The Morning Exercise Methodized

• ombate betwixt them daily. The unregenerate person this sin reigns in; his body is as a Temple, and his soul as a Shrine for this his Diana. This keeps the house, and all things are in peace; In the glorified Saint, this sin is wholly done away; this unclean thing does not go with him into the new Jerusalem. Only the gracious person is the field in whom the flesh warreth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. He is like the Moon which hath its spots when it receives the fullest influence from the Sun. sin in him will not die willingly, but, as a dying man, multiplies his strokes at his enemy, though they are comparatively but weak ones.

For Exhortation, let me recommend these following Duties.

1. Get a right knowledge of thyself according to this doctrine; it is folly in men to have traveled much abroad, and to be strangers in their own Country. It will be found the greatest folly for thee to be never so knowing in other things, if thou beest a stranger to thine own heart, and dost not know that it is desperately wicked. The very Heathens apprehended this precept, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Know thyself, to be of such consequence, as to grace it the more, they said it came down from heaven; I am sure it is God's message unto you from this truth this day. Know yourselves. unless you know yourselves thus lost, Christ's coming will be in vain unto you; for he came only for the lost sheep. Nicodemus had never doubted so much of Regeneration, and a new birth, had he understood the defilement of his first birth. I am afraid there are many Masters in Israel that are ignorant of this still, or else they would labor not only to reform their lives, but especially to get new hearts also. thou canst not kill one lust unless thou layest the Axe to the root of it that is in thy heart; if thou cuttest but the branches off, and for a while refrainest only the outward acts of sin, upon the next temptation or occasion they will grow the faster; as Rivers that have for some time been kept up by Banks, run the more violently after they have broken them down.

2. Be persuaded to make confession of, and be humbled for this sin, this original sin; some think that Moses who was the penman of Psalm 90. ver. 8. understood those words of this sin: Thou hast set my secret sins in the light of thy countenance. Remember this corruption, though never so deeply hid in thy heart with all the parts of it, is as perfectly seen by God, as if it were set in the light of his countenance; which is a thousand times brighter than the Sun in all its glory. We read of Ahab's mourning, as well as of David's; and of Judas 's repenting, as well as of Paul's; and why were not Ahab's and Judas 's sorrow accepted as well as the others? O e remarkable difference I will observe in them; Ahab that we read of, mourned only for the judgment denounced; and Judas repented only of the outward act committed, but neither of their tears or sorrow went to the root, to bewail the Original of all this their impiety, which we have seen Paul did, and we know David practice'd; Psal. 51.5. He says not only, Deliver me from bl • od-guiltiness, but I was conceived in sin, &c. and that is as well matter of his sorrow, as the other.

Possibly you would think much if I should recommend Augustine's example to you, who confessed he had need of mercy not only to pardon those sins which he had committed, but for those sins, which if grace had not restrained him, he should have committed; and certainly we owe as much to this soul-phycisian, for preventing those diseases which otherwise we should have fallen into, as we owe him for recovering of us out of those diseases which we did fall into; nay, plures sunt gratiae privativae, quam positivae, thus too; And therefore let me bespeak God's dearest children in the words of the Prophet to Babylon, Come sit in the dust. God's own inheritance is as a speckled bird, as he complains Jer. 12.8. Oh be not Ingrati gratiae, Unthankful to grace.

You have heard a sad parallel between Adam and you; but Oh that you might be like Adam in one thing more; when he had sin'd; 'tis said, his eyes were opened, Gen. 3.7. by which some understand that God gave him a sight of his sin, awakened his conscience, so that he saw from what bliss, and into what misery by sin he was now cast. He thus by lamentable experience understood good and evil.

Oh that your consciences were awakened, that your eyes were opened too! I shall pray for you as the Prophet did for his servant, and afterwards for the Syrians that came to take him; Lord open the eyes of these men, 2 King. 6.17, 20. I am sure the more grace ye have, the more sense of this sin you will have also. Paul a Christian complains of it, though Paul a Pharisee did not.

If ye have been prevailed with by the other exhortations, ye will yield up yourselves to the power of this. Did you but understand your condition by reason of this sin, and were humbled for it, you would engage all that you could against it. First then

Set yourselves against this sin in your own hearts. Thou canst not be a man after God's own heart, till thy heart be cleansed, and made like unto God. A true Christian takes more care to get rid of the evil, than to rejoice in the good that is in him (though both be a duty) being it is better not to see a friend which we know will do us no hurt, then not to see an enemy which (unseen) will certainly kill us. When Elisha would cure the waters of Jericho, he did not cast salt into the pots or dishes (that might take it up) but into the spring that sent it forth. Labor to get thy heart which is the spring and issue of life or death, seasoned with grace. Blessed be God, there are means to cure you of this evil.

1. Faith in Christ. Cast the wood of his Cross into these bitter waters; he was circumcised, yet had no filthy foreskin of his own, but of ours to do away. 'Twas our filth that was washed off in his Baptism.

2. The in-being of the Spirit of Christ, prevails against the in-dwelling of sin. Behold I have shewn you a mystery, if ye would not all die, and that eternally, ye must all be changed.

3. Prayer is a means in order to this. David, Paul, others were troubled with this evil, and they prayed; go thou and do likewise. Let it be thy daily prayer, From the evil one myself, good Lord deliver me; thou complainest of bad times, oh complain more of a bad heart. The flood came upon the whole world, not so much for their actual abominations though great, as for their heart-corruptions, Gen. 6.5. Gen. 8.21. If we ever be owhelmed with sufferings, it is for th s Abomination in chief.

Oppose thyself against this sin in thy relations; weaken the Kingdom of Satan everywhere, especially in thy children; If their head-ache you pity them, and inquire after remedies for them; alas, spiritually every part is distempered; they are blind, lame, poor, naked, and what not that speaks misery? Oh hard-hearted Parents, that have not once gone to the heavenly Physician for their poor children! 'tis usually said, venenati non patiuntur inducias; they that are poison'd must not be dallied with, but presently some antidote (if I may so call it) given them. They do but pledge you in this cup of deadly wine, and will ye not the rather be instrumental to help them to the cure, being ye have helped them to the disease? Wherefore do ye think your ch ldren came into the world in such a piteous manner? what do they cry for? the Naturalist will tell you 'tis out of want that somebody might clothe them, feed them, care for them, &c. But a Christian will tell you, God hath given them bitter tears and cries to lament their spiritual necessities, and to beg spiritual remedyes. Their insignificant voice signifies thus much; whilst they are yet dumb, they speak aloud in their manner; Oh carry us to the Laver of regeneration; let us be washed in the fountain set open for sin, &c. Surely, God who hath not caused their tender voice to be in vain for their bodies, (though they know not what it means) would not have it to be in vain for their souls; and he that hears the young Ravens when they call, would not have you deaf in this respect, when your Children cry.

Lastly, Let the consideration that Original sin is thus in us, wean us from the world, and that immoderate desire of living in it. Alas, wheresoever we go we carry these chains of darkness with us; if it be grievous to be in pain or want, how grievous is it to a gracious heart to sin? I know gravia non gravitant in eorum loco; sin seems not heavy to a carnal man, to whose heart 'tis naturaliz'd; but if thou beest spiritual, and tender, sin is a burden to thee to purpose. Now by death peccatum, non homo, moritur, it is sin that dies, a Child of God does not die, but only changes his life; this life for a better, these pleasures, relations, &c. for better; and if it be good to live, surely to live eternally is best of all.

Some have thought that the soul was put into the body for a punishment, as into a Prison; and who would not willingly be at liberty? If we consider what pains, care, torments, and diseases (which are but the effects of sin) we endure, we cannot but be of Theophrastus his mind, that the soul pays a dear rent for the body which it dwells in; and 'tis but a house of clay, how finely soever daub'd over. being then we cannot be without these enemies, these mischiefs, let us be content when God pulls down the house of sin in which they all are, that he may bury them all in the rubbish of our mortality, and with the Spirit and the Bride, let us say Come, even so Come Lord Jesus Christ, come quickly. Amen.

THE MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATURE.

YE have heard the Doctrine of Mans fall, and of Original sin opened and applied: This Text genuinely leads to speak of Mans misery through sin. As to the Coherence briefly, The Apostles scope is, to display the glory of the Lord's grace, by comparing the sinful and cursed estate of the Ephesians and others by nature, with the dignity and privileges conferred on them in Christ. He insists mainly on three heads.

1. He describes the natural estate and course of the Ephesians and all other Gentiles in them; their estate, ver. 1. You were dead in trespasses and sins; their course, ver. 2. Ye walked wholly in sin, pricked forward by corrupt customs, which in several Ages had taken place, and were effectual to hold and hearten you in the same Tracts; and the Devil, that eminently bore sway in others, ruled and acted you likewise at his very will; this was yours, and the Gentiles estate and course.

2. He applies the whole equally and indifferently, to himself, and to the whole body of the Jewish Nation, ver. 3. among whom also we all had our Conversation, &c. q. d. such children of disobedience were we all to; as deep in sin, and open to wrath as you Gentiles were. He would by no means have any think that speaking so of the Gentiles, he exempted the Jews from the same ground of shame and despair in themselves; though he knew full well that this point went exceeding cross to the grain of that people, who greatly boasted themselves to be the holy seed, and children of Abraham, and despised the Gentiles as an idolatrous, unclean, bastard brood; and especially of the Pharisees, of which leaven himself once was, who not only disdained the Gentiles, but thought and spake contemptibly of God's heritage, viz. the common people of their own Nation as a base and cursed crew, John 7.49. & chap. 9.34. He pricks this bladder, affirming roundly of himself and all the Jews without exception, that as to their course, whilst unregenerate, they did whatsoever their sensual and carnal man willed, liked and inclined to; And as to estate • ; were children of wrath as much as others, even as the very despised Gentiles themselves were. The great temporary difference flowing from grace, Psal. 147.19, 20. hindered not their being the very same with the Gentiles by nature; this and no other was the estate and course of the Jews likewise.

3. He sets over against all this, in them both, the quickening and recovering grace of Christ; in the Gentile, ver. 1. and in the Jew, ver. 4.

The words read, contain a brief comprehensive description of the misery that Jews, and consequently Gentiles with them, are under by nature. And in the words observe these two particulars.

1. The Case of all men, Jews and Gentiles alike described, children of wrath; Do not understand this actively, as children of disobedience, ver. 2. are disobedient children, so that children of wrath should be angry and wrathful people; but passively, that are obnoxious unto wrath indefinitely, which though it principally relates to that chiefest pressing insupportable burden; viz. the Lord's wrath; yet includes consequently the wrath and power of Satan, the terrors and rage of conscience, the vengeance and assaults of every creature, &c. The Hebraism, children of wrath, implies

1. Desert. Deut. 25.2. It shall be, if the wicked man be a child of beating, that the Judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, &c. which the Sept. solidly renders, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , worthy of stripes. And so the Targums in like manner concurrently with our Bibles, a son guilty and worthy to be beaten; so Mat. 23.15. Ye make him twofold more the child of hell; that is, more worthy of hell-fire, than yourselves.

2. Tendency, bent and addictnesse to involve themselves under wrath, John 17.12. But the son of perdition, which poured out himself in ways of self-destruction. He had many and excellent means to the contrary, but nothing would hold him back; self-damnation is not proper to Judas, but a very common sin; and men ordinarily, Rom. 2.5. treasure up to themselves wrath, Prov. 8.36. love death.

3. The event and issue which shall befall them, if they do abide such; viz. that they shall be destroyed, and the eternal wrath of God abide upon them; so Judas gave up himself to those sins, that not only deserved and tended to destruction, but would certainly destroy him; so 1 Sam. 20.31. he is the son of death; viz. deserves to die, and shall surely die.

Now gather all these things together, our estate and course is such by nature as deserves destruction, tends and leads to destruction, and will end and the Lord hath peremptorily fixed and ordained without a change, shall end in Eternal destruction.

2. The rise of this case expressed, by nature, which implies

1. The term from which this commences; viz. the very first receiving of our natures and beings from our Parents; from the first original, and moment of our being, we received with all a liliablenesse to the wrath and curse of God, Psalm 51.5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me!

2. The ground for which this wrath impends and hovers; viz. nature, not first created, for that was upright after God; but the corrupted nature which is conveyed and derived with our beings: This very nature leads to, deserves, and will lodge under eternal wrath, every mothers child in whom regeneration and transplantation into Christ are not found.

The Doctrine then comprising the sum of the Text, is this.

Doctr. Every man and woman from their very first conception, through a corrupted nature, are under the Lord's wrath, and continuing such, not new-born and engraffed into Christ, that wrath shall abide upon them forever. We may not mince and extenuate here with the Pelagian, as if this only were by imitation. Flatterers of nature may lessen the wound, but Heirs of grace should and will rather magnify their Physician. Nor may we limit and confine this truth as if it concerned native Turks, canker'd Papists, and the Proselytes of the Pharisees only to be children of hell, when it knocks at every of our doors, Jew and Gentile promiscuously: Neither people nor Ministers, not Apostles can exempt themselves; great and small, rich and poor, those which the Lord hath not appointed unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by their Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thes. 5.9. yet by nature are children of wrath, even as others.

This wrath in the Scriptures hath several Names; respectively to the Law-giver, it is called wrath; respectively to the Law itself, the curse; respectively to the effects of both, it is translated vengeance, Rom. 3.5. Man by nature is exposed unto all these.

1. He is exposed to the wrath of the Law-giver: Here,

1. Take some Cautions, that we may duly conceive of wrath, the root of all penal afflictions on God's part, as sin is the meritori • us root on man's part. All wars with men begin in wrath; Animosities first boil within, and then wars break out. James 4.1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, from your lusts which war in your memb rs? and in special, this of wrath; so there is somewhat proportionable in God, if understood suitably to his glorious Being; namely, wrath perfectly clean from all dregs of, 1. Folly; the fool never more peeps out than in passion. Prov. 14.29. He that is hasty of spirit, exalteth folly; that is, sets it aloft that everybody may discern, and take notice of it; but the Lord is, 1 Sam. 2.3. A God of knowledge by whom actions are weighed. 2. Injustice; God's wrath is a clear fire without any smoke of unrighteousness. Rom. 3.5. Is God unrighteous that inferreth wrath? he cannot be. We plough with an Ox and an Ass; mingle dross with our zeal, &c. 3. Perturbation; the wrath of men is the rage of men, who disjoint and discompose themselves as well as others; but the Lord acts, and suffers not in his wrath; he strikes, wounds, destroys from the infinite holiness and justice of his nature, declaring itself against all sin with the exactest serenity and oneness of mind and frame within himself from everlasting to everlasting. This is the root of all wars with sinful men; Moses saw the plague growing up out of this root. Num. 16.46. Wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague is begun. Job 21.17. He distributeth sorrows in his anger.

