Christ Crucified - 72 Sermons on Isaiah 53

Father take this cup from me; and my God my God wby hast thou forsaken me? He was pursued as standing Cautioner in our room; in which respect it is said, Rom. 8. He that spared not his own Son; He spared Him not when He cried, but would have Him drinking out the Cup, and Zach. 13.7. Awake O sword against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, smite the shepherd. The Message comes from Him, and He gives the Sword a charge, and orders it to smite Him: In all which respects, it's said, The Lord bruised him, and he hath put him to grief. It was this, more then Sword, or Naills, or Speir, or Whipe, that made Him cry out, another, and a higher hand brought his sinless Soul to more bitterness, then all the Sufferings He endured from Men.

Use. This leads us in to the vendicating of the Sovereign and Holy Providence of God, in that wherein Men have a most sinful hand, and are most inexcusable; though Judas that bettayed, and Pilate that condemned the Innocent Son of God, acted most sinfully; yet the Lord himself hath an active over-ruling Hand, in carring on His own design; and what Judas and Pilate, with other wicked Men did, was so far from being by guess, that they were the executions of His Ancient Decrees, and He is most Pure and Spotless, in venting and manifesting Grace, Holiness and Justice, when men were venting their Corruptions, Impiety and Injustice most: Therefore the Holy Providence of God mixeth n more as to any sinless participation with men's sin, in their sinful and wicked actings, than the Covenant of Redemption mixed itself with the sinfulness of them that crucified Christ: Nay this is a principal Diamond in His Crown, that He cannot only govern all the natural second Causes that are in the World, in their several Courses and Actings, and order them to His own glory, but even Devils, and wicked Men, and Hypocrites, their most corrupt and abominable Actions, and make them infrustrably subservient to the promoving of His own holy ends and purposes, and yet be free of their sin; for which they shall count to Him; And as it was no excuse to Judas, nor to Pilate that they did what before was decreed of God; so it shall be no excuse to any Man in a sinful course; that God hath a hand in everything that comes to pass; who yet is just and holy in all: It may also stay our hearts when the Devil, and his Instruments, as it were, are running mad; that they can do no more then what God permits, • ay some way commissionateth them to do. The Devil could not so much as touch a tail of one of Job's sheep, without leave • sked and given: O! the deepth both of the knowledge, and of the wisdom of God; how unsearchable are his ways, and his judgments pasi finding out. 3. As we may see here the concurrence of the Persons of the blessed Trinity, Father, Son and holy Ghost; the concurrence of Jehovah with the Mediator, for carrying on the same design, the work of Mans Redemption, (for it pleased them all;) So taking the Lord Jehovah essentially, as comprehending all the three Persons, we may Observe, That the Lord is well willed to, and hath delight in prosecuting the work of Redemption, though even to the bruising of the second Person of the God-head, considered as became Man and Mediator, not that He delighted in the Sufferings as such, of His Innocent Son, for he affects not willingly the children of men; but considering the end, and the effects that were to follow, to wit, the Seed that He should beget ro Eternal Life, and the Captives whom He was to redeem: In that respect, it was not only against His will, but it pleased Him well, or as the word is in the New Testament, It was his good pleasure, alluding, as •• is like to this of the Prophet; Hence, when Christ speaks of the work of Redemption: He calleth it the Fathers will and work; the Fathers will, when He says, I came not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me, The Fathers work, while He says, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do; And here it is called His pleasure; for there was nothing without Himself to move Him to it; when He might have suffered all fallen Mankind to lie still in their forlorn condition; It pleased Him to give His Son of His own good will, to redeem several of them.

