Christ Crucified - 72 Sermons on Isaiah 53

his engagement hemming him in, and wrath pursuing him, he stands betwixt these two as a prisoner; and upon these two the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, and he was exacted upon and answered for them; follows well the third, that he was put in prison; for in these Verses, the steps of our Lord's Humiliation are followed out in a legal way as before the bar of God's Tribunal.

2ly. This being our Lord's posture, we shall consider the effects of this pressure of spirit, which we may draw to these four heads. 1. He was under the sense of great Soul-pain, sorrow and trouble; for the cup of the wrath of God being bitter which he was to drink, it could not but deeply sting his holy human nature, which was the procuring cause of his agony, and that which made his soul sorrowful and brought out the bloody sweat. 2. Beside his grief and dolour, there was a holy horror; and considering the party that he had to do with, it was impossible it could be otherways, impossible for a finite though a sinless creature, to look on an angry God, and on wrath poured forth into the cup which it must needs drink, and not to have a horror at it; it were not becoming the sinless human nature of our blessed Lord not to be affected with a holy and sinless horror at that most bitter cup, which brought out that sad cry, Father, let this cup depart from me; which did not proceed from any dislike he had to fulfil his engagement, or from any rewing or unsuitable resentment that he had so engaged himself, but from an apprehended sinless disproportionableness (to speak so) in his finite sinless human nature, to encounter with the wrath of his Father; to which, though he most willingly yielded, yet in itself it was dreadful. 3. There was a pinshing and straitening of holy fear, as if there had been in him a sinless dispute or debate, what will become of this? can a man win thorough this? (though he was God as well as man) how will this be gotten born? This looks as if death would get the victory; Thus it's said Heb. 5.7. In the days of his flesh he offtred up strong cries and supplications with tears, and was heard in that which he feared, he put up strong cries to be delivered, not from dying, but from the power of death, and was heard in that which he feared, to show a holy care to prevent death, could that have been, and a sinless fear of it lest it should swallow him up. 4. There was a pinshing and straitening from love to the Father and to the doing of his Will; and from love to the Elect and to their Salvation, which pushed him forward to perform and fulfil his engagement; accordingly Luk. 12.41. he says, I have a baptizm to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished, and hence it was that these words were uttered by him, Father, not my will but thine be done; and therefore though he had power to command twelve legions of Angels for his relief, yet, to speak so, love binds his hands that he will not use his power for his own liberation. But to guard this Doctrine from mistakes, take a fourfold advertisement concerning this inward soul-pinshing, which will help to clear somewhat of his Soul-suffering that followeth, And. 1. Think not that there was any sinful or unsuitable confusion or perturbation of mind in our Lord, such as useth to be in us, there being no dreg of corruption in his mind to jumble or discompose his holy human nature. 2. Beware of thinking that there was any fretting or anxiety in him, or any discontentedness with the Bargain, his expressions show forth the contrary, for (saith he) I could command twelve legions of angels, yet he would not do it. 3. Think not that there was any jealousy in him of the Fathers love, though there was a suspension of the comfortable and joyful sense of it, yet there was not the least lousing of the faith of it, as is clear by his doubling of these words, My God, my God, when in his saddest pinsh he cried out as b • ing forsaken. 4. Ye would not look on this as holding out any distrust as to the event. I have (saith he) power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again; and I will rise again the third day; he knew that the Covenant of Redemption betwixt the Father and him stood firm and sure: But it's the consideration of God's now coming as his Party to exact the Elects Debt of him, and his standing at the Bar to answer for it, which puts him in this agony; and though considering Christ as man personally united to the God-head (whereby he was keeped from sinking,) he had no distrust to be carried thorough; yet considering him as Man suffering, and that (to speak so with reverence in such a divine subject) there was an eclipse of that sensible joy that proceeded from the two natures together, It's not possible to conceive of Christ in this posture, but wrath and anger behooved to be some-way dreadful or terrible to him.

The Uses are, 1. To evidence the truth of what our Lord suffered, and how severely he was pinshed and straitened; It was not the Scribes and Pharisees pursuing him, nor the Soldiers buffeting and mocking of him, and carrying him to the high Priest's hall, and from Pilate to Herod and back again, that so much troubled him; but there was a higher H • nd that he had to look to, and a Judge and Court to which he was now answering, that was very far above theirs.

And therefore, as a 2d. Use of the Doctrine, Think it not such a light thing (as many do) to satisfy Justice, or to give God a ransom for Souls, ye see how it pinshed the Cautioner, and put him as in a prison; unspeakably deceived are they who think that two or three formal words will make their peace with God, and that they will slip in to Heaven so; Be not carried away with this delusion, but consider seriously what will become of you if ye be put to answer for your own Debt, when he handled the Cautioner his own Son so roughly; ye that will sleep on, and scorn to let any word pick at you or prick you, the Justice of God shall prick you and put you to straits, out of which ye will not be able to extricate yourselves; and he shall appear like everlasting burning when the great day of his wrath comes, and when it shall be said by you, who can stand before it, or abide it? It were good that ye who are most atheistical, and who with a sort of triumph and gallantry will needs destroy yourselves, would lay this to heart, and remember that the day comes when ye will be brought to this Bar; and gravely consider what a Hell that will be, to have the desperateness of the outgate sealed up in your Consciences; and these evidences of God's hatred, and these aggravations that our Lord's holy nature could not admit of, in your bosom; when Wrath meets with Corruption, and Corruption with Wrath, and when these mingle, how dreadful will your case be?

3ly. Let Believers see here what ye are obliged to Christ; Consider what he hath paid, and what the satisfaction of Justice for you cost him; Folks are ready to think that it was an easy thing to satisfy Justice, and to drink of the brook by the way; but if Sinners were sensible of challanges for sin, and if they had the Arrows of the Almighty drinking up their spirits, they would think otherwise of Christ's drinking out the cup of Wrath for them, not leaving so much as one drop of it; It's but the shorings or threatenings with some drops of it that any of you meet with in your sharpest Soul-exercises; O! believing Sinners, are ye not then eternally obliged to Christ who drunk out this wrathful-cup for you?

4ly. There is notable consolation here to poor Souls that would fain make use of Christ, As 1. That Christ hath stepped thorough this deep Foord, or rather Sea before them; and if the Cup come in their hand, it's empty; Freedom from the Wrath of God is a great consolation, and yet it's the consolation of all them that are fled unto him for refuge. 2. It's comfortable to them in their comparatively petty straits and difficulties when they wot not what to do, when the Law seizeth and Justice pursueth, and when the Conscience challengeth; to consider that Christ was a prisoner before them, though he had no challenge for his own debt, yet he was challenged for ours, that he might be a compassionate high Priest, being made like to us, but without sin; Justice pursued him, the Law arrested him, wrath seized on him; so that when we are set upon by these he will be tender of us, for he knows our frame and that we cannot bear much; and therefore on this ground a believing sinner may go with boldness to the Throne of Grace, because Christ the Cautioner who hath paid his Debt, is there; it's a shame for believing sinners to walk so heartlessly, even under these things that are terrible, as if Christ had not gone thorough them before them and for them. 3. There is consolation here when they are under any pinshing cross and difficulty; as there is also ground for patient and pleasant bearing of it, because it was another sort of prison that Christ was put in for them; ye may I grant lament over the long want of sensible presence, it being kindly to the Believer to miss it, and to long for it, but ye should not be heartless under the want of it, nor complain as the Lord's people do lament, Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow? but submissively and contentedly bear it without fretting, seeing our Lord bare so much for you.

5ly. There is here a notable encouragement to believe, and a notable ground for the Believer to expect freedom from sin and from the pinshing straits that it deserveth, because Christ paid dear for it; wherefore was all this pinshing but to pay Believers Debt? But when we come to speak of his outgate, it will clear this more.

2. While it's said, That he was brought from judgment, which supposes and implies, that he was once at, or under judgment, even the judgment of God, who is his great party all along; He laid on him the iniquity of us all; and verse. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him; He was the Creditor that caused take and arrest him; Observe, That in all the Soul-vexation, in all the pinshing pressure of spirit that our Lord sustained, he was standing judicially before the bar of God, and was judicially proceeded against as the Elects Cautioner and Surety; there was no access to bring Christ to • udgment had he not engaged to be Surety, and had not God laid on him our iniquities, for it was for no Debt that he was owing himself, but for what by his engagement as the Elects Surety he came under and was made liable to: That which I mean by his being brought to Judgment, is not only that he suffered & was occasionally condemned by a Court of men, or by a human Judicatory, which was rather like a tumultuary Meeting, or a company of men in an uproar, than indeed a Court; but whatever was before men, there was a legal and judicial procedure before God: For clearing whereof, ye would consider, 1. The account whereon he suffered and was brought before God's Court of Judgment, to speak so; It was not for anything that the Scribes or Pharisees, or Pilate had to lay to his charge; it was envy in them, the former at least, that stirred them in what they did; but the next words tell us what it was, for the transgression of my people was he stricken; The Priests and People had no mind of this, but this was indeed the ground of his judicial Challenge and Arraignment before God; the Elect were in their sins, and he by the Covenant of Redemption stood liable for their Debt, because in it he had undertaken for them as their Cautioner and Surety. 2. Consider who was his great party in his Sufferings; it was not Pilate and the Jews, he cared not so much for them, but it is God, and therefore he cries, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and therefore he makes his address to God, Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me; he cared not for answering them, but looks to a higher hand, and upon himself as standing before another Tribunal; therefore it's said v. 10. yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he looked not to Pilate but to the Lord pursuing him. 3. Co • sider our Lord's submission to his being brought to Judgment, not only nor chiefly before men, but before God, therefore says he, John 12.48. Father save me from this hour, but for this cause came I to this hour; come th • n F • there and let us compt; he looks not only to the present dispensation, but also to the ground whence it came, and to the end that God had in it; for this cause came I unto this hour, even to have my soul troubled, and to be put to answer for the D bt of my elect People according to my Engagement; Lo, I come (saith he, in that often cited 40. Psalm) in the volum of thy book, it is wretten of me, I delight do thy will. Consider 4ly. The effects of his bringing to Judgment; A sentence passes 1 Tim. 3. ult. Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, not before Pilate, but in God's Court, having satisfied for the Elects Debt according to his undertaking, he gets an absolviture, which reaches not only to himself but to all them whose persons he sustained, as is clear 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; and the Elects obtaining eternal Redemption and Absolution by his death, with the accrescing of his satisfaction to their justification, clears that he stood there judicially at the Bar of God in their name to answer for them. And there are three steps of this his judicial answering, 1. He gets the Libel of the Elects Debt put in his hand; though there was no guile in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he laid on him the iniquity of us all, and for the iniquity of my people was he stricken; these are the persons that he undertook for, and for their Debt he answers; the verity of the fact is clear, for they are under guilt; the Laws claim is clear, for it's broken, and upon this the Libel is put in his hand; hence it's said, He died for us, He was made sin for us, and he died for our sins. 2. As the Libel is put in his hand, so a sentence passes accordingly, he is found liable to the Elects Debt and must answer for it, as the former word is, it was exacted on him, and 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made sin for us, and Gal. 3.13: He was made a curse for us, that is, by the sentence of Justice he is decerned to bear the curse. 3. The sentence is executed as it was past, the cup is put in his hand, and not only is he decerned and doomed to the curse, but actually he is made a curse, and all this as judicially sustaining the persons of the Elect, and as their Cautioner and Surety.

Here we have some sweet and profitable Uses, 1. See here and take up the way of Redemption contrived, so as it runs on Mercy and Justice, Mercy to the Elect, and Justice to the Cautioner, their Debt being fully exacted of him.

2. It learns us how to establish our Faith, and also gives us a ground of Believing; To make it distinct; Justice behooved to be satisfied, without which no Mercy could be shown to the Sinner; and God hath laid down the way by the Cautioners interposing; even as it is among men, the Cautioners being imprisoned and satisfying, is the Debtors liberation; and as God hath condescended to deal with us by way of Covenant, so he condescended in the Covenant of Redemption to proceed legally and judicially with Christ, that we might have the clearer way to make application of it.

3. Are there any here that look for Redemption thorough Christ, and hope that their sins were in the Libel given to him? O! how warming would this be to your hearts? and how should it make them to melt in love and godly sorrow, to behold Christ standing at Justice-bar, and that for you? O! what an aspect would his sufferings have on us if we were clear about our interest in him, and could hear him in our name, saying, Father here am I, if thou take me let these go; thy will be done, for this cause came I here to answer for my people's debt, to take with the challenges given in against them, and to undergo thy sentence for them; then says Justice, thou must pay their Debt, Content says he, Here am I; and so he gives his back to the smiter, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and hid not his face from shame and spitting: If we were clear that our share was there, and that our iniquities came in among the rest to make up the Libel, and if we could aright discern him so pinshed and straitened in satisfying for us, would we not think ourselves eternally obliged to him, to hate sin, and to glorify him in our bodies and spirits which are his? as it it 1 Cor. 6. ult. If indeed ye be Christ's (as ye are all ready to profess yourselves to be) he pays dear for you, and if so, will not this lie upon you as a just Debt to him, to glorify him in your bodies and in your spirits? for both in body and spirit he paid for you.

4. It's a notable ground of consolation to Believers against dispondency and fear to appear before the Throne of God • ; because our Lord Jesus Christ hath been before us and in our name, and hath answered for us to the full, and hath satisfied all that Justice could crave of us: What wakens terror at Death, and makes the thoughts of Christ's appearing to be dreadful, but our looking on our appearing at the Bar of God? but it is a comfort against it, that Christ as our Cautioner was brought to Prison & to Judgment, and was also brought from both; yea which is more, and without which the consolation is but halved, he was brought to both for us, and he was also brought from both as our Surety, as Surety for all them that betake themselves by F • ith to him: He was carried to Prison and to Judgment as Cautioner for the Elect, and he was pursued as their Cautioner, and therefore his payment of the Debt as Cautioner must be accepted in name of them for whom he paid the Debt: Our Lord Jesus not only died and was laid in the Grave, but he went further in (to speak so,) he was even at the Bar of Justice, libelled, exacted upon and sentenced, and the sentence executed upon him, else, woe had been unto us; on this ground is that triumph, Rom. 8. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? it's God that justifies; who shall condemn? it's Christ that died, year rather, who is risen again, &c. and it's said Rom. 7. That we are delivered from the law being dead to that wherein we were held; the Law had us in Prison, and a lock on the door, and had us under irons, but our Lord came, and (as Sampson did in another case) carried the ports and bars to the hill top, He spoiled principalities and powers, and triumphed openly over them on the cross, so that now the prince of this world is judged; These are the true and faithful sayings of God: We have through Christ access, and may with boldness come to the throne of Grace, having him as high priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all things tempted like as we are; he knew not only what it was to be hungry and thirsty and weary, to be pained, and to die; but what it was to come before the terrible Tribunal of God, and to be libelled for sin though not for his own sin, and what it was to be sentenced and to meet with wrath; which gives to sinners a safe and refreshful shelter under him, as under the shadow of a great rock in a weary land: This is the great design of the Gospel, to make proffer of the benefit of these sufferings to you, and to pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God: Now God himself persuade you to it.

SERMON XXIX.

EVery step of Christ's way to sinners, and every word whereby it is expressed, is wonderful; And therefore it is no marvel that the Prophet doth by way of admiration cast in this word, And who shall declare his generation? We show you that we conceive these words to be these that express the Prophets turning of himself from Christ's Humiliation to his Exaltation; He hath insisted long in setting out his wonderful abasement, exinanition, and humiliation, which these words import, He was brought from prison and from judgment; Which look not only to his external imprisonment, to his coming to judgment b • fore men, but also, and mainly and principally, to the pinches and straits that he was brought into, and his arraignment before God's Tribunal, and so to the cause of his suffering, to wit, for the transgression of his people, as the words following hold out, which was not the cause of his censure before men, but the procuring cause of what he met with from, and before God.

But though he was brought to prison and to judgment, to death and to the grave, yet they did not, they could not detain him; He was taken, or as the word signifies, he was lift up from prison and from judgment, being the same word that followeth, He was cut off out of the land of the living, which supposes a turn and change from his Humiliation to his Exaltation, and these words, Who shall declare his generation? Set out the inconceivable and inexpressible glory that Christ is exalted unto, so Acts 8.33., 35. Where these words are cited, it's said, In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; That is in his lowest step of his Humiliation, his judgment, or that to which he was adjudged, was taken from him, and he was declared free; However, since in these words our Lord's Humiliation is implied, and his Exaltation expressed as following on it, we think it safest to understand them so. The words put together hold out the high degree of Christ's glorious exaltation, so as his generation cannot be declared; He was taken from prison and from judgment, and gloriously exalted in another manner, and to another degree of glory then either Angels or Believers are, or are capable to be; For he that is exalted is God, whose generation cannot be declared; Death having no more dominion over him, and he having the keys of hell and of death; In a word, we take this, Who shall declare his generation? most immediately to relate to Christ's Exaltation as Mediator, and to the glory wherewith he was invested, and to the dominion that he hath over all creatures: yet considering that the Prophets scope is to set out this as wonderful, and considering that the first step of his Exaltation is his Resurrection, whereby (as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 1.4.) he was declared to be the Son of God with power; His Resurrection being singular in this respect that he rose by his own power, and considering that Acts 8.35. Philip began to preach to the Eunuch Jesus Christ as the object of Faith; We think it reasonable to conceive, that he preached Christ to be God, from this Text, so as the Eunuch might have a solid foundation for his faith; And this subserving the scope, which is to set out the wonderfulness of Christ's love to Elect sinners, who being God, yet condescended to come thus low for saving of them; We may take in his God-head mediately from which as the former steps of his Humiliation received worth and efficacy, so he was thereby sustained and born up under all these sufferings whereby his people are saved.

From the first and second expressions put together, we shall draw three Doctrines relating to three main Articles of our Faith.

The 1. whereof is this, That our Lord Jesus had an out-gate from, and victory over the lowest and most pinching pieces of His Humiliation and suffering; so that though he was at prison and judgment, yet he was lift up from both, and had a glorious out-gate: This takes in three things which the same grounds will confirm, 1. That in his lowest state and step of Humiliation he was sustained and carried thorough, so that all the assaults which he was put to endure and encounter with from all his enemies, wicked Men and Devils, did not overcome him. 2. That as he in himself was born thorough and sustained; So in respect of God's bar at which he was arraigned, he was absolved and set free; He so came thorough by paying of the debt, that he had an Absolviture, as it is, 1 Tim. 3. ult. Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit; Our blessed Lord Jesus being sustained by the power of his God-head, was carried thorough in his sufferings, paid the Elects debt, and received the sentence of absolution, even as a person (to speak with reverence in such a subject) having paid the debt for which he was imprisoned, is absolved and set free. 3. It takes in our Lord's actual delivery, he not only received the sentence of absolution, but was actually set free; so that as he was pleased to put himself in prison and in straits for us, so he was brought from every step of his humiliation, from prison and from judgment, from death and from the grave, He nailed the hand-writing which was against us to his cross, as the Apostle saith, Col. 2.14, 15.) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it; And as it is, 1 Cor. 15. at the close, He took the sting from death, disarmed it, and trode upon it: And there was necessity for this, even such necessi • y that it was impossible it could be other ways, as we have it, Acts 2.24. It was not possible that he could be holden of death. This will be clear if we consider these things, 1. The person that suffered, he was not an ordinary, nay nor a mere man, but God-man; As is clear, Acts 2.27. cited out of Psal. 16. where it is said, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. 2. The end of Christ's sufferings; which was to satisfy for the debt of his people, there having been no reckoning on his own score or account, he being still in God's favor and his Holy One in whom his Soul delighted all along his sufferings; His sufferings being for the sins of his Elect, and he being to make application of his satisfaction, and of the purchase made thereby to the Elect for whom he suffered and purchased these things, by his intercession; There was a necessity that he should come thorough; other ways he should not have been a perfect and complete Savior, Able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 7.25. But such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher then the Heavens. 3. It's clear also if we consider the nature of the Covenant, and of the promises made to him therein, upon his engaging and undertaking for the Elect, as particularly verse. 10. of this Chapter, He shall see his seed, and prolong his days, his duration shall be forever, The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, and I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong: Our Lord's Exaltation and victory over death being on the Lord's side conditioned to him the Mediator, as well as he engaged to suffer, hence it's said, Psal. 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the head.