2. Consider what this wrath implies; two things.

1. That the Lord is highly displeased with men and women in their natural estate; though never so goodly a vernish of Religion be above, yet if nothing but nature be underneath; Isa. 10.6. an hypocritical Nation are the people of the Lord's wrath.

No created understanding can conceive exactly what this displeasure is. Psal. 90.11. Who knoweth the power of thy anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. Take some short ladders that our thoughts may a little climb up by; and consider seriously and deeply,

1. What a Kings wrath is. Prov. 20.2. The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon; who so provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul; that is, acteth as an enemy to his own life; and Prov. 16.14. The wrath of a King is as the Messengers of death, but the wise man will pacify it, as that which he cannot resist. Eccles. 8.4. Where the Word of a King is, there is power, and who may say to him What do thou? that is, where not only the name, but the reality of a King is, he sustains the person of the Common-wealth, and hath the strength and power of all put into his hand; and hath power to execute his wrath, and will not be controlled nor expostulated with. And what can a Branch do against the whole Tree? The King is wroth, and Haman's face is covered. Prov. 27.3. A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty; but a fools wrath, that is, that hath power, is heavier than them both, to crush a weak person that standeth in his way. All these are but toys to the power and weight of God's wrath.

2. What an incensed brothers wrath is, that hath a little more power. Rebecca understanding Esau his wrath against Jacob, packs him away till that wrath be over. Gen. 27.43, 44. If a mother dare not venture a child into an angry sons presence, nor a brother himself into an angry brothers presence, how insufferable will the angry presence of the Lord be?

3. What God's Fatherly refining wrath is against the dross that mingleth itself with his Worship and Ordinances, and what dreadful Furnaces he hath put the Vessels of mercy into, to take away their tin from them. Mal. 3.2. Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a Refiners fire: If men cannot bear Christ's coming with a refining fire, to purge out dross, much less not his coming with flaming fire, 2 Thes. 1.8. to consume and burn up persons and dross together. We have need of grace to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God, that is related to us in Christ, is a consuming fire, Hebr. 12.28, 29.

4. What afflictions are, how very bitter, yet separated from wrath, they may be born with comfort. The mingling of fire with the hail in Egypt, made it so very dreadful, Exod. 9.24. The fire of the Lord's wrath mingled with storms, renders them so grievous to be stood unde. Hell itself would not be so dreadful, did not the breath of the Lord, that is, the wrath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone kindle it, Isa. 30.33.

The Prophet submits to any strokes, only deprecates wrath, as worse than any strokes, and more deadly than death itself. Jer. 10.24. Correct me O Lord, but not in thine anger. Apprehensions of wrath were the dregs in Jobs Cup. Job 14.13. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, and keep me in sec et till thy wrath be passed over. He cannot stand in the face of God's wrath, though he knew it was passing, and not abiding wrath; and therefore begs a hiding anywhere, and in the very grave, till that wrath be over; who then shall dwell with abiding wrath? John 3.36. With eve • lasting burnings? Isa. 33.14. with fire and brimstone, and tempest, that hath • atred in it? Psa. 11.5, 6.

5. What the Lord's glory is, when it is proclaimed, and passeth forth in a way of grace; only in a little more luster and brightness. Moses needs putting in a clift of the Rock, and to be covered with the Lord's hand, while the Lord's glory passed by, Exodus 33.22. Peter is swallowed up at a glimpse of the power of Christ. Luke 5.8. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord; what then, when he speaketh in his wrath, and vexeth in his sore displeasure! Psal. 2.5.

6. What the Lord's wrath is passing upon others. All the children in the house tremble when the rod is taken down, though not with respect to themselves, but their fellows only. Take a man whose heart is touched with the sense of the Lord's greatness, and that will be his temper. Isa. 2.19. They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the Caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

7. What the Lord's wrath is, only hanging in the threatening. His rebukes made both the ears of Eli to tingle. There is a terror when a Prince convenes and rates his Rebels for their conspiracies, and insurrections against him, though not yet brought to the bar or block. Hab. 3.16. When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, &c. Josiah his heart was tender, 2 King. 22.19. When he heard what the Lord spake against Jerusalem, and against the inhabitants thereof.

8. What Christ himself did, under the sense of this wrath to be poured forth, though supported with all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in him, and saw the glory beyond, and the certainty of his resurrection, and the fruits of the travels of his soul that should be; yet sweats, and that clods of blood to the very ground; prays, and that with strong cries and tears, that if possible, this cup might pass. Though other considerations made him drink it cheerfully, yet nature droops, and cannot bear up under this burden. Those pills are very bitter, that very health itself do • h hardly sweeten.

You that are yet in the mire of mere nature, steep your thoughts in these things, that ye may have a little taste, what an evil and bitter thing it is, that God's wrath and displeasure is out against you. But this is not all; God may be displeased, and very highly with his own people. Isa. 47.6. I was wroth and polluted mine inheritance, viz. dealt with it as if a polluted and unclean thing.

2. God reckons, and will deal with men and women found in their natural estate, as his enemies. God's tender-hearted servants, have not been able to bear the apprehension of this. Job 19.11. He hath kindled his wrath against me, and counteth me to him as his enemies; the plural number increases the sense; as his deadly enemy. He that takes the Bible, and carefully turns it over, and considers the contents thereof, and what he hath said of those he reckons his enemies, will have a further glimpse of the dreadfulness of this condition. Nahum. 1.2. He reserveth wrath for his enemies; that is, he hath built and made wide the storehouses of hell, that there might be wrath enough in due season to be drawn forth for them. Luke 19.27. Those mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. Isa. 1.24. Ah, I will ease me of my Adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies. Heb. 10.27. Judgment and fiery indignation shall devour the Adversaries. And this must be applied to both sorts of enemies. 1. Close. That go closely on in ways of sin, secretly correspond with the Devil and his temptations, and their darling lusts, and will not lay the bucklers down, though they smile in the Lord's face; and Isa. 58.2. Seek him daily, and d • light to know his ways, as a Nation that doth righteousness, and forsaketh not the Ordinances of their God. Flatter him with their lips, and lie to him with their tongues, Psal. 78.36. 2. Open enemies, that proclaim and declare war against heaven, that do and will do what they please, let the Lord say and do what he will to the contrary. As Pharaoh, Exod. 5.2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice? Psal. 12.4. Our lips are our own, who is Lord ov r us? Luk. 19.14. His Citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man reign ver us.

And understand, when the Lord so deals with this sort of sinners, he takes a kind of comfort in it. Ezek. 5.13. Thus my anger shall be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted. To others, the Lord distributes sorrows with sorrow; and speaks of himself as grieved, when he puts them to grief, Judge. 10.16. Lam. 3.33. Isa. 63.9. But here he is comforted, in making them the resting place of his fury, Prov. 1.26. The heat and height of his fury poured forth upon incurable sinners, is comfortable and pleasing to him. Isa. 30.32. In every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall cause to rest upon him, it shall be with Tabrets and Harps. Vengeance on such, is music and delight to the Lord, Rev. 18.20. and to his people.

This is the first, and not the meanest part of the misery of fallen man, that he is under the Lord's wrath; that is, such as God is displeased with, and will reckon and deal with as his enemies.

2. Every natural man and woman is exposed to and under the Curse of the Law. Is this nothing to have the Word against thee? and to have the Lord write bitterly against thee in that very Book which is the storehouse of comforts and supports to others? Dreadful is that language of Ahab, concerning Micaiah, 1 King. 22.8. There is yet a man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. So that language of a natural man's heart. God's mind is in that book, but I cannot abide to read therein, or to hear it opened and applied by a lively rousing Preacher; for it only raises storms and tumults in my conscience, and speaks not a word of comfort to me. The Word,

1. Rings many a sad peal in the ears of conscience, and which he cannot abde to hear or think of; in that it doth declare,

1. His sin; The Word faithfully disovers God's streightness, and man's crookedness, and swervings from that platform and rule, to which he should be conformed as the Counter-part to the Original. This charges omissions, commissions, and bunglings in the good which he does do, and sets all in order before his eyes, if possible, to make him ashamed and confounded in himself.

2. The due and desert of sin; every breaker of the Law, the Law pronounces and dooms to be cursed. There is that necessary connection, that it is impossible to be chargeable with sin against the Law, and not liable to the Curse of the Law. Gal. 3.10. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in everything that is written in the Book of the Law, to do it. Justification itself takes not away the desert of sin; pardoned sins are as well sins, and as much sins as they were; pardon makes not the Malefactour none; makes not that the fact was not committed, or not faulty, or that it deserved not death; for then he should have been legally acquitted, not graciously pardoned. Those will never take heaven of grace, that take not hell as their proper desert. The Lord will have his own wear this rope about their necks, the desert of hell in their hearts to the very grave. Assurance, and in the very highest degree, takes not away the sense of the deserts of sin, but amplifies and enlarges them. The deserts of sin shall be perfectly acknowledged in the state of glory, and the Ransomer adored and admired upon this score. Nothing so heightens grace as this, that persons deserving to suffer, are yet freed in Christ from suffering eternal wrath, as if they had not deserved it. This desert, was no doubtful and dark point in the consciences of the Hearthens themselves, Rom. 1. ult. They know the judgment of God, that they which commit such things, are worthy of death. But the Word more distinctly lays this home to the heart; Prov. 11.23. The expectation of the wicked is wrath. There is nothing else that he can justly and solidly expect in that estate; and expecting otherwise, he does but cozen himself.

3. The sinners exclusion while in that estate, from any part in the great and precious promise • s of the Gospel. The Word opens the promises, but knocks his fingers off from touching and eating of this Tree of life. This is none of the meanest heart-cutting terrors to natural men, to see many come from the East and West, and sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of heaven, and themselves cast out, Mat. 8.11, 12. incorporated with the Patriarchs, into fellowship of the same grace, and title to the same glory, and themselves debarred from both to view the unsearchable riches of Christ displayed, and themselves justled off from any intermeddling, as to present application or grounds of application of them as their own. I met lately with a godly woman who heard a Sermon full of choice comforting supporting promises to weary and heavy laden sinners, which warmed her heart, but in the closure was stricken through with the first arrows of God, discerning herself excluded in her present estate, from any part in them. This makes the Gospel a fiery Serpent to sting them, which is the Pole holding up the brazen Serpent for healing to others.

2. The Word attaches and binds him over. Ye shall answer this at the day of Christ; and hangs the writ upon his door; as the man that is in God's debt, and is to look for an Arrest, and to be dragged into prison till the utmost farthing be paid, unless a speedy, timely peace be made; and enforces this partly from the will and justice of God, that hath made indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish the portion of every soul that goeth on to do evil, Rom. 2.8.9. and partly from the nature and circumstances of sin itself. Debts may be so great, so long owing, so growing, and the negligence and boldness of the debtor such, that makes it necessary in point of wisdom, not to keep the writ longer off from his back.

3. The Word excites terrors. A man bound in a very great sum, in which the forfeiture will be his undoing, the very obligation troubles. There are no debts, but where any ingenuity is, induce answerable cares. And the Lord knowing the frame, and tendering the peace of his people, advises therefore against all debts, especially sticking under them, and not coming timely and carefully off. Rom. 13.8. Owe nothing unto any man; much more to be over head and ears in God's debt, and no care to agree with him, is a very dreadful condition, Mat. 5.25. If these terrors actually are not, yet they are very subject every moment to be excited. The Sea may be very calm, but the least storm makes it nothing but commotions; conscience, though now quiet, hath a very wide and clamorous mouth, when the Lord commissions and commands it to rebuke for sin. These terrors hold the sinner in bondage, or all his life time subject unto bondage, Heb. 2.15.

This is the second branch of the misery of a natural estate, to be in all these respects under the Curse of the Law, and to have the Lord fight against him with the sword of his mouth, Revel. 2.16. Here is patience, that the Lord will fight with this sword first, that he may reclaim and lead to repentance, rather than destroy him; and if this prevail, then is the curse turned into a blessing, and the bondage ends in liberty indeed; but if this do not prevail, then there remains nothing else but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. 10.27.

3. Every natural man and woman is obnoxious to all the effects of the wrath of God, and of the curses denounced in his Word.

1. There are manifold effects of God's wrath that are upon him, or are apt every moment to be rushing in upon him in this life.

1. Upon the body: Look upon all the breaches, flaws, defects, monstrosities in the body, and set them upon the score of sin. Every man else had been like Absalom and much more. 2 Sam. 14.25. From the sole of his foot even to the Crown of his head there was no blemish in him; these argue not special sin, Joh. 9.2. yet had never been without sin; look upon all diseases natural or adventitious, John 5.14. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee; there had never been a stone in the reins, or in the bladder, if not first in the heart. These crumblings by degrees into the dust, flow in by sin. We pity the ruins which War hath made in goodly Palaces, but those are nothing to the havoc which sin hath made in the more noble Fabrics of our own bodies. Look upon the difficulties, cares, turmoyles for provision of us and ours. Gen. 3.17. Labor is with toil, weariness, vexation, disappointment: We plough and sow, and reap not; earn and put in a bag with holes. Hag. 1.6. Look upon shameful nakedness: We have lost our Robes of glory, and need now the spoils of beasts to cover our shame with. How many trades are there, and what toile in them, merely for this end, that the dishonor of the body may be hidden! Look upon the sorrows of the female sex, Gen. 3.16. which though mitigated and mingled with promises, yet still are arrows which sin hath shot into their sides, and grace doth not quite pluck them forth. 1 Tim. 2.15. Look upon the assaults made even to our ruin, by those things that otherwise were under our feet, Psal. 8.6. But now withdraw from the yoke, serve with groans, remissnesse and much unserviceableness, and often lift up their heel, and turn and tear us; these are a very small part, and only bare hints of those confusions, and effects of the Lord's wrath, which sin hath let into the body, which else had been invulnerable in the very heel.

2. Upon the soul; Consider,

1. The mind: O what blindness, ignorance, thick darkness in the apprehensions of God, his very being, most self-evidencing Attributes, in the very mysteries of the first magnitude, which are the rules of our duty, and the grounds of our hope! incapableness, dullness, slowness to believe; loathness to inquire or receive the light which shineth forth from heaven; doubts, distrust, mistakes, wanderings after that which is not light, and into ways that seem right, but the end of them are the ways of death, Prov. 14.12. The heresies of the whole earth are seminally in the blindness of the mind, and would grow up from thence, though there were none of our many sowers to scatter them, being nothing else but corrupt imaginations formed into a system. Unprofitablenesse in the knowledge of truths, which we most clearly and distinctly conceive: Unsteadinesse, that we cannot fix and close upon holy thoughts, till the impressions thence be powerful, and work a real change. There is no Spaniel more wild and running after every Lark and Butter-fly that rises in his way, than our thoughts are gadding after everything that comes in our way. Yea, our mind gathers vanity to itself, when the eyes are shut, and no objects to divert and inveigle us with. These are sins, and yet are rushing in further, as the recompenses of former sins, which are meet, Rom. 1.27.