Use, If we put these Doctrines together they afford us wonderful matter of Consolation. 1. That we have an able Savior, that hath given a sufficient ransom for us, a price that cannot be overvalued. 2. A willing Mediator, that gave himself, no man took His Life from Him, but He laid it down of Himself, and took it up again. 3. A willing Jehovah, contriving and taking pleasure in contriving the Redemption of Elect Sinners, through the Death of His own Son: Which reproves, and gives check to the wonderfully strange mistakes that are often found with some poor Souls concerning the way of Peace; as some will be ready to say, if C • rist were as willing to take me, as I am to take Him; as willing to welcome me, as I am to come to Him: But is not this a proof of His willingness, that He was content to be bruised, and put to grief about the work of your Redemption? others have a secret apprehension, that if God were as willing to receive and save them, as Christ is, they would have more confidence; but says the Prophet here, that it pleased the father to bruise him? in whose breast (to speak so) bred the plot of sinners Redemption? Jehovah thought it good: He loved the salvation of sinners so well, that He was content to seem in a manner regardless of His own Sons cries and tears, for a time, to make way for performing the satisfaction that was due to Justice; and He did this with good will, and pleasantly. We shall not insist more on particular Uses; but is there, or can there be greater ground of Consolation, then this? or is there anything wanting here to complete the Consolation? Is there not an well surnished Savior commissionate to give Life to whom He will? Who hath purchased it, that He may give it, and a well willing, loving, and condescending God, willing to give His Son, and willing to accept of His Death for a Ransom, and what would ye have more? The Partie offended, is willing to be in friendship with the offending Partie, and to give and accept of the Satisfaction; what can Tentation say, or what ground is for Jealousy to vent itself here? He that did not spare his own Son, but willingly and freely gave him to death for us all, how shall be not with him also freely give us all things? As it is Rom. 8. And if we were reconcilled to God by the death of his Son, when we were enemies, shall we not much more be saved by his life, as it is Rom. 5.10. There is a great disproportion betwixt Christ, and other Gifts, yea and the gift of Heaven itself; and shall a poor sinner have a suffering Savior given, and may he not also expect pardon of Sin, Justification, Faith, Repentance, and Admission to the Kingdom? There is here good and strong ground of Consolation, to them that will build on it, let the Fathers, and Christ's love to you be welcome in it's offers; that His end in bringing many Sons to glory, be not frustrated by any of you, so far as you can, though it cannot indeed be frustrated; For the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, and he shall see the travel of his soul and be satisfied.

SERMON XXXVI.

CHrist and His Sufferings have been a most delightsome subject to be spoken and heard of, before ever He suffered; and they would be to us now no less, but much more so; even very glad tidings to hear, that ever the Son of God was made an Offering for sin.

This Verse, as we hinted the last day, doth set forth Christ's Sufferings, and in these three, that the design of God in bruising the Innocent Lamb of God might be the better taken up. 1. They are holden forth in the rise where they bred, or in the fountain whence they flowed, the good pleasure of God. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, to put him to grief. Which the Prophet marks, 1. To show that all the good that comes by Christ to sinners, is bred in the Lord's own bosom: It was concluded, and contrived there, and that with delight; There being no constraint, or necessity on the Lord to give His Son, or to provide Him to be a Cautioner for dyvour sinners, but is was His own good pleasure to do so. 2. To show the concurrence of all the Persons of the Trinity, in promoving the Work of Redemption of sinners; which was executed by the Son the Mediator, to show, that the Love of the Son in giving His Life, is no greater then the Love of the Father, in contriving and accepting of it for a Ransom; there being naturally in the hearers of the Gospel this prejudice; that the Father is more rigid, and less loving then the Son, but considering, that it was the Father, Son, and Spirit that contrived Christ's Sufferings; that the Sons Sufferings were the Product, and Consequent of this contrivance, it removeth this corrupt imagination▪ and prejudice, and showeth, that there is no place for it; It doth also contribute notably to our ingadgement to God, to be thoroughly persuaded of the Lord's good pleasure, in the Sufferings of the Mediator, as well as in the Willingness of the Mediator to Suffer; He having performed the will of the Father in the lowest steps of His Humiliation. 2. They are expressed, and holden forth in their Nature and End, they were to be an offering for sin; and this follows well on the former verse, because it might be said, How could▪ He that had no violence in his hands, nor guile in his mouth, be brought so low? He hath answered in part, by saying. It pleased the Father to bruise him, and to put him to grief: But because that does not so fully obviat, and answer the Objection; He answers further, that there was a notably good end for it: Though He had no sin in Himself, nor are we to look on His Sufferings, as for any sin in Him, yet we are to look upon them as a Satisfaction to Justice, for the sins of others; even as the Bullocks, Lambs, and Rams, and the Skipgoat, were not slain for their own sins, for they were not capable of sin, yet they were some way Typical Offerings, and Satisfactions for sin, in the room of others for whom they were offered; so our Lord Jesus is the proper Offering, and Sacrifice for the sins of His Elect People; and His Sufferings are so to be looked on by us, and this is the Scop. But to clear the words a little more fully, there are different readings of them, as they are set down here in the Text, and on the Margent. Here it is when his soul shall make an offering for sin (On the Margent it is, when his soul shall make an offering for sin. ) The reason of the diversity is, because the same Word in the Original, which signifies the Second Person Masculine, Thou, meaning the Father; signifies the Third persons Foeminine: his soul shall make itself; but one the matter, whether we apply it to the Father, or to Christ, both come to one thing; It seems to do as well to apply it to Christ; the former Words having set out God's concurrence, and good pleasure to the Work; these set out the Mediators Willingnesse; as in the last Verse, it is said, that He poured out his soul unto death; and properly Christ is the Priest that offered up Himself; yet we say, there is no difference on the matter now, as to the scope, the will of the Father, and of the Mediator, in this Work of Redemption being both one; though (as we said) we incline to look on them, as relating to Christ. 2. Offering for sin; in the Original signifies sin; so that the Words are, when thou shalt make his soul sin; The Words being ordinarily used in the Old Testament, and thence borrowed in the New Testament, to signify a sin offering, as Exod. 29.14 and Levite. 4.5. and 16. Chapters, where the sin offering is appointed, it is the same Word that's here, intimating that, that Sin-offering was designed to bear their sin. They shall lay their hands on the Sin, or Sin-offering; because the Sacrificed Beast was Typically to have the Peoples sins imputed to it, though properly, no man's fin is imputed to any, but to Christ. This is also clear, if we compare, Psal. 40.6. with Heb. 10.5, 6. That which in the Psalm is rendered Sin-offering, in the Original is Sin, but the Apostle, Heb. 10. hath it sacrifice for sin; and it is the same Word which he hath, 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made sin for us, that is an offering for sin; by which we may see the unwarrantableness of some Men's accounting Christ to be formally a Sinner, because He is called Sin; and because our Sin is said to be laid on Him; which in Scripture Phrase, is as much as His being a Sacrifice for sin, in the room of Sinners.