The Uses are two, The 1. whereof serves for clearing and confirming our Faith in a fundamental Article of Christianity, without which it were needless for us to preach, and needless for you to hear or believe, and that is, that our Lord Jesus suffered and also got the victory over suffering, that he was raised from the dead, and declared to be the Son of God with power; intimating that Justice had gotten full satisfaction, in evidence and testimony whereof he was declared free; which is a main thing that believers have to believe; even that we have an exalted Christ, a raised up Savior, who could not be detained by all the Elects guilt in prison. 2. It serves to be matter of strong consolation, it puts life in all Christ's Offices and Qualifications, and in all the Promises made to Believers; to wit, that our Lord Jesus is a living Christ, over whom death had no dominion, and he overcame it, now to die no more; So that, as it is, Heb. 7.25. He is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them: There is nothing that a Soul needs or can desire, but it is to be had in him: And if we would look to particular instances, much consolation will arise from this ground; For 1. Hath a believing sinner to do with challenges at the Bar of Justice, is it not unspeakable consolation that their debt is paid? Hence it's said, Rom. 8.33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's Elect? It's God that justifies; who shall condemn? It's Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again; It's that which gives proof of complete payment of the Elects debt and defiance to any challenges and accusations to come against the Believer to his prejudice, because Christ hath not only died, but is also risen, Justice being well pleased with his satisfaction, he is let out of the Prison. 2. If the Believer hath to do with corruption, with the Devil and with many enemies; Is it not strong consolation that our Lord is risen and up, that the Prince of this world is judged, that Satan is trodden underfoot, and that be shall and must reign till all his enemies be made his footstool? 3. Our Lord's Resurrection hath a twofold further consolation with it to Believers, 1. It serves to be a ground for the exercising of Faith on him, that as he is risen, (so Rom. 6.) may we expect that being spiritually dead with him to sin, we shall be with him raised up to newness of life. 2. It is a pledge of Believers Exaltation and complete victory over Death and the Grave, and over all Enemies; for Christ being raised as the Common Head of all Believers who are his Members, they by virtue of his Resurrection, and by that same efficacy shall be raised; And it's impossible that they can lie under corruption; This is our great consolation who are Believers, and live under the Gospel, that we have not these things as a Prophesy of things to come, but as a plain History of things in part done, and by and by to be completely done. 4. It hath also in it consolation in respect of temporal difficulties, what are they all? They are not sure such as Christ's were, and the day is coming when Believers shall have an out-gate from them all; And therefore since our Lord is up, let not Believers be afraid of any changes whatsoever.

2dly. Observe, That our Lord Jesus being raised up from his state of Humiliation, is invested and put in a most excellent and glorious condition, even such as the Prophet cannot express, Who can declare his generation? saith he; Who can declare how glorious he is now? Take two or three Scriptures to confirm this, 1. That Eph. 1.20, 21. He hath set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave, him to be head over all things to the Church; Our Lord's Throne is exalted far above Angels and Archangels, even out of sight: The 2d. is Phil. 2.9. Where having spoken of his Humiliation, it follows, Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and, &c. His Exaltation is such as hath a Dominion and Supremacy with it over every name; He having as it is, Col. 1.18. in all things the preeminency. The 3d. place is, Heb. 8.1. Of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum, we have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of Majesty in the Heavens; Where Christ's Exaltation is set out to be such as hath exalted him to the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Because this is one of the great Articles of our Faith, to wit, That Christ rose from death the third day, and ascended into Heaven, and is set down on the right hand of God; We shall add a little more to clear it, and 1. We would know that this Exaltation of our Lord is not to be understood of his exaltation properly as he is God, in which respect there is no up nor down in him, though his declarative glory was valid for a time during his humiliation, yet in himself as he was God, he was still glorious and blessed over all. 2. When we speak of Christ's Exaltation as Mediator, and as Man, we do not mean that his Human Nature hath lost the essential properties of a Creature, As if now when exalted he were wholly or only God, or as if the properties of the Human Nature were swallowed up in the God-head; That were inconsistent with his being true Man, and would mar and obstruct our consolation exceedingly; But his Exaltation consisteth, 1. In the manifestation and dec • aration of the person that was humbled and brought low, to be God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-sufficient, infinitely Wise, Powerful, Just, &c. For though these properties agree not to the Human Nature, yet they agree to his person, and they are manifested to be in him without question. 2. In the Exaltation of the Human Nature of Christman, to an inconceivable hight of glory, such as the Human Nature united to the Divine Nature is capable of, by very many degrees beyond anything that the Elect whether Angels or Men are capable of; The personal union making him capable of far more glory, and his excellent Offices calling for it. 3. This Exaltation consists in his absolute Dominion and Kingly Power, which is more observably, directly, and plainly manifested in the days of the Gospel-administration then it was under the Law; So that now he is clearly known in respect of his Kingly Office to be God in our nature, clothed with our flesh, and to be Immanuel, Go • •• th us, and that this Immanuel, hath a ••• •• er in Heaven and Earth committed to him; He hath the keys of Hell and of death, and is King of kings, and Lord of lords, is exalted far above all principalities and powers, and is given to be head over all things to the Church; In which respect that is most properly to be understood when it is said, that he is set on the right hand of God; So that now Jesus Christ, God and Man in one Person is in highest Glory, and in absolutest Dominion, nearest unto God, far above that which Angels or Saints are capable of; As Kings use to set their greatest Courtiers and Minions whom they would honor most on their right hand, and as Solomon set his Mother on his right hand, so is our Lord set on the right hand of God in highest glory: It is true, that as God he hath an absolutely Sovereign and independent Kingdom, yet as Medi • tor God-man, he hath a dispensatory Kingdom next unto the Father in glory. 4. This Exaltation consists in Christ's being furnished with qualifications suitable to that glorious condition wherein he is invested; And though these qualifications of the Man Christ be not simply infinite, yet they are far above what we can conceive; And the qualifications of the Person God-man are infinite, in which respect he is Omnipotent. All-seeing, and infinitely wise to provide everything that may be for the good of his Church and People, and to prevent what may tend to their hurt, Omnipresent, &c.

The Uses are three, 1. This would waken and rouse our Spirits to a high, holy, and reverend esteem of Christ; he is God above all gods, Ki • g above all kings; he hath gotten a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, not superstitiously when he is named, but holily and reverently to think of him, and to worship and serve him. We conceive among many faults and evils in Believers, this is a root-evil, even low thoughts of glorious Christ, so that because he hath become low to lift us up, we are ready to think the less of him, but, O! that we could behold the glorious condition, he is exalted unto, and could look upon 〈◊〉 as ere long, coming in the clouds with 〈◊〉 and great glory, in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him, it would furnish reverend thoughts of him, though not to hurt faith and confidence, yet to breed holy awe and reverence in us to him-wards.

The 2d. Use serves to show what a formidable party they engage to top with them, who slight our Lord Jesus Christ, what loss they are at who loss him, and what a great aggravation their sin hath who sin against him; ye that slight, refuse and oppose him, do ye know whom ye refuse, and whose dominion ye spurn against, and how hard it will be for you to kick against the pricks? do ye know your loss who loss him, and how it will aggrege your guilt who despise him? the more glorious Christ be, the greater will the sin of the Unbeliever be; therefore be aware what ye are doing, ye have a mighty great and strong party to deal with; and when the great day of his wrath comes, and when he shall appear in his glory, how will you be able to abide the least touch of it? it will aggrege your sin and heighten your misery, that he whom the Father exalted was undervalued by you, that ye scorned to take a direction from him, or to submit to a censure drawn forth in his name, and said, at least by your practice, Let us break his bands asunder, and cast away his cords from us, but he hath set his king on his holy hill of Zion for all that, and he that sits in heaven will laugh, the Lord will have you in derision; think on it seriously, and know that he is no mean person whom ye slight and despise; and though this may now seem less than other sins, yet it will one day lie heavy on your score and Conscience, above many, yea above all other sins.

The 3d. Use serves to be a motive and encouragemt to them that hear this Gospel to receive Christ, and for the consolation of Believers who have received him. 1. It serves to encourage you all to receive him; He is no mean person that woos you, but King of kings, and Lord of lords; and if ye think it a happiness to be forever with him, then let it move you to close with him; if ye do so, ye shall be made glorious as he is glorious, a due proportion betwixt the Head and the Members being kept; ye shall sit on the same throne with him and behold his glory; as he prayeth John 17. I will that these whom thou hast given me may be with me to behold my glory; this is certainly a great Bargain; if Christ be glorious, he calleth you to share with him in the same glory. 2. It serves for the consolation of Believers who have received him, ye have an excellent Mediator, a most glorious Head and Husband, and a most excellent Dowry, and ye shall know it to your superabundant satisfaction and joy in that day, when (as it is Psal. 45.) Ye shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle work, and shall enter into the kings palace, and share of his glory, and see him face to face, and sit with him on his throne, even as he hath overcome, and is set down with his Father on his throne; labor to be stayed in the faith and hope of this good, glorious, and desirable day that is coming, when we shall not only see but partake of, and be fully and forever possessed in that which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered in the heart of man to conceive of.

3. From the words as we exponed them Observe, That our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered, and was in suffering brought very low, is God; We find ordinarily in Scripture, especially thorough the New Testament, these three going together, 1. Christ's Humiliation. 2. His Exaltation on the back of that, And 3ly. His Godhead; His Humiliation is not readily spoken of without his Exaltation, nor his Exaltation without his Godhead; because it's impossible to separate Christ's Exaltation from his Godhead; his Exaltation being the evidence of his Godhead; and the Prophet's scope here being to set but Christ's Exaltation, and Philip preaching of it to the Eunuch from this Text; it's doubtless the contemplation of Christ's Godhead that occasioneth this admiring-exclamation, who shall declare his generation? which we apply not so much to the ineffableness of his generation, as to its being an evidence that he is God: There are three or four ways whereby the Scripture confirms this, let me desire you by the way not to look on this as a little momentuous or but a common Doctrine; & since there are many so ignorant, that we would be ashamed to tell what we hear from some of you concerning the Godhead of Jesus Christ, ye would take the better heed to it, it being a main pillar of Christian Religion, without which our Preaching and your Faith are vain, for he is not believed on at all if ye rest not on him as God: But to prosecute what we proposed, to wit, these several ways whereby the Scripture confirms this truth, and to this purpose consider, 1. The express Titles and Names that are given to him in Scripture, and some Scripture-sayings of him which hold it out; three whereof we shall instance, The first is that of Isaiah 9.6, 7. Where, when Christ is prophesied of, it's said, Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and what is he? He shall be called wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end; Here we have these three, His Humiliation, Exaltion and God-head; His Humiliation, Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; His Exaltation, Of the increase of his government • and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice; And his Godhead is interjected and put in between these two, In the names and titles given to him, Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, not as personally taken, but (as the word signifies) The Father of Eternity, from whom all things have their Being; and for the same reason Chap. 7.14. He is called Immanuel, God with us, A 2d. place is that of Phil. 2.6. Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery (he did God no wrong) to be equal with God, he made himself of no reputation; and took on him the form of a servant, &c. wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name, &c. A 3d. place is that of Heb. 1.2, 3. God who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, & what is he by whom he spake to us? who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high; there is here much of Christ's excellency holden forth, he is the brightness of the fathers glory, and the express image of his person; the beam of the Sun is not liker to the Suns light, the impression of the seal on the wax is no liker to the seal, then the Son is to the Father, (nay, the livelyest resemblances fall infinitely short of a full and exact resemblance) the Father and he being the same God, and he being compared with the Father, not simply as God essentially taken, but as the second person of the Trinity compared with him who is the first person; O deep and adorable mystery!

A 2d. way to clear and confirm it, is to consider his works ofttimes joined with his name; The works of Creation, Providence, Redemption, and guiding of his Church, so we have it John 1.1. In the beginning was the word, the substantial word of the Father, the Son of his love, called the word, either as expressing the Fathers image as a man's word expresseth his mind, or because as Prophet of the Church he hath revealed the Fathers will; Its said that this word was not only with God, but was God; and then follows in several Verses together his Works, the works of Creation, all things were made by him, &c. the works of Providence are attributed to him, John 5.17. My father worketh hitherto, and I work, and the work of Redemption and his glorious going thorough with it, declare him to be the Son of God; for none but God could redeem his Church.

3ly. For clearing and confirming of this truth, we may take the express confession of the Saints in Scripture whereon there is much weight laid; and I shall name but five or six of their confessions, which to this purpose are expressly and fully recorded, The 1. Is that of Matth. 16.16. Whom do men say that I am, Peter answered; thou art the son of the living God and Christ says, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona flesh and blood hath not revealed that unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven; to let us know that it is not such a little thing to believe Christ's Godhead as many take it to be; and then he calls himself the rock on which his Church is built; Christ's Godhead is the foundation of Christianity. A 2d. is John 1.49. in Nathanaels words; Christ's tells him, before Philip called thee when thou was under the fig-tree, I saw thee, and he having gotten this proof of Christ's omniscience, presently breaks out, Rabbi, thou art the son of God, thou art the king of Israel; and that is the first thing his faith evidenceth itself in. A 3d. place is John 6.67, 68, 69. where, when Christ is saying to the twelve, will ye also leave me? Simon answers, Lord, to whom shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure, that thou art the Christ the son of the living God; there is mu • h in these words, we believe and are sure that it is so. A 4th. place is John 11.27. and it is Martha her confession, yea Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ the son of God which should come into the world. The 5th. place is that of John 20.28. where, when Christ bids Thomas reach hither his hand and put it into his side, his glory shines so full in his face, that he cries out, My Lord and my God, and his faith is summed up and compended in that. The last place that we shall name is that of Acts 8.37. and its the Eunuchs confession, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, which is the sum of his faith.

The 4th. and last way of confirmation of this great truth, is drawn from the worship which is due unto him, and hath been given unto him; He is the object of Faith, John 14.11. ye believe in God, believe also in me; He is the object of Prayer, Acts 7.59. They stoned Stephen calling upon God, saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit, and frequently else-where in Scripture he is prayed unto, though these two are not too curiously to be separated.

Use 1. The first Use serves to strengthen your Faith in this, that our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for sinners, and is made offer of to them in the Gospel, is God equal with the Father, and so he is to be closed with and rested on as the brightness of the Fathers glory; the reason why we would have you confirmed in the Faith of this, is not small, for its a most necessary thing, and without the faith of it, all the work of our salvation will hang louse; neither can we have any claim to Eternal Life; and therefore we desire you particularly who are ignorant Hearers, and who have the name of Christ often in your mouths, and yet know not what he is, to know, remember and believe, that he that is the son of Mary, is also the eternal son of God, being God before he was incarnate, and before the World was made, and the Maker of all that was made.

Use 2. The second Use serves to let you know, That though it be a most necessary thing to be confirmed in the faith of this Truth, that Christ is God, yet it's a greater difficulty to believe and be persuaded of it then the most part take it to be; many sad proofs whereof we have in Folks words, and moe in their practice, Flesh and blood (saith Christ Matth. 16.) hath not revealed this unto thee; It's a wonder whence many Folks faith comes who never found any the least difficulty in this, and it's a wonder that so few are through in the faith of it, so that if they were called and put to it, they durst not swear that he is God; yea, if we would look in a little further, we would find that the faith of this is but scarce amongst us, not to speak of the gross ignorance of many, who will say when asked, that he is not equal with the Father, or that he was made God, and other such like expressions will they have, that are abominable to be once named amongst Christians; Folks through their ignorance falling into damnable Heresies on the matter, and yet not knowing that they do so; As if our blessed Lord were a made god, and not the same God with the Father; For the proving of him to be God, proves him to be the same God, there being but one God.

Ye would consider for convincing you that it is thus with many of you, 1. The little fear that is in men and women of the Majesty of Christ as God, they durst not walk with so little fear of him if they believed indeed that he were God; What made the Jews with the Scribes and Pharisees to spit upon him and despise him? But because they wanted the Faith of his Godhead; And have not ye the same nature in you? Ye live in a place where the Faith of Christ's Godhead is professed and is not questioned, but your practice says to beholders that ye believe it not, because ye fear him not. 2. That your souls do so little welcome the offer of the Gospel, that tells that ye believe him not to be God. 3. That ye do not place your happiness in Believing on him, and in the way of holiness; ye say in effect, wherefore serves Christ? ye care not for him; Hence it is that so many live contentedly without him, and are not solicitous about the enjoying of him. 4. Even in Believers there is much unbelief of this truth, which is sadly evidenced by this, that they do not so bless themselves in him, and that they do not so reckon themselves to have come well to, and to be made up in him, as David doth, Psal. 16. Where he saith, and holily glorieth, The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place, &c. And by the frequent discouragement that is incident to Believers, as if Christ had not the guiding of them, and of what concerns them, or could not guide all well enough for their good; If he were believed to be God, it would quash temptations, banish discouragement, comfort under crosses, sweeten every condition, induce to holiness, restrain from sin; And in a word, it cannot be told what is in the bosom of this one truth when solidly believed; For what can possibly be wanting to the Believer in him that is God? He hath the fullness of the Godhead to supply what ever they want, and sustains the relation of a Husband to the Believer to make it forth-coming; And he is furnished with suitable qualifications to make the application thereof; What then could be wanting if this were thoroughly believed that he is God? Let me say it to you, the Faith of this would provoke to more holiness, and to study more the power then the profession of Religion, and would help to live a more comfortable life in every condition.

SERMON XXX.

THese words are a proof of that which we discoursed in the Lecture concerning Christ's wonderful love to his p • ople, Then which, no man hath greater, that a man should lay down his life for his friend; But he hath commedned his love to us, in that while we were yet enemies he died for us; This is the great commendation of Christ's love, and what will he refuse to his people who in his love hath come this length to them?

In the former part of this verse, we show, that there was a hint given of Christ's Exaltation, of the Exaltation and Glory of the Mediator following on the back of his lowest sufferings; An ineffable and inexpressible Glory, which the Prophet rather passeth with a sort of non-plussing silence, then insisteth in the declaration of it, Who shall declare his generation?

We come now to the last part of the words, For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken; They are added as a reason of the former, and the one part of them is a reason of the other, he had said before. Who can declare his generation? Who can sufficiently declare and unfold how gloriously the Mediator is exalted: And he gives this for the reason of it, For he was cut off out of the land of the living; The force of which reason is, that he humbled himself, therefore God hath highly exalted him, as the Apostle reasons, Philip. 2.9. So tha this is not added as being posterior to his Exaltation, but as a reason showing the connection of his Ex • ltation with his Humiliation; And left it should be a stumbling to any, that this glorious person suffered death, he gives the reason of that also, which strengthens the reason of his Exaltation For the transgression of my people was he stricken, or (as the word is) The stroke was on him, he suffered not for any wrong in himself, but for the sins of his own elect people: The first part clearly looks to Christ's death, which was a Prophesy in Isaiah his time, but is now a Historical narr tion to us, we having the Gospel as a Commentary on it. To be cut off out of the land of the living, is to have an end put to the natural life, which is ordinarily done by death; But cutting off here signifies to be taken away not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary way, to be removed by a violent death by the stroke of Justice.

We may shortly take these two Observes here for the confirmation of two Articles of our Faith; Looking on it, 1. As a Prophesy, we may Observe, That our Lord Jesus behooved to suffer and die, it was Prophesied of him, That he should be cut off out of the land of the living; And Dan. 9.26. it is plainly and clearly asserted, that the Messiah shall be cut off, which being compared with the History of the Gospel, we have it as a truth • ulfilled, for our Lord Jesus was cut off, and as he himself says, Luke 24. It behooved him to suffer these things and to enter into his glo • y; A • d supposing the Elect to be sinners, and the curse to be added to the Covenant of Works, The day thou eats thou shall • surely die, supposing also the Mediator to have engaged and undertaken to satisfy Ju •• ice, and undergo that curse for the El • ct; There was a necessity that he should die, as it is, Gal. 3.13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us, which curse was eviden • in his death, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.

