 
Scim.62. m , Wabu- 
 
 concurrence of faith in the Tinners juftificati- 
 on, is to table Chrift's fatisfaction For his de- 
 fence before God, and to plead his abfolution 
 on that ground ; The believing dinner's fairh 
 fays, It is true I was owing Co much debt of fin, 
 but Jeius Chrift my Cautioner, to whom T am 
 fled, hath fatisfied for it ; therefore 1 ought to 
 be abfolved : and the law allows of this fort of 
 pleading, and upon this ground ; in which re- 
 fpe& faith concurreth in attaining, and may 
 well be called, the inftrumental caufe of our 
 juftification. I fhall fay no more on this VJe y 
 but thefe two words, We may partly regrate our 
 great ignorance, that we know fo little of the 
 ufe of faith in our juftification ; and partly we 
 may lament the great confufion that is in 
 thefe times, wherein men are let to over- 
 turn fuch a clear truth, as if faith had no in- 
 strumentality in our juftification, but as if it, 
 and other duties and works, were equal fharers, 
 and alike in it; Which, i. overturns the na- 
 ture of God's covenant of grace, in making 
 works the condition of it, as if there were no 
 difference betwixt the two covenants of works 
 and of grace. 2. It hath this mifer able ill at- 
 tending it, that it fhoulders out ChriiVs righ- 
 teoufnefs, and ihuffles in an inherent righteouf- 
 nefs of our own, as our defence, when we come 
 immediately before the throne of God ; where- 
 as the Gofpel puts us to a righteoufnefs without 
 us, and imputed to us. This way leads us 
 to feek righteoufnefs in our felves. Whether 
 works, or faith as a work, be made the ground 
 of our juftification, it is all one ; for if faith, 
 confidered as a work in us, difpofing us to ho- * 
 linefc, and as a part of fincere holinefs, be the 
 tiling prefented to God, as the ground of our 
 juftification, it is ftill fomething within us, and 
 fuch a thing, as is ftill unperfetft, which would 
 miferably mar poor fouls comfort ; whereas the 
 righteoufnefs of Chrift, laid hold on by faith, 
 being made the ground of our juftification, it 
 affords folid conization; for though faith in 
 us be weak and imperfeft, yet his righteoufnefs 
 isperfe&; and as it was not the Ifraelties\ooV\r\&> 
 as we faid, that was the ground of their health 
 and cure, but God's appointing of fuch a mean 
 for their cure looked to ; otherwife they that 
 were weak lighted, and had bleared eyes, might 
 think themfelvesnot in fuch a capacity of heal- 
 ing, as thefe who were ftrong, and more clear 
 frghted, whereas they were all alike cured, if 
 •nee they looked ; even fo is it here. 
 
 A ad Ufe of this, and the other doctrine for- 
 merly fpofcen of, is for direction, and pra&ical 
 information. Would any know juftificatien by 
 
 Verfe ni 
 
 Ul 
 
 Chrift ? here is the way : it's by faith in him, 
 when Chrift jefus and his fatisfa&ion is made 
 o/Fer of in the gofpel, for juftifying all felf- 
 condemning dinners that lay hold on him ; fin- 
 ners by faith fleeing to him, and refting on 
 him, get a title to bis righteoufnefs, that can- 
 not but fave them: fothat if it were, 1. asked, 
 What is that, which a man, appearing before the 
 throne, dare hazard to preient to God, as the 
 ground of his defence ? It's anfwered, Chrift'5 
 righteoufnefs, his fatisfa&ion. 2. If it were 
 asked, How comes one to have title and right 
 to that righteoufnefs, Co as he may own and 
 prefent it for his defence ? It's anfwered, that it 
 is attained by believing in him. 3. If it be 
 asked, Howscomes faith to get a title to that 
 righteoufnefs ? is it by any virtue or efficacy 
 in Faith, as a work in us ? It's anfwered, No, 
 but it comes to get title to it, by going out of 
 it felf, by receiving ajid taking hold, and ma- 
 king ufe of the worthinefs that is in Chrift's 
 righteoufnefs, which is as a garment, able to 
 cover the dinner's naked nefs, and to hide all his 
 fpots; and, as a complete ranfom, to pay all his 
 debt : and thus we fee here, upon the one fide, 
 a neceifity of faith, in order to juftification; and, 
 upon the other fide,a warning,not to count grace, 
 and the righteoufnefs of Chrift,the lef* :-ee; that 
 faith hath an inftrumentality in the application 
 of it, faith having two things that it pleads upon; 
 1. Emptinefs, and need in it felf; whence it ar- 
 rogates nothing to it's own pleading, but, 2. 
 founds it's defence on the good ground it hath to 
 purpofe ; and therefore, as, upon the one hand, 
 we would know that there is a way to come by 
 juftification, by taking hold of Chrift's righte- 
 oufnefs by faith .* So, upon the other hand, we 
 would be afraid to let any thing ftick to us from 
 our faith, as if we had a meritorious or efficient 
 hand in, or were to be thanked for our winning 
 to juftification; for, as a beggar, in receiving an 
 alms, can alledge no merit to be in his recei- 
 ving, or calling for it ; fo no more does faith's 
 receiving mar the freedom of our juftification, 
 by any merit in it. 
 
 Ufe 3. Seeing faith concurs inftrumentally 
 in the attaining of juftification, there is here 
 clear ground to exhort you, by faith to receive 
 Chrift, and to commend to you the exercife of 
 believing, becaufe without it ye cannot be ju- 
 ftified, and by it ye fhall certainly be juftified. 
 
 Ufe 4. Here, O ! here is ground of confolati- 
 on to poor finners, fenfible of fin, trembling at 
 God's bar,asbeing obnoxious to the curfe,that by 
 receiving of Jefus Chrift, they may be abfolved 
 
 from 
 
34$ Ifaiab «53- 
 
 from the debt of fin, and freed from the curfe; 
 therefore, if there be any fuch here, put forth 
 your hands, and receive what is in your offer ; 
 open your fouPs mouth wide, and let in Chrift, 
 and he will fill it : faith having, as to our fpi- 
 ritual life, the fame place that the mouth hath 
 to the body, as to the intertaining of the natural 
 and bodily life; it opens and receives what is 
 needful to keep in the life of the body. And 
 are not thefe good news to poor fouls, burden- 
 ed with fin, lothing themfelves, and their own 
 righteoufnefs, feeing it all to be but as filthy 
 rags, and crying out with the Jaylcr, What Jh all 
 voe do to be fayed? Paul would fay to fuch, and 
 we fay it in the Lord's nzmeyBelieve in ths Lord 
 Jejusy and youjball be juftified, and faved; for 
 juftification is derived by faith in him to the 
 finner; 
 
 Ufe 5. This ferves exceedingly to humble a 
 finner, whether it be a finner aiming, andfeek- 
 ing to be juftified, or a finner that hath attain- 
 ed juftification, in fo far as there is no ground 
 of boa fling here. If ye be aiming to be juftified, 
 it may humble you ; for what can ye contribute 
 to it? Being enabled,ye can indeed receive what 
 is offered, and that is all; neither can ye receive, 
 except ye be enabled, as is faid. It ferves alfo 
 to humble fuch as are juftified : have ye righ- 
 teoufnefs ? it's not your own, butChrift's; it's 
 he only that did the turn. If it fhould be faid, 
 ye believed, and may boafl of that 5 1 ask, What 
 did ye when ye believed ? did ye any more but 
 this ? ye pleaded guilty, and did confent to take 
 Chrift 's rlghteou fnefs, and the pardon of fin 
 through him freely ; and what matter ©f boaft- 
 ing, 1 pray, is here ? none at all. Thus tbisdo- 
 &rine contributes, both to make thefe who are 
 feeking pardon, and thefe who have gotten par- 
 donjhumble; Wbere is boafting then? (fays the a- 
 poftle) it is excluded:by what law? by the law of 
 works? no,but by the law offaitb,as it is } Rom.3. 
 17. The believing finner etoes nothing, and hath 
 done nothing towards the procuring of his own 
 juftification, but gets all freely. We can never 
 think,nor fpeak aright of juftification, but it lays 
 our vain humour,and ftops the mouth from boaft- 
 ing, while it faith, What haft th^u, Oman 1 , but 
 rohat thou, haft received? and if thou haf} recei- 
 ved it, why deft thou boafcas if thou badft not re- 
 ceived it. 
 
 We fhall clofe and fhut up the whole of this 
 flo&rine, by propofing fome few confederations, 
 as conclufions from it. 1. See here a neceflity of 
 being acquainted with the truths of the gofpel ; 
 and with this truth in particular, concerning ju- 
 ftifi ^tionCwhereo^aiaSjmany are very ignorant) 
 
 Verfe 11.' Serm. 62. 
 
 Seeing there are fo many ways to go wrong, and 
 Xo many do go wrong about it, we had need to 
 be the more clear in the right way: if there were 
 more knowledge of this, and oi other truths, we 
 might fpeak and hear with more profit ; and if 
 ye did not pleafe your felves with mere and airy 
 notions, but fought to be fettled in what ye hear 
 of other truths,and of this in particular ,it would 
 contribute muph to your peace, and rid you out 
 ofmany doubts and difficulties. A 2d confidera- 
 tion is, That thereis much need to walk in holy 
 fear, in ftudy ing, this and other truths ; there are 
 fo many ways to err,and a wrong ftep here is very 
 dangerous : it were exceedingly profitable to be 
 more in. the ftudy of juftification, that is of the 
 very marrow of the gofpel,and is defervedly ac- 
 counted t«bc at ti cuius ft antis, aut cadentis ec- 
 slefix ; but ye would come to it in fear, being 
 jealous of your own ignorance, and fhallownefs 
 of capacity rightly to take it up, efpecially when 
 new queftions are rifing, and ftarted concerning 
 it : and as Paul and David ftudied this way,and 
 held it forth to others, as the way whereby they 
 went to heaven, and whereby others muft come 
 to it ; io we commend to you to follow them. A 
 3^confideration is, If faith be fo neceffary to ju- 
 ftification,as without it ye cannot be juftified,is 
 there not reafon that ye fhould ftudy to be di- 
 ftinc>,and clear that ye have faith, and that ye are 
 indeed believers? this is one of the great ufes of 
 the do&rine : if there be no way but faith, and if 
 in ftudy ing this one way many gowrong,then,as 
 ye would make your calling and election fure, ftu- 
 dy to make this fure, by putting your felves to 
 the trial, if ye be taking this way, as the apoftle 
 moft pathetically exhorts, 2 Cor, 13.5. Examine 
 your J 'elves , if ye be in the faith, prove your own 
 felvesy &c. It's truly matter of wonder to think, 
 how fo many men and women are fofoon fatisfi- 
 ed in the matter of their believing, which yet is 
 fo tickle and difficult a bufinefs: we would have 
 none to be jumbled and confounded about it, 
 who defire to be ferious in the thing ; yet we 
 would have all wakened, and put to diligence. 
 Many men have taken pains to go wrong in this 
 matter of juftification ; and how few of you 
 have taken pains to go right in it ? and how is 
 it, that many of you win (o eafily at it ? feeing 
 the apoftle, Rem g. calls it a ft umbling ft one to 
 many,and a rock of offence: furely if it be fo,your 
 coming at it by guefs, and ignorantly, is to be 
 fufpe&ed ; and therefore, on this confideration, 
 ye would be awakened, to put your felves more 
 ferioufty to the ftudy of it > and to try your 
 felves, if ye b« come well to it j for it is the 
 
 fpecial 
 
Serm.63. , # V aiah J3- 
 
 fpecial, yea the on'y ground of your peace be- 
 fore God. There are many of you, who in a 
 manner think it impoffible to mifcarry in this ; 
 for ye know that there is no way to-be juflifi- 
 ed but by faith : and yet, if many of you were 
 put to it, ye know not the manner nor way 
 how faith juflifies ; which {hews that it is not 
 fo eafy a matter as ye think it to be. A tfh 
 Confideration is this, That in fpeaking of ju- 
 stification, and faith's peculiarnefs, or peculiar 
 way of concurring in it, ye- would beware of 
 crying down works, as to their ufefulnefs, or 
 neceffity ; this was an error that foon entred 
 in the church: as foon as Paul cleared and pref- 
 fed the do&rine of justification by faith, fome 
 arofe, who (as James fhews in the id Chapter of 
 his epiftle,) affirmed, that works were not 
 needful, but faith would fave them : No, fays 
 James, that faith is dead and vain that v> *nts 
 works. And therefore remember, 1. That though 
 we tell you that works are not properly the con- 
 dition of the covenant of grace, yet we fa/ 
 that faith and works are never fcparate in a ju- 
 stified perfon ; found faith cannot but work, 
 and put on the ftudy of holinefs. 2. We fay, 
 Although works concur not in the obtaining of 
 pardon of fin, yet we fay they are needful to 
 (alvation, and to folks entry into heaven ; 
 
 Verfe 11. 347 
 
 for the Apoftle faith; Heb.i ?. 17. That witht tit 
 hclinefs none fo all fee the Lord: Though it's 
 faith that makes our friendfhip, yet it's by holi- 
 nefs, that it's entertained, and it's holinefs where- 
 by our communionis kept up with God ; there- 
 fore, CcU 1. 12. Wearefaidby itjo be made meet 
 to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in 
 light : For it transforms us to God's image. 3. 
 Works are necefTary, though not to procure our 
 peace, yet for the entertaining of our peace; 
 arid except we have works, we cannot have & 
 folid proof that our juflification by faith is 
 real ; and in this refpe&, Jameshys, Chap. 2* 
 that Abraham was judified by works, that is* 
 by his works he was declared to be a juflified 
 perfon : as to the justification of his perfon, he 
 was juflified by faith, before Ifaac was born;but 
 by his offering up of Ifaac, and other fruits of 
 his faith, he was declared and manifefted to be 
 a juflified man, and made fuitable to the cove- 
 nant that he was engaged in with God. There- 
 fore, as the fum of all, be exhorted to fludy the 
 exercife of faith and holinefs, fo as every one 
 of them may have its own room and place; fbc 
 that will be your advantage, and without this 
 no other thing will advantage you. Now God 
 himfelf, that calleth for both, fandific and en- 
 able us for both. * 
 
 SERM 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 1 1. ■ For he 
 
 IT's a thing that can neither be eafily be- 
 lieved, not yet underftood, how by Chrifl 1 s 
 knowledge, or by iaith in him, many Jball 
 be juflified ; in thefe words, the prophet adds 
 a reaibn, that both confirms and clears it : It 
 fhall be, faith he, that many fhall be juflified 
 through faith in him, For he Jball bear their ini- 
 quities \ he fhall take on, and pay ther debt ; 
 and fo, (a* I faid) it is a reafon confirming the 
 former truth, and fhewing that it cannot be 
 otherways, but they muft be abfolved through 
 faith in him, becaufe he bears the punifhmeng 
 due to them for their fin. It ferves alfo to 
 clear how juflifieation is attained by faith, to 
 wit, not by any . virtue or efficacy, that is in 
 faith,. abflra&ly confidered, as if believing of 
 it felf did the^urn, but by virtue of Chrifl bear- 
 ing their iniquities, and making fatisfa&ion for. 
 them, which faith lays hold on ; fo that, when he 
 faid, By his knowledge fball many be juflified -, it 
 is not by any efficacy attributed to their belie- 
 ving, but by vertue of Chrifl 's righteoufnefs,and 
 fatisfaciion, which only faith gives a title to ; 
 
 O N LXIII. 
 
 Jball bear their Iniquities* 
 
 and is the mids, and way by which a believer 
 comes to it, and fo (as I have faid) it ferves for 
 explication of the former truth : So that, if the 
 queftionbeaskedjHow can flnnersbe juflified by 
 believing ? It's here aniwered, Becaufe Chrifl 
 fhall take on their debt } and the righteoufnefs pur;* 
 chafed by him fhall redound to thei?». and be ree- 
 konedjtheirs.It'sthefame,on the ma tter,with that 
 which we have,20 , .$.«/f.He that knew nofm y wa: 
 made fin for «r,and what follow s'TAaf we might 
 be made the righteoufnefs of God in him ; which 
 clears,that this way of jufti fication,which the gof- 
 pel holds out, is not(asI jufl now faid)by any em* - 
 cacy,or worth in faith itfelf,nor by any inherent 
 qualifications in the perfon that believesjbutthis 
 is the ground of it,Chrifl's bearing/four iniqui- 
 ties: the elect were finners,and Chriit hath taken 
 on him their iniquitiesjtherefore they cannot but 
 upon their fleeing to him by faith, be juflified ; 
 when they plead his fatisfa&ionfor their defence 
 before God, their ablblution muft needs follow. - 
 This is the fcope.of thefe words, which are as 
 
 it 
 
34.8 Ifaiab <J3- 
 
 it were' the "bond knitting all the reft together, 
 and containing the foundation whereon our 
 juftification is founded. There are only Three 
 words here that need a little of explication. 1. 
 By iniquity is not meancd fin formally taken. 
 tre fhew, when we fpakeof the 6. v. That Chrift 
 was not the finner formally confidered, that 
 being inconfiftent with his holy nature, and 
 with the perfonal union of the Man-head with 
 the God-head; but the meaning is, that he took 
 t>n him the punifhment due to our iniquities,or 
 the punifhment that our iniquities deferved. 2. 
 When he is faidto bear their iniquities ; it im- 
 ports a burdenfo me bearing, or his bearing it 
 with a weight,andthat there was a weight in it, 
 as it's faid, v* i.zn&^.He was a man of 'farrows, 
 and acquainted with grief '; furely he hath born 
 far grief s,and carried our forrows; and therefore 
 the apoftle, 1 Pet. 2. 24. faith, He his own felf bare 
 cur fins in bis own body on the tree.whenhe was 
 wade a curfe for us, as it is GiL 3. 13. He 
 did bear our fins, by coming under the curfe 
 that was due to us for them. In a word, his 
 bearing ef our iniquities is a real fatisfyingotthe 
 juftice Of God for them,by interpofing his own 
 bleffed back, and taking on the ftrokes that 
 were due to us. 3. When it's Uid,Their iniqui- 
 ties , it relates to the many, that, in the former 
 words, are faid to be juftified through his own 
 knowledge : it's fpoken 0^ the iniquities of the 
 eleft, and believers, who through Chrift are 
 made friends with God; and therefore thefe be- 
 ing the many, they cannot but be juftified, be- 
 caufe Chrift hath paid their debt, according 
 to his engagement. Thefe words, as almoft 
 every other verfe of this Chapter, contain thefub- 
 ftance of the gofpel; take ihsrtly jzi/? or fix cb- 
 fervations from them, which we ihall put to- 
 gether. The ifl. is, That the perfon who is to 
 be juftified by faith in Chrift, is naturally lying 
 in iniquities; this is fuppofed, while it is faid, 
 that Chrift Jhall bear their rniquities\even the ini- 
 quities of them,who are to be juftified, through 
 faith in him:foit's faid be fore, The Lord hath laid 
 en him the iniquities of us all,and we all like jheep 
 have gone affray ; thefe, and many other fcrip- 
 tures, nay, the whole current of the fcriptures, 
 confirm the point, and put it beyond debate. 
 
 I obferve it for thefe Ends and Ufes, which 
 will fhew why it is fo frequently marked. 1. 
 That the freedom of God's grace may kyth the 
 more in their juftification : they are finners 
 even as others are, and it's grace that makes the 
 difference \ therefore their juftification 'muft 
 be free, If then any would have good, or have 
 gotten good by the Go%l, and by Chrift of- 
 
 Verfe u. Serm. 63. 
 
 fered to them thereiu, let them know that it is 
 freely. 2. That a believer, who is juftified, 
 fhould be very humble; for he was a finner as 
 well as others, and is ftill a finner in part: 
 therefore it becomes him to walk foftly, with a 
 flopped mouth, and to be tender and compaf- 
 fionatetowards other finners. There is not a be- 
 liever, but the weight of his iniquities would 
 have born him down to hell, had not Chrift in- 
 terpofed, and taken them on him ; and there- 
 fore he ought to be both humble, and thankful. 
 J. That finners, who have the offer of ChritVs 
 righteoufnefs in the gofpel, may not defpair, 
 how great foever their fins be. Indeed, if they 
 refolve to continue in fin, or to fin that grace 
 may abound, they have no ground to expe& 
 pardon ; the apoftle doth, with abhor rency, 
 rejeft the drawing of fuch conclufions from the 
 graceof God, Rom. 3. But for a guilty finner, 
 that hath no good in himfelf, to commend him 
 to Chrift, to lean to, and to believe in him, 
 who juftifies the ungodly, is a doArine which 
 the fame apoftle approves, and gives an open 
 door to them that defire to abandon fin, and to 
 expea juftification through Chrift's fatisfa&ion; 
 thus a door is let open to you, to believe in 
 him who juftifies ungodly finners, to betake 
 your fel ves to him who is theSa viour . 4. To con- 
 found ,and ftop the mouths of all felf righteous 
 men, as having nothing to do with Chrift. He 
 came to take on iniquity,and to bear it; became 
 tofieh and to fave that which was lofi^nd hath 
 not a commifftOn to fave felf-righteous folk ; For 
 he came not to call the righteous, but finners to 
 repentance ; and Co long as they continue in that 
 condition, they cannot look on themfelves, as 
 perfons whom he came to call, neither can they 
 take any comfort in, or from his coming. 
 
 The2d Obfervationis,Tha.t wherever iniqui- 
 ty is, it's a burden, a heavy burden. There is 
 nothing more heavy than fin, it being that which 
 prefles the guilty perfon to the lowed hell. It 
 brought the fallen angels out of heaven to the 
 pit. Ye may take an inftanee or two of its weight 
 on a finner, when he becomes fenfible of fin. 
 Pfal. 38. 4. My iniquities, fays David,are gone 
 over mybead^as a heavy burden they are too bea* 
 vy for me : It's true, fins are not always weighty 
 to folks fenfe, yet in themfelves they are weigh- 
 ty, and fometime they will be found to be fo, bj 
 the finner. So, Pfal. 40. ii. Innumerable evils > 
 fays the Pfalmifl, have compared me about, my 
 iniquities have taken bold of me, fo thai I «*» 
 
 not able to look up\tbey are more than the hairs of 
 my bead ^therefore mybeartfailefb mcAvi a word. 
 
 7 
 
Serm. 6f. . Ifaiab 53. 
 
 if the wrath of God,and his curfe be heavy, fin 
 mull; be heavy; is not that heavy, which dam- 
 ned, and drowned the old world, and will 
 burn and bury in alhes this world that now is 
 (landing ? Is not that heavy, which hath brought 
 on fo many weighty curfes on the creatures, and 
 fub;'e&ed them to vanity ? Is not that heavy, that 
 brings by its weight fo many tho*fands and 
 millions to hell i And that made our bleiTed Lord 
 to cry, yet without all finful anxiety, My God, 
 my God, why haft thou for fake? me? and. My 
 foul is heavy to the death. And is it not that which 
 makes the Lord fay, that He isprejfed, with his 
 profeffing people's fins, as a cart isprejfed with 
 Jbeaves ? All the indignation, and oppofition of 
 the men of this World, is nothing to him, in 
 companion to the fins of his people ; he can 
 break through briers and thorns, and confume 
 them together; but the iniquities of his people 
 are faid to prefe him, to mew the abominable 
 lothfomnefc and weightinefs of them. 
 
 Ufe 1. It may make Us wonder, that men 
 and women think fo little of fin. There are 
 many that will tufh at a challenge or threatning 
 for fm ; but let me fay it, that mountains of 
 lead, yea, though all this world turned into 
 one mafs, or lump of lead, it fhould not be 
 fo heavy, as fin mould be to you ; your drun- 
 kennefs, filthinefs, covetoufncfs, lying, the va- 
 guing of the mind in private duties of worihip 
 throughout the week, and in publick duties on 
 the Lord's day ; your negle£t of prayer in fecret, 
 mocking at piety, 8V. mall (however light 
 now) one day be found to be weighty, when, 
 as it is, Rev. 6. 6. Tejhallcry to hills and moun- 
 tains to fall upon you, and bide you from the 
 -wrath of the Lamb. A mountain would be 
 thought light in that day,but the face and wrath 
 of the Lamb fhall be terrible ; therefore either 
 give up with fin, and ftudy holinefs, or make 
 you for this dreadful pofture, that ye would 
 wim to have a hill or a mountain tumbling on 
 you, and yet fhall not get that wifh granted. 
 What mean ye, O Atheifh ! and defperttely fo. 
 cure pleafers of your felves, with your idols, 
 
 t, 7^?r th k ust °> and Kve under this bur- 
 den ! Will ye be able to come before the throne 
 of God with lit upon your backPIt's a truth,that 
 fin is fucha burden as will fink you to the pit, if 
 ye feek not in God's way to make it off in time 
 A K {t * *«* a burden,make Q 
 
 the burden o bygone fins, but take with them 
 feek to be fuitably afiefted with them: betake 
 your felves with all fpeed to Chrift, and call 
 your felv €S and your burden on him ; it's for 
 
 Verfe if, 
 
 ftudy holing a „j 1 , r the tlme to co ™e, 
 
 out the eyes 7fV fttT™?' aod to P ut 
 cure.,, KLh theg CC m ° re >, 
 tbewhilebutheight4/yo U ' & ye " e a!I 
 king the weight nf 5 t r i? } burden, and ma- 
 is tfat wZSJ T* ?*M*« And 
 den of that, fflg ^ ° n i*t 
 
 ^<^,?ohniAs C hddt^T Lr n hls biefl " e d 
 
 bare cu/fi„ s ;„ his iZtj^h't ' W 
 }"fl offered fir tbe uniufiwlt f ' J *** 
 
 was the fame very burden tlZT Y^" * 
 have born, orthe eE^AV- 6 e]ea{ ^°^i 
 
 .owdeb^.havinglSlom^harmo"!" ^ 
 ticular y to it before- rith* T^ f more P ar * 
 
 tion, and accepted of the nrfn^t? /. edem P ' 
 it would font he d°d EK^r c . red l tor: y^ 
 tials of it, and in that r/r„ I 6 w the effen - 
 fame burden ; he died, beSelT "**? thc 
 ned, Tbe dytb.u eatl XuLtc T j hreat - 
 #»*/«/ tbatfinstball % hVV l l dle ' iDd 
 death, became a'curfed dl«h l"* a curfe<i 
 it is G S /. 3 . ,0. compared 4- t r? 5 thre f, ned > as 
 under the curfe : HereTs I„~ VJ' j cd '? came 
 Friend's«ndtur n Xwh° ^ 'r' a L ndatrue 
 burden, Chrift c^cfntZtT ^ ^ 
 and took it on himfelf aSX J d< f and ft ' 
 God, as chargeable with ^i!?K atth L e ^^ 
 rea.,y chargelon &£%> 1^ "«* was 
 4« *ari »„ «e {miters ^W'.^W 
 
 Shame and fpittiZ, a ], f5 ***' "'* « ^t «>«■ 
 
 phane foldiers, 4tw b " fte ' In g s °4™- 
 
 w«th that was laid on Wm t ii° 5 "" ght ° f 
 
 groan; to that cup^which in °th e ! "J*"? °i him 
 
 out- and which P made h m t fe d bT„ b H dran ! 
 cry out,Afr r eulis ,~ c .,i"", ™ eit c b, °°d . and 
 
 eve,, until" l S . ,ZT£?g f "'? n f'' 1 and ^'V 
 
 be dJe'dVXtZ^-Z '^ miU > but thh " 
 
 himfo crvout ? There n^. tmSit ' th * made 
 ' w - 1 ' ler e weds so more to prove 
 
5«;o ■ Jfaiah K. 
 
 that he bare our fins, and that there was an ex- 
 acting of him what we were owing,and that his 
 fufrerings are indeed a fatisfa&ion to juftice for 
 them, even for the fins of all the eleft. 
 
 The Ufes are two, I. It ferves to hold out and 
 confirm this truth, That our Lord Jefus his 
 fufferings were a real fatisfa&ion to juftice, for 
 the fins of the eleft ; and that by his fuffer- 
 ings he was indeed put to bear their iniquities; 
 and that they were not only, nor mainly tor ex- 
 ample, though we may well make that ufe of 
 them ; but he was made liable for our debt; 
 we finned, and he fuffered and fatisfiedfbr our 
 fin ; we debauched our (lock, and played the 
 bankrupts, he paid our debt. 2. It ferves 
 hudgly to commend to us the love of God, that 
 gave his Son; and of the Mediator, that came 
 to buy and redeem elect, finners at fo dear a rate, 
 and to take on fuch a weighty burden, to eafe 
 them of it. Were there any here (as we hope 
 there are) that know the weight of fin, O ! but 
 they would think much of this, even of Chrift's 
 .taking on the burden of fin, and calling it by, 
 having fatisfied juftice for it, and looted the 
 knot of the law, and of the curfe that tied it 
 to them •, to become man wa* much,but to bear 
 the burden of our fins was more : Angels won- 
 der at this, that he who is their head lhould 
 become fo low, as to fift himfelf before God's 
 tribunal, and to undergo the fuffering of 
 death, and to take on the weighty burden of 
 the elecVs debt, and to fatisfy for it. If we were 
 in a right frame of fpirit, we could not hear 
 this word, but it would ravilh our hearts, and 
 put us to a paufe, and holy non-plus ; but the 
 mod part, alas ! walk lightly under the burden 
 of fin, without ever confidering what Chrift 
 hath done to remove it from off his people ; nay, 
 lam afraid that believers, who have ground to 
 be lightned, through Chrift's condefcending to 
 bear their burden, do not as they ought acknow- 
 ledge him,who hath taken the burden off them. 
 
 4(y. From comparing thefe words with the for- 
 mer, Manyjhall be juftifiedfor bejhall bear their 
 iniquities >Obferve> Chrift's bearing of their ini- 
 quities, and his fatisfa&ion for our fins, is im- 
 puted to us,as the immediate ground of our ab- 
 solution, and juftification before God ; fo that 
 if it were asked,What is the ground on which a 
 finner is juftified before God ? The Text anf- 
 wers,Becaufe Cbrifl hath born their iniquities : ,he 
 hath paid the debt : even as (to make a com- 
 panion for clearing of it) when a debtor is pur- 
 fued, and hath nothing to pay, yet he pleads 
 that the debt cannot be exacted of him, becaufe 
 bis cautioner hath paid it ; and the ground on 
 
 Verfc ii. Serm. 6j 
 
 which that debtor, is abfolved, is his inftru- 
 &ing that the cautioner hath paid the debt, 
 which being done, he is fet free: fo is it here, 
 the believer he is God's debtor, Chrift Jefus is 
 his Cautioner, who hath paid his debt ; who, 
 when he is brought to the bar of God, and 
 fomewhat is laid to his charge, he pleads upon 
 the ground of Chrift's fatisfying for his debt, 
 and that therefore he ought not to be put to an- 
 fwer for.it himfelf; according to that wor d.Rom. 
 8. 34. Who Jb all Jay any thing to the charge of 
 God's eleft < It is God, that juflifiesywho Jball con- 
 demn ? and the ground follows, It is Cbrifl that 
 died, he hath paid the debt. 
 
 Ufe* Among other things, there are two con- 
 fequences that follow upon this do&rine, that 
 ferve to clear the doctrine of juftification. 1. 
 That the righteoufnefs, whereby we are juftifi- 
 ed, is imputed to us, and accepted of God, as 
 if it were our own ; Ye are fometimes hearing 
 of imputed righteoufnefs, and it's a great con- 
 cernment to you to know it well ; yet I am 
 afraid, that many of you are very ignorant of it; 
 I fhall therefore,in a word or two,explicate it,by 
 comparing the two covenants : The righteouf- 
 nefs of the covenant of works is an inherent 
 righteoufnefs, as it is, Tit. 3. $• Not by works of 
 righteoufnefs which roe have done\ it's a righte- 
 oufnefs of our own doing, A made up of our pray- 
 ing, hearing, and other duties, as they are adls 
 of ours : The righteoufnefs of the covenant of 
 grace, is an imputed righteoufnefs,that is,when 
 Chrift's doing and fuffering is accounted ours : 
 take both in this comparifon, The righteoufnefs 
 of the covenant of works is like a debtor, or 
 tenant, his paying of his own debt or rent, 
 by his managing his bufinefs providently and 
 dexteroufly, and none other is troubled with it; 
 the righteoufnefs of the covenant of grace is 
 like one, that hath fpent up and debauched all, 
 and hath not one peny to pay his debt or rent 
 with, but hath a worthy, able and refponfal 
 cautioner, who hath paid for him : Both be- 
 ing purfued,and brought before the judge ; the 
 firftman is abfolved, becaufe what he was ow- 
 ing, he paid it at the term precifely ; the other 
 man granted, that he was owing the debt, but 
 pleads that his cautioner hath paid it, and the 
 law accepts of the Cautioner's payment, and 
 purfues the debtor no further, but ablolves him: 
 fo it is here, when the believer comes to ftand 
 at God's bar, it is nothing in himfelf that he 
 
 J)leads upon, but it's Chrift's fufferings ; who 
 aid on the crois, It isfnijbed ; the debt of my 
 people is fully paid ; and faith pleading for 
 
 absolution 
 
Serm.63. . ,. 'J***» 53- 
 
 absolution on that ground, according to the law 
 of faith, he is abfolved, as if he had pa id the 
 debt«himfelf, or had been owing none. If then 
 it fhould be asked, Believers, what ground have 
 ye to expe& to be juftified?The prophet anfwers 
 here, Cbrifl hath born our iniquities, and this is 
 the believer's defence : and therefore fee here a 
 poflibility to reconcile thefe two, that fonie men 
 fcorn and flout at, as irreconcileable, to wit, 
 How one can be a finner, and yet righteous ; 
 he may be finful in himfelf, and yet righteous, 
 through the imputation of Chrift's righteouf- 
 nefs. So, 2 Cor* 5. ult. He was wade fin for us > 
 who knew no finjbat we wight be made the righ- 
 teoufnefs of God /»£//». Rom. 4.$. To him that 
 jvorketb not, but believeth on him whojuftifietb the 
 ungodly, his faith is counted for rigbteoujnefs. The 
 man, ungodly in himfelf,is juflified thro' the fa- 
 tisfa&ion of Chrift, imputed to him for righ- 
 teoufnefs, and laid hold on by faith; as if he 
 had not finned, or had a&ually fatisfied himfelf. 
 idly. This confequence folio weth, that it 
 ferves to clear how faith juftifies : as when we 
 fay, Faith is our righteoufnefs, and is imputed U 
 us for righteoufnefs, we are not to look on faith 
 properly,as a grace in us,and divided,or abftra- 
 &ed from the objedt ; no,by no means : but as it 
 is a laying hold on the objeft ; it's faith in him 
 that juftifies'^n&iTbrough his knowledge Jball Ma- 
 ny be juftifie d,bcca.ufe be Jhall bear their inqui- 
 ries : Faith juftifies by vertue of Chrift's fatis- 
 fa&ion, and as taking hold of it ; faith does not 
 juftifie, ascitis an aft of grace in the finner, but 
 as a clofing with Chrift the Obje& of it ; even 
 as in the fimilitude we made ufe of before : It's 
 not enough that the cautioner hath paid fuch a 
 man's debt, but that the man muft inftruA it by 
 producing the difcharge, the produ&ion where- 
 of is the caufe of his abfolution in law ; yet 
 the vertue that makes the difcharge fo to con- 
 cur, is not the difcharge it felf, but the cautio- 
 ner's payment,or fatisfa<ftion,mentioned,and con- 
 tained in the finner's difcharge: Even fo is it 
 here, it's Chrift's righteoufnefs that concurreth, 
 as the meritorious caufe of the finner's abfoluti- 
 on ; and faith concurs as the inftrumental caufe, 
 in the pleading of that defence; whereon jufti- 
 fieation follows as an efFe& of thefe caufes. We 
 know not when, or if ever hereafter, we may 
 have occafion to fpeak fo much to the do&rine 
 of juftifieation; therefore let me prefs the ftu- 
 dy of it upon you again and again : Seek to 
 know what this imputed righteoufnefs is, and 
 how different from that which is in your felves; 
 what is the true meaning of it, as a main hinge 
 of the Gofpcl, without which the covenant of 
 
 verie. 11. 351 
 
 grace can never be underftood aright ; the ig- 
 norance whereof makes many live in fecurity 
 upon the one fide, and keeps many in much 
 anxiety upon the other. 
 
 <>tbly, Obferve,y hat although Chrift Jefus hath 
 born the iniquities of many, even of his own 
 people,yet not the iniquities of all men and wo- 
 men,but only the iniquities of them that fhallbe 
 juftified, and brought to the aftual pofTeflion of 
 that which he hath purchafed : This may be 
 made out from thefe three in the Text. 1. The 
 relative their, it's their iniquities, which are born 
 by Chrift, thatfhall be juftified; and who thefe 
 are, the former words teMsJhrougb his know- 
 ledge Jh all be juftifie many. 2. The connexion 
 made by the prophet betwixt thefe two, many 
 Jhall bt> juftifie djor be Jhall bear their iniquities \ 
 all, whofe iniquites Chrift hath born, fhall be 
 juftified. It could not be an argument to prove 
 their juftifieation, if Chrift fhould bear the ini- 
 quities of others, or of all men and women,mul- 
 titudes of whom are never juftified ; for it might 
 be obje&ed, that Chrift bears the iniquities of 
 thofe many who are never juftified,which would 
 be quite contrary to God's covenant, and ex- 
 ceedingly mar the confolation of the believer ; 
 befide that,it would make the prophet's reafo- 
 ning here inconfequent and impertinent. 3. 
 Confider thefe words, not only as they ftand in 
 connexion with the former, but as they are a 
 reafon why in juftice fuch fhould be abfolved 5 
 and fo they will alfo clear the do&rine : for, fo 
 considered, they imply that it's juft, that the 
 believer fhould be juftified ; even as when the 
 cautioner hath paid the debt, it's juft that the 
 principal debtor fhould be abfolved ; and upon, 
 the other hand, it is not juft that the debtor, for 
 whom the cautioner hath not fatisfied, fhould be 
 abfolved : the words will bear this twofold con- 
 fequence ; for he knits thefe two, their being 
 abfolved, and Chrift bearing their iniquities, 
 and being made liable to their debt ; and he 
 confequently disjoyns thefe two, Chrift's not 
 bearing the iniquities of others, and their not 
 being abfolved ; and ^o, although Chrift hath 
 born the iniquities of many ,that is of the ele&, 
 and hath fatisfied and fuffered fbr them, yet not 
 for all, but only for the many, who in due time 
 fhall through his knowledge, that is through 
 faith in him, be juftified ; and thefe who are 
 left to pay their own debt, Chrift never died 
 for them : it were very unlike the prophets rea- 
 fooing, to fay, that fuch a man is in hell, and 
 yet Chrift bare his iniquities. 
 Ufs % 1, Jt ferves to confirm the former truth. 
 Z z 2 Would 
 
3*)^ JfOiab «>3. 
 
 Would ye know whofe iniquities Chriil hath 
 born ? It's of as many as are juftified ; the ini- 
 quities of fuch he bare, and of no mo. 
 
 2. It ferves to provoke you, that have gotten 
 in Chrift this privilege, to be very thankful : 
 This is it that makes the fong of praife heart- 
 fom, Rev, «j. 9. Thou haft redeemed us to God> 
 hy thy bloodjut of every kindred t tongue and na- 
 tion-^ becaufe it's not a common, but a peculiar 
 fpecial mercy, if any be fo. 
 
 6thly> From the connexion, objerve. That al- 
 tho* Chriil hath not born the iniquities of all 
 Mien and women, yet he hath born the iniqui- 
 ties of all that believe; and none ever believed 
 on him, but they may conclude that he hath 
 born their iniquities, and on that plead their 
 judication, through his fatisfa&ion : although 
 there be a reftri&ion on the one fide, yet there 
 is none on the other ; all are not juftified, but 
 thefe only whofe iniquities he hath born ; yet 
 all who, through his knowledge, or faith in him, 
 are juftified, their iniquities he hath born. And 
 hence it will follow, That never a perfon belie- 
 ved, but Chrift hath born his iniquities : Not 
 that the man's believing is the caule of Chrift's 
 bearing, for his bearing of the man's iniquities 
 is the caufe of his believing; but it is to fhew the 
 connexion, betwixt his bearing, and the man's 
 believing, and that his believing is the evi- 
 dence of Chrift's bearing of his iniquities. And 
 tins is more comfortable than the doftrine of 
 univerfal redemption a thoufand times; for it 
 joins Chrift's dying and the juftification of all 
 that believe on him : So that there are none, 
 that by faith betake themfelves to him, but 
 they may expea freedom from the curfe,and ab- 
 foludon before the throne of God ; whereas the 
 do«ftrine of univerfal redemption faith, that 
 Chrift died for all, yet all fhall not be fa- 
 ved, and I wot not whether I fhall be faved or 
 not ; and what ground of anxiety is this ? 
 But this dodrine hath folid confolation in it. 
 Chrift hath not died for all fimply, but for all 
 believers, he hath born all their fins ; but I 
 fcave^ betaken my felftohim by faith; therefore 
 he died for me, he hath born my iniquities, and 
 Ilhall never bear them my felf, but be juftified. 
 I fuppofe we need not to ft ay on the confir- 
 mation of this. 1. It's impregnably proved 
 from the reafoning of the prophet in this place; 
 all that are believers cannot but be redeemed 
 and juftified, becaufe he hath born their iniqui- 
 ties, who by faith b-take themfelves to him. 2. 
 If faith in Chrift be a faving fruit of his death, 
 and if none can believe but thefe, whofe iniqui- 
 ties he hath born j then, wherever faith is, the 
 
 Verie 11. Serm. 6> 
 
 perfon may conclude, that Chrift hath born his 
 iniquities^ and that he fhall be juftified -.But 
 faith in Chrift is a faving fruit and eflfe& of his 
 death, for^ he hath purchafed it among the reft 
 of thefe fpiritualbleifings fpoken of Ephef. 1. 3. 
 where we are faid to be blejjed with allfpiri- 
 tual bleffmgs in him ; And it being a promife 
 of the covenant of grace, it cannot but be pur- 
 chafed by the death of theTeftator Chrift Jefus; 
 therefore,£$V. 3. It's clear alfo from the apoftle's 
 reafoning,.R0/#. 5. 10. For if, when we were ene- 
 mies, we were reconciled to God by the death of 
 his Son ; much more,being reconciled^ we fhall be 
 faved by his life : Will he not, who hath paid 
 fuch a dear price for us, to purchafe reconci-- 
 liation to us, make it out, by beftowing on us 
 the fruit of his purchafe? 
 