3. His soul may be taken either simply; for, He shall be an offering for sin, the Soul being often taken for the whole Person; or it may be taken more properly, to relate to His Sufferings, called the travel of his soul, Vers. 11. however it is the Person, the Man Christ, Soul and Body, that is the Sacrifice, and more especially His Soul as the Wrath of God was on it; and when He suffered, His Soul did undergo that Wrath, as well as His Back, was given to the Smiter, and His Cheecks to them that plucked off the Hair.

4. There are two Words further, which we would hint at, in the Exposition, for clearing of Christ's being called an offering for sin. 1. We would put a difference between the Offerings and Sacrifices which were for Sin under the Law; and this Offering which is applied to Christ. The Apostle says, Heb. 10. That it was impossible that the blood of bullocks, and of goats could take away sin; They were not properly Sin-offerings, but as they were Types of that Offering which was to come; and so when Christ is called an Offering, He is differenced from all the Offerings that were offered before Him, by Priests on Earth; In this, That His Offering, o • Sacrifice takes away Sin, by virtue of itself, according to the Covenant. But these Offerings of of those Priests that were under the Law, (as is clear, Heb. 9.13.) Took not away sin by themselves, but only in so far as Christ who was Typifyed by them was made use of; and from this we may see it clear. 1. That it was by the Blood of Christ, that the Fathers under the Law had their sin pardoned; and that the Pardon of sin was to them an effect of this Offering, as well as unto us. 2. That all these Sacrifices and Offerings under the Law, were Types of this one Offering, and not that one Anniversarie Sacrifice, only which was offered once a Year, by the High Priest; which we the rather hint at, because, both these are by Socinus, that enemy of Christ's Satisfaction controverted; he aiming thereby to draw Souls from lea • ning to this Offering. 2. What we speak of Christ's Sacrifice, relates to that which He performed on Earth, though He be yet a Priest, and lives forever to make intercession for us; yet this Offering respects that which He offered while He was here in the World, and especially that which He offered on the Cross, as it is said, Eph. 5.2. He hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. and Heb. 10.12. This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God; and by His Sacrifice once offered up before, He went into the most Holy; He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified: which is also a Truth controverted by that same enemy Soncinus; the clearing of it serves not only to open up the meaning of this place, but to let us see the effecacy of Christ's Sufferings, and the nature of them, that in them especially, His Offering, as it brings Pardon of sin, and Peace with God does consist; so then the meaning of the place is in short, That though our Lord Jesus had no sin, yet it pleased God in His Counsel, to appoint Him to Suffer, and that His Sufferingt should be an Offering for the sin of others.