2. Observe, That our Lord Jesus behooved to die a violent death, and not an ordinary natural one; which this expression and that other Dan 9 clearly holds forth; And consideri • g his sinless nature that was not liable to death, and that he had not these principles of dying in him, disposing him to die, that we sinful miserable mortals have is us; And considering withal that the Lord J • hovah was (to speak so) pursuing him as si • ners C • u • ioner at the Bar of Justice, it was meet, yea nec • ssary that our blessed Lord should not die an ordinary death as men die ordinarily through weakness or sickness on their beds, but a violent death.

Use, It serves to be a confirmation of this truth, that the Messiah behooved thus to die, therefore we say in the Belief, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried: Which shows, 1. The reality o • his satisfaction, and the complete payment that he made to Justice, when he lays down that price which the sinner ought to have laid down. 2. It shows the reality of our Lord's sufferings, and that they were not imaginary, but that as he was a real and true man, so his sufferings were most real; His soul was separate from his body, though the union betwixt both his body and soul and the God-head continued still. 3. It holds forth a proof and confirmation of our faith in this, that our Lord Jesus is the Messiah that was Prophesied of, and promi • ed, in whom all the suff • rings in his soul and body that were spok • n of to go before his death, were accomplished, and in whom this was also accomplished, that he was cut off out of the land of the living; So that if we look rightly on the Scriptures, our Lord's sufferings will be so far from being matter of stumbling, that they will rather be a clear, convincing, and evident proof, that Je • us of Nazareth is the true Messiah, and that in him all th t was spoken concerning the Messiah is fulfi led and came to pass.

4. It's m • tter of great consolation to believers, that our Lord Jesus who is now exalted, died, and so death is spoiled, and there needs not be any great fear for them to yoke with it; This land of the living is not their rest, within a little they must be gone hence; Our Lord was cut off from it, and that by a shameful death for the behove and sake of others, and not for himself, and therefore his death cannot but be made forth-coming for them for whom he under-went it, and their petty suff • rings need not much to vex them; Those plainest truths that are most ordinary have in them most of spiritual sap, ju • ce and life to strengthen Faith, and to furnish consolation to Believers; And were they rightly understood and fed upon by Faith, O how lively might they be! And were there no more but these two words in th • Text. O how much consolation do they yield in l • fe and in death? Our Lord is gone before Believers and they may be greatly heartened to follow him.

The last part of, or the last thing in the words seem to have some more obscurity in it, and therefore we shall insist the more in opening up of the same.

For the transgression of my people was he stricken; These words do not look to the reason why Pilate and the Priests condemned him, for they had no thoughts of the sins of God's people; Though Caiaphas stumbled as to himself by guess on a Prophesy of his dying for them, but they give a reason why he was cut off out of the land of the living; And look to the Court and Tribunal of God's Justice, before which he was standing, by which he was to be sentenced to death for the transgressions of God's people, and also absolved; He was thus stricken in respect of God's purpose and design.

For clearing of the words, it may be inquired, 1. What is meant here by my people? 2. What is it to be stricken or smitten for them?

For the 1. My people, it is a discriminating or differencing thing of some from others; And therefore, by my people here is not meant, 1. All the world, or all that ever lived and had a being; We find not anywhere in Scripture that these are called my people, or God's people, but when ever my people is spoken of, it is used to rid Marches betwixt his people and other people that are not his, as Joh. 10 26, 27. Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, which supposeth that some are his, and others not so his, and so my people cannot be all the world. Neither 2. Can it be meant of the whole visible Church; who in respect of the external administration of the Covenant, are sometimes called his people, as all Israel are; There is a narrower march or boundary drawn, John 10.26. Where the Lord speaking of them that were only externally in Covenant with him, says, Ye art not my sheep, to show that his reckoning there must not go upon external profession; And verse. 16. Some that were not for the time professing themselves to be his people, are reckoned, Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in: Nor 3. Can it be limited to them that were actually converted and Believers, for he says (as I just now hinted) that he hath other sheep that are not yet brought in, and he is said to gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad, John 11.52. So then by my people must be understood these who in G • d's eternal purpose are separate by the Decree of Election to be his own, even these whom he hath chosen to glorify himself in and by them through his Grace, and to glorify them with himself; Even these spoken of, John 17.6. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; They are the people who were transacted for in the Covenant of Redemption, and that were given by the Father to the Son to be redeemed by him; It was for their sins, even for the sins of the Elect that our Lord Jesus was stricken.

As for the 2d. What is it to be stricken for their transgression? The meaning is, the meritorious cause of their stroke was on Christ, which intimats to us, that his sufferings and death were procured by the sins of the Elect of God; His stroke, or the stroke that was upon him (as the word is) was the amends that Justice got for their sins; In a word, the stroke that the Elects sins procured and merited; Took him out of (or away from) the land of the living, brought him to prison and to judgment, and made his soul an offering for sin: Neither can this be other ways understood; For it is not said that for their good, or for their behove only, or to be an example and pattern of patience only to them, he was stricken, as some grossly erroneous and profane men expound the words, but for their transgressions was he stricken; That is, it was their guilt which he having undertaken and engaged to satisfy for, which made him liable to this stroke.

In this part of the words thus opened up, we have two notable Points concerning the Covenant of Redemption, 1. The Party for whom it is contrived and intended, and that is the Elect or God's People; It is not all the World, nor all Visible-Church-members that God transacted for in the bargain with the Mediator, but my people, the Elect of God; they were so considered in the transaction and in the execution. 2. The great price that was sought or required, that was offered, and that was agreed upon for the Redemption of the Elect, to wit, the death of the Mediator, even his dying the cursed death of the Cross; This is the sum, for the transgressions of God's people the stroke was upon him; God's design being to glorify his grace in the salvation of so many, sin having interveened to bring them under the curse; There is upon the one side the Lord's giving of them to the Mediator to be redeemed by him, and upon the other side, the Mediators accepting of them on the terms proposed, he is content to satisfy for them, to take the stroke on himself deserved by them, that they may go free; each of these may be considered several ways for furnishing of sweet Doctrines.

1. From the first of these Observe, that there are some differenced from others in respect of God's purpose, some chosen of God for his people beside all the rest of the World; For some are here God's people ere they be born, and ere Christ die for them, John 17.16. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; They are supposed to be God's people in some peculiar respect, ere they be given to Christ to be redeemed by him; In a word, the Lord hath an elect people, or a people chosen to salvation in his eternal purpose and decree, an elect people, or a people chosen out of the world, which in this respect are not his people, or are not elected. There are four qualifications or properties in this Doctrine, which will serve to clear it; 1. When we say there is such a decree of Election, we say that it is a discriminating or differencing decree; wherein, or whereby there is a taking of some, and not all, a taking of one, and leaving another, a taking of Isaac, and a leaving of Ishmael, a taking of Jacob, and a leaving of Esau, as it is, Rom. 9. And this discrimination or differencing hath these four steps, 1. There is a differencing in God's purpose in respect of the end, while all men are alike before him, some are designed to erernal life, others not, therefore Mat. 25.34. it's said, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, and in this respect the Book of Life is said to be opened, Revel. 20.12. 2. This differencing is in respect of God's offering and giving of them to the Mediator in the Covenant of Redemption, wherein some, not all, are given to Christ, John 17 2. That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him out of the world; Where it is clear, that so many are given to him in reference to whom he is to exercise his offices. 3. There is a differencing in respect of Christ's undertaking and executing his Offices for them, he accepts of them, John 17.9. For their sakes I sanctify myself, I have separated myself to the Office of Mediator, and do offer myself for them, that they also may be sanctified; And I pray for them, I pray not for the world, it's of them that he maketh that sweet account, John 6.39. This is the Fathers will that sent me, that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day; And of whom he saith, John 10.28, 29. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand; He answers and is accountable for them, and for them only, he will count for no other as being redeemed by him, and to be made partakers of his glory. 4. This differencing is in respect of the promises made upon God's part to the Mediator in favors of the Elect, and of the benefits that flow to them from the Covenant; He hath not promised to justify all, nor to make all believe, but some only; He, as it were, saith to the Mediator, these I give thee to be redeemed by thee, and on the laying down of thy life, and satisfying for them, I promise to make them believe, and that through faith in thee they shall be justified, therefore saith Christ, John 6.44. Murmure not among yourselves, no man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him; And who are they that shall believe on him? See v. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me, and him that cometh I will in no wise cast him out, but will make him dearly welcome; And verse. 45. Everyone that hath heard and learned of the F • there cometh unto me; And John 17.2. That he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him: Thus ye see what we mean when we call this a differencing Decree. 2. We say that it is a definite Decree, both in respect of though number numbered, that is, about so many and no moe, and not all; and in respect of the number that numbers, such a man and such a woman in particular in such a place, and not such another person; They are all particularly designed and are therefore said to be written in the Lambs Book of Life; It is not all who are foreseen to believe who are elected, as if election did follow believing, as the cause of the Decree; But it's such a number whom the Lord engageth to the Mediator to draw, to teach and make them believers. 3. We say it is a Decree that is free, as to all merit in them whom it reacheth, and it's free in these three respects. 1. In respect of anything in the person or persons elected, who are supposed to be lying as the rest of the World, therefore it's said of Jacob and Esau, Rom. 9 11. The children being not yet born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, &c. That is, God respected not the doing good or evil in his electing of the one, and passing by of the other. 2. In respect of Christ's satisfaction and redemption, which presupposeth this Decree to be, and is the mids by which it is accomplished; so that we are redeemed because we are elect • d; The Elect were God's people when Christ did undertake and engage for them, and in this respect election is a Foun • ain-grace, and Christ's death is not the cause of Election though it be the cause of all the benefits that follow upon it. 3. It's free in respect of God's absolute Sovereignty, who acts herein according to the purpose of his own will, having no reason without himself, as it is clear, Matth. 11. Ev • n so, Father, because it seemed good in thy sight; And Eph. 1.11. Being predestinate according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will: As the Potter hath power over the Clay, and makes of the same lump on Vessel to honor, and another to dishonor as he pleaseth; So the Lord acts most Soveraignly in the Decree of Election. 4. We say that this Decree is absolute and peremptory; Which is not so to be understood as if it admitted of no midses in the execution of it; But this is the meaning, that the performing and bringing about thereof depends on nothing without God, neither can it be possibly frustrated; These sheep can never be plucked out of his hand, neither can they ever perish, but must needs all and everyone of them actually enjoy that which is decreed for them by this Decree, else they could not be called God's people if they might, not be his; Thus ye see wh • t is the meaning of these words my people, • hat is, his Elect people in or by the Decree of Election.

I shall shortly give you some few grounds from Scripture to clear and confirm this truth; The 1. whereof is taken from the names that the people of God get, and from the expressions that are used in making mention of them in Scripture, which will infer all that hath been said, as namely they are called my sheep, John 10. his Sheep that he knows, as it were by head-mark, by name and sirn • me, which cannot but be his; they are call d the election of Grace, Rom. 11.5. at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace; and verse 7. the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded; it's impossible but the Elect must obtain, there being an inseparable connection betwixt the decree and the end thereof; they are said to be written in the Lambs book of life before the foundation of the world, before there was any mention of themselves, or consideration of ought in themselves, they are said to be loved and beloved and ordained to eternal life, Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed, where believing is made a fruit and effect of this decree of election, its so far from being a cause thereof; they are called blessed of the Father, Matth. 25. and these whom he blesseth cannot but be blessed; they are called such as are given to Christ, holding forth a peculiar differencing of them from others; they are called the people whom he foreknew and predestinated, Rom. 8.29. whom he did foreknow, them he did p ea • stinate, &c. and Rom. 11.2. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew; everyone was not so foreknown; for Christ will s • y to many at the great day, depart from me I never knew you; Titles and names of this kind are frequent in the Scripture, whereby God differenceth some from others, which hath its rise from God's purpose and decree of election. A 2d. ground is taken from the opposition which the Scripture maketh betwixt the Elect, and others who are not elected, which shows clearly that election cannot be understood of all, as if there were a general and conditio • all election; hence it's said Jacob have •• loved, and Esau have I hated, the electing of the one is laid foregainst the r • jecting of the other; so John 10 the Lord say • of some, that they are his sheep, and of others, they are not my sheep; and Rom. 9. the Apostle speaks of some vessels of mercy which are before prepared for glory, and of some • vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; and 2 Tim. 2.21. some are said to be vessels of honor, some of dishonor; some are ordained to eternal life, Acts 13. and some are ordained of old to that destruction, as Jude speaketh; some are written in the Lambs book of life, and some not, Revel. 20. and wherefore is all this spoken? but to let us know that God hath freely and sovereignly in his decree put a difference betwixt some and others, which as it began (to speak so) in God's eternal purpose so it will continue in the event: Which is a 3d. ground of confirmation; and it will be clear if we compare God's purpose and decree with the event and eff ct; for as a thing is in the event and • ff • ct, so God intended and purposed in his decree it should be; thus the Lord's final sentence at the day of Judgment, is but the result of his eternal purpose; the book of life containing the names of all the El • ct, was written, to speak so, before the Elect existed; and as it's said Acts 15. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning, so in a special manner and peculiar way this great work of the Redemption was, and they that were to be redeemed, particularly known and written down in the book of God's decree of election; hence it's said Rom. 11.7. Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained; and John 6.37. All that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me; and John 10.28. I give my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish; there is Rom 8.30. a concarination & linking together of things from God's purpose and decree of election, • ven to eternal glory which is the result of el • ct • on: And it being very clear tha • some are admi ted and owned 〈◊〉 Christ in the great day and oth • rs nor; this is also clea • , that there was a differencing decree betwixt these so admitted and owned before the world was, and others not so owned and admitted; especially considering that this diff •• encing a • the great day of Judgment is drawn from t • e decree of election, Matth 25. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom p • epared for you before the foundation of the world was laid; as if the Lord had said, there was a purpose and design of bringing you to Heaven before the world was. A 4th. ground is taken from the nature of God's Covenant of R • demption, which holds clearly forth • he truth of this Doctrine concerning election in all the steps of it. As, 1. In God's making the offer and gift of some to the Mediator, it's only some that he gives and not all. 2. In Christ's acceptation of the offer and gift: He prays for some, he sanctifies himself for some, and for some he compts and not for all. 3. There is not a promise in all the Covenant of Redemption, whether it be of Grace or of Glory, but it is intended for the Elect only, and not for all, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish John 10. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, Psal. 110.3. Christ's undertaking is for them only, John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in; there is a necessity of the bringing in of them and of no others, because he undertook for them and for no others. We the rather take notice of, and insist so much on this, because it will much serve to clear the following Doctrine concerning the redemption of the Elect; for if there be a differencing of them from others by the decree of election, then there must be a differencing of them from others in Christ's laying down of his life for them and not for any others; Election is the key of all; there is such a people, and they are the object of the Covenant of Redemption, whose good is sought after and agreed upon therein, and not of any others.

Use 1. It serves for the confirmation of a weighty truth, and we would have you not to think little of any piece of truth. We shall not here follow the subtle cavillings of Adv • rsaries against this truth, only we would have you confirmed in the faith of it, For, 1. If ye be not clear and established in the faith of this truth, ye will be in great hazard not only to make muddy, but to obstruct and stop the whole current and tract of Grace, so that Grace shall be a common thing, Heaven and Happiness shall go by by guess; Redemption shall be universal, &c. but let this truth be once well established, that God hath a peculiar people for whom the Mediator transacted, and these errors fall to the ground and evanish; for it is the love of election from which all the rest of the benefits that come to the elect flow, and this love is peculiar, therefore there cannot be a common application of it; it's the peculiarness of Grace that commends it to the souls of Believers, and makes it wonderful to them; that God should have taken notice of them that were by nature separate from God as well as others; that their case being common, his love should be peculiar, is indeed just and great matter of wonder; hence comes in that song, Rev. 5.9. Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation; not all of every nation, people, tongue and kindred are redeemed, but some out of everyone of these; let this then be taken for a solid truth, that the Lord in his eternal purpose hath made a difference and separation of some from others, which is the great ground of the title that God hath to these some.

2ly. Clearness in this truth, serves to keep the hearts of God's people in awe of him, to lift him up very high in their esteem as Sovereign over the Creature: And if any should quarrel with God and say, why did God so? that of the Apostle comes well in for an answer, Who art thou O man that repliest against God? it's his sovereign pleasure who is supreme Potter and hath power over the clay to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor: when the Soul doth thus take up God as having all Mankind before him as a lump of Clay, and choosing out of it, and writing up one man and not another, it must needs in a transport of admiration say, O! what a great and sovereign God must he be, who did determine and write down the eternal condition of men before ever the world was?

3ly. This to the people of God, 1. Preacheth wonderful grace, when they having gotten their calling and election made sure, come in and read their names in God's decree of election before they had a Being; And 2. It is to them matter of exceeding great consolation: 1. I say it preacheth wonderful grace, that freely chose them; and that when thousands of great Men, and Noblemen were passed by, such a poor body that was half a fool in comparison with them, should be chosen; according to that 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble hath God called, but he hath chosen the foolish things of the world, weak and base, and things that are not, to make them kings and priests unto God and his Father. 2. It's matter of exceeding great consolation to them that it's free and sure; free, even so free that it stops the mouth of boasting; for what I pray hath an elect more to speak of as a ground of boasting than a Pagan in America, or one in Hell? Who made thee to differ, or what hast thou O man that thou hast not received? it's election that makes the difference, and it's sure, for their salvation is founded on God's purpose and decree, which is the solid rest of a Believer; kindness began not on our side but on God's, as Christ says, Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, John 15.16.

4ly. It says this, That all of you had need to make your calling and election sure, that is the very hinge of Believers consolation, even to have the proof of it in your Conscience that ye are enrolled here, to get out the extract of this decree, that ye may see and read your names in it: Hence many streams of consolation flow out; if it be so with you, then ye were given to Christ; Christ undertook to satisfy Justice for you; ye shall get Faith and more Faith, ye shall get Repentance and Sanctification, and ye shall get Heaven and Glory at the end of your course. If it be said, this is much, how shall it be brought about? we answer, it's not impossible, and to make it out, take but two words, that are both directions and marks, the practice whereof will give a solid proof of your inrolment in God's book, whence all these great and glorious things have their rise. 1. Where there is a yielding to Christ's call in the Gospel, & a closing with him, that evidenceth election; for it is certain that none shall, nor can come to Christ and believe in him but the Elect, and whoever are elected must and shall come, sooner or later, John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me, and John 10.4. His sheep follow him and know his voice; they accept of and make welcome Christ's call in the Gospel, and they that accept of it are elect: So that there is no need of any new revelation about the matter, neither needs there any torturing anxiety to know how to come by thy name in the roll of the Elect; try it by this, if thou hast given obedience to the call of the Gospel, if thou hast in the sense of thy need of a Savior fled unto • esus Christ, and on his own terms closed with him, by this thy tenure or holding is sure; and by this thou hast an evidence that thou art an elect; for his Sheep come unto him and hear his voice; and as many of you as soundly believe on him, and have betaken yourselves to him for life and salvation, have the seal and witness in yourselves that your names were in God's roll and book before the World was: But if this be not, debate, dispute & question as ye will about it, whatever may be afterwards, ye have no evidence for the time of your election. 2. Where there is real Holiness, or a real study and endeavor to be holy and more holy, it is an evidence of election, and of a persons being enrolled in the volumn of the book of God's decree; because Holiness is a fruit of election, as is clear Eph. 1.4. According as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy; never a person is really holy but such as God designed should be holy; to this purpose the Apostle having 2 Tim. 2.21. spoken of election, The foundation of the Lord stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knows who are his, and let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity, but in a great house are not only vessels of gold, &c. he subjoins, If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified, &c. not that election dependeth on man's Holiness, but by his holiness he shall be manifested to be, and accounted an elect Vessel, and may warrantably conclude himself to be such; so that true holiness brings folk to be acquainted with the great secret of Election, and gives them boldness to make the application of it: There is nothing that men readily desire more to know than this, whether they be elected or not, here is a sure way to come by the knowledge of it, even to study to believe and to be holy, and then we may be confident that our names were written in the Lambs book of Life, but if we slight faith in Christ and Holiness, whatever may be in God's purpose about us, we have for present no ground to conclude our election upon God himself fixus in these things that have such mighty consequents depending on them.

SERMON XXXI.