 The 1 ft ufe ferves to vindicate this our do- 
 &rine, concerning Chrift's dying for, and bear-^ 
 ing the iniquities of believers only ; which is. 
 moft unjuftly loaded with reproaches, and deba-? 
 ted againft by- mens cavillings, as if it were a 
 comfortlefs do&rine ; fure it's more comfortable, 
 more fure, and more agreeable both to the wiC- 
 dom and grace of God, than the do&rine of u- 
 niverfal redemption is : For,put thefe together, 
 That all believers are redeemed and juftified, 
 that Chrift hath born their iniquities ; that 
 faith is a faving grace, and a fruit of Chrift's 
 death ; that fuch as believe,may conclude their 
 juftification; and that Chrift will make out the 
 benefits of his purchafe to them: What want be- 
 lievers,that may be for their comfort ? Whereas, \ 
 if we fhould lay it for a ground,that Chrift died 
 for ally what comfort were in that ? For all are 
 not juftified and faved,but only believers:yea,by 
 the do'&rine of univerfal redemption, tho' ye 
 were even now believers, ye could not conclude 
 that ye fhould be faved, becaufe ye might fall 
 from it again : But our do&rine of juftification 
 hath folid confolation; For, Rom 1. 16. It is the 
 power of God untofalvation y to every one that be* 
 lieves. And , Rom. 3. 2. It's unto ally and upon . 
 all them that believe : And it makes the belie- 
 ver fure of his perfeverance, for it's an ex- 
 prefs article of the covenant. We fhall only 
 fay this, that ye will find, that all, that, in do- 
 &rine, or practice, make the way to heaven 
 wideft, they make it moft unficker and unfure, 
 and they are in greateft confufion : and indeed 
 it's impoflibleit can be otherways ; for,if men 
 go once out of God s way,which is the ftrait and 
 narrow way, they can never he fi.-kerand fo- 
 lidly fure, becaufe there is no folid ground of 
 confidence in it. ^ 
 
 The 
 
Serm.d}. Ifmab^ 
 
 The 2. Ufe ferves to anfwer a Queflion, that 
 fome out of ctirtofity puzzle themfelves with, 
 which, if well, foberly, and wifely followed, 
 would be no curiofity.and it is this \ Kow ihall 
 I -know if Chrift died for me? AnfvoerJAzke it 
 fure that ye believe, and then ye (hall be fure 
 of the benefits of his death ; for if he hath 
 born the iniquities of thele that believe, and J 
 if there be no way to make it Cure he hath 
 bom our iniquities but by believmg.it is a need- 
 leis ftir and noife that is made, about the know- 
 ledge of election, and of Chrift's -intention- in 
 his death; for, though we would fay that he 
 died for all, it would not comfort, except we 
 fa id alfo, that all go to heaven : but ye are bur- 
 dened with fin ? and have ye by faith fled unto 
 Chrift ? and do ye a&ually reft upon him ? 
 Then ye may on that ground conclude your in- 
 tereft in Chr id's death, and from that afcend 
 to ele&ion. That which makes many believers 
 _ to be in hefitation as to this, is their never 
 throughing and making it clear to themfelves, 
 whether they have believed ; and therefore, if 
 ye would fee your ele&ion, and intereft in . 
 Chrift's death, put the matter of believing to a 
 point ; for it's the door whereby ye win in to . 
 other fecrets of God, fuch as election is ; and 
 there is no other way to win to it : therefore 
 thefe two are knit together, John 6. 39,4o.T/&i* 
 is the will of him that fent me,that of all that he 
 bathgiven me 1 fipuld I of enotbing&nait it Ihould 
 be asked, How ihall I know, who are given to 
 Chrift,to be redeemed by him ?The next ver/e 
 anfwers*T£ij is the will of him that fent me, that 
 every one which feetb the Son, and believetb on 
 him,may have everlafting life,and I will raife 
 him up at the la(l day, Would ye then know who 
 are given and redeemed ? They are believers, I 
 mean of fuch as are come to age; for none will 
 make the queftion concerning infants? And there- 
 fore, if ye would know the way of coming to 
 the knowledge of your juftification, redemp- 
 
 Verfe 2. ^^ ■ 
 
 tion, and ele&ion of God; begirt at 'the loweft 
 ftepof believing., and make that ficker, and alt 
 the reft will follow of will : but I if ye misken 
 and overlook this, and will go up to the top of 
 the ladder, per faltum* and at the firft; h will 
 be juft with G«d,that ye never win at the know- 
 ledge of thefe fecrets, which where in his heait 
 before the world was. 
 
 Ufe 3. It's matter of confolation to the be* 
 liever, who may as certainly conclude an inte- 
 reft in Chrift's death, as if he had heard the 
 tranfaft ton of redemption read over, and had 
 leen his name in the book of life ; for our Lord 
 faith,jMw 3. 16. God [0 loved the worldjbat be 
 have his only begotten Son, that wbofbever beliy 
 etb in himjh uld not per iff), but have eternal life: 
 If thou be a believer, thy name, r there,Chrift 
 hath born thine iniquities: and \\ hat confolation 
 is that to them,who are clear anent their firth ? 
 But, alas ! it fays there is much rotten,unfound 
 and flippry faith among us, and alfo much faith 
 that is but little lively, that there is fo little 
 folid comfort following it. 
 
 Ufe £. It ferves to demonftrate the neceflity 
 of believing, the advantages of it, and the ne- 
 ceffity of our endeavouring to be clear that we 
 do believe ; if thefe two go together, juftifica- 
 tion and believing, then there is a neceffity of 
 believing ; and if thefe two go together, clear> 
 nefs about our believing, and the knowledge 
 that Chrift did bear our iniquities, then there 
 is in fome refpeel: a neceffity, that we know we 
 believe; otherways we can have little or no 
 comfort inChrift's bearing of our iniquities,and 
 of our being given to Chrift to fee redeemed by 
 him : from thefe two the advantages of believ- 
 ing may appear; therefore,to make all fure, ju- 
 ftification, Chrift's bearing of your iniquities, 
 and your being given toChrift,make it fure that 
 ye are in the faith;and this way give all diligence 
 to make your calling and election fure : And the 
 Lord himfelf prevail with you fo to do. 
 
 SERM ON LXIV. 
 
 Ifaiah ^3. 12. Therefore will 1 divide him a portion with the great, and he [ball divide the §oil with 
 the ftrong ; becaufe he hath poured out his foul ttnto death: And he was numbredwitb tranfgref- 
 _ fir s, and he bare the fins of many, and made inter ceffion for tranfgrefjors* 
 np'HERE hath been a compendious fum of for his fufrerings, is on the other fide alfo laid 
 
 _ the covenant of redemption delivered by 
 the prophet in this Chapter, wherein, what is 
 required as the price for ele& finners from 
 the Mediator, is hold^n forth. on the one fide,in 
 a large defcription of his fufrerings; and what is 
 propofed,as the fruit that fhould follow, and as 
 the fatisfa&ion that the Mediator ihould hayc 
 
 down ; as, that Hefiouldfee his feed.and prolong 
 his days, and tbepleafure of the Lord Jhould prof- 
 fer in his hand : That he fhould fee cfthe travel 
 cf his foul ^and be fatisfied;and that by bhlnow* 
 ledge many Jball he juftified. In this verfe, we 
 have a fummary recapitulation, and repetition 
 
354 . ijaiav «,> 
 
 of this mutual bargain ; only t is propofed in 
 a different method : for beforet, what was re- 
 quired, and undertaken by the Mediator, was 
 firft iet down, and then the promifes made to 
 him were next fet down; here the method is al- 
 tered, and the promifes made to the Mediator 
 are firft fet down, and the conditions required 
 of him laft fet down ; it's like, to fhew the one- 
 nefs of the covenant, and the mutualnefs of the 
 terms of it; and that though, as to our con- 
 ceiving, and up-taking of it, there be fomething 
 firft, and fomething laft,yet with God there is no 
 iuch thing, but it is one prefent a<ft: The pro- 
 mifes made to the Mediator are two expreflions, 
 with an inference in the word Therefore, knit- 
 ting this to what went before, J will divide him 
 a portion with the great , and he jhall divide the 
 (foil with the ftrong. In fliort, the fimilitudes 
 hre ufed, are taken from conquerors, and vi- 
 gors, who having been in a war and fight, and 
 having defeat and routed all their eneinies,and 
 put them off the field, have a notable out-gate, 
 victory, and triumph, and a great fpoil, as the 
 fruit of war ; and {o the meaning is, that the 
 Mediator, by his undertaking to fatisfj^for the 
 ele&, fhould have a great fight and 'combat 
 with many enemies, but he fhould lofe nothing 
 by it, he fhould have a notable outgate, an excel- 
 lent vi&ory, and glorious triumph, great glory 
 and fpoil ; fo that there was never war like his, 
 nor enemies like thefe that he had to encounter 
 with ; fo there fhouM never be fuch vi&ory, tri- 
 umph and fpoil, as our Lord Jefus fhould have. 
 The word portion is not in the original, but well 
 fupplied. It is only, / will divide him many, as 
 the word is often ufed, and be Jhall divide the 
 (poll with the ftrong ; that is, he fhall, in divi- 
 ding the fpoil, be above the ftrongeft. 
 
 The words infer, and take in thefe Three. I. 
 A great defeat of, and vi&ory over all the Medi- 
 ator's enemics,the devil, death,and the curfe ; he 
 gets a great vi&ory over them, and gives them a 
 great defeat, fo that they are quite beat off the 
 field,as dividing of the fpoil imports,?/^/. 68.12. 
 She that remained at home divided thefpoil^ni 
 Ifa. 9. 3. As men rejoice, when they divide the 
 fpoil. 2. The great number of captives,that our 
 Lord,in his vi&ory,andtriumph,takesand brings 
 off; that is, he gets a great booty, which is that 
 fboken of in the words before,^ bis knowledge 
 (ball many be juftified-, and it's that which is ex- 
 preft in that Pfal. 68. 18 . Thou haft afcended on 
 high,thou haft led captivity captive; that is,thefe 
 that were formerly captives thou haft redeemed 
 from their captivity, and led them captive that 
 carried others captive j as the people of God 
 
 Ycric iz« 
 
 oerm. 04. 
 
 pray, If ah 126. 4. Turn again our captivity. 
 3. It takes in the excellent vi&ory, the great tri- 
 umph and glory, that the Mediator fhould have 
 by this means; He is exalted above every name 
 that is named> that at the name of Jefm every 
 knee Jbould bow, of things in heaven, of things 
 in earth, and of things under the earth. For 
 further clearing of it, we fhall recommend to 
 you two or three places, in which, it's like, there 
 is an allufion to this ; as that,CW. 2. 14,1^. Blot- 
 ting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was 
 againft us, and contrary to us, taking it out of 
 of the way, and nailing it to bis crofs, tearing, as 
 it were, the obligation that the law had over 
 theele<a,by his paying of their debt : And having 
 fp oiled principalities and powers, he made a flew 
 of them openly triumphing over them in /V.There 
 is his victory and triumph : He combats with, 
 fubdues, and treads under foot, all his. and his 
 peoples enemies, by fatisfying the juftice of God 
 for the ele&s debt ; and fpoils them of many 
 fouls that were led captive by them,and trium- 
 phed openly over them,declaring himfejf to have 
 gotten the vi&ory in a moft majeftick manner. 
 A 2d place is, Ph'th 2. 8, 9. Being found in fa- 
 Jhion as a man, he humbled himfelf, and became 
 obedient unto death, even the death of the crofs: 
 wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and gi- 
 ven him a name which is above every name s 
 that at the name ofjejus every knee fhould bow y 
 of things in heaven, in earth, and under the 
 earth, and that every tongue (hall confefs that 
 jfefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa- 
 ther. This is his vi&ory, triumph, and glory, 
 fuch as none in heaven or earth ever had,or fhall 
 have the like. A ^d place is that. Epb-2. 20,21, 
 22. He raifed him from the dead, and fet him 
 at his own right band in the heavenly places, far 
 above all principality, and power, and mighty 
 and dominion, and every name that is na- 
 med, not only in this world, but alfo in that 
 which is to come \ and hath put all things under 
 his feet, and gave him to be Head over all things 
 to the Church : whether they be devils, or good ' 
 angels, or men, faints militant, or triumphant, 
 he is above them all, all are made fubjeft to bim, 
 and he is the Head of his Church. 
 
 The expreflions run in different p^rfons. The 
 firft is in the firft perfon, / will divide him a 
 portion : It's a promife of God the Father to the 
 Mediator, for his attaining the vi&ory ; as it's 
 faid, Epb. U 20. God raifed him from the dead. 
 The 2d expreflion is in the 3d perfon, He< fhall 
 divide the fpoil', to fhew that the Mediator,God- 
 Man* .concurred in the attaining the viftory : 
 
 There- 
 
Serm« 64. Jfaiah $3. 
 
 Therefore, Rom, 1. 4. he is faid /* r«//e £//»- 
 /W/: And in that it's faid, / will divide, and he 
 Jhail divide ; it is to hold out the Mediator his 
 attaining and poffefTing of what was promifed, 
 and to fhew that there is nothing promifed to 
 the Mediator, but actually he i3, and fhall be 
 put in the full poffefllon of it. 
 
 The laft part of the words holds out the con- 
 ditions on the Mediator's fide, in Four exprefli- 
 ons, 1. Becaufe he hath poured out his foul unto 
 death\ that isjbecaufe he willingly condefcended 
 to die,he yetted, or poured out his foul to death. 
 2. He was numbredwith tranfgreffors •• he had 
 a reproached and lhameful life, and a reproach- 
 ed and curfed death ; he was thought the wortl 
 in the world/o that Barabbas a murderer was 
 compared unto bim. It alfo points out the re- 
 fpe<ft that his death had to a fatisfacKon for the 
 fins of the ele& j he was legally numbred, and 
 counted amongft tranfgreffors, tho' he was no 
 tranfgreffor. 3. He bare the fins of many, which 
 expones the former, and fays this much, that 
 not only he fimply died, and died a fhameful 
 death,but that he died for this end, to bear, and 
 by his bearing to remove, the fins of the eleft ; 
 for it relates to the many that in former words 
 are faid to be juftified by his knowledge : And it 
 cannot be but thefe many fhall be juftified, be- 
 caufe he did bear their fins,as to the punifhment, 
 and curfe due to them ; and whofefoever fins are 
 born by Chrift, thefe are and fhall be juftified : 
 and therefore he muft be vi&orious, and have a 
 glorious triumph and outgate, becaufe he lays 
 down his life for his his fheep, as it is John. 10. 
 1 7. Therefore doth my Father love me, becaufe I 
 lay down my life, and take it up again : And 
 by the way it is a ftrange thing, that the only 
 begotten Son of God fhould be loved on this 
 account, accepted, and glorified in this work, 
 even becaufe he poured out his foul unto death, 
 out of zeal to his Father's glory, in profecuting 
 the work of Tinners redemption.. 4. And he 
 made intercejfton for the tranfgreffors : which 
 points out the application of his death, and the 
 benefit thereof to many,vthofe fins he bare. He 
 died to take their fins away, and interceeds to 
 have his purchafe made effe&ual ; for tho* this 
 be applied ufually to r;is prayer on the crofs, 
 yet that is but one particular of his intercef- 
 fion, which is of a larger extent ; and therefore 
 it's noted as a condition required of the Medi- 
 ator, that he muft not only die, but alfo inter- 
 ceed, that the benefits of his death might be 
 made forthcoming for them, for whom he died. 
 
 Thus ye fee, we have the fum of God's cove- 
 nant here : As if the Lord were propofing tc the 
 
 Vcrfei2. 3f5 
 
 Mediator; Now, Son, if the wilt pour out thy 
 foul unto death, and thereby brar the fins of 
 my ele<a people, and make interceflion for them, 
 thou fhalt lofe nothing by it, thou fhalt have 
 a notable victory ,and triumph, and a great fpoil. 
 In tiie words before, the Mediator having ac- 
 cepted tke terms of the covenant, and perform- 
 ed them, though not actually at that time, but 
 inthepurpofe and decree of God, which now 
 are a&ually performed ; therefore the promifes 
 are turned over, in a concluded covenant, and 
 in an abfolute right to him. 
 
 What needs further explication, we fhall en- 
 deavour to reach it, as we fpeak to the obfervati- 
 ons ; and becaufe the words for the moft part 
 yield the fame doftrines that have been fpoken. 
 to before, we fnall not infift in them. 
 
 ift> Then,from the repetition, $bferve tn ge- 
 neral, That the nature and terms of the cove- 
 nant of redemption,betwixt God and the Media- 
 tor, is st profitable doctrine, and ufeful to be un- 
 derftood, and believed by the people of God ; 
 therefore it is fo clearly propoted, and again and 
 again repeated, and laid before their eyes ; and 
 fummed and repeated in this verfe, to keep 
 them in mind of it. Thefe that know the cove- 
 nant of redemption^ that wheich hath in it the 
 fum of all the foundations of our faith, and the 
 ground of cur accefs to God, and of our peace 
 with him ; they will eafily grant that, that 
 "it's very recefTary to be ftudied, known and 
 believed : for, Firft, By it we know what we 
 may expect ftrom God, becaufe what we are to 
 expect is promifed to Chrift in this covenant, 
 as to our head ; this portion with the great and. 
 this dividing of the fpoil with the ftrong : He 
 hath it as our head. 2. Becaufe we know by 
 this covenant, how we come by thefe things 
 promifed ; and that is, by pouring out of his 
 foul unto death Rearing of our fins ,and inter ceed- 
 * n gf or u * > which fuppofes, and includes our 
 betaking of our felves unto him by faith. 3. Be- 
 caufe, by this covenant, the rich and free grace 
 of God hath its due glory : for there is nothing 
 considered here, as the reafon of fetting captives 
 free, but Chrift's paying of the price ; it comes 
 freely to us, as a gift bellowed. 
 
 2dly, And more particularly, obferve, That 
 though our Lord Jefus Chrift, in the work of 
 finners redemption,had a fore combat and fight, 
 yet he hath a glorious outgate, triumph and 
 victory ; it was the greateft, foreft, and moft 
 furious onfet and affault that ever was heard of, 
 that our Lord jefus encountred with .'As the re- 
 membrance and confideration of what hath been 
 
 fpo- 
 
3^6 ■ Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 fp6ken,d£l*iis'teM*<» in an ■agsnyfS fw eating drops 
 ifbhcd^fms praying, that if it were peflible \that 
 cup might depart from bittr^of his cry\ng,MyGod> 
 myGcd^why baft thou for faken me ? &c. will mod 
 convincingly make out, the juftice of God pur- 
 iuing him for all the guilt of the ele&, principa- 
 lities and powers being in his tops ; the devil, 
 the prince of this world, having all his inftru- 
 ments yoked, and at work/ome to nod the head, 
 fome to mock and fcourge him, E5V. yet he did 
 abide it all out \ he gave his ba-ck to the fmi- 
 tersy and bis cheeks to them that pulled off the 
 hair, and bid net his face from Jhame and fpit- 
 ting ; and had a moft glorious vi&ory, and tri- 
 umph overall. What wefaid in exponing of the 
 words,clears it fomewhat,and that word, John 
 12.13. Nov is the judgment of this world^now 
 Jhdll the prince of this world be caflout ; to point 
 out his vi&ory over the world, and the devil: 
 and that word, CcL 2. 14, 15. He fpoiled pri- 
 tipalities and powers \ he unclothed them, 
 and left not (as we ufe to fpeak) a whole rag 
 on them *, he by a ftrong hand pulled all the e- 
 le& from them, and left none of them in their 
 pofTeflion ; he brake open the prifon doors, and 
 let them all at liberty. This was indeed a great 
 vi&ory ; he alfo hath a great fpoil of many cap- 
 tives,and great glory,being exalted in our na- 
 ture,^ the right band of the Majzfty on higb^ba- 
 ving a name above every namejhat at the name 
 cf Jefus every knee might bow: and that parTage, 
 Eph. 1.20,2 1. is to the fame purpofe, he bath put 
 all thing's under his feet ,&c. If weltok to reafon, 
 *h cannot be other ways. I. If we confider what 
 our Lord Jefus was in his perfon, being the Son 
 of God, he cannot but be glorious, John 17. 5. 
 he pray s,Fatber,ghrify me with that glory which 
 I had with thee before world was. Tho', by be- 
 ing man, he became of no reputation,and a vail 
 was drawn over the declarative glory of the 
 God-head in his perfon for a time, yet he re- 
 mained ilill the Son of God, and glorious in 
 himfelf ; and it cannot be but he, that is God, 
 mull be g^rious in his exaltation, when that 
 vai! that obfeured his glory is taken away. 2. 
 His office, as Mediator, and Head of the elect, 
 proves it. He, that was appointed Head over all 
 things to the Church,could not but be great and 
 glorious ; and therefore, when that of Pfal. 10. 
 10. is cited by the apoftle, Acls 2. 24. and 13. 
 35. it's laid, that it was impoffible that death 
 could keep him. 3. It will be clear,ifwe confider 
 the work it felf wherewith he was intruded ; it 
 being a work that was Co well liked ofjandappro- 
 ven by God, he could not but have a glorious vi- 
 ctory and outgatej therefore fays he 3 John io. 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 6*4. 
 
 My Father loveth me, becaufe I lay down n* 
 life for my Jheep. \n& Phil. 2.8. it'sfaid, Be- 
 caufe be bumbled bimfelf and became obedient 
 unto death, therefore God bath highly exalted 
 bim. It was the contra A betwixt God and the 
 Mediator, thafhe fhould fir ft become low, and 
 then be exalted ; and therefore he behoved to 
 be exalted,and made very glorious. 
 
 Ufe 1. Learn, not to undervalue, nor to vail 
 and obfeure the glory of the Mediator, from the 
 confideration of his fufFerings ; for tho' he was 
 low, yet he is now exalted ; he had a moft noble, 
 excellent and glorious victory and triumph over 
 all his enemies. There are none of us all, but 
 fhall at the day of judgment, when he will be 
 feen to be Judge of quick and dead, (which is a 
 part of his triumph) having fo many redeemed 
 flaves (to fpeak fo) at his back, having a confir- 
 mation of this truth in our bofom. And indeed 
 it is no little part of religion, to get this point 
 deeply imprefled on our hearts, That our Lord 
 Jefus, who was once low, is now exalted to fuch 
 glory : look to it, and we will find a great part 
 of our deadnefs and unfoundnefs here, that his 
 greatnefs bulks not fuitably in our eye ; alas ! 
 we do very much undervalue him : but his hu- 
 miliation being for us, it fhould not make us 
 think the lefs of him, nor make us leflfen the 
 high efteem we fhould have of him, but fhould 
 in reafon make us think the more of him, and 
 put the greater price on him. 
 
 Ufe 2. It is a moft comfortable doftrine, in 
 reference to all ups and downs of the time, and 
 to all the ft raits that his Church and people can 
 be put to; it cannot be ill with Chrift, and it 
 fhall not be ill with them : He may have con- 
 tefts* but he fhall get, yea, he hath gotten the 
 victory ; he once died, to die no more : all that 
 he hath now to do, is, to make application of 
 his purchafed redemption, and to divide the 
 fpoil ; to notice (which he doth moft narrowly) 
 what of his purchafe is yet in the devil's pof- 
 feflion, and to refcue and fet it free. He hath 
 gotten the pofTeflion of the kingdom, and it 
 muft, and it fhall go well, let the world rage, 
 and let the fea roar, and the floods lift up their 
 voice, and the mountains be caft in the fea. 
 Whatever confiifions and overturnings come, or 
 whatever troubles be, our Lord Jefus hath got- 
 ten the victory, and is dividing the fpoil : He 
 will take no other divifion, than what Jehovah 
 hath made, and carved out to him ; it will not 
 be what devils or men, what great men. kings, 
 princes, parliaments, potentates, armies, £5V. 
 are pleafed to give, or allow to him j but he 
 
 mud 
 
5erm. 64. Ifaiab *>%• 
 
 muft needs have the portion promifed him with 
 tbegreat, and tbe fpoil with theftrong\ he fhall 
 certainly get that, and none lhall be able to be- 
 reave him, or take a bit of it from him; yea, 
 none fhall poflefs a foot-broad of ground bellow- 
 ed on*him and his followers : He lhall have a 
 Church and ordinances difpenfed therein, where 
 he intends it, a»d fouls lhall be gathered to him 
 from all quarters, as they were given to him ; 
 and maugre all the malice and proud oppofi- 
 tion of devils and men, all that the tather 
 hath given to him fhall come to him, without 
 all p^radventure, or poffibility of mifgiving ; 
 they fhall not, by all their oppofition and per- 
 secution, be able to keep any one of the gifted 
 ones from coming to him, in the feafon a- 
 greed on betwixt Jehovah and him. And, idly, 
 It's comfortable to God's people, as to their 
 own particular cafe ; corruption is a ftrong and 
 formidable enemy ; the devil is a reftlefs ene-. 
 my, and goeth roundabout, like a roaring lion, 
 Peeking whom be may devour ; the world is a 
 deceitful, enfnaring enemy, and doth often, in 
 a manner, even overwhelm them : But our Lord 
 Jcfus hath the vi&ory, and parting of the ftaiks, 
 (to fay So) or the dividing of the fpoil ; thefe that 
 remainat home, the feckleffcft boy or girl, lad 
 or lafs, fhall divide the fpoil. This is it that 
 Job comforts himfelf with, Chap. 19. lbiow that 
 my Redeemer liveth, and that he jhaflftand at 
 the latter day upon the earth, to wit, as fole and 
 abfolute Conqueror, the vi&ory being intirely 
 on his fide ; with theje eyes Jball 1 fee him, and 
 no other for me, thcugb worms deflroy this body. 
 Believers, O Believers ! there is a good day 
 coming; he hath gotten the vi&ory, and fo fhall 
 ye; the God of peace JhaUbruife Satan under your 
 feetjbortly : and whatever wrongs ye fuflfer, and 
 whatever ftraits ye be under now, while the 
 wicked are in prosperity, there will be a new 
 decifion, yea, a new divifion ere long ; all fhall 
 be matched from wicked men, but your cup 
 fhall run over; there fhall be no more lighting, 
 no more parties to give you battle, or to op- 
 pofe you, when he fhall have beaten all ene- 
 mies off the iield : It will be a poor and forry 
 portion that many will get in that day, who 
 did not lippen and truft to Chrifl's fpoil, when 
 ye believers fhall be fharers with him in it. 
 
 Ufe ^d. This fays, that it is both hard and 
 fad to top with Cbrift, and to be found in op- 
 pofition to him : I fpeak not fo much of publick 
 contefts, fuch as Pilate, Hercd, the Scribes and 
 Vharifees had with him, and which many great 
 ones of the earth ftill keep up againft him, who 
 'will find the fmart of their oppofition ere long ; 
 
 357 
 his ordi- 
 
 Verfe 12. 
 
 but of all that contend with him 
 nances, and who lay, by their pra&ice at lead, 
 Let us break his bands afunder, and cafl 
 away his cords from us y as it is, Pfal. 2. And we 
 will not have this Man to reign over us, as it is, 
 Luke 19. He will fay, Bring out thefe mine c- 
 nemies, and flay thent before me : Beloved 
 hearers, this day is coming, when all of us will 
 (land before him, and fhall fee him divide the 
 fpoil ; and wo, wo will be to that perfon that day, 
 that would not fubmit to his government: O 
 what a dreadful thing will it be to be flain be- 
 fore the Mediator, to have the Prince of life 
 taking holy pleafure in thy death, becaufe thou 
 fided with the devil, and the lufts of thine own 
 heart, becaufe thou refilled and quenched his 
 Spirit, and barracaded the way of his accefs to 
 thee, and would not let him in, to reign in thy 
 heart, nor yield thy felf as a fubjeel: to him ! 
 But it fhall be well, unfpeakably well with 
 Chrift, and all that are his, in that day. He 
 and they fhall triumph moil glorioufly ; the 
 fplendor, fpiritual ftate, ^and majefty of thattrU 
 umph, fliall infinitely tranlcend all that hath 
 been looked at with wonder, in the moft glori- • 
 ous triumphs of the greatefl emperors,, kings, 
 or captain-generals in the world. 
 
 idly, Conflderwhat this fpoil is, even to fee 
 bis feed, and to . juflify many, and to get them 
 brought in to him, and made partakers of his 
 grace and glory. Obferve, That it is a Part of 
 Chrift" s viftory, triumph and glory, to get the de- 
 vil defeat in, and dung out of fouls, and to get 
 -them converted, jttftified and faved through bis 
 blood. When he is triumphing over enemies, 
 as it is, Col. 2. 14, 15. wbat'is he doing ? He is 
 even tearing the bond that was above the elects 
 head, and blotting out their debt; in that he 
 triumphs moft glorioufly : fo, Pfal. 68. Thou haft 
 afcended on high, thou baft led captivity captive ; 
 there is his triumph and fpoil, even a company 
 of poor Haves redeemed by him ; Tbe weapons, 
 O.ysthe Apoftle, of cur warfare are tut carnal, 
 but fpiritual, and mighty through God, to ihc 
 bringing down of ftrong holds \ and leading every 
 thought and imagination lifted up againft God. 
 captive unto tbe obedience of Cbrift ; there is 
 Chrifl's victory and triumph;Whatare the ftrong 
 holds that he batters, ftorms and takes in '( He 
 makes fome proud hearts to ftoop and yield to 
 him, and carries fome, that were rebels to him, 
 captive to his obedience : O happy captivity ! 
 It is not meant in relpeft of thraldom and bon- 
 dage, but in refpeft of vomnt :ry iubje&ion to 
 him. This is a moft noble, notable, and lovely 
 A a* ^ Yiftory 
 
3^8 IfaUb 53. 
 
 ri&ory and triumph, and a glorious day indeed, 
 which is ours, as well as his, it being the redeem- 
 ing of poor captive finners, and bringing in of 
 many followers to the Lamb; and therefore, z/.u. 
 it's called Satisfadion for the travel of bis foul, 
 and the )uftlfying cf many ; that is the fpoil and 
 theprey. v. 10 it's called The f lea fur e of the 
 JLcrd ; and, in this verfe, His portion and fpoil. 
 What doth our bleffed Lord Jefus take to him- 
 ielf ? What doth this David claim or take to him 
 as his fpoiljwho is alone theMonarch of this great 
 univerie ? It's a number of poor finners, Come to 
 me, fays he, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the 
 kingdom prepared fr you : He hath no more, he 
 leeks no more, but fo many fouls as he minded to 
 do good to ; if ben the Lord divided the nations, 
 as it is, Pfal. 139." He chofe Jacob for his pcrtir 
 en. If we consider a little more particularly, we 
 Will £nd the juftification and lalvation of finners 
 to be our Lord Jefus his victory, triumph and 
 fpoily becaufe herein he is victorious, and tri- 
 umphs, and gets the glory of his obedience, faith- 
 fulnefs, grace, power and love; the glory of the 
 Mediator fin nes manifeftly and confpicuoufly in 
 a&. thefe here.. i.The glory of his cbedience, 
 when- he hath it to fay, as it is, John i3. 9. Of 
 aft that thou haft given me, J have loft none : He 
 &ets fo many fouls committed to him of the Fa* 
 tfier to- redeem ; and when he hath done, and 
 performed the work, and brought. them in, he 
 hath the glory of his obedience, to his Father, 
 who faith to him, Thou art my beloved Son, in 
 Vfbom I am voell pleafed. 2. The glory of his 
 faishfulnefs ; according as he did engage- and 
 undertake to Jebovah,he hath keeped his word : 
 and there is a necefMty lying on him, that it 
 Should be fo, that of all committed to him, he 
 fliould lofe none, but prefent them without fpot 
 or. wrinkle, or any fuch thing ; therefore he is 
 called the faithful Shepherd, becaufe he lofes 
 none of the iheep that are given him. 3. The 
 glory ok grace, and infinite love ; the mo that 
 are faved, the more grace and love fhines forth in 
 paying their debt and ranfom, and in bringing 
 then* in to be partakers of his love \ therefore, 
 John 1 7. he fays, That the love wherewith thou 
 baft loved me may be in them, and I in them j 
 he would have the love communicated by the Fa- 
 irer to bim,. to be in them, that it m^y be 
 J^nown that he hath loved them, as the Father 
 hath loved him .' there cannot . be fuch a proof 
 3&! demonftration of love as this; it is e- 
 Yidenced in his exaltation as their Head, and 
 in.. -theft .being, brought where he is. 4. The 
 glory of power fhineu fort!* here, that trains 
 gjfafey$pj and. sxiiunpha. oyer all diiEcuJ?.. 
 
 Vcrfc i2« Serin. 64. 
 
 ties, that are in the way offaving ele& finners : 
 "And, O what difficulties there are in the way 
 of faving finners / he having the devil and the 
 world without, and a deceitful hqart and a 
 fickle humour within themfelves to encounter 
 with, fo many fins to mortify, and fnares to lead 
 through; yet none plucks his fheep out of m> 
 hand : therefore, 1 Pet. 1. they are. laid to be 
 ieeped by the power of God, through faith unto 
 falvatun. In a w r ord, as it was the manner of 
 old, for conquerors to ride in triumph, and all 
 their prifonets led before or after them, at their 
 b^ck ; fo our Lord, for manifefting the glory of 
 his grace, faithfulnefs and power, brings fomany 
 finners through to glory, and hath a greater train, 
 than ever any conqueror had ; and he counts' it 
 his glory and triumph to get many loft fouls fa- 
 ved, John 17. Thine they were, and tbougaveft 
 them me, and I am gUrified in them ; How is 
 that? I have given them thy word, and they 
 ' have received it ; he counts himfelfglorified in 
 finners fubmitting to him, in their believing 
 on him, and in their taking pardon from him* 
 Now, let me fay, that if we were wailing and 
 making choice ofaVcttrine, to warm the heart 
 of a fenfible finner, to fhame unbelief out of the 
 world, and to give impregnable ground to. 
 hazard on Chrirt, here it is, that our Lord Je- 
 fus ^pjaceth his vi&ory, glory, triumph and 
 fpoil in this, even in doing good to finners, and 
 in having finners getting good of him ; it's his- 
 portion, when (to fay fo) the world is dealt, that 
 that he gets a number of loft finners tojave as 
 his fhare ; and though he be the Heir of all 
 things, and the Firft-born, yet he loves that bet- 
 ter than a thoufand kingdoms ; when he hath 
 his fpoil and prey at the taking, this is it, and 
 he choofeth no other : O finners ! do ye think 
 this little ? or do ye think little of this ? Had 
 he placed his glory, in crufhing under foot all 
 the prifoners of the earth, or in bringing the 
 world to nothing, who could have faid, What 
 doeft thou ? But when he placeth his .glory and 
 triumph in this, to overcome the devil, to caft 
 him out of fouls, to relieve poor finners, and ta | 
 bring them in to acknowledge him as the Au- \ 
 tbor of eternal Jalvation, and as the Author and 
 linifotr cf their faith ; if ye would have fome- 
 thing to wonder at, is it not here ? He will 
 burnthe w;orld into afhes, and leave it, and.will 
 caft many kings and great men into hell ; and yet 
 he gathers poor ele& finners out of that burnt 
 heap, as it were,' as the thing, he hath defigned 
 for his fpoil : he hath no more, and he fecks no 
 more, (asl faid) and yet he gets no gain of thele 
 poor ftrners for all this* . L And 
 
Scrm. 6<f. Jfatab ft. 
 
 And therefore,as the firft Ufe ofit, Wonder at 
 this. VMllit not be a glorious day, when Chrift 
 is crowned, and hath all redeemed finners at his 
 back, with harps in their hands, finging, Salva- 
 tion, glory and power to the Lamb ? O ! won- 
 der, that there is not only a Saviour, and life 
 and falvation to be had through him, but that it's 
 fuch a falvation, as is wonderful in this refpeet, 
 that he counts it his glojy and triumph to hare 
 many finners fa ved, when he might have glorified 
 himielf in lending us all to hell: May we not won- 
 der at this r and yet we ought to believe it, and 
 the little faith of it makes it to be io little won- 
 dered at. Ah ' finners for the mod part believe 
 not that Chrift thinks io much of the faving of 
 finners ; and thereiore they wonder not at it y 
 are not fuitably affected and taken up with it. 
 
 Ufe id. There is here afweet and folid ground 
 far quieting and fettling the faith of fenfible fin- 
 ners, who would have footing to their faith. 
 Chrift counts it his glory and triumph to fave 
 fuch as ye are \ and if ye periih that would fain 
 be at Chrift, and his righteoufnefs for life* 
 Chrift fhall want his glory and triumph : And 
 may not that ferve and fatisfy you, that your 
 falvation U Ms glory and triumph, which he 
 will not come fhort of? TheFather hath here pro- 
 fited it, and he fhall not, he cannot want it ; 
 finners he mult have, and fhall have to be faved, 
 becaule his victory, triumph and fpoil depend 
 on it: A wonderful condefcenfion of grace (which 
 is not eafily believed) that all thele are linked 
 and coupled together, and through-other, as it 
 were, finners falvation, ChrilVs victory, tri- 
 ump and fpoil, and God's glory in his grace, 
 love, faithfulnefs anoSpower ! Ye refle& no doubt 
 on God's faithfuintfs, who fufpect and are jea- 
 lous of your falvation, if indeed ye do, by faith, 
 betake your felves to Jefus Chrift. 
 
 UJe ^d. Doth Chrift think fo much of the fal- 
 vation of finners,that he counts it his victory and 
 triumph, his portion and fpoil ? Then, i. All 
 that give not Chrift their fouls to be faved, do 
 what they can to leffen ChrilVs portion, and to 
 
 Verfe 12* • 3 $9 
 
 Chrift fervice that is moil acceptable to him, 
 give him your fouls to be faved by him, fru- 
 ftrate not his grace, lay your fins on him, and 
 look for falvation through him in his own way : 
 He came to fight with principalities and pow- 
 ers, and to vanquifh them, and by the ftrong 
 hand, to refcue louls from them ; and ftep ye to 
 at his back^for that is his fatisfa&ion, his por- 
 tion and fpoil. We wot well there is here a ftrong 
 and effectual motive to perfwade to faith inChrift, 
 and a ftronger and more effectual cannot be 
 thought upon : It will be.Chrift's triumph to pull 
 you out of the claws of the devil ; and if he do it 
 not, ye on the matter allow the devil fome way 
 to get the victory over Chrift, which is yet inv 
 poffible, -but the # devil will certainly have victory 
 over you, to whom ye will be flaves and drudges 
 for ever. There is alfo here ground of great ter- 
 ror and dreadful warning to fuch as yield not to 
 Chrift, becaufe they do what they can to impede 
 his victory, when he comes by his ordinances, 
 to turn them from darknefs to light, and frdm 
 the forcer of Satan to God, they thwart with him ; 
 the day is coming, when this doctrine will be 
 comfortable to fome, and terrible to others, when 
 there fhall be none of us, but we fhall fee it con- 
 firmed with our eyes, when he (as a man forting 
 and fharing his fpoil after the victory) fhall 
 fay to thefe on his right hand, Cc me> ye ilejjed 
 of my Father , inherit the kingdom prepared for 
 you *, and to others, Depart from me.ye curfedjn- 
 to everlaftingfire, prepared for the devil and hk 
 angels \ even as if a conqueror fhould take fome 
 prifoners, and make them fons and heirs, and fet 
 them upon thrones, and fhould caft others into 
 perpetual prifon, who loved not liberty t And 
 indeed it will be a fearful prifon to be in hell, 
 with the devil a«d his angels* Either we will be 
 part of ChrilVs portion and fpoil in that day, or 
 he will refufe, difown and reject us, leaving us t« 
 be an everlafting prey to the devil ; happy they 
 whom he chooietb, and wo to them eternally 
 whom he calls as refufe ware: God give us 
 wifdom to lay thefe things to heart. 
 
 fruftrate him of his glory. 2. Jf ye would do 
 
 SERMON LXV. 
 
 I&iah liii. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and hejhall divide the fpoil toith 
 the ftrong, becaufe be bath poured cut bis foul unto death \ and be v>as numbred with the tranf- 
 ^gre jjors, and he bare the fins of many, and made interaejfion for the tranfgrejfors. 
 *TJT His covenant of redemption is a great bar- read doth contain the fum of that which War a- 
 
 gain, there was never fuch parties as the 
 Lord Jehovah, and the Mediator ; and we may 
 fay, there w?s never fuch conditions and articles 
 in any bargain, as are in this. The verfe now 
 
 greed upon betwixt thefe Parties ; the promifes 
 
 upon Jehovah's fide, made to the Mediator, and 
 
 what he fhall have, on his accepting ©f tfce offer, 
 
 Aaa 2 and 
 
l6o ffaiah $3. 
 
 and performing of the condition required of 
 him ; and what are the terms propoted to the 
 Mediator, and the conditions which he is to 
 perform, or rather hath performed. 
 