More particularly, If it be asked, what is meaned by this, an offering for sin, we shall clear it from the Type; and 1. It is here supponed, that there is sin on the Person, and that wrath due for sin is to be removed. 2. It is supposed, that there is an inability in the Person to remove the sin, and yet a necessity to have it removed, or else he must suffer. 3. There is supposed the intervening, or coming of something in the place of that Person that is guilty of sin, and liable to wrath. 4. There is supposed the acceptation of that which interveeneth by God, the Partie offended; and so it presupposeth a Covenant, whereby the Lord hath condescended to accept of that offering. Take it in the Sin-offering goat, the Scape-goat Levite. 16. A vive Type of Christ, when He is brought into the Congregation. 1. The Priest must put his hands upon him; and confess the sins and transgressions of the People over him, which signified their acknowledgement of their sins, and a lyableness to suffering, because of them. 2. It supposed their proposing of that Go • t, as a Sacrifice to bear their sins, and to take them on him; Therefore it was said, The Priest shall put the iniquities of the People upon him. 3. The one of these Goats was to be sent away into the Wilderness, and the other was to be killed; and generally all the Sin-offerings were to be killed: So that no Remission of sins was without Blood, and they came in the room of the Sinners, bearing, as it were their sin, and their punishment. And 4. It is to be an atonement, to wit, a Typical Atonement; by this means the People were to have access to Ecclesiastical Privileges; but they could not purify the Conscience, except Christ were made use of; who was the true atonement then, as He is now, still for sin; and by virtue of His Sacrifice according to the Covenant, they were to deall for the pardon of the sins born by Him.

We come now to Observe some things from the Words, and 1. It is supponed here, that even the Elect, and consequently all others, are by their sin liable to God's Judgment, and obnoxious to His wrath; there were no need of a Sin-offering, if this were not. The name that Christ gets here, supposes that there was Sin, and that there was wrath for Sin lying at the door of all Men; since Man fell, and brake God's Command; all Men are before God like Isaac, lying before his Father, ready to be killed, his Father having his hand stretched out with the knif, ready to take away his Life: And our Lord Jesus is as the Ram that was caught 〈◊〉 the thicket of Thorns, whereby Elect Sinners are fred, and Himself made the Sacrifice that was provided in their room and place: Thus in the Name that our Lord Jesus gets, we have holden out to us, the posture that all of us are in by nature, if Christ interveen not to take the stroke off us, on Himself; laying Himself open to the stroke of Justice for Sin: To clear it, consider these three things, which will hold out, what this state and posture of ours is. 1. The natural sinfulness, and guilt that Men are lying under, which makes them naked, and to be as that wretched Infant, (spoken of, Ezek. 16.) Lying in their Blood, cast forth into the open field, to the loathing of their persons. This makes God and them to be at feed, and lays them open to the stroke of Justice. 2. Consider the intervening of the Law of God, that threatens the Curse on sin wherever it is, and pronunces this Sentence, that the wages of sin is death, and says to the Sinner, as it is said to Cain, If thou sin, death lies at the door; and in this sense, Sinners are not only like to Malefactors, taken and apprehended, but like to such when sentenced to death; Therefore John 3.18. It's said, He that believes not, is condemned already. 3. Consider that Men in their natural state, who have broken the Covenant of Works, have Justice some way pursuing them, to the executing of the Sentence, which God in His Law hath pronounced against them; and they are as these shedders of Blood, before they betook themselves in to the City of Refuge, having the avenger of Blood following hard at their heell's; in which sense, John 3.36. It's said, He that believes not, the wrath of God abids on him; There is an actual appointment, or ordination of the Curse added to the Laws Sentence, till by Christ it be removed, and this is in some sort gripping Him, and taking Him as it were by the throat; By the First of these Man is found guilty, and liable to Judgment; by the Second, he is Sentenced; but by the Third, the Sentence stands over his head, ready to be executed, and bespeaks him thus, therefore thou art cursed, therefore thou art a dead Man.