THE Prophet hath been long in describing Christ's Sufferings, and hath shown what height they came to, even to prison and to judgment, and to death itself, He was cut off out of the land of the living; now he casts in a word to show wherefore all this was, or what was the procuring cause that brought all this suffering and sorrow on Christ, which also was the end that he had before him in it, in these words, for the transgression of my people was he stricken; we show that by my people here, was not meant all men and women in the world, nay, not all men who are externally called in the visible Church, but his Elect only, these whom he hath chosen to be his People, and separated from others by an eternal decree of Election; we show also that these words, for the transgression of my people was he stricken, do not contain only a reason of Christ's extreme suffering, even of his being brought to prison and to judgment before men, but also and mainly of his being brought so before God, and of his being cut-off; for the sins of God's People are not laid to his charge before men, but before God they are; and so it does imply an influence that the sins of the Elect had upon Christ's Sufferings, and a respect that his Sufferings had to their sins; the Elects sins procured these Sufferings to him, and his Sufferings were undergone by him for the satisfying of Justice for their sins, and for the removing of them.

I shall not insist further in the exposition of the words, having opened them up the last day, but shall hint at a few Doctrines from them; and because they are general and more doctrinal, I shall be the shorter in speaking to them; though it may be ye think not so much of them, yet they are not a little for your edification; and if ye were suitably sensible of sin, and of your hazard, there is no Doctrine concerning the Covenant of Redemption but it would be useful and refreshing to you.

There are several things implied here concerning the efficacy of the price of Christ's death, and concerning the extent of it, as it's laid down as a price for the sins of the Elect, which I shall first passingly touch upon, and then come to these Doctrines that are more directly held forth in the words.

1. Then, it is implied, that there is a people of God separated from others, and chosen by him, on whom he intended and purposed before the World was, to glorify his grace; The very designation that they get here clears this; It's my people, not only of the Jews, nor my people only of the Gentiles, but my people both of Jews and Gentiles; as Christ says, John 10. Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, them I must bring i • .

2. It is implied that this Decree of Election is antecedanius to, and goes before the Covenant of Redemption in order of Nature, it flows not from Christ's death as the effect of it, but is prior to it; for if Christ's death be the mean, or price (as indeed it is) Whereby the sins of God's Elect people are satisfied for, then the Decree of Election must precede it; Only we would beware to ascribe to God any priority or posteriority in his Decrees in order of time, for he is infinite in wisdom and foresight, and able to look on all things with one blink of beholding, and to decree things infinite in number at once, which we cannot conceive of, nor comprehend; But this we say, that considering the order of things, the Decree of Election is not a fruit or effect of Christ's death, but prior to it, and Christ's death follows as a mean to make it effectual; He is appointed to save the Elect from their sins, and from that which their sins deserved. For the transgression of my people was he stricken; They were God's people by Election before Christ's engagement to suffer and satisfy for them, much more before his actual suffering, and so their Election cannot be a fruit and effect of his suffering.

Use. It serves to vindicate this truth from an error and mistake of the Arminians, who, as they overthrow the design of grace in the salvation of sinners in other steps thereof; So do they in this, in making Christ's death to precede Election, and Election to follow it; But, as we hinted before, the Decree of Election is Sovereign, being an Act of Grace absolutely free, the Lord in it having designed some for manifesting the glory of his grace upon them as the end, he hath taken in Christ's death and other midses for the promoving of it.

3. It is implied here, that even the Elect or God's People are considered as sinful in the Covenant of Redemption, For the transgression of my people was he stricken; They were considered as sinful as well as others when they were bargained for: We need not here dispute whether they were considered as sinful in the Decree of Election, it not being necessary in this place, nor profitable for you, but sure in Christ's undertaking for them they are considered as sinful; for God sent not Christ, neither came he into the world to purchase life and salvation to righteous folks, but he was sent and came to lay down his life a ransom for many, to wit sinners, and therefore it is given as the reason of his Name, Matth. 1.21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Use 1. It serves to humble the Elect greatly, who, when ever they come to get grace, they get it most freely, for they were no better by nature than others whom God past by, as is clear, Eph. 2.1. We were dead in trespasses and sins, and were by nature children of wrath even as others; Peter and Paul were by nature children of wrath as well as Judas; And David was a child of wrath by nature as well as Saul, when this transaction concerning the work of Redemption was agreed upon and concluded betwixt these most responsal Parties.

2. It serves also much for the encouragement of a Believer who is sensible of sin, and afraid of wrath, and in that posture betakes himself to Christ for refuge; though his misbelief should make him say with Peter, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, yet this consideration may hearten him to draw near, that Christ was stricken for sinners, for the transgressions of his Elect people; yea, if t • ere had not been sin, and if the Covenant of Works had hold • n foot, there needed not to have been a Savior, and therefore sinners have here a solid ground to lay hold upon for life and salvation.

And therefore as a 3d. Use of it, it is an unsafe assertion, beside the curiosity of it, that Antinomians maintain, which is, that though man had never fallen, yet Christ would have become Man; For we see here, that Christ's becoming Man, and his being stricken, flowed from his being Surety for Elect sinners; and his being Surety flowed from the Covenant of Redemption concerning Elect sinners: To be wise without, or beside and above what is written in the Scriptures, it's vanity, pride and folly.

4. It is implied here, that sin where ever it is deserves strokes, even the sin of the Elect; Yea we may add this to it, that not only do the sins of the Elect deserve strokes in themselves, being breaches of God's Law, but that there is an actual curse standing against them till it be removed; And God's threatening, The day thou eats thou shalt surely die, infers a necessity of strokes; This we say is clearly implied here, because the Mediator entering himself Surety for the Elects debt behooved to be smitten, and when he was so smitten, sure sin must deserve much; We speak not of an absolute necessity, but God having revealed to man his duty, and added a threatening, that in the day he should eat he should die, there is a necessity in respect of God's truth, faithfulness, and unchangeableness who had spoken the word, that strokes should follow sin, for sin cannot be removed till the threatening be satisfied.

Use. This may point out to us that sin is no little nor light thing, neither is the obtaining of pardon any easy business whatever men generally think of them; There are many sad strokes that follow sin, which will hotly pursue sinners who are not in Christ; O! do not then think lightly of sin which is the Fountain of so much misery and woe to the sinner; If ye knew how exceedingly bitter wrath and the curse is that fo • lows sin, ye would as soon put your head in the fire as ye would meddle with it; If ye believed that word to be true which is in Exod. 34 He will by no means clear the guilty; And if ye believed God's faithfulness that is engaged to make good his threatenings, challenges for sin would be more strong and stinging.

5. It is implied here, that though the Elects sins deserve wrath, and that there must be a satisfaction ere they can be removed, that yet the Elect cannot satisfy for themselves, For the transgressions of my people was he stricken; Christ behooved to be smitten ere their sin could be removed; If the Elect could have done their own business they needed not to have been so much in Christ's common and debt, nor to have given him thanks for his undertaking; But this is brought in to hold forth the condescendency of his love, that when no other thing could do it, he interposed as Surety; The abominableness of sin was so great, that the Majesty of God his infinite Holiness and his spotless Justice being wronged, and the finite Creature not being able to make amends for the wrong done, did require this; For all mankind, yea all the Holy Angels could not satisfy for the wrong done by one man to the infinite God, therefore he says, I am the Savior, and there is none else; He gives defiance to all Savior's beside himself, None can redeem his brothers soul from death, nor give a price sufficient for it, the redemption of it ceaseth forever among the Creatures.

Use. Study then to be suitably sensible of this; ye may possibly think it to be but a common Doctrine, but alaee ye walk not under the due and deep conviction and sense of it, hence it comes to pass that so few think themselves in Christ's common, and that so few make their address to him: Ask the most part how they think they will win to Heaven? They will readily name many things and ways ere they light on Christ and Faith in him; If they have done a fault they say they will make a-mends, or they will pray for pardon, and they think that will do the turn: Such have this language in effect, that either there is no need of satisfaction for sin, or that they can satisfy for themselves.

6. It is implied here, that though the Elect have sinned, and cannot satisfy for themselves, yet it is necessary that a satisfaction be provided for them; I do not say simply that whoever hath sinned must have a satisfaction made for them; For the Lord hath left Legions of Angels and many thousands of reprobate Men and Women without hope of a Savior, or of a satisfaction; But considering God's purpose to bring many Sons to Glory, and his Decree of Election which must needs stand, and that the Elects names are written in the Book of life; It is impossible that they can lie still under the curse, but must be satisfied for, and redeemed from it; For the transgression of my people was he stricken; My people have sinned, and must be redeemed; On supposition of the Decree of Election our Lord undertook that great work, the Elect cannot perish, sin cannot draw them utterly away from God; Not only shall no externals such as Devils or Men, Persecution, Tribulation, &c. be able to come betwixt them and life, but not sin itself that is within them; His Decree being peremptory must stand, as he says, John 10. I have other sheep which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in; God's purpose cannot be frustrated nor altered, therefore of necessity their sins must be satisfied for.

7. It's implied here, that for this end, to wit, that the Elect might be saved from sin, and that God's Decree of Election might stand sure, Christ Jesus became Surety, and did undertake to satisfy for their sins; otherwise he could not have been liable to be stricken for them, if he had not become Surety for them; That he was for the transgression of God's people stricken, says plainly that he was engaged for them, as it is, Heb. 7.22. He was made Surety of a better Testament; And Psal. 40.7. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God: These things being spoken after the manner of, and borrowed from, the bargainings or transactions that use to be amongst men, we may conceive the business thus, (hinted before) there is the Fathers refusing of somewhat, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not des • re, and his proposing of another thing, and that is, that the Mediator would engage for the Elect; And upon the other side, there is the Mediators offer to undertake, and his actual undertaking and accepting of the Fathers proposal, when Sacrifices and Offerings, when thousands of Rams, and ten thousand Rivers of Oil will not do it, Lo, I come, saith he; And then for a conclusion of the Bargain and Transaction, there is the Fathers accepting of his undertaking, he is content to take his sufferings as the price for the Elects debt; Hence John 17. he saith, Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, that is, thine they were by Election, and thou gavest them me to be redeemed by me; And Heb. 10.10. it's said, that it is by this will that we are sanctified, that is, by the will of the Father, that the Son should be Surety.

Use. Look upon the work of Redemption as a great, gracious, and glorious work; about the designing and contriving whereof the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were occupied (to speak so with reverence) before the World was; He might have made Worlds of Angels and of sinless Men and Women at a word, and yet he hath graciously condescended to this way for redeeming of the poor Elect. We are alas sinfully disposed to think little of the Salvation and Redemption of a Soul, but it is a great matter in God's account, the deepest of whose consultation (to say so) is taken up about it, and in the contrivance whereof the manifold wisdom of God conspicuously shineth forth; and as in other things therein, so in this, that there was an ancient undertaking and engaging by Jesus Christ in the room of the Elect as their Surety.

8. While it is said, For the transgression of my people was he cut off and stricken, it imply • s that Christ in his undertaking for the Elect did oblige himself to undergo all these sufferings that were due to them, and even the suffering of a cursed death, which was the curse threatened against man for sin, The day thou eats thou shalt surely die; And though Christ becoming Surety and Cautioner, the Party is altered, yet the price is still continued to be the same, as is clear, Gal. 3.13. He was made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles; Whereby the Justice of God is vindicate, and he hath access to show mercy to the Elect without any the least imputation to it; Nay, this way is more for the vindicating of God's Justice, and for the making of his faithfulness to shine, that Christ became Man, and died for the Elect, than if the curse had lighted and lain on all the Elect themselves, and it is a greater awe-band on sinners against sin: I say again, that hereby the pure and spotless Justice of God is more vindicated, and hIs faithfulness more demonstrated, when he will needs so severely, and with so much holy rigidity exact of the Cautioner the Elects debt to the least farthing, then if they had suffered themselves eternally; It shows forth also, both the manifold wisdom and the riches of the free grace of God, there being a Decree of Election for saving so many, and for bringing them to Glory; And they being under sin, there is another decree and threatening that goes forth for cursing the sinner, and these two seeming to be altogether irreconciliable, the Question comes in on the one hand, how is it possible that a sinner under the curse can be saved? And upon the other hand, how is it possible that an Elect of God can be damned? The wisdom of God looseth the knot; Spotless Justice is satisfied by taking hold of, and falling on the Cautioner: Wonderful Grace and Love vent themselves in pardoning the sinner, and in accepting of a ransom for him; And manifold wisdom manifests itself in knitting these two together, so as none of them can want its effect; But all returns to the manifestation of the Glory of Grace in the up-shot; It cannot be that the Elect shall be damned; Yet here stands the threatening of a just God, and his curse ready to be execute, but here is the reconciliation; The curse is execute on the Mediator; whereby God shows himself to be a hater of sin, and an avenger of the wrong done to his Justice; And the Elect sinner is pardoned, whereby God manifesteth the freedom of his grace, and his wonderfully condescending love.

But now we come to a 9th Doctrine, which is more directly held forth in the words, and it hath two Branches, that our Lord Jesus his death and sufferings is a proportionable price and satisfaction laid down for the sins of the Elect, and for them only; This is in the express words of the Prophet; If the Question be asked, Wherefore suffered Christ all this? He answers, he suffered it as a price for transgression; If it be asked again for whom, or for whose transgression did he suffer? He answers, not for all Men and Women in the World, but for the transgression of my people was he stricken, or the stroke was on him for their transgressions; The first Branch of the Doctrine is to this purpose, that Christ's suffering is intended to satisfy for the transgression of God's elected people, and with respect to satisfying for their sins did he suffer: And if we take these to be truths that we marked before, as implied in the words, this will natively and necessarily follow; If he engaged to be Cautioner and Surety for the Elects debt, then his laying down his life must be on the same account, and for the same end; Now, when we speak of Christ's laying down a price to satisfy for the transgressions of the Elect, we mean not only this, that his sufferings and death have a value in themselves to satisfy for their sins, but that they are so intended by him in undergoing of them, and that they are so accepted of God according to his purpose, and according to the transaction that past betwixt Jehovah and the Mediator: They are not only (as Socinians say) to be a confirmation of the Doctrine which he preached, and to be a rule and example to us of patient suffering, and of giving obedience to the death, as he did; But it's also and mainly to satisfy the Justice of God for our debt; So then this wicked Tenet of the Socinians is exceeding derogatory to the sufferings of Christ, and to the matchless love that shined in them, yea, and even to the whole design of Redemption; For if Christ's sufferings be not a satisfaction to Justice, we are left without all just plea and apology for ourselves at God's Bar, and if we have none, then that curse looks the wakened sinner full in the face, The day thou eats thou shalt surely die; And however men in their security may please themselves with such dreams, and think that a satisfaction to Justice is not needful, yet if the conscience be once wakened, it will not be quieted without one; And if men's Faith give not credit to God's threatenings, they can have but little, or rather no comfort at all in his promises; There is therefore a necessity of a satisfaction, and if Christ's sufferings be not the satisfaction, there is not another, and so the whole work of Redemption is overturned; So then, though Christ in his sufferings hath left us a Copy how we should suffer, yet that is not the only nor the principal end of them; but it is contrived in the Covenant of Redemption, and intended by the Medi tor, and withal accepted by Jehovah, that they should be the meritorious cause of procuring pardon to the Elect, and the price of their Redemption.

This may be further cleared and confirmed, 1. From the phrase that is ordinarily made use of in Scripture, He suffered for the sins of his people; And in the Text, For the transgression of my people was he stricken; Their sins had a peculiar influence in bringing the stroke on him; And what influence I pray could they have but as they procured the stroke to him? And if his strokes were procured by our sins, then the desert of them was laid on him, and his sufferings behooved to be the curse that we elect sinners should have suffered; So when he is called their Cautioner, it tells that he undertook their debt, and his laying down of his life is the performance and fulfilling of his undertaken Suretyship and Cautionry; And considering that their debt was exacted of him, and that he was arraigned before God's Tribunal as their Surety in their room, and that this could be for nothing else but to answer for them as being their Cautioner; His sufferings behooved to be intended as a satisfaction for their sins; For the Elects sins were not the cause why Pilate, the people of the Jews, and the Scribes and Pharisees pursued him to death, but for our sins he was sisted before God's Tribunal, and being our Cautioner he was called to reckon for them, and they were put upon his account or score. 2. It's clear also from the names that his sufferings get in the Scripture, where they are called the price of our Redemption, a buying of us, a propitiation for our sins that pacified God, Rom. 3.25. and 1 John 2.2. A Sacrifice often and Ransom, Matth. 20.28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many, that is, for all his Elect people, to relieve them from the bondage they were under; which plainly shows the resp • ct that his sufferings had to our sins, that they were a propitiation for them to God. 3. It's clear, if we consider that Christ's death as to its object is for the transgressions of all God's people, of all the E • ect that lived before he suffered, whether they died in their infancy or at age, and for all that lived or shall live and die after his suffering, to the end of the world; Now, what benefit could redound to them that died ere Christ came in the flesh by his sufferings, if it were as Socinians say? for his death could not sure be a pattern of patience and obedience to them: But the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world; He was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his Incarnation, as well as since: And if it be not meritorious in procuring Salvation to Elect Infants, what influence or advantage can it have as to them? Either they are not taken to Heaven at all; or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought thither; or if they be obliged to him, it is certainly by virtue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people. 4. It's clear from this, that in this same Chapter and throughout the Gospel, all the benefits that come to God's people, as namely Justification and pardon of sin, they are attributed to this as the cause of them, as verse. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; And if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death, there must necessarily be virtue in it that procured them, and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof, that he laid down in his dying. 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of Redemption, and in Christ's Sufferings; which was to glorify his Justice as well as his Mercy, and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon; now, by Christ's death God's Justice is glorified, and he is seen to be just in executing his threatening against sin, even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became Surety for sinners; but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to Divine Justice, though there might be some show of showing Mercy, yet none at all of a satisfaction to Justice; but saith the Apostle Rom. 3.25, 26. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus? by this, God hath made it manifest that he is a just God, that none may preposterously presume upon Mercy, nor dare to bourd with sin when it is pursued in the Surety with such severity:

For Use and Application, 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concernment to you, as alas they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many, and therefore they are tasteless to them, and it's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of; and yet notwithstanding, this same truth that we are now upon, is a great ground of our faith; for if we believe not this, that Christ was a propitiation for sin, we can have no ground of lippening to him, or believing on him; but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth, we have (cordially closing with him) ground from it to expect God's favor and to be fred from the curse; because Christ as our Surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us; which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet; that Christ in his death should demit himself to leave us an example, is much, yet if we had no more by it, it would be but cold comfort, except we had it as a satisfaction to Divine Justice to rest upon: Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only, yet it comes nearer to our practice then we are aware of; and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with; yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart amongst us. 1. These that securely sin on still, and yet hope to get mercy, and who will confess that they are sinners, but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life, and they will speak of a number of things, but it may be, not one word of Christ or of his purchase, or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ, as if they had nothing yet to look to but a Covenant of works without a Savior, or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatened without a satisfaction; so that Christ's satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of Hypocrites that live in the visible Church; and this is easily proven from this, that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin; if it were believed that Justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room, and that Christ is the only Surety, Folks would either quite their hopes of Heaven, or be more in Christ's common; and that so many mantain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to Justice by Christ, and without employing of him, it declares plainly that they are drunken with this error. A 2d. sort are these who being wakened in Conscience and sensible of sin, yet are as heartless, hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him, as if he had not satisfied; what else does the doubting and despondency of such say, but that there is not a complete satisfaction in Christ's death? and that therefore they dare not trust to it, otherwise they would wonder that God hath provided such a remedy, and yet adventure to rest upon it, seeing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provoked him at all, or had satisfied his Justice themselves.

2ly. It serves to let us see what we are in God's common and debt, and how much we are obliged to the Mediator; when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish; and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment, and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity, that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes; this is our great ground of confidence, and the strong stay of the mind of a wakened Believer: And should make us wonder at the Fathers love that gave the son, and at the Sons love that was so condescending, and should make our souls warm towards him, who, when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the Pit, was content to enter himself as our Surety, and to pay our Debt: It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him, knowing that where sin is, there a satisfaction must be, and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him, because there is no other way to get Justice satisfied; the through conviction whereof is that which through grace not only chaseth the soul to, but engageth it to close with Christ and to rest upon him, and to give him the credit of its thorough-bearing when it is ready otherwise to sink: Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this Doctrine.