 I. There are two things promifed to the 
 Mediator, / will divide him a portion with the 
 great ■, a fair and large victory, and a good and 
 glorions out-gate ; and He pall divide (be fpoil 
 with the ftrong : As thefe that are conquerors 
 and vigors ufe to ihare moft largely and deeply 
 in the fpoil, lb our Lord Jefus ihall have a rich 
 ipoil, a large booty, many redeemed fouls, 
 a bride whom he fhall prefent blamelefs to 
 the Father ; thefe are the fpoil, the jewels that 
 he frghts for, and- the prey he choofeth : When 
 the world is burnt, arid the reft are fent to hell, 
 he gathers out fo many for himfelf. 2. The 
 conditions on the Mediator's fide are four, he 
 comes to this victory and triumph, becaufe He 
 hath poured out bis foul unto deaths becaufe He 
 was roas numbred with tranfgreffors, becaufe 
 He bare the fins of many, and becaufe He made 
 inter ceffv.n for tranfgrejjors, therefore fhall he 
 be fure of all this. 
 
 Although there be no exprefs name of a cove- 
 nant here, yet ye fee the thing; becaufe as in 
 covenants among ft men there are two parties,and 
 their engagements are mutual, and the perform- 
 ance of thefe engagements in the one depends on 
 the performance of them in the other ; fo is it 
 here, 1. The Parties are Jehov'ah, and the Me- 
 diator. 2. There are two things promifed to the 
 Mediator ; a glorious victory, and a rich fpoil, 
 the juftifying of many. 3. The conditions on 
 the Mediator's fide, on which the performance of 
 the promifes depends ; he condefzends to disband 
 to die willingly, to be numbred with tranfgref- 
 fors, to bear their fins, and to make intercef- 
 flonfor them; this Jehovah condefcends to ac- 
 cept of; and upon this, many^ to wit, all e!e& 
 .iinners, are juftified through faith on him, as it is 
 'verfe 1 1 . 
 
 I. From the promife made to Chrift (where 
 theperfon is changed) / will divide him a por- 
 tion with the great, and he pall divide the 
 fpoil with the flroTtg, I will grant him fuch a 
 thing, and he fhall obtain it, take this general 
 *bjervati.n,zs the rea!oh of it ; c That all tliepro- 
 
 * mifes made by Jehovah to theMediator are cer- 
 
 * tain : and fhall actually be be performed. ' I will 
 grant this to him, and he fhall get it. The con- 
 nexion doth alfo confirm it; Becaufe be hath 
 poured cut his foul unto death : So, P/al. 89. 34, 
 3<5. Once I fware by my holinefs, that 1 will net 
 He unto David ; my covenant will I not breaks 
 n$r alter the tbfog-tbat is &°nt out of my lips : 
 
 Verfe 12. ; Serm. 65. 
 
 And indeed it cannot but be Co, if we conflder 
 either the Perfon that makes the promife, he is 
 God* unchangeable in himfelfi ablolutely faith- 
 ful, and cannot deny- himfelf ; Once have I fworn, 
 and I will not lie unto David; or the Party to 
 whom the promife is made, he is tlie Mediator 
 God-Man, in whom the Father is well pleafed : 
 and the Mediator having performed what he un- 
 dertook for the ele&, there is no ground toque- 
 ftion the performance of the promifes made him. 
 C/jft. And it is 3 very comfortable one ; Look, 
 whatever is. promifed to. the Mediator, in refe- 
 rence to particular, private, or !publick mercies, 
 all fhall be moft certainly and infruftrably perfor- 
 med ; Chrift is the Party to whom the prdfhifes 
 are made, and Jehovah cannot fail to perform 
 what is promifed to the Mediator, more than - 
 the Mediator hath failed in performing what he 
 undertook : Now it's promifed to the Media- 
 tor, Pfal. no. 3. Thy people fhall be willing in 
 the day of thy power, in, the beauties -ofbolinefs, 
 from the womb of the mornbig,thou haft the dew 
 of thy youth : Where there are thefe things pro- 
 mifed to Chrift, 1 . That his people fhall be made 
 willing in- the day of his power,which is exponed 
 in that, John 6. 44. No man can come to me, 
 except toe Father who bath fent me draw him ; 
 God takes away the ftubbornefs, and frowardnefs 
 that is in the ele&,and makes them pliable to irn^ 
 brace, and receive, and give up themfelves to 
 Chrift. 2. That his people fhall be numerous, 
 the youth of his womb ihall be numerous, as the 
 dew in the-morning. 3. They fhall be 1ioly and 
 fluning in feoUnef?, In the beauty of holinefs ; a- 
 gain it's promifed to the Mediator, that all beli- 
 vers in him fhall be juftified, as it is verfe n.By 
 his knowledge pall my righteous Servant juftifie 
 many ;and this is according to that, John6. 39, 
 40. Ibis is the will of him that fent me, that of 
 all that he hat b given me Ipould lofe none ; and 
 this is the will of him that jent me,tbat every 019 
 tbatfeeth theSon,and believeth on him, may have 
 everlaftinglife : Theppor fmner that by faith be- 
 takes himfelf to God's promife, the promife can- 
 not fail him, becaufe the Mediator is confidered 
 as the Par.ty,to whom the promife is made : And 
 the ablolute falvation and redemption of 
 believers is in the fame p'ace promifed ; 
 though they be in hazard through many 
 fins, indwelling lufts, temptations and fnares, 
 to be drawn away, yet they pall have eter- 
 nal life, they pall never perip, none pall 
 pluck bis peep out of his band, he pall fee his 
 feed, of all that are given him, be pall 
 lofe none : This would commend believing 
 
 \ 
 
Serm. 6$. •• Ifaiab $3* 
 
 to us, as a furc and ficker bargain, becaufe the 
 ground of our faith is articled betwixt God and 
 the Mediator ; and it's as impoffible that it can 
 fail, as it is impofible that God can be unfaith- 
 ful, and that the Mediator can fail in that 
 wherein he is engaged. .Again, if ye look to pro- 
 mifes of publick mercies, as that he fhall have a- 
 Church in the world, and that fhe fhall be conti- 
 nued and preferved, C5V. Thefe promifes ihall 
 certainly be performed, as that, Pjal. 2. 6. I 
 have fit my King upon my holy hill cfZion;ask of 
 me, and 1 will give thee the heathen for thine 
 inheritance , and the utter mofi ends of the earth 
 for thy pcfftffion ; a fruit of which promife is our 
 preaching, and your hearing the gofpel here this 
 day: And the promifes, PfaU 89. from verfe (Jo. 
 and forward, With him my hand f jail be eftabli. 
 fbed, and my arm fhall fir engthen him; the ene- 
 my fhall not exatt upon him, nor the fon ofwic- 
 kednefs affiid: him; 1 will beat down his joes be- 
 fore his face, and plague them that hate him \ 
 J will fet his hand on thefea. and bis right hand 
 tnthe rivers, I will make him my ffrfl-born, 
 higher than all the kings of the earth \ my mercy 
 foill I keep for him, his feedfialJ endure for ever ; 
 if his children for fake my law, then will I vifit 
 their tranfgreffioh with the rod\ nevertheless, 
 my loving-kindnefs J will net utterly take from 
 bim, nor fujfer my faithjulnefs to fail* There 
 is, Hof. 3. a promife of the ingathering of the 
 Jews ; and I fa. 9. 6. it's laid, that The govern- 
 ment fjall be upon his Jhoulders, and of the in* 
 creafe of his government there Jball be no end; 
 and. Rev* 11. 15. it is proclaimed, The kingdoms 
 if this world Are become the kingdoms of our Lord,- 
 and of his Chriji : All thele, and many the 
 like promifes, fhall be accomplifhed, tho' the 
 world fhould be turned upfidc down every 
 month onee,let be every year: The ground of the 
 Church's continuance, and prefervatidn, is not, 
 becaufe fuch and fuch perfons govern ; otherwife 
 what would have become o[ the -Church, when 
 Antichrift prevailed ? but the promifes made 
 to the Mediator. Here Heth theChriftian's peace, 
 when he hath to do with challenges; it's impoflible 
 that the believer inChfift can perilb: And here is 
 ihfured the Churches prefervation, even by God's 
 promife to the Mediator, that he fhall' have a 
 feed, and that many fhall be juftified, that he 
 fnall divide the fpoil : And tho' we fee but very 
 little appearance of the fpreading. of the gofpel 
 among the Jews and Pagans, or where Anti- 
 chrift reigns, the vifible Church being now for 
 many years rather incroached upon, than ex- 
 tended ; yet there is not one word here promi- 
 fed, but it fhall be accomplifhed : And this is 
 
 Verfe 12. 3<5i 
 
 both a grouncl of our peace, and of oar confi- 
 dence in prayer,as it is PfaU -/2.Pr<*yer alfoftall 
 be made for him continually >and daily fball he be 
 praifed : Two fweet exerctfes, daily to be pray- 
 ing for that which is in the pattern of prayer, 
 Let thy kingdom come, and daily to be praiiing 
 him for the coming of his kingdom. 
 
 But, idly, What is fpoken of Chrift the Medi* 
 ator's part, we take it for granted, that there is 
 nothing fpoken ©f, but it is, or fhall be perfor- 
 med ; the Father engages to perform to him 
 whatever promfes are made to him, becaufe he 
 hath performed whatever he undertook: And al- 
 though Ifaiab, long ere rhe Mefftah came in the 
 flefh, fpake of it, as a thing done in the preterit, 
 orbypalt time, when as yet it was not actually 
 done; yet he doth fo, becaufe it was as certain as 
 if it had been already done. Obferve hence, ' That 
 * there is no part of Chrift's undertaking, ' as' 
 c Mediator in the covenant of redemption, but it 
 c is, and fhall be actually performed.^ O but 
 there are two refponfal andfaithfulPartiesinthis 
 covenant ! It is not God, and Adam who brake 
 the covenant, and played the traitor ; but it's 
 God upon the one lide, and the Mediator, //»- 
 manuel, God with us, on the other fide .'There- 
 fore there is faithful nefs in theMediator's perfor- 
 ming according to his undertaking, as well as 
 there is faithfulnefs inGod's performing whatever 
 he hath fnokenofhim, or promifed to him. Ye 
 fhall only take two or three teftimonies for this: 
 The \ft is Mat. 3.14. and 17.5. This is my belo- 
 vedSonja whom 1 amwell pleafed\ He undertook 
 to pay the e!e&s debt, and hath accordingly per- 
 formed it, fo that the Father is well pleated. A 
 id \s,John 17. 4. where. he appeareth before the 
 Father, and ufeth it for an argument for his glo- 
 rifying of him with the fame glory which he had 
 with the Father before the world was: J have 
 glorified thee on earth, J have fnifbed tbe work 
 whicb thou gavefl me tc do ; I have gotten a task 
 and piece of work committed to me, and now it's 
 performed : And that other word he hath on the 
 crofs, is remarkable to thispurpofe, Ws fnifbed 5 
 now the task and work is ended, and I have no more 
 to do, but prefently topafs to the victory, and 
 to the dividing ot the fpoil. And a 3d teftimo- 
 ny, is our Lord Jefus his afcenfion to heaven, 
 and the glory that he will appear in, at the day 
 of judgment, when his kingdom fhall beconfum- 
 mate : That fhall be a proof and teftimony, that 
 he left nothing undone, that was given him to 
 do ; that he bare the fins of many, that he gave 
 his back to thefmiters, and his cheeks to them 
 that pulled off the hair, and that he fatisfied ju« 
 
36a .. • • }f aUh *>*• 
 
 (lice freely,and afcended to heaven, as it is,iI7w. 
 3,16. C7rf^f faVfc tiff fieri ofgodlinefs, faith the 
 apoftle, God was manifefied in theflejh y juftified 
 in the ftirit, fully abfolved, as having perforated 
 all whatfoever he undertook, feen cf angels, 
 andraifed up unto glory. 
 . Ufe. This is alfo, though a general, yet a very 
 comfortable doftrine to the people of God, in as 
 far as from it they may know,that there is no more 
 to be paid to the juftice of God for the fins of 
 the ele<a ; it -hath gotten full fatisfa&ion, the 
 Cautioner hath paid all their debt, and is now 
 exerctng his ? offices, for applying to them his 
 nurcbafe, making interceffion tor them,, overfee- 
 ing them,proving a Tutor to them,guiding them, 
 and all that concerns them, and his Church j e- 
 yen doing all things well, managing tht affairs 
 of his Father's houfe, as a Son, and he cannot 
 feut guide all things well : Other Jheep, faith he, 
 / have, which are not of this fold, them I mufl 
 bring in, and they frail hear my voice , and I 
 give them eternal life y and theyfiall never perijh : 
 A mod pregnant ground of comfort to the belie- 
 ver, that his eternal well-being, cannot but be 
 fure and fieker, becaufe it 'hath the Father and 
 the Mediator their faithfulneis engaged for it ; 
 if Jehovah perform the promifes made to the Me- 
 diator, and if the Mediator perform his engage- 
 ment to Jehovah, and raife up believers at the 
 laft day, then it mufl; follow, that their falvati- 
 onis fure. This is the main ground on which 
 believers peace is founded ; and here we may al- 
 lude to that, Hub. 6. He hath fwotn by two im- 
 mutable things, herein it is impcffible for God 
 to lie, that the heirs cfpromife, who are fled for 
 refuge to lay hold on the hope fet before them, 
 may havefirong confolation : Even fo here, there 
 are two immutable things, to wit, God's pro- 
 mile to the Mediator, and God will and muft 
 keep his word to him ; and the Mediator's en- 
 gagement to God, and he will and mud keep 
 his v/ord to. him: And indeed we have good proof 
 of both already ; for it was this engagement that 
 made the Father fend the Son of his love, out of 
 liis bofom, to be incarnate, and to undergo the 
 work of eled finners redemption ; and it was this 
 engagement that made the Mediator die, of 
 whom the Father exa&ed the price, till he de- 
 clared himielr fatisfied, and well pleafed : Now, 
 when thefe things that feemed moft difficult are 
 accomplifhed, what can fail ? 
 
 i. Then there is here ground to fix our faith 
 upon J aud indeed there is need to fix it rightly: 
 The ground that our (alvation,and perfeverance 
 in the faith is founded on, is not our continu- 
 ing to pray, to believe, arid to love God, but 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. '$$■" 
 
 this engagement betwixt the Father and the Son; 
 and it is the caufe procuring the other, as a ne- 
 ceftary and infallibly certain efFedt ; it's mainly 
 on this, that believers mould reft quiet and con- 
 fident. 2. It mould make believers humble and 
 cheerful, feeing, though they be weak in them- 
 felves, yet here they have a grip and hold for e- 
 very hand, as it were; Jehovah's word, and the 
 Mediator'swordfor their through-bearing. 3. It 
 fhould much commend believing, and the (late 
 of a believer, who have fiich ground of affurance: 
 The greateft monarch on earth hath not fuch 
 ground of affurance for his dinner or fupper, as 
 the poor believer hath for eternal life ; for, the 
 word fpoken by Jehovah to the Mediator, and 
 the undertaking of the Mediator to Jehovah, can- 
 not fail; and the believer hath thatto reft upon, 
 as the ground of his affurance. 
 
 More particularly, the articles on the Medi- 
 ator's fide are (as I (aid) in thefe four expreffions, 
 j~He hath poured out his foul unto death,he was 
 numbred with the tranfgreffors, he bare the fins 
 of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgref- 
 fors.3. \fti He muft <&>,expreffed in thefe words. 
 He hath poured out bis foul unto death.\ whicfe 
 implies three things, 1. That it is an article of 
 the covenant of redemption, and of the Media- 
 tor's undertaking, that he fhould die for finners; 
 and fo it is a needlefs, curious and unwarrantable 
 difpute, Whether fallen man might have been 
 redeemed any other way, or' whether a drop of 
 his blood was not enough to redeem man ? be- 
 caufe we fee here it is determined and articled 
 in the covenant of redemption, that he fhould 
 die ; Jehovah will have the Mediator dying 5 
 and be poftlble what may to God's fovereignty 
 (which we would not make to clam with his ju- 
 ftice, nor his juftice with his fovereignty) this 
 may bound and limit us, that it's concluded in 
 this covenant of redemption, that the Mediator 
 fhall lay down his life ; and it being concluded, 
 it's certain. i.That God hath given man a law, 
 threatning him, that if he mould break that law, 
 he fhould die. 2. That all mankind, and fo the 
 elc&jhave broken thatlaw,and io are liable to the 
 threatning and curfe^.That theMediator became 
 Cautioner, and undertook to fatisfy for the clefts 
 debt ; it was neceffar that he mould die, becaufe 
 he undertook to pay their debt, and to fatisfy 
 for their fin,which wasdeath by the law to them." 
 And fo the juftice of God is vindicate ; He can- 
 not be called unjuft, nor partial, nor unholy, 
 though he do not a&ually punifh every finner, 
 that hath finned in his own perfon, becaufe God's 
 holinefs and juftice appear ctnfpicuoufly, that 
 
 he 
 
Serm. 6<. t [)**<* 5> 
 
 he would rather execute what was due to the 
 cle<ft, on his own Son, than that their fins Ihould 
 go unpuniihed : And confidering the nature of 
 the Mediator's death, that it was a violent and 
 curfed death, that which had extreme anguifh 
 and forrow going before, andalongfl with it ; 
 it ihews that the Lord hath purpofly taken that 
 way, to make it known, . how bitter a thing fin. 
 U, how terrible a thing his wrath is, and how 
 holily fevere his law is, and to let all know that 
 it is a dreadful thing to come in tops with him, 
 who did fo put his own Son to it. 
 
 Ufe I. This Do&rine, tho' it hath been fpo- 
 ken to before, is a fovereign do&rine, yea,thefo- 
 vereigndo&rine, and the corner-done of all religi- 
 on,that Chrifl: hath died for the lins of his pepote: 
 It gives us accefs to preach the gofpel, which is 
 therefore called, tbe preaching oj Cbrifl crucified. 
 .Know therefore, and believe, that the Media- 
 tor died, and that it behoved him to die ; for 
 it was required as a condition of the covenant 
 of redemption, to be performed by him; to 
 which he yielded, and confented. O what love 
 is here, to article fuch a thing before finners 
 had any being/ It was more than to be hungry 
 and thirfly, r and weary \ he behoved to die, 
 and to be made a curie : When facrifices and 
 burnt-offerings will not do, he fays, Lo, I come, 
 in the volume of thy book it\s written of me, I 
 delight to do thy will, O my God ! I heartily 
 accept of the bargain. 
 
 Ufe 2. it fpeaks a fadly alarming word to all 
 you who are fecure athefls, and care not for the 
 wrath of God ; O what will become of you, 
 -when the wrath of God and you fhali meet! If 
 fin brought the Creator to death, O what 
 •wrath (hall ye come under, when ye fhall be put 
 to reckon for your own fins ! The fmiting of 
 the Shepherd was more than if all the fheep had 
 been fmitten ; and tho* now ye think little of 
 fin, yet the day comes, wherein ye fhall know to 
 your cofl, that ip is an evil and bitter thing to 
 depart from God s and that it is a fearful thing 
 to fall into the bands of the living God. 
 
 Ufe 3. See here the neceffity of making ufe 
 of ChritVs death ; either, ye mu(l do it, or die, 
 and come under the curfe of God your (elves-; 
 there is not a mids : If ye have /in, how will 
 it be gotten put by, and fatisfied for ; not by 
 your prayers, letbeby a laughter or fmile, nor 
 by your living of an honefl Jife, as ye call it; 
 Chrifl had infinitely more of this than any of 
 -you, and yet he got not fin fo put by : We may 
 here allude to that, Eccl. 8. S. There is no dis- 
 charge in that war, neither flail wiclednefs de- 
 liver tbefe that are given ta if. Death, when it 
 
 Verie i2. 303 
 
 hath a commiflifin, and God's terror backi^ 
 it, O how will it handle the fecure flubborn fin- 
 net, when the handof God fhall purfue him eter- 
 nally ! Alas ! what are many doing that never fear 
 the wrath of God, that fufpend, gut off, and de- 
 lay the cloflng of their accounts, and all endea- 
 voursto die to fin,and tolive to righteoufnefs ? and 
 either pafs over their days as atheiils, or as for- 
 mal hypocrites? and fuch are fome of you that 
 hear me this day, who never feek to be found in 
 Chrifl, nor to improve his death to the mor- 
 tifying of An : What will ye do in the day when 
 ye fhall be called to a reckoning ? Ye will curfe 
 the day that ever ye heard the gofpel y and that' 
 this was concluded, that Chrifl fhould die; it 
 will be the favour of death to you thro* all eter- 
 nity, and will be the moll foul-fearching and 
 tormenting word that ever ye heard ; and ye 
 will wifh that the work of redemption had ne- 
 ver been heard of, nor refolved upon. 
 
 Ufe 4. It's a comfortable and encouraging 
 word to fenfible finners ; fuch, betaking them* 
 felves to Chrifl, may be fure to get good of him, 
 for he hath paid the price already, and hath 
 given his word 'for it, That fuch as believe m 
 him, fhall never perijh, but that he will raife 
 them up at the lafl day. Ye would not think, that 
 it will be difpleaflng or diflatisfying to the Fa- 
 ther, or to the Son, that ye come to him, and 
 take hold of him; for it was for that end, that 
 God fent him, and that he laid down bis life, 
 and died ; (but he die's no more,) it will be no 
 trouble to him, but fr.tisfacYion to his foul, for 
 all the travel of it,to make application of his pur- 
 chafe to you : And feeing it will not difpleafe, 
 but be mofl acceptable to him, that ye believe 
 on him, and be faved by him ; and fince not be« 
 lieving, rubs fhame in a manner upon him, why- 
 do you not betake your felves unto him|by faith, 
 ■ for his fatisfa&ion, and your own falvation ? 
 1 idly , He not only died, but it's faid, He pour* 
 ed out his foul unto death ; which implies two 
 things, 1. The intenfnefs of it, it was an un- 
 couth and flrajnge death ; not only was his body 
 afHifted, but his foul was poured our. -2. Ifi 
 looks to his good-will, readinefs and cheerful- 
 -nefs in dying ', Father, (as if he had faid) muffe 
 I die I and wilt thou have my foul forrowful and 
 heavy ? I am content to be fo, thou fha't have 
 my li f e : He comes not prigging to die, (to fpeak 
 fo) but cafls down his blefted life at his Father's 
 feet, and plentifully gives it out to the utter- 
 mofl ; fo that he will not, as it were, leave one 
 drop of his blood, but will needs pour and yett 
 it out in abundance, even ail of it. 
 
 Hewe 
 
364 fftiab ff- m 
 
 ^ Hence Ob ferve, * That our t^efted Lord Jefus 
 r was mod hearty in laying down his life forfin- 
 c ners,was mod cheerful in undertaking,and mod 
 
 * willing and cheerful in executing what be did 
 
 * undertake/ fie makes not two words of the bar- 
 gain, (to fpeak fo) but when facrifice and offer- 
 ing will not do it, as it is, PfaU 40. then fays he 
 JLo,lceme, in the volum of thy book it is written of 
 me, I delight to do thy w ill } my God.T here is no 
 (landing, nor difputing here on the Mediator's 
 fide, but a prefent willing and heartfom under- 
 taking : Therefore, Prov. 8. he fays, Though he 
 mas continually with the Father , even fr era ever- 
 lafling'yet his delights were with the Jons of wen, 
 rejoicing in the habitable farts of the earth ; Ere 
 ever the world was made, ere ever'there wasa 
 iinnerin being to be redeemed jhe rejoiced before 
 •hand, thinking .there-would be fueh an oppor- 
 
 ■ tunity to manifeft his good-wi 11, grace and mercy, 
 and we look through the go pel, how often will 
 -we find this mad ^ good ? No man taVtth my life 
 from me, but (faith he) / lay it down of my f elf , 
 and 1 tale it up again : And when they came to 
 take him,and Peter drew his (word, he iaid,CW^ 
 net I have commanded twelve legions of angels : 
 but all that is written of me mufl be fulfilled: 
 ' I have bargained to lay down my life^and it mud 
 he] and, I have abaptifm to bebaptifed with,and 
 how am Iflraitned till it be 'accompli filed ? And 
 Avhen it came to be accompliihed, though he gave 
 evidences of feis power, in making them fall 
 backward, who came to apprehend him,' yet he 
 raifes them again, and goes with them ; and 
 when they mock him, and buffet him, and nod 
 the head at him, and bring him to the bar, and 
 queftion him, and when they (aid, If thou be the 
 King of Jfrael, ccme dewn from the crofs, and 
 Vic will believe thee \ -which we may think he 
 could have done, thoiigh they were but tempting 
 Jum ; yet in all thefe he was filent, and never 
 opens his mouth, till he come to that, It is 
 finffied : He never fpake a repining word : It was 
 wonderfully much to fuffer, and to die Co cheer- 
 fully, but to pour out his foul unto death, to 
 take his life in his own hand, and to be fo holily 
 prodigal of it, as to pour it out, there having ne- 
 ver been fuch a precious life, artd Co precious 
 blood poured out, this was much more. 
 
 Vfe, It ftiews what edeem ye mould have of 
 fouls, and every one of you of your own. fouls : 
 Our Lord Jefus poured out his foul unto death 
 for fouls ; he values fouls Co much, that he gave 
 his precious life for them: Therefore 'tis laid, 
 I Pet, 1. 1 9. We are not redeemed with corrupti- 
 ble things, as filver and gold, but with the pre- 
 - ctws blood ofCbrift : If he edeemed fo much of 
 
 Veffe 12. Serm.6^ 
 
 fouls, what will it be thought of, when ye wade 
 your fouls, and yelcnow not whereon. He bought 
 ibuls dear, and ye fell them cheap, for a little 
 filver and gold, or for that which is worfe, and 
 far lefs worth; What an unfuitablenefs is here 
 betwixt Ghrid's edimation of fouls and yours, 
 betwixt his. buying them at fo dear a rate, and 
 your cading them away, for that which is very 
 vanity ? What do the mod part of you get for 
 your fouls ? Some a bit of land, fome a houfe, 
 fome a fecklefs pleafure, fome a fport, fome the 
 fatisfaaion of their luds, or a moment's finful 
 mirth ; O pitifully poor bargain ! whatwill be- 
 comeof the mirth, or lud, or pleafure, of this 
 houfe, or of that land, when kings, and great 
 men will Iy crawling, like fo many -worms be- 
 fore the Lamb? ye will not get your houfes or 
 land with you, ye will not get leave to wear 
 your brave clothes, ye will have no filver nor 
 gold in your purfe in that day ; and luppofe ye 
 had it, the redemption of the foul is precious, ■ 
 and ceafeth for ever by any fuch price ; 'Tis a 
 wonderful thing, that when Chrid edeems fo 
 much of fouls, that finners fhould edeem fo lit- 
 tle of them ; is it not juilthat fuch fouls go to 
 hell, when'they edeemed them fo little worth ? 
 Vfe. 2. It fhould teach you to love,and hearti- 
 ly to welcome this Lordjefus Chrid ; what argu- 
 ment of love and of trud, what motive towel- 
 come him can there be, if this be not, that 
 he fpared not fyis life, but poured it out un- 
 to death for finners? How long fhall we halt be- 
 twixt Chrid and Belial ? W T e dow not endure 
 to mortifie a lud, to want our fport and laugh- 
 ter, or a bit of our credit or honour, though it 
 fhould coll us the want of Chrid: But, O in- 
 grate "fools ! is that a becoming requittaF to him 
 that took his innocent foul in his hand, and pou- 
 red it out for finners, and when he was fomeway 
 melted like lead in the fire of God's wrath, 
 was content to yett it forth abundantly, out of 
 love to their falvation? Should it not rather call 
 for love to him, for truding and welcoming of 
 him, and to luffering for his fake, if he call 
 you to it ? Will ye skar to hazard your life for 
 .him, that poured out his foul for finners? It 
 would do a foul good to think how willingly 
 and chierfully he futfered } But, alas! how re- 
 luctantly, and unwillingly come we under fu£ 
 fering for him ? However, let me commend thefe 
 three words to you. 1. Love him, For even 
 Publicans will love thefe that love them ; and 
 give Chrid love for love. 2. Credit and trud 
 him, do not look for ill at his hand; what^round 
 is there to fufpe& him ? It is his glory to do 
 
 good 
 
Serm. 66. , #««? 53/ 
 
 good to finners, and he counts them his tri- 
 umph and fpoil; and to make conqueft of them, 
 he poured out his foul unto death,or f as the word 
 Is, Phil* 2'He emptied himfelf \ which feems to 
 look to this word of the prophet. And is not 
 that warrant fufficient for you, to truft and cre- 
 dit him, and to lay the weight of what concerns 
 you upon him ? And, 3. Welcome him, which is 
 a fruit of faith and love; he is a fweet Wooer, he 
 is xhatgood Shpherd, that laid down bis life for 
 hisjbeep ; He gave himfelf for his Church, as it 
 is, Ephef $. Therefore, I fay, welcome him •, this 
 is the great thing the gofpel aims at ; (uch ex- 
 preflions area great depth, and it would require 
 time time to read, to ponder them, and to won- 
 der at therri •, and we would be much in praying 
 for a right up-taking of them. 
 
 idly, From the connection, becauje fee hath" 
 poured out his foul unto death ; Obferve, ( That 
 * our* Lord Jelus his willing condetccnding to 
 « die, is moil acceptable to the Father.' There- 
 fore, he fays, / will give him a portion with the 
 great, and hefhall divide the fpoil with the ftrong, 
 becaufe he hath done io and to ; and all the pro- 
 mifes made to him confirm this: That is a won- 
 derful word, John 10. 17. Therefore does my Fa- 
 ther love me, becaufe I lay down my life for 
 tnyfieep- The only begotten, and well beloved 
 Son of the Father, cannot but be loved ; yet, he 
 fays, Therefore, or oiv'this account, does my Fa- 
 ther love me: That is, I am Mediator, the Fa- 
 ther's Minifler, Steward, or Depute, in this 
 
 Verfe 12. |j$$ 
 
 work of redemption of finners; and becaufe Ifo 
 willingly and cheerfully lay down my life for 
 them, he hath given me this victory and glory. 
 So well pleafing to God is the willing and cheer- 
 ful death of the Mediator, that it fhould be ad- 
 mired by us, and fhould have this weight laid 
 on it by us, that feeing cheerfulnefs in obedi- 
 ence is fo acceptable to God, we fhould ftudy it, 
 for he loves a cheerful giver, and cheerfulnefs in 
 any duty : It's.much we have this word to fpeak 
 of to you, many nations never heard of it, and 
 ye would make fome other ufe of it, than if ye 
 had never heard of it ; O but it will be dread- 
 ful to fuch as have heard it, and do flight it! 
 their fouls' fhall be poured out into hell, even 
 fqueezed, and wrung eternally by the wrath of 
 of God ; therefore look not lightly on it, do 
 not think all this tranfa&ion of grace to be for 
 nought -, if we were ferious, we would wonder 
 what it means. Alas I we think little or nothing 
 to make our peace with God, and yet all this bu- 
 finefs is, ere the matter can be brought about. 
 It's a great evidence of the ftupidity, fenfiefnefs * 
 and abfurd unbelief of many, that they think no- 
 thing of fin and wrath, and of the hazard that 
 their fouls are in ; and that they look at peace 
 with God, as an eafy bufinefs : But one day it 
 will be found to be a great matter to be at peace 
 with him, that fin is bitter, and wrath heavy | 
 and that to be in good terms with God, is bet- 
 ter than a thoufand worlds : God himfelf make 
 you wife to think ferioufly on it in time. 
 
 SERMON ^LXVL 
 
 Ijfaiah liii. 12. Therefore will J divide him a portion with the great, and hefball divide the fpoH 
 with the. ftrong; becaufe he bath poured out his foul unto death: and he was numbredwith 
 v ■ thetranfareffirs, and he bare the fins of many, and be made inter ceffion for the tr an fgr effort. 
 
 **j' 'Here was never bargain fo ferioufly entred 
 \ in as this betwixt Jehovah and the Me- 
 diator, never bargain was of fuch concernment 
 and weight ; It is therefore no marvel it be in- 
 filled upon. 
 
 The prophet hath been holding forth the terms 
 and conditions of it on both fides, and now he 
 -fums them up in the laft Verfe, that the bufinefs 
 may be left clear and diftinft ; letting forth 
 what the Lord Jehovah engageth for to the Me- 
 diator, and what the Mediator engageth for to 
 Jehovah ; only with this difference, that in the 
 former part of the Chapter, the Mediator's en- 
 gagement is firft fet down, and then what are 
 the promifes that theLord Jehovah made to himj 
 but in this Verfe, where the covenant is refum- 
 
 ed, what the Lord engageth for to the Media- 
 tor is firft fet down, and then what the Media- 
 tor is to perform in the laft place *, to fhew (as I 
 faid) the mutualnefs of the covenant of redempti- 
 on, and that it is but one bargain, one link 
 whereof cannot be loofed on either fide. 
 
 In the laft part of the Verfe, what the Media- 
 tor is to perform, is fet down in four expref- 
 fions, as paft and done, becaufe of the certainty 
 andeffiacy of the Mediator's furTerings ? and of 
 his performing what he undertook, and of divine 
 juftice its acceptation thereof. The ifl is, be* 
 caufe he hath poured out his fcul unto deaths 
 It was propofed to the Mediator to die, which 
 he undertook, and in the execution, goes checr- 
 B b h folly 
 
\66 lfaiah «>3. 
 
 fully about it ; He poured his foul unto death, 
 without any prigging ; Grace and love (to fpeak 
 16 with reverence) were fo liberal and prodigal 
 of the life of our Lord Jefus, for the falvation 
 of loft finners, that his blefled Soul was feparate 
 from his Body, and he made obnoxious to the 
 curfe, which mod willingly he under-went ; his 
 life or foul was poured out unto death. The 
 2d is, He was numbred with the tranfgreffors \ 
 which implies three things, i. It fuppones that 
 he was indeed no tranfgreffor, there was no guile 
 found in his mouth ; yet he behoved to (loop 
 fo low, as to be reckoned among, or numbred 
 with tranfgreflbr.s. As the former expreffion 
 holds out the painfulnefs of his death, fo this 
 holds out the ignominy of it: He not only 
 died, and behoved to die, but he was looked u- 
 pon-as a defpicable per r on, even fo defpicable, 
 that Barahlas a thief and robber was preferred 
 unto him: Of this we fpake from verfe 3. He 
 was defpifed and re jetted of men* 2. It implies 
 mens ingratitude, that when our bleffed Lord 
 came to redeem them, they did not count him 
 worthy to live, but looked upon him as a tranf- 
 grelTor; this was-a'fo fulfilled in the hiftory of the 
 gofpel, as John 18. 30. they fay unto Pilate y 
 If he were 'not a malefattor ,we would not have 
 delivered him unto thee. .3. It implies the low 
 condefcendence,and depth of the love oFourLord 
 Jefus Chrift, which hath no bottom ; he will not 
 only die, but die a fhameful and curfed death, 
 and take on r^proacn and ignominy with the 
 debt of finners, when they are defpifing him ; 
 the Cautioner muft not only die, but die a fhame- 
 ful death : Some deaths are creditable and ho- 
 nourable, and men will with a fort of vanity af- 
 fect them ; but it behoved not to be fo with our 
 Lord Jefus, when he entred himfelf finners 
 Cautioner ; he muft not only die, but be defpi- 
 cable in his death, as it is, chap. 50. $. He gave 
 his back to the fmiters, and his cheeks to them 
 that plucked off * the hair, he hid not his face fr 0m 
 fiame and fpitting ; becaufe it was Co articled 
 and agreed upon ; When he was reviled , he revi- 
 led not again ; O what condefcending-lovefhines 
 forth here, in the Mediator ! It was much to pay 
 the debt, and die, but more in his dying, to 
 be counted the tranfgrefTor ; much to be Cau- 
 tioner, but more to be counted the dyvour : 
 As if fome wicked and perverfe officer, feizing on 
 the cautioner, fhould not only arreft him for the 
 debt, and exaft it off him, but account and call 
 him the dyvour debtor;yet he bears all patiently. 
 It wou^d learn us to bear reproach for him; he 
 bare much more for us, than we can bear for 
 Urn ; He was railed on, reviled, buffeted, and 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 66. 
 
 fpitted on ; they in derifion, faid, Hail king of 
 the Jews ; they mocked him,nodded the head at 
 him, hanged him up betwixt two theives, as 
 the mod eminent malefa&or of the three ; and- 
 Mark faith, chap. 15. 28. That this fcripture was 
 fulfilledywbich faith> And he was numbred with 
 the tranfgrefsors : God had appointed it,and the 
 Mediator had condefcended to it; and therefore 
 it behoved to be : We fpake to the matter of this 
 before, and will not now in fi ft on it any further. 
 The ^d is, He bare the fins of many ; which 
 is alio caul'al, as the former are : It's put in here, 
 1. To fhew the end ofhis dying, and the na- 
 ture of his death ; his death was a curfed death, 
 but not for his own fin, but for the fins of o- 
 thers, even to pay the debt that was owing by 
 .his ele& : The many here, are the fame many 
 fpoken of in the former verfe, who by his know- 
 ledge are juftiped. It is not the fins of all that 
 phrift bare, but the fins of many; and the many 
 whofe fins he bare, are the many that are juftified ; 
 and all who are juftified, their fins he bare, and 
 of no mo ; fo that as many as have their fins born 
 by Chrift, are juftified ; and whoever are jufti- 
 fied, had their fins born by him. 2. It fhews alfo, 
 how. the fins of thefe many are. taken away, it 
 was by Chrift's bearing the punifhment due for 
 their fins ; this is that which we fpake to, from 
 verfe 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquities 
 of us all : Ina word, it's this, the Mediator ar- 
 ticleth, and agreeth to take on the guilt of the 
 fins of the elect, tho' not their fins themfelves, 
 formally confidered ; he took the deferving^ 0/ 
 burden of their debt : Of this we have alfo fpo- 
 ken before, and will not therefore infift any 
 more particularly on it. 
 
 ^ The 4th and laft article, or part of the condi- 
 tion required of the Mediator, is, He made in- 
 ter ceffion for the tranfgreffors'. There was more 
 required of him, than to die, and to die fuch a 
 death for the elects fins; he muft alfo make appll 
 cation of his death, and he will do that like 
 wife; whereupon is founded his interceffion, that 
 the benefit of his death and fatisfa&ion may be 
 applied, and made forthcoming to them ; which 
 is fet down in thefe words, He made interceffion 
 for the tranfgreffor s\ wherein alfo we are to car- 
 ry along the thoughts of his condefcending love, 
 who not only will fatisfy for the elects debt, and 
 procure to them righteoufnefs and eternal life, 
 but when they continue in oppofition to him, will 
 make interceffion for the application thereof to 
 them ; he having-a number given to him, not 
 only to pay their debt, by dying for them, but 
 alio actually to apply the benefits of his death 
 
 anc 1 
 
OCllK* \j\j* 
 
 and purchafe to them, according to that, John 
 6. 39. This is the will of him that pnt me, that 
 of all that he bath given me, 1 Jhould lofe no- 
 things but raife them up at the lafl day : Thefe 
 four do plainly and fummarly comprehended the 
 Mediator's engagement in the covenant of re- 
 demption, as to his prieftly office \ and having 
 fpoken foinewhat to the firft three, we ihall infift 
 a little on this laft, concerning his Interceffion. 
 