2. The memory: Things stick there that a man would gladly learn, and count it a singular mercy to attain the art of forgetfulness of; and others leak and slip away though taught ofen plainly; repeated, mused upon, and we felt the power of them in a degree upon our hearts; what Indispositions to the use of means in order to a cure? what Proneness to cumber ourselves with by-matters, till they talk with us sleeping, and crowd in and suck away Lord's-days themselves, and leave nothing but scraps of prayer and preaching to us; sin first brought in these plagues, and wrath binds them on, and leaves judicially, the reins loose to them.

3. Conscience. The directing part is out of tune; and either gives no directions, as a Master that is nobody in his Family; or gives wrong directions, as false lights on the shore lead the ships upon the Rocks and quicksands; forbids where the Lord commands, and urges to that which he forbids. John 16.2. Tit. 1.15. or gives right directions, and hath no authority. And the judging part of conscience is out of tune, and gives no judgment of what is done; like a Bell whose clapper is out, or a dumb dog that cannot bark; or gives perverse judgment, and excuses where it should accuse; makes sin no sin, or very little; and stays the heart with empty comforts; or accuses for having done that which he is bound to do, and disquiets with undue fears; or accuses rightly for the matter, yet with excess, and so sinks the soul under despair; so that there is as much need for conscience to be overseen as to oversee, to b • guided as to guide. These arrows abide in, and the venom of them invades more and more, and that is a very dreadful effect of the wrath of God.

4. The Will. There are sad strokes there. Aversenesse and impotence unto that which is spiritually good, Phil. 2.13. Psal. 110.4. Inclinations and biases, to drink in the very first, and the very worst motions and suggestions unto sin. Lustings after evil things, Job 15.16. and against the Spirit, Gal. 5.17. stubbornness, Rom. 8.3. Contempt of the offers of reconciliation, Joh. 5.40. Ezek. 33.11. incompliance with the counsels of the Holy Ghost, Act. 7.51. These are cords of man's twisting, and the Lord in dreadful wrath says, Be it so; and pinions him with them to the last judgment.

5. The affections fly upon unmeet objects, headlongly inclining to them, and C l spe, and cleave there, and cannot be gotten off. Recoile from that which is good, are stirred in respect of evil to embrace it; and in respect of good to eschew and be weary of it. Ahab imprisons the true Prophets, and sets the false at his own Table, and gives them his ear and heart. Are full of disorders; more offended with our injuries than God's: merry, and the Holy Ghost calleth it madness; mourn and swallowed up. Cannot be raised to things above, and settled on them. We complain, and justly, of servants that are nimble and expert in any piece of knavery, and lozels at their work; this is the very temper of our hearts, nimble and wise to do evil; but in the things and ways of God, and which are of greatest necessity and advantage, we have no knowledge. And a sharper wrath is not, than the Lord to leave us to ourselves. These are hints, and no more of the Lord's wrath upon the soul.

3. Upon the estate. Look upon the general estate of the whole Creation, impaired, groaning, and subject unto vanity; into the Public state, Confusions, stumbling-blocks, underminings of civil and spiritual liberties, &c. into the particular estates of men, snarles, damages, wrongs, powlings; men taken and carried whither they would not, build, and dwell not therein, gather, and it melts as butter against the Sun, &c.

4. Upon Relations. Unequal marriages, yokefellows disloyal, wastful, idle, with-holding more than is meet; troubling their own flesh, dampers in the ways of God, suddenly stricken, and the greatest comforts leave the smartest wounds after them, &c. Unfaithful servants looking only to the Masters eye, invading that which is not theirs, imbezeling or suffering to go to wrack, that which by care they might and ought to preserve. Children sickly, unnatural, taking to no Callings, or not diligent and faithful in them, dispose themselves without consent, run themselves into briars, and see their error when too late to retreat. This is wrath in Domestic relations. And wrath as terribly mixeth in Public Relations. Ministers preach not, oversee not, are not ensamples to the flock, have not experience, nor ability, or care, rightly to divide the Word of truth, and muzzle the gain-sayer. Misled themselves, and mislead others, &c. Magistrates mind not the things of Christ, are tight and vigilant over the good, indulgent to the evil. Bear the sword in vain, &c. Such vials there is much wrath poured through.

5. Upon the holy things of God, and of his people. Ours come not with acceptance to God. The Lord's, not with savor, closenesse, authority, &c. to us. The very book of the Covenant needs sprinkling, Heb. 9.19. The Law which is pure and clean, Psal. 19.8, 9. is made a killing letter, 2 Cor. 3.7. The Gospel which is the grace of God bringing salvation, Tit. 2.11. is made a savor of death unto death, 2 Cor. 2.16. the Lord's Supper an eating and drinking judgmsnt to ourselves, 1 Cor. 11.29. and Christ himself is made for falling, Luke 2.34. and a stone of stumbling, and rock of offense, 1 Pet. 2.8. without Christ's blood taking away sin, the very book of grace had never been opened, Rev. 5.4. and though the choicest in itself, being opened, would never have been useful unto us; and sorer wrath cannot be, than to curse our very blessings, Mal. 2.2. and the very means of grace that they shall be useless, and for judgment.

6. Upon the whole man; the person is under the effects of wrath.

1. Inslaved to the Devil. This is plain, 1. From the Scriptures. Else converting grac • could not deliver from the power of darkness; nor men be said when God gives repentance, to recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil that were taken captive by him at his will. 2. From the likeness of man's work with Satan's; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; Men of a Trade are ordinarily of a company together; but here the rule fails not; 1 Joh. 3.8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil; that is, by doing the same work discovers himself of communion with, and in thralldom to him. The first finders of a Craft, are Fathers; and Successors and Imitators in the Craft are called children, Gen. 4.20. we naturally and freely do the Devils work; John 8.44. The lusts of your Father ye will do, and have no mind to the Lord's work, nor can brook the same to be done circumspectly and exactly by others; Acts 13.10. Thou child of the Devil, enemy of all righteousness. 3. From the community of principles; the very mind and will of Satan is engraven upon our spirits, and express themselves inefficacy and obstinacy of sinning. These principles are Satan's image instead of God's. 4. From the natural man's subjection to the guidance of Satan; regenerate persons are led by the Spirit, but Satan filleth the hearts of natural men. He had possession of Judas his heart, and by a piece of money rides deeper into him, and prevails to engage him to betray Christ. This is a lamentable branch of the natural man's misery.

2. He is banished and separated from God, both from conformity to, and communion with him, and doth electively banish and cast himself forth of the Lord's presence: This appears,

1. From the former point; viz. man's fellowship with Satan; there cannot be fellowship with God and with Satan together. These communions are inconsistent, in the same Spirit, at the same time, in a reigning intense degree.

2. From God's end, and his Apostles and Ministers, in the writing, explanation and application of the Scripture. 1 John 1.3. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Were this fellowship already in the state of nature, there needed not this means of rebringing into fellowship with God. Defiers of the evil one with their mouths, are not the less in league with him in their hearts.

3. From the language of the carnal heart; Job 21.14. Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thee. This they speak internally, and the desire of their souls is to be rid of God; notions of God are a sapless and burdensome piece of knowledge. Rom. 1.18. They did not like to retain God in their knowledge. To banish ourselves is the heighth of man's sin and folly; and to be banished, the heighth of the Lord's wrath, and of man's misery.

Now do we know what a man loseth in the loss of God? that is impossible for any created understanding to conceive!

The world is a Dunge • n without the Sun; the body a carrion without the soul; but neither so necessary as God is to the soul. A taste of the goodness of God, made the world and the lives of the Martyrs nothing to them. Psal. 30.5. In thy favor is life; & Psal. 63.3. Thy loving kindness is better than life.

The very heaven of heaven lies in the enjoyment of God, and the hell of hell in the loss of him. The loss of him is the loss of the Fountain from which all kind of good doth or can come. The loss of the cause, is the loss of all the effects, of all the blessed affections, influences, and promises of God; The loss of all those blessed hopes that fill the soul with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. No prayer, praises, faith, love, fear, or any spark of other grace, are to be found in truth upon the hearth of that heart. Now the person in league with the Devil, and banished from, and without God in the world, must needs be miserable and accursed.

3. He is discontented and unprofitable in every condition. Rom. 3.12. They are altogether become unprofitable. The Holy Ghost makes a natural man of no more use, than rotten things, which we cast forth to the dunghill for their unprofitableness; This is a dreadful ruin, that a creature so excellent, should become unprofitable to others; and very far from comfort to himself in any condition. The wife having all for use, and the husbands heart; hath nothing, because not the authority, dominion, and disposition, which is proper to the husband. Israel have bread and quail from heaven, and water from the Rock that followed them; a table everywise furnished for need, and for delight, and yet grumble because not meat for their lusts. Many have all things very good, and the wisdom of heaven could not carve fitter and better things, and yet all not good enough. Let sin creep in, and Adam will not be content in Paradise, or the Apostate Angels in heaven, but leave their own habitation. Go from God, and take thy leave and farewell of contentment and satisfaction.

4. He is grown a Wolf and Devil to his brethren. Biting and devouring, Gal. 5.15. tearing, pulling, catching at advantage, flying upon the necks of the weaker. Men execute much of the wrath of God in these feuds among themselves; so that the Caution is very necessary, Matth. 10.17. Beware of men; in a sort, as of any wild beast, or the very Devils themselves. This is a glimpse of that wrath which the Lord draweth forth against natural men, in this life before the sons of men.

2. There are further degrees of this wrath that rush in at the end of this life. Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death. The bodies of the very heirs of glory, and which are Temples of the holy Ghost, lie trampled upon under rottenness, and suffer loss of their appointed glory till the last day. The Lord batters them, till the house tumble about their ears. He lays on load till the heart-strings crack; and to whom Hell is remitted, death is not remitted; those must die, that shall not be damned for their sins, and death shall have dominion over them till the morning of the resurrection. There is a progress in God's wrath, which will not stop in the midway, but goes on till it shall be accomplished, Ezek. 5.13.

3. The full vials and very dregs of this wrath, shall be poured out in the world to come, which now God reins in, and lets not get loose, and break over the banks; or if it do, calls it back and turneth it away, but then all his wrath shall be stirred up and let forth to the full.

1. There shall be the general judgment of the great day; in which the Lord himself shall descend from heaven in a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and shall be revealed. 2 Thes. 1.7. with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, terribly to execute the curses of that Law which was so terrible in the promulgation. Then shall the sinner be forced from his grave, dragged to the bar, arraigned, the books opened, all the secrets of darkness, and of the heart made manifest; and the Goats put on the left hand, and have that dismal sentence, Go ye cursed, &c. Mat. 25.41.

2. There shall be dreadful and final execution, and this stands in two things.

1. In loss; expulsion from the Lord's face, and presence, and glory. As incurable lepers, from the Camp and fellowship of the Saints. For the good things which they never cared for, and from the good things of the world which they grasped, and were their portion; from all hopes of grace, all preachings of peace, all strivings of the Spirit; never a friend to comfort, a sun to shine, a drop of water to cool the tongue, or any blessing to come near them anymore forever.

2. In sense; which is sometimes termed, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude ver. 7. Wrath to come, 1 Thes. 1.10. where there shall be with the damned Angels, subjection to the eternal wrath of God, the worm of a guilty conscience that never dies; where the Lord will bear up the creature with one hand, that it continue in being, and beat it with the other, that it shall be ever dying; in death always, and never dead.

Use 1. Inform. We may clearly gather divers Corollaries hence.

1. This may inform us of the vast and woeful change that sin hath made. Men could not come, possibly, such out of the hands of God. Gen. 1.31. God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good, and therefore blessed; but sin hath taken him from Mount Gerizim, and set him upon Ebal; and the misery now is such, that if the Lord should open the same to the conscience fully, the very view would drive men out of their wits, and men could not tarry in their beds, or relish a morsel of bread till delivered, and blessed with some evidence of deliverance out of that condition.

This may infome us of the causlessnesse of the offense taken at Ministers for preaching this point.

Now consider seriously,

1. Is there a parallel to the offense, taken here in any other case in the whole earth? Who is angry with a watchman for giving notice that the house is beset, and ready to be broken up, or on fire; though all be disturbed, some half -frighted out of their wits, or wholly with the tidings; and very great pudder follows till the house be secured, and the fire quenched? men migh • otherwise have been undone and destroyed in their beds. Who flies out against a Centinel that gives a true Alarm, and rowzeth the Soldiers at the deadest time of the night? he prevents their surprisal, or throats being cut in their beds, and the Town from being sacked. Who storms at a passenger that sticks up a bough in a Quagmire, that other Travelers going securely on, may not be laid fast ere they think of any danger? Who takes it ill of a friend, that seeing a bearded arrow coming that would strike the stander next him mortally, pulls him aside with that force possibly as to draw his arm out of joint, and the arrow goes not through his heart? Who thinks amiss of a Lawyer that opens the badness of his Clients cause to him, that he may not insist on a wrong point, in which necessarily he must be cast?

2. Should we to avoid your displ • assure, not give you warning, and so draw God's displeasure, and the blood of you perishing upon our heads? is this good for you or us?

3. Do you well to provoke poor Ministers to bauke that part of their office which flesh and blood makes us too willing to have our edge taken off in? Desire we to be messengers of sad tidings, or rather to come in the abundance of the comforts of the Gospel? A pettish Patient makes the Surgeon search the wound less than is necessary to a through cure. Ye tempt us to stop from speaking needfully of your danger, by your loathness to hear on that ear, and by your rage and regret against the teller. Those which have most need of faithful intellig •• ce of the Lord's wrath, have least upon this very score. Job 21.31. Who shall declare his way to his face, viz. that is respited, and prospers, and tramples the doctrine underfoot, and turns again, and tears the Preacher?

4. This is no other than what the Scripture speaks, and conscience upon retirements will speak; and Satan will lay in your dish, and the Lord will pay into your bosom. Will those fly in the Lord's face, and of conscience, telling this story to them, and pronouncing the sentence against them? Oh profane partial spirits that cannot endure such Preachers as themselves shall be unto themselves; that cannot bear the hearing of those terrors that themselves shall be relators and inflicters of upon themselves! Ye had better have the commodity at the first hand; conscience will preach in another note and loudness than we do, and the more, because your ears have been stopped against our words.