SERMON XXXII.

THere is nothing that concerns us more than to be well acquainted with the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his Sufferings; The Prophet hath therefore been much in showing what Christ suffered in the former words, and hath largely described his Humiliation to Judgment and Death, for (saith he) he was cut off out of the land of the living: In the words read he answers two important questions concerning his sufferings, 1. To what end were all these sufferings? he answers that they were for transgressions, even to be a satisfaction to Justice for them. The 2. Question is, For whose sins were the sufferings of Christ to be a satisfaction? It is answered expressly in the words, for the transgression of my people was he stricken, or the stroke was upon him; it was for the sins of the Elect, and of the Elect only, for this is the Prophets scope, who, having spoken of Christ's sufferings and death, holds forth the meritorious and procuring cause and end thereof; and this is the result, design and sum of all, even to be a satisfaction for God's elect People; for (as we show) by God's People are not meaned all men in the world, nor the Jews only, for Christ hath many sheep beside them; but it's God's peculiar People in opposition to the multitude who are not his People.

The Doctrine, or rather the branch of the Doctrine we left at, was this (and it's exclusive) that Christ's death is only intended to be a price for the sins of God's elect People and was laid down with respect to them; his death and sufferings are to be looked upon, and considered only as a price and satisfaction for their sins, and for the sins of none other; or thus, Jesus Christ in his suffering and in the laying down of his life; had a respect to the elect, and intended the removing of the sins and transgressions of God's elect people only, and of none other; we know nothing that we can make of these words, nor of the Prophets scope in them but this; who as he hath been describing Christ's sufferings in all other respects, so doth he in this; to wit, in respect of the persons for whom he suffered, and of the meritorious cause and end of his sufferings; for says the Text, for the transgressions of my people, that is of God's elect people was he stricken.

This branch of the Doctrine is of great weight and concernment in the whole strain of Grace, for if this march-stone be lifted and removed, Grace becomes common, and as some call it, universal, and so to be in effect no grace at all; for Grace hath a peculiar channel of its own wherein it runs towards a certain select number and not towards all: I do not mean of grace taken in a large sense, for so all men as they are partakers of any mercy, or of common favors, may be said to have grace extended to them; but I mean, God's special grace, favor and good will which is extended only to the Elect for whose sins Christ suffered; the right bounding of which Doctrine shows forth both God's sovereignty in the dispensing of grace, and the freeness thereof in communicating and manifesting of it to whom he will, and which thus considered is especially engaging of the hearts of them on whom he pleaseth to manifest it.

Ere I come to confirm this branch of the Doctrine, take a word or two of advertisement in the entry. 1. That Christ's death may be considered two ways, 1. In respect of itself, and as abstracting from the Covenant of Redemption wherein it is contrived as to all the circumstances of it; in which sense as his death and sufferings are of infinite value & worth, so they are (as Divines use to speak) of value to redeem the whole world, if God in his design and decree had so ordered and thought meet to extend it. 2. We are to consider his sufferings and death as a price agreed upon in the Covenant or Bargain of Redemption, wherein these two or three things concur. 1. God's proposal. 2. Christ's acceptation and design in laying down his life. 3. The Fathers acquiescing therein and declaring himself well pleased therewith; we speak not here of Christ's death in the first respect, that is as abstracting from the Covenant, for in that respect he might have laid down his life for few or moe, for some or for all, if it had been so intended; but we speak of it in the second respect, as it's a price agreed upon in God's purpose and Christ's design and in God's acceptation; and thus we say, that his death is only intended as a satisfaction and recompense for the sins of the Elect, and was laid down for them only.

2ly. We may consider Christ's sufferings and death in the fruits of it, either as they respect common favors and mercies, common gifts and means of grace which are not peculiar and saving, but common to Believers with others, being bestowed upon professors in the visible Church; or as they are peculiar and saving, such as Faith, Justification, Adoption, &c. Now, when we say, that Christ's sufferings and death, are a price for the sins of his People, we exclude not the Reprobate simply from temporal and common favors and mercies that come by his death; they may have and actually have common gifts and works of the Spirit, the means of Grace, which are some way effects and fruits of the same Covenant, but we say, that the Reprobate partake not of saving Mercy, and that Christ's death is a satisfaction only for the Elect, and that none others get pardon of Sin, Faith, Repentance, &c. by it, but they only, it was intended for none others, and this we clear and confirm from, and by these following grounds and arguments, which we shall shortly hint at.

The 1. Argument is drawn from this same assertion of the Prophet, thus, If Christ's death be only a satisfaction for the sins of God's People, then it is not a satisfaction for the sins of all, but it's a satisfaction only for the sins of God's People, therefore not for all, for his People are not all men, or all men are not his People, but his People are a peculiar People separate from others in God's purpose and decree, as we cleared before from John 17. Thine they were and thou gavest them me and the Text says expressly, for the transgressions of my people was he stricken; he respected the sins of God's People in accepting of the Bargain, and in laying down his Life, and for their sins only God accepted him; yea, the very mentioning of them thus here, secludes all others; and we must expone them exclusively as taking in none others, and must look upon the things spoken of them as agreeing to no other; even as it's said Heb. 4. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God, which is certainly exclusive of all others; and hence, when our Lord speaks of them John 17. he opposeth them to, and contradistinguisheth them from all others, I pray for them, I pray not for the world, buy for them that thou hast given me out of the world, to let us know that the things, prayed for to the one are denied to the other according to the strain of the Coven •• t.

A • ad ground is drawn from the strain and frame of the Coven • nt of Redemption, where we find two things clear 1. That as to the end and convey of it the Elect are the only Persons for • hose good and behove it's intended; and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that Covenant, the • the advantage, good and benefit of the Elect must be e • ed in this main a • ticle of the Covenant which relates to Chri • 's death and sufferings; For, 1. In the Covenant of Redemption the good of the Elect is proposed and designed by the Father, as is clear John 6.39, 40. This is the Fathers will that sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing; and this is the Fathers will that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life: which will be the more clear if we consider the time when this is spoken it's at such a time when many will not come to him and bel •• ve on him, as verse. 36, 37. Ye also have seen me and believe not, all that the Father hath given shall, come unto me, and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out; for I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me; and then follows, This is the will of him that sent me &c. and verse. 43, 44. Murmure not (saith he) among yourselves, no man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him; this ye heard of from John 17.2. at greater length, 2. Look on the Son's side of the Covenant, and it will also be clear, for his undertaking must be according to the Fathers proposing; if the Father did not propose all but some only to be redeemed, then his undertaking must be for these some and not for all, conform to the Fathers proposal, Psal. 40. Then said I, lo, I come to do thy will O my God; now, the Fathers will is, that the should undertake for these given him, and it's not his will that he should, undertake for others, therefore he did not undertake for them. 3. Christ's sufferings and death are the execution of the Fathers will, and therefore must be the execution of his undertaking according to his engagement for the Elect and given ones, therefore these two are put together, John 17.9. and 19. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me: and, for their sakes I sanctify myself, that is for their sakes whom thou hast given me and not for the world; He sancrifies himself for them for whom he prays, for them that are given him and no more.

2ly. This is clear in the Covenant, that Christ's death is intended there • n as all other Mercies covenanted, are; that is to say, to whom Faith Effectual Calling, Justification, &c. are covenanted, for these is Christ's death covenanted, and for none others; for the Covenant being mutual, the reprom • ssion on the Fathers part must be of equal extent with the Son's stipulation, but all these are only peculiarly applicable to the Elect, as benefits flowing from, and following upon Christ's death, which therefore must be peculiarly intended for them as being undergone for them; hence when Christ speaks of Faith and Effectual Calling, John 6. he says All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me, and none other will nor can come; so Justification, Pardon of Sin, &c. are bought to the Elect and to none others; and when the smallest of blessings are covenanted and articled for none other but for the Elect, shall Jesus Christ himself, that gift of God, or his death, which is the chief thing articled in the Covenant, be covenanted for or applied to any others but to them?

A 3d. ground is drawn from Christ's executing of his Offices; for this piece or part of Christ's executing of his Office, must correspond and be of equal extent with all the other parts and pieces of his Offices, such as his effectual teaching, interceding, subduing to himself, &c. which are no broader then the Elect, for he executes no part of any of his Offices for the behove and benefit of any but of the Elect • he sa • ingly enlightens no others; he sub • uts none others to the faith of the Gospel; he intercedes for none others, his intercession is not for the world; therefore his death must be for none others, all these being commentur •• le and o • equal extent; his intercession being grounded on his suff • ring; therefore Joh. 17. he lays by the world expressly as the • e for whom he will not pray, and looks back to the Covenant as the ground of his undertaking for the Elect given him out of the world, and not for others; and if he will not pray nor intercede for others, what reason can be given of his dying for others? when he will not do the less which is to pray for them, it were absurd to think or say that he will do the greater which is to lay down his life for them.

A 4th. ground is this, Christ's death is one of the peculiar evidences of his de • rest love, beyond which there is none greater, and a main proof and fruit • thereof, and therefore is not common to all, but is intended for them only whom he peculiarly loves and designs to bring through to glory; which is clear Eph. 5.26. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved his Church and gave himself for it, &c. Rom. 5.5. God commends his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; John 15.13. Greater love hath no man then this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends; there is a world of Reprobates whom Christ never loved with peculiar love, and sure for these he did not die; Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated, saith the Lord, Rom. 9.13. which the Apostle holdeth forth as a sort of copy of God's dealing in reprobation and election in reference to all Mankind; and where the Lord himself hath set bounds betwixt them whom he loves and hates, it's too great liberality, or rather too great presumption for any, under whatever specious pretences, to extend this his peculiar love to these whom he disclaims.

A 5th. ground is taken from the effect, thus, All for whom Christ died, are justified and freed from the guilt of their sins in due time, but Christ Jesus hath not purchased and actually procured freedom to all men from their sins; all men be not justified, therefore he laid not down his life for all; For, 1. It cannot be said that he laid down his life for purchasing and buying of such wares, and yet that he got not that which he bought; and seeing the event tells plainly that all are not justified and brought to Heaven, it cannot be that he laid down his life a Ransom for all, but it must be for the Elect only that he died. 2. To say that God exacts double payment of one and the self same De •• , that he exacts from men over again that which Christ paid already for them reflects on the Justice and Wisdom of God; and to say that a person that goes to hell shall be no less in his common then another that goes to Heaven, is no less absurd; for the Apostle says Rom. 5.10. If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life: where he plainly insinuates, that if a person be bought by Christ's death, it cannot be that he can perish; for if the price be paid by his death, and so the greater thing be done, much more will the lesser, we shall be saved by his life; now this reasoning could have no force, if Christ died for any that shall perish; yea verse. 11. of this Chapter it's said, By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities; where it's clear, that as many (and no mo • ) whose iniquities Christ hath taken on and born, shall be justified; for the one is given as a reason of the other; and there should be no consequence to his justifying of them, from his bearing of their iniquitries, if he could by his death bear their iniquities whom he never justified.

A 6th. ground is taken from the end of the Covenant, which is to put a difference betwixt special Grace peculiar to some, and severe Justice to others, and particularly and especially in Christ's death, which makes out what we affirm; for if when Christ died many were actually damned, it cannot be said that he died for these; not that it was with them as with Believers before his death; for it cannot he said that the intention of his death in the Covenant, could be beyond what it was at his death, the one being the execution of the other; And sure it could not be intended at his death for the damned; For it would seem a very absurd thing to say, that when Christ was to go and lay down his life, that he was going to suffer for many that were suffering for their own sins in Hell, as many reprobate sinners were before he came in the flesh; Can any imagine a possibility of such a thing? Our Lord was not to be so indifferent in the administration of Grace, as to cast it thus away; And can any reasonably think, that at one and the same time, the same punishment shall be exacted from Christ, and from the persons themselves for whom he suffered? It is possible that this could be intended in the Covenant of Redemption; Or is there free access to Justice to pursue? Christ as Cautioner when the Principal Debtor is actually siezed upon? Indeed when the Principal is set free as the Elect were before his death, there is access to pursue the Cautioner for their debt; But no such thing can be alleged for others that were already damned; But their being taken hold of by Justice, is a proof that he answered not for them, nor paid their debt.

7. We may argue thus, If Christ died for all, then either for all indifferently, and so all were alike obliged to Christ; Or for some more absolutely that must be satisfied for, and for others conditionally on supposition that they should believe; But this last is absurd, for 1. The Scripture makes not two considerations of Christ's death. 2. It were absurd to say that now it cannot be told whether Christ died for such an one or not. 3. Either that condition is bought to them, or not; If it be bought, then it must be fulfilled (If it be not bought, then 1. That person cannot be said to be bought, because all needful for his Redemption is not bought and paid for. 2. Either that condition can be fulfilled by themselves or not, if it may be by themselves, then is Free-will established, and none are absolutely redeemed; If it cannot be fulfilled by themselves, and yet bought by him for them, then they are determined for another end, to wit, not to get it, and what wisdom can there be in such a Redemption as this?

The 1. Use serves for clearing and confirming of a Gospel truth of the Covenant of Redemption, and for the refutation of a contrary error; As we have somewhat of many errors practically in our hearts, so have we this amongst the rest, that Christ died for all sinners; which fosters people's security, and their groundless hope of admission to Heaven; But here we see that our Lord Jesus in laying down his life, intended the satisfaction of Divine Justice for none but for his Elect people, and if so, there are many for whom he never intended the benefit of his death; There are three particular Branches of the error which this Doctrine confutes; 1. Their opinion which is more lax, and takes in the sins of all men and women in the world, and giveth them an equal share in Christ's sufferings; as if in his intention in laying down of his life, and in God's purpose he had suffered and died for all, for him that goes to Hell as well as for him that goes to Heaven; But if Christ stand as Cautioner for the Elect only, then sure this opinion cannot hold; for all are not God's Elect; And therefore all are not indifferently redeemed: And though it may be that some of you think that this looks liker grace, yet its not only absurd as being contrary to truth, but its absurd also even with respect to grace; For 1. It makes grace a common thing, a man that is in Hell to be as much obliged to Christ as one that is in Heaven; And though it plausibly pretends to give grace abroad and large extent, yet it takes away the power of it; For if grace be thus largely extended, it's not grace that makes the application of grace, but the free will of the Creature; For grace according to this opinion, leaves men to be saved or not as they please, and leaves itself to be overcome by man's will; And therefore these errors divide not, but go together hand in hand; For where grace is made so large, free-will is made to have a dominion over it, and thus the weight of grace and of election are laid upon it. 2. It lessen •• the estimation of God's grace in the minds of people; for thus, they think little of Heaven, and suppose that it is an easy matter to win at it, and it breeds in them a fearlessness of Hell and of God's Wrath: And if many of you had not drunken in this error practically, ye would not be so confident of, nor so obstinately maintain your hope of Heaven without ground; Hence alas it is, that many will say, God is merciful, and Christ died for all sinners, and for me, and so sleep it out in security; I am persuaded that much of the security and presumption that abounds among carnal Professors is from this ground, that grace is fancied to be thus broad and large; We grant that as to the convey and nature of it it's broad, but in respect of the objects on whom it is bestowed, it's narrow, though it cometh from large bowels. 3. It exceedingly mars and diminisheth men's thankfulness, for when a mercy is judged to be common, who will praise for it as he would do if it were special and peculiar? That which is a great ground of thankfulness for Election, Effectual Calling, Justification, &c. is because these mercies are peculiar; even so that which makes the redeemed thankful for Redemption, is because they are redeemed and bought when others are left, hence is that Song of the redeemed company, Rev. 5.9. Thou art worthy to open the Book, for thou wast stain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kind ed, and tongue, and people, and nation; It heightens not their praise that all of every kindred, and tongue, and nation were redeemed, but this doth it that when the Lord had the whole world before him, he was graciously pleased to purchase and redeem them out of it, that as it is, John 11.52. He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad; They therefore I say bless him, and wonder when they consider that they are pitched on who are by nature the same with these that are past by: & were a strange thing to affirm that they who are in Hell have as great ground of praise, and of saying, We thank thee, for thou hast redeemed as by thy blood, as these that are in Heaven have. 4. This making of grace so wide and large in his extent as to take in all; doth leave the people of God altogether comfortless. But it may be here said, How is it that it is more comfort to Believers that grace is peculiar in saving, and that but a few are redeemed in comparison of others that are not redeemed, then if we should extend it unto, and account it to be for all? Or how is this more comfortless to them, that grace is made universal? Answer 1. Because if it were universal, many whom Christ died for, are now in Hell, and what consolation can there be from that? A man may be redeemed and yet perish and go to Hell for all that? But it's strong consolation when this comes in, If when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life, If he died for us when we were enemies, will he not much more save us being friends? 2. Suppose a person to be in black nature, what comfort could he have by looking on Redemption as universal? He could not expect Heaven by it; for many expect Heaven on that ground who will never get it; But it's a sort of consolation even to them that are without, to consider that Redemption is peculiar to some; For though all get not Heaven, yet they that believe get it, and so upon their closing with Christ the consolation presently flows out unto them; Whereas if they should lay it for a ground that Christ's death were universal, they could never have solid ground of consolation by flying to him. 5. This error doth quite overturn and enervat the whole Covenant of Redemption and peculiar love. 1. It enervats and obscures the wisdom that shines in it, if Christ may buy and purchase many by his death, who shall yet notwithstanding perish. 2. It enervats and obscures the love and grace that shine in it; for it makes Christ to cast away the love and grace of it to repro •• e, and • o to cast pearls to swine. 3. T • obscures the freedom of it, which •• y t ••• in his taking of one and refusing another, as it is, Rom. 9.11, 12. The children not being yet born, and having done neither good nor 〈◊〉 , that th • p •• pose of God according to election might •••• d, 〈◊〉 of works, but of 〈◊〉 that calleth, it was said, the elder shall serve the 〈◊〉 , (as it is written, Jacob have I loved, and Esa • have I hated. 4. It obscures the Justice of it, if he should but all and yet get but some for it being the design of God to inflict on Christ the curse that was due to sinners, and to spare them; if this should be the result of it that many for whom he died and took on him the curse, should p • rish, he should get but some of these whom he bought, and Justice should twice exact satisfaction for one and the same debt, once of the Surety, and again of the Principal Debtor that perisheth; Whereas when Christ becomes Surety they are set free for whom he was • urety, and it is Justice that it should be so. We do the rather insist in the refutation of this error, because this is a time wherein it is one of the Devils, great designs which he drives to trouble the clear Springs of the Gospel, and to revive this error amongst the rest; And there is something of it in these poor fool Bodies who speak so much of a light within, as if all were alike, and had something, which if they use well they may get life by; This error always leaves men to be Masters and Carvers of God's Decree, and of Christ's purpose and design in the work of Redemption, and suspends the benefit of his death mainly, if not only on the consent of man's free-will.

A 2d. Branch of the error which this Doctrine refutes, is that which is vented by some who are not professed enemies, but in other things deserve well of the Church of Christ, which therefore should be our grief to mention; And it is this, that though Christ hath not simply purchased Redemption from sin to all men, that yet he hath taken away from all, the sins of that first Covenant of Works, as if there were (as they say) no sin for which men are now condemned, but the sin of infidelity or unbelief; But this is dangerous for i • . If this be true that Christ's death is only a price for the sins of the Elect, then there are no sins of others reckoned on his score. 2. It halveth Christ's purchase, and hardly will we find Christ's death divided, which were to say that he hath bought a man in part or ha • f, from wrath and not wholly, such a dividing of Christ, and halving of his death, seems not consistent with the strain of the Gospel, for as there is one Sacrifice, so there is one account on which it is offered. 3. It seems to infer a good and safe condition to all them that die without sinning against the Gospel, and so to Infants born out of the Church that never sinned against the Covenant of Grace, and it pleads much for them that never heard the Gospel, yea possibly for all, if they be not obliged to believe the Gospel, as it's hard to say they are, who never heard of it. 4. There are many in hell this day who know and feel this to be an untruth, being condemned for sins against the Covenant of Works, therefore he undertook not their debt, nor paid for them; And when the Books shall be cast open, there will be many other sins sound to be reckoned for then sins against the Gospel; Are not Whoremongers, Adulterers, Murderers, Thieves, &c to to reckon for these sins? It's very sad that such things should take place with men other ways useful, but is in other things, so in this hurtful, • hich we should not speak of, were it not that they are spread abroad in Books wherewith many may be leavened.