 For clearing whereof, when he prayed on the 
 crofs, Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them, for they 
 know not what they*do\ this was in part fulfilled: 
 But his praying,or making interceffion for tranf- 
 greffors, is to be considered two ways, 1. As he 
 was aMan under the law,and fo he was to pray for 
 other tranfgreifors, than the eleft only ; as Ste- 
 phen following hisexample did, Atts 7«6o. when 
 he faid, Lord lay not this fin to their charge. 2. 
 As he is Mediator, and fo he prays only for the 
 ele& ; as is clear, John 17.9. And his intercef- 
 fion,thus confidered, i&always effeftual,and runs 
 in the channel of the covenant of redemption, 
 and is commenfurable and of equal extent with 
 his death. His interceffion* in the fir ft fenfe, is 
 more largely extended ; he might, confidered as 
 Man under the law, have interceeded for his e- 
 nemies, that were not eleAed : Therefore we take 
 his interceffion here in the fecond fenfe, as he is 
 Mediator ."And as Matthew, chap. 8. 17. applies 
 his bearing of our griefs, and carrying of our 
 forrows, fpoken of, verfe 4. of this chap, to his 
 carrying of our temporal bodily infirmities; So 
 there may be an allufion to this, in the Lord's 
 prayer on the crofs. We mark this diftin<5Hon, 
 becaufe Arminians, that pretend to an uriiverfai 
 f edemption,plead alfo for an universal interceffion: 
 ( And on this ground, they fay, that Chrift pray- 
 ed for many that went to hell. But we anfwer, 
 that our bleffed Lord-Jefus did not there, if he 
 iprayed for a*hy fuch, interceed as Mediator pro- 
 perly, but as Man under the law ; even as in his 
 prayer in the garden, when his holy humane na- 
 ture finlefly fear red at the bitter cup, he prayed, 
 [iFather, if it be pofsible, let this cup depart from 
 J me ; and it was agreeable to the humane nature, 
 to feek innocently to efchew the drinking of fuch 
 La cup ; but when, in the fame prayer, he fpeaks 
 Jas Mediator, he fays, Not my will, but thine be 
 done', and, for this caufe came 1 unto this hour: 
 So when he preached as Man, and a Minifter of 
 the circumcifion, he fays, Jerufalem, Jeru- 
 salem, how often would 1 have gathered thee, 
 andthou wouldft not\ Whereas,if we confider him 
 as Mediator, he doth \yhat he will, and calleth 
 none but they come, and willeth none to be ga- 
 thered, but fuch as are gathered : The intercef- 
 
 fion here meaned, is that which is an article of 
 the covenant of redemption, and a piece of 
 Chrift's prieftly office, to which the promife in 
 the firft part of the verfe is made ; and there- 
 fore we have here clear accefs to (peak of it, ac- 
 cording a*s the new teftament holds it out to us, 
 1. Then we obferve thisD b ft rine from it,* That 
 'according- to the covenant of redemption, our 
 1 Lord muft. not only die, but alfo interceed for 
 c tranfgreffors, or finners ; or, It is a part of our 
 c Lord's office,agreed upon in the covenant of re- 
 demption that he fhould be Interceffor for tranf-" 
 c greffors.' It's on this ground that it's faid,P/*/. 
 1 10.4. The Lord hath f worn, and will not repent , 
 Thou art a Prieft for ever after the order of Mel - 
 chifedek \ He is aPrieft after Melchifedek's order, 
 and not after the order of Aaron; and Rom, 8.34. 
 he is laid to bear the right hand of God, mak* 
 ing inter cefsion for us : It's faid likewife, lie b, 7, 
 25. that H e is able to Jave to the utter mtft, all 
 that come to God by him ; feeing he ever liveth 
 to make intercefsion for them. So,i John 2.1. it's 
 faid, If any man fin, we have an Advocate with 
 the Father, Jefuz Chrift the righteous : • And fre- 
 quently elfewh/re, it's in fcripture attributed 
 to him. If it bjfi asked,Why behoved Jefus Chrift 
 the Mediator, to be an Interceffor P We anfwer, 
 For thefe three reafons, 1. It was fuitable to the 
 glory of God, that the great Lord-deputy, ap- 
 pointed for the ingathering of ele& finners,fhould 
 be furnifhed with this office ; and his interceffi- 
 on is derived from it, Heb. 7. 35. He is able to 
 fave to the uttermoft, feeing he ever liveth to 
 make inter cejsion for us: He cannot fit up, nor 
 fail in proving himfelfto be an able Saviour, 
 becaufe he lives fo* ever to interceed. 2. It's 
 fuitable and meet for the glory of the Mediator, 
 and of his priefthood, that he lhould not- be a 
 Prieft for a time only, but for ever; therefore, 
 when he is brought in as a Prieft, PfaU 110. 
 compared with Heb. 7. he is preferred to the 
 order of Aaron, and is faid to be a Prieft for ever 9 
 after the order of Melchitedek ; by fo much as 
 he is Surety of a better teftament : They were 
 many, becaufe they were not fuffered to con- 
 tinue', but this Alan, becaufe he continueth for 
 ever, hath an unchangeable priefthood. It was 
 meet, in refpe&of the confolation that believers 
 in him have from this his interceffion ; there had 
 been a defe& in the confolation of believers, if 
 he had not be'en Interceffor ; but feeing, as it is, 
 Heb. 10. 19. We have fuch an high Prieft over 
 the houfe of God, we have boldnefs to enter inUr 
 theholieft, by anew and living way; and may 
 draw near with full affurance of faith* And 
 B b b 2. that 
 
3<$8 Ifaiab ^3« 
 
 that which gives us this boldnefs, is that (as it 
 is, Heb, 4. 15, 16.) We have not an high Vriefl 
 rohich cannot be touched with the feeling of our in- 
 firmities, but was in ail points tempted like as we 
 ar r e;,-J\\Gx\ follows, Let us therefore come boldly to 
 the throve cf grace that we may obtain mercy, and 
 find grace to help in time of need, 4»We may add, 
 that it's fuitable, for this reafon, to wit, if we 
 coniider, and compare the type with the anti- 
 type, Excd. 30. 10. and Levit. 16. compared 
 thb. 9. The high prielV had lacrifices pre- 
 ■A to him for hirnfelf, and for the people, 
 when- he went once in the year, into the mod ho- 
 ly^ with the blood of the-facrifke ; which figni- 
 -ied, that Chrifl, after the laying down ofhis life, 
 zttas to enter into heaven, there to appear in the 
 prefencQ of God for us, Heb. 9. 24, 
 
 This is a point which may yield us many and 
 great &/W>as, 1. For information, to clear us about 
 ChriiVs interceflion. 2. For confolation ,to fhew us 
 the advantages that flow to believers from it. 3. 
 Per direclion in duty, to learn us what ufe we 
 ihpuld make of it. And, 4. ^ox-reproof and convi-> 
 ftienjor, and or the fm of our much (lighting and 
 2iegle&ing this part of Chrift's prieftly office. 
 
 As for the firfl, It ferves, we lay, for informal 
 tion ; and to let us fee that we have an excellent 
 high Prieft, who is not only anfwerable to the 
 Eype, in dying, but alfo in interceeding ; who 
 died, that he might make application of what he 
 purchafed by his death. 
 
 For further clearing and profecuting. of this 
 ttfat we ihall fpeak a little to fome few queflions; 
 As^i. What this interceflion is? 2. Who inter- 
 ceeds ? 3. For whom ? 4. For what ? 5. How 
 ehis interceluon is performed? 6. What .are the 
 grounds on which it is founded ? ■ 
 
 For the firfl. What this interceflion is in gene- 
 . ral. ? And for clearing it, ye would confider, . 
 what it isTiot; and, 1. There is here no humbling 
 of the Mediator in way of fupplication, as he 
 prayed when on earth, or as we pray, or as one 
 2ijan intreats or interceeds with another ; that 
 way of roterceeding is inconfiftent with his ex- 
 altation, ftk humiliation being perfe&ed, and he 
 being now-, exited at the right hand of God. 
 2. It's no verbal thing, no bringing forth, or ut- 
 etring of words; there is no fuch language in our 
 JLlord's interceffion : and fo we are not to conceive 
 cf f his interceflion, as if he made a formal prayer; 
 mr.nner -of dealing,- or proceeding, is not 
 .;.ew betwixt God and the Mediator. 3. Neither , 
 cr0th this his intercellion conlid in any new par- 
 tfelfir a& <cf his will, as .if he did aft or will 
 
 ring that he did r>ot be-fore ■; therefore he - 
 &M&Z& Jive for, evtr 3 to mate: inter cejftjfo and 
 
 Verfe 12- . Serm. 6& 9 
 
 to abide a Vriefl continually : His interceffion is 
 continual^ as is clear, Heb. 7. 3, 25. his being irj- 
 heavtn, and appearing there in our name, is his- 
 ineerceffion. And therefore, 2. Let us fee, in, 
 the next place, what it is ? And more generally, 
 we may take it-up in fuch exprefsions, as the 
 fcriptures make ufe of to hold it out by ; and 
 in the fimilitudc and analogy whence it's bor- 
 rowed, for it's a borrowed thing.as the covenant: 
 of redemption is, from compa&s among men, 
 becaufe we cannot take up divine and ■ my (Ven- 
 ous things, except they be expreiV after the 
 manner ot men foiv our capacity ; Such as this, 
 as if a king's fon were interpofing for a perfon 
 not in good terms with the king, or for whom 
 he would have fome benefit from the king his fa- 
 ther : The fimiiitude feems indeed to be drawn 
 from this, yet it mu(V not be atVricVed thereto; 
 therefore, 1 John 7. 1. he is called an Advo- 
 cate with the Father; and yet he doth not ad- 
 vocate our caufe verbally, as we laid before ; : . 
 And 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is me- God, and cne 
 Mediator betwixt God and Men : where the a- 
 poftle is fpeaking of praying: And here -he is : 
 laid to make intercession for us,as the high prieiV 
 did in the name of the people. In a word, it is 
 our Lord Jelus ChriiV his making of what he - 
 hath purchafed, and hath engaged to him in the 
 covenant of redemption, efFe&ually forthcoming 
 for the behoof of the people, as if he were agen- 
 ting their caufe, as an advocate in heaven ; which 
 isfo held forth, for the help of our faith ; that: 
 the Mediator having made his teftament,and con- 
 firmed it by his death, is looking well that his 
 death, and the benefits purchafed to ele& finners • 
 thereby, may be made efFe&ual ; and is as it were - 
 lying as agent and advocate at court, to pro- 
 cureand bring about this bufinefs, according to 
 that, John 17. 19, 20, 24. For their fakes I 
 fanttify my felf that they alfo may be fanclz- 
 fed, &c. Neither pray I for thefe* alone, &c. and, j 
 Father, I will that thefe whom thou haft given 
 me, may be with me where J am : It's even 
 that all may be made good to them, for whom 
 he fan&iiied hirnfelf; and the efFe&ual making, 
 out of that which he hath pur.chaled to them, 
 that is called his intercefsion »■ 
 
 idly, Who makes incercefsion ? It is not e° 
 nough that Chrifl:, as Man, makes intercefsion ; 
 but it is Chrift Mediator, God and Man in one 
 Perfon ; It being an error of the Vapifls, to make » 
 the intercefsion of Chrifl: to be-a thing perfrom- 
 ed by the humane nature only*- which lefteneth • 
 the confolation of believers, and is inconfiflent 
 witlii'he/unKmr-crfthctvvo natures, and detrafl-3 I 
 
 fiXMSi.} 
 
Serm. 66. ... '* ?/*'** ft- 
 
 from the weight that his Godhead gives to his 
 interceflion. 
 
 y, For whom does he interceed r^ There 
 are here extremes on both hands to be efchewed. 
 I. Some make his interceflion over broad, as if he 
 interceeded for all the world : this he exprefly 
 denies, John 17. 9 I pray not for the world ; and 
 his inreredfion being grounded on his deat': and 
 £tisfa&ion, it muifc be of equal extent t - 
 with, and mull relate to the covenant of redemp- 
 tion, wherein fo many were given him to be re- 
 deemed by his death. 2. Others make his inter- 
 ceflion too narrow, in making it only for them 
 that actually believe : He alio refutes this opi- 
 cion, Jcbn 17.20. by faying, Neither pray 1 for 
 tbefe alone f but for all that Jha 11 believe en me 
 through their word : And it is always, on this 
 ground that he interceeds, to wit, bedittfe they 
 are given ; fo that it's for. the ele&, converted 
 or unconverted, that he interceeds. The reafon 
 why we mark this, is to overturn thereby two 
 corrupt diftin&icns-that are made ufe of, to 
 bring in an univerfal interceflion, as well as an u- 
 niverfal redemption. ( 1.) Some make his inter- 
 ceflion common to all ; but we, according to the 
 fcripture, acknowledge no fuch interceflion to 
 belong to Chriil, efpecially as Mediator: how- 
 ever, he might, as Man, under the law, have 
 prayed for Tome that mall not be a&ually faved, 
 as he commands one man to pray for other men, 
 yet not tor all men fimply. ?2.) Others make a 
 conditional interceflion for all, as they make a 
 conditional redemption of all, and make both 
 abiblute for believers only, which. is alfo corrupt; 
 for, confidering the obje&of his interceflion, as 
 Mediator, to be only the ele&, as indeed they 
 are, it overturns both this, and the former opi- 
 nion : if he prayed not for all, he died not for 
 ail ; the one whereof is grounded on the other. 
 
 \tbly, For what doth he interceed ? In general, 
 for all that is conditioned to him in the covenant, 
 for the behoof of his people; he prays for the 
 fulfilling of all the articles of the covenant, as 
 that all the ele&, who are not regenerate, may 
 be regenerate, and made believers ; that many 
 through his knowledge may be jufTiricd ; that 
 thefe that are regenerate, and believers, and by 
 faith have betaken themfelves to him, may be ju~- 
 ilified, pardoned, and received in favour, friend- 
 fhip, and fellowfhip with God ; that believers 
 may be keeped from temptation ; that temptati- 
 ons may be prevented, and they made to perfe- 
 vere •, that Satan may not make their faith to fail 
 them, 23 he defigns$ and the Lord gives ac- 
 count of his defigrv Luke 22* 32. Satan hath 
 fought .to. WimwfQUf out I have prayed that 
 
 Verfe 12. 3^9 
 
 thy faith fail not ; that they and their prayers 
 and fervice may be accepted ; that the fuits and 
 lupplications that they prelent, and put up in 
 his name, may get a hearing ; that they may be 
 armed againft the fear of death; that they may be 
 carried on in the gradual advances of fanaificati- 
 on, to the end of their taith, thefalvation of their 
 fouls; that they may be glorified, and be where 
 he is, to behold his glory : In a word, he inter- 
 cteds for every thing needful, and for every 
 'thing promifed to them, his interceiTion beifg 
 as broad as his purchafe. 
 
 jtbly, How- doth he perform this part of his 
 prieftly office for his people ? It's performed by 
 his entry into the mofl holy place, in our na* 
 ture and name, as having fatis£ed juil-ice, and 
 vanquifhed death, where he appears before God 
 for us ; fo that we are to look to ChrilVs being 
 in heaven, not fimply as glorifying himfelf, or 
 as glorified in himfelf, for himfelf, but as our 
 Head and Forerunner, to anfwer all that can be 
 faidagainft his elect, for whom he furfered and 
 -fatisfied, as it is, Heb. 9. 23, 24. It was therefore ' 
 neceffary > that the patterns of things in the hea- 
 vens Jhculd be purified with thef'e, but the hea- 
 venly things themfelves with better facrifices,for 
 Cbriftis not entred into the holy places made with 
 hands, which are the figures of the true, but into 
 heavzn itfelf\now to appear in the pre fence cfGod 
 for us ; fo that our Lord Jelus, by his entry into 
 heaven, doth declare (I mean materially) his 
 victory in our name, and appears there, as 'a pu- 
 blick, and not as a private perfon : his entry in- 
 to heaven is not to be looked on as the entry of 
 Mofes,or otElias, but as the entry of him who is 
 Head of theelecT, whole entry there is a declara- 
 tion ofwhat he would be at : As by the power of 
 his Godhead, he conveyed himfelf in thither; 
 fo he hath taken pofteffion in our name, and 
 according to the covenant declares. That theie 
 whofe room he fuftains, may and muflbe admit- 
 ted to glory, and we mull conceive a fpecial ef- 
 ficacy in his being there, for procuring to them 
 what he hath purchafed. 2. His interceflion is 
 performed through the efficacy of his blood and 
 fatisfadlion, flowing from the nature of the cove- 
 nant, which hath a moral real cry, for making ef*-' 
 fe&ual w 7 hat he by his death hath procured ; ai- 
 the apoflle., fpeaking of Abel's blood, and of ma- 
 king application of ChriiFs blood, Heb. 12.24. 
 faith, Jtfpeahetb better things than the blocd of ; 
 Abel ; for Abel's blood had a demerit in it to cry 
 guilt, and coukl not but hare a curfc following 
 it, becaufe God had curfed the fhedder of blood 5 
 but Chrift's blood, coniide?cd as the price of re- - 
 
 dempr* 
 
37° Ifalah $3. 
 
 demption for the e!e&, hath an invaiuable and 
 unconceivable merit and worth in it, and mud 
 have a cry for the bleflings pur chafed to them by 
 it. 3. He performs this his interceflion by his 
 Conftant care, and by his continual willingnefs, 
 and a&ual willing, that what he hath purchafed 
 for his e1e& people may be applied to them, that 
 luch and fuch perlbns may be brought to believe, 
 that upon their believing they may be pardoned, 
 delivered from mares and temptations, keeped 
 in favour with God, may be accepted in their 
 performances, CSV. for he had that prayer, John 
 17. 20, 24. and he continues to have that fame 
 fympathy ; his way on earth was always iinlefs, 
 but now is glorious and majeftick, fuited to his 
 glorified ftate ; he continues to interceed accor- 
 ding as he intended ; and his a&ual willingnefs 
 is a main part of his interceflion, which is not in 
 renewing ' of a&s (to fpeak fo) but in his conti- 
 nuing defire and willingnefs, that what good he 
 hath purchafed may be conferred, according to 
 the covenant ; for Chrift in heaven is ftill a true 
 Man, and hath a will, as he had on earth, conti- 
 nuing to feek that they may be glorified with 
 him, for whom he fatisfied : And this a&ual wil- 
 ling, defiring and affe&ing, that fuch a thing 
 Ihould be, is called his interceflion, becaufe it 
 cannot but befo efteemed, as to have the : effec1: 
 to follow, according to "the covenant, as he fays, 
 jfobn 1 t .41,42. / thank thee> Father, that thou 
 baft heard me, and I know that thou hear eft me 
 always. This, as to his actual willing, cannot 
 bat be in heaven ; however, we are fure that he 
 is" there, and in our name, and that his death 
 and blood- fried hath an efficacy to bring about 
 what he hath purchafed ; and that his will and 
 affection are the fame, and have an efficacy with 
 them, and die effe& certainly following, lb as 
 nothing can go wrong there, more than a man that 
 hath a juft caufe in a court of judicature, and an 
 able advocate, with much moyen, to agent and 
 plead it before a juft judge, can be wronged, or 
 Jofe his caufe. 
 
 6thly, The grounds of his interceflion, are, 1. 
 The excellency of his Perfon, who, though he be 
 Man,yethe isGodaIfo,^«0/ with the Father,the 
 trlghtnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his 
 Terfon,and upholding all things by the word of hU 
 power, as it is, Heb. 1. 2. which cannot but add 
 weight to his interceflion, as well as to his fatif- 
 fadtion, thePerfonthatinterceeds beingGod. The 
 2d is his tatisfa&Lon.which is the ground of his in- 
 terceflion; for upon his fatisfadtion he maketh in- 
 terceflion, even as if a cautioner would fiy,I have 
 paid fuch a man's debt, and therefore he ought 
 ,*o be abfolved : Therefore, 1 John 2. 1, 2. thefe 
 
 Verfe 12. ^ > Serm. 66, 
 
 two are joined, We have an Advocate with the 
 Father ,JefusChri ft the righteous ,and he is the pro- 
 pitiati.nfor our fins'. So R m.- .34. they are join- 
 ed, It's Chrift that died, who is at the right hand 
 cfGod, and maketb intercept n f:r us* 3. The 
 covenant of redemption is the great ground on 
 which his interceflion is founded ; fuch and fuch 
 perfons are given to Chrift, and fuch privileges 
 and benefits offered to be conferred upon them, 
 on condition the Mediator would undertake, and 
 fatisfy for them ; and he having undertaken, and 
 paid the price, there is good ground for his in- 
 
 * terceeding,for the making application of the pur- 
 chafe ; therefore he fays, John 17. Thine they 
 were, and thou gaveft them me, &c. This gives 
 him right to pleacrand interceed for them, feeing 
 he hath endured foul-travel for them, he ought 
 to fee his feed, and to have many juftified, and 
 freed from the curfe and condemnation that they 
 
 • were obnoxious to, as the fruit of that fore foul- 
 travel. 
 
 In and from the confideration of thefe, we may 
 gather what is the nature of*Chrift's interceflion, 
 and how we may make ufe of it, and how particu- 
 larly we fhould beware of a carnal miitake in ma- 
 ny about his interceflion, as if he were praying in 
 heaven, as a diftinA Party from God. It's true, 
 he is a diftin& Perfon of the glorious Trinity, 
 but not a diftin& Party in interceeding, as fome 
 ignorantiy conceive of him ; and therefore think 
 him eaiier to have accefs to than the Father, and 
 therefore will pray him to pray the Father for 
 them, as if, when they prayed to him, they were 
 not praying to the Father,or as it there were not 
 one Obje.ft of worfhip. This flows from ignorance 
 of the nature of Chrift's interceflion, & is unbeco- 
 ming a Chriftian ; for, fuppofing a man to reft by 
 faith on Chrift, the Father is content and well 
 pleafed to pardon him, as well as the Son is, be- 
 caufe he is engaged in the covenant of redempti- 
 on fo to do ; and, if he be not a believer, neither 
 the Father nor the Son will refpe& him : Our 
 ufe-making of Chrift's interceflion doth confift 
 rather in the founding of our hope offpeeding 
 with God on it, as on his fatisfaction, than in 
 putting up words of prayer to him, tointerceed 
 for us, as if he were to pray in heaven, as he did 
 on earth, or as one man interceeds for another. 
 The point is fubHmely fpiritual, and fomeway 
 tickle ; and I indeed fear to enter on mo Ufes, 
 at leaft for the time : Only remember, that he is 
 an Interceflbr ; and learn to make right ufe of 
 him as an Interceflbr : And the Lord-himfelf 
 make the benefit of his interceflion forthcoming 
 to us, 
 
 SERMON 
 
SERMON L X V 1 1. 
 
 37i 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 12. — And be made inter cefftcn for the tranfgreffors. 
 
 by vertue of his facrifice once for all offered up 
 when he was on earth. 
 
 We obferved the laft day, That according to 
 the covenant of redemption, our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift behoved not only to die, but to be an In- 
 terceffor; or, that it belongs to our Lord's prieft- 
 ly office, agreed 'upon in the covenant of re- 
 demption, not only to offer up himfelf in a facri- 
 fice, and to die, but to make interceffion for his 
 people ; He made intercefsi n jer the tranjgref- 
 frs\ or as all the reft may read in the future time, 
 fo this, He Jball make intercession for the tranf- 
 grejfrs \ but for the Certainty of the thing, it's 
 .fet down in the preterit, or bypaft time, the 
 Father did take his word, and ib it paft as done 
 in the court" of" heaven. 
 
 We cleared this point, and propofed/W ufes 
 cf it, the firft whereof was to inform us anent 
 Chrift's fulnefs, to difcover his unlearchable 
 riches, and to let us fee what an excellent high 
 Prieft we have, that continues an IntercefTor : 
 Not only hath he once for all offered up his Sa- 
 crifice; as the high prieft under the.law did once 
 a year, but hath entred within the vail, to in- 
 terceed, and thereby to make the benefits of his 
 purchafe effectual and forthcoming to them for 
 whom his facrifice was offered ; even as Lev. 16. 
 ("where the rules for the high prieft's offering 
 are given) after he had offered the facrifice, he 
 took the blood, and entred within the vail ; and 
 by the facrifice, and his going in to pray, he 
 . made atonement for the people typically : anfwe- 
 rable to this, our Lord Jefus, by bis once offe- 
 ring, hath perfected for ever tbefe who are fantbi- 
 fed \ and by his going within the vail, he exe- 
 cutes this part of his prieftly office, in inter- 
 ceeding for tranfgreffors. 
 
 In profecuting this ufe , we anfwered fome 
 queftiens*, which now we fkatl not infill to repete; 
 only there is a fhort queftion or two, that further 
 may be asked which will clear the former, ere 
 we go to the next ufe ; and the fiift is, If our 
 Lord, before he came in the flefh, difcharged 
 this part of his prieftly office ? The reafon of the 
 queftion or doubt is, becaufe in the New Tefta- 
 ment, his intercefsion is always, at leaft very or- 
 dinarily, fub joined to his afcenfion. The lecond 
 is, How his intercefsion now differs from his 
 intercefsion before his incarnation, or in what re- 
 fpects the confolation of believers,that flows from 
 his intercefsion, is ftronger now, thaa the confo- 
 lation 
 
 IF Chrift were known in the greatnelsand 
 vaft extent of his worth, O how lovely 
 -would he be ! How incomprebenfibly full are 
 his offices of grounds of confolation to his 
 people '/ But the mean and low thoughts we 
 have of him, and the poor confolation we feed 
 on, do evidence much ignorance of him, and 
 much unbelief of the folid worth and fulnefs that 
 is in him, and in bis prieftly Office in particu- 
 lar ; and yet, O how full of confolation is it/ 
 Sue h a high Vrieft became us, Heb. 7. 26. even 
 fuch a high Prieft as finners had need of: There 
 hath been much Ipoken of one part of his prirft- 
 .hood, to wit, his facrifice, and offering up of 
 himfelf, in the former verfes of this chapter. 
 Now, ere the prophet clok, he gives a hint of 
 the other part of his prieftly Office, to wit, of 
 his interceffion, a main commendation of- Chrift's 
 furhels*, it's that which evidenceth him to be a 
 Saviour, able to fave to the utter moft fuch as 
 come unto God thrcupb him, becaufe he lives for 
 ever to male interceffion for them j as it is, Heb. 
 5. 25. And it is a piece of the confolation of 
 God's people, that jefus Chrift hath this office 
 - by the Father's allowance, and that it is articled 
 in the covenant of redemption betwixt the 
 Father and him, that as he fi\aX\pcur out his foul 
 unto death, be numbred with tranjgreffors, bear 
 the fins of many, fo hejhall male intercefsion for 
 thetranjgrejforsy Therefore, Heb. 7. 21. he is 
 faid to be made an high Prieft with an oath, by 
 him that faid unto him, Pfal.110. 4. The Lord 
 frvare, and-, to ill not repent, Thou art a Prieft for 
 evfr, after the order of Melchifedek. He v-asa 
 Prieft on earth, by offering himfelf in a facrifice, 
 arid by interceed'mg for elect finners ; and he is 
 a Prieft in heaven by his interceffion, and there- 
 fore is preferred to all the priefts on earth, Whe 
 did not continue by reafon of death, but he conti- 
 nues for ever) and none can ftart him wrong, 
 to fpeak fo with reverence of him. 
 
 We fhew, in our entring on this verfe, that 
 this his interceffion is not to be aftricted to his 
 prayer on the crofs, that was but one evidence 
 or particular inftance of it 5 but it takes in his 
 whole interceffion, becaufe the fcope of the Pro- 
 phet here is to hold out, as what God promifed 
 to him on the one hand in the covenant of re- 
 demption, fo on the other what he interceeds 
 for; and fo his interceffion, looked on in the 
 covenant of redemption, takes in his whole inter- 
 ceffion, efpecially as it is gone about in heaven, 
 
37? Ifatah $3* • 
 
 lation of believers flowing therefrom, was before 
 he was incarnate? As for the firft, it cannot be de- 
 nied, butChriftwas IntercefTor, fince he had a 
 *Church in the world; for it's a part of his prieft- 
 \y Office ; and he was made a Prieft, by the eter- 
 <nal oath, in the covenant of redemption, Pfal. 
 no. 4. The Lord hath J w orn, and will not re- 
 fent, Tbou art a Priefi for ever : And he is faid 
 -Co have an unchangeable Priefthood; and there be- 
 -ing but one way of accefs for finners'to heaven by 
 Chrift, who is called the Lamb {lain from the be- 
 ginning of the world, it muft be holden for a 
 lure conclufion, that his interceflion is as old as 
 his facrifice: And he was IntercefTor before his in- 
 carnation, in thefe three refpe&s. 1. In re- 
 spect of his office, being defigned to be Intercef- 
 for; for (as we faid) being defigned to be Prieft, 
 and being Mediator before his incarnation, he be- 
 hoved to be IntercefTor alfo ; for that way he did 
 mediate; and the benefits that came to finners 
 tfrom the beginning were the effects of his inter- 
 ceflion; therefore, 1 Tim. 2. 5. it's faid, There 
 is one God, and one Mediator between God and 
 man, the Man Cfrrift Jefus ; and there was ne- 
 •rer another real Mediator,however Mofes might 
 be called a. typical one. 2. He was Interceifor 
 -before his incarnation, in refpectofthe merit of 
 his future facrifice : He did not before his in* 
 carnation interceed by vertue of his facrifice 
 •actually offered, as now he doth ; yet there was 
 vertue which flowed from his facrifice to be of- 
 fered, to the people of God, as well then as now, 
 when it hath been long fince offered : The 'fins 
 ..of all that ever were pardoned, were pardoned 
 on the account of his facrifice, and fo alfo the 
 Spiritual benefits that did redound to them, did 
 .redound to them through his interceflion then, 
 -as now, by vertue of the fame facrifice, becaufe 
 of the nature of the covenant, wherein it was 
 agreed, that his facrifice fhould be of the fame 
 cfficay before his incarnation, as after : For the 
 day and hour was agreed upon, when he fhould 
 offer that facrifice; therefore it's faid, that in 
 due time, and in the fulnefs of time, he came 
 find died. 3. He was IntercefTor before his in- 
 carnation, as after it, in refpe<5t of the effects 
 •l:hat followed on it, to the people of God then 
 and now. The people of God, before his incar- 
 nation, had communion with God, and accefs to 
 him, though not generally, in that degree of 
 fcoldnefs ; they prefented their prayers through, 
 and were beholden to the fame Chrift for a hear- 
 ing, as we are ; and therefore his intercefsion be- 
 fore his incarnation extended to them, as to us, 
 in thefe refpe&s, but with this difference, that 
 &e procured thefe benefits to them by vertueof 
 
 Y erfe 12. . S erm . 5 ?: 
 
 the covenant, and the efficacy of his blood to be 
 offered ; and now he procures them to his 
 people, fince his incarnation and afcenfion, by 
 vertue of the fame afcenfion, and by vertue of 
 the efficacy of the blood tffrered. 
 
 As to the 2d, How his mediation and inter- 
 ceflion now differs fmce his afcenfion, from his 
 interceflion before it, as to the ftrengthning of the 
 confolation of the people of God ? For anfwer, 
 1. We lay down this for a conclufion, That 
 though our Lord Jefus was Mediator, both be- 
 fore his incarnation, and now ; yet fince his af- 
 cenfion, he hath a new way of mediation and 
 interceflion, that exceedingly abounds to the 
 ftrengthning of the confolation of his people; 
 therefore it's ordinarily fubjoined to his afcenfi- 
 on, becaufe of his new manner o'i difcharging 
 that his Office. It is true, there is no addition 
 to that grace which is infinite in him, as if he 
 could be more gracious ; or as if, in refpe& of the 
 covenant, there could be larger promifes, as to 
 effential things contained therein ; but by taking 
 on our nature, he hath a new way of being af- 
 fected, and a new way venting his affection to 
 us, and is capable of another manner of touch 
 with the infirmities of his people now, that he 
 hath humane bowels, though glorified and glo- 
 rious; and the faith of his people hath a ground 
 fuperadded, whereupon to expect the commu- 
 nication of that grace-, mercy and* good nefs that 
 is in him, though all the erTe&s that followed to 
 hjs people, before his incarnation, had refpe& to 
 his future incarnation; fo thefe effects had refpeA 
 to his future interceflion, in our nature, as well 
 as to his dying, and laying down of the price : for 
 thefe that were admitted to heaven ere he came in 
 the flefh, were admitted the fame way that we are. 
 
 But 2. and more particularly, if it be asked, 
 Wherein this addition to the confolation of God's 
 people by his interceflion, after his afcenfion, 
 kythes, 'or manifefts itfelf ? "We may take it up 
 in thefe fix fteps, whi«h will alfo ferve to illu- 
 ftrate the manner of his interceeding. 1. It 
 kythes in this, that he appeareth in heaven in our 
 nature; now the Man Chrfft is in heaven inter- 
 ceeding, and as Advocate anfwering for purfued 
 finners, or as AmbafTador and Legate, agenting 
 the affairs of them that are given him of the Fa- 
 ther, as it is, Heb.6» 24. He is not entred into 
 the holy places made with bands, but into heaven 
 itjelf, to appear now in the prefence of God for 
 us ; where the apoftle having been fpeaking of 
 the excellency of his prieflhood behre, and com- 
 paring him with the type, he tells, that he is 
 not entred into the typical tabernacle* but into 
 
 heaven 
 
Sprm.6 7 . ■ , . r if *'**ph 
 
 heaven itfelf,to appear there in the pretence oiGod 
 for us ; And this is afolid ground of confolation 
 to a poor believing finner, that he hath Chrift in 
 his own nature in heaven interceeding, that 
 what he hath performed before, by vertue of his 
 office, and of the efficacy of his facrifice to be 
 offered when he fhould be incarnate \ he now 
 being incarnate, and aicended, performs it, we 
 having God in our nature, become a Man like 
 unto us, to care for the things of his people : 
 and if any new queftion arife, or debate be dar- 
 ted-, to entertain the treaty, and to effe&uate 
 and make out their bufinefs, that nothing that 
 concerns them mifgive. 2. Their confolation is 
 ftronger in this refpe&, that he is in heaven, by 
 vertue of the efficacy of his facrifice already offe- 
 red ; as the high pried, when he had offered the 
 facrifice, took the blood with him within the 
 vail, and interceeded for the people, fo our Lord 
 jefus is- riot now interceeding by vertue of his 
 facrifice to be offered, but by vertue of his fa- 
 crifice- already, offered, having entred into* hea- 
 ven, and taken the efficacy of his facrifice wijh 
 him, to enter it (to fpeak fo) in the book of 
 jGod, to.ftand on record : nay, he flandeth there 
 himfelf, to keep the memory of his blood frc ill ; 
 and by each appearance of him there, who- is 
 never out of the fight of the majtfty of God, 
 ; there is ftill a reprefentat-ion of the worth and 
 efficacy of his facrifice, and for whom, and for 
 I what it was offered. 3. There is, by the Man 
 I Chrift his being in heaven, this ground ofcon- 
 L folation fuperadded, that he hath a fympithy 
 j with finners otherwife than before, hot as to the 
 . degree, nor as to the intenfnefs of his grace. and 
 j mercy, (as I hinted before) but as to the man- - 
 I ner how he is affe&ed ; ^o that he hath the true 
 1' nature and finlefs affection of a Man, and fo hath 
 \\ bowels to be wrought upon, which kythed while 
 he was on earth : Although we cannot take up the 
 manner how he is touched, yet he is touched c- 
 therwife thanGod abftra&ly confidered can be,and 
 otherwife than an angel in heaven can be touched, 
 latwe may fee, Heb.2* 17. &4.15. We have not 
 an high Priefi y which -cannot be touched with the 
 feeling of our infirmities, but was in all things 
 tempted as we are, yet without fin : A nd it beho- 
 ved him to be like unto his brethren, that he 
 might be a merciful and faithful high Prieft, and, 
 have compaffion on the ignorant^ and thsm that 
 are out ot the way : He is finners Friend that is 
 Interceffor, and fuch an Interceffar, that inter- 
 ceeds, from the impreffion that the holy and 
 .inconceivable fyrapathy, which he hath with his 
 members, hath upon him, as his expreflion t;o Paul 
 fpeaks forth, Ails 9. Saul, Saul, why perfecutefl 
 
 verie 12. . 373 
 
 thou me ? counting himfelf a Sufferer with his 
 people, which cannot but have its own influence 
 on his interceflion, and add to the confolation of 
 his people, that what he interceeds for the pro- 
 curement of to them, is fonie way on this ground, 
 as being a favour to their glorified Head. 4. 
 Befide this fympathy, he hath a longing (to fpeak 
 fo) to have all the wants and defects of his people 
 fupplied and made up, and to have all the pro- . 
 mifes made to him, in behalf of. the eleft, fulfil- 
 led : not any fuch longing, as may in the leaft 
 incroach on, or be inconfiftent with the glory, 
 and glorified date of our bleffed Lord Jefus ; - 
 but cpnfidering, that there is a near relation be- 
 twixt him and bis followers, he being the Head, 
 and they the members, and that he hath a fym- 
 pathy and affe&ion according to that relation, 
 it is anfwerable and fuitable, that he fhould de- 
 fire, and fonie Way long for the perfecting of his v 
 body the Church, which, Ephef. 1. is cal!ed,r£e 
 fulnefs of him who'filleth all in all: And he hath", 
 no queftion, though a moft pure and regular, yet 
 a moft kindly and ftrong defire and longing to 
 have his body perfected, to have the ele£ gathe- 
 red and brought in, as he had on earth a longing 
 to have the work firiihed, which was given him 
 to do: And this cannot but be a weighty part 
 of his intercession, .and very comfortable to his 
 people, his longing to have fuch and fuch a per- 
 fon converted, fuch and fuch a per fon more mor- *» 
 tified and more .perfected, and made more con- 
 form to him. There is a word, Heb. 10. 13. 
 that gives ground for this, From henceforth ex- 
 peeling till all his enemies be made his footflocl ; 
 and what is fpoken of this expecting of what is 
 there mentioned, may be appli^to other things : 
 He is lure, expecting,, till all thefe promifes. con- 
 cerning his feeing of a feed, and the justifying 
 and glorifying of many, befuifi'ed, becaufe-that 
 was promifed him in the former verfe y and ex- 
 pecting, till he divide the fpoil with the ftrong, 
 as is promifed »n the former part of this verfe* 
 Now, our Lord Jefus having laid down his life, 
 what is he doing in heaven r Even longing till 
 thefe promifesbe fulfilled; net that he h&th any 
 longing that implt-es a defeclr in him fimply, for 
 he is absolutely glorified and glorious ; yet fuch 
 longing as is confident with his glorified date, as 
 (if we may make the comparifon, though in e- 
 very thing it be not fuitabie) the fouls in heaven 
 are perfectly glorified, yet they have a longing, 
 for the union of their bodies, for the perfecting 
 o[ Chrift's Body myftical, and for the union of 
 all the members in a lbul and body withthe Head* 
 So Chrift, confidered as Mediator, < 
 C c " 
 
474 //*«£ «53- 
 
 heaven, hath a longing and holy defire, which a- 
 grees with his office, and is a qualification there- 
 of, and doth nowife interrupt his happinefs, 
 that what concerns-his ele& may be perfefted ; 
 therefore it's faid in theverfe before, H-eJhallfee 
 *f the travel ofhisfoul,andJball be fatisfied, im- 
 porting, that it's a kind of new fatisfaclion to him, 
 to get a iinner brought in to belfeve in him, and 
 , that he was waiting and longing for it. 5. He 
 .hath an a<5tual waiting and continuing defire, that 
 what he hath purcbafed to fuch and fuch perfons 
 may be applied ; and this is not (imply to will, 
 for he had that on earth, but a declaring of it in 
 heaven, that fuch and fuch things', ma}' be tnade 
 forthcoming" and made e/Fe&ua! for the behoof 
 of his members., that what he intended, in faj ing 
 down his life, may be brought to pals ; it's the 
 Mediator God->; an willing, whole will, asWan, 
 being perfectly conform to the will of God, can- 
 not be ( to (peak lo) gainfaid, in whatfoever he 
 willeth for the pedons given him-; and this is-. 
 anlwerable to that, John .1 7. 11. Father, J will, 
 that tbefe wh:m tbcu haft given me may be 
 With me where I am, &c ' I will, that fuch and 
 fuch things engaged to" me for them may be made 
 good. ; that fuch and fuch perfons be pardoned 
 and brought through ; that they may be prefer- 
 ved from temptation, may have their prayers 
 heard; that they may be made toperfevere,and 
 may be glorified: So that we cannot imagine a caTe 
 wherein God's people have need, and a promife 
 in the covenant, but there is an a&ual willing- 
 Jiefs in Chrift to have the need fupplied, and the 
 promife applied, according to the terms of the 
 ■covenant. 6. We may take in here, not only * 
 Chrift's willing i:hat fuch a thing be done, but 
 )his efFe&ual doing of it : And as thi s is a piece of 
 liis interceffion, lb it holds him forth to be a no- 
 table Interceifor 5 compare John 14. 13, 16, 26. 
 & 15. 26. & 16. 7. In the 14 Cbap.verfe 13. he 
 fays, Whatever ye ask in my name, I will do ; 
 which we fuppofe refpe&s Chrift as Mediator, to 
 toe trufted as great Lord-deputy in our nature, 
 to anfwer the prayers of his people, when put 
 up according to the will of God. The 16 Chap, 
 v. 26. f peaks of the Father's fending the Comfor- 
 ter ; and Chap. 15. 26.0 f the Mediator's fending 
 the Comforter : So doth Chap* 16. 7. in one place 
 it is, What ye ask* 1 will do ; and in another 
 plr.ce, it is that toe Father wiU do: it's all one ; 
 but it is to fhew, that what the Father doth, he 
 will do it by the Son the Mediator, and he will 
 actually perform it : and thefe three expreffions, 
 J will pray the lather, and J will fend, and thsr 
 Father will fend, hold out this, that as the Fa- 
 ster d.oth by the Son, fo this is a part of thrift's 
 
 Y crfe I2k Serm. 67. 
 
 mtercelfioiv efre&ually to procure and lend out 
 to us what we have need of. 7. In all this, there is 
 in the Man-Chriil, an adoration of the Father, 
 which, though it be not. inch as* is unsuitable to 
 his exalted and- glorified (late, yet is it beco- 
 ming well him that is Man, and in that refpeeY 
 is at his right hand, to give to God. [ [hall on- 
 ly fay further here, that tho' we cannot tell how 
 he interceeds, to latisfy our felves fully, yet this 
 is clearly held forth to us, that whatfoever is 
 needful, by his being in heaven, we may confi- 
 dently expect it will be performed from the Man - 
 Chrill, Iron? him who is God-Man in one Per- 
 fon ; and fo his-nt. rceifion with the Father is his 
 actual procuring and doing ;uch a thing, and • 
 that net as God tlmpjy, buf as Mediator: There- 
 fore thele.two words are put in the forecited ex- 
 preilions, Whatfoever ye ask in my name, I will 
 do it, that the Lather may be glcrtfed in the Son, 
 and xv hem the Father will fend in my name ; 
 tau lSj by -venue ot my procurement, by vertue 
 Of my facrifice andanterceifion : and the fending ' 
 or the Comforter thews, that it is performed by 
 him that is God-Man, out of the refpeft he hath 
 to his members, and on the account of his office, 
 which he purfues for their edification ; And fo 
 there is enough to anfwer the queltion, and a— 
 bounding conlolation to his people, which is the 
 next Uje, 
 
 Ufe 2. To fhew the notable confolation that . 
 flows from this part .of ChriiVs office. O what, 
 fa.vourineis and unfearchable ri-ches are in this. 
 . part of his name, that our Lord Jefus, as- In-_ 
 tercefibr, appears in -the pre'fence of God for us f 
 We fhall fpeak here of thefe five things ; i.Where- 
 in this is comfortable ? or to the extent of it. 2. 
 lo the advantages that follow on it. 3. To the 
 grounds of, this confolation, which are confir- 
 mations of iti 4. To this, at what times, and 
 particular occafions the people of God may, and 
 ought in a fpecial manner to make ufe of, and. 
 comfort themfeives in it. And, 5. On what: 
 terms this confolation is allowed, that they grow 
 not vain and proud of it. . 
 