Soberly think upon this, and make these Uses of it, 1. See here the condition of all Men by nature, and your own in particular, a very terrible and dreadful condition; wherein they are like Men lying bound to be a Sacrifice to the wrath of God, the Lord's hand being streatched out, to lay on the stroke, and the wrath of God abiding on them, do ye indeed belleve this to be your state and posture; till application be made of Christ's Sacrifice, and till there be a laying of your Sin over on Him by Faith, that ever till then ye are liable to the Laws Sentence, and that the Cur • e and Wrath of God abideth on you? and yet this is the state and posture of all the Children of Adam, that have not got Jesus Christ put in their room: It was Typicall, if the People did not bring an offering, as was prescribed, their Sin remained in them; but it's real here, Sin and Wrath remain, where Christ is not made use of by Faith.

The 2. Use is, for Expostulation with many of you, that are still in Nature, (and I wish there were fewer of you in this case to be spoken to) How comes it to pass, when this is your condition by Nature, that ye are so secure, and that ye have few, or no apprehensions at all of the Wrath of God; and of the hazard of your immortal Souls? Ah! are there none such here, that apprehend there hazard? were ye ever under it? and if so, how have ye been delivered out of it? or who is come in your room? do ye think it nothing to be under Sin, and the Curse of God, to have Wrath abiding in you, yea abiding on you? There are many of you who are sleeping sound now, and that disdain to notice Challenges, but as Solomon speaks of the Man that was sleeping on the top of a Mast, and compleaning of that, and of them that deceived him; So shall it be with you, that can lie still securely sleeping in sin, and that put by one day after another, and do not make use of this Sacrifice: All that the Gospel aims at is this, that ye would seek to change rooms with Christ, that the feed may be rem ved, and that the quarrel that is betwixt God and you may not be continued and keeped up; especially, seeing there is a way laid down how to get your Debt satisfied for; which if ye neglect, what will ye do, when your day is gone? are there not many dying daily, and is there not a day of reckoning coming, when the stroke that is hanging, and hovering over your head will light? and seeing it is so, why do ye lie still, and slight Jesus Christ? If it were believed what dreadful wrath is abiding many (whereof your secure senselessness, and senseless security is a part) and what a terror it will waken in your Consciences one day, ye would certainly think it good news to have the Sufferings of Christ spoken of, and the Benefit of them offered to you now.

The 3. Use is, to stir up Sinners to thankfulness, especially, such of you as are blest with effectual counsel, to make the right use of this Sacrifice; O! Consider how much ye are obliged to God, and to Christ the Mediator; the preaching of the Gospel is now thought little of, and is tastlesse to many; but did ye know what is your state and posture by Nature, how near ye are to hell, and how near the Curse and Wrath are unto you, even ready to grasp at you, to tear and devour you, the Mediators interposing to Satisfie for you, would make him more lovely to you; and ye that have gotten interest in Him secured, would think yourselves much, unspeakably much in His common to say so, and in the Debt of His Grace: this was the posture that Grace found you in, even liable to the stroke of God's drawn Sword of Justice; and our Lord Jesus on the one side stepped in, and said hold, Lord; let that be on me, and let them go free, and upon the other side, there was God's good pleasure, condescending to except of His offer; and saying, Awake O sword, and smite the shepherd, and spare the sheep, what obligation should this lay upon you, to love and be thankful to God, and to the Mediator, who interposed to keep the stroke off you; I say upon you who are sinners, and apprehensive of Wrath? This is Christ's offer, and if ye be fl • d to Him for refuge, he hath changed Rooms with you; ye are much (as I said) in His Debt, He hath fred you of your Debt, and purchased an absolution to you, and there is no condemnation to you, as it is, Rom. 8.1. Whereas before ye were in a manner condemned already; But the truth is, our Lord Jesus is undervalued, not only by them that apprehend not their hazard, and so make not use of Him, but also in a great measure by them that do apprehend it; in so far as they give way to Unbelief, and dar scarcely trust to His Sacrifice.