A 3d. Branch of this error which this Doctrine refutes, is, that Christ died conditionally for all hearers of the Gospel, to whom he is conditionally offered; and this is also vented by the same Authors who say, that though he hath not bought all men absolutely, nor died to procure life absolutely to them, yet that he did so conditionally and upon supposition that they should afterward believe on him: But there can be no conditional satisfaction intended here, for 1. If respect be had only to the sins of the Elect in Christ's undertaking, then none is had to the sins of all. 2. If the Fathers acceptation of the price be absolute, then there is no conditional buying. 3. If it be conditional then he suspended the effect of his death, the satisfaction for his Soul-travel on man's will; And if this condition could not be fulfilled by man, then it is an unwise bargain, and nothing of it may fall to be fulfilled, and then believing is no fruit of grace. Again, he hath either bought Faith to them as he hath done to the Elect, or not; If he hath, then they reject it, and so grace is not efficacious; If not, he hath bought the end without the midses leading to it. Or thus, if it be conditional, it's either on a condition which they can fulfil, or on a condition that they cannot fulfil; If it be on a condition which they can fulfil, then it hangs Grace on men's freewill, and su • pends the Decree of Election on their receiving of Christ; If it be a condition that is not in their power to fulfil, then either Christ hath bought that condition to them, or not; to say that he hath not bought the condition of Faith, it will infer a strange assertion that he hath bought life and not the condition, the end and not the midses: And if it be said that he hath bought it, it cannot be said that he hath done so absolutely, because they never get it; Or if absolutely, then to the Elect only in whom it must be, and is in due time fulfilled; And so in effect it resolves in this, that Christ's purpose is to be bounded and confined (to say so) to the Elect only.

There are some difficulties and objections that will readily here be moved, which we will not enter upon, only for preventing of mistakes: It stands in the way of some to hinder their believing as they suppose, that Christ hath died for some and not for all, and they know not if they be of that small number; If we were to speak to such, we would say, 1. God hath not elected all, and so who knows if he hath elected them I And he will not save all, and who knows if he will save them? And so the doubt will stick still; If folks will thus break in upon God's secret will and purpose which belongs not to them. 2. Christ's death for you is not the formal ground not warrand of your Faith, not yet of the offer of the Gospel, but the Lord's will warranding you to believe, and calling for it from you, and his commanding you to rest upon Christ for the attaining of righteousness as he is offered in the Gospel: We are invited by his command and promise, and we are not first called to believe that Christ died for us, but we are called ••• st to believe in him that is offered to us in the Gospel, that is our duty, And folks are not condemned because Christ died not for them, but because when he offered the benefit of his death and sufferings to them, they slighted and rejected it; We are to look first to what Christ calleth to, and not to meddle with the other, to wit, whom Christ minded in his death, till we have done the first: The Word bids all believe that they may be saved, and such as neglect this command will be found disobedient. 3. Though Christ hath not died for all, yet all that flee unto him by Faith shall be partakers of his death, and from this ye should reason, and not from his intention in dying; If ye come not to him, ye cannot have ground to think that he died for you, but if ye go to him by Faith, ye may expect that he will pray for you, and own you for Believers; Christ casts in that word, John 17. They have believed thy word, as well as that other. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; And if we put these two together, the one will be found as sure a ground of consolation as the other; But it were but a poor comfort to say that Christ died for all, and yet that they may all, or most, or many of them perish for all that.

The 2d. Use serves to stir them up to thankfulness for whom Christ hath satisfied, and who are fled for refuge to him; If there be any here, to whom Christ hath manifested such love, that they can say he hath loved me, and given himself for me; O! How are ye obliged to wonder and bless him? Greater love than this cannot be; and it should warm your hearts with love to him the more, when ye reflect on God's design upon you in particular in the Covenant of Redemption.

Use 3d. If Christ intended his Death and Sufferings only for behove of the Elect; Then, as because few come to Heaven, all should be the more diligent; so because Christ died not for all, everyone should aim in God's own way to have it made sure to himself that Christ died for him, and should be the more watchful and diligent to make his Calling and Election sure, because as its not all that are elected, so its not all that are purchased by Christ's death; Redemption is sure in itself, and free Grace kithes conspicuously in it, yet Wisdom and Sovereignty do also appear in this, that its not of all; therefore study ye to make it sure by fleeing to Christ by Faith, and by the study of Holine • s and Mortification in his Strength, and through the power of his Death, which will be a proof of your Interest in it: This were much more suitable than to be quarreling with God's Decrees, as some are brought in Rom. 9.19. Why doth he find fault? who hath resisted his will? To whom the Apostle answers, Who art thou that repliest against God? it becomes you not to dispute with God, but to seek with more Sollicitude, and with holy and humble carefulness to make the matter sure to yourselves; we may well raise storms by our disputs, but shall come to no peace by them; this can only be come at by fleeing to the hope set before us.

SERMON XXXIII.

EVery passage of our Lord's way in prosecuting the work of Redemption hath somewhat wonderful in it; we heard of several of them, especially in his Humiliation, how very low the blessed Cautioner condescended to come for relief of the captivity; how he was put to wrestle and fight, and what great Strengths or strong Holds he was put as it were to take in; there is one strong Hold (to speak so) not spoken of as yet which must also be stormed, and the fortifications of it pulled down by the Mediator, and that is the Grave; the Prophet tells us, that as he declined not death, so neither did he decline the Grave, but as he was cut off out of the land of the living as a wicked man in the account of men, so in the account of men he was taken down from the cross with the Thieves and buried in the Grave as one of them.

I shall not trouble you with diversity of interpretations, but shall only hint at two things for your better understanding of the words, in which the difficulty lieth, The 1. is this, Whether doth this relate to his Humiliation only, or to his Exaltation, or to both? for it cannot be reasonably thought but his being buried with the wicked is a piece of his Humiliation; to make it only an evidence of his Humiliation, seems not to stand with the next part of the words, because he had done no violence, &c. which is a causal reason of that which goeth before: But we answer, that there may be here a respect had unto both; the first words respect his Humiliation, comparing them with the truth of the History as it is set down Matth. chap. 27. where it is clear that he was destinate in the account of men, and by their appointment, to be buried with wicked men: for they thought no more of him than if he had been a wicked man. The next words, And with the rich in his death, look to his Exaltation, and the meaning of them is, that however he was in the account of men buried with Thieves, and laid in the grave as a Malefactor or wicked Man; yet in God's account and by his appointment and over-ruling providence it was other ways, for he put a difference betwixt him and others, and gave him a honorable burial with the rich, though he was designed by men to be buried with thieves; yet as we have it Matth. 27.57. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and begged his body and wrapped it in clean Linnen, and laid it in a new tomb; which in God's providence was so ordered, both to show a difference betwixt him and those thieves, and also to declare that he was innocent, as the reason subjoined tells, Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth; and to make way for the clearing of his Resurrection, he being buried in such a remarkable place where never man had been buried before.

So then the sum of the words is this, he was ••• n • led in coming to the grave, and in men's account and destination was buried as a wicked man, yet by God's Decree and Providence it was so ordered, that though he was poor all his days, he had a honorable Burial such as rich men use to have, because he had done no violence, neither was the • e any deceit in his mouth: God will not have it going as men designed, but will have him honourably buried and laid in the Grave, that thereby there might be the greater evidence of his innocence, and a more full clearing and confirmation of the truth of of his resurrection.

What is rendered death here in our Translation, is deaths in the plural number in the Hebrew; to show the greatness and terribleness of the death which he underwent, and the sore spiri • u • l as well as bodily exercise that he was put unto, at, and in, his death, so that it was a complication of many deaths in one, and at once which he suffered. 2. Where it's said in our Translation, that He made his grave; In the Original it is, He gave his grave with the wicked; so that the Pronoun He, may be meaned, rather of the Father his giving, or it may be understood of the Mediator himself his giving; and so the meaning is, that it came not to pass by guess on God's side, but was by him well ordered; and upon the Mediators side it sets out his willingness to go to the Grave, and his having an over-ruling hand, as God, in his own death and burial; as he saith John 10.18. No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself; His death and burial were determined and well-ordered as to all the circumstances of both, by a divine decree and by an over rul • ng hand of Providence; and this agrees well with the reason subjoined, because he willingly con • escended to die; God put a difference betwixt him and others, as is clear in that of John 10.17. Therefore does my father love me, because I lay down my life for my sheep. The Verse hath two parts, 1. Something foretold concerning the Messiah, and that is, that he shall make or give his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. 2. There is a reason subjoined, especially to the last part, taken from his innocence, and from the difference that was in his life betwixt him and all men in the world, that therefore God put a difference betwix • him and them in his death and burial.

First then, This point of Doctrine is implied here, that coming to the Grave is a thing common and certain to all men; I mean, that death, or a state of death and to be in the grave, in an ordinary way is common to all men; and whoever want the privilege of burial, their condition in that respect is rather worse then better; it's supponed here that wicked men come to the grave, therefore our Lord is said to make his grave with them; and it is also supposed that rich men come to the grave, therefore it's said, and with the rich in his death; that which Solomon hath Eccles 8.8. of death, may well be applied to the gr • ve; there is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain it, nei • her hath he power in the day of death, and the • e is no discharge in that war, neither shall • wickedness deliver these that are given to it; the most powerful wicked man cannot prevail over it, nor is he able to resist and withstand it; these who conquer most of the World, are constrained at length to be content with some few foots of ground, and their Bodies are turned into dust: Job in the 3d Chapter of his book speaks of it as common to all, to rich and poor, to high and low, to the King and the Beggar, all are there in one Category; if any were freed from it, it would readily be rich men, but as it is Psal. 49.6, 7. their riches will nor be a ransom for them; They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him, so precious is the soul tha • the redemption of it ceases forever: Amongst all Mortals there is none that can buy himself from coming to the Churchyard, or from coming to the grave; but were he never so rich and honorable, he must be said in a hell as well as the poor man; the bravest and best guided Tomb is but a grave; that sentence past by God must stand and will stand, Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return; The translation of Enoch and Elias who old not see death, do not alter the common rule, though it show the sovereignty and power of God what he can do.

Use 1. O! think more on Death and on the Grave, these sure would be much more profitable subjects of thoughts, then many things which our thoughts run ordinarily on, It's appointed for men once to die, and thereafter cometh the judgment: As we walk over and trod on the Graves of others now, so some will be walking over and troding on ours ere long; and within a few years our bodies will be turned into dust, and our dust will not be known from the dust of others that lived before us; it were good to have the faith of this more rooted, and that we did meditate more frequently and seriously on it.

Use 2. It reproves the pride of men and women, and their lusting after earthly vanities; When death and the grave come, where will all their brave Houses, and Cloaths, and well dressed Beds be? And what will become of your Silver and Gold? These things will not go to the grave with you, As ye brought nothing into the world, so its certain that ye shall carry nothing out of it; The consideration whereof would be a restraint and awe band to men's exorbitant desires; The time is coming when six or seven foot in length, and two or three foot in breadth of ground will serve the richest and most honorable; And within a few years the Lord Provost's dust will not be known from the dust of the poor body that got a share of the common Contribution; the dust of both will be alike; Dress and pamper the body as ye will, that beauty will not abide with you; Wherefore then serves all this pride, • anity and • ravity? Seeing a very little whiles time will lay it all in the dust; and when all our projects will take an end, as Job saith, Chap. 17. M • purposes are broken, and what did break them off? The grave (saith he) is waiting for me, I have said to corruption, to the rottenness of the earth, thou art my mother, and to the worms, ye are my brother and sisters; they and I must lie together; These that now cannot get their bed made fine and soft enough, the worms and they will lie together ere long in the grave, the Chest or Coffin will not be so close but they will win in, nay, they will breed in their own bodies, do we not see this daily? Were it not then good that when ye are going to the burials and graves of others, ye were thinking on your own lying down in the grave? And what will be your thoughts in that day of all things in this world? If dead Corpses could speak out of their graves, they would preach sharp warning to them that are alive, and would say to such as are carrying them thither, Beware of putting off thoughts of death and of the grave. Though this be a common point of truth, yet few walk suitably to it, but we are generally in our practice as if it were not a truth, no more minding death and the grave than if we were eternally to live here.

Use 3. As this should make folks sober in prosperity, so it should make them patient in adversity; A iittle time will make us all equal, and what is the matter what our condition be if our peace be made sure with God? Heathens may shame many of us that are professing Chri •• ians, who, by the consideration of death, have been brought to be much more sober in their carriage, then alas many of us are.

2dly, Observe. That the Messiah behooved to come to the grave and be buried; It was so designed fore-told, and fore-prophesied of, He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; Hence the Apostle, Acts 2.30 citing Psal. 16 8. gathers, that as there was a necessity of his being in the grave, so there was a necessity of his resurrection out of it, because he should not see corruption in it, His foul was not left in hell, or in the grave, neither did his flesh see corruption; And in all the Evangelists▪ It's clear, that after death he was remarkably laid in the grave, and very particular and special notice is taken of it: Take here shortly some few reasons of this necessity according to the Lord's appointment, and no further; The 1. whereof is this, that the unstainedness and purity of Divine Justice may appear, and that thereby the completeness and perfection of his satisfaction as Mediator, to the Justice of God, may be confirmed; If he had not been buried it might have been questioned whether that which folk suffer after death be a reality or not; But his three days lying in the grave is a greater evidence of the unstainedness and purity of Justice, and of its impartiality, then the imprisoning of many Creatures for many t • ousands of years would have been; This shows him to be a just God, when sinners Cautioner is not only pursued to death, but to the grave; And therefore this is always accounted the lowest part or step of his suff • rings; And in the Creed his descending into hell is spoken of, which in our excellent Catechism is expounded to be his continuing under the power of death for a time. 2 It is much for the manifestation of the great love of God, and of the rich condescending grace of the Mediator, who is not only content to die, but to come to the grave, and to suffer death to have a kind of dominion over him for a time; So that as death had power to separate his soul from his body, so it prorogats that power during his being in the grave; His enemies, as it were, cry, Take him up now, and they seal the stone and set a watch to keep him in the grave. 3. It's for the consolation of the Believer, and serves mightily to strengthen him against the fear of death and the grave; So that the Believer needs not be afraid of death, but may lie down quietly in the grave, because it was Christ's bed, warmed, to say so, by him, he was there before him, and the grave is now to the Believer no part of the curse, more than death is; The grave will not swallow him up with a sort of dominion and right, as it doth the reprobate. 4. It serves to confirm the truth of the Resurrection of Christ, more than if he had never been in the grave, as the Apostle proves, 1 Cor. 15. from the beginning to the close, even till he come to that, O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory? Our Lord by dying and being buried, hath delivered his people from both; As neither a great Stone, nor a Seal put on it could keep him in the grave, but that he rose again the third day, so nothing will be able forever to keep Believers at under; and as he died to disarm death, so his entering in the grave was to disarm the grave, and to open a door for Believers to come thorough it, by his power who was dead and laid in the grave, but now is risen and alive for evermore.

The Uses are 1. To show the full conformity and agreeableness that is betwixt what was foretold of the Messiah, and what is fulfilled; and so serves to confirm our Faith in this, that he is the true Messiah, who was crucified, dead and buried; This is one of the Articles of our Faith foretold by Isaiah, now fulfilled and recorded to be so in the Gospel. 2. It shows the severity of Justice, that when any person is made liable to the lash of it, were it but as Cautioner, it will exact of him satisfaction to the uttermost; Therefore when Christ enters himself our Cautionrr, it not only exacts death, and pursues him till he give up the Ghost, but after death pursues him to the grave; It will needs have that satisfaction of the Mediator, and he yields to it so as to lay himself by as a dead man: O what a revengful thing is Justice when a sinner must answer to it? When the Mediator was so pursued by it, what will it do to others who are out of him? Here we may apply that word, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and your children; If it be done so to the green tree, what will be done to the dry? When the fire of the vengeance of God shall kindle that lake that burns with fire and brimstone, and when sinners shall be cast into it as so many pieces of Wood, or as so many pieces of dry sticks, what will be their condition? It were good in time to fear falling into the hands of the living God, which is indeed a most fearful thing, Heb. 10.31.

3 It shows the Believers obligation to God that hath so fully provided a satisfaction for him, and hath furnished him with such a ground of consolation; Beside what is done for the satisfying of Justice (which is the great consolation) there is here ground of consolation against all crosses, pain, sickness, death and the grave; There is not a step in the way to Heaven but our Lord hath gone it before us; We have not only a Mediator that died, but that was buried; And O! but this is much when Believers come to think on their going to the grave; Will it devour them, or feed upon them forever? No, he hath muzzled it, to say so; They rest in their grave as in a bed, in their bodies being united to him, and their dust must be counted for; Its true, the bodies of the reprobate must be raised up, yet upon another account, and not by virtue of their union with Christ, and of Christ's victory over death in their stead, as Believers are; In a word, they have many advantages that have Christ, and they have a miserable life, a comfortless death, and a hard lying in the grave that want him; Therefore, as the short cut, to have a happy life, and a comfortable death and burial, and the grave sanctified to you; seek to have your interest in Christ made sure, then all things are yours, and particularly death and the grave, which will be as a Box to keep the particles of your dust till it restore them faithfuly to Christ, to whom it must give an account. But as for you that sl ght and misken Christ, ye have a dreadful lot of it, no interest in Christ living, no union with him in the grave, nor at the Resurrection; And if ye did but seriously c • nsider that ye will die, ye would also co • sider that it's good dying and being in the grave with Christ, and that it's a woeful thing to be, and to be in it without him.

3ly. Observe That all the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the least particular circumstance of them, were ordered of God, and before hand determined and concluded upon; none of them came by guess upon him; That he should suffer and die, and what sort of death he should die, and that he should be laid in the grave, all was before concluded and determined; When we read thorough the Gospel, it were good to take a look of the Old Testament-Prophesies of the Covenant of Redemption, and of the ancient determinations concerning him, as Peter doth, Acts 2.27. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel of God, ye have with wicked hands crucified; God's fore knowledge and determination fixed the bounds, and laid down the rule (to speak so) to these wicked hands in the crucifying of him, without all tincture or touch of culpable accession to their sin; and in looking over his sufferings, we would call to mind, that this and this was the Lord's purpose, and that in these sufferings, and in every part and piece of them, the Mediator is telling down the price that he undertook to pay; All which demonstrats the verity of our Lord's being the true Messiah.

4ly. From comparing the two parts of the first part of the verse together, He made his grave with the wicked, as to the estimation of men, and with the rich in his death, in respect of God's ordering it. Observe, That o • ten God hath one design, and men another, and that God will have his design to •• and, and infrustrably to take effect: When some would design sh • me to his people, he will have them honored.

The 1. Use serves to comfort God's people when they are in their lowest condition, and when their enemies are in highest power; our Lord is driving on his design, and making his and their en • mies to fulfill it: Pilate and the Chief Priests with the Scribes and Pharisees are putting Christ to death, the multitu • e ar • crying Crucify him, and preferring a Robber to him; But in all this, they were fu fi ling what God had before determined to be done, which we say is m • tter of great consolation both as to our own particular case, & as to God's general guiding of the World, and especially of his Church therein; There is nothing wherein the malice of men seems to be most prevalent, but our Lord is still gaining his point upon, and by them; They are all the while executing God's determination, though to their own ruin.

2. See here an exact correspondency betwixt all the circumstances of our Lord's sufferings and God's determination, and a concurrence of all of them for the promoving of it in the History of the Gospel; A bone of him is not broken, when the bones of the two Thieves crucified with him are broken, a Spear is run at him, and his side is pierced, when they are not pierced; And all this, because it was prophesied of him, that A bone of him shall not be broken, and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced; and when it comes to his burial, Pilate wots not what he is doing when yet he is fulfilling the Lord's design in giving his body to a rich man Joseph of Arimathea, when he asked it from him to be buried by him, whereby the Prophesy of the Text is fulfilled; The wickedness of some, the contingent actions of others, and the ignorance of many, concur all together, to make out the same holy and unalterable design and purpose of God.