5. There cannot be a greater madness than not to be able to live under the noise and news of this wrath, and yet stick under the wrath itself; the hearing makes the ears tingle, but the wrath does not make the heart quake. Ye had better hear the Heralds in the Princes name denouncing the war, and send out for peace, than have the Prince himself come with fire and sword into your bowels upon the contempt.

3. This may inform us of the righteousness and wisdom of the Lord in this wrath annexed and declared against sin.

1. Consider the high rewards the Lord hath propounded: The Law is not so fiery in comminations against sin, but the Gospel is as full of grace and promises to ways of duty. Now bring things to the bar of reason itself, and may not the Lord annex this dreadful wrath to sin, that doth annex such glorious incomprehensible promises to the duties and weak services of his people? sin strictly deserves; these not. May not he punish severely, that rewards eminently? how just is it that persons invited to the Supper, and making excuses, should not taste thereof? that despisers of the recompenses of God should suffer eternal loss of them, and be scourged with the contrary to them?

2. Consider the Ends the Lord hath designed to reach.

1. In the Elect. 1. To startle. Luke 12.5. I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you fear him: Faith in the threatening engenders fear, as faith in the promise genders hope; faith and fear were conjoined in Noah, Heb. 11.7. and wrought together in his obedience and preservation. 2. To make all things else little that meet them in the world, to shoulder them off from the truth and homage of Christ. A Merchant in a Storm throws his goods over-board; the wrath of God makes the startled sinner part with anything, and incur anything rather than incur that: Moses had rather incur the wrath of a thousand Pharaohs, than the wrath of God, because he knew the power of his wrath. As God's people have rewards promised that out-weigh all that they are called to part with; so terrors propounded that all other terrors may be overlooked, and incurred rather than these. 3. To worm out the esteems of the world, and the sensual pleasures, honors and profits thereof, the fuel of lust; there is need of violence to pull out of this fire. Now he that propounds an end, pitches upon means fitted to compass that end. A Cleaver of knotty timber, must have a wedge that will go through. The mother that will mean the child, must lay such bitter things on the breast, as will make the child loath the milk: So the Lord hath declared those wages to sin, that shall turn the edge of love and liking to sin. That had need be very bitter, that shall make those very sweets bitter to us: No lesser evils would work the sense of that evil of sin into the conscience. And those secretly grudge and complain of the pains as too great, to whom they are too little to awaken and lead them to repentance.

2. In the Reprobate. 1. That he may discover his perfect and infinite displeasure against sin; and in these great letters, that all the world may read his full hatred of it. Eli his faint checks, proclaimed his faint dislikes of his sons sins. High dislikes produce answerable checks. Affections in men, are the feet the soul goes forth upon; and s rong affections go a very nimble eager pace. The Lord much more, because of his infinite contrariety to sin. 2. That he may discover the power of his justice and wrath. Rom. 9.17. For this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my Name might be declared throughout all the earth. Those which glorify not God in that manner which he would, he will glorify himself in the manner that they would not. Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord? and trampled his authority and commands underfoot. Now as he did sometimes bring light out of darkness; and the Apothecary doth Preservatives out of rank poisons; so the Lord not actively glorified, doth fetch the glory of his power and vindictive justice out of sin itself. The walkers in greatest pride and scorn of God, the Lord will have everlasting glory in their everlasting smart; and he will so punish, that heaven and hell shall ring of his justice and power, and displicence against sin, and that his threatenings to the utmost are made good, and were not scare-crows.

3. Consider the dreadful aggravations of sin. It is,

1. A confederacy with the devil. A sworn servant about the Princes person, to contract amity, and hold correspondence with the worst of his enemies, makes the sin rise, and his judgment without pity. Should a Christian fall from a mild and gracious Prince without a cause, and side with the Turk, or worshipper of the devil, against him, we should think no punishment too much for him.

2. A defection from, and insurrection against God, and ateasing the Lord into the lists and field. 1 Cor. 10.22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? Goliath challenges and defies the Host of Israel, till David comes forth, and sends a stone into his brains, and cuts his head off with his own sword, and gives his flesh to the fouls of heaven; so sinners, till they draw the Lord, and the weight of his infinite and eternal displeasure forth against themselves, even that weight which sinks them, and they are never able to rise from under it again. Now sins rise, as the quality of the person that they are done against. He that flies in my face, and gives me blows and wounds thereby, there is an Action of battery and damages to be had against him; He that doth the same against the Judge of Assize, or the King upon the Throne, that is Treason, and his life and estate are hardly enough to make amends for it. The infinity of God, makes the infinity of the evil and meritoriousness of wrath in sin. The Majesty rises, and so the guilt and demerit rises infinitely.

3. The contempt of all means used for fetching the Rebel in. How often would I have gathered you? — and ye would not. Men stand out, and if they could have stood, would have stood out, and continued hostility against heaven forever. How equal is it, that a creature nigh to God, falling off to the devil without a cause, and which chooses to have God his enemy, and that no means can reduce, though the danger and evil of sin be evidenced, and his inability to stand, an act of oblivion offered, and highest preferment, and yet will not come in: How just is it, that he reap the fruit of his continuing at a distance from his Sovereign, and in disobedience against him?

4. This may inform us of the distemper and pride of man's heart, that will charge his misery anywhere rather than upon himself. 1. Upon instruments foreign that do inflict, rather than sin within, for which the same is inflicted. The Lord scourges sin by that which is the inflicters sin too. They have no Warrant to do, and yet we justly suffer from them as Organs of wrath in God's hand. 2. Upon God himself. Prov. 19.3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord. The Malefactour blames the Judge, when it was himself that delivered himself over into the Judges power, and Armed the Law with power of doing all that is done against him.

5. This may inform us of the gr • unds and advantages the Lord hath given us to humility, and self-abasement. Wipe the sweat off from thy brows, and say, This is the fruit of sin. See the clothes on thy back, and these are the coverings of that shame which came in by sin; look into thy body, soul, estate • , relations, person, whatsoever is crooked and afflictive, pertains to this account, and is to be set at the foot of sin. When beaten, consider the fault that thou art beaten for, and accept of the punishment of thy iniquity, Lev. 26.41. Thy eye cannot turn, but there are remembrances of sin, and provocations to lay thyself in the dust before the Lord.

6. This may inform us of their folly, that kindle this wrath yet more. The Princes spake well to the two Tribes and a half, Josh. 22.17. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day? &c. So are those wrath-provoking pollutions of nature too little for us, by which we are so far defiled and troubled unto this day, that by increases of sin we should augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord? Num. 32.14. while abiding in this estate, ye do this more and more continually.

Use 2. Exhort. and this is double.

1. To carnal and unregenerate persons: Arise ye and depart, for this is not your rest, Micah 2.10. This is not an estate to be quietly abode one moment in.

Motive 1. Who can dwell with this wrath which God describes to be 1. Burning wrath; Job 19.11. He hath kindled his wrath against me. 2. Tearing wrath; this set the Bears awork, 2 Kings 2.23. Consider this yet that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces. 3. Piercing wrath, that goeth down into the very inwards of the conscience, when all visible blessings stand entire round about, and not a hair of the head is ruffled. This curse often works in the middle of blessings, and ripens by them insensibly for hell itself. 4. Abiding wrath; the prisoners of which are bound hand and foot, and there is no starting, Zach. 5.4. 5. Surprising wrath; Job 20.23. When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating, and so of all other times, is most cheerful. 6. Reserved wrath; Job 21.30. 2 Pet. 2.9. which like a woman with child will travel, till it have brought forth judgment against all the enemies of the Lord though upon Thrones, and having Nations under their feet, Psal. 78.30, 31. Was Sodom a City fit to be dwelt in, especially for Lot, when the Lord had given him notice of the cloud of fire and brimstone hovering, and ready to come down upon the same? This Climate is too hot for any that have spiritual senses, to dwell a minute in.

2. Shall all our warnings be lost, that tell you of the storm, merely to drive you under covert; and that ye may understand and favor that glorious name, Jesus that delivers from wrath to come! The Avenger of blood is in your necks, to quicken your haste into this City of Refuge. Why should ye make the Furnace-hotter, and to the Fathers wrath which is quenchable in the blood of Christ, superadd the wrath of the Lamb, which is absolutely unquenchable? Shall we only stand forth to clear the justice of the Lord against you in the last day?

3. The great and swaying care of all God's people as soon as ever they saw themselves in the glass of the Law of liberty, was to be found in Christ, Phil. 3.9. This was Paul's prevailing care, when sought for, and to be set to God's bar, to be found clothed with Christ's righteousness, and to have his Image legibly engraven upon him; the like care should be ours.

1. Stir up shame, and sorrow, and fear, and indignation against yourselves; no sins are heavier than those we count light of; Ezek. 8.17. Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? Take this oppositely to a double evil. 1. Men pare and lessen their sins, and make a very small matter of them, and consider not, that lessening their own indignation, they increase God's. Prov. 14.9. Fools make a mock at sin; chap. 10.23. It is a sport to a fool to do mischief: So those, Isa. 57.4. Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do ye make a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? They fell to other gods, and laughed the Prophet to scorn, that made such a business of it; so when Christ and grace, and life were offered, Mat. 22.5. they made light of it, and went their ways; that is, made light of grace, and of the sin of contempt of grace. 2. Men stick in vile practices, and think their sacrifices and prayers will salve all up again, which the Lord so earnestly declares against, Isa. 1.14. But stir ye up sorrow, shame, displeasure; repentance hath these adjuncts, and proceeds to, and deals with, and chiefly, with this first bottom-sin.

2. Lie down meekly at the Lord's feet; this follows upon the practice of the first direction. 1. In submission to any the sharpest dispensations. As passions stir up passions, and one Coale kindles another; so our frettings, the Lord's wrath. There are tangs of this sin in the godly themselves; but grace takes it by the throat. Psal. 51.4. 2. In supplication. The Lord's servants have humbly and earnestly deprecated wrath.

3. Embrace the Lord Jesus in the force of all his blessed offices, and then go fly to, and lift up thy face without spot before the Father in him. Know 1. That it is a dreadful thing to have a settled War and plague in a Nation; much more to be in the Jews case, that rejected, and would not be under the blessing of Christ, and are under the curse of God, and wrath is come upon them to the uttermost; and hath rested already these One thousand six hundred years. 2. That there is no other remedy propounded to remove this wrath, which we came into the world children and heirs of, but only Christ. He hath the keys of hell and death, to let the soul out of the body, and into hell when he will; to infer and remove wrath. If any receive not him, this wrath tarries still, and will cleave to, and abide upon him forever. He speaks with authority. Luke 19.27. Those mine enemies— bring them and slay them before me; and it shall be done. 3. That the Psalmist makes it (as it is) a point of wisdom in the greatest, to kiss the Son with a kiss of homage and subjection, least he be angry; what is the danger of that? and ye perish in the war; of your hopes and purposes, and never compass grace nor glory. If his wrath be kindled but a little, blessed are all those which put their trust in him. 4. That then ye may plead with the Lord with humble boldness. Psal. 74.1. Why doth thine anger smoke against the Sheep of thy Pasture? remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old, the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed, &c. 5. And assure your hearts of welcome. Prov. 21.14. A gift in secret pacifieth wrath, and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. Mark their policy, Acts 12.10. and be assured the relations of Christ, are beloved of the Father. Job 33.24. Then he is gracious to him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.

2. To those which the Lord hath translated out of their natural condition.

1. Bring the work often to the touchstone, that you may not boast in a false gift; gold will endure the test, and be more fully manifested to be gold indeed; and finding the work to be right, live with an enlarged heart to the praise of that grace which hath made this change.

2. Deal seriously in the mortification of sin, which God only strikes at; and in order thereto, count sin the worst of evils; if this were done; and thoroughly, and fixedly done in our spirits, there is nothing of any other directions would be left undone. To set up this judgment, there needs,

1. Ploughing carefully with the Lord's heifer, viz. search into the Oracles of God; there, and there only are lively portraitures of sin, and the genuine products and train of sin.

2. The eye-salve of the Spirit. We are blinder than Batts in this matter; and are indisposed very much, or rather wholly, to let this truth sink down into our hearts.

3. Applications to the Throne of grace. None but those which deal in good earnest in heaven, will see the hell and mystery of sin in themselves. He gives the Holy Ghost to them which ask him.

4. Excussions and communings with yourselves. Prov. 20.27. The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly; and duly made use of, will tell many stories correspondent to the Word of truth; use conscience, and use therewith another and bigger candle, to rummage the dark room of thy heart with. Superadde to conscience, the succors of the Word and Spirit, and thou shalt do something in the search; and find out convictively, the swarms of evil in thine own heart.

5. The work of grace. There will be else a beam in the eye, and plain things will not be plain to us; God's work holds intelligence, and is of amicable affinity with his Word; grace hath the only excellent faculty in looking through sin.

6. Attendance to the Lord's administrations against sin; God writes in great letters in the world, what he had first written in the Scriptures; every breach by sin, should lead down into more hatred, brokenness of spirit, and shame before the Lord for sin. This is the engaging evil; this engages God and the holy Angels, and Devils, and the very man against himself. Nothing can be his friend, to whom sin hath made God an enemy. Woe to the man that is in this sense alone, and hath heaven and earth, and hell, and all within the Continent of them, against him; it is impossible for that man's heart and hands to stand strong. This is the mighty prevailing evil. Never was man so stout, as to stand before the face of sin, but he shivered, and was like a garment eaten up of moths. This hath fretted the joints of Kingdoms in pieces, and made the goodliest houses in the world a heap of rubbish; will make Bab lon that sits as a Queen, an habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a Cage of every unclean and hateful birds; made the Angels Devils, and heaven itself too hot for them. Never were the like changes made as by sin; grace makes not changes of richer comfort, than sin doth of dismal consequence; it is made by the Holy Ghost an argument of the infinity of the power of God to pardon and subdue sin, Micah 7.18.

3. Bear all afflictions incident to an holy course cheerfully. The Martyrs went joyfully into the fire, because the flames of hell were quenched to them; bore their Cross easily, because no curse and damnation to them in Christ Jesus, Gal. 3.13.

4. Reduce your anger to the similitude of God's, which is very slowly kindled, and is an intense holy displicence only against sin; and is cleansed from all dregs of rashness, injustice and discomposure; such zeal should eat us up.

MANS IMPOTENCY TO Help himself out of that misery.