 For the firfti Our Lord's interceffion gives a 
 four fold extentof confolation, that makes it won- 
 derful, 1. In its univerfality, as to the perfons 
 to whom it's extended, not indeed to all men in, 
 the world, but to all that will make ufe of it ; and 
 tho' it were fimply of untverfal extent to all men 
 in the world, yet it would comfort none but, 
 fuch as made ufe of it. And that vanity of 
 the Arminians, that extends Chrift's death and 
 interceffion to all, can truly fay no more for 
 folid^ comfort J for. they are forced. to fay» 
 
Serm. 07. 
 
 If atah 53. Verb* ifc 
 
 That Chrift died,and intended bis death for ma 
 ny that will never get good of him : but we /ay, 
 AH that he intended fhould get good of his death, 
 do get the intended good of it ; yet, we lay. that 
 "whoever will makeup of him, mall-get good both 
 of his death, and of his interceflion: $o,Heb. 7. 
 .15. He is able to jawe to the utter m^ft, all that 
 ■tome unto God through him* Though the caufe 
 feemed to be defperate, and the fentence pronoun- 
 ced, Cur fed. is be that continues not in all things 
 Written in the lam> yet he is able to lave them ; 
 therefore, 1 John. 2. 2. 'tis laid, Jf any manfin, 
 O Grange words ! We have anAdvccauyh hat ! an 
 Advocate for any man ? yea, for any man that will 
 make ule of him : For, as we fhew before, though 
 'tis true that his intercefiion is bounded to his 
 elecT, yet 'tis as true, that he refufes no caufe that 
 is honeftly given him to plead ; If any man fin, 
 -roe have an Advocate : He will not fay to tuch 
 poor fouls, I will not be for you, i. have done all 
 ,>that I may 3 but it is gone agairsft me ; neither will 
 heprig(to fay fo)with you ; he will not fay, 1 will 
 have this or that, ere I undertake your caufe for 
 you ; but,// any m<in fin *Ifany man fee his need, 
 and will imploy him, whether he be a great man, 
 •-or mean man, whether he be poor or rich, bond 
 or free ^ ^whether he be an old finner that has liv- 
 ed long in fecurity, hypocrifieor propfanity, or 
 be a fitten up profeffor, whether he be young or 
 old* if any of you all that are here will come to 
 him, he will not refufe to be imployed by you : 
 By him therefore (as the apoftle exhorts, Heb. 
 13* 15.) let us offer -praife to God continually : 
 And as praife, fo the fa'crifices of other duties.and 
 they lhall be accepted. As the offer of the Gotpel 
 runs on an univerfality, and' excludes none, but 
 
 37* 
 
 looked like a loft cau&jand though the conference 
 had pronounced the fentence, God is gri.at r 
 than the confeience, and can loofe from it ; 
 though the aft were patl. in the law, he can 
 cancel it : And here comes in t\\^ triumph, 
 Rom. 8.33, 34. lVtJ<J})all lay any thing to tb» 
 charge of God's elelt ? it is God t&ai juji fics. Will 
 the devil, the law, the eonieicne^ or any- 
 thing, lay ought to the charge or the man <vhoiri 
 God juuifies ; No, why for 1 it isChrifl that 
 died. : But that is not all ; Alas ! may the loul 
 fay, how wiii I gfi good of Cm tit's death ? 1 
 cannot apply it, ana mane ule of it: He answers! 
 that Hi: is al for if en again and filter* do w » at 
 tbe ngot hand jf God, andtbtrc rraketb inter* 
 ctjjinj-r us \ to wit, that his purchaie ma> Bo 
 applied: and there needs no more, ye wifl get 
 no more, ye can leek no more, ana that doles- 
 the triumph. There is no iin, before nor after 
 convtriion, no un of ignorance, no iin againir, 
 light, no enemy, no temptation, whatever it be> 
 but that word arrfwers all, Who can lay any thing 
 to the charge of God's eleft ? Where Chriil takes 
 the finner's ca(e in hand, who will ftand up a- 
 gainft him ? he is too ftrong a I arty. If Sataw 
 (land at the high priell's hand, it's the Lord that 
 rebukes him, Zech> 3. that as it were boafts 
 him from the bar. 3. 1 he extent of this confo- 
 lation appears, in refpect of the degree and 
 height of the perfe&ion of the ftlvation that 
 comes by ChrinVs interceilion, to all that make ufe 
 of him, in all cafes, Heb. 7. 2s • He is able to fave 
 to the uttermefi : The word is very iignincant, 
 he is able to lave perfectly, to perfection, and to 
 perfectionat the height of perfection y and what 
 more would ye be at r He can Cave from corrup- 
 
 thefe that by their unbelief exclude themfelves ; tion, and put without the reach of it ; he can 
 
 c. 1 • • ^' m .._: Cj;*» If-,«„ /*„..,* r- - ^1- .1 -^ -^ n. it _ . 
 
 So his interceilion runs on an univerfality, If any 
 man fin, and will imploy him, he is an Ad vo- 
 . cate at hand : And feeing it is Chrift, and 
 Chrift as Interceflbr for tranfgreffors, that we 
 are fpeaking of, as -the ground of fianers confo- 
 lation, letme in palling defire you to remember, 
 that he is pointing at you, men and women ; 
 and if there be any of you, that have a bro- 
 ken caufe to plead, any debt that ye would fain 
 be freed of, any fin to .be pardoned,or your peace 
 to be made with God; here is an Advocate,. 
 and the very beft,offering himfelf to be imployed 
 
 fave from wrath, that it fhall not come near you ; 
 he <ran'fave from a;! the effects or fin and wrath ; 
 he ihallnot leave a tear on the cheek of any of 
 his own, ere all be done } and that is tne ..gro.md 
 of it, For he lives for ever to make inter ctffion. 
 for us. If any fliould fay, He may fave from one 
 fin,^ but not from another, or he may bring me 
 a piece of the way to heaven, and then leave me 
 there; 'tis folly, fays the Apoftl, , to think fo, 
 For he is able to fave to the utter m ft. becaufs 
 he livepfor ever to make inperceffion : Although 
 his death leem to be tranfient, once for all per- 
 
 Such an Advocate as laid, fobn \\. I thank thee, • fecled, yet that cannot mar the application of the 
 
 Father^ for that I knew thou heareft me always : 
 This was true while he was on earth, and Will be 
 true to the end of the world. 2 The extent of this* 
 consolation appearsin refpe&ol all cafes : As his 
 interceflion-fecludes.no perfon, that' will make 
 ufe of him j fo it fecludes no it cafe, though it 
 
 benefits purchafed by it •> for' he is Intercef- 
 for, and he tint procured thy entring in the 
 way, will carry thee on in it ; he that pro:u- 
 red a lanctihed • conviction to come in, will 
 through it ; he that procured thy j unification, 
 C c c z an# 
 
j 376* : Jfaiab $3. 
 
 and pardon of fin, will alio apply it to thy con- 
 science, and bring forth an intimation of it, when 
 he -thinks fit, and fan&ify thee throughly: and 
 this is indeed great confolation to a finner, that 
 he who hath begun the work will perfect if, and 
 ' he will not leave it, till it be at fuch a height of 
 perfe<5Hon,as it can be de/ired to be no higher. 
 4. The extent of this confolation is fuch, that it 
 reacheth to all times. There is not a believer in 
 any place or cafe, that is wreftling with any dif- 
 ficulty, that can come wrong to Chrift j he is e- 
 ver in readinefs to be imployed', there is never 
 an hour Jior moment that)he hath his door ihut : 
 • he died once, but now lives for ever, to die no 
 more; and he lives for ever, to make intercefli- 
 on : he is entred into immortality, to make ef- 
 fectual what he hath undertaken in favours of his 
 people ; he is always at the bar, and when his 
 own are but little imploying him, he is minding 
 their affairs night and day, watching over them 
 
 • . every moment. SecZuke 22. where the Lord faith, 
 Feter, Satan hath Jought to winnow thee, but 
 J harve prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not : 
 Satan gave in a bill againft Peter, when he had no 
 •mind of it, but the Lord repelled it .:■ the great- 
 eft cheat, or the moil fubtile adverfary, that 
 . fteals out decreets, <^mnot circurnveen him ; he 
 
 Verfe 12. Ser.m. 6%. 
 
 is ftill waiting on at the bar, that nothing come 
 in againft his people to their prejudice ; and if 
 it do come in, it's that he may crulh it in the firfl 
 motion. O hovf doth the confolation of belie- 
 vers ft ream out here ! He will not cry, mr lift up, 
 nor caufe his voice to be heard on high ; a bruiftd 
 reed will he not break, and the fmoking flax will 
 he not quench i until he bring forth judgment un- 
 to truth : he will not contend, nor fay, Man or . 
 woman, how is this, that thou haft put thy felf in 
 the mire, and would have me to take thee out 
 of it ; that thou brings a broken plea to me, and 
 feeks of me to right it ? He will not ask, whether , 
 ye have money, all his imploymcnt is "free ; nor 
 will he put you back till the morrow, nor bid 
 you wait on till another time: morning and eve-, 
 ning, and at mid-night he is ready ; and when 
 theeleft (inner hath liitle thought, he is watch- 
 ing over his need, preventing many temptati- 
 ons, keeping from many ill turns, catling many 
 challenges ove-r the bar, that the <? evil and the 
 law put in: T'hereiore ftudy his offices more, 
 and this among 'the reft ', we much wrong him, 
 in not ftudying of them, and acquainting .our 
 feives with them, that we may feed upon them. 
 Himfelf open up his name to us, and to. him -be 
 praiie. 
 
 SERMON LXVIII. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 12. - And made inter ceffion for the tranfgrejjcrs* 
 
 OThat finners were ferioufly confidering how 
 much they are obliged to Chrift! he hath, 
 in the former words, poured out his foul unto 
 death for finners, and was wounded for tranfgref- 
 fors ; and yet that was not all, tho' fin was our 
 Lord's death,he hath not caften out with finners, 
 but having gotten the vi&ory over all. enemies, 
 and fitten down at the right. hand of God, be 
 wakes inter cefsion \ and to make it the more full, 
 it's faid, he makes inter cefsion for tranfgreffors ; 
 All his offices have an eye to fin -and finners 3 and 
 this part of his office among others. 
 
 We' began to fpeak of an ufe of comfort that 
 flows from this ; and truly , if any doctrine be 
 comfortable, this is, that finners have an Advo- 
 cate with the Father : What would finners do, 
 when their peaceus broken, and there is a door 
 Ihut betwixt God and them, and his back is tur- 
 ned on them, and the conscience is wakned, and 
 they cannot think on God but it's troublefome 
 to them, if they had not a Friend in court, with 
 whom the Eather cannot but be well pleafed ? * 
 This confolation being a main part of the ufe of 
 this doctrine, and the ground of believers bold- 
 nefs with Godwin the following of it forth>we pro- 
 
 pofed five things to be fpoken to. 1. To fhew the 
 largenefs and extent of the confolation that -flows 
 from this ground, and of this we fpake. 2. The 
 particular advantages that the fcripture attri- 
 butes to Chrift's interceflion, and the confolation 
 that is in them. 3. The particular times, when 
 efpecially believers are called to make ufe of this 
 confolation. 4. Some grounds warranting them 
 to make ufe of it. And, «,. Some caveats, or ad- 
 vertifements to them that would warrantably 
 comfort \hemfelves from it. 
 
 To proceed now, and to fpeak to thefe la ft four 
 things. 1. The particular advantages that the 
 fcriptures attribute to Chrift's intercefTion ; and 
 if ye look through them, we will find that there 
 is nothing that may be ufeful to a believer, 
 either as to a particular or publick mercy, but 
 it's knit to Chrift's interceffion. 
 ' i/?,For private mercies. i.Look to the begin- •> 
 ning and growth of our fpiritual life, and to the j 
 pouring out of the Spirit; it is made the fruit of 1 
 Chrift's interceflion, John 14. 16. J will pray the 
 Father, andhefballfendthe Comforter, and?^ 
 16. tfl&° not cwaji tbs Comforter will not come. 
 
Serm. 63. Ifaiah ^3. 
 
 This is the confolation. of a believer, labouring 
 1 under deadnefs of fpirit ? fcarrennefs and unfruit- 
 fulnefs, that the pouring out of the Spirit, is a 
 remedy of that, and the pouring out. of the Spir 
 rit is a fruit of ChrilVs intercefsion : it's this 
 that procures theflrft conviction of the Spirit to 
 an elect lying in nature 5 it's this that continues 
 thefe convi£ions,and procures the Spirit's quick- 
 ning of them, John 16.8. If it ihould then be ask- 
 ed, how a.perfon, lying in black nature,gets any 
 good ? It's anfwered, that it's Chrift's intercefsi- 
 on, that does the turn, 2. It's from Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion, that we are keeped from, many temptati- 
 ons,or when they afTAult,that they prevail not ut- 
 terly over us : the devil lies always at the wait, 
 ■ and we are oft«n fecure ; but our Lord Jefus (to 
 fay fo) watcheth the ftot,or rebound of the tem- 
 ptation, and wairds it off, as' to the ddfigned 
 prejudice, Luke 2 r u 32. Simon, Si men, Satan 
 hath defired that he may have you, that he may 
 "winnow you; but. I hay e prayed for thee, that thy 
 faith failnot ; There are. many temptations that 
 he keeps off, that they beat not on us, and when 
 theyafiault us, he breaks the power of them,. that 
 the believer fuccuiwbs not under them-: Hence 
 . it is, that we are peeped on our feet, other wife, 
 what- would become of us P When David fell in 
 adultery, and- Peter denied hi,s Mailer, , what 
 •would have become of them, had it not been for 
 this ? There-would be no living for us, in the 
 multitude of temptations, if ha were not inter- 
 ceeding for us. Wbatcould we forefee of Satan's 
 fnares r What ftrength have weak and witlefs we, 
 to refill temptations? What could we do with 
 the fpeat of corruption, whenit rifes like a flood 
 upon us, andSatan.inforceth his aflaults upon us, 
 as if he were.fpeakiri'g with man's voice,or mouth, 
 bidding ustlo'this andt.hat ? But there is an In- 
 terceffor, that pleads ourcaufe.. 3. We have, by 
 this intercefsion, the preventing of many judg- 
 ments temporal' and fp ir it ual ; When the ax is 
 laid to the root of the tree, and it is found bar- 
 ren, and juftice cries, and tfie command comes 
 out, Cut it down, why cumbrtth it the ground ? 
 How comes it, that the- ax (rTikes not ? Why is 
 it not hewed down? There is an efficacy in 
 Chrift's intercefsion for fparing of it a while long- 
 er, as it is Luke 13.6. The dreffer of the vineyard 
 fays, Spare it for this year .and it's granted. O 
 biit-we would have a moll finful and miferable 
 life, if there were not an Interceflbr at God's 
 right hand! 4. Difpofition for duty, and help 
 in the performance of duty, flows from his in- 
 tercefsion: it's this, that makes us pray, and that , 
 gives us boldnefs in prayer, and in other duties, 
 that there is fuch anhighVriefi over the boufe 
 
 Ver(ei2. 377 
 
 pfGod, as it is, Heb* 10.19, 20, 21. It's this 
 that gives us ground of approaching to God,and 
 to expect a hearing ; and as it is, Luke 13. 7, 8. 
 .it is his digging and pains, that makes the bar- 
 ren fig-tree fruitful. 5. It flows from this, that 
 our prayers are heard, tho' there be much infir- 
 mity in them, and that they are not call bacTc 
 in our faces as dung, but are made favoury to 
 God ; it's through the efficacy of his interceflion." 
 .'We have a type of this, Rev. 8. 4, 5. where John : 
 fees an angel come and (land at the altar, having 
 agojden cenfer, and there mas given unto him 
 much incenfe, that he fbould offer it up with the 
 prayers oj all faints, and the fmoke of the incenfe 
 which came up with the prayers oftbeJaintSi a- 
 fcended up before God : It was favoury and ac- 
 ceptable to God, and made the prayers of all 
 faints acceptable; for the weight of God's accept- 
 ing their prayers, is laid on the fmoke of his in- 
 cenfe : it's he that. takes the mangled, and half 
 prayers of his people, and preterits them to God; 
 and when they would be call back, as the fuppli- 
 cation of an enemy,he as great Matter ofrequefts, . 
 through the acceptation that he hath with God, 
 makes them acceptable: v:e fhould have no ground 
 to pray with confidence, nor expectation to be 
 heard, if there were not a golden cenfer in his 
 hand. 6- V. e have from his intercefsion an an- ' 
 Twer to >H challenges : There is much debt on our 
 Tcore; the law purfues hard, and curfethusfor 
 our habitual enmity, and all the particular a&s 
 /of it ; and his interceffion is the lafl defence, on 
 ' which the triumph of faith rifes, by the other 
 'fleps, Rom* 8. 43. Whofball lay any thing to the 
 charge of God's el eft ? Is it becaufe they want a 
 charge ? No, for there is the devil, the law, and 
 the conference to charge them-; but,/rV God that 
 juftifies, whofball condemn ? It's Chrtfl that died^ 
 jea,rather is rrjen again,who is at the right hand 
 of God, and maketh interceffion for us : We have 
 an high Priefl there, that.hath paid our debt, 
 and pleads, that the application of h's purchafe 
 may be made forthcoming ; and who, I pray, will 
 lay any thing to our charge in that court, where 
 God is Judge, and Chrifl is Advocate? 7. More 
 particularly, our Lord,by his interceffion, taketh 
 away the guilt of our holy things, for when we 
 approach to God in worfhip,there is a carnalnefs 
 and . pollutednefe in the befl things we do, much 
 irreverence, much unbelief, much want of hu- 
 mility, zeal, fincerity and tendernefs ; fo that all 
 our right eoufneffes are but as filthy rags : but the 
 highPrieftjJE'x. 38. 28. hath on his forehead, Ho. 
 linefs to the Lord ', and his office is,f0 bear the ini- : 
 quitks of the holy things of the children 0/IfraeJ, 
 
 that 
 
37 « JTf*'^* 'J3' 
 
 that they may be accepted before the Lord ; and 
 in this, he was a type ofChriir, the great high 
 Prieil going in unto heaven, to make intercef- 
 fion for his people, .who bears not only their 
 iniquities, but the iniquity of' their holy things*. 
 Aaron anlwers for them as the type, our Lord 
 Jefus as.theAnti-typ© ; he being eminently Holt* 
 nefs to. the Lor d, and having bolinefs on bis fore- 
 heady and being fowell pleafing to the Father: 
 However our prayers and pratfes, and other 
 parts or' fur vice, be but little worth \ yet he 
 makes them acceptable, and procures that they 
 be not rejected, when he is for this end imploy- 
 cd,and made ufeof. 8. We will find that ftrength 
 to bear through under a crofs, and a good out- 
 gate from under the crofs, comes from him, as 
 Interceffor : O (b advertant as he is, when his 
 
 .own are under the crofs! his bowels are then 
 moved, tho' net as they .were on earth, yet cer- 
 tainly they want not their own holy motion, 
 fuitable to the glorious eftate wbereunto he is 
 exalted : Therefore, Acls 9. he cries from hea- 
 ven, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? And 
 Stephen, when a ironing to death,fees him ftaad- 
 - ing at the.rigbt hand of God, executing this part 
 of his prieftly office : One part whereof, is to 
 keep off a crofs \ and another part whereof, is to 
 help to get it honourably born, and to get victo- 
 ry over it. 9. Our perfeverancein,he faith, and 
 perfeft glorification, is a fruit of ChrilVs inter- 
 ceflion ; fo that his own cannot but perfevere,and 
 be glorified, becaufe he interceeds for them. 
 This is it that is fpoken to feveraUtimes,j^£tfi7. 
 efpecially vcrfes 15 and 24. In the 15 v. I pray 
 for them, that they may be keeped from the evil : 
 He prays for them, that they may be keeped' 
 from the evil of fin efpecially ; he prays for 
 
 ..them, that they maybe keeped, that they fall 
 not from the truth ; and v. 24. Father, I will that 
 thoje whom thou haft given me, be where I am, 
 to behold my glory. That longing and erFe&ual 
 defire and will of his, prefented by him in hea- 
 ven, is continuing dill effectual for all thefaints 
 in theChurch- militant ; there is ground of quiet- 
 nefs and comfort from his intercefuon, and by 
 vertue of It, to have hope, that not only 
 prefent, but coming fnarts and temptations ihall 
 not prevail : Therefore the apoftle. Mom. 8.38. 
 to hisfpeaking q* Chriil's interc-ffior., fur- joins 
 his higheft triumph, / am perfxvaded, that net' 
 
 . ther death nor life, principalities nor powers*, 
 things prejent, nor things to come \ and becaufe 
 it's impoifible to number all things,he hy^nor any 
 other creature, fhall be able to feparate us from 
 
 ; the love of God, which is in Cbrifl J^fus curL:rd. 
 Now, if all thefe be put together, bolides many 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 68. 
 
 mo, that may be gathered from fcripture, what 
 
 wants a believer for his own private and parti- 
 cular confolation, which this one word, that 
 Cbrifl is an Inter ceffn s doth notanfwerr' 
 
 But id)y, There is not only confolation for a 
 believer's particular condition from this ground, 
 but alio in reference to the publick cak of God's 
 Church. There are four things efpecially, that 
 feem very heavy to the Church, and publick 
 work of God ; in reference to all which, wis will 
 
 "find confolation from this ground. The \fl is the 
 fear of a fcarcity, or weaknefs of the publick Mi- 
 
 . nitlry; that being the great girt winch he hatb 
 given, for the edifying of tVs body, and it be- 
 ings prejudice to the Church when iiie hath 
 
 •not pallors according to God's frwn heart. But 
 compare VfaU 68. 18. with Epoef. 4. b, 12, 13, 
 14. and we wi!llind that his inter -ctfion aniwers 
 all that fear : in the Pfatm, <t's laid, Ihu haft 
 afcended on bigh y thou haft led capttvitykcaptive 3 
 tbcu haft received gifts for men ; which fuppo- 
 fes his feeking of, or making luit for them; or. as 
 the word is.Thou halt received gifts in the Man, 
 that is, being in our nature, he procured them : 
 And, Epbef.4. it'sfaid, #e gave gifts to men\ 
 and compare thefe two places with a third,to wit, 
 A&s 1. 4. where he bids his aportles tarry at Je- 
 rufalem,till be fend the promfed Spirit ; andim- 
 mediately^after his afcenfion as it i9, Atls 2. he 
 poured it out, which abodeon tjiem, in the like- 
 nefs of cloven tongues of fire 1 it's likewife laid, 
 John 11. 39. that the Spirit was not given, for 
 Jefus was not yet glorified : All which fhew an 
 influence, that Chrift's afcenfion hath on the 
 pouring out of the Spirit, and on the girts given 
 to men, whether miniftcrs or others. There is 
 nothing amongft men readily lefs cared for, thaa 
 a miniflry ; fome would have none-at all, others 
 would have them ofYuch a (lamp, as would pleafe 
 and humour them; but our Lord hath received 
 gifts to be given unto men ; and he that pou- 
 red out fuch gifts on the apoftles arid others, 
 hath what gifts he pleafeth, and fees needful for 
 his Church's edification, yet to give.- And that 
 he gives fuch gifts to men, thathis people are 
 not praying much for; whence is it. but from 
 his interceflion P Therefore Rev. 1. we will 
 find that he delights in this property, as a piece 
 of hid fpiritual ftate 'and grandeur*, that be holds 
 the /}a>s in bis right hand ; iuchis his -rtMpeft 
 to them, and his it is to difpo'e of 'them. 2 Ii's 
 a greatly'exercliing difficulty to the Church ef 
 God, to think of the rmjbtry oppofit'on that is 
 m.ide by enemies; ftfabs met, Heathens \Antichrift, 
 falfe ■ Bretbrenxhrtztmng to fwallow up the lictle 
 
 . flock, 
 
S>rm. &. J f« Ub 53. 
 
 flock, the Church of Chrift; which is. like a bufli 
 burning with tire, and not conlumed : But ior 
 this there is a conization in Chrift's interceflfi- 
 on, according to that word, Heb* 10. 13. Me fat 
 down en the right band of G?d, from henceforth 
 expefting, till bis enemies be made bis footjiool ; 
 He hat' this tor his fait at the Father's bar, and 
 is backing it : U pon this it followed, and as a ( 
 fruit of it, that all the tirft persecutions were bro- 
 ken ; on this it hath come to pais, that Anti- 
 cbriJFs kingdom is tottering.*, and it's on this 
 ground, that his beanng>down, and utter-break- 
 ing will beaecomnhihed : Hence it is moil em- 
 phatically iaid, iCor. 15.24- that be muft reign till 
 be bath put all enemies under bis feet \ according 
 to the promile nude by Jehovah to him, PfaU 
 11c. ii The Lord faid to my Lord.sittbou on my 
 right band Jill J make thine enemies thy footflooh 
 He cannot be an Interceilor, but his enemies 
 mint down; bor who, I pray, will be able to 
 Hand, when he gives in his complaint againft 
 them ? Who.. will plead Auticbrift's and other 
 perfecutors caule, when he appears againll them? 
 And he is Co certain oi his enemies being made 
 his footltool,that he is waiting till hefeeit done ; 
 he mult reign till then, maugre ail the malice 
 and might of devils and mem 
 
 3. It's a difficulty to the Church and people 
 of God, to think on luch great conrufions as are 
 in the -world ; there are but a few judicatories 
 that are for Chrift ^ but few governors,higher or 
 lower, that do confult his honour, or regard him; 
 it's others that have the throne and court, and 
 the guiding of things, than friends and favour- 
 ers of his mtefeft, for moft part: but -here' the 
 confolation lies, that there is a court in heaven, 
 that gives out orders, where the Church hath 
 an Agent conftantly lying, where the devil and 
 the world hath none ; JelusChrift is the Church's 
 Agent and IntercefTor there : Daniel, chap. 10. 
 13. hatha word to this purpofe, Tbe.prince of 
 the kingdom of Perfia witbfiood me one and 
 twenty days-, hut Michael the chief Prince came 
 to help me : And v. 2i. There is none in all the 
 tourt cf Perfia that boldeth with me in thefe 
 things, but Michael your Prince* The great In- 
 tercefl.br was at court, looking that nothing went 
 wrong, feeing that no decree were paft to the 
 
 firejudice of the people of God^ and his work, 
 n the time when they were building the tem- 
 1 pie, He (Ztcb*-6. 13.) is faid to build the tem~ 
 pie cf the Lord, to bear the glory, and to be a 
 Prieft, fitting anfc ruling on his throne > hav- 
 ing the government committed to him. What 
 hazard then is there here, when heaven guides 
 aHj when the Church hath an Agent at the 
 
 Verfe 12. 37^ 
 
 court, to fee (as I faid) that nothing go wrong, 
 when Michael the Prince is there,and fees all the 
 a&s and decrees of the court, and readeth them, 
 yea draweth them, and looks well that there be 
 nothing in them hurtful to his Church : And 
 O ! may we not, and fhould we not thank God 
 ior this f 4. A fourth thing that troubles the 
 Church of God, is the abounding, of offences in 
 'herfelf, and the spreading of error, which.likea 
 flood, threatneth to drqwn the Church ; and 
 great -ftormy winds come, that are like to blow 
 down the hou-fs o4 God*, o/ftnces and ftumblings 
 abound, and error, which (l juft now faid,) ' 
 as a flood is liketo d*own- all: When the devil 
 is put from the throne, and gets not violence 
 a&ed, he turns about, and ralleth on another 
 way, and fpues out his flood of error, to devour 
 the Woman and her Child ; but our Lord hath 
 a voce here alio. After the perfecution of the 
 heathens is over, Rev. 7. 1, 2. John lees an 
 angel afcending from the eaft, the great Lord- 
 keeper, or Chancellor of the Father's Council, 
 the lupreme Deputy over all under-officers, that 
 hath the keeping of the great-feal of the living 
 God, and there is nothing ^relevant nor valid 
 till it be fealed by him: And mark the time when 
 he^appears"; it's when the winds are holden, and 
 ready to blow, as verfe 1. but he cries wjith a 
 loud voice, Hurt not the earth, nor ths fea, ncr 
 the trees, till we have fealed the fervants of 
 God in their fore-beads. Stay, faith he, a little; 
 ere thefe winds blow that will take the moft 
 part off their feet, ere that delufion go forward, 
 there are fome fervants of God that muft be 
 marked, and put without the reach of the ha- 
 lard^and the winds ihall get leave to blow : W : hat 
 reafon then of anxiety is there, or could be here, 
 ifthefolid and lively faith of this IntercefTor, 
 and Advocate, his being in heaven, and thus in- 
 terceding, were in our hearts? 
 
 idly, As to the particular times and occasi- 
 ons when the people of God fliould more efpeci- 
 ally make ufe of this ground of confolation, and 
 comfort themfelves in it. (I fpeak not of Chrift's 
 intercemon Amply, but of the confolation that 
 flows from it) 1, In their languid and lifelefs 
 conditions, when the body of death comes in 
 . on them, like the waves of the fea, and is rea- 
 dy as it were to drown them \ they ought to> 
 comfort themfelves in this, that they have an I»- 
 terceffor, that can rebuke that; when temptati- 
 on is violent, and a perfon fears he be un. 
 _ done, he hith a grip here, to hold himlelf by : 
 Jefus Chrift is IntercefTor ; he prays, that 
 my graces fail not, that my faith and patience 
 
3$D J far ah $?, 
 
 he not undone, that the devil get not his will of 
 me : the man would he defpefate, if he were not 
 In heaven, and interceding ; but he gathers -con- 
 fidence from this ground, and fays, / jhall not 
 die, but live, and fre the falvation of Gcd ; for 
 bets able to favefo the utter moft all that cave 
 unto God through him, feeing he ever Hveth to 
 make interceffion for them: And therefore, altho' 
 I cannot win out of the grips of this temptation, 
 yet he can rebuke it, and break the force of it ; 
 and hence is that comfortable word, Heb.,2. laft, 
 For that he himfelf fuffered, and was tempted, 
 he is able to fucccur them that are tempted. Some- 
 times irwill not meet with believers condition, 
 that Chrift fufFered ; hut this doth, whenJie 
 comes on, and finds that he was tempted : it's 
 true, there was no corruption in him, and temp- 
 tations had no finful influence on him ; and the 
 more comfort to us, he is the ftronger to over-, 
 come in us : yet he was fet on, and afiaulted by 
 the temptation, be was tempted ; and this is a 
 confolation. When JoJIma the high pried is in his 
 duty, Zech. g« and the devil is at his right hahd^ 
 to refill him> and mar him in it, and he can do 
 or fay little himfelf, he boafts him with autho- 
 rity from marring his fervant in his work. A 
 great cOnlolation it is, when the temptation is 
 (trong, and we weak, when the devil is'violentf, 
 and we are defpairing to' re lift him, that there 
 is a high Prieft at Rand, whofe office is to do 
 it. A id time is, when challenges are very frefh, 
 when the charge of one's debt given in, is long 
 and' large, and the fatf is (eve re in exacting, and 
 juftice in preffing, and preffing hard, and the 
 confeience cannot deny, nor refill, and the man 
 hath nothing to pay his debt, and he is like to 
 bodragged to the prifon, and there is none to 
 undertake for him'; there comes in that word, 
 I John 2. i, 2. I write theje things toycu, that 
 ye fin not, I give none a dilpenlation to i7n ; 
 but, if any wan fin, we have an Advccale with 
 the Father, Jefus Chrifi the righteous. And tin's 
 is the ground of Paul's triumph, fo often men- 
 tioned, Rom* 8. 34, Who frail lay any thing to the 
 charge of God's elet} ? // is- God that juftifies, 
 &:. Tho' the charge fhould be given in, what is 
 the matter? there is a way to be fre^d of it,there 
 is an Advocate at the right hand of God in hea- 
 ven, who became Cautioner for, and paid the e- 
 le&s debt, and is now interceeding for them; 
 •and who canlofe the caufe, when he pleads it? 
 And here he quiets and comforts himfelf, giving 
 a defiance- to challenges,and all that can be libel- 
 led againft him. A id time and occafion is, un- 
 der a crdfs condition, when Chrifttans have the 
 \tforld on their tops, and there is confufion in 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 63. 
 
 publick things, and there is darknefs and indi- 
 ilinctnefs injour private condition ; it ought to 
 comfort us, that we have an Advocate in heaven, 
 who pleads our caufe, and will not defpife the. 
 fuitofthe poor and needy. A 4th time is, when 
 we our felves cannot interceed for ourfelves ; 
 when we pray, but our prayers ar.e much mang- 
 led, and little worth, and we think fhame to look 
 upon them ; we would then look on what account 
 our prayers are put up : if on the. account of 
 Chrift's interceffion, a figh, a groan, a broken 
 word, nay, a breathing will be accepted ; the In- 
 terceilbr hath his own incenfe to perfume it with, 
 and it's accepted on the weight that it hath from 
 him : and tho' our prayer be but as the fhad- 
 dow of a prayer, if there be honefly in it, it's a 
 comfort, it will be accepted on that account ; 
 Whatfoeveryefkall ask the Father in my name, I 
 will do : And Rev. $. he accepts the prayers of 
 all faints, the weakeft as well as the beft ; for 
 the beft goes not up but by - his cenfer and in- 
 cenfe, and the weakefl: goes up the fame way : 
 And there is, in fome refpeel, no diftin&ion of 
 believers, and of their fervent or not fervent 
 prayers there, if honeft ; the fervour of Chrift's 
 interceffion, and the favour of his incenfe, makes 
 all go up, and be accepted, becaufe the reafon 
 of God's hearing of our prayers is not in us, 
 elfe he fhould hear none of them ; but it's in his 
 interceffion, which is of equal worth and extent 
 to all honeft prayers of found believers ; He is 
 abje tofave to the utter mo ft, all that come un- 
 to God through him, tho' there be no ability 
 nor worth in themlelves, becaufe be lives for . e» 
 ver to make interceffion for them. But the two 
 laft things will. clear this yet more. 
 
 3<tyS Tho' this may feem ftrange like, yet it 
 is true, if we coniider the grounds, warranding 
 us to make ufe of his interceffion, and to draw 
 this confolation from- it ; and they are four, 1. 
 .'J hat his'interceffion iuppones a- defaft in us, a 
 libel and charge given in againft.us, elfe, what 
 needed we to have an Advocateand Intercefior ? 
 If our plea were juft and good; as from our fejves, 
 we needed not one to undertake for us, the Judg£ 
 would abfolve us ; but the dtfecls that are in us, 
 give accefs to this -part of his office, which fup- 
 pofes us to hav« infirmities, elfe we needed not 
 an high Prieft, if we were like Adam in his in* 
 -nocency, for he needed not an Intereeffor ; and ' 
 therefore in the text, ii is for the tranjgrejjhrs 
 that he makes interceffion: And, 1 fohn 2. 2. 
 If any man fm^we have an A'dvccate,tk<-- 2. All 
 the weight- of Chrift's interceffion, and the 
 grounds where on he pleads, are in himfelf; and 
 
Serm. 68. 1 fat ah 53, 
 
 therefore none need to ftanda-back, becaule there 
 is nothing in themfelves ; We have an Advocate 
 roith the Father ^ Jefus Chrift the righteous, and 
 he is the propitiation, Chrift hath in him a ful- 
 nefs to pay the debt himfelf and he pleads on 
 that,and on nothing in the creature : He fays not, 
 Let them be pardoned, becaufe they haYe not 
 iin, nor becaule they have fuch and fuch qualifi- 
 cations, but becaufe 1 have been a propitiation, 
 for them, I have paid their debt ; therefore he is 
 called tbeRighteous,heca\i(p he hath reafon for that 
 which he feeks ; he hath paid for what he feeks, 
 and therefore it cannot but be granted. 3. There 
 is a freedom in the application of all, the am- 
 plication is free grace every way, and that is 
 clear from the parable of the barren fig-tree: 
 What could the tree fay, when juftict pleaded 
 it mould be cut down ? There is nothing in it 
 Jo procure a delay, but the Gardner (lands up, 
 and bids fpare it, and he will take pains on it, 
 and apply what is needful : Caufes are not here 
 caft back becaufe the party is poor, nor becaufe 
 he hath much debt on his fcore *, no, If any man 
 fin, be batb an Advocate, the thing is obtain- 
 ed without money and without price : Would 
 ye then haveaPrieft that iuits you well? Ye 
 
 .Jlhall have him, and have him freely, if ye im- 
 ploy him to undertake for you, he will do it 
 freely, and it is his honour fo to do. 4. It's free 
 and ei¥e&ual,it cannot mifgive : For who pleads? 
 Is it not the Son .<* Before whom pleads he ? It 
 is before his own Father, who heareth him al- 
 ways: For whom doth he plead ? It's for them 
 who are the Father's own ele&, and his alfo; 
 Thine they were, and thou gaveft them me ; and 
 all mine are thine, and thine are mine: It's for 
 them whom the Father loves as well as he. 
 What does he (eek and plead for ? For that which 
 is covenanted ;**and he pleads for it, according 
 to the terms of the covenant : Therefore it is 
 fure, that tho' heaven and earth may be mixed 
 and overturned, yet none can loofe a link here ; 
 
 I it's impoflible, but what he interceeds for, he 
 muft obtain ; and for whom he interceeds, he 
 prevails, and that is for all that imploy him. 
 
 i e&hly, For A dverti f extent or Caveat, It may 
 be asked here, May all comfort themfelves in 
 Chrift's interceflion f Some will think, that were 
 
 i good ; but in truth, it would make the confbla- 
 tion of all unfure : therefore, there are four qua- 
 lifications of a perfon that may, and only may- 
 war rantably take the confolation whereof we have 
 fpoken, 1. It is a perfon that hath betaken him- 
 self to Chrift's fatisfa&ion ; for there are two 
 parts of the prieftly'office, his janBif cation and 
 his inter cejpon.y and there is no dividing of them, 
 
 Verfe-I2. 3 $i 
 
 nor making ufe of them, but in the right order. 
 Firft he fatisfies, and then he interceeds ; and he 
 muft be taken, and made ufe of in this order, 
 firft in his fatisfa&ion to divine juftice ; ard it is 
 on this ground that we muft found bur righte- 
 oufnefs, and plead for abfolution : And whoever 
 have made this ufe of his fatisfaetion, may, in 
 the fecond place, comfort themfelves in his in- 
 terceflion*, becaufe it is grounded on his fatis- 
 fa&ion, 1 John 2. 2 . For whom he interceeds, 
 /or thefe he is a propitiation, and he is a pro- 
 
 J)itiation for all who by iaith have betaken thera- 
 elves to him : This is the very hinge of our 
 confolation, eyen to take with our debt, and to 
 betake our felves to him, according to the cove- 
 nant, lippening for falvation on that ground. 2. 
 It is thefe who. are eflaying and pra£iflng them- 
 felves in the duties of holinefs, wreftling with a 
 body of death, and exercifing themfelves to 
 godlinefs, that may warrantably comfort them- 
 felves in Chrift's interceflion; as Paul, who, 
 Rom, 7, being put to it, in the conflict with Bs 
 corruption, comforts himfelf thus, / thank God 
 through fefus Cbriff our Lord, Tho 5 they be 
 forely harrafted with a corrupt nature, yet they 
 may expert an out-gate, through vertue of his 
 interceflion : Therefore, Rev, 8. Chrift's incenfe 
 (as I have often faid) and the faints prayers, go, 
 and go up together. Lazinefsandfecurity h .th 
 not this confolation ; but if a perlbn be praying, 
 and be ferious, tho' weak in it, he hath an Ad- 
 vocate, who, when it comes to be asked, What 
 (hall be thought of fuch an one's iacrifice ? pleads / 
 that it may he-accepted. 3. It's the perfon that 
 not only is aiming, and minting to do duty, 
 but is denied to it, laying no weight, on it, 
 defpairing ever to get victory over corruption 
 in his own ftrength, or to comotby the hearing of 
 his prayers through any worth that is in them, 
 and not daring to ftep forward his alone, but 
 leaving all he does at Chcift's feet, to make it 
 acceptable; which leads us to the fourth thing 
 requifite, vi%. When perfons, whether their do- 
 ing and duties be of worth or not, Jtfus Chrift 
 is made by ^them the uplhot of all ; they 
 lay weight on him to get them > done 3 and to 
 get them accepted when they are done, and 
 without him all would he deiperate in their e- 
 fteem; This was typified in the peoples giv- 
 ing the facrifices to the prieuVto be 'offered ; 
 and tho* it Were but two turtle-doves, or two 
 young pigeons, they were brought to the prieft, 
 as well as other facrifices. But fuch as c^nfider 
 not the enmity and finfulnefs that is in them- 
 felves, andad venture to ftep in to God without 
 Ddd him, 
 
jfjr if stub 53 • 
 
 bim> cannot lay claim to this confolation, which 
 runs always on tins ground, Heb.7. 25. He is 
 abbe to fave to the uttesmofl all that come unto 
 God through him, feeing he ev+r- lives to make 
 inter ctffton fr them. Is there not then ground 
 of confolation here,and fuch as there is reafon to 
 beftow a preaching upon it, to teach us how to 
 clear our feives in it, and make ufe of it, and 
 
 Verfe n. Serm.tfeV 
 
 how to cheer our feives in it : Ye that feclude 
 your feives from this confolation, O but ye fpilt 
 and mar a good life to your feives, and hazard 
 your "own caufe>that will mod certainly go againft 
 you, becaufe <ye put it not. in the right hand ; 
 which the Lord give you wifdom to amend, 
 and give us all the right ufe of this, throueh 
 Jefus Chrift. ; *V 
 
 SERMON LXIX. 
 