And therefore 3dly, Let us stay our faith here, that our Lord is yet still working in all these confusions, and when matters returned up-side down to human appearance, our blessed Lord is not non-plussed and at a stand when we are, he knows well what he is doing, and will make all things most certainly, infallibly, and infrustrably to work for his own glory, and for the good of his people.

From its being said that He gave his grave with the wicked, as holding forth Christ's willingness to be buried, (as he saith of his death, John 10.17. No man taketh away my life from me, but I lay it down, and take it up again.) Observe, That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption, even in the lowest and most shameful steps of it our Lord was a most willing condescender, He gave his grave with the wicked; He was a most free and willing undertaker, when as it were, the Question was put, Who will satisfy for Elect sinners? He comes in and says (as we h • ve it, Psal. 40.) Lo, I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; I am here, Father, as if he had said, I offer myself and accept of the terms heartsomly and delightsomly; I rejoiced, saith he, Prov. 8.28. in the habitable parts of the earth, before the foundation of the world was laid my delight was with the sons of men: So it may be made evident, that in all the parts of his sufferings, and in every step thereof, he did most exactly, and also most willingly perform whatever was carved out to him; He preached and wrought miracles, and did all with delight, as himself says, John 4.32. It is my meat and my drink to do my Fathers will, and to finish his work; It refreshed him when his body was hungry and faint to be carrying on the work of Redemption in speaking to a poor straying sinner. If we yet look a little forward we will find that he so longed for the saddest part of this exercise, that he is pained till it be accomplished. Luke 12.50. I have a b • ptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished? His heart longed so much to be at it, that he would approve nor admit of nothing that might stand in the way of it, therefore he rejected Peters advice with holy detestation, with a Get thee behind me Satan; He knew well what was in Judas mind, and yet would not divert him, but bid him do what he was about, quickly; He went to the Garden where he was known to resort, and gave his enemies opportunity to rake him, and would not suffer his Disciples to draw a Sword to oppose them; When he was before Pilate he would not open his mouth; When he was buffeted he gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to him that plucked off the hair, and hid not his face from shame and spitting; Because he knew what was aimed at in all this, and accordingly saith Matth. 20.20. The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many; When His Holy Human Nature scarred at the Cup, and when he was thereby put to pray, Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, he sweetly subioyns, but for this cause came I unto this hour; And the nearer it came to his death he vented his desire after it the more, With desire have I desired, saith he, or with special desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; Even when he was to eat the last Passover, and to take his last good night, and to be in readiness for what was coming: What could have been the mean or motive to bring it about, if he had not been willing? It was this willingness that Jehovah was pleased with, and that made his Sacrifice to smell sweetly to his Father, who loveth a cheerful giver, and it had never been satisfactory if it had not been willing but extorted, and therefore saith he, Joh. 10. No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down; And I delight to do thy will, Psal. 40.

Use 1. See here a great evidence of the love of God and of the Mediator; Behold what manner of love this is, that when it was not required, he should offer and freely give himself to death and to the grave, this is the love of a friend and beyond it, that he should have so loved his Church as to give himself for her to death, and to the grave; Well may he say as he doth, John 15.15. Greater love hath no man then this, &c.

2dly, It shows what great ground of consolation and encouragement a sinner hath that would fain be at Christ, to believe on him, and to expect Life and Salvation through him; Our Lord was most willing to lay down his life and to come to the grave for that end, and is it possible that he will refuse a sinner that comes unto him, and that would fain share in the benefit of his sufferings, which was his great end in suffering? This one thing, to wit the willingness that he had to suff • r, and the delight that he had in suffering, to purchase Redemption to sinners, may be as a strong cordial to strengthen the heart of a swo •• ing Sinner, and a great motive and encouragement to come forward to him. Thou wilt, it may be, say, I wot not if Christ loves me; O! Consider these sweet words, Rom. 5.10. If he died for us while we wer • yet enemies, how much more shall we be saved by his life? I shall close this discourse with these two words, the 1. whereof is, for encouragement; If there be anybody here that would fain have Christ's love, and partake of his death: Take courage, seeing our Lord out of the great desire he had to promove the Salvation of sinners, Gave himself to death and to the grave, will he not willingly make application of his purchase to them when they seek it? That he was willing to undergo all this is a far greater matter then to welcome a sinner coming home to him; And if he did all that he did for this very end, will he stand on it when it comes to the application? The 2d. word is, that this is, and will be a ground of conviction to all who think little of our blessed Lord Jesus, and of his love, and who will not part with a base lust for him, and who will not make choice of him, but will refuse, reject, undervalue and despise him, with all that he hath done and suffered; it will exceedingly aggravat your condemnation, that when he was so willing to die for the good of sinners, ye were not willing to live for his satisfaction; Think on it, O! think seriously on it; These things are the truths of God, and the main truths of the Gospel, that lie very near the engaging of hearts to Christ; And if such truths do you no good, none other readily will; God give us the Faith of them.

SERMON XXXIV.

THis is a most wonderful Suj • ct that we have to think and s • eak of, which concerns the • uff • rings that our blessed Lord was pleased to undergo for sin • rs; And this makes it to be the more wonderful • hen we consider what he was made, and what his carriage was; He was numbered with the transgressors, and gave his grave with the wi • ked; And yet he hath this te •• imony that there was no violence in his hands, nor any deceit in his mouth; He was a sinless Mediator not only before men, but before God.

These words considered in themselv • s, hold out a little sum and short compend of an holy walk, most perfectly and exactly fulfilled in the conversation of Jesus Christ; He had done no violence, or, there w • s no violence in his hands, that is, there was no sinful deed contrary to the Law of God in all his practice and walk, And there was no deceit, or no guile in his mouth▪ that is, no sinful or decei • full expression: Io • um, neither in deed nor in word was there sin in him; He did wrong to none by his deeds, and he deceived nobody by his words; This guile or deceit as it looks to the first Table of the Law, imports, th t there was no falsehood nor corrupt Doctrine in his Ministry; He did not beguile nor se • uce the souls of any in leading them wrong; And as it looks to the second Table of • he Law more immediately, it imports that he was sincere and upright, that there was no deceit, no violence or dis • embling in his carriage; so that whether we look to him • s God's public Servant in the Ministry, or to him in his private walk, he was completely innocent and without all sin, as the word is, 1 Pet 2 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile • ound in his mouth; However men accounted of him, he was an innocent and sinless Savior.

If we look on them as they depend on the former words, they are a reason of that diff • rence which in his death and buria • God did put betwixt him and others; Though he was by wicked men put to death as a wicked person, yet God in his providence so ordered the matter that he was honourably buried with the rich; Why so? T • is is the reason of it, because though they esteemed him a false Prophet and a Dec • iver, a Wine-bibber, &c. Yet he had done no wrong to any, neither by word nor by deed, and therefore God would have that respect pu • on him after his death in his burial, and so a remarkable difference to be made betwixt him and others.

Observe hence, 1. That our Lord Jesus, the High Priest of our profession that laid down his life for sinners, is completely and perfectly holy; He hath th • t testimony from the Prophet here, that He did no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth; He hath this testimony from the Apostles▪ from Peter, 1 • et. 2.22. He did no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth; From John 1. John 3▪ 5 He was manifested to take away sin, and in him is no sin; And from Paul▪ Heb. 7.27. He was holy and harmless and undefiled▪ separate f • om sinners; In this respect there is a difference betwixt him and all men in the world: And i • w • s necessary and requisite for Believers consolation that it should be so, It became us, saith the Apostle, to have such an High Priest, 1. If we consider the excellency of his person, he could not be otherwise, being God and Man in one Person, and having the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily. 2. It was necessary if we consider the end of his Offices, he being to offer up an acceptable Sacrifice to God, behooved to be holy and harmless, otherwise neither the Priest nor the Sacrifice could have been acceptable. 3. It was necessary if we consider the dignity of his Office; It behooved him to differ from the former Priests under the Law; And if he had not been without sin he should not have so differed from them. 4. It was necessary for the persons for whom he undertook these Offices; Such a High Priest became them, and another could not have done their turn; All these we will find to be put together, Heb. 7.26, 27. Where the Apostle having said, verse. 25. That he is able to save to the uttermost these that come unto God through him, subjoins, For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher then the heavens, who needeth not daily as these high Priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for the sin of the people; The most holy of all the Priests had sins for which they behooved to offer Sacrifices, and so had the holiest of the pople, but Christ was holy and blameless and had no sin, and it behooved him to be so; As I said just now, his sacrifice could never have been accepted for others if he had needed to offer up sacrifices for himself.

The Uses are these; Not to speak how it vindicats our Lord Jesus Christ from all these aspersions cast upon him by wicked men, who called him a Glutton, a Wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and Sinners, a Deceiver, &c. He was holy and harmless, and ere long he will gloriously appear to be holy, when these who pierced him shall see him and be confounded; I say, the Uses are these, in reference to the Church and People of God; It serves 1 To show the condescendency of love, and the contrivance of infinite wisdom for the behove of sinners, Such a high Priest became us; Love condescended and wisdom contrived that he should become man and suffer, the just for the unjust; Wisdom set on work by grace provided for sinners such a High Priest as they stood in need of; And indeed sinners have no want here, for they have a High Priest becoming them, and this is an evidence of it, that he is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, &c. 2. It serves to be a great ground of encouragement to sinners, to step to, and make use of Christ's Sacrifice, our Lord had no sin, and needed not to offer a Sacrifice for himself; And if he offered Sacrifice for atonement, wherefore did he so? It was either for himself, and that could not be, for he was holy; or for nothing or for no end, and to say so were blasphemy, or it must be for a real satisfaction for Elect sinners, or such as should make use of him; And thus Faith hath a sure ground to lay hold on▪ and namely that his satisfaction was real; And that it was for this end, to be made forth-coming for the behove of such as should believe on him, And therefore look upon Christ's suffering, and upon his innocence who suffered, and ye will find that ye have a suitable High Priest and atonement made for you; O but that is a sweet word, 2 Cor. 5. ult. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

3ly. It's ground of great consolation to them that betake themselves to Christ, why? our Lord's Sacrifice cannot but be accepted, for there was in him no guile, nothing that might make his Sacrifice unsavory; and as it commends the way of Grace to a sinner, so it is ground of encouragement to a sinner to look to be accepted through him; for if the temptation should say, thou art a sinner, and such and such a great sinner; that is nothing to purpose, for God hath accepted of Christ and of his Sacrifice, and if thou make use of his Sacrifice, it cannot but be accepted for thee; here then is the consolation, that we have such an High Priest▪ as became us, who needed not to offer for himself, but only for the sins of the People and of his own People.

4ly. It serves notably for our imitation; He was holy, and in his holy walking hath left us a copy to write a • ter and to walk by; and therefore in your speaking of Christ's Holiness, or in your reading of it, consider that he is thereby casting a copy to you, and bidding you purify yourselves as he is pure, to 〈◊〉 holy as he who hath called you is holy; learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart, to be humble and heavenly-minded, and in whateve • respect his life and walk is proposed to us as a pattern, set yourselves in his own strength to imitate it, and be ye followers of him as dear children; whenever ye read o • his obedience to the death, of his holiness in all m • nner of conversation, and of his fulfilli • g all righteousness, let it provoke you singly and seriously to design and endeavor conformity to him therein in your practice.

2ly. From the connection of these two, That he was accounted a sinner before and at his death, and that after his death God did put that note of respect upon him, that he was buried with the rich because he had done no violence &c. but was holy and harmless in his life. Observe, That however Holiness may suffer as long as holy persons live, yet at death and after death, there is ever a testimony of the Lord's respect put on it; or thus holy walkers are always separated and differenced from others as their de • th it's ever otherwise with them than it is with others when death comes, however it hath been with them in their life, He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, &c. This hath been confirmed in the experience of all that ever lived; The rich glutton Luke 16. hath the better life as to externals, and Lazarus had a poor • ffl • cted life▪ but when death comes, the rich glutton goes to Hell, and Lazarus goes to the bosom of Abraham: This is laid down as a certain truth. Eccles. 8.12, 13. Th • ugh a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with him that fears God, but it shall not be well with the wicked, there shall be a change at death; and it cannot be otherwise, whether we look 1. To the holy Nature of God who hath a complacency in Holiness, as it's said Psal. 11. ult. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright: Or whether 2. We look to the Word of God, which Isa. 3.10, 11. bids say to the righteous, It shall be well with them, for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings, (for blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, they rest from their labors and their works do follow them, ) but we unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him, the same connection that was betwixt Christ's life, though a suffering life and his death, shall be betwixt the life of all his Members and their death. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.

The Uses are, 1. To let us see what is the true w • y to eternal well-being when this short life shall be at an end▪ and it is the way of Holiness; and so it serves to answer a great question, who shall be happy at their death? even they that are holy in their life; whose hands have done no violence, and whose mouth hath had no guile, to wit, with the full bensil of their will, and without all gracious reluctance, for absolute freedom from these in this life was proper only to our Lord Jesus since Adams fall: Such may expect the Lord's countenance when death separats their soul and body, therefore take this as a mark for trial observe and see what is your carriage, and judge accordingly; and seeing the Lord hath joined Holiness and Happiness together inseparably, presume not to separate them.

2ly. Is it so that Holiness hath a good and comfortable close of a man's life, (which is the substance of the Doctrine,) it would commend to us the study of Holiness as the most precious, advantageous, honorable, sick • r and safe course that a man can follow; Say to the righteous it shall be well with him; it's not▪ say to the honorable man▪ n • r say to the rich man, nor to the wise man, &c. God hath not cho • en many of these, as is clear 1 Cor. 1.26. bu • ▪ say to the righteous or holy man; it shall be we • l with him; and is her • anything that should have so much influence on men, and take them so much up, as how to be well in the close? Folk may have a fighting life of it here, and may suffer much, and be under reproach for a time, as Christ was; but if thou be holy, ere thy Body be laid in the Grave it shall be well with thy Soul: And as for all who have chosen the way of Holiness, we are allowed to say this to you, that it shall be well with you at death and after death, at Judgment and even for evermore; To them (saith the Apostle Rom. 2.9.) who by patient continuance in well-doingr seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; O how many great and good things are abiding all the honest-hearted Students of Holiness? Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived what they are.

3ly. It's ground of expostulation with them that neglect and slight Holiness; As it will be well with the Righteous or Holy, so they shall have a miserable and desperate lot of it who either despise or neglect Holiness, Woe to the wicked (saith Isaiah 3.1 • .) it shall be ill with him; Some of you may think that ye are rich and honorable, are well clothed, fit in fine Houses, and have richly covered Tables, when poor Bodies are keeped at the door, and are destitute of these things; and are ready to bless yourselves as being well, though ye care not for, nor seek after Holiness; but woe unto you, for ye must die and go to the bottomle • s Pit, and there ye will not get so much as a drop of water to cool your Tongues in these tormenting Flames; neither your Riches, nor Honors, nor Pleasures, will hold off the heat and fury of the vengeance of God, nor in the • e • st ease you in your ex • ream pain; but as it is Rom. 2.9▪ Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish (four sore words) wi • l be upon every soul of man that doeth evil; O d • ye believe this? • 's the truth of God and a very plain truth, and we are persuaded none of you will dare downright to deny it; Holiness will have a sweet and comfortable close▪ and the neglect of it will have fearful eff • cts following on it; what is the reason then that Holiness is so little thought of a • d followed? do ye believe that ye will die? and think ye ever to come to Judgment, or to hear that word, Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for I was hungry and ye fed me, naked and ye clothed me, &c. O what will become of many of you; when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels i • flaming fire, to render vengeance to all them who know not God, and who obey not the Gospel? and will say to you, Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for when I was hungry ye fed me not, &c. this is, I grant, a general truth, yet if it be not received, we know not what truth will be received, and if it were received, the practice of Holiness would be more studied; there would be less Sin and more Prayer, Reading, Meditation, more seeking after Knowledge, and more watchfulness and tenderness in Folks Conversation; always, in this the Lord shows the connection that is betwixt Holiness and H • ppiness, and h • re ye have the copy and pattern of an examplary walk.

3ly. From this, that the holy • ess and blam • nle • e • s of Christ here spoken of▪ is marked in him as peculiar to him, for it fits him to be a High Pri • st, and proves that only he could be the Priest that • uited and became us an • that no other could do our turn, as the Apostle r • asons Heb 7 26, 27, 28. For the law maketh men priests that have infirmity, but the word of • he oath which was since the law maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore; From this I say▪ Obse • ve, That all men, even the most holy, except Christ (who was both God and Man,) a e sinful and not one of them sinless while living here on earth, and the re • son is, bec • u • e 〈◊〉 any were sinless, then this that is said here would not be peculiar to our Lord Jesus Christ, that He di • no violence▪ neither was there deceit • n his mouth; This being a singular character of our High Pri • st that none of his Types could cl •• m to, it exclusively agreeth to him so as it agreeth to none other; The Scripture is full to this purpose, in asserting, that not only all m • n are sin • rs as considered in thei • nature • l condition, but that even B • lieve • are sinful in part; for the same Apostle John that sai • h, 1 Epist 1.3. Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, saith also verse. 8. If we say we have no si • , we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; and verse 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us; and 1 Kings 8.46. and Eccles. 7.20. There is no man that doth good and sinneth not, plainly insinuating, that all have need of an Intercessou • : We shall not insist in this, only from these words compared with the scope, making it peculiar to Christ to be without sin, and implying, that none other are so, we would consider the necessity of its being so, 1. For differencing and separating of Jesus Christ from all others, by putting this d • gnity on him, of being holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, this is his prerogative and badge of honor above others. 2. It's necessary for this end, to demonstrate the need that there is of his offering himself a Sacrifice for sinners, and that it was not for himself, but for sinners that he offered up himself, and that there is a continual necessity of making use of that Sacrifice, for if there were not a continuance of sin in part while Believers are out of Heaven, there would be no need of this part of Christ's office; if we were holy and harmless ourselves we needed not such an High Priest.

Use 1. To establish us in the faith of this Truth, That among all men there is none that were true men, except Christ, that is without sin; sin is still abiding in them while in this world; of none of them all it can be said, that they have done no violence, neither is there any deceit in their mouth; none of them could ever say since Adam fell, the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me; yea this is a special qualification of Christ Jesus for his Priest-hood; that he was without sin, and behooved to be so; I am not pleading that sinners should take a liberty to sin because there is no perfection to be win at in this life, God forbid; woe unto them that make such an use of this truth; nor do I speak of it to allow any to dispense with▪ or to give way to themselves to sin; for we show before, that Christ is here proposed as our Pattern, and we are bidden purify ourselves as he is pure: But this we say, that none living here on the earth are without sin; the most perfect men that are on this side Eternity, carry about with them a body of death, called five or six times sin, Rom. 7. that hath actual lustings, and a power as a law of sin to lead captive, and that makes the man guilty before God.