IN this Chapter there are two parts; in the first the Apostle lays down the comfortable fruits and privileges of a justified estate; in the second he argues the firmness of these comforts, because they are so rich that they are scarce credible, and hardly received. The firmness and soundness of these comforts the Apostle representeth by a double comparison. 1. By comparing Chr st with Christ; and 2. Christ with Adam. Christ with Christ, or one benefit that we have by him with another, from the Text to ver. 12. then Christ with Adam; the second Adam with the first, to the end of the Chapter.

In comparing Christ with Christ, three considerations do occur.

1. The efficacy of his love towards us before justification, with the efficacy of his love towards us after justification; the argument standeth thus; if Christ had a love to us when sinners, and his love prevailed with him to die for us, much more may we expect his love when made friends; if when we were in sin and misery, shiftless, and helpless, Christ had the heart to die for us, and to take us with all our faults; will he cast us off after we are justified and accepted with God in him? this love of Christ is asserted in the 6. verse, amplified in the 7. and 8. verses; and the conclusion is inferred verse 9. much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The second Comparison is of the efficacy of the death of Christ, and the efficacy of the life of Christ; 'tis absurd to think that Christ rising from the dead, and living in heaven, should not be as powerful to save, and bring us to God, as Christ dying was to reconcile us to him.

The third Comparison is the privative mercy, or being saved from hell, with the positive mercy, or obtaining a title to heaven. Verse 11. and not only so, but we joy in God, as having now received the atonement.

2. For the comparison between Christ and Adam, the sum of it is, that Christ is more able to save, than Adam to destroy; and therefore justified persons need to fear nothing. As Adam was a public person, and root of man-kind, so is Christ a public person; for Adam was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Adam was a public person, but a finite person, having no intrinsic value in himself, and only was all us by divine institution; but Christ besides the institution of God, was an infinite person; and therefore there is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a much more upon Christ; his sacred virtue exceedeth that cursed influence of Adam in many particulars, amply set down in the latter end of the Chapter by the Apostle.

The words begin the first Comparison. In them,

1. The condition wherein we are by nature, is set forth by two notions, ungodly, and without strength; the one noteth we have no worth to move God to help us, for we were ungodly; the other, that we have no power to help ourselves, for we were without strength; we were without strength, and so need help; ungodly, and so refused help.

2. The means of our recovery, Christ died for us.

3. The s asonablenesse of our redemption, in due time.

For the first notion whereby our natural estate is expressed [ungodly] I shall pass it by; the next notion [without strength] will yield us this point:

That man fallen, is destitute of all power and means of rising again, or helping himself out of that misery into which he hath plunged himself by sin.

This will appear if you consider his condition with respect to the Law, or with respect to the Gospel, and those terms of grace which God offers in Christ; the former more properly falls under the consideration of this place; but because of the method of this exercise, you expect the discussion of the latter also, I shall take occasion from hence to speak of that.

1. With respect to the Law; that will be understood by a view of that Scripture that expresseth the tenor of the Law; Gal. 3.10. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all the words of this Law to do them; where is considerable,

• 1. The duty is exacts.
• 2. The penalty it inflicts.
• 3. The operation that both these have upon the fallen creature.

1. The duty it exacts; an innocent nature that is presupposed for the person must continue; it doth not say Now being; the sentence of the Law, doth not suppose man as lapsed and fallen, or as having already broken with God, but as in a good and sound estate; and then universal, perpetual, perfect obedience is indispenceably required; he must continue in all things with all the heart, and that continually; if he fails in one point, he is gone; this is personally exacted of all men, as long as they abide under Adams Covenant; he that doth them shall live in them, and the sold that sins shall die. Now if God should call us to an account, for the most inoffensive day that ever we passed over, what would become of us? Psal. 130.3. If thu shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? better never born, than to be liable to that judgment, when the Law shall take the sinner by the throat, and say, Pay me that thou owest; what shall he poor wretch do? so that here we are without strength, altogether unable to come up to the obedience of the Law of works. Rom. 8.3. The Law can make nothing perfect, because 'tis become weak through our flesh; to fallen man it establisheth a course of punishing sin, not of taking away sin; we may increase the debt, but we cannot lessen it; if our obedience were exact for the future, (let us suppose it) yet the paying of new debts doth not quit old scores; they that could not keep themselves when entire and innocent, cannot recover themselves when lost and fallen.

2. The penalty it inflicts, Cursed is everyone; how cursed? cursed in all that he hath, Deut. 28.15, 16, 17, 18. All his enjoyments become a snare, and temporal comforts do but harden him, and prepare him for a greater misery. Cursed in all that he doth; his prayer is turned into sin; his hearing, the savor of death unto death; all his toil and labor in outward service is to no purpose. Prov. 21.27. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination, how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? At the best 'tis but an abomination, God will not accept an offering at his hands, much more when 'tis pulluted with sinful and evil aims; but this is not all; he is cursed for evermore, the Law bindeth him over body and soul to everlasting torments, and in time he shall hear that dreadful sentence, Matth. 25.41. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; there is but the slender thread of a frail life that hinders the execution of this sentence upon him; a sinner stands upon the very brink of hell, and ever and anon is ready to be cast in, where he shall eternally lie under the wrath of God; so that here we are without strength, because we cannot satisfy the justice of God for one sin, but are always satisfying, and can never be said to have satisfied; like a poor man that pays a debt of a thousand pounds by a farthing a week.

3. Consider how this works with him; an exaction of duty under so severe a penalty, doth either terrify, or stupefy the conscience; he that escapeth the one, suffereth the other; or else thirdly, doth irritate corruption; or fourthly, obtrude us upon a sottish despair, so as to give over all endeavors and hope of salvation.

First, Sometimes it terrifieth, that's easily done; the conscience of a sinner is a sore place; they are all their life time subject to bondage, Hebr. 2.14. There is a hidden fear in the heart of a wicked man not always felt, but soon awakened, either by a sound conviction from the Word, or some sore judgment, or by the agonies of death, or serious thoughts of the world to come; Felix trembled when Paul did but mention God's judgment, Acts 24.25. the Prisoner makes the Judge tremble; a sinner is afraid to think of his condition; if God do but a little break in upon his heart, do what he can, he lies under the bondage of a wounded spirit, and where ever he goes (like the Devils) he carrieth his own hell about with him.

Secondly, If it terrifieth not the conscience, it stupifieth the conscience, that they grow senseless of their misery, past feeling, Ephes. 4.19. and that's a dangerous Crisis and estate of soul, when once a man comes to that, and goeth like a fool to the correction of the stocks.

Thirdly, it irritateth their inbred corruption. Rom. 7.9. The Commandment came, that is, in full conviction and power, and sin revived, and I died; the more we understand of the necessity of our subjection to God, the more opposite is the soul to him; as a Damm makes a River or strong stream the more violent, or as a Bullock at the first yoking becometh the more unruly.

Or Fourthly, It breedeth a sottish despair. Jer. 18.12. There is no hope, therefore we will walk after our own devices, and do everyone according to the evil imaginations of our own heart; 'tis to no purpose to speak to us, or strive further about us; (as if they had said) there is no hope, and therefore we will live as we list without any further care of turning to God; this is the worst kind of despair, when a man is given up to his own hearts lust, and runneth headlong in the way of destruction without hope of returning; there is more hope of them that are under despairing fears, or a terrified conscience, than there is of those which are under despairing resolutions, or a stupid and sottish obstinacy: thus as to the Law man is helpless.

2. Consider man as to terms of grace offered in the Gospel; he is still without strength, not only in a damnable condition by the Law, but without grace, unable to accept the Gospel; this will appear by two considerations.

1. By those emphatical terms of Scripture by which the Case and Cure of man is set forth.

2. By those positive assertions whereby all power is denied to man to convert himself to God, or to do anything that is spiritually good.

1. Those emphatical expressions which represent

• His Case.
• His Cure.

1. His Case; the Scripture sets forth man's condition thus, that he is born in sin, Psal. 51.5. and things natural are not easily altered; greedy of sin, Job 16.15. He drinketh in iniquity like water; it noteth a vehement propension; as greedy to sin, as a thirsty man to drink; thirst is the most implacable appetite, hunger is far better born; but this you will say is but now and then in a great temptation, or vehement passion; no, Gen. 6.5. Every imagination of the thought of his heart is evil, only evil, and that continually; by how many aggravating and increasing circumstances is man's sin there set forth! there is in him a Mint always at work, his mind coining evil thoughts, his heart evil desires, and carnal motions, and his memory is the closet and store house wherein they are kept. But may not a man be reclaimed, is not this his bondage and trouble? no, his heart is a heart of stone, Ezek. 36.26. that is, inflexible, insensible; when God useth the Word, some common motions of his Spirit, some rousing providences, yet all in vain; for man's heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Jer. 17.9. inventing shifts and excuses to avoid God, and to cheat itself of its own happiness. But is not the New Testament more favorable than the Old? or is not man grown better, since there was so much grace discovered! I answer, No; there is a perfect harmony between the Testaments; there you will find man represented as a child of wrath by nature, Ephes. 2.3. even the Elect as well as others, to be a servant of sin, Rom. 6.17. Never such an imperious Master, never such a willing servant; sin never leaveth commanding, and we love the work; you will find him again expressed as one averse from God, alienated from his life, Ephes. 4.18. 'It is a melancholy thought to a carnal heart to think of the life of God, as an enemy to the Law, Rom. 8.7. One that neither can, nor will please God; as blind, and knoweth not what to do, 2 Pet. 1.9. and this blindness spiritual, is worse than bodily; a man that is blind in body, seeketh for a fit guide, as Elymas when he was stricken blind, sought about for one to lead him by the hand, Acts 13.11. as weak and without strength here in the Text, yea, stark dead in trespasses and sins, Ephes. 2.5. yea, worse than dead; a dead man doth no more hurt, his evil dieth with him; but there is a life of resistance and rebellion against God that goes along with this death in sin. Now put all this together, and you may spell out man's misery, what a wretched impotent creature he is in his natural estate; the Scripture does not speak this by glances or short touches; neither is it an Hyperbole used once or twice, but everywhere, where it professedly speaks of this matter; certainly man contributeth little to his own conversion; he cannot hunger and thirst after Christ, that drinks in iniquity like water; there is nothing in nature to carry him to grace, who is altogether sinful; if the Scripture had only said that man had accustomed himself to sin, and was not born in sin; that man were somewhat prone to iniquity, and not greedy of it; and did often think evil, and not continually; that man were somewhat obstinate, and not a stone, an adamant; if the Scripture had only said that men were indifferent to God, and not a professed enemy; if a captive of sin, and not a servant; if only weak, and not dead; if only a neuter, and not a rebel; then there might be something in man, and the work of conversion not so difficult, but the Scripture saith the quite contrary.

2. The Cure; certainly to remedy so great an evil requires an Almighty power, and the all-sufficiency of grace; therefore 'tis good to see how conversion is described in Scripture; sometimes by enlightening the mind, Ephes. 1.18. and the eyes of your understandings being enlightened, &c. Man the wisest creature on this side heaven, is stark blind in the things of God; though he hath the light of nature, and can put on the spectacles of Art, and dress his notions of divine things by the glass of the Word, yet ere the cure is wrought, something must be done upon the faculty; the eyes of our understandings must be enlightened, as well as the object revealed; I but this infusion of light is not all; the Scripture speaks of opening the heart. Acts 16.14. He opened the heart of Lydia; God doth not only knock at the heart, but open it; he knocks many times by the outward means, but finds no entrance; yea, as one that would open a door, he tries key after key, till he hath tried all the keys in the bunch; so does God use means after means, but till he putteth his fingers upon the handles of the lock, the door is not opened to him; well then the mind must be enlightened, and the heart opened; if these words are not emphatical enough, you will find conversi • n expressed by regeneration. Joh. 3.3. Except a man be born again, &c. Mark, we must not only be reformed, but regenerated. Now because generation is an ordinary work of nature, and often falls out in the course of second causes, therefore 'tis expressed by the Metaphor of resurrection, Ephes. 2.5. But that which hath been, may be again; therefore 'tis called a Creation, Eph. 2.10. we are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his workmanship, 2 Cor. 4.6. 2 Cor. 5.17. Psal. 51.10. yea, further 'tis expressed by victory, 1 Joh. 4.4. or the beating and binding the strong man, by one that is stronger than he. Luk. 11.21, 22. by bringing into Captivity every proud thought, 2 Cor. 10.5. All these expressions doth the Scripture use, to set out the mystery of grace; one expression may not enough be heeded, and therefore are many types and figures of it used, that what is w • nting in one notion, may be supplied by another; as let us gather them up a little, there must be not only light in the mind, but the heart must be moved, and that not a little stirred, but changed, fashioned anew, born again; and because generation supposeth a previous disposition in the matter, not only is it called regeneration, but the term resurrection is used, in which the matter is wholly unprepared; but yet because still here is matter to work upon, therefore 'tis called Creation, which was a making all things out of nothing; God works faith, where there is no faith; and repentance, where was no repentance; and calls the things that are not, as though they were; but now because sin makes us worse than nothing; and as in Creation, as there was nothing to help, so there was nothing to resist and hinder; therefore 'tis expressed by victory, implying the opposition of God's work, and the resistance that there is in the heart of man, till it be over-powered by grace.

2. The next proof is from those assertions, whereby all power is denied to man to convert himself to God, or to do anything that is spiritually good; as when 'tis said he cannot know, 1 Cor. 2.14. he cannot believe, Joh. 6.44. he cannot obey, Rom. 8.7. nay to instance in single acts, he cannot think a good thought of himself, 2 Cor. 3.5. he cannot speak a good word, Mat. 12.34. How can ye, being evil, speak good things? he cannot do anything, John 15.5. He doth not say, nihil magnum, but, nihil; not no great thing, but without me ye can do nothing. Well then, when man can neither know, nor believe, nor obey, nor think, nor speak, nor do anything without grace; surely man is without strength, wholly impotent and unable to turn himself to God.

But here is an Objection; If it be so, how can these things stand with the mercy of God, as the Creator of man kind, to require the debt of him that is not able to pay? with the Justice of God as the Judge of the world, to punish him with eternal death, for the neglect of that which he could not perform? or with the wisdom of the supreme law-giver, to exhort him by promises which hath no power, to do what he is exhorted unto?