 ITaiah liii. 12.- And made intercefftonjor the tranfgrejfors* 
 
 we ftiould improve them. If he be a King, we 
 fhould make ufe of him, for fubduing fin in us ; 
 if a Prophet, we fhould improve that office, foe 
 attaining, of light and faving knowledge from 
 him; and if he be aPrieft, to fatisfy divine ja- 
 ftice, and to make intercefsion, we Ihould im. 
 prove both parts of that office. The necefsity 
 of our improving of Chrift's intercefsion appears 
 from this,., if we confider in- what' terms we 
 (land with God : Have we any bbldnefs or acceii 
 of our feives ? Is' not the door Unit onus ? And 
 is there not a ftated controverfy {landing betwixt 
 God and us ? And have we any accefs but by his- 
 moyen ? The necefsity or it is further clear fromr 
 the order that God hath laid down in the way 
 of his adminiftration of grace : Why, I'pray ? 
 hath he appointed a Mediator and Interceifor r 
 Is it not for good reafon? Even fof the confolation 
 and encouragement of finners to draw near, who, 
 if ^ they be in earned, cannot but be afFetfed 
 with fear to approach untoGod ; and is it pofsible 
 to come unto God, and not by this door ? And 
 were it not ingratitude to neglect it, feeing ' 
 he hath contrived this new and living way of 
 accefs unto him i 
 
 But todefcend to more particular difcourfing 
 of this matter, which is as difficult a thing to 
 fpeak of aright, and to pra&ife fuitably, as any 
 part of religion, if efpecially he Mmfelf teach 
 us not *, for forrre times we will make ufe of his. 
 facrifice and fatisfacVion, when we know not how 
 to make ufe o{" his interceifron ; for either we da • 
 all our alone, and misken the Interceflor, or we 
 will do nothing, and give it over as defperate, ■, 
 as if our bufmefs were quite broken and hopo 
 lefsj and as if it were needlefs or ufelefs to lay 
 any weight on Chrift's interceffion; And thus* 
 whether -we apprehendNOur feives to be in a bet- 
 ter, or in worfe cafe, he rs much miskent and 
 negle&ed. That therefore we may the better 
 know how to make ufe of Chrift's interceffion, 
 we ftall, u Jn the general, &ew what it is to 
 
 im-v 
 
 J T were a very great confolation, and a main 
 furtherance in all religion, to get this folid- 
 \y believed, that Chrift Jefus, who is the ex- 
 frefs image of his Father 's Per fen^and the bright- 
 ness of his glory, is- now in heaven in our na- 
 ture, and hath it, for htswork, to beinterceed- 
 ing, and interceeding for tranfgreffors : We are 
 everyday reaping the good of this intercefsion, 
 in reference to many evils that are keeped off 
 us, and in reference to many mercies beftowed 
 ©n us, that we pray not at all, or but little for ; 
 and wc come never, to, hear a preaching, but 
 we are beholden to. k> it being a peculiar fruit 
 of his intercefsion^ that gifts are given to men, 
 and that the gofpel is fent through the earth ; 
 and if ever any get good of a fermon, it is by 
 vertue of this intercefsion, feeing he hath faid, 
 nhat he will pray the Father >and that be will fend 
 the Comforter ; and whenever we come to hear 
 a preaching, there would be (to fay fo) a revi- 
 sing of the thoughts of Chrift's intercefsion>and 
 a^lirring up of our feives to get the faith of it 
 . 'lively .in its exercife. 
 
 That which we-fpake to the laft day, was con- 
 cerning the comfort that flows from this ; and 
 indeed, if any do&rine be comfortable, this mull 
 be comfortable, that we have fuch a Friend in 
 the court of heaven, inverted in this office of, an 
 Advocate and Interceifor for us. 
 
 Ufe -id. Of exhortation. Seeing, there is fuch 
 an office wherewith Jefus Chrift is inverted, and 
 fach an Officer that. bears this office, to be .an 
 Advocate for finners, then finners would be ex- 
 horted to learn to improve and to make ufe of 
 -*fiis Advocate, and of his office ; fince he hath 
 this office of an Interceflor, O do not defpife 
 fach amjrcy ! negleft- not fuch an advantage, 
 iutleaih to make ufe of. him, and in your wor- 
 ihip-applications- to God, to approach by, and 
 through him. . The ground of this ufe of exbon- 
 iethvh clear in the words, and from the nature 
 #f tib$ thing : For, if Chrift Jefus bear theie 
 WK&33 Hid tf he bear ; ,thejttfrr us, then^furs . 
 
Serm. 69. Ifaiah ^3, 
 
 improve it. 2. Speak to fome particular cafes, 
 wherein it in a f pedal manner is to be improven. 
 3. Satisfy and remove fome objections, or anfwer 
 fome queftions tht may be moved about it. 4. 
 We fhall give fome .characters of one that is feri- 
 ©us and.tender in improving of his interccfllon. 
 For the fir/}. It is indeed a thing fo difficult 
 £0 improve Chriit's intercefsion aright, that we 
 cannot eafily-tell how to conceive of it, being a 
 considerable part of the myftery offaith, to go 
 to God by a Mediator and-Interceffor. Howe- 
 ver, we ihafl, i. Shew fome miftakes thatare to 
 he efchewed. 2. We fhall fhew wherein it more 
 properly confifts, which is, in the exercife of 
 faith in him, with relpe& to his intercession. 3. 
 I^e fuall iiluftrate it by fome fimilitudes, for the 
 further making out of it. ift, Then, when we 
 fpeak of improving OhritVs intercefsion, and of 
 ^oing to God by him, we would have thefe 
 miftakes efchewed. 1. Beware of thinking, that 
 >$here is a going to the Mediator in a diftinir, 
 or different manner from what is in going to 
 <3od, for he is God ; or, tb^.t we may go to 
 ^God at one time, and to the Mediator at ano- 
 ther time, as if we would 'firft fpeak a while to 
 #he Mediator, and then r peak to God ; or would 
 firft make our moan to the Mediator . to pacify 
 Ood, and when God were calmed, to fp^ak to 
 •fiim ; as if be were to make moyen with God, 
 for us, as a courtier makes moyen with the 
 Jting, the offended party;, for.a rebel ; We would 
 ieware of this, for it divides in our appre- 
 Iienfion the Godhead, that is indiviiible ; for 
 if we confider the Mediator as the Object of 
 ©ur Wbrfliip, he is to be confidered as God, 
 tho* we may, and are alto jointly to coniider 
 liim as Mediator, and on that account to make 
 life of him; and if we confider him as God, 
 We mud confider him as the fame God with the 
 Father, and the holy Ghofl: : But to have this 
 imagination of him, that we are to fpeak to 
 liim, as another Party, or not as God, is to 
 pake him another thing, which is unbecom- 
 ing that apprehenfion and eftimation that we 
 ought to have of the Unity of the bleifed God- 
 head. 2. Beware of thinking, that there is a 
 greater facility oreafinefs to have accefs to the 
 Mediator, than to have accefs to God-, or that 
 it is more eafy to have accefs to the fecend 
 Perfon of the Trinity, than to the firft, oxTbhd 
 Perfon. We are afraid that there be miftakes 
 here alfo, as if the Mediator were more eafy . 
 to he dealt with than the Maj^fty of God ; or, 
 *s if there were more eafy accefs unto him ; 
 whereas, he being the fame God, and fo confi- 
 & C J$4> there are the fame grounds^ whereon fia- 
 
 Verfe 12. i%% 
 
 ners may rave accefs tothe Father" aVto the Son. 
 For, if we look oh a finrer repenting, and be- 
 lieving, he is as welcome to the Father as to 
 the Son ; but if we confider the firmer as not 
 repenting and believing, heisfo, neither wel- 
 come to the Father, nor to the Son. It is true, 
 the Son. being confidered as Man, there is afym- 
 pathy, that the fecond Perfon, united to our na- 
 ture, hath, which is not in God abftra&ly con- 
 fidered ; yet this is not fo to be underftood, as 
 if the mercy of the Mediator, having the two 
 natures fo united in bis Perfon., were of larger 
 extent than the mercy of God > or as if he 
 could be merciful, when God is r.ot : For there 
 cannot be a greater mercy than that which is in- 
 finite, and thatjis the effential attribute of the 
 Father, Sonand.holy Ghoft ; only this fympa- 
 thy in the Mediator is to be confidered, to 
 ftrengthen and confirm our faith in our appli- 
 cation to God, that we have him to approach to 
 in our nature ', but it is not to give us any new 
 ground of having accefs eafier toChrift than to 
 " God, but (as we faid) only to confirm our faitH» 
 in having accefs to God : Hence it is> that Je- 
 fus Chrift is always propofed as the mids,wbere- 
 by, and through whom, a finner comes to God ; 
 fo that we have accefs with boldnefs, not to the 
 Mediator as a diftincl: Party ,but to Gcd through 
 and by him. Therefore there is the fame com- 
 mon way of application to God, and to Chrift,- 
 the famo covenant and promifes, the fame ex- 
 ercife of repentance,, of faith and of prayer, 
 which gives us accefs to God, and that gives 
 us acceii to the Mediator. 3. Beware -of placing 
 this improving and ufe-making of theMediator's 
 intercefsion, in words or petitions directed to 
 the Mediator; which, I apprehend, is the ufe 
 that the mod part make of his intercefsion ; to 
 put upTuch petitions, as I am afraid to fpeak of; 
 as namely, Q Mediator at the Father's right 
 hand, plead for me ! as if the Mediator Were a 
 diftincl Party from the Judge, to whom we 
 mud fpeak for interceeding with the Judge, 
 which ftill leads us to look on the Mediator as 
 another different Party. or as having other terms 
 whereupon he dealer^ with finncrrs, or as if there 
 were another way of making ufe of him, and 
 of application to him, and on ether grounds, 
 than of, and to God ; the contrary whereof we 
 have (hewed : Whereas the uk making of his 
 intercefsion confifts rather (as after will appear) 
 in faith's application to God in him, and 
 laying weight on his intercefsion for accefs, 
 and acceptance of of our perfonsand fervices ;' 
 when we make \t the ground ©J em addrefs 
 J2d4 2 to 
 
3S4 ' Ijaiab 53. 
 
 to God, the ground on which we draw near ; and 
 this we may and fhould do,when wenameChrift, 
 or pray to him as God, with refpedt to his office 
 of being Interceffor : even as we look to him by 
 faith, to get fin pardoned ; there is a looking to 
 him as God, with refpeA to his offering and 
 fatisfaftion to the juftice of God, on which ac- 
 count we expe <ft to be pardoned. 
 
 But, 2djj, To explicate this a little- more, we 
 Hiall fhew wherein this exercife of faith, in ma» 
 king ule of the Mediator's interceifion, doth 
 mainly confift : and, for "the more clear following 
 forth thereof, we fhall fpeak to thefe two, i. To 
 fome things prefuppofed. 2. To fome things 
 wherein more properly it confifts. To both whic.h 
 we would premit this word, that when w T e fpeak 
 of making ufe of Chrift's intercLftion, there are 
 two extremes to be avoided : One is, when per- 
 fons go to God, miskenning Chrift, and do all 
 that they do, as if they were conftantly friends 
 with God, and in good terms with him, and had 
 need of none to make their peace, or to keep 
 up and maintain their peace withGod ; which is 
 in effc& the way laid down in the covenant of 
 works, when Adam was a friend : Another ex- 
 treme is in the defe& ; and that is, when perfons 
 
 o to God by Chrift, yet do not lay weight on 
 
 lis interceflion as becomes ; when not only they 
 want confidence, which the other hath, tho' oa 
 a/wrong ground, but do not lay the burden on 
 the right ground, but go to God faintingly and 
 dilcouragedly, as fearing to truft or lippen to 
 Chrift's intercefsion. There is necefsity to guard 
 againft both thefe ; for there muft £e fuch an 
 ufe-rnaking of Chrift's intercession, as we dare 
 rot go by him, and yet a concurring aft of faith, 
 putting us to go to God by him, and to lay the 
 Weight of what we feek and expe& on him, and 
 on his intercefsion. Now, the things that are 
 prefuppofed to the ufe-rnaking of Chrift's inter- 
 ce!sion v guard againft the firft extreme ; and thefe 
 things- wherein the ufe-making of it properly 
 , confute, guard againft the otlrer extreme. 
 
 Firft^ 1 lien thefe things prefuppofed, are, }/}, 
 A convi£t*'on of our natural finfulnefs, not only 
 of the diftance that is betwixt God and us, but 
 of the quarrel and emnity, and that by our de- 
 fining we may juftly -have the door of accefs 
 
 to God fhut upon us ; that is it that puts the 
 fcnner to ask for an interceJfor, and to make ufe 
 oi him, as thefe who have provoked a great per- 
 ftn, fear to go their alone to him, butfeek for 
 the mediation of fome fpecial friend or favourite. 
 Q.dly. There is prefuppofed a consenting to, and 
 acceptation of Chrift's (atisfa&ionj as the ground 
 Ckf our peace with G«d j for there is no accefs 
 
 I 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 69. 
 
 to his intercefsion till this ground be laid, be- 
 caufeall the efficacy that is in Chrift's intercef- 
 fion, refults from, and is founded upon his fatif- 
 fa&ion, 1 John 2. 2. If any man fin, we have an. 
 Advocate with theFather,}efusChrifl the righte- 
 ous y who is the propitiation for our fins- He pro- 
 cures nothing by his intercefsion, but through 
 the vertue of that blood, which he offered in a 
 facrifice to fatisfy juftice : and therefore, in im- 
 proving of his intercefsion, this method muft be 
 followed \ There muft firft be a betaking of our 
 felves to his fatisfa&ion, as the ground of our 
 peace,and whereupon we plead for peace, and for 
 any other thing we ftand in need of: except this 
 be, all the imaginations that we can have of 
 Chrift's intercefsion (as if we would firft prevail 
 with Chrift, conceiving that he will foon be en- 
 gaged, and then have hopes of prevailing with 
 God) if his fatisfadion be miskent, will be to no 
 purpofe ; for, as we fhew in the firft ufe of this 
 point, he interceeds only for his own people, 
 who are believers in him, and have clofed with 
 his fatisfa&ion •, and,as we fhew fromfov. S* it's 
 only the prayers of all faints that are offered up 
 by him : I mean, none can comfortably conclude 
 that he interceeds for them, but believers 
 and faints ; and therefore, till his fatisfaai* 
 on be refted on, as the ground of our peace, 
 we can look for no benefit by his intercefsion. 
 %dly> There is beyond this required, the con} 
 vi&ion and imprefsion of our own unfuitablenefs, 
 to keep up friendfhip and fellowfhip with God, 
 through our remaining corruption, and the 
 prevailing of temptation, without a Mediator ; 
 and withal, an approbation of God's way, who 
 hath appointed a Mediator for that end ; and a 
 loving to keep up communion with him by a 
 Mediator : So that, fuppofe we were clear that 
 our fins are pardoned, yet we would know, that 
 this conviction and imprefsion is neceftary to 
 put us to make daily u(e of this part of the Me- 
 diator's office :'For we may have conviction of 
 the firft part, that is, that we cannot make our 
 peace without Chrift's fatisfa&ion ; and yet we 
 may be defective as to our walking under due 
 •conviction of the fecc-nd, that is, of a necefsi- 
 ty of keeping up of our communion with God, 
 by vertue of his intercefsion : Which is, as if a 
 rebel, being reconciled, and made a friend, by 
 the procurement of fome great perfon, yet 
 having to do with the king, fhould not dare 
 to go unto him, without the man that was 
 inftrumental in making his peace ; or, we may. 
 allude to Abfabm y s coming home by Jen^s pro- 
 curement, who was three years thereafter at jfe- 
 
 rufalup-i 
 
Serm. 69. . ' '/*'*» S3- 
 
 rufalem ere he faw his father's face, and had a 
 new dealing with Joab for t.hat end : Se it's very 
 fuitable to the way of grace, and fhews, that our 
 being .and (landing in grace is 'free, not to dare 
 to go in to God, even when our peace is made, 
 without the Mediator. 4^,Upon the back of all 
 this, there is a neceffity of the faith of the Me- 
 diator or Interceffor his being at the right hand 
 of God, ready to agent our caufe, through whom 
 we mayWeaccels, when.there is reafon enough 
 in our felves^ why we fhould be keeped at the 
 doo r r j and though we dare not go our felyes a- 
 lane, yet to .adventure to go through him to 
 God. And though this be but* the doftrinal faith 
 of the thing in general,- yet it's necefTarily pre- 
 fuppofed, as well as the reft, that when a chal- 
 lenge rifes, and the confcience fays, How dare 
 thou go to God ? Faith may anfwer, Becaufe 
 there is a Friend there in our nature. When the 
 finner is convinced of fin, the confcience chal- 
 lengeth, and the law condemns, and there is 
 fome fad expectation of the drawing forth of the 
 fentence; there is an aft of faith, that convinces 
 of a Saviour, whofe fatisfoftion, if it be made 
 ufe of and improven, all will bs well. This, 
 we fay, is neceffarily prefuppofed to the ufe -ma- 
 king of Chrift's interceffion. 
 
 idly, Thefe four being prefuppofed ,it follows, 
 that we fhew what properly it is, to make ufe of 
 Chrift's interceffion or wherein it confifts. And, 
 1. When faith hath laid 'hold on Chrift's fatis- 
 faftion for peace with God ; in the improving of 
 his interceffion, there is an aft of faitfi, whereby 
 we aftually beftir our felves to approach un- 
 to God, upon the weight we lay on his intercef- 
 fion, that when the foul fees, itfelf fecluded, 
 considered in itfelf, yet it will go forward, lip- 
 pening to that ; fo that if a challenge come in 
 its Way, and fay, What ground haft thou to 
 look, that thou wilt be welcome to God r the 
 foul fays, None in my fe\t % but there is a Friend 
 before me, with whofe fatisfaftion I have clofed 
 for my peace , and I lay this weight on his of- 
 fice, and on God's call to make u(e of him, that 
 on the ground of his moyen with God, I dare 
 hazard to go forward ; Even as if a rebel, after 
 his peace were made, had fome bufinefs to do 
 with the prince ; , and hearing that there is a 
 friend at court, yea, the fame friend that made his 
 peace, he thinks that a good time, ar.d fit feafon 
 to .go and prefent his fuit, expecting to come 
 fpeed through his moyen: and, this keeps al- 
 ways the weight and honour of cur obtaining a-, 
 ny thing we feck, as a prerogative to Chrift, and 
 flops, the perfon's ov,n mouth from looking to 
 -any thing in i$ felf to boaft oi\ even as the rebel; 
 
 vene 12. 3S5 
 
 hath no caufe to boaft of his getting a hearing 
 from the prince, but gives the thanks to him, 
 who, as he made his peace, fo alfo procured him 
 a hearing ; and it is according to that word, 
 Heb. 10. 21. Having an high Priefl over the 
 houje of God, let us draw near, with full ajfu- 
 ranee of faith, expelling a bearing*, and that, 
 Heb, 4. 15, 16. Seeing we have an high Priefl % 
 who was tempted in all things, like asweare, 
 yet without fin, let us therefore ccme bddly unt§ 
 the throne of grace, that we may obtain n?ercy> 
 - and find grace to hetp in time of need : This is 
 the firft ftep of improving Chrift's interceffion,. 
 when the juftiiied finner is at a ftand, on foma 
 new challenge for .gtfilt, and dare not go for- 
 ward, nor adventure 'toapproach unto God, on 
 this account and ground, that there is a Media- 
 tor and Advocate at his right hand, to hazard (i£ 
 we may fpeak Co) or rather with confidence to 
 go foreward, and prefent his fuit to God. 2. 
 There is an aft of faith, as in undertaking, fo 
 in expecting and on-waiting upon God, for ob- 
 taining a hearing on our fuit, on this account, 
 that Jefus Chrift is an Interceffor in heaven for 
 fuch as imploy him*, and this guards againft both 
 the failings before-mentioned, to wit, againft 
 anxiety on the one hand, and preemption on 
 the other ; againft anxiety and fainting, when, as^ 
 there is not only a propofing of our defire, but 
 an on-waiting for, and expectation of a hearing, 
 from God ; againft preemption, and turning 
 carnal, when the expectation of a hearing is not 
 founded on our own righteoufnefs, but on the. 
 interceffion of Chrift ; This is it which we have,. 
 Dan. 9. 17. compared with Jonah 2. 4. In the 
 2 ofjonab 4 v. he fays, Then 1 faid, I am caft' 
 cut of thy fight, yet wiU I lock again toward thy. 
 holy temple \ the which look was in effect a look- 
 ing toward the interceffion of Chrift the Mejfiab^ 
 the temple with its (acri rices having been typi- 
 cal of him, and the mercy-feat that was there v 
 being typical of his interceffion: It is as if unbelief 
 had fuggefted to J nab, Now Jonah, what 
 will become of thee ? thou art a gone man, and 
 needs not pray any more ; Tet, lays he, J will 
 hck again towards thy holy temple : and though 
 he knew not well, now being in the belly of the 
 whale, where the temple-ftood ; yet his faith ha- 
 ving a fuitable exejreile on the' Meffiah lignified 
 by the temple, and his looking being an aft 
 of faith, carried in his fuit to God, which- 
 was accepted : and indeed this is a main thing,, 
 by which a poor believer, caft down, wins to hi* 
 feet again. The other place is, Van. 9. \6\ 17. 
 where, when he is. ferious$ and doubling his 
 
 per 
 
f$* # - IJdiah «53.. 
 
 petition, lie hath thefe words, Caufe thy face to 
 Jbine up:n thy fanSuarj, wbicb.is defclate.fcr the 
 Lord's fake ; and to let it he known what he 
 mean'd, by faying, for .the JLrd's >[*%e\ which 
 looks to him who was to be Inter ceflor in our na- 
 ture, he expones it in the following words, 
 my God, incline thine ear, and hear ; cpen thine, 
 eyes, and bebrfd cur deflaiicns^ fcr voe do n:t 
 frefent our fuppli cations before thee, for cur righ- 
 teoufnejjes, but for thy great mercies : That is an 
 improving aright of thrift's intei celsion, not to 
 pray directly to him as a diftinil Party, but to 
 pray for mercy, upon the a -count of his inter - 
 celsion ; for what is fir mercies fake in the latter, 
 is for the Lord's f#ke in ,the former, ui^. becaufe 
 by him^ and by yertueof hisinto c\;i^o-.!, mercy. 
 Comes out unto us ; And this is a main ufe to be 
 made of Chrift's intercefsion, to wit, to have 
 iipon that ground an expectation of a hearing, 
 or to found our expedition of a hearing on that 
 account ; and let it bear the weight of it, as well 
 it can. 3. The right improvement of Chrift's ' 
 intercefsion hath this a& of faith, that, altho" 
 there (eem to be many difficulties and long off- 
 jp.utt'ngs, yet faith, Upon the account of his in- 
 tercefsion, will continue its expectation of a hear- 
 ing, and its looking for, of what the perfon hath 
 fought, and {lands in need of ; whatever crofs 
 difpenfations thwart its expectation, and what- 
 ever figns of anger appear in the way of its ob- 
 taining, it waits on for all that. Tho' Jonah 
 be in the belly of the whale, and the weeds 
 wrapped about his head, yet will he look to- 
 wards his holy temple,; So, tho' a foul have no 
 ijfe, nor fenfe, no inward feeling, nor argu- 
 ments in the mouth, yet acting on Chrift's in- 
 tercefsion by faith, it will not leave, nor give 
 over its fuit, confidering, that .tho' it hath no 
 ground of expectation of good from itfeif, yet 
 from Chrift's intercefsion it hath, which is the 
 improvement of that, Heb* 7. 25. He is able to 
 fave to the tttterrmfl all that ccme unto God 
 through him, & . It there were never fo ftrong 
 objections .from unbelief and carnal reafon, and 
 ■ if it fhould be fuggefled ye have fuch and fuch 
 difficulties, that cannot be overcome, lying in the 
 way of your faivation, and there is nothing in 
 you concurring to mak'e cut your filvation ; yet 
 fraith fays, He is able po.fave to the uttermofl \ or, 
 as the word is, he can lave to the full, or to the 
 yondmoft; and what is the ground? Becaufe 
 be ever lives to male intercefs'nn. And this is 
 the main thing to betaken notice of, in impro- 
 ving of his intercefsion, when the (inner hath 
 prcfentsd his frit or recmeft ta God, through 
 
 Verfe ii. Serm. 69* 
 
 the Mediator, to p.et his mind quieted, on the 
 account of Chrift's intercefsion, that it ihall be 
 anfwered : Even as a man, who having a caufe 
 to plead, and getting an able advocate, who fay* 
 to 1m m, I will warrant your caufe, quiets him- 
 felf, becaufe of his undertaking ; fo proportion 
 nably there is a weight laid on Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion by faith's lippeningto him, which makes 
 the foul to be without anxiety.* And this conti- 
 nued a& of faith doth not at ail fofter fin, but 
 ftrengthneth rather to oppofe iin, quiets the 
 mind, and makes more humble, and keeps a 
 tranquillity in the foul, in bands as well as in 
 liberty, becaufe it lavs the weight of its coming 
 fpeed with God, not on its own argufoenting t 
 -but on the Mediator's interce (sion ; for, as we 
 ih:-w t iron: Rev . 8* the prayers of all faints go 
 up from his center, tffe weakeft as well as th« 
 ftrcngeft, becaufeit's his incenfe that that makes 
 them favoury. 4. There is an improvement of 
 Chrift's intercefsion^ when any thing is obtain'd, 
 whether it be a mercy in preventing fuch and 
 fuch a ftroke, or the bellowing of luch and fuch 
 a favour ; and that is, when faith derives not 
 that mercy from, nor attributes it to its own 
 praying, tho' it.did pray, and pray ibmewhat 
 terioufly, but derives it horn, and attributes it 
 to the ver.tue and t fficacy of Chrift's intercelsi* 
 on, and counts itfeif obliged to that, as the rife 
 of all the perfon's good, and again by him retur- 
 ning thanks to God for it *. And this is a little 
 proof of improving Chrift's interceision. Some- 
 times, when we want what we would have, and 
 are reftrained, we will improve all means to ob- 
 tain, yet when we have obtained, there is but 
 little ackowledgment of him therein ; which ac- 
 knowledgment is our dttty^irl.inuate, John 14. 
 13, 14.. Wfratfoever yt ask in my name, 1 will 
 do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, 
 And in this fenfe'we ought to walk i-n the ufe of 
 every mercy, as bearing the acknowledgment of 
 Chrift's intercefsion, and to be affected with 
 love to God, and mould withal have a.new im* 
 prefsion of its obligation, to be forthcoming 
 for God, upon the account of his intercefsion: 
 Whereas the moft part of folk take their mercies, . 
 and think not themfelves to be in his common for 
 them ; neither do they own him with thankful 
 acknowledgment of them, wh'cn they have got- 
 ten them ; even as a man, who had gotten a fa- 
 vour through the mediation of another, and 
 mould forget him, would be very ungrate,' The 
 making ufe ofChrift's intercefsion. in this refpedfc, ; 
 is the improving of it, for the awaking of our 
 thankfulnefs, and thq cofljirnoing of our obliga- 
 
 tiof 
 
tion to him. If we look through our life, is 
 there any day, or Hour, but we ftand in need of 
 fomething, and be enjoying fbmething? And 
 the improving Chrift's intercefsion thi»j would 
 make the thoughts of Chrift always tVeflv and 
 lovely to us; butwefeek, and get, and enjoy, as 
 if a Mediator were not in heaven: But as we ac- 
 knowledge him in praying to him, when we 
 have need ; lb, when any thing is gotten, we 
 fhould acknowledge, that we have received it,and 
 do enjoy it, on the account of his intercefsion, 
 who obtained it for us. 
 
 idly, We faid, that this might be illuftrate 
 "by fimilitudes ; and there are thefe three, where- 
 by it may be illuftrate. The frfl is ( if we may 
 call it a fimilitudc ) the c^paring of the ufe- 
 mak-ing of h'13- intercefsion, with the ufe-making 
 of his fatisfa&ion (wherein there is a refem- 
 blance j we make ufe of his fatisfa&ion, when 
 we are convinced of our natural finfulnefs and en- 
 mity, and that we cannot make our own peace- 
 ourfelves; yet hearing of his fatisfa&ipn, and 
 having an of&rof it, and believing that it's able 
 to do our tsfro, we hazard on that ground to 
 clofe with God in the covenant y and though the 
 fenfe of peace come -not for along time, yet 
 we with confidence wait for it, becaufe the 
 ground we- lean ©nfor it cannot fail. Propor- 
 tionable to this> we maker ule of Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion, ivhen under a challenge, we are con- 
 vinced or a ! quarrel, and dare not approach to 
 God ; yet hearing tell, that there is an Inter- 
 ceffor in heaven, who will undertake for them 
 that imploy him, we hazard confidently on 
 that ground, to propofe our fuits unto God, 
 and notwithstanding of difficulties^ expe& and' 
 wait for an anfwer. It may be ob\etted here, 
 ' that it feerns there is no difference bktwixt the 
 improving of his fatisfa&ion, and the impro- 
 ving of his intereeffion. Anfwer, There is no 
 difference, in refpe& of the things fought, nor 
 in refpecYof the a&s of faith, whereby we 
 make ufe of the one, and of the other, nor in 
 refpecfc of the grounds whereupon ; for Chrift 
 hath paid the debt of them for Whom he in- 
 t-erceeds, he hath - purchafed the fame thing? 
 for' which he maketh intereeffion, they are the 
 fome a&s of faith that make ufe of both: It's 
 the fame covenant and offer, that warr.nts us 
 to come to his fatisfa&ion for peace; that war- 
 rants us to- make ufe of his intereeffion for the 
 application of peace .-There is only this diffe- 
 rence, that by his -fatisfadtK n he procures us 
 peace, and a right to it *, and our peace is-made^ 
 jfcpvhis lading, down bef®re God the price, which*- 
 
 ▼ enc iz« 
 
 we by faith take hold of; but When he. in ter- 
 ceeds, he hath nothing to pay, but interceeds 
 for what he hath purchafed : Therefore the 
 fcripture hartgs the application of his purchafe 
 upon his intereeffion .• He hath bought peace, 
 and every good thing that we ftand in need 
 of, by his death ; and, by his intereeffion, he' 
 procures and makes the application ; There- 
 fore, it's on this ground that the Spirit is pou- 
 red out. Asamong men, it's one*thing to make 
 peace, and another thing to bring the offending 
 perfon info familiarity with' the offended patty ; 
 fo it's the fame faith a&ing on Chrift's fatif- 
 fa&ion, for being brought into covenant with 
 God, as the meritorious caufe, that a&s on 
 Chrift's intereeffion, for application of that 
 which he hath purchafed, but under ad iiirer- 
 rent confideration, looking on his fatisfa&ion* 
 as v procuring, and.on his 1 intereeffion for appli- 
 cation of the fame things. A fecend fimilitude 
 to clear it, is', the people under the law, their 
 making ufe of' the high prieft; there Were twar 
 parts of the- high prieft's office, or two. things 
 wherein the pesple made ufe of him, 1. For 
 orfe.ingfacriAce, 1. For intereeffion ; the high 
 prieft went into the moft holy once a year, and 
 fprinkled the blood, and prayed for the people 5 
 rn which time they were (landing without.pray- 
 ing, in the hope of having their prayers made 
 the more acceptable. This was, by God's ap- 
 pointment, typically to prefigure our Lord's' 
 intereeffion in heaven: - It is true the high prieft's' 
 praying for them was nothing to the foul's adr* 
 vantage, of him or them, if Chrift was not made" 
 ufe of, both by him, and by them.: yet he was to- 
 pical, and to fhew this much, that the* were to 
 improve Chrift's intercefsion, as well as his fa*-' 
 crifice and fatisfacYion : Therefore, Lulee 1. 10. 
 when Zacharias went in to pray, the whole 
 multitude of the peopfe was without praying. A 
 third fimilitude (which we have hinted at in cur 
 going along ) is drawn from that way which is 
 ufed among mefy for bringing two parties thaC 
 are at odds and variance to be reconciled, and 
 at one; which, though we are not to conceive 
 in that carnal manner, yet it holds as to the fub- 
 ftance of the thing, as if the offending party 
 durft not go. hiy atone to the party offended,' 
 but fhould carry along with him a 'nerd, thac' 
 hath place and power to prevail with the other : 
 When he undertakes to go along with him* 
 contrary To his dderving, he will expeft 
 confidently to get a • good hearing ; and if 
 any fhould fay to him, How dare you go to 
 fuch ■ an one, whom you have fo provoiied ? 
 
3 $3 Ifaiah -$3. 
 
 he wauld anfwer, Becaufe I have a friend before 
 me, that will make moyen for me ; and when by 
 that friend's moyen he gets a favourable hearing, 
 and his fuit granted, he comes away rejoicing, 
 prof effing his great obligation to that friend : !>a 
 is it here, as to the thing ; though, as was faid, 
 we would guard againft carnal conceptions, or 
 taking up God and. the Mediator as diftin<& 
 Parties, to be made application to. We fhall in- 
 
 V er fe 12. Serm. 70. 
 
 fift no further for the time : O that. there were 
 ferioufnels to improve his blood* and fstisfafti- 
 on, for wafhing us from the guilt of fin, and for 
 making our peace with God ; and his intereeffiom/ 
 for upholding our peace and communion with 
 God, and for the attaining of every gocd fiat 
 he hath purchaied and promifed, which is the 
 fum of all ! God help us to the pra&ice of it, 
 and to be confcientious in it. 
 
 SERMON LXX. 
 
 Ifaiah Hii. 12. ■ A ad be made inter cejjion for the tranfgrejfors. 
 
 ALthough this be a mod necefTary thing, 
 and that whereof we have daily and hour- 
 ly ufe, even to be improving Chrift's inter- 
 ceffion ; and altho' it be one of the moll excellent 
 
 and moft comfortable things that a Chriftian 
 bath to look to in his walk, there being no con- 
 dition, but there is a ready help for it here : Yet 
 this is our finful mifery, that either through our 
 blindnefs, or our indirrerency, we are much out 
 of capacity to improve aright fo rare a privi- 
 lege : For as much as we have heard of it, are 
 there many of us that.can tell how Chrift's inter- 
 ceffion is to be improved f Sure we may know, 
 that if ever we do it, there is no thanks to us for 
 the doing of it ; and indeed it is of fuch a na- 
 ture, that we even cannot well tell, whether it 
 be better to fueak of it, or to be filent, being fo 
 little able to make any thing plain, of fuch a 
 rnyfterious, yet very concerning thing.. 
 
 Ye may remember the dottrinz that we propo- 
 fed to fpeak to was this, c That our Lord Jefus 
 : * hath this for a part of his office, to make in- 
 * terceffion for tranfgreffors. ' Being a real 
 Prie.ft, he not only offers a facrifice, but goes 
 in, and hath gone within the vail, with the 
 Tertue of his facrifice, to appear before God in 
 Jieaven for us : As all the offices of Chrift are 
 advantageous, and would be ftudied by us, and 
 We would ftudy them well *, this hath many ad- 
 vantages with it, and we would improve it, left 
 Wefruitrateour ielves of the clutter of privileges 
 that is in this one do&rine, that Jefus Chrifl 
 makes interccilion for tranfgrelfors, or finners. 
 
 We fhewed the laft day, wherein the improving 
 of Chrift's interceffion doth confift : We mall now 
 jnftance iome cafes, wherein believers, in a fpe- 
 £ial manner, are to make ufe of it. 2. We flull 
 jgive fome dire&ions for clearing fome queftions, 
 .or for anfwering fome doubts about it. And, 
 3. We lhall afsi^n fome characters of fuch as are 
 fightly improving Chrift's intercefsion. 
 
 For the firft, Chrift's intercefsion ought to be 
 made ufe of, in as many cafes as are pofsibly inci- 
 cident to a believer 5 and therefore we are not to 
 reftria it to one cafe more thar. to another, al- 
 tho' indeed there be fome, wherein more efpeci« 
 ally we are called to improve it. Now, to clear 
 it, that there are fome cafes, wherein, in a fpe- 
 cial manner, the- believer is to make ufe of this 
 office, of Chrift's intercecding for tranfgreffors : 
 It may be inftanced in thefe,« 1. A believer hath 
 either liberty, or he is in bonds j and there 
 is a fpecial watchfulnefs called for in both thefe 
 cafes, that the intercefsion of Chrift be not fligh- 
 ted. 
 
 I/?, When he hath liberty, and hi* fpiritual 
 condition thrives, he prays, and his heart melts 
 in prayer ; he hath what he would have, the 
 exerciles of religion become pleafant, and he 
 hath no will to come from them. In this cafe 
 the believer is to beware, left he be (loin off his 
 feet, and misken Chrift's intercefsion \ for then 
 he is ready to think that he cannot but be well, 
 and his prayers cannot but be heard, becaufe he 
 gets liberty <o put them up ; and it's then often, 
 that there is hazard to lay lead weight on 
 Chrift's intercefsion. To improve Chrift's in* 
 tercefsion aright in fuch cafes, thefe two are to 
 be adverted to, 1. That his intercefsion be ac- 
 knowledged as the fountain and procuring caufe 
 of that liberty and livelinefs ; and fo we are to 
 carry a flopped mouth before God, and not to 
 boaftofit^* For (as we fhewj the pouring out 
 of the Spirit is a fpecial fruit of Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion, it being by vertue thereof that gifts are 
 given, and grace to worlhip God in a fpiritual 
 manner. 2. That we beware of thinking that 
 our prayers are in a iitnefs* or that they put \ja 
 in a iirnefs of accefs to God, becaufe of that li- 
 berty, except by vertue of Chrift's intercefsion, 
 more than if we had not a word to fay ; There is 
 
¥ 
 
 IB 
 
 Serm. 70 ' r . , ] f« iab ,V- 
 
 in our unbelief and preemption, a fecret inch***, 
 don to lay the weight of our acceptance on 
 our own liberty 5 whereas, Rev. 8. the. prayers, 
 of ali faints muft come up before, God, having 
 • -.e fmoke of his incenfe to make them accep-. 
 t. |e \ in which reiptft, in a cafe of liberty, 
 Child's intercefsion is made ufe of and impro- 
 Ven, when we are denied to our own liberty, and 
 it is not made the ground of our confident appli- 
 cation to God, but ChriiVs interceflion only. A- 
 gain, 2. When the believer is in bonds, in fome 
 eminent manner, fo that he cannot pray, he fcarce 
 hath a word to Ipeak to .God ; he goes, it's true, 
 about the duty, but he comes not fpced, his 
 prayer relifhes not. to himfelf; he is like one 
 peaking, but not praying, his heart is not war- 
 med ; neither is there/at ieaft to his own appre- 
 henfion, any connexion "betwixt his words; 
 whereupon he is ready to think, that his pray- 
 er is as good as no prayer, becaufe or that in- 
 clination that is in all of us, to reft on our own 
 praying, without making ufe of the inttrcefsion 
 ofChrft: The reafons why in this cafe we would 
 prtfs the ufe- making of his intercefsion, are thefe, 
 lfl, Left we faint and grow weary ift prayer, 
 which cannot but befai us, if his intercefsion be 
 net made ufe of. 2dly y Left we lofe the eftimati- 
 on of the excellent worth or ChriftV inttrcef- 
 fion; which is exceeding derogatory to him that 
 is mighty tcfave, and on vohem help is laid; and 
 it is especially for fuch a time and cafe, that 
 he is holden forth for an InterctfTor. Now, 
 there is atfoofdd improvement of Chrift's in- 
 tercefsion called for in this cafe, when the 
 believer is in bonds, and cannot fo much"as 
 fi^h, but it's called in queftion, whether il be 
 accepted, tho' yet the man is ferious. 1. There 
 is an improving ofit, for obtaining ofthatwhich 
 we have been aiming at, tho* we cannot tell 
 our own tale ( to ipeak fo ) nor open cur caufe, 
 nor make known our requefts to God ; yet, to 
 expeel: what we have been aiming at, and feek- 
 ing after, by vertue of Chrift'sit tercefs'cu, for 
 as ill let together as our prayer hatn be n, be- 
 caufe it is founded upon the intercefsion of the 
 Mediator, and we expeel: a hearing on that ac- 
 count alier-arly ; it be:; reTsion that 
 makes our prayers accept; - make fuch a 
 poor prayer acceptable alio ? Whereupon the 
 foul refts quiet, and expects a hearing on this 
 ground, becaufe, as we (aid the prayers of all 
 laints go up from his center, and with his in- 
 cenfe ; and none are caft back, that are put up 
 through -him,, and by vertue of his intercefsion* 
 Hence fometimes locks, fometirr.es thoughts, 
 Sometimes broken words and groans coine up 
 
 Verfe 12". 3J9 
 
 before God, are acceptable, and get a return j 
 the reaion is, becaufe, through the intercefsion' 
 of the Kec'iator, the prayers of all faints are ac- 
 ceptable. This is even as if a man Ihould credit 
 his able advocate with the managing of his 
 cauie, altho! he. cannot (to f peak ib) mouth-band 
 his own tale, nor exprefs himfelf fatisfyingly to 
 himfelf in it j hence we have thefe words often, 
 John 14. 16. Whatever ye ask in my name be- 
 lieving, ye flail receive, and, whatever ye ask in 
 my name, I will do it ; that is, when ye ground 
 the expectation of your hearing, and fpeedco- 
 ming in prayer, on me, and my mediation. When 
 folks, becaule of their Ihort-comings in prayer, 
 give over the expe&ation of a hearing, and are- 
 turn, they give over, in fo far, the laying of due 
 weight on his intercefsion : only ye would re- 
 member the terms, on which a perfon is war- 
 ranted to make ule of his intercefsion; for, w hen 
 we follow not his way, in the. improving of it, 
 we cannot expect to come fpeed, or get good 
 by it. 2. A believer in his bonds would expeel: 
 a loofing, through the vertue of his intercefsio© • 
 And this is another way, how we wou'd im- 
 prove it in this cafe, when we are bound up, and 
 (tofp^ak fo) langled, that we cannot ftir in pray- 
 er, then we would have an eye to* the eflica:y of 
 Chrift's interceision, (that is of continual vi- 
 gor and efficacy, even when we are very dead, 
 indifpofed, .and lifelefs ) for the attaining of 
 liberty and livelinefs>: This is indeed to caft 
 a look to him, and fingly to improve the effi- 
 cacy of his mediation, when we cannot fpeak 
 one word, to work up cur felves to a difpofiti- 
 on for that work ; and. thefe two go well to- 
 gether, , to be improving his interceilion for 
 obtaining what we need for the time prefent, and • 
 for the time to come, and when we are in bonds, 
 to be improving it for liberty and freedom. 
 idly, There is an ufe- making of Chrift's in- 
 1 terclsion called for, both when we aimtoob- 
 > tain any thing, and when we have 'obtained that 
 which we would be at. 1. In our aiming to have 
 or obtain, we would improve it, that our ad- 
 dreffes to Go'd may be in his name, and our 
 faith of obtaining may be founded on Chrift's 
 interctflion, and not on our own, and that our 
 faith may be ftayed and fixed in expectation of: 
 the thing : The improving of Chrift's intercef- 
 fion in this refpaci leads us-, 1/?, To the right 
 way of profecuting our fuits to God. And, idly, 
 It quiets and iixes us in expecting of an anfwer ; 
 and, when this is wanting, Chriftians are either 
 . difcouraged, and know not how topurfue their 
 caufe, or dfe they are carnally fecure agd prefump- 
 E e e tu- 
 
•39« J f a ' lah K- 
 
 tuous, which is very ordinary, for either, as I 
 have (aid, we are under an anxious fear, fo that 
 ■we know not how to go about duty with any 
 liope of fuccefs •, or elfe we grow fecure ar.d flack, 
 and carelefs in duty. 
 
 ldly> There is an ufemsking of Chrift's in- 
 terceffion, when we have obtained any benefit, 
 which keeps the foul in his common and debt, 
 and in acknowledging itfelf to be his debtor. 
 This makes Chrifttans, when they have gotten 
 any thing, to be humble, and helps them to a 
 fan&ified ufe of the thing received ; whereas, 
 when this is forgotten, though perfons may be 
 feemingly humble, when they are praying for a 
 thing in his name ; yet, when they have gotten 
 it, they grow carnal, and fome way wanton ; 
 and he is forgotten, as if the benefit had never 
 come from him : But on the other hand, when 
 there is an acknowledgment of Chrift's interces- 
 sion, when any trlffig is obtained, it kee'ps, as I 
 faid, the perfon humble and holily afraid, when 
 it hath gotten, as well as when it was fceking ; 
 atid it makes warrie in ufing and fearful to a- 
 "bufe any benefit received, left it be found a wrong 
 and indignity done to Chrift and hisinterceflion. 
 %dly, We may inftance the improving of Chrift's 
 interceflion, both in a mod fad, and in a mod 
 cheerful condition ; in reference to both which, 
 we fliould make ufe of Chrift's intercefiion : and 
 it being readily one of thefe conditions that we 
 are in, either a more fad, or more cheerful one, 
 we Ihould think ourfelves defc&ive and faulty 
 as to our duty, when we fuit and conform not 
 ©ur way to our condition. 
 
 i . If it be a more fad condition, whether we be 
 fpiritually fad, the foul ibeing heavy, and re- 
 fusing to be comforted, or whetlier we be under 
 a temporal outward difconfolate condition, there 
 is an ufe- making of Chrift's interceffion called 
 for in both ; for a believer cannot be in any fo 
 difconfolate a condition, but he may draw, re - 
 frefhing from this fountain, in reference there- 
 to ; and when we make not ufe of his inter- 
 cefsion in each, as it occurs, either anxiety and 
 <difcouragement grows, or we turn to fome un- 
 warrantable and crooked mean or way for an 
 out- s.te from fuch a difconfolate condition. 
 