Use 2. For reproof to two sorts of enemies to this Truth, 1. These inveterate enemies of the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, to wit the Papists, that black train that follows Antichrist, who plead for a perfection according to the law as attainable in this life, saying down two grounds to prove this perfection. 1. That the inward lustings, or first risings and mo • ions at least of the body of Death, are no sins: And 2. Their exponing of the law, so as it may suit to their own apprehension and opinion, yet so as they say, that every Believer or godly Person wins not to this perfection to keep the law wholly, but only some of their Grandees: This the Lord hath mercifully banished out of the Reformed Churches, as Inconsistent with the experience of the Saints, who find a law in their members warring against the law of their mind, and leading them captive to the law of sin that is in their members; inconsistent with the Scriptures which clear, that none have attained nor do att • in perfection in this life, but the contrary, that in many things we offend all; and inconsistent with Grace, that leaves sinners still in Ch • ists common and debt as standing in need of his imputed Righteousness; This perfection they place in inherent Holiness and habitual Grace, but we insist not on it. 2ly. Another sort of enemies reproved here, are the old Familists, who are owned by these who are called Antinomians, several of which miserable persons are now going up and down amongst us, who say that the People of God have no sin in them, wherein they are worse then Papists, for Papists make it peculiar to some only, but they make it common to all Believers; And Papists make their perfection to consist in inherent holiness, but they make the nature of sin to be changed, and say, that sin is no more so in a Believer, even though it be contrary to the Law of God; We grant indeed that the people of God are free of sin in these respects, 1. In this respect, that no sin can condemn them, they are not under the Law but under Grace in that resp • ct, Rom. 8.1. It's said that There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ. 2. In his respect that they cannot fall into that sin which as unto death, as is clear 1 John 5.17, 18 And 3. in this respect, that they canno • • o sin • s to lie or be under th • ••• gn and • omi • ion of sin, as is evident▪ Rom. 6 14. The Believer delights in th • L • w • f God according to the inner man R • m. 7.22. And is not in sin, neither doth c • mmit sin as the unbeliever doth, for the seed of God abideth in him, and is kept from being involved in that which hi • corrupt nature inclines the Believer to; So then, what the Scriptu • e speaks of the Believers being free of sin, is to be understood in one of these respects: But to • ay 1. That a Believer cannot sin at all, sad exp • rience and the practice of the Saints is a proof of the contrary; Or 2. To say that sin in a Believer is no sin because of his faith in Christ is as contr •• y to Scripture; For the Law of God is the same to the Believer and the unbeliever, and sin is the same in both, Adultery is Adultery, and Mur • her is Murder in David, as well as in • ny other man; Sure when Christ bade his Disciples pray for forgiveness of sin daily, he taught them no such Doctrine as to account their sins to be no sins; For if so, they should neither repent of sin, nor seek the pardon of it, as some are not a shamed to say they should not. That which we aim at, is to • lear it to be Christ's prerogative only to be free of sin, none o • her in this life can claim it; And to teach B • lievers to carry about with them daily all along their mortal life that which is for their good, even the sense • f sin: I know it is now an up cast • rom some pretended perfectionists, to the people of God▪ that they think and say that they have sin, and a • e not perfect; And we are by these men called Antichristian Priests and Jesuits, because we Preach that Doctrine; Bu • let it be soberly considered, whether it doth better agree with Papists and Jesuits to say that Believers are without sin, or to say that they have sin? They who say that Believers or the Saints have no sin, do agree in this with the Papists, who maintain a perfection of holiness, or a conformity to the Law in some in this life, and who deny the lustings of the body of death to be sin; without which opin • on, though most gross, they would not, nor could with the least shadow of reason, main • ain their Doctrine of Ju • tification by Works: And yet some now among us will needs call us Popish, because we say that we have sin and that none of God's people are • ithout sin in this life; T • is seems to be very str •• ge; But that w • ich hath been the thought of some sharp-sighted and sagacious men since the b • ginning of our confusions, to wit, that Popery is a working as an under-hand design, is by this and other things m • de to be more and more apparent: Is there anything more like Popery working in a mystery, yea more Popish then to say that the motions of corruption in Believers are no sins, tha • a man or woman may attain to perfection in holiness here, and yet to carry on this with that subtlety, as confidently to aver that it's Popery to say the contrary? Nay, if the Sc • iptures they make use of in their Papers or Pamphlets be well considered, we will find that not only a perfection in Holin •• s and Good works is pleaded for, but a possibility of fulfilling the Law and Covenant o • Works, as namely, 1 Pet. 1.15. 1 John 3.3. and 5.5. and Matth. 5. ult. Will ye (say they) call yourselves Saints that are not purified even as he is pure? And will ye c • ll yourselves Believers that hav • not overcome the world, &c? As if all that is commanded duty might be or were perfectly reached in this life, and as if no di • tinction betwixt begun, yea considerably advanced holiness and entire perfection, were to be ad • itted: That for which I mark this, is to show that the design of Popery seems to be on foot, the Devil in some inconsiderable persons venting these things, when the great Patrons and Authors of them lie derned and hid; And it is observable which we have heard of late, that some Ring-leaders in this time have declared themselves expressly for Popery: Though we have reason to bless God, that the people in this place are kept free of these things; yet this truth is worthy the vindicating, and the hazard and danger is to be guarded against by all of us, when this foul Spirit is driving so hard, and prevailing with some to publish abroad this error in Papers; And so seeking to draw people into the snare, Lay down but these two Principles both now maintained, that they that have Faith have no sin, and that they that want Grace should not pray, what would they turn to and resolve in? Satan's design in this is doubtless to make all untender, and it is both sad and strange that it is not seen and observed; What a terror and torrure would it be to an exercised and tender Christian, and how would it put his Conscience on the wrack, to say to him, What a Faith is this of yours that cannot keep you altogether from sin, and that cannot quite overcome the world? God be blessed that hath given poor Believers other and better grounds in the Gospel by which to judge of their Faith, so that they may own their Faith as found, though they have a mixture of unbelief with it, and yet unbelief is always a sin, and may say with that poor man, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.

4ly. Observe, That to the making up of a perfect holy walk there is a necessity both of holiness in practice, and of foundness in judgment, that no deceit or guilt be in the mouth, and that no violence be in the bands; And this is needful to be taken notice of, because many have an aptitude to think, that folks may be truly holy, be of what opinion, judgment and persuasion they will; As if God had left the mind of man to be a bare empty Table or Board that he might Write on it whatever he liked or pleased; But our Lord is vindicated here from the scandal of corrupt Doctrine, as well as from scandals in his practice; And therefore as we would say on the one hand to you who are sound in your judgment, and hate error, that if ye be gross and untender in your practice, the soundness of your judgment will not prove you to be holy; So upon the other side, we would say, that though it were possible ye could be sinless in your practice, if ye take a latitude and liberty as to your judgment to be corrupt, and to vent what ye please, ye will never get God's approbation as being holy persons, therefore let both be joined together, soundness in Judgment, and tenderness in Practice; God give the right use of these things.

SERMON XXXV.

WE were speaking somewhat the last day of our Lord Jesus His Innocency, which is here compended and summed up in these two. 1. That there was no violence in his hands. 2. That there was no deceit in his mouth; however he was accounted of among Men, and by them numbered among transgressors, yet he was so in very deed, and before God.

The Prophet proceeds, and answers an objection, How came He then to Suffer, if He was so innocent? especially His Sufferings being ordered by God, Who is said to give His Grave with the wicked? He answers the Objection, and removes the Offence▪ by giving three Grounds for this v. 10. Yet it p • eased the Lord to bruise Him, He hath put Him to grief; This is the first Reason, and it is taken from the Fountain whence His Sufferings proceeded, God's good Pl • assure graciously ordered it so; It was the good pleasure of Jehovah, that so it should be. The second Reason, is taken from the Nature or End of His Sufferings, in these Words when thou shalt make His Soul an offering for sin; Though he suffered before Men as a sinner, yet before God it was an Offering for sin: To satisfy for, and to remove the sins of His Elect People; The word may be either, When thou, or, when he, shall make His Soul an offering for sin: But both come to one thing, which is this, That His sufferings were not such as befell other Men, nay, nor such as befell innocent Men, but they were ordered on an higher design, and for an hig • er End, even to be a Satisfaction for Sinners, and to make way for their Freedom. A 3. Reason is this, as His Sufferings flowed from God's good Pleasure, and were a satisfaction for the sins of His Elect People; so it hath notable and noble effects. And there are Three mentioned here, 1. He shall see His seed, He shall have a numerous Off-spring, many that shall hold Eternal L • fe of Him; Men by their suffering of death are incapacitate to increase their offspring, but this is a quickening Suffering, and Death that hath a numerous offspring. 2. He shall prolong His days, Which seems to be another paradox; For Men's days are shortened by their Sufferings, and Death; But though He be dead and buried, yet he shall Rise again and Ascend, and sit down on the righthand of the Father, and live forever, to make Intercession for his People. A 3. Effect, which is the upshot of all, The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand; God hath designed Him for a Work, which is the great Work of Redemption, even the bringing of many Sons to glory; This is the Will of Him that sent Him, that He should give Eternal Life to as many as should believe on Him: And this is called God's good pleasure which shall thrive and prosper in His hand; He shall pull many Captives from the Devil, and set many Prisoners free; He shall by His Sufferings overcome the Devil, Death and the Grave, and all Enemies; and shall gather the Sons of God together, from the four Corners of the Earth; and that Work shall not misgive, nor be frustrated, but thrive in His hand: So then in this Text, we have much of the Gospel compended in few Words.

We shall speak a little to one Observation, more from the close of the 9. v. Where Christ Jesus His Sinlesness, and Innocency is holden out, in these two, There was no violence in his hands; no sinful practice in Him; And there was no deceit in his mouth, Which looks not only to His sinless carriage before Men, and so says, that He was no Liar nor Dissembler in His Dealing, and Converse with them, but also to H • s Doctrine; And so says, that there was no Doctrinal deceit in Him; Which is, when Men lie of God to Men, which is a gross sort of lying, and a deceiving of Souls, in making them to take that for Truth which is no Truth: And in derogating from the Truth, and making them take that for Error which is Truth? As the Apostle speaks of such, that they speak lies in hypocrisy: These words, There was no deceit in his mouth, Look to both, especially to the last, that is, the Doctrinal deceit of corrupt Teaching (whereof he was free altogether) I say it looks especially to that, because he was callumniated, traduced, and called a deceiver of people, That is (as if the Prophet had said) most untrue of Him, There is no deceitful word in all His Doctrine; though it was imputed to Him, yet he was most free of it; Thence Observe, That exact Holiness and Blamlessnesse, takes in Holiness in a Mans Conversation in respect of practice, and soundness in His judgment in respect of Doctrine; for if our Lord be a Pattern of Holiness, that which was in Him as our Pattern, is called for from us, even to be pure as He is pure; No violence was in his hands, He was no Stealer, nor Robber, nor Oppressor, (to speak so with reverence) And there was no deceit in his mouth; The Word and Worship of God was not wronged by Him, and He is holden forth for an Example to us in both.

That which we would say further on this, shall be in a word of Use; Where we may clear both the Branches of the Doctrine, to meet with two exceeding prejudicial Tenets among Men.

1. There are some who if they be not Erronious in their Opinions, and Sectaries, they think they are well enough, and insult over the Infirmities of Poor Folk, that fall into these Errors; And they will, (like these spoken of) Whore, Drink, Steal, Lie, &c. And yet lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among us, no evil shall come unto us; Such half and divide Godliness; They will not be Papists, Puritans, nor Sectaries, but there is much unholiness in their Practice, much Self-seeking, Pride, Hypocrisy, Formality, Deceiving, Cousening, Falsehood: And they cover all with this, That they are sound as to their Profession; though only hearing, and not doing, professing and not practicing; But they would consider, that Christ saith not, Blessed are they that hear only, but blessed are they that do the will of God; O! beware of this great deceit; it is a piece of Christ's Innocency and Holiness, That no violence was in his hands, There was no sinful thing in His practice, no sinful word came from His mouth; Ye shall never be accounted followers of Christ, though ye give your bodies to be burnt for the Truth, (as it is to be feared few of you would do,) if your Conversation be not suitable, God shall never accept of your Testimony, therefore divide not these things which God hath put together; Let Holiness be in your practice, other ways Papists and Quakers, yea, the grossest and most abominable Heretics, and ye will be utterly disclaimed.

2. The other Branch of the Use is, That suppose there were never so much apprehended tenderness in folks walk, though they were much in Duty, and though they would quite all they had to the Poor, yet if Deceit be in their mouth, if they corrupt the Truth, and teach others so to do, there is a want of the half of Holiness, yea, in some respect, of the best and chief half of it; And the Reason is, 1. Because the Image of God consists as much in the Truth as in the Practice, nay if Practice be not conform to Truth, it is no true Holiness, and where Error is drunken in, there is in so far an utter unsuitableness to the Holiness of Christ, as well as where profanity appears in the conversation, For there was no deceit in his mouth. 2. Because this Word of God prescrives the Doctrine of Faith to be believed, as well as Duties to be performed, and the right grounding of Faith is a main, if not the main thing wherein the Image of God consists, to wit in Knowledge, and Error is as inconsistent with Knowledge, as Ignorance is, yea, more; in so far as it leaves a contrary impression of untruth on the Soul, which is worse then simple Ignorance. 3. Because, when a Person miscarrieth, by turning aside from the Truth to Error, he also miscarrieth in his Practice, at least in so far; The right conceiving of Truth, being both the ground of our Faith, and the Rule of our Practice: As for instance, let once the conceit and fancy come in, of Folks being above Ordinances, no Conscience is thenceforth made of sanctifying the Sabbath, or Lord's day, nor of any other Duty of Worship, but Men become almost, if not altogether Atheists. Yea, 4. The incoming of Error begets a sort of presumptuous confidence, Therefore Christ says, He that breaks one of these commandments, and teacheth men so to do, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of God; he not only breaks the Command himself, but he seeks to engadge others to do so likewise, so that an Error from the Truth, is a sin against the • irst Table, and so among the greatest Evils; And the teaching, and propogating of Error, is a sin against the Second Table, because it hazards the Soul of our Neighbor; whereas violence in the hands hurts only his Person or Estate; And 5ly. If we look to the rise of Error, or whence it comes, we will find it to be a Fruit of the Flesh. Gal. 5.19. And that which flows from our corruption, and is therefore ranked in with Witchcraft, Adultery, Furnication, Idolatry, Hatred, Variance, &c. 6. If we look to the Scriptures account of it, and of the Propogators of it, We will find that, 2 Cor. 11.13. They are called false apostles, deceitful workers, ministers of Satan, not common sins, transforming themselves into the ministers of Christ, and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light: For their work is to gather in Souls to the Devil, to hale them, as in a Net to him, to be Disc • ples to him. Or, 7. If we look to the Effects that follow upon Error, and upon the propogation of it, we will find them to be dreadful; for as it is, 2 Pet. 2. 1. They draw upon themselves swift destruction. And chap. 3.16. They wrest, or pervert the Scriptures to their own destruction. In all these respects, Error in Judgment is as evil, (if not worse) then profaneness in practice. And if we look thorough the Churches of Christ, we will find that there hath been more palpable havoc, and destruction of Souls since Antichrist arose, by his gross Errors, and damnable Delusions, then hath readily been by sin in Practice; which Men do not own and avouch, as they do these Delusions: Think therefore seriously on this; whoever would be pure as Christ is pure, would study soundness in Judgment, as well as tenderness in Practice; And yet how many are readily mistaken in this? Who, if they meet with some that can speak a few good Words, and make pretences to a holy Walk, though the Second Command be baff • ed and disgraced by them, and the Name of God torn? And though the Fourth Command be made of none effect, or price by them, it's thought but little of, all is covered with this, that they are good Folks, and of a tender walk; But, Oh! can they be good, who abuse that wherein the Name and Image of God are most tenderly concerned? and will God account that to be Holiness aggreeable to His Law, that slights, depreclars, and vilifies the best part of His Law? Let me therefore beseech you to take in, and to close Error with other sins, and to look upon unsoundness in the Truths of God, as a Fruit of the Flesh; and withal to look upon sound knowledge in the Mind and the form of sound words in the Mouth, as being a Duty, that is called for from you, as well as other Duties: We the rather take occasion to speak to this, because the Devil is seeking to turn Men mere Atheists, Gallio's as to the Truths of God, to care for none of these things; and as to weir out the esteem of Truth, so to make People to look upon Error, as if there were no hurt by it; it's sad that there is not more scarring at, and keeping distance from the company of such; if they can but give a parcel of good Words, and make shows of respect to Piety: in this lukewarm time, there is need to guard against this Temper, or rather Distemper; and to look well that we half not, nor divide the Pattern and Copy which God in his Word hath cast to us, and set before us; we would study Purity and Tenderne •• e in our Walk, and Growth in sound Knowledge; and would walk humbly under the impression of our hazard: It's sad when Folks are ill girded and yet scarcely discern it: It seems to be a winnowing time, and some are already taken off their feet, who thought not some Moneths, or Years since to have carried in reference to the Truth, as they have done; It hath been God's mercy to this place, that he hath hedged us about hitherto; at which the Devll hath raged not a little; Be humbled, and have an eye to Him th • t can keep his People, and can establish them in the Truth, and make them unbleamable in holiness till the coming of the Lord.

We come now to the 10. verse; and from the first part of it, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief. These three things arise clearly. 1. That though our Lord Jesus was most innocent in His own Person; yet was He put to exceeding sore Trials, and sharp Sufferings, For 1: He was bruised, to wit, like Corn betwixt the upper and neither Milstones, or l • ke Grapes in the Wine press, which respects not so much his outward sufferings, though great (for a bone of him was not broken,) as His inward Soul-sufferings, and the inward pressures of Wrath that were on His Human Soul. 2. He was put to grief; was sore straitened and punished, and these expressions import so much, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, my soul is sore troubled and what shall I say; and my God my God why hast thou forsaken me? The particulars of this grief were spoken to before; and we show in what respect He was so humbled, and that He was most sinless, and w • thout any the least carnal mude or passion, under these expressions, in which the sense of grief vented itself most in Him. Only if it be here asked, what is the reason, why the Prophet doth so much insist, in pointing out Christ's Sufferings, and the extremity of them, that scarce almost is there one Verse, but he hath in it someone or other new aggravation of them? we conceive the reason of it is, 1. Because there is nothing wherein the greatness of the Love of God, and the kindlinesse of the Mediators condescending doth appear in this; for the more He Suffered, the more the Love of God shined; and His condescendency kythed the more; this being the great instance, and demonstrative proof of the Love of God, God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, As it is John 3.16. O! manifold and vastly comprehensive So, what is unfolded in it, Eternity will but suffice fully to unfold; and this being the great instance of the Mediators condescendencie, and of His commending His Love to sinners; That while we were yet enemies, he died for us. As it is, Rom. 5. The Lord loves to have this the subject of our thoughts, that we may be led thereby in to the Soul-ravishing, and satisfying contemplation of the Love whence it came. 2. Because there is not any one thing that lies nearer, or that is readily of greater concern to Believers, then to be well acquainted with Christ's Sufferings, wherein the Lord would have his People spiritually perqueir: and it is of their concernment, in a twofold respect. 1. As it is the ground of their peace, Therefore He is called our Peace, and a Propitiation; for by being acqu • in • ed with Christ's Sufferings, Believers have a solid ground for their Faith, whereby they discover access to peace with God, to Pardon of sin, and Justification, the Mediator having undergone these sufferings for this end. 2. As it is the ground of their Consolation; considering that they have a suffering Mediator, that hath paid the Price that was due by them; even such an One that knows 〈◊〉 what it was to be bruised with Wrath, and is therefor very tender of, and compassionat towards Souls that are under challenges, and apprehensions of Wrath; These are sweet words, which we have to this purpose. 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins, who was content to Suffer and Satisfie for them: O! consider then what ye are doing, when ye read of His sufferings, for the very Marrow of the Gospel, and the Life of the Consolation of the People of God lies here. 2. From these words. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief; Observe, That the Lord Jehovah had the main and principal hand, in all the Sufferings of this Innocent Mediator: It was not the Jews, nor the Scribes and Pharisees, nor Pilate; but it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief. As is clear, Act. 4.27, 28. Herod and Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. In all that they did, they were but doing that which was carved out before, in the E • ernal Counsel of God; and therefore Peter says Act. 2.23. Him being delivered by the determinat counsel, and fore knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. The Lord's hand was supreme in the business; and we may gather the Supreme and Sovereign I • fluence of the Lord's hand, in these three respects, in Christ's Pufferings, 1. In respect of His appointing them; It was concluded in the Counsel of God, what He should Suffer, what should be the Price that Jehovah would have, and the S • crifice that he would accept of from His hand. 2. In respect of the Ordering and Over-ruling of His Sufferings, when it came to the execution of His Ancient Decree; He who governs all the Counsels, Thoughts, and Actions of Men; did in a special manner, govern and over-rule the Sufferings of the Mediator, though wicked men were following their own design; and were stirred and acted by the Devil, who is said to have put it into the heart of Judas to betray Christ; yet God had the ordering of all, who should betray Him, what death He should die, how He should de pierced, and yet not a bone of Him broken. 3. In respect of His having had a hand actively in them; and as he was the chief Partie that pursued Christ; it was He that was exacting the Elects Debt of Him; therefore the Lord looks over Pilate and Herod to Him; and says to Pilate thou couldest have no power over me except it were given thee from above; and to His Father, Father take this cup from me; and my God my God wby hast thou forsaken me?