I answer to the first; God doth not lose his right, though man hath lost his power; their impotency doth not dissolve their obligation; a drunken servant is a servant, and 'tis against all reason the Master should lose his right to command by the servants default; a Prodigal debtor that hath nothing to pay, yet is liable to be sued for the debt without any injustice; God contracted with us in Adam; and that obedience he requireth is not only due by Covenant, but by Law; not only by positive Law, and contract, but by immutable right; 'tis harsh men think to suffer for Adams fault, to which they were not conscious, and actually consenting; but every man will find an Adam in his own heart; the old man is there, wasting away the few remains of natural light and strength; and shall not God challenge the debt of obedience from a debtor that is both proud and prodigal? we are proud; for when we are miserable, we think ourselves happy; and when we are poor, we think ourselves rich; and when we are blind, we conceit ourselves very seeing; and when we are naked, we think ourselves well clad, Rev. 3.17. and therefore God may admonish us of our duty, and demand his right, if for no other reason, but to show us our impotency, and that we may not pretend that we were not called upon for what we owe; and as man is proud, so he is Prodigal; we spend what is left, and throw away those relics of conscience, and moral inclinations, which escaped out of the ruins of the fall.

2. As to the second, How God can with justice punish him for the neglect of what he could not do?

I answer, our natural impotency is voluntary. We must not consider man only as impotent to good, but as delighting in evil, and loving it with all his heart; as man cannot, so he will not come to God, John 5.40. our impotency lies in our obstinacy, and so man is left without excuse; we refuse the grace that is offered to us, and by continuing in sin, increase our bondage, our inveterate customs turning to another nature.

3. As to the last, how God can exhort and persuade us.

For answer, suppose we should say, This is only for the elects sake, who certainly are the called according to purpose, Rom. 8.28. whereas others are called obiter, by the by; and as they live intermingled with them; if the elect did dwell alone, and were a distinct community by themselves, the objection were plausible; but they are hidden amongst others, and therefore the Reprobate have the like favor in the external means with them; the world standeth for the elects sake, yet the Sun doth not shine upon them alone, nor the showers fall upon their fields alone; or let me illustrate it thus, The sun shineth, though blind men see it not; the rain falls upon the Rocks and Mountains, as well as the fruitful Ualleys; so are exhortations of duty promiscuously rendered to good and bad; this might be answer enough: but that which I rather say, is, that these exhortations have their use, for they carry their own blessing with them, to them to whom God means them for good; the word has a ministerial subserviency to the power of God; as when Christ said, Lazarus come forth, it raised him out of his grave; as for others that are not converted by them, 'tis for their conviction, and to bridle their fierceness, and a means to civilize them, and keep them from growing worse, whereby many temporal blessings do accrue to them; as Pagan Rome flourished in all manner of virtue and success, as long as moral precepts were in force; but of this more in the next objection.

2. Objection. If man be so altogether without strength, why do ye press him to the use of means?

I answer, though man cannot change himself, yet he is to use the means; and that for several reasons.

1. That we may practically see our own weakness. Men think the work of grace is easy, till they put themselves upon a trial; the lameness of the arm is found in exercise; apply thy heart to understanding, then cry for knowledge, Prov. 2.2, 3. Whosoever sets himself in good earnest to get any grace, will be forced to cry for it before he hath done; we never seek strength at God's hands in so feeling a manner, till our experience convince us of our weakness; when a man goes to lift up a piece of timber heavy, above his strength, he is forced to call in help.

2. The use of the means we owe to God, as well as the change of the heart; we lie under a moral obligation to use them; God that hath required faith and conversion, hath required prayer, hearing, reading, meditating; and we are bound to obey, though we know not what good will come of it; as Abraham obeyed God, not knowing whither he went; and Peter, when there was little hope, saith, Luke 5.5. Howbeit, at thy command, &c. our great rule is, We are to do what he commandeth, and let God do what he will.

3. To lessen our guilt; for when men do not use the means, they have no excuse, 'tis plain laziness, and want of will, not want of power; when we will not so much as try to come out of our condition, we love our bondage, and shut the door upon ourselves; or as that phrase is, Acts 13.46. judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life; pass sentence upon our own souls; 'tis a sign you care not whether God show you mercy yea or no, for you will not so much as bestow a thought upon it; and so come under the censure of wicked and slothful servants, Mat. 25.26.

4. There is encouragement in the use of means, many ways.

1. If we do not something, we shall gr • w worse; standing pools are apt to putrefy; man is of an active nature, either growing better or worse; when we do not improve nature, we deprave it; Jude 10. They corrupt themselves in what they know naturally; voluntary neglects, draw on penal hardness, and so your impotency is increased; there is this benefit of using means; it prevents much sin and hardness of heart; 'tis like the embalming of a dead body; it keeps it from stinking, though it does not restore life.

2. Without the use of means they can never hope for anything. Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe without a Preacher? If ever I meet with God, with Christ, it must be in this way ; 'tis good to lie at the Pool, as the poor man did who was unable to get in when the Angel stirred the waters; marriage is instituted for the propagation of mankind; yet the soul is of God only: no man abstaineth from marriage because he cannot beget a reasonable soul; so grace is of God; but hearing, reading, praying, are the instituted means, and we must not abstain from these means, because grace is not of ourselves, but of God.

3. It may be God will meet with us; 'tis the ordinary practice of his free grace so to do, and its good to make trial upon a common hope. Acts 8.22. Pray if it be possible, &c. There is a great uncertainty; yet pray; 'tis God's usual way to meet with them that seek him. Luke 11.8. For his importunities sake; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for his impdence, God is not engaged, but who knows what importunity may do? he may, and he may not give grace, but usually he doth; 'tis God's usual way to bless man's industry, and yet all they that labor have not an absolute certainty of success; who would forbear ploughing because in one year of ten there may happen a dearth or a lean harvest? Act, God may come in (for usually he doth) with his influence and blessing.

Let me now give you some reasons why God permits this weakness and want of strength to lie upon the fallen creature.

1. To exalt the freeness, and power of his grace; first, the freeness of his grace, for God hath shut up all under the curse, that there may be no way of escape but by his mercy; their eternal ruin and damnation is else certain and inevitable. Rom. 11.32. God hath concluded them all under unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that's the word, the state of unbelief is there compared to a prison; made sure and fast with iron bars and bolts, and by God's permission man hath shut up himself▪ in such a prison, that mercy alone might open the door to him; Jew and Gentile lies fast bound with a chain that can be Loosened by no hands but God's; so Gal. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promises by faith might be given to them that believe; 'tis the same word and notion, we may mourn and sigh through the grates of the flaming prison, but can never get out till God look upon us in mercy thorough Christ: And so also the power of his grace, in rescuing us out of this misery; 'tis a mighty power that works in them that believe, Ephes. 1.19. When we consider it, we may wonder at it that ever such a change should be wrought in us that are so carnal, so obstinate. 1 Pet. 2.9. Woe hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light; 'tis indeed marvelous that ever we should get out of the prison of sin; more miraculous than Peters getting out of prison, having so many chains and doors, and keepers upon him, Acts 12.

2. To humble the creature thoroughly by a sense of their own guilt, unworthiness and nothingness; in our natural state we are ungodly and without strength; why has God permitted it? that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Rom. 3.19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , liable to the process of his revenging justice, and so to humble us for our inability and obstinacy that we may go complainingly to God, saying, Lord, I am as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Jer. 31.18. Whosoever hath passed this trial, doth sensibly find it.

Use of all; 1. To the unconverted, to be sensible of their condition, and mourn over it to God, acknowledge the debt, confess your impotency, beg pardon and grace, and in an humble sense of your misery endeavor earnestly to come out of it. By such Doctrines as these, men are either cut at heart, Acts 7.54. or pricked at heart, Acts 2.37. which is the far more kindly work; some men's hearts and lusts are exasperated, and they rage and starme when they are warned of their danger by a closer application; Oh 'tis better to bemoan yourselves, than fret against the Lord, and yield to a sottish despair; there is some hope when conviction ends in groaning rather than murmuring: And you do not fret against the Lord's Sovereignty, but complain to him of the naughtiness of your hearts, begging his grace for Christ's sake; therefore go and lie at his feet, and say, Lord, I have a blind mind, a froward heart, none more; I shall never of myself fly the evil forbidden, perform the good commanded, renounce these bewitching lusts, take up such a course of service to thy blessed Majesty; O take away this stony intractable heart, &c. You are in Prison, but you are Prisoners of hope if you do so.

2. To press the Converted to thankfulness; we were once in such a pitiful case till God plucked us as brands out of the burning; we were utterly miserable and destitute of all good. O blessed be God that opened the Prison door, and proclaimed deliverance by Christ to poor Captives, and not only proclaimed it, but wrought it for us; none but an Almighty arm could loosen the Bolts, and shut back the many Locks that were upon us. Peter, when the Angel made his Chains fall off, considered the matter, Acts 12.12. and went to give thanks among the Saints: Oh when there were so many Doors and Bolts upon you, such difficulties and disadvantages in the way of your conversion; Consider it, and bless God for your escape. Blessed be the Lord that gave me counsel in my reins, Psal. 16.7.

3. Let us compassionate others that are in this estate, poor souls in what a sad condition are they! We have not usually such a deep sense of their misery as we should have; Israel was to pity strangers, because they were once strangers in the Land of Egypt; we ourselves have been in the house of bondage: O pity poor captive souls: Especially doth this concern the Ministry; they that do induere personam Christi, that stand in the stead of Christ, should induere viscera Christi, put on the bowels of Christ. Phil. 1.8. God is my Record how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Christ Jesus; when we were ungodly, and without strength, Christ died for sinners, and wilt not thou labor for them, and employ thy Talent to Edification? Oh if we had more weighty thoughts about the worth and danger of souls, we would not do the Lord's work so sleepily as usually we do, but as co-workers with God we would beseech you with all earnestness not to receive the grace of God in vain, 2 Cor. 6.1. Every advantage should be taken hold off; as a sinking, perishing man, if it be but a bough in the waters catcheth at it, so should we press you to improve all closer applications and Ministerial helps, and that with compassion and tenderness, as having ourselves been acquainted with the heart of a poor impotent captive sinner.

THE COVENANT OF Redemption OPENED.

O Fall the Prophets, this Prophet Isaiah was the most Evangelical Prophet; ( Jerome calls him Isaiah the Evangelist ) Of all the Prophesies of this Prophet, that which you have in this Chapter, is the most Evangelical Prophesy. I do not remember any one piece of Scripture in the Old Testament, so often cited in the New Testament, as this 53. chapter of Isaiah, it being cited there no less than eight or nine times.

The Eunuch you read of in the Gospel, was converted by a part of it; after God by the Ministry of Philip, had opened his eyes to see Christ held out in it.

In the whole Chapter you have a most lively and full description and representation of the humiliation, death and passion of Jesus Christ; which indeed is so exact, and so consonant to what hath fallen out since, that Isaiah seems here rather to pen an History, than a Prophecy.

That Christ all along is here treated upon, and not the sufferings of the Jewish state, I shall not now insist upon. Philip when he had this Scripture before him, he preached Jesus, Acts 8.35. — Christ brings it down to himself, Mark 9.12. — And the matter of it is so convictive, from that clear light that goes along with it, that several of the Jews in the reading of this Chapter, have been brought over to the Christian Religion, as not able to stand out against the light and evidence of it.

The time allotted for this exercise being but short, I must fall upon my work presently.

I come to that Branch which I am to insist upon, When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, &c.

In the verse before you have Christ's innocence, he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth; why then did he undergo so much? It pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief. How could the Father, salvâ justitiâ, deal thus with an innocent person, and with his own Son too? I answer, Christ had now put himself in the sinners stead, and was become his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his surety, and so obnoxious to whatever the sinner had deserved in his own person; and upon this the Father might, without any injustice, and actually did, for the manifestation of the unsearchable riches of his wisdom and love, bruise him and put him to grief. The Lord Jesus had no sin in him by inhaesion; he was holy, harmless, undefiled, &c. but he had a great deal of sin upon him by imputation; He was made sin, that knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. It pleased Christ to put himself thus under our guilt, and therefore it pleased the Father thus to bruise him.

If you ask further, what had Christ to encourage him either to, or in these sufferings? Though there was infinite love in Christ to put him upon all this, and to carry him thorough all this, yet there must be something more; you have therefore here very precious promises, made to Christ upon this his undertaking; as that, he should see his seed, he should prolong his days, the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand, he should see the travel of his soul, and God would divide him a portion with the great, and he should divide the spoil with the strong, because he had poured out his soul unto death, &c.

This very briefly to clear up the Coherence of the words; I pass over the various readings of them; and also what might be spoke for the explication of them (that will come in afterwards) because I hasten to that which is my business this morning, namely, the opening of the Covenant of Redemption. You have heard of the misery of man by Nature, of the inability of man to help himself in this lost condition, &c. I am now to speak something to his recovery or restauration, or rather to that which indeed is the foundation of his recovery, and that is the Covenant here called, The Covenant of Redemption.

By which Covenant, I mean that faederal transaction that was betwixt God the Father, and the Son from everlasting, about the Redemption of lost and fallen man. Understand me here aright; I am not to speak to the Covenant of grace, but to the Covenant of Redemption. We make a difference betwixt these two. 'It is true, the Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant of grace, but 'tis not strictly and properly that Covenant of grace, which the Scripture holds out in opposition to the Covenant of works; but rather the means to it, or foundation of it. Amongst other things wherein these two Covenants do differ, this is one, they differ in the faederati; for in the Covenant of Redemption, the faederati are God and Christ; but in the Covenant of grace, the confederates are God and Believers. I lay down this as my judgment with much submission, because I know herein I differ from some of great repute, whom I very much honor in the Lord. The Lord Jesus I grant is the very kernel and marrow of the Covenant of grace; the Mediator of this better Covenant, Heb. 12.24. the surety of this Covenant, Heb. 7.22. the Testator of this Covenant, Hebr. 9.16, 17. The Messenger of this Covenant, Mal. 3.1. All this is very clear; all that I say is this, that Christ is not the per • ona foederata, but believers. The Covenant of Grace was not made with God and Christ, (as a common head) but 'tis made with God and believers; and therefore whereas the promise is said to be made to the seed, and that seed is Christ, Gal. 3.16. you are to take Christ there not personally, but mystically as you have it taken, 1 Cor. 12.12. So also is Christ.

I only say this to clear up my way, and therefore shall not lay down any Arguments for the confirmation of this opinion; he that desires satisfaction in th is point, let him peruse the Authors cited in the Margent. To the Business in hand:

The Covenant of Redemption (I say) is that foederal transaction, or mutual stipulation that was betwixt God and Christ in the great work of man's Redemption. I call it a foederal transaction, or mutual stipulation, because therein lies the nature of a Covenant; 'tis (as Civilians define it) a mutual stipulation or agreement betwixt Party and Party upon such and such Termes, with Reciprocal Obligations each of the other.