 Now. to make ufe of, and to improve Chrift's 
 intercefsion aright, in fuch a difconfolate con- 
 dition- ard cafe, i. The foul would gather, and 
 compofe itfelf, to fearch and fee what is ufeful 
 5i*Chrift's ir.t. reels ion for its cafe, feeing that 
 fad cafe c^r.not be imagined, but Chrift's inter- 
 Cefsion is a cordial for it, upon which, as a to* 
 lid ground, v chc ; foul may : be quiet, # that it can- 
 rcos milcarrv in that, for which it "is now Tn fo 
 
 Verf ? I2 ; • Serm. 70. 
 
 much bitternefs, feeing Chrift Jefus hath the 
 management of its cafe and caufe : f^ence it may 
 region thus, Although I was unwatchful, and 
 this condition came on me unawares, and I was 
 furprifed with it, yet it's not any furprife to 
 him: He was not fleeping, though I was; he-, 
 knew what was coming, tho' I knew not •, there- 
 fore this will not hurt nor prejudge my rruin 
 c.uife.becaufe it comes through his hand. 2.There 
 is an "improvement of his intercefsion in this cafe, 
 when the out-gate, tho* defperateas to us, is yet 
 hopeful,by vertue thereof ; and when this is made 
 the only or main ground of our hope, to wit, that 
 there is a Friend at the court of heaven, who can 
 order our caufe, and make fuch a thing work for 
 our good, it puts fpirits in us to pray,and activi- 
 ty to go about the ufe of the means ; whereas, 
 when we ufe not the means, or ufe them without 
 due refpe& to Chrift's intercefsion, the bufinefs 
 becomes heartlefs, hopeltis, and- defpe rate. 
 
 ; 2.!f our condition be, or ieem to be more fola- 
 cious and cheerful, there would, be an improving 
 of Chrift's intercefsion, left our cheerfulnefs grow 
 carnal, which it cannot otherwife be, but when 
 he is acknowledged to be thcAuthor of our folace 
 and cheerfulnefs; when he is depended upon for 
 the continuance of it, and when the praife of it is 
 returned to him, it bounds the heart, that there 
 is rio accefsto grow carnal: in which rcfpedl:, thefe 
 things wherein others grow carnal, fuch as health, 
 ftrength, meat, drink, apparel, commodious ( 
 dwelling,the recovery of themfelvcs,of their chil- 
 dren, or of other near relations or dear friends 
 from ficknefs, (?<r. are thus fpiritualized, and 
 made fpiritually refrefhing to the people of God, 
 becaufe there is an uptaking of them, as coming 
 through Chrift's intercefsion, and a returning of 
 thanks to him for them ; hence, Heb, 13. 1*5. it's 
 faid, By blm therefore, let us effcr.tbe facrijices of 
 pra'ije to God> there b_ing the fame accefs to 
 praife in our fpiritual cheerfulnefs, that there 
 is to pray in our heavinefs and difficulties ; He 
 that is the ground, on which we ought to found 
 our prayer, is alfo the ground on which we ought 
 to build our praifes ; and it's he that puts life in 
 and value upon the one and the other. 
 
 4tbly, We may inftance it in this cafe, when the 
 believer is under challcnges,it's then a fpecial fea- 
 fon to make ufe of Chrift's intercefsion.and to put 
 the libel in his hand to anfwer it ; which is done 
 by faith's reftin^ on him as -a Prieft, for the ob- 
 taining of an ablolution from that charge, altho' 
 we cannot anfwer it our felves, yet expc&in^ an > 
 aniwer through him, according to that famous 
 place, Rem* i v 34. W&efhaU lay any thing to the 
 
 cbargt 
 
Serm. 70. * Jfaiab $3. 
 
 charge of God's eJeB ? Who will libel them ? A- 
 mong; other reafons of the interrogation, which 
 hath the force of a negation,this is one; It's Cbrifl 
 'to bo died, yea rather to bo h'rifen again, who 
 is at the right hand of God , making inter eejji- 
 en for us. This furnifheth an anfwer to the 
 : cbarge put in their hand; or, when the believer 
 is under calmnejs and tranquillity, his interceffi- 
 on would be itnproven ; for there cannot be a 
 fanctified calmnefs, without depending on him, 
 by vertue of whofe fatisfadtion and procurement 
 we have it, and by vertue of whofe interceffion 
 it's continued. 
 
 The reafens why we have hinted at thefc 
 things, are, 1. To hold out to you the concern- 
 ment of Chrift's intercefion ; for we cannot be in 
 That cafe, but the believer hath therein to do 
 with it. 2. To fhew our great obligation to God, 
 who /bath given us fuch an Interceffor for all 
 thefc cafes : In this one word there is ftwred up 
 a treafure of confblation, for all cafes that a Chri- 
 (lian can be in. 3. That we may be helped to 
 •ur duty of improving and making ufe of him, 
 according to the feveral cafes we are, or may be 
 in .* For tho' his intercefllon be mainly to be 
 made ufe of, when we come to pray ; yet not 
 only then, but at other times, and in other cafes, 
 as when we fear any hazard, when we need any 
 good thing, when we expect it, or would be 
 cheerful on the receipt of it; and when we are 
 4n any difficulty, and know not what to do, we 
 will* find fomething called for from us> in re- 
 ference to his offices, and to this in particular. 
 4. Becaufe this ufe-making of Cbrift's inter- 
 ceffion, commends Chrift, and makes him love- 
 ly to us : And indeed, that winch makes belie- 
 vers think fo little of him, is in part, at leaft, 
 the little improving of his interceffion, which 
 "fhould be made ufe of in the leaft things, if 
 it were when we need any thing, in our thought 
 to look up to God, through him, and to 
 found the hope of our getting it on this ground, 
 becajife there is an Interceffor. If this were 
 the practice of believers daily, tqey would fee 
 a necefsity of thinking much of him ; O when 
 will we be fcrious and conftant'in the ufe-ma- 
 king of this part of hrs office! <$. Becaufe 
 it may ferve alfo^ for ground of conviction to 
 many that are called Chrittians, and who go 
 through many cafe* and difficulties, and yet 
 know not what it is to acknowledge him in his 
 , intercefsion. Oit's a fad thing for folks to bear 
 the siame of ChrifHans, and yet if they want any 
 good thing, and can get it another way, they 
 neglect and misken him ; and if it be well with 
 them 3 and if they obtain what they would have, 
 
 Verie 12. 391 
 
 they facriflce to their, own net,,and he is flighted. 
 
 The next thing in order is, to remove fome 
 tb)i&icn'r.> and to anfwer fome queflions con:er- 
 ning this improvement of ChritVs intercellion, 
 in the manner that we have fpoken of; and there 
 will readily be {tore of them in our carnal minds. 
 Now, for the removing of thefe objections or 
 doubts, I fliall lay down fome grounds for di- 
 rection, that may anfwer any doubt of that kind, 
 which may arife, partly from the doctrinal, part- 
 ly from the practical part of this doctrine ; it be- 
 ing a puzzling piece ofexercifeto fome, that they 
 think they know not how to improve Chrift's in> 
 terceffion, or that they never did it aright, o» 
 poflibly both thefe may be their exerciie. 
 
 The \fl ground I would lay down,isthis, Thai 
 ye would remember, that there is an unfearch* 
 ablenefs in this myftery of the Godhead, in tha 
 myftery of God's becoming Man, and in the my- 
 ftery of the Mediator his taking on thefe offi* 
 ces, to exercife them in our. nature ; and, in 
 fpeaking or thinking of them, . there is a neceffity 
 to filence that which our curiofity would propofe^ 
 for fatisfadtion about them ; as, namely, How 
 there are, or can be three Perfons in the God- 
 head, and yet but one God ? How one of thefe 
 Perfons can be Man ? and how it is, that by him 
 We have accefs to God the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghoft ? There is filence required in the bow 
 of thefe things, which leads to the next di re&fon. 
 
 idly, We wcu'd ftudy fattsfaction in. the mu- 
 ter of the truth itfelf. rather than to be poring in» 
 to the manner or b.w of profound my ileries, e» 
 fpecially fu:b as concern the "bleffed God heady 
 which is higher than the heavens, broader than 
 the earth, and deeper- than the Jea ; That is,(as we' 
 hinted at before) we would ftudy rather to know 
 that there is luch a thing, than b:w it is: As* 
 in this particular, we know t,hat the Son of God 
 became Man, took on our nature, and in our na- 
 ture died, rofe again, and afcended to heaven, 
 fat down on the right hand of God, and makes 
 intcrceflion for us; thefe are clear : But if we ask 
 fow thefe things can be, that God can be Man, 
 and that two natures can be in one Perfon, and 
 how God can interceed, they are things muck 
 above our reach, and not fo properly the object 
 of our faith, (I fay, as to the b:vo of them) and 
 our confolation lies not fo much in knowing bovr 
 fuch' a thing is, as in knowing that it is: And I 
 make no queftion, but there are many who pray 
 in faith, becaufe tjiere is an Intero-ifor* who, 
 if the queftion. were asked, how he performs 
 that work? they could not tell well, if at all; 
 thefe that can tell molt of it, are but very 
 E e e 2 i^- 
 
3 £2 . 1 fat ah $V 
 
 ignorant of It, and can tell but little ? The Lord, 
 in his goodnefs, hath h ordered the matter- that 
 he hath given grounds for the faith of his people, 
 to walk on in th.ir duty, but will not fatisfy 
 In i • curiofity. And truly, if we will ferioufly 
 i we will find, that thefe things which 
 vex us, are qurftions about the man 
 . about tjje matter of things : we do 
 rjot doubt, th it the ^onof God is God ; that the 
 t is God j and th st he proceeds from 
 i ^d the Son ; that the fecond Perfon 
 3. Trinity became Man, S5c. But the per- 
 plexing qucilion^s. Hrv thefe things are, or 
 i he Lord hath made it neceflary to be 
 beli«ve;f, there is one God, arid three Per- 
 
 sons in the. Godhead : But to be in reafon fatif- 
 as to the bow., or manner of their fubfi'lence 
 and operations, that is not required as nece/Tary; 
 io is it here, in this matter of Chrift's inttrcefli- 
 ori: And therefore this fecond dire&ion is, that 
 ye would ftudy clearnefs in the grounds thV ye 
 are to go upon, in the ufe-makmg of his inter- 
 Ceflion : but ye would not be curious in feeking 
 farisr'afHon about the bow, or manner ofit. 
 
 3. In our addreffes to God, and in our im- 
 proving cfChriiVs inU-rceflion, we would beware 
 of imagining, or framing in our imagination, re- 
 prefentations to ourfelves of him, who is the Ob- 
 ject of our worfhip : or of the manner of the Me- 
 diator's intercession, as if we had feen him, or 
 heard him with our bodily eyes or ears ; a thing 
 that fometimjs is fafhious and troublefom, as 
 well as it is finful, and which we are not called 
 to ; yea, • if it were pofsible to attain to any re- 
 prefentation of this kind, yet it's but a repre- 
 ienntion of our own forming, and fo a breach of 
 the fecond command: And therefore, in going 
 'to God through the Mediator, never reprefent 
 to your felves one Party (landing beiide, or by 
 another, for that is but a diverting of the foul 
 from the exercife of faith on a purely fpiritual 
 and fimple Object, and derogatory to the Maje- 
 fly of God ; and whenever fu:h reprefentations 
 a*e made, or rile in the imagination, or in the 
 mind, God would be looked to, for crufhing of 
 them. It's from this that many of our doubts and 
 queflions arife ; and there is no loofing of them, 
 hut by the abandoning of them : If there were 
 a pofsibility to conceive fomething like God, yet 
 the Lord abhorreth that ; and Deut. 4. i*. & 12. 
 36. all fimilitudes and reprefentations of God 
 are difcharged. 
 
 4. In our addrefles to God through the Medi- 
 ator, we would reft our faith on v-hat is revealed 
 if)\h'c word, feeking rather to take up G6d and 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 70.' 
 
 Chriit, as they are revealed in it, than, without 
 the word,to feek fatisraftion to our cur iollty : We 
 would, from the word, ftudy to take up the at- 
 tributes of God, his omnileience, ommpotency, 
 omniprefence, wifdom,. grace and mercy, purity 
 and holinefs, fovereignty, and abtolute dominion 
 in guiding all ; an t fuch an infinite 
 
 ciiilance. from, and infinitely above ail Creatures, 
 that thereby a right imp region of God may be 
 wrought in the iuart : We vYould.likewife itudy 
 clearnefs in the promifes, ?.n<i concerning Chrift 
 and his offices ; and, in applications to God, we 
 would fix our faith on tjaefq known grounds, be- 
 lieving we fliall be heard *, and being quiet on that. 
 Mcfes, Exoil. 33. is. under a vehement longing to 
 fee God, J be fee cb the. \ faith he, jh'ew me thy glo~ 
 ry ; the Lord tells 'urn, that he cannot fee it, and 
 live, but be will mate hisoscdnefsfafs before btm, 
 he will let him fee as - leei ; and, Chap. 
 
 34. when he gives h£ui his amwe.r, it is not any 
 glorious vifible brightness he lets him fee, but 
 he pro :laims his name to him, I/jc? Lrdfhe Lord 
 God. merciful and gracious, &c. And comparing 
 the words with the i:opc, it -fays, that there .can 
 be no faving uptaking of God, but as he is'rer- 
 vealed in the word ; And that way we are to be 
 fixed in the faith of the excellency that is in 
 him ; and in going to him by prayer, through 
 the Mediator, we would guard againft any re- 
 prefentation, and fix our faith on clear promifes 
 and attributes, as fcripture holds him forth. 
 
 5. vVe would endeavour rather to have a 
 compofed frame of fpirit, with holy reverence, 
 in the exercife of fear, faith and love, and of 
 other fpiritual graCfes, than to fill our under- 
 (landing with thing's merely fpeculative, and 
 lefs pra&'ical and profitable ; and fuppfiong that 
 we are in fome meafure cjear in what is revea- 
 led of God, and of his attributes and promifes in 
 the word, in as far as may found our faith, and 
 wajjrand us to p.ut up fuch and fuch fuits to God 
 through the Mediator, and that we come to him 
 in holy reverence, w r e are rather to exercife our 
 graces, and have an eye downward, in reflec- 
 ting on our felves, feeking to be clear in what 
 \s called for in a worfhipper of (jod, than to be 
 curioufly poring a )d prying into the Object of 
 our worfhip inmftlf : And therefore let this be 
 well ftudied, even to be up,at that wherein we are 
 clear, and which we do not queftion, nor make 
 any doubt of^ as, namely, that we mould be in a 
 . competed framd of fpirit, in holy reverence, and 
 /under the dye imprefsion of the Majefty of God, 
 , and ther there will be the lefs hazard, ifany.at 
 all, ot going wrong ) whereas, if' we divert from 
 
 this 
 
Serm. 71. ■ J f alah K> 
 
 this, and feek to fatisfy our felves in the bora, or 
 "manner of up-taking of God, we will hut mire 
 'our felves, and mar the frame of our own fpi- 
 rits, and bring our felves under an incapacity of 
 going about duty rightly. 
 
 This "much we have fpoken on the third 
 part of the ufe of exhortation, wherein we allow 
 a foberand folid lijv.taking of the things of God, 
 and in as far as may be profitable for founding 
 " 'of our faith, . and for guiding of our practice, 
 but not to fatisfy curio fity ;. for it" we once go 
 to chafe, and follow queftion upon q.ieftion, in 
 
 SERMON LXXI. 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 12. — ■ And made inter c ejjion fir the tranfgrejfors. 
 
 IT is a great mercy, that God hath beftowed * confider how the Mediator is,the Object of our 
 fuch a Mediator on flnners, that he hath gi- prayer, or how he "may be prayed unco. 3. A, 
 
 word more particularly, in reference to the 
 form of fome particular petitions, and: to what 
 feems. molt warrantable from the word in thefe. 
 4. We fhall anfwer fome ^practical doubts that 
 have, or may have fome puzzling influence on 
 .the confciences of fome Chriitians: But, as I 
 
 Verfe \i\ ' 393 
 
 what concerns the doctrinal, and fpeculative* p, rt 
 of this doctrine, -we will run'our felves a-ground. 
 And therefore, G?>d having made thefe things 
 wherein our duty necefTirily lies clear, that 
 there is no hazard to go wrong in fingle follow- 
 ing of it, we ihou!d ftudy thefe things that are 
 clear, (which might be another dire&ion) and 
 hold us with, and at, what we are dear in, and 
 not fuflfer our minds to run out on either ground- 
 lefs or unprofitable fpeculalions. Cod himfelf 
 help to the fuitable practice x)f thefe tilings; 
 and to him be praife. 
 
 T is a great mercy, that God hath beftowed 
 _ fuch a Mediator on finners, that he hath gi- 
 ven fu:h an high Prieft 5 that can be touched with 
 the leeling of linners infirmities, fo as to make 
 intercefsion for them ; and O but it's a great 
 mercy to be helped to make right ufe of him! 
 When thefe two go together, to wit, a Saviour 
 •offered, furnifhed with all thefe offices of King, 
 Prieji and Prophet-, and a foul lanaified and guided 
 by the Spirit of God,in making ufe of him,accor- 
 ding to thefe offices, it's a wonderfully and uncon- 
 ceiveably gracious difpenfation: And it's no doubt, 
 a very valuable mercy to be helped to mak * ufe 
 oF this part of Chrift's office, to wit, his in- 
 tercefsion ; this is that, whereof we have begun 
 fome few days finceto fpeak' to you : And, for 
 the better clearing of it, we endeavoured to an- 
 fwer fome doubts, or queftions, that, it may be, 
 have arifen, and been tofTed in the minds of fome, 
 while we have been difcourfing. of, and open- 
 ing up this matter. That which we would now 
 fpeak a little to, is a fuhject of that nature, that, 
 corifidering our fhall ownefs in up-taking of thefe 
 things, we cannot eafily tell, whether it be bet- 
 ter to fpeak o f , or to forbear the fpeafcing of any 
 doubt or queftion, left one occafion anoiher ; 
 -and therefore, moft certainly, there would be 
 much frbriety here, and an abandoning of all 
 fMiiil curiofity, left un r eafonable and intem- 
 perate defires to know, either what is not to be 
 known, or what we cannot know, v mar and ob* 
 ftruct our improvement of what we do, or may 
 know. Several things doubted of may be mo- 
 ved and objected here ; but we fhall only fpeak 
 a word to the clearing of thefe four, 1. Some- 
 thing concerning the Object of worfhip, and 
 particularly *of prayer in general. 2. We fhall 
 
 faid, we had need, in fpeaking and hearing of 
 thefe things, ta be awed with fome deep impref- 
 fion of the Majefty of God on our hearts, led 
 we meddle carnally with matters of a moft (u- 
 blimely fpiritual and holyNature'. For clearing of 
 the firfl then, we lay down thefe affertions . The 
 lft whereof is, That as there isone worfhip, 
 fo there is no formal Object of worfhip but God ; 
 this is clear, becaufe the worfhipping of any 
 with divine worfhip, as namely, with believing 
 in them, or praying to them, fuppofes them to 
 have fuch attributes of Omniicience, Omnipo- 
 tency, Supremacy, SS>c. as are only agreeable to 
 the Majefty of God ; for we cannot pray to 
 One, but wemuft believe that he hears us, and 
 fo that he is Omnifcient ; that he is able to help 
 us, and fb Omnipotent ; that hels above all, and 
 fo Supreme ; as it is,R>m. 10.14. MowJhaU they 
 call ori him in whom they have not believed i 
 There can be no divine Object of worfhip to 
 fettle the foul upon, but where the eflential 
 attributes of the Godhead are; and it's on this 
 ground; that we reject invocation of faints and 
 angels : Adorability being the effential pro* 
 perty of the Majefty of God, as well as eternity 
 and immutability are; there can be no ador- 
 ing or worfhipping of any, but where there is 
 adorability in the Object that is worfhipped by 
 that worfhip ; and there is none capable 
 
$94- VA&d ** 
 
 worfhip but God, fupremacy being due and ef- 
 fential to him only. 2. That tho' there be three 
 Perfons in the glorious and bleffed Godhead, 
 diftincl:, yet there are not three diitinft Ob- 
 jects of worfhip, but one Obje& of worfhip on- 
 ly : The Father is not one Object of Worfhip, 
 the Son another, and the holy Ghoft a third ; 
 but the Father, Son, and holy Ghoft, are that 
 fame oneDbjeft ofworlhip; and when we pray to 
 one, we pray to all. The rea'.on is clear, Be- 
 caufe, tho' there be three Perfons in the God- 
 headset there is but one^efTence of the Godhead; 
 and the divine eirential "properties (which are 
 the grounds on which we adore God) are elTen- 
 tial, and agree to all the Perfons of the Godhead ; 
 the Father hath not one Omnipotency, and the 
 Son another, neither are there two Omnipotent^, 
 but one omnipotentGod-,and fo in other attributes - 
 they are the fame effential properties of the God' 
 head, and incommunicable: And therefore, tho* 
 the Father be another Perfon, and (as they ufe 
 to (peak) alius, yet he is not another Thing, 
 or aliudy but the fame God, with the Son, and 
 holy Ghoft : And altho' the Perfons have a real 
 diftin&ion amongft themfelves,yet none of them 
 are really diftinft from the Godhead ; and fo 
 there is but one Object of worfhip; and there- 
 fore, tho* (bmetimes all the Perfons be named, 
 yet it is not to fhew any diftincVion in the Ob- 
 ject of our worfhip, but to fhew who is the Ob- 
 ject of our worfhip, to wit, one God,, yet three 
 Perfons, one in three. 3. That tho' in prayer to 
 God, we may name either the Father, the Son, 
 or the holy Ghoft ; yet whoi'oever we name, it's 
 always the fame God, Father, Son and holy 
 Ghoft, that is worfhiped ; and this followeth 
 well on the former, and may be the ufe of it : 
 For, if the Father be God, and if we worfhip 
 him as God, we cannot worfhip him, but we 
 muft worfhip the Son and holy Ghoft with him, 
 becaufe they are the fame God, having the fame 
 •flfential attributes : And therefore, 4. Whenfo- 
 ever we pray to and name one of the Perfons, 
 we would not conceive that he is lefs worfhipped, 
 that is not named, or that we pray lefs to him that 
 is not named ; as it may be in the fame prayer, 
 when a perlon begins at firft, henames»the Fa- 
 thered when he his proceeded alittle,he names 
 the Son : Men would then beware of thinking 
 that there is a difference in the Object they are 
 praying to ; or, as if they began to pray to one 
 of the Perfons, and now they are praying to a- 
 nother, as a diftinft Party ; for it is ftill the 
 fame God, who is the ObjeA of worfhip. We 
 obferve it, to teach you calmnefs, fobernefs, 
 and com pofe duets of frame, in approaching to 
 
 Verfe 12. Serfn. 71. 
 
 God ; wherein folks would beware of curious 
 tofTing in their mind, and imagination, what 
 may be the 4 Objeit of their worlhip, and of fuf- 
 fering it to run in an itchingly curious, way on 
 the dittin&ion of the Perfons; but would ftay 
 their mind upon one God in three Perfons, and 
 feek after no more. 
 
 The 2d is, How the Mediator is the Obje& 
 of our prayers, or may be prayed unto ? And 
 for clearjj ig o£ this, we would propofe thefe con- 
 fiderations, i« That it is a certain truth, that 
 the Perfon that is the Mediator, is the Object 
 of our worfhip, and may be prayed unto, becaufe 
 he is God, the fecond Perfon of the Godhead ; 
 and therefore, Afts 7. at the clofe, a direct prayer 
 is put up to him by Stephen, Lord Jefus >init\x 
 he, receive my fpirit. 2. We fay this; That the 
 adoration and worfhip that is given to the Me- 
 diator, is n»t of any diftin& kind from that a - 
 doration and worfhip that is given to the Fa- 
 rher, and to the holy Ghoft, but the fame fu- 
 preme divine worfhip, for he is the fame God 
 with the Father and holy Qhoft ; and altho' he 
 be a Mediator, it derogates nothing from his 
 Godhead : And the fcripture fpeaking of no di- 
 vine worfhip but one, we are therefore not ta 
 conceive him to be worfhipped with lefs confi- 
 dence, fear, or reverence, than the other Perfons 
 of the Trinity ; for there is no fuch worfhip in 
 fcripture : and to give him lefs, would derogate 
 from the Majefty of Jt fus Chrift, who is God 
 equal with the Father, and the Spirit; for, al- 
 tho*, as Mediator, he be inferior to the Father, 
 yet the Perfon whom we worfhip, is God equal 
 with the Father, and the holy Ghoft. 3. The 
 worfhipping of Jefus Chrift Mediator, and the 
 giving of him divine worfhip, is not the wor- 
 fhipping of any other Object, but of the fame, 
 to wit, . God, whe is made iiefh, and ismanifeft- 
 ed in our nature, by the union of the fecond 
 Perfon of the Godhead, with the humane nature 
 which he has affumed and taken to him ; upon 
 which it follows, that Jefus Chrift muft be the 
 fame Orje& of worfhip, and that our worfhip- 
 ping of him, is the worfhiping of God, and that 
 our praying to him, is praying to God the Father, 
 Son and Spirit : And there is reafon to take 
 heed to this,* becaufe, when we in prayer are 
 fpeaking to the Mediator, thoughts may fteal 
 in. as if we were not fo immediately and directly 
 fpeaking to God, as when we name the Father. 
 4. Confider, that Chrift Jefus being worfhipped 
 with this divine worfhip, as the one Object of 
 worfhip (for as we fhew there qannot be two 
 Objects of divine worfhip) it will follow, that" 
 
 Chrift 
 
Serm. 71. Jfalab $3. 
 
 Chrift jefus as God is worfhipped ; for tho it 
 be the Perlon that's Mediator and Man, that is 
 worfhipped, yet it is not the Perfon as Man, 
 but as God, that is worihipped : And the rea- 
 fon is clear, becaufe it's not Chrilt Jefus as Man, 
 but as God,that hath thefe properties of God, to 
 bj oranifcient, omnipotent, infinite, iupreme, a- 
 dorable, C5V. Andtherefbre,as,upon the one hand, 
 we fay, that Chritt-God died, and fufFered, be- 
 caufe he being God and Man in one Perfon, the 
 Perfon that was, and is God, died and iurFered, 
 tho* the Godhead ^id not fufFe r, neither can 
 fuiFer : So, uponthe other hand, we fay, that 
 Chrift-Man is prayed unto, becaufe he who is 
 God-Man is prayed unto as God ; but tho' 
 there be an union of the two natures in the Me- 
 diator's Perfon, and tho' the properties of the 
 one nature be fometymes attributed to the other, 
 becaufe of the ftraitnefs of the union, yet we 
 rauil ftill keep the properties of each na- 
 ture diftinit, and in our worfhip-application 
 to him, confider him accordingly : As to be 
 finite, agrees to his humane nature, and is to 
 be attributed to that ; and to be in£nite,agrees to 
 liis divine naturc,and is to be attributed to him 
 in refpeit of that. To clear it a little, (if it be 
 poflible for us to clear it) we mud conceive, in 
 our worlhipping of God in the Terfon of a 
 Mediator, a threefold Object of our worfhip ; 
 (for {q divines ufe to diftinguifh, and we would 
 bold us do fs by them) 1. 1 he material Object, 
 or the Object which we worfhip, that is the 
 Perfon we pray to. 2. The formal Object of 
 eur worfhip, or that which is the ground or 
 account on which we worfhip that perfon. 3. 
 The Object of our conf deration y in our worfhip- 
 ingof that Perfon, on that account. As for in- 
 ftance, (i.; The Man Chriit Jefu3, is the Perfon 
 wiiomwe worfhip, or pray unto. But (^2.) The 
 formal Object of our worfhip is Chrift's God- 
 head, and we pray to him on that account, be- 
 caufe he is the Eternal, Infinite, Omnipotent, 
 Supreme, £5V. in refpect-of his divine Nature. 
 (3.) In our worfhipping of thisMediator, on this 
 account, or ground, the mind may be fwayed to 
 it, on confideration, that the .Perfon whom we 
 'worfhip as God, is alfo Mediator and Man; 
 and this propofes no new Object of .worfhip, 
 but gives a motive to induce us to worfhip him, 
 and warms the heart with love to him : As, when 
 we go to pray to him, the mind may confider 
 him as One that di -d ; now, fo confidered., 
 he is not the Object of our worfhip, became it 
 holds him out as humbled and iufKring, yet 
 our fo confidering him, ftrengtberis* faiin to 
 expect what we need from him ; and it indu- 
 
 Verfe 12. 395 
 
 ces to pray to him, and engages to love him-: 
 Even as the people of Ifrael, in praying to God, 
 fometimes' uied that title, Our Redeemer that 
 brought ut out of Egypt ; yet the ground, and 
 account on which they worfhipped him; was hi$ 
 being the eternal, infinite and omnipotent God ; 
 and the confideration of his works were but mo- 
 tives to induce them to worfhip him, and to 
 ftrengthen their faith, in expecting what they 
 flood in need of from him : So is it here ; for 
 if it were poffible to conceive, that the Mediator 
 that died, were not God, we would not pray to 
 him, for God is the alone Object of divine wor- 
 ship ; yet , to confider, that he is God, and yet 
 died, is an inducement to us to pray to him, 
 and itjftrengthens our faith,to confider,that as he 
 is God, fo alio ..Man,- One'-that died, and hath 
 alfo entred himfelf in this near relation to us. 
 
 For the 3d, (which will help to clear the for- 
 mer) that is, the forms of fuch petitions as may 
 be ufed in petitioning the Mediator ; we need 
 the lefs to ftand on it, if (as hath been faid) we 
 hold us by thefe grounds, 1. That there is but' 
 one Object of worfhip. 2. That this one Ob- 
 ject of worfhip, is God. 3. That in worfhip- 
 ping the Mediator, we do not divide that Ob- 
 ject of our worfhip. Yet we fhall fpeak a word 
 for clearing, 1. What form feems moft allowable 
 here. 2. For clearing of fomew hat, which we 
 hinted at the other, day, anent one particular 
 form of petition. 
 
 1. Then, this is clear, that we may pray di- 
 rectly to the Mediator, by naming him, as Ste- 
 phen does, Atts 7. at the clofe. 2. That the 
 Mediator, when prayed to, may be confidered as 
 fuch by us ; for there is a difference betwixt that 
 which is confidered by us, in the ait of our 
 worlliip, and that which is the Object of that 
 ait ; and (as we faid) the motive that induces 
 us to that act, is the uptaking of him as Media- 
 tor. 3. That he may be defigned Mediatcr and 
 Redeemer^ and may get thefe names and titles; 
 becaufe they ferve to ftrengthen our faith, and 
 to warm our affections to him ; even as when 
 the people of Jfrael prayed to God, they remem- 
 bered, that he was their Redeemer and Delfver- 
 er,and had wrought fo and fo for them ; and !«hefe 
 were motives to induce them to pray, and ierved 
 to ftrengthen their faith in praying to him • yet 
 the ground and account on vthUh they worfhip* 
 ped him, was his own infinite glorious Majefty. 
 4. It's clear, that when tbe Mediator is prayed 
 unto, fomething may he TougTit from him that 
 agrees to the office of the Mediator : For initance^ 
 he may be prayed unto, totake to him his gd- 
 
 -verniTi^ntj 
 
39° Jfaiab 53. 
 
 vernment, and to exerce it, to give gifts unto 
 men, to gather his own elc<5t, to make his will 
 effectuaf tor the ingathering of them, £$V. yet 
 even then a difference would be put betwixt the 
 poje<ft of our fuit, and the master we fuit 
 For, which belongs to him as Mediator ; yet, as 
 God, he is the Object of our fuit and prayer. 
 This feems to be hinted at, PJal. 45. when the 
 P/aiwiJ}, fpeaking to the Son the Mediator, fays, 
 Gtrd thy fvoord upon thy thigh, ride profperouf- 
 ly ; let the King's arrows bejharp in .the hearts 
 of bis enemies ; Which upon the matter feems 
 clearly to relate to Chrift's executing his. office 
 as Meduffor : Yet look to .the title he gives him, 
 and the ground or account on which* he puts up 
 his prater, it's the confideration of him as God ; 
 therefore, he fays, thou moft Mighty ! a divine 
 attribute, pointing him out "to be God : And, 
 Thy throne, O God, (faith he) is frtm cverlaft- 
 - ing, #c. 
 I Now, as for the id thing, If all this be grant- 
 ed, it may then be asked, why we feem not to be 
 fatisfied with that manner ofexpreflion,or form of 
 petition,which we hinted at the other day. Lord 
 Jefus y make intercefftcn for me, plead for me, 
 with, or before the father \ feeing we allow fuch 
 a petition as this, Lord Jefus, wake me par- 
 taker of thy inter cejftcn, and the like, as warrant- 
 ably, when put up with reverence and faith, 
 the fame Object or worfhip being invocate with 
 them both ? Anfwer 1. We fay, that the ufe- 
 making, and improving of Chrift's interceffion, 
 is not to be reftricted to this manner of exprel- 
 flon, or form of petition ; and it was for this 
 end that we obferved it : For it cannot be faid, 
 that only we make ufe of Chrift's interceifion, 
 when we ufe this form, and fo it's not eifential, 
 nor necefTary to the uie-making of Chrift's inter- 
 ceffion : This is the fault that is in it, as if 
 there were no ufe-making of his interceffion, but 
 when this form of petition is ufed ; whereas, we 
 fhew, th t it is mainly the exercifc of faith, re- 
 tting on his intercefsion, whereby it's improven ; 
 and one may be uiing this form of words, and 
 yet not be improving his intercefsipn ; and ano- 
 ther may not ufe this form of words, and yet be 
 improving it,when faith is exercifed on it: And 
 therefore, to improve his intercession, is rather 
 fry the exercife of faith to reft on it, than in 
 any fuel; form of words to pray to him ; and 
 we would not think, that Chrift's intercefsion 
 is made ufe of, when the Father is prayed un- 
 to, or when fuch a forth of words is ufed, but 
 place it in the exercife of faith alone. 2. We fay, 
 if fuch a petition be well understood and quali- 
 fied, it b not (imply fmful or evil J if lb be 
 
 Verfe 12. Sejm. 71. 
 
 our meaning amount to this much, Lord Jefus,' 
 let me be partaker of the benefits of thy inter- 
 cefsion ; even as we may pray. Lord Jefus, let me 
 be partaker of the benefits of thy fatisi'a&ion: 
 Yet we fay, it wouM be wel d and 
 
 qualified ; and a perfon, in j fuch a 
 
 petition, would advert well, that he be not play- 
 ing to any other objtcfc of worfhip, but God, 
 and that his meaning be the fame, as if he were 
 praying to the Father, arid fold, Father, let me 
 be accepted through the intercefsion or the Son** 
 And thus the one is an 'improving 01 Chrift's 
 intercefsion, as well as theWher ', 'for a-tho' the 
 altering of the nomination of the Perinn may 
 ftrengthen faith,yetit is never to be (o una 1 rftood, 
 as if there were, a different Object o r worfhip, 
 or, as if there were lefs accefs to thrill's inter- 
 cefsion, or to the benefits thereof, in the one 
 form than in the other.' Yef, 3, \* e fav,there is 
 often a readinefs to mifcarry in this form of peti- 
 tion ; for ye would confider and examine. (1.) If 
 itdpth not often flow from a mif-informed judg» ' 
 ment within, and if it had cot a tendency it it 
 to obfeure the nature of the unity of the Object 
 of our worfhip, and readily difpofing to, or flow- 
 ing from this opinion, that praying to the Me» 
 diatoris not the fame that praying to God is, 
 as if there were two diftinet Objects of wor- 
 fhip. Or, (2.) Iftherebe not a readinefs to con- 
 fider the Perfon that's Mediator, to be of lefs 
 Glory and Majefty than the Father, £rd to con- 
 fider the Father to be of lefs loving-kindnefs and 
 tendernefs to finners than the Son, and other 
 things of that kind, which move peop'e to put up 
 a fuit,*in fuch a form, which makes it more dif- 
 ficult to keep the thought? of one Object of 
 worfhip under fuch a form, than other wife. Yet 
 C4O We fay, it may be uled by, and accepted of 
 God, from many that have not that dillircY* 
 nefs an4 clearnefs in the ridding of their 
 thoughts in this myftery, that is requifite, be- 
 caufe there may be real faith under fuch a form 
 of Vvords, (tho' infirmity in the ufe making of 
 Chrift's intercefsion) andGod refp. e &s that where- 
 evef it is ; And under fuch a form,there may be 
 thofe two things, 1. A foul-fenfiblenefs, that the 
 perfon hath no accefs to God, but through a Me- 
 diator. 2. A refting on the Mediator for accep- " 
 tance ; and where thefe two are, tho 1 the form 
 be ufed, it may be accepted; altho' if faith be, 
 tho' this form be not, it mars not the perfon' s 
 acceptation .; For no queftion, many of the peo- 
 ple of God, both before Chrift came, and fome- • 
 time after, had not that diftinctnefs in ufe-ma- 
 king of the intercefsion of Chrift, as now is hol- 
 
 den 
 
Sefm. frt« Ifaub^y. 
 