That the business of Mans Redemption was transacted betwixt the Father and the Son is very clear. Zech. 6.13. The Counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both; the Counsel of Reconciliation: How man that is now an enemy to God, may be reconciled to God, and God to him; (for whatever the Socinians say. the Reconciliation is not only on the sinners part, but on God's also) this Counsel or Consultation shall be betwixt them both; (that is) Father and Son. I know some interpret it of Christ's offices; the Priestly and the Kingly office of Christ, both conspire to make peace betwixt God and man; but I rather take it in the other sense.

That this transaction betwixt these two glorious persons, was also foederal, or in the way of a Covenant, and that too from everlasting, is to me a very great truth, (though I am not ignorant that some learned men are not so well satisfied about it.)

For the Explication and Confirmation of this great mystery, I will lay down these seven Propositions.

[Prop. 1] The first is this: God the Father in ord • r to man's Redemption stands upon Satisfaction; the sinner shall be justified, but first God will be satisfied. Man is now fallen from that happy state wherein at first God made him, and by this fall he hath offered an affront to God, and wronged God (so far forth as he was capable of such a thing;) in this case therefore God will have satisfaction, in the Reparation of his Honor, in the Manifestation of his Truth, in the Vindication of his Holin • sse and Justice. 'It is true, He being the Personal laesa, he might freely have remitted the offense, and done what he pleased; but supposito decreto, (some go higher, even to God's nature, which necessarily puts him upon the punishment of sin.) I say, supposing God's decree, he having decreed thus and thus, and also threatened thus and thus, he will have satisfaction; and therefore though he doth in Election give such and such freely unto Christ; yet for the carrying on, and execution of his purpose herein, he stands upon terms for the satisfying of his justice, (which Attribute God will advance as well as his Mercy; for all are alike dear to God) he will have an offering for sin in an expiatory and propiatory way; a price and ransom shall be paid him down, or the Captive shall never be released: And in order unto this, or for the manifestation of this, you do not only read in Scripture of Election as to believers, but also as to Christ, whom God calls his Elect, Isa. 42.1. The Father chooses him, and sets forth, or • ore-ordains him, as 'tis Rom. 3.25. To make satisfaction, without which fallen man shall not be taken into his favor again: who shall be redeemed and justified, but in such a way that God may declare his righteousness: The Apostle doubles his Expression as to this, To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins; To declare I say his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of h • m which bel • eveth in Jesus, Rom. 3.25, 26. You will have this great truth more fully insisted upon by another in the carrying on of this exercise; I will here say no more to it.

[Prop. 2] Secondly, The Father you see demands satisfaction; well, To this he annexes many excellent, great and preci • us promises; that if Christ would engage in this work, and undertake thus to satisfy, (for he alone could do it) he would do thus and thus for him; as that he would fit him for the work, own him and strengthen him in the work, succeed and prosper him in the work, and then reward him for it. And all this the Father makes good to Christ.

1. He fits him for this work, both in a large effusion of the graces and gifts of the Spirit upon him. John 3.34. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. And also in the preparing of a body for him, Hebr. 10.5.

2. He strengthens him, and supports him in the work. Isa. 42.1. Behold my servant (Christ is our Lord, but in the work of Redemption he was the Fathers servant) whom I uphold; and therefore you find when Christ was put upon the greatest trials, God gave in eminent succor to him; as in the case of temptation, Matth. 4.11. and in his agony in the Garden, Luke 22.43. And there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven, strengthening of him. And certainly if Christ had not had support and strength from the Godhead, he had never been able to have bore up under, and carried thorough his terrible sharp work: You find him encouraging himself, and acting faith upon this, that God would own him, and stand by him in this undertaking. Isa. 50.7, 8, 9. The Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded; Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed; He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? Psal. 16.8, &c. I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved, &c.

3. Further, God the Father succeeds and prospers him in the work. When thou shalt make • his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. This was promised, and also made good to Christ in the numerous body of believers, past, present, and to come. I might here enlarge upon a threefold gift which the Gospel holds forth▪ There's the Fathers gift, the Sons gift, and the Believers gift. The Fathers gift lies in Election; such and such individual persons he gives to Christ; Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, John 17.6. We are a free gift to Christ in El • ction, as Christ is a free gift to us in Redemption. The Sons gift lies in the giving of himself for us, Who gave himsel • for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, &c. Tit. 2.14. And then there is the Believers gift, and that is, he gives up himself to Christ, to be ruled by Christ, disposed by Christ, saved by Christ; he gives up himself to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. The Father giving believers to Christ, and promising that believers in time should also give themselves to him, was a great encouragement to Christ to give himself for believers; and if you read John 17. you shall see there, that Christ when he had done his work, takes much notice of the accomplishment of this promise to him, in believers (who are his seed) owning of him, and closing with him.

4. Lastly, God will and doth reward Christ upon his undertaking to redeem man; he tells him he shall not lose by it, His days shall be prolonged; ( i. e. his Kingdom shall be set up in the world to endure forever) God would divide him a portion with the great, and he should divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death. And many such promises you have made to Christ; Accordingly; God hath exalted him far above all principality and power, hath put all things under his feet, made him to be head over all things to the Church, given him a Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow; and all because (to give satisfaction to his Father) he made himself of no reputation, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. And thus you see what the Father demands, and what he doth indent and promise to his Son, in case he will engage in this undertaking; not as if the Son was unwilling so to do, (you must not so understand it) but the work being of such a nature, so hard, so grievous, it pleased the Father thus to Treat with him.

[Prop. 3] In the third place: The Lord Jesus Christ engages in the work, accepts of the terms and conditions set before him, and undertakes to satisfy his Fathers demands. And in order to satisfaction, (which God stands upon as you have heard before) Christ is willing to fulfill the whole Law, which was the rule, or measure, or standard for this satisfaction: God had been dishonored by the violation of his Law, and the disobedience and non-performance of it was that which kept God and the sinner at a distance, and therefore he will only be satisfied and reconciled upon the fulfilling of it; here is my Law saith God, satisfy it, and my justice is satisfied.

You must know this, that though a sinner as to himself, is justified upon the terms of the Covenant of grace, yet as to his surety, he is justified upon the Covenant of works; for the surety must pay the whole debt, and the Father will bate him nothing.

Object. Where is then, some will say, the freeness of grace in the justifying and acquitting of a sinner? if God will be satisfied to the utmost, what becomes of mercy? if the surety pay the debt to the Creditor, is it any great favor for the Creditor to let the debtor out of prison?

Sol. To this I answer, Free grace is very well consistent with full satisfaction; and notwithstanding the latter the former is very glorious, partly because God himself found out this way of satisfaction, partly because God accepts it for the good of the sinner, as though he had made it in his own person: That place of the Apostle is observable, Being justified freely by his grace, through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ, Rom. 3.24. Notwithstanding Redemption by Christ, yet we are justified freely; as freely as though Christ had done and suffered nothing at all. But this is a digression.

I say, the Father demanding the fulfilling of the Law, Christ undertakes to do it; and therefore he willingly puts himself under this Law. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons, Gal. 4.4, 5. And he submits not only to the duty of the Law, but also to the penalty of the Law; not only to do what the Law enjoins, but also to suffer what the Law threatens; and the former he makes good by his active obedience, the latter by his passive obedience.

To open this a little further, Christ here doth two things.

First, He undertakes to perform the whole moral Law; and therefore when he comes into the world, his eye was upon this; Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness, Mat. 3.15. I am not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill, Mat. 5.17. And all this Christ did for our good, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, Rom. 8.4. a very convincing place for the imputation of Christ's active obedience.

Secondly, Whereas a special Law was laid upon him, as he was our Meditour; he is willing also to obey that in order to our redemption. That Christ should die was no part of the moral law, but it was a positive special law laid upon Christ; well, he makes it good: I lay down my life, this Commandment have I received of my Fath • r, Joh. 10.18. Christ as Mediator had a command from his Father to die, and he observes it; And to be short, whatever the Father put him upon in his whole Mediatory work, he did it all; so he tells us, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to d • , Joh. 17.4.

[Prop. 4] Fourthly, In this faederal transaction betwixt the Father and the Son, both parties were free; here was no necessity, co-action, or anything of this Nature, but both were free.

The Father was free in his demands of satisfaction; he might have let man alone in his state of guilt and wrath, he might have suffered all man-kind to have perished, and to be thrown into hell; he had been infinitely happy in himself, though there had been no such thing as Redemption by Christ. 'It is true, without this, God had not had satisfaction to his justice, (for if Adam and his posterity had burned in hell to all eternity, all would have been nothing in a way of satisfaction) but there had not been the least diminution of his essential glory and blessedness in himself.

The Son is free too on his part; he freely consents to the terms of this Covenant; and in the fullness of time, freely engages in the making of them good. Heb. 10.5. Lo I come to do thy Will, O God. Psal. 40.8. I delight to do thy Will, O God, yea, thy Law is within my heart. And therefore he says there, Mine ears hast thou bored. As the servant in the Law, when he was willing to stay with his Master, and to do his work, h • s ear was bored; so 'twas with Christ, he was willing to serve his Father in this business, the greatest that ever was carried on in the world, and therefore says he, Mine ears hast thou bored. Christ was free in all his obedience; and if it had not been free and voluntary, it would not have been satisfactory or meritorious: whatever he did or suffered, it was from love, not necessity. This truth is so evident from the whole current of the Gospel, that I need not enlarge upon it.

[Prop. 5] Fifthly, Th se two persons in this blessed Covenant, they do mutually t • ust each other; I say they do mutually trust each other, for their respective making good the terms of this Covenant: the Father trusts the Son, and the Son trusts the Father; the Father trusts the Son for the making of his soul an offering for sin; the Son trusts the Father for the seeing of his • eed: To bring th • s assertion down to time; in the times of the Old Testament, the Father trusts the Son; in the times of the New Testament, the Son trusts the Father. Before the coming of Christ, the Father takes up the Patriarchs and others to heaven, upon assurance of this, that Christ in the fullness of time, would take our nature upon him, and therein make full satisfaction: Christ having promised to do thus, the Father takes his word, and so takes up Old Testament-believers to glory. Since the coming of Christ, the Son now trusts his Father; for he hath offered up himself, paid down the full ransom, and yet he doth not reap the full benefit of it, many believers being not yet glorified; but he trusts his Father, that one by one they all shall be so in due time. This may seem to be but a notion. I confess we have no place of Scripture positively asserting this, but the nature of the thing demonstrates it; for there being some distance of time in what was to be done by both persons, there must be a mutual trusting each of the other.

[Prop. 6] In the sixth place; These two persons all along in their proper and peculiar transactions, they deal each with the other as under a Covenant, and they hold each other to the terms of the Covenant that was betwixt them. (Not that there's any question of their breaking of it; but thus we may with an humble reverence conceive of it) The Father holds the Son to the engagement on his part; he will not spare him, or bate him anything; satisfaction he will have to the utmost, though it cost his life and blood; And therefore you may observe the prayer of Christ, John 12.27. Father, save me from this hour; he seems to check or recall himself, but for this cause came I unto this hour: this is but that which I engaged to go through, and therefore I must do it: And his Father answers him there accordingly. Ver. 28. Father, glorify thy Name; (still Christ's eye was upon that, his Fathers glory) well, saith the Father, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again: He speaks thus not only upon the accompt of his Sovereignty, but of the Covenant also that I am speaking to.

The Son also stands upon the terms of this Covenant; and therefore having performed the conditions on his part, he now makes his claim both for himself and his members, that the Father will make good the conditions on his part. Father, says he, I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. And for his members he speaks more in the language of a Covenant; Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, &c. I will; not only I pray, or beseech, but I will; I ask this as my right, by virtue of the Covenant betwixt us; I having done thus and thus, 'tis but my due (for though glory is a gift to us, 'tis a debt to Christ ) and so I claim it, that those whom thou hast given me, may be with me in glory.

[Prop. 7] I will add but one thing more, and then I have done with the Explicatory part. This federal transaction betwixt the Father and the Son, it was from all eternity. Here lies the difficulty, and this is that which stumbles some; I will speak but a word to it. I say, this Covenant of Redemption; it was from all eternity; it was not made when Christ was just coming into the world, but from everlasting. Two Scriptures seem to hold out this, 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Here is the purpose of God, here is grace given in Jesus Christ; how? in the Covenant betwixt the Father and him; when was this given? before the world began, (h. e.) from all eternity: So, Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot l • e, promised before the world began. How was this life promised before the world begun, but in this everlasting Covenant, wherein the Father promised unto Christ eternal life for all his seed?

I have been speaking to you of a very great mystery, of which the Scripture speaks but little signanter; we have not the terms, but we have the sense and substance of this Covenant of Redemption there laid down: If in any assertion I have seemed too bold, I am very ready to take shame for i • . I am sorry my work did lie in such an untrodden path, wherein I have but very few to give me any direction. I will shut up all with a little Application.

And first, I would from hence stir you up to an high admiration of the great and infinite love of God, of God the Father, of God the Son; what manner of love hath the God of Grace revealed in this Covenant! Love, that for the freeness of it, and greatness of it, we should admire in this life, as we shall admire it in the life to come. Both persons have discovered inconceivable love in this transaction; Oh let both of them be admired with the highest admiration.

1. Admire the love of the Father; we are more apprehensive of the love of the Son, than we are of the love of the Father. I would not speak anything to diminish the love of the Son; God forbid; Oh 'twas wonderful superlative love! only I would heighten your apprehensions of the Fathers love in the great work of our Redemption; Redemption was not only brought about by Christ, but the Father had a great hand in it; therefore 'tis said, The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand: And I have found a ransom; God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. I might instance in several particulars to set out the Fathers love in our Redemption; but take only that which I have been upon: That the thoughts of God should be upon poor lost man, so as to find out a way for his recovery; that he should call his Son, and say, Come, let us consult together, (I speak after the manner of men) Is there no way to be found that man may yet live? he is now obnoxious to me, and I might throw him into hell; but may not I be satisfied, and he saved too? I am not willing he should utterly perish. I say, that God should thus set his thoughts on work for wretched man, and treat with his Son, and strike up a Covenant with his Son, and therein lay such a foundation for man's recovery; let Angels and men, and all creatures adore this love; and oh that you would return love for love; return your drop for God's Ocean. We must honor the Son as we honor the Father, and we must love the Father as we love the Son.

2. And then admire the love of the Son too; he is willing to engage in this Covenant, he knew the terms of it, what the Redemption of man would cost him, even his life and precious blood; yet for all this he willingly and freely binds himself to redeem poor sinners, whatever it cost him. O the heights, depths, breadths of this love! Blessed Jesus, that ever thou shouldst consent to lay down thy life for me, to wash away my sins in thine own blood, to give thy soul as an offering for sin, upon this encouragement and motive, that thou mightest s • e such a poor worm as I brought in to God, that thou shouldst set thyself as a Screen betwixt God's wrath and my poor soul, and do and suffer ten thousand times more than what tongue can express, or heart conceive! What shall I, what can I say to all this? but fall down, and wonder at that Love which can never be Fathomed! So much for the first thing.

[Use 2] Secondly, This Covenant of Redemption may be improved for the encouraging and strengthening of faith: Faith sometimes is ready to question the blessings of the Covenant of Grace, and the Continuance or Perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace; that's the great Foundation of Faith, and when it staggers about that, 'tis very sad with the soul.

Now I will lay down two things for the help of Faith.

• 1. The blessings of the Covenant are sure.
• 2. The Covenant of Grace itself is sure.

First, The blessings of the Covenant are sure. They are called the sure mercies of David, Isaiah 55.3. They are sure for Continuance, and they are sure for Performance.

1. For Continuance; common mercies are dying, perishing, uncertain things; but Covenant mercies are stable, durable, lasting things. A great estate may come to nothing, Prov. 23.5. Riches are uncertain things, 1 Tim. 6.17. And so in all worldly comforts, they are but a fashion, matters of fancy, rather than of reality, and they pass away, 1 Cor. 7.31. But now grace, pardon of sin, adoption, &c. these are blessings that abide forever, Rom. 11.29.

2. They are sure also for performance; I mean, whatever blessing God hath put into this Covenant, (as 'tis full of blessings) all shall certainly be made good to believers; otherwise God would not be faithful to his Covenant, which certainly he will be; Men may be false in their Covenants to God, but God will certainly be true in his Covenant to men. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, rather than there shall be the least entrenchment upon God's truth, in the not performing of his Covenant.

Secondly, The Covenant of Grace is sure in itself; a Cov • nant firm, unalterable, never to be broken; 'tis called an everlasting Covenant, Gen. 17.7. Hebr. 13.20. a Covenant that shall stand fast, Psal. 89.28. a Covenant ordered in all things, and sure, 2 Sam. 23.5. The Covenant of Grace is so firmly ratified, that there can be no nulling of it.

1. God hath ratified it by his Oath, Gen. 22.16. Hebr. 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. His promise is enough, but surely h • s oath must put all out of question; there's no room for unbelief, now God hath sworn to it.

2. God hath ratified it by the death of his Son: A man's last Will as soon as he is dead, is in force, and cannot then be disanulled. The Covenant of Grace is a Testamentary Covenant, which by the death of the Testator is so settled, that there's no altering of it. Gal. 3.15, &c. Hebr. 9.15, 16.

Again, the Covenant of Grace is ratified by the seals which God hath annexed to it. What was sealed by the Kings ring could not be altered: Esther 8.8. God hath set his seal to this Covenant, his broad seal in the Sacraments, his privy seal in the witness of his Spirit; and therefore 'tis sure, and cannot be reversed.

And further than all this, 'tis ratified in and by that Covenant which hath been now opened; The Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ, secures the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and believers. What God promises us, he did before promise unto Christ, and the F • there would not make good his promise unto Christ, if he should not make good his promises to the Saints. And therefore as in other respects, so in this also, the Covenant may be said to be confirmed of God in Christ, Gal. 3.17. with respect to that paction and stipulation that was betwixt them.

I lay all this before you for the strengthening of your Faith, as to the stability of the Covenant of Grace; so long as that Covenant stands, you are safe; and you see there's no question but that Covenant will stand, which God hath set upon such firm pillars. This promise in the Text, He shall see his seed, will assuredly bring every believer into heaven. O that faith might triumph in the consideration of this, the Covenant of grace is sure. David's Faith did so, when death was in his eye, and affliction in his eye; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things, and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, 2 Sam. 23.5. When Faith begins to faint, look up to this Covenant, and reason thus; God will not alter his promise to me, but to be sure he will not alter his promise to his Son. I may fail in such and such conditions, but Christ hath been faithful in all; every child of God may take much comfort from this.

[Use 3] In the third and last place, I would have you to inquire what this Covenant of Redemption is to you. Here's a blessed Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son; how far are you and I interested in it, or like to receive benefit by it? Was it universal that all men should have an equal share in it? Some very learned men I know tell us of Pactum universal betwixt the Father and the Son; but I crave leave to differ from them.

1. Because that which they make their Pactum universal, is rather a Proposition or a Promise, than a Covenant; as he that believeth shall be saved.

2. I know not how to believe that there should be a solemn Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son, upon which never any man should be the better; Did ever any sinner get anything by this universal Covenant?

3. We may preach the Gospel to all upon an indefinite Proposition, He that believeth shall be saved; and we need not to assert an universal Covenant, for the universal preaching of the Gospel. This was the great reason that prevailed with these worthy men to assert such a Covenant. I know no Covenant but that special Covenant into which the seed of Christ were only taken. I am loath to fall into the dusty road of Controversies; all along in this Discourse, where I could not avoid them, I have but just crossed them over, and so presently fallen in again into some more quiet and private way.

Passing by therefore this universal Covenant of men more moderate, and the universal Redemption of others who go higher; I shall only lay down that which I judge to be a great truth, viz. That 'tis the Elect only who are concerned in this Covenant: Such and such persons there were, ( individually considered) whom God the Father in his Electing love doth freely give to Christ; for these, and only for these, doth the Lord Jesus engage to lay down his life: Redemption on the Sons part shall be no larger than Election on the Fathers part, that there may be a perfect Harmony and Agreement betwixt them in their love.

So then Beloved, if you would draw down comfort to yourselves from this Covenant, you must find out this, that you are the Elect of God, chosen of him to be Vessels of his mercy before the world was; Christ undertook to give his life only for those whom the Father had first given to him; these he only prayed for, and therefore surely these he only died for.

You'le say I put you upon a very difficult search; 'tis true, 'tis very hard for a man to know his Election, but yet it may be known; otherwise the Apostle would never have urged this as a duty upon Christians, To make their Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Paul knew that the Thessalonians were elected of God, 1 Thess. 1.4. And he did not know it by Revelation only; No, he gives another account of it; he knew it by way of inference from what he saw of God in them: Ver. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in Word only, but also in Power, and in the Holy Ghost, &c. If Election may be known by others, why not by ourselves?

I grant à parte ante, so it cannot be known, so the book is cl • sped and sealed, and none can open it, but the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah; but à parte post, by such and such effects and operations upon the heart, so it may be known.

Several of these might be set before you out of the Word, but I will only instance in the grace of Faith. He that believes, is certainly in the number of God's Elect, he's a chosen Vessel of mercy. All the Elect shall believe, sooner or later they shall close with Christ upon the terms of the Gospel. John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me (there's Election) shall come to me. (there's Faith) Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. None but the Elect can savingly believe.

The sum of all then for the clearing up of your interest in this Covenant of Redemption is this, Have you the precious Faith of God's Elect? Are your hearts wrought up to a blessed accepting of Christ? Have you ever had such a sense of sin and guilt, and misery, as to go out of yourselves, and only to rest upon the Lord Christ? Do you venture your souls upon his all-sufficient merits? And is this Faith a working Faith, an heart- purifying Faith, a sin- mortifying Faith, a world- overcoming Faith? a Faith that closes with Christ as a Lord, as well as a Savior? a Faith that is for obedience, as well as privilege? Oh you that have this Faith, go away in peace, be of good comfort; This everlasting Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son is yours, your good was promoted and secured in this Treaty and foederal Engagement. How much doth this Covenant speak for the benefit of believers? if you be such, 'tis all yours. By it you are already brought into a state of Grace; by it you shall hereafter be brought into a state of glory. Upon this Covenant Christ now sees you as his seed, upon this Covenant you shall hereafter see him as your Savior face to face unto Eternity. To this Father, to this Son, with the Holy Spirit be glory for evermore.

THE COVENANT OF GRACE.

THE general design of this Epistle, is my special design in this Text, viz. to demonstrate to you, that you live under the best of gracious dispensations; that Jesus Christ our deservedly adored Mediator of the New Covenant, hath obtained a more excellent Ministry; and by the faithful discharge of that Ministry, more excellent benefits than either Moses, the Messenger-Mediator, or the Levitical Priests, the Stationary-Mediators of the Old Covenant.

But now] now is not here a note of time, but of opposition; as in Rom. 7.17. now then] i. e. after the Law received; so Grotius; or if you will have it to note the time, 'tis the time of the Gospel, this last time.

Hath he obtained] not by usurpation, but by election; he hath of divine grace freely received .

A more excellent ministry] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Minister, is he that doth something at the command of another, Heb. 1.7. and so 'tis said of Magistrates, Rom. 13.6. they are God's Ministers; but 'tis chiefly spoken of the Priests, Nehemiah 10.39. The Priests that minister; because they offer those things that God requires, they are said to minister, Exodus 28.35, 43. Christ's ministry is more excellent thatn the Levitical; he executes it partly on earth, and partly in heaven; but he amplifies the excellency, chiefly from the excellency of the Covenant ; and therefore it follows,

[By how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant;] If you take the old Covenant for the whole dispensation under the Old Testament, as well Gospel-promises as those things which are more strictly legal; then we may truly say, he old and new Covenant, are for substance the same; and therefore the Comparison relates rather to the form, than to the matter of the Covenant . The Covenant of grace is dispensed with more latitude, clearness, and power of the Holy Ghost ; and therefore it may be called a better Covenant.

Which was established upon better promises.] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Chrys. He names that which may most affect them with joy, in saying it is established upon better promises. All Cove • ants consist in promises. The Covenants of Kings and Princes amongst themselves; consist in promises, of either not hurting, or helping one another; the Covenants of Princes and people consist in promises; the Prince promises justice, clemency, and defense; the people promise love, obedience, and gratitude; so in the Covenant of grace, the first and chief part, whereof is [I will be thy God, and of thy seed] and we promise faith, obedience, and worship; the promises of the Old Covenant run more upon temporal good things; the promises of the New Covenant, are chiefly remission of sins, sanctification by the Spirit, &c. and the Covenant is said to be established; the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , q. d. Legislatum. Law and Covenant are joined together in Scripture; They kept not the Covenant of God, and refused to walk in his Law, Psal. 78.10. The New Covenant containeth certain precepts, which everyone must obey that will obtain the promise. Thus you have the meaning of the words; The [Observation] I shall commend to you, is this.

The Gospel Covenant (or the new Covenant) is the best Covenant that ever God made with man.

I will not stay you long in the general notion of a Covenant; the word sometimes signifies an absolute promise of God, without any restipulation; as God's engagement to Noah, Gen. 9.11. And I will establish my Covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore, by the waters of a flood, neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. Whatever man's carriage shall be, God promises that he will no more drown the world. So the promise of perseverance, Heb. 8.10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my Laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. Our perseverance doth not lean upon imperfect grace, but upon divine favor; but I wave this, and shall speak of Covenants, as they note the free promise of God, with restipulation of our duty .

A Covenant is, amicus status interfaederatos; so Martin. a friendly state between Allies; 'pray 'consider the several Covenants the Scripture mentions, and they are three; namely the Natural, Legal, and Gospel Covenant; the Natural commonly called the Covenant of Works, that flourished till the first sin; the Legal Covenant that flourished till the Ascension of Christ, and the pouring out of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles, though it began to languish from Johns preaching, and began to grow old throuhout the course of Christ's Mini • try; the Gosp l Covenant that flourisheth from Christ till the end of the world.

I shall speak but little of the first, something more of the second, but dwell upon the last.

1. The Natural Covenant, is that whereby God by the right of Creation, doth require a perfect obedience of all man-kind, and promiseth a most blessed life in Paradise to those that obey him, and threateneth eternal death to those that disobey him, that it may appear to all how he loves righteousness and holiness; how he hates impiety and wickedness. In this Covenant I shall consider but these three things.

1. God's condescension, that he would enter into Covenant with man; God was at liberty whether he would create man or not; and when God had made this glorious Fabric, there could be no engagement upon him, besides his own goodness to keep it from ruin. Matth. 20.15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? but man having an understanding, and will, to comprehend, and observe, the Laws given him, had a natural obligation to duty, which can no way be dissolved; there is no power in heaven or earth can disoblige man from loving and obeying God. Now that God will deal with man not summo jure, not imperiously, and threateningly; but magna comitate, that God will deal with man, as with his friend; and though he may give what Laws he will, yet he will give none but what are easy, and yet make them more easy, by bountifully rewarding an easy obedience; this speaks wonderful condescension.

2. The second thing considerable in the Natural Covenant is man's duty, which consisted in the knowledge, and love of God; whence would have proceeded piety to God, justice and love to man, this was man's natural duty; for we must distinguish the duty from the Symbole of duty. Natural duty consisteth in those things that are good in their own nature, and not in those things that are only good because God commands them; the Law about the forbidden fruit, was only for the trial of man's obedience; for had not the divine command intervened, it would have been as lawful for man to have eaten of that Tree, as any other Tree in Paradise; but,

3. The last thing I shall mention concerning this Natural Covenant, is the Promise of Reward; now that consisted in a perpetual life, flowing with all manner of good things, agreeable to the soul and body of man in that perfect estate.

2. The second Covenant was the Legal; now the Legal Covenant, is that whereby God did r • quire of the people of Israel, obedience to the Moral, Ceremonial and Judicial Law; and to that obedience, he promised all sorts of blessings in the Land of Canaan; and to the dis bedient, he denounced most severe curses and death; and all to this end, that he might bring them to the future Messiah.

Here I shall propose the same considerations, as in the former Covenant; only something more. Therefore consider:

1. God's condescension is singularly observable, that ever he would enter into another Covenant with man when the first was broken; this Moses useth as a mighty Argument to persuade Israel to observe the Covenant, Deut. 4. from the 32. to the 40. verse. Ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon earth; and ask from the one side of heaven unto thie other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it. Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a Nation from the midst of another Nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes, &c. thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes, and his Commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and thy children after thee, &c.

2. Consider man's duty in the Legal Covenant, and that is obedience to the moral Law; to which was added the Ceremonial Law, for a Rule and Direction in the worship of God; and the Judicial Law, which was their divine policy for the government of the State.

All these are comprehended in the ten Commandments; but the more-particular their directions were, the more plain was their duty; and the truth is, it was but need that they should have particular direction, when their Legal Covenant neither admitted of faith in the Redeemer, nor repentance of sin; for pardon of sin, and curse for sin are inconsistent. Gal. 3.10. As many as are of the works of the Law, are under the Curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law, to do them; As many as depend upon the works of the Law for Justification, are under the curse; and the Law discovered no other way of Justification but by Works.