 den forth, as Chrift fays to his difciplcs, Jchn 
 \ 1.6. 24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my 
 name; and CV#e/ia J,mentioned, u45j 10. and fl- 
 eers, their prayers were accepted of God, tho' 
 they refted by faith on the Mediator, in a more 
 confufed dark way, and had not that diftin&nefs 
 in them, of ufe-making of him, .which was after- 
 wards more clearly revealed. And therefore, 5. 
 and laftly,Tho' we will not be peremptory in con- 
 demning fuch a form altogether, yet we think it 
 largely as fafe to abftain from any fuch form of 
 words, in the ufe-making of Chrift's intercefli- 
 6n, as may have in thcra any appearance of, or 
 tendency to the dividing of the Object of our 
 Worfbi», or the Mediator from his Godhead, 
 cfpecialW in praying with, or for others, where 
 it may {tumble more than edify ; and when it is 
 ufed, it would be very warrily, and well guar- 
 ded, remembring always, that the improving of 
 Chrift's intercci&on confifts more in faith's refting 
 on it.and in making addreis to God through him, 
 and according to the ufual manner ofthefcrip- 
 ture, than in any other thine or way whatfoever. 
 The 4tb thing we propofed to fpeak a word to. 
 Was fome practical doubts or auefiions, that 
 may puzzle fome Chriftians, who, having obfer- 
 ved what hath been fpoken on this fubjeft, may 
 be ready to think, and fay, that the improving 
 of Chrifl's interccifion is to' them a greater my- 
 . (lery than ever it was : Many times they have 
 prayed, and minded it not \ and when they mind 
 it, they are not diftin& in their improving of it, 
 and they are never like to mind it. ror Anfwer, 
 1/?, Ye would look to what is efTential to the im- 
 proving of Chrift's interceffion, and make that 
 ' lure 5 and if ye ask what it is, it takes in thefe 
 four, which where they are, his interceflion is 
 made ufe of, tho' there may be unclearncfs in ma- 
 ny other things. 1. That a perfon pray to God, 
 that he be called on and worfhipped. 2. That 
 our addrefTes be not founded on anything in our- 
 felves, but that there be a renouncing of our own 
 righteoufnefs, as it was with Daniel ', Chap. 9. it. 
 We do not prefent cur fupplicaticns unto thee, 
 for our own righteoufnefs, &c. 3. That there be 
 a believing of our acceptation through Tefus 
 CHrift ; tho' there be a diftance betwixt God and 
 as, yet that there is a way, through the ufe-ma- 
 king of Chrift, to come over that diftance, and to 
 win at nearnefs to him. And, 4. Upon that ac- 
 count to enter our fuit, and to put up our pray- 
 er to God, with the one word difclaiming our 
 own righteoufnefs, and with the other pleading 
 on the account of God's mercy through Chrift, 
 as Darnel doth, Not for our right ewfnefs, but 
 for thy mercies fake 7 and for thy name's fake 5 
 
 Verfe 1-2- 397 
 
 Now, I fuppofe, that fouls mould not be able to 
 anfwer the leveral queft ions about the Objcft of 
 worfhip, and the way of improving of ChriiVs 
 interceflion; yet, if they call upon God, if they 
 renounce their own righteoufnefs, not knowing 
 any ground in themfelves to lean to, or to put 
 up their fuit on, and make ule of Chrift for the 
 ground of their acceptance with God; and if it 
 were asked them, What gives you ground to ex- 
 pect a hearing of your prayers ? they would an- 
 fwer, Even the fame that gives us ground to ex- 
 pect pardon of fin, and we would never er- . 
 pe& to win to either without a Mediator ; they 
 are amongft them who are improving Chrifl's 
 intercefsion, and fuch would fiience and hufb 
 other queflions,if they be clear in this. 2 dly. We 
 anfwer, That there may be a real ufe-making of 
 Chrifl's intercefsion, and it may be accounted 
 fo, where there is much indiflin<5lnefs in the up- 
 taking of it; as thefe inftances clear, of Cornelius* 
 A&s ic. and of the difciples, John 16. who 
 prayed not on the account of their own righte* 
 oufnefs, or of the covenant of works (for the^ 
 made confefsion of their fins) yet the Mediator, 
 and his intercefsion, was not fo diftin&ly, as 
 fuch, confidered by them ; in their fo doing, foe 
 they did not diftin&ly take up him, as Chrifl 
 fays, Hitherteye have ashed nothing in my name \ 
 yet there was an aftual reftine on him by faith ; 
 and their prayers were no doubt accepted of 
 God, he not being fo diftin&ly known to be the 
 IntercefTor, as now he is : and therefore there is 
 required a more diftinft ufe-making of htm now, 
 and not a refting ort him indefinitely, but parti- 
 cularly and diftin&ly, he being clearly revealed 
 now to be the Mediator, idly, We anfwer, That 
 Believers may fometimes be making ufe of 
 Chrift's intercefsion, in approaching to God-by 
 him, and yet they themfelves not know diftin&ly 
 that they are doing fo, as we fea in the dif- 
 ciples, John 14. 4« Chrift fays, Whither 1 go ye 
 know, and the way ye know ; and, v. 6.fpeaking 
 of coming to the Father by him, he fays, 1 am 
 the Way, the Truth > and the Life ; and yet, v. $+ 
 Thomas fays. Lord, we know net whither thouge* 
 eft, and bow can we know the way ? and the Lori 
 turns it over to him, and fays, that they have 
 both known him and the way. As arfo, belie- 
 vers may fometimes, through want of clearnefs 
 and diftinftnefs in this, what it is to make ufe 
 of Chrift's intercefsion, or becaufe they want 
 that meafure of diftinftnefs they would be at, 
 think that they are doing nothing, as to the ufe- 
 making of his intercefsion; and yet the work of 
 pod's Spirit, though they know it not well, 
 E f f may 
 
39$ ' Ifaiah ^. 
 
 may be leading them : for it's in this, as it is in 
 the ufe making of his fatisfaftion •, a believer 
 may be making ufe of ChriiVs fatisfa&ion, and 
 be julUfied by it, when he knows not that it is 
 fo, or poflibiy cannot well tell what it is to 
 make life of it ; which may 'quia any rilings or 
 realonin^s that may be in their minds about this 
 matter, \tbly. We aniwcr,That explicite thoughts 
 of Chiiil's mterceflion are not always necefia- 
 ry nor requifite for the ufe-making of it j even 
 as we are to defign Cod's glory, to our 
 , main end in all our undertakings, 4b we are to 
 - pray in the name of Chrift ; but as it is not re- 
 quilite, /that there be always, and all along the 
 a&ion, an actu r minding of God's glory, but 
 that being laid as our principle, which we walk 
 by, and the drain of our walk and conven- 
 tion tending to that end, it is and will be ac- 
 cepted before God, -a'tbo' there be not, in and 
 along every thing we do, explicate thoughts of 
 his glory : So is it in our praying in (Thrift's 
 name, and in improving of his intcrceflion ; 
 there may be a virtual, tho' not a» a&ual and 
 explicite refting on it, the foul having laid 
 down that for a ground and principle, that it's 
 rot for any thing in me that I do expect a hea- 
 ring, but it's through Chrift; and all the con- 
 fidence that I have to be heard, it's through 
 
 Verf e 12. Jk Serm. 72. 
 
 him. <,tbly, Weanfwer. That a poor foul, that 
 wots not well what to do in this ca.Ce> would eye 
 God's promife, to be guided in the ufe-makmg 
 of Chrift's interceflion, without anxiety, as it 
 is, John 16. 26. In that day ye JhaU ask in my 
 name y as if he had Paid, It hath been your fault, 
 that ye have not hitherto prayed in my name, 
 at lead with th-t dift m&nefs that ye ought ; .but, 
 I give you my word tor it, ye JhaU pray in my 
 name: And when through eonfufion we ar« 
 ready to faint, we would eye this ; promife, to 
 be guided in the ufe-making of his intercefli- 
 on. 6tbly, We would learn rather to hold us in 
 our worlhipping of God, with that which 
 is prafticai, and ferves to bring us under an 
 awe and reverence of the Majefty of God, than 
 giveourfelves to that which doth indifpofe and 
 dilquict us ; And I fhall clofe all with this word, 
 that we would even admire, how fouls are carried 
 and brought to heaven, that we ihould be fuffr- 
 r«d to pray, and that God breaks not out upon 
 us ; and we would ttudy to be deeply humbled 
 for our ignorance of God, and of Chrift, and 
 would think ourfelves to be much in his debt 
 and common, for teaching us to make right ufe 
 of him, feeing we are fo ready to mifcarr/, even 
 when we defire and endeavour to make ufe of 
 him* 
 
 • 
 
 SERMON LXXII; 
 
 Ifaiah liii. 1 2. - - ■ -; And he made inter cejfion for the tranfgrcjfors. 
 
 finners ihould have fuch' an Advocate and Tn- 
 terceflbr provided for them, to take and plead 
 their caule fo freely, and to manage it {q gexte- 
 roufly as he doth, and yet to flight him, and 
 not to put that truft in him, as to commit their 
 caufe to him. 
 
 In profec.uting of thts .'«/>, we flialV.i/?, Shew 
 that there is fuch a fin, as hot improving of 
 Chrift's interceflion, and how it is -fallen into. 
 2dly y The caufes of it, or whence it comes, that 
 folks !o much misken this part" of Chrift's office. 
 %dly, The great inconveniences that follow on- 
 it, and the great prejudices that are fuftained 
 by it. 4f/j(y, We fhall fiint at fomc fymptorns 
 and evidences where this fin is.' And, «5^/jK, 
 Speak a word to the remedies in opposition 
 thereunto. 
 
 For the fir/}, That there is fuch a fin,, it may 
 be clear, from a few considerations, that may 
 be obvious to every one of us. 1. It may b« 
 'clear from the effwft j what h the caufe pat* to 
 
 man/ 
 
 THe great eft privileges that we have by 
 the gofpel, do often hold forth t:e 
 greeted aggravations of our iin, as being a- 
 gainft fo great and excellent privileges. Now, 
 that the Lord hath £iven us a Mediator, and 
 that this one part of his mediation, to wit, 
 to make interceflion for tranfgreffors, or lin- 
 gers, is one of the great privileges of the 
 gofpel, is beyond all. doubt; and therefore we 
 had need to fear, left by our abufing, and not 
 improving aright of this privilege, it prove an 
 aggravation of our guilt: And this is the liaft 
 thing that we would fpeak a word to, from 
 *hefe words, That f°eing our Lord Jefus is in- 
 vefted with this office, to be an IntcrCuTor, 
 ihen it muft be a ground of expoftulation with, 
 and reproof of thele, who fliall be found {ligh- 
 ters oi' his interccffion; for, -if it be a duty to 
 improve his interccffion, and if it be a mercy 
 that we ha ye it, and if many advantages be got- 
 ten by it, then it muft be a grievous fin, a 
 •flatter %t juft challenge, an.d great lhame, that 
 
Seiyri. 72. - (/«*• 53- 
 
 many come fo little fpeed in prayer, that^ they 
 pi ay, and yet get not a hearing ; fo that, in the 
 day of judgment, it will be found, that many 
 prayed, and that their prayers were caft back 
 as dung upon their faces.'' Tbey jtugbt to cnter> 
 and were not able, as it is, Zuke 13. And this will 
 be found to be the reafon of it, that they went to 
 God, but miskend, or took not notice or him, 
 who is the to ajytbe truth, and the life: for, where 
 ChriftY interceifion is improven, there is an ef- 
 fect following ; for God hath laid it down for a 
 (olidground,that vfbefever believetbin bimjhall 
 netpertjhy and vobafjeever ye ask in my name , it 
 Jball be granted : And therefore, where there are 
 ttany petitions put up to God, and no arjfwer at 
 all, there is fure a crack and default in folks ma- 
 king ufe of Chrift $ for God is faithful, and will 
 perform his promife. Secondly y zn& more particu- 
 larly, AH the members ofthe-vifible Church may 
 be reduced to thefe three ranks, and*we will find 
 a defect, as to the life- making of Chrift's inter- 
 ceifion in them all, tho' not of the fame degree, or 
 rather not of the hn\c kird. ifl, Either they are 
 profane, and have not fo much as a form of religi- 
 on; and fueh do flightChrift and his interceifion al- 
 together* Or, idly, 1 hey arc hypocrites, that 
 make a fafliion of prayer, but come not to God 
 by him, but, at the Inert cut. proudly ftjp fore- 
 ward, and put up their fuits upon the account of 
 the'-r own righteoulnefs \ as trey ground their 
 juftification on it, and not on Chrift's fatisfaeU- 
 on, fo they put up their prayers to God, on the 
 accrunt of their own righteoufnefs, and not on 
 the account of Chrift's interceflion. Or, ^diy t 
 They are fuch as hare fomething of God in them, 
 and fo are believers \ and, even in fuch; there is 
 often a great defeft, as to this., as Chrift fays to 
 the difcip^esj John 16. 24. Hitherto ye have af- 
 ked nothing in my ncime. He cbargeth them not 
 fimply for nor praying, he grants that, but ye 
 have not asked in my name, that is. Yehave not 
 maic .ufe of my interceflion as ye fhould have 
 done; Althc' there be not fuch. a defect in them as 
 there is in the former two forts ; yet there is a 
 great fliort-coming, and rot an improving of 
 Chrift's intrrceOIon, as the) fhould. And there- 
 fore, Thirdly, h will be more clear if v.e coniider 
 the particular :afcs incideir to believers, v. here- 
 in we will find, that out very fcarce'.y.Chrift's in- 
 terceffion is improven in any of them ; as, \fl, If 
 the believer hath libert) in prayer, he is ready 
 to fit down on it, and to conclude, that he can- 
 not but-be heard, because he hath liberty : And 
 there is not fo (ingle an eye hao to Chrift's in- 
 terceflion ; and often it's more difficult to hold 
 •ff this fin, when liberty is enjoyed, than when 
 
 vcrie if. 2p^ 
 
 it is wanting, becaufe, tho' liberty be 'good 
 and defirable in it'felf, yet, through our corrup- 
 tion and pride, it's often abufed : Even as when 
 Chriftiaps win to fome good meafureofholinefs, 
 it is in Tome refpe& more difficult to. reft upon 
 Chrift's righteoufnefs, than if that meaiure 
 were not attained ; fo is it here more difficult, 
 fomeway, to reft upon ChriiVs intercefsion, 
 when we hare liberty in prayer, than when we 
 are in bonds, and under reftraint. idly, Upon 
 the other hand, if we look to a believer, when 
 be is ftraitned, and it goes not Well with him in' 
 pray»r, there is then ordinarily a great defect in 
 making ufe of ChriiVs intercefsion, as if it could 
 not in that cafe avail us; and upon this follows 
 anxiety and fretting, and the bciiever is ready 
 to conclude, be will be nothing the better of 
 prayer, and thafrit is better to pray hone, than 
 to pray fo ; whereas yri eye to Chrift's intercef- 
 ~iion wou'.d give the mind fome quietnefs. zdly y . 
 If there be an ill and very necefsitous cafe, or 
 if there be challenges, and fome commotion, diC- 
 compofure, and difquiet be in the fpmt, there is 
 readily little refpecl: had to Chrift ; if quietnefs 
 and calmhefs be, there is alfo hazard of fitting 
 down on that, and we readi'.y forget that we 
 hold it of him ; and indeed it will be found 
 difficult, either to have or to want, and in either 
 the one cafe or the other, to be making right ufe 
 of his intercesion. Now r , when I fpeak of this 
 fin, it not only reproves them that pray none 
 at all, which fmells of grofs Atheiurt, but alfo 
 thefe who IhufHeby Chrift, and ftep foreward at 
 the neareft, as if they were not to come to God 
 by him, as it is, HeL 7. 25. and John 14.. 6. 
 
 Seccndly,ThQ Caufes of this fm, and whence 
 it comes to pars, that folks fo flight the ufe-ma- 
 king of Chrift's intercefsion. 1. There is agreat 
 difficulty in the thing, it's tickle. 2. There is an 
 ' natural averfion from, and enmity at that thing in 
 us. 3. There is a readinels to pitch on fome o- 
 ther- thing, and to misken and overlook this. 
 Now, let all thefe three be put together, and wo 
 will fee the reafon and way how folk Aide and 
 fall into this fault. 
 
 7/?, I fay, there is a difficulty in the thing,' it 
 beingpne of the moft purely fplritual, fuHime and 
 denied things in a!l the gofpel, one of the great©ft 
 exercifes of faith; and we know, that all fuch things 
 have to our nature a great difficulty. 1 .It's 3 diffi- 
 culty to bring a man to be but formal in religion. 
 2. There is a difHculty,. when he is made 
 formal, to make him feriqus, even in a legal man- 
 ner, and to be any thing a^Fected in the exer- 
 cite of repentence, and of other duties, fo that he 
 Fff 2 fee 
 
4©o- . 1]' atab *3- 
 
 be not grofly difTembling. 3. When he is made 
 thus ferious, it's a difficulty to bring him over 
 that ferioufnefs, and to draw him from reding 
 on thefe duties, which he hath been drawn to : 
 I fay, it's a great and difficult work to get a 
 man brought to the performance of holy duties, 
 and as great a work to get him brought over 
 them, and from retting on them, to reft on 
 drift's righteoufnefs for his juftification, and 
 on Chrift's interceflion .for the acceptance of his 
 prayers: And therefore, when the Lord- hath 
 once gotten his difciples to pray, and honeftly 
 yoked and ingaged therein, he trains them on 
 to pray in his name, and fo to get their prayers 
 rightly qualified, ldly> If we confider our na- 
 ture, we will find, that there is an averfenefs and 
 " backwardnefs thereinto it, astjbere is an averfe- 
 nefs in us to all things that tend to the making 
 us deny ourfelves, and lay {he weight of every 
 thing on Chrift ; that which thwarts with our 
 pride, ftands. and {ticks at our ftomachs ( ta 
 fpeak Co ) and goes not well down with us : Of 
 fuch nature is this,for our ufe-making of Chrift's 
 interceflion implies, that we of ourfelves are at 
 a- dtftance with God, that we have broken co- 
 venant, and are not to be trufted without a Me- 
 diator ; and there is in our nature a fecret fort 
 of difdain at this, we cannot naturally endure 
 it.: Hence, Rom* 10. it's faid of the Jev>s> that 
 being ignorant of God's righteoufnefs, they did, 
 not fubmit nor ftoop to the fame, but fought to' 
 eftablifh their own righteoufnefs, 3^/y, There 
 is a readinefs to pitch and cohdefcend almoft 
 on any other fin, rather than on this $ and 
 therefore folks may be longer under i{ than un- 
 der many, and yet not be challenged for it : 
 They will readily be challenged for lying,, 
 fwearing, fabbath-breaking, and the like ; but 
 they fleep more fecurely in this fin, than in moft 
 ©thers : It is a fin eafily fallen into, and a fin 
 aiot eafily recovered from, or win out of, be- 
 caufe it is a Gofpel-fin, that the light o ( na- 
 ture reacheth not, and that the confeience hath 
 aiot fuch an aw in convincing of. It's againft 
 nature's light to neglect prayer, or to take God's 
 name in vain ; But this runs in the channel of 
 the Gofpel, to pray in the name of Chrift, 
 and to make all our addrefTes to God through 
 him ; the finful neglect whereof, cannot be un- 
 covered, but by GofpeMight : and we find by 
 experience, that many will be convinced of, 
 and have challenges for outbreaking fins, 
 •who yet will have no challenges for the neglect 
 •of this duty -, even as it is eafier to convince 
 folks of a breach of the law, than of not be- 
 %vin& in£uri{L\ many will firajjtj tlpp ijjno- 
 
 Verfe 12. Serm. 72. 
 
 ranee of God is a fia, and that irreverence and 
 wandring in prayer are fins, who yet will ftand 
 and (lick at this, and cannot be gotten convinced, 
 but that they ftill believe in Chrift, and make 
 ufe of his interceflion. 
 
 For the third, to wit, the inconveniencies 
 and prejudices of this evil, they are very many; 
 we mall only hint at them, for they are directly 
 oppofite to the good that comes by the impro- 
 ving of Chrift's interceflion. 1. It makes many 
 prayers to be fruitlefs and fruftraneous .• Tho' 
 folks mould weary themfelves in prayer, yet it 
 is all but loft labour ; and the Lord will fay, as 
 it is, Ifaiah 1. Though ye make many prayers, 
 yet_ I wiU not hear them y if Chrift's interceflion- 
 be" neglected ; but one word put up in Chrift's. 
 name hath a gracious hearing. 2. It makes many 
 prayers and other duties alfo to be lifelefs; no du- 
 ty goes with folks, neither can it go with them, 
 when Chri^l is flighted, feeing it is by faith in 
 him, that we have life derived to us, where- 
 by we are made lively in every thing. 3. It hath 
 much anxiety following on .it, to be praying, 
 and to have no expectation, nor ground of ex- 
 pedition of a hearing ; for if we look no fur- 
 ther than to fomething in ourfelves, it is but 
 a poor foundation of quietnefs and peace. 4. Ic 
 hath this prejudice, that it inures, habituate 9-and 
 accuftoms us to a low efteem of Chrift, and 
 makes us want many fweet experiences that we 
 might have of his uiemtnefs and worth ; and it 
 fofters a difrefpect of Chrift : whereas the ufe- 
 making of his interceflion keeps: always up ait 
 efteem of him, and makes the thoughts of him 
 frefh ; and it is ever well with the foul, while he 
 is efteemed of; and it is impoffible it can be well,, 
 when he is not in requeft. 
 
 Now, ye may eafily gather what all this aims 
 at, even that ye may not fatisfy.y ourfelves with 
 the form of duty, but that ye may look that 
 it be rightly discharged, fo as Chrift in his- of- 
 fices, and particularly^ n his prieftly office, and 
 more particularly in this part of it, be made 
 ufe of: It may be, there are fome here that- 
 have been called Chriftlans, thefe 20, 30, or 40 
 years ; but I would enquire at you, What ufe 
 have ye made all the while of Chrift's intercef- 
 fion ? The neglect of this is a fin againft mer* 
 cy, a fin againft your own fouls, and the caufe of 
 many other fins: Therefore take it among your 
 other reproofs, that not only ye have neglected 
 prayer, lived in ignorance, and taken bis name 
 in vain, but that ye have alfo long profefled faith' 
 in Chrift, and yet have not made ufe of Chrift's 
 iotercejfion^ This will be amon$ft your fad- 
 
 4# 
 
aerm. 72. ijaiao 53, 
 
 cleft challenges, when ye come to ficknefs, and 
 to your death-beds, and ye will have it heavily 
 charged on you : that there bath been great ' 
 (lighting and miskenning or Cbrift, even when 
 ye thought that "ye were praying to him. 
 
 In the tfh place, To clear it yet further, we 
 ihall, 1. Hint at fome fy mptoms or evidences of 
 neglecting of Chrift's intercefton. 2. At fomc cha- 
 racters of a perfon that is making ufe of Chrift's 
 intercefsion aright. 3.At fome directions that.may 
 help to the fuitable performance of this duty .And 
 4. At fome motives and encouragements to it* 
 
 ifti For the fymptoms or evidences of mif- 
 kenning, and flighting of Chrift's interceflion. 
 i.^This is one, when there is little walking un- 
 der theimprefsionofthe need of his facrifice, 
 when folks walk, whole-heartedly (to fpeak foj 
 and without due conviction of the diftance that 
 is betwixt God and them ; for Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion flows from his fatisfaction, and the im- 
 proving of his fatisfaction flows from the convi- 
 ction of our natural diftance from God : When 
 folks are not lenfible of tbeir emnity, and of 
 their vilenefs, and fee not their need of wafh- 
 ing, when they hav« a heal heart, few challen- 
 ges, little exercife of repentance, and of felf- 
 lothfng, it's a great evidence that there is lit- 
 tle or no ufe made of Chrift's intercefTion. The 
 2d fymptom is deep feeurity, and much fel£ 
 confidence; where thefe are, Chrift's interceffion 
 is little or not at all made ufe of : When a foul 
 makes no queftion of, nor hath any doubt a- 
 boutits own peace, orf about its praying, or 
 
 fetting a hearing, this is is indeed feif-confi- 
 ence, and does flow from the former,to wit, 
 ignorance of our diftance from God, which is 
 clear both from experience, and from fcripture ; 
 they that make leaft ufe of Chrift's intercefsion, 
 and have moft carnal confidence, have readily 
 feweft challenges: Thus the Pbarifee ftandi, 
 Luke i8.and praySjfaying, Lord^l t hank # bee >&c. 
 The greateft part offuch folks prayers is thankf- 
 glvingon carnal grounds ; whereas the poor Pub • 
 lie an dare not come near ; but when the Vbari- 
 fee comes boldly forward, he ft and s a far effy 
 and fays, Lord y be merciful to me a ftnner> who 
 (as if he had laid) have a refpeft to the cove- 
 Bant of grace, and (0 to the improving of Chrift's 
 interceflion ; it is certainly an ill token when 
 folks fit down with confidence to their pray- 
 ers, and rife up from them, without all fear of 
 being denied, and fa id nay. A 3d fymptom 
 of not making ufe of Chrift's interceflion, is, 
 when folks have too much anxiety, which is a 
 •fault that a believer may eafily fall in, when he 
 kath no ground from himfelf to propofe to 
 
 vene 11. ^ 0l 
 
 God for a Rearing, and when he cannot an- 
 fwer his own^ challenges, and is therefore dif- 
 cou raged ; wlHch fays* that he Mppens not 
 "^hto Chatf, and 10 his interceffion. A 4/ b 
 fymptom is, when duties of wo r (hip become 
 burdenlo*^ w hen it weaneth folk to pray, to 
 fanaify the T j0r d> s day, Cfr. when thefe are fa- 
 lhious and cum'.erfomto them; the reafon where- 
 of is, becaufe they take the burden wholly or 
 moftly on themfelves, and hy it not ove ; on 
 Chrift ; whereas, were^ rigbtly made ufe of 
 it would be found to be. truthj thatWj „ te 
 lyeafy, and his burden is ^ ht as himfelf 
 faith, Matth. 11. 30. A5^fyn^ omis>when . 
 folks are not thankful for any merc> tney re<> 
 ceive, and are not wondring, how it ^ mes 
 that they get fuch mercies as they have, wia£ 
 they think little of their daily bread, of or- 
 dinances, of accefs to pray, $5c. Souls that are 
 improving Chrift's intercefsion, think much 
 of any mercy, becaufe tbe leaft mercy is quite 
 without- the reach of the merit of ought they 
 can do, and muft come to them by the me- 
 diation of Another: Thus every mercy becomes 
 a double mercy, as it is confidered in itfelf, and 
 as it comes to them by vertue of Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion; therefore the believer,improving Chrift's 
 intercefsion/wonders at every thing he meets with 
 from God ; that he is admitted to pray, or t© 
 praife; for he knows^that it's from free grace,thus 
 admitting finners through and by a Mediator. 
 
 As to the 2d, to wit, the characters, or evi- 
 dences of a perlbn's making ufe of Chrift's in- 
 tercefsion ; the ifl. may be this, A conftant ufe- 
 making of Chrift's fuisfa&ion, when the foul is 
 never quiet, but when it hath a refpeft to that; 
 and this ufe-making of Chrift's fatisfa&ion hath 
 in it always, either more implicitely, or more 
 exprefly, an ufe-making of his intercefsion, and 
 leaves the weight of duties and mercies upon 
 him : Hence a foul will be under thorow con- 
 viction of its enmity, and very much edged 
 and eager in its defires after peace, and will 
 have expectation of obtaining it through him. 
 A 2d evidence is, When folk,in their approaches* 
 to God, have faith and fear going together : • 
 anxiety and fear, without faith, are not gocd, 
 and fdf confidence without fear is as ill ; but 
 when faith. and fear go together, it's good ; fear, 
 arifing from the imprefsion of our own unwor- 
 thinels and difcovered diftance ; and faith, from- 
 the difcovery of Chrift's fulnefs, keeping the 
 mind quiet,, looking over its own unworthi- 
 nefs, to his worthinefs, like thatfpoken oiNeab* 
 Hsb* 11* By faith Noah, moved vritfr fear, pre- 
 
■pared an ark. Prefumption will not* bold up 
 with fear \ and therefore, when the hypocrite 
 is daggered, he tarns anxious, ^becaufe the 
 ground that he leans to is fhaken : Hekheri* 
 that which is fuppoied to be faith good without 
 fear, for it turns to iecurity ; but fear jg $?od, 
 having confidence mixed with it \& jj ^y s > 
 that there is a lippening to forney^^ e ^ c cnan 
 my thing in the foul it fclf. fc * he 7 thar make 
 ufe aright of Chrift's intec*«wn ? betake them- 
 felvestoit, when in a ro^ner they have given 
 over, and been iorn^fy. hopelels, like thefe 
 fpoken of, Pfal. ipf< ?*>?» **& cr 1 m *t>e*r di- 
 me fs> &c. Marv fcav " e a confidence, becaufe they 
 were never >^ n g^'d nor fhaken,and have win to 
 
 cuietn^ v * J ^> cven as * c * s * n t,ie inarter °^ 
 niaH^ P cacc with God," many will profefs that 
 «iey always had it, even from their youtn up, 
 they never doubted of it, which (peaks its un- 
 foundnefs : but it is a folid evidence of faith, 
 when the foul hath once been brangled and 
 (haken ; and this gives it confidence, that Chrift 
 hath fatisfied, and makes interceffion, and they 
 betake themfelves to that. 4. Where thrift's in- 
 terceflion is improven and made \iCe of, it w ill 
 be ground of rejoicing and comfort to think 
 on it, when fouls themf?!ves can do but little, be- 
 ing bound up, and under bonds, yet they cheer 
 themielves, and blefs God, that they know they 
 have an Advocate :,I apprehend, there are many 
 to whom it was never refrefhfut, nor matter of 
 gladnefs, that he is an Advocate, or that -he 
 (lands in fuch relation to plead for finners ; fure- 
 \y fuch have not made ufe of him. A ^tb evi- 
 dence is this, When any thing is attained, the 
 improving of Cbrift's interceflion makes thank- 
 ful and humble : if the foul have liberty, it is 
 rot puffed up with it, becaufe it confiders, 
 that it is a mercy come through Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion-, it hath received it, and therefore fh.-uld 
 not boaft ; it's not of its own procurement, 
 but it's obliged to free grace for it. 6. The 
 foul that is improving drift's intercefsion, 
 when it obtains not, it gives not over, but con- 
 tinues adhering and waiting for attaining of 
 that which it is feeking ; the caufe of fuch a per- 
 fon is never quite deffSerate : if it be a thing con- 
 ditional, it's tubmifsive ; if it be limply necef- 
 fary, it's dependent, and wjll not quit, nor 
 give over, becaufe, tho' it obtain not to day, . 
 it knows it's pofsible to attain it, and that it 
 will in due time be attained; it lays not the 
 weight of its obtaining on its own prayers, but y 
 on CbriiVs purefcafe and intereefsion : And. tho* 
 the believer may be fometimes ailaulted and fet 
 upon, to quit bis fuit, and then his faith, is 
 
 branded; yet he leaves it not fo. 7. It i s a dif- 
 ficu.ty to the believer, to get Cbrift's intercef- 
 Aon rightly depended on, and made ufe ot, when 
 ' he prays ; this is as great a difficulty to hi m , as 
 to get words,and greater: As it is one piece' of 
 his exercife in prayer, to get words, aiFedion 
 and reverence; fo it's another piece of his exer- 
 cife, to get his prayer accepted through Chriit's 
 intercefsion. It's here as in justification, it's 
 one part of his exercife to do duty, and another 
 part of his exercife to be denied to it, and mads 
 to betake himfeif to ChritFs righteoufnefs alle- 
 narly for his acceptation ; but other perfons that 
 make not ufe of thrill's intercefsion, tr they get 
 words, and any a hit of tendernefs, they think 
 all is well enough ; but it is a belierer's exercife, 
 to fee that his mind mifcarry not in the ufe* 
 making or Chrift. 8. Souls that are improving 
 Chrift's intercefsion, their confidence is not up 
 or down, according to their liberty, words or 
 reafons they win to make ufe of' in prayer; but 
 they are up or down, according as they win to 
 get the thing tney feek, committed to Chriih 
 Hence, a word or look will fometfmes quiet the 
 foul, when at another" time, many hours praver 
 will not do it: For this is fure, fo ion^ as the 
 thing reds on our fdves, the foul gets never a 
 kindly lair ; and that which puts it orF our 
 felvts over on Chrift, is the exercife of faith, 
 and not liberty, nor the multitude of words. 
 At another time, a believer will rife from pray- 
 er, and not ferioufly look, whether Chrift have 
 been depended on, or not, but is quiet, becaufe 
 he hath prayed ; whereas, when Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion is unproren, he is quiet on that ground, 
 that it is God that is prayed to, through Chrifi; 
 k's that which gives him ground of confidence 
 to expect a hearing, and on that his foul retts, 
 when he hath done praying. And therefore we 
 would command this to you, in place of many 
 questions that might be mov^d on what ye have 
 h\ard, even to carry a diilinct. anfwer in your 
 bofom to thefe tnt, whether when ye are going 
 to pray, or when ye have done with prayer, i» 
 To whom are ye to pray, or have ye been pray- 
 ing ? That it's the great God, that one God, the 
 Mak*r of all things, who ought alone to bt 
 worfcinpjd, that -being .properly and formally 
 the Object of your worlhip, and particularly 
 of this your prayer. 2. Upon what ground do 
 ye hazard to put up a fuit to this great God, 
 and what is itthat^ives you confidence to ex- 
 pert an an.wer r* It's that, not tor any righteouf- 
 nefs or worth in your felves, or in your prayers, 
 but for Jefus Chriftj for Itfs fatisfa^ion and in- 
 ter- 
 
Serm. 72* */***& «>3 
 
 tercefsion's fake : When ye Can give a diilincl: 
 anfwer from the conference, in reference to thefe 
 two. tho' there be not fuch diftin&nefs in other 
 things, to wit, that it is God ye pray to, and 
 that ye expect a hearing on Chrift's account, it's 
 right. 
 
 £or the third thing, What is it, that will help 
 us to make life* of Chrift's intercefsion f (i.) 
 Confider that it's our duty. Sbuls often mind 
 not, that God hath not iimp'y bidden them 
 pray, but commanded them to pray in the name 
 ofChrft ; he ruth not bidden you fiaiply ap- 
 proach to him, bat to approach to him, in and 
 by Chrift ; th ; s would be remembred, elfe we 
 forget the half of our duty, to wit, the man- 
 re/ how we ihould come to God, which is a 
 main, if not the main part of it. (2.) We would 
 remember, and think upon our condition by na- 
 ture, that upon the one fide," God is aconfum- 
 ing fire, and we onfthe other, like dry ftubble; 
 and that there is no approaching to him, with- 
 out a Mediator ; There were the lefs hazard of 
 going wrong, if folk were walking under the fuit- 
 able imprefsion of their finfulnefs and mifery 
 by nature ; the want whereof, makes too much 
 forwardnefs, in ftepping to God without Chrift. 
 Therefore we commend to you all, and efpeci- 
 ally when ye go to prayer, to endeavour to be 
 under deep imprefsions of your own finfulnefs 
 andbafenefs; as we lee it was with Abraham , 
 Gen, 18. Behold, new I have taken on me to 
 /peak to the Lord, who am but dufl and ajbes* 
 (3.; Mind the promife of God's Rearing you 
 through Chrift, and his promife of leading you 
 in all neceffary truth, and fo to perform duty in 
 this manner: Mind, I fay, \ft, The promife of 
 hearing, that it's not a promife to hear us fimply 
 in what we pray for, but in what we pray for 
 with other requifite qualifications of prayer, 
 and with this in particular, that it be in Chrift's 
 name .* Hence is asking in his Name, (o often 
 mentioned, John 14. i>. 13, 14. and 16. v. 23, 
 24, 26. To mind, that there is a promife of hear- 
 ing, draws a foul to pray to God; and to mind 
 that the promife is made to. praying tjius quali- 
 fied, to wit, that it be in Chrift's name, binds 
 the foul to this way, becaufe otherv. ife it for- 
 feits the promife. if it obferve not the due qua- 
 lification; I fear, there are too many, who look 
 on the promife, as abfolute : It's true, tho' there 
 are abfolute promife in the covenant, yet there 
 are other promifes that have qualifications and 
 conditions, whereof this, anent hearing of prayer, 
 is one ; and we are to expecl: the performance of 
 the promise, when we feek after the qualification 
 and condition. 2dlj, Mind Chrift's promife, 
 
 Verfe 12. 403 
 
 whereby he hath engaged, as to lead us in all 
 neccflary truth •> i'o in this part of it, to put up 
 our prayers in bis Name, fobn-\6. 24. In that 
 day yejhaU ash in my Name. To confider aright 
 of this promife, gives tome ground of confidence 
 to win at the performance of it, and holds the 
 foul in dependence on him, and makes it to be 
 quiet in the duty of improving Chrift's inter- 
 cefsion; and indeed this is a main part of re- 
 ligion : Learn therefore, to putthefe things to- 
 gether, 1. Think it a mercy, that ye have a 
 warrant and accel's to pray. 2. That ye have a 
 promife to be heard. 3« 7 That ye have a Medi- 
 ator to inferc^d for you. 4. That a promife is 
 given you to learn how to make uie of him ; 
 and tho' that the ufe-making of his intercefsion 
 aright be difficult,- and many do misken and 
 miftake it, yet that by the eying of the pro- 
 mife, ye may win to the right ufe-making of it \ 
 ye would by any means eye the promife, thai 
 ye be not miftaken : It may be there is a look 
 now and then to liberty, and it is good in it 
 felf; but there may be a defect here, that ye 
 look not to Chrift to be helped to pray with li- 
 berty, and to be guided to pray in his Name, 
 Co as to lay the weight of your being heard, on 
 Chrift's interceision. 
 
 \thly> When there hath been an eying of the 
 promife, not only for the thing we feek, but 
 atfo to be guided in thefeeking of it, yewou'd 
 be often taking a review of your felves in, and 
 after prayer, whether ye be indeed praying, and 
 have prayed in Chrift's name, that whew the 
 foul looks back, and fees that it hath much mif- 
 kennedand neglected Chrift, it may take it felf 
 in this evil, and difclaim it, and fettle it felf on 
 a right ground. In a word, there would be 
 looking well on the one fide, that Jefus Chrift 
 be the ground we build on ; and on the other 
 fide, that when we eye Chrift, and build oa 
 him, we be not afraid to hazard on him ; for 
 into one of thefe extremes we readily run, ei- 
 ther to lippen and lean to fome other thing than 
 Chrift ; or, if we fee no other thing to lean and 
 lippen* to, and be neceGitate to eye him, we dif- 
 truft him, and are loth to hazard on htm. 
 
 jtbly, And laftly, If we confider well, we will 
 fee good ground, 1.T0 prefs, 2. To encourage 
 us to this way, not to be doing duty only, as men 
 under the law, but asChriftian m:>n under the 
 gofpel, with refpeft to Chrift's fatisfa&ion and 
 'intercefsion. And, jy?, For pr^fsing it, confider 
 that there is a n^cefsity of it in reference to as 
 many prayers as are accepted of God : If it be 
 needfary. to get a hearing, it'sne:efTary to pray 
 
4^4 #"«& <>V 
 
 in Chrid's nam?. It may be, many think it to 
 be but an indifferent tiling, that we pave hen 
 prefling, all the while that we have been (peak- 
 ing of Chrid's intercession \ but indeed • ijtjs 
 of more moment than car prcising you to any 
 (external duty, for the external duty of prayer, - 
 tho' it muft needs be gone about, is yet out the 
 carcafe, this is the foul and life of prayer; And 
 therefore let me exhort and obteii you, never 
 to fatisfy your felvqs with a legal performance 
 of the moft fpiritus^ duties in themfelves, ex- 
 cept ye win to aChridian way of performing 
 them, that is, that tbey be done in Chrid's 
 ftrength, and that ye fed on him for the ac* 
 ceptance of them; it's as neceflary to worship 
 God in and by a Mediator, as it is to wor- 
 ship the only true God, and not to worflup a 
 falie or drange God. I make no quedion, but 
 ; the mod part of the hearers of the gofpel do 
 tieftroy themfelves here, by reding on their le- 
 gal performances, and not making ufe of Chrift. 
 2<f/y,For your encouragement,confider, that it is 
 mod advantageous and profitable : thefe words 
 in the promife are broad and full, Whatsoever ye 
 ask in my Name, I will do it ; and the promife 
 is frequently repeated, in thefe forecited chap- 
 ters of John* O what calmnefs, tranquillity, 
 peace, vi&ory over anxiety, what patience in 
 waiting, whether when in bonds or liberty, 
 •do flow from the exercifing of faith on this 
 ground, to wit, that we have an Advocate in 
 heaven with the Father ! Further, "confidcr the 
 great ground of confidence that hath been gi- 
 ven us, that we ihall come fpecd in this way, 
 
 ■*^erfe il. -Serm. 72. 
 
 which fhould dir us up, heSrter . i . ^urngc 
 us to it \ which w$ ni.inifeft-K appear, if -we 
 join thefe ttoo together, 1. That this bleAfed 
 i Advocate is our .-Brother* Ithat he was made lijce 
 /unto us in all* {Mags, except fi a ; that he is a 
 • fellow-feeling Jjigh Pried; that is touched v vith 
 our infirmities; that he refufetn to grant nofuxts 
 of his people, that are IbV 'his' giar£, and their 
 good \ that he faves all to , the uttermod that? 
 come unto Ge# by him : Kone could ever fay , 
 that he refufe#to^take tfreifc sauiein-hand, #%n 
 they indeed committed itl;^tfm.l2^That.>hen 
 a caufe is coirunitted . to^ htrtfy fa cannot but 
 carry, and be^iccesfui; for as he is Mali* fo he 
 is God, and hsris heard always * This 5 btefled 
 Mediator (as 1 faid jud now) refufeth.the.fuit 
 . of none, and no fuit is refufedhim. Ai$i now, 
 what can we fay more to you, for your jtp*ftir- 
 ring and encouragement $0 make ufe of him? 
 It is no (l ranger that we have to go to, and 
 there is good ground of confidence, that /when 
 we go, we ihall come fpeed : Therefore, let him 
 ever be gone unto more and more ; and blefs 
 God heartily, that he hath given fuch an high 
 Pried unto. Tinners, yobo is abfo to fave to the 
 uttermofi all that come unto God through htm* 
 Now, to this God, who canjefre&ually teach us 
 to make ufe of thJrMediator every way,and par- 
 ticularly in his iatercefsion, fmitably and fuccef- 
 fully \ and who is able to do exceeding abun- 
 dantly above all we^ash, or think, according to ' 
 the povotr that rvorketh in us, be glory in the 
 Church by Chrift Jcfus, throughout all ages > 
 voorld without end. Amen* 
 
 finis: 
 
 93? tW !W»" 
 
0L 
 
 
 
 J, 
 
 ' '. - *-. ■■