The 2. and next thing implied here, is, That though men be Naturally under Sin, and obnoxious to the Wrath and Curse of God, by reason of Sin, yet there is nothing that can take away that Sin, and free them from Wrath but Christ Jesus His Offering up of Himself a Sacrifice for Sin; Therefore He is so made the Offering for Sin here, as it is exclusive of all other things; no other thing could do it; As it is Heb. 10.14. He by one offering hath perfected forever these who are Sanctified. The Blood of Bulls and of Goats could not take away Sin, neither is, as it is, ( Act. 4.12.) There any other name under heaven given to sinners whereby they can be saved, but the name of Jesus: I shall not speak here of the Nature of Christ's Offering and Sacrifice; but sure, though all Men be under Sin, and Wrath by Nature, there is no other way to remove it, except by this Sacrifice; Thousands of Rams, (as it is Micah 6.7.) and ten thousand Rivers of Oil, the first Born of the Body, will not take away the sin of the Soul; Christ's Offering up of Himself, in God's account, is only the Sin-offering, for the removing of Sin; and Wrath from Sinners: Is it needful to prove this? we wish it were not, but the truth is, it's hardly believed by Men, and Women; Consider therefore shortly these three things, and ye will find it true, 1. The Certification and Peremptoriness of the Curse that follows Sin, as we may see, Gal. 3.10. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them; whatever may be said of God's absolute Sovereignty, whereof we will not now speak▪ God hath so Ordered His Covenant, and revealled His Will in His Word, that the soul that sins shall die, if a Sacrifice be not put in His Room. 2. Consider the ineffectualness of all other things to satisfy Justice, though we would multiply Offerings, what cares God for these? All the beasts on the mountains are his, he delights not in the blood of bulls and goats, as it is Psalm 50. Thousands of Rams, and ten thousand Rivers of Oil are rejected; whether we look to Pennances, (whereof some foolishly talk,) what can these do to God? or whether we look to Men's External Performances, of Holy Duties, or to their inward Convictions; Challenges, and Mournings for Sin, there is no suitable value in these things, to interpose betwixt them, and God's Wrath; suppone that Man after the fall could perform Duties without Sin; therefore the Apostle, Heb. 10. says, that it was impossible that the blood of bullocks, and of goats could take away sin; There is no Suitableness nor Proportionablenesse, betwixt the Blood of a Beast, and the Soul of a Sinner; far less betwixt it, and the Majesty of God that is wronged by Sin; wherefore, when the Sufferings of a Sinner are lengthened to twenty thousand Millions of Years in Hell, the Justice of God is never satisfied, nor never will be to the full; what then can other things do. 3. There is no other thing, that hath a Promise made, or annexed to it, nor is there any other mean laid down, for the removal of Sin and Wrath; but Christ Offering Himself up a Sin-offering: I know some are ready to think, that though there be no worth in the thing, or Duty; yet God of His free Grace will acccept of it; but is there a Promise of God's accepting any other thing for a Satisfaction for Sin, or for the removal of Wrath, but Christ's Sacrifice alone? And will, or can Folks expect that, for which they have no Promise? The Scripture is plain and peremptory in this, as namely, Acts 4.14 There is no other name under heaven, whereby a sinner can be saved, but by the name of Jesus, He is the door, Joh. 10. the way, the Truth, and the Life; John 14. The promises are yea, and amen in him, 2 Cor. 1. There is greater necessity to be through in this, though a common Truth, then Folks think of; And for Use, It aims at these two, 1. Upon the one side, to cry down all beside, that pretends to satisfy God; or to make a Sinner acceptable to Him; Prayer is no Sin-offering; Repentance, Convictions, a blameless Life, &c. are no Sin-offerings; these things are empty, and unsignificant, as to the Justification of a Sinner, or the obtaining of his Pardon- 2. Upon the other side, it points out the absolute necessity of making use of Christ's Sacrifice, and of the betaking of ourselves to it, for the satisfying of God's Justice, if there be a necessity of the pardon of Sin, and of the removing of Wrath; there is then sure a necessity of closing with Christ, and His Sacrifice.

The 1. of these Uses speaks to two sorts of Persons, with whom the Word of God hath no weight, and who, in effect thinks to satisfy God with nothing. 1. a profane, graceless, secure Company, who, because God keeps silence, are disposed to think that He is like themselves, and that He will never pursue a quarrel against them,; much like to that Man spoken of, Deut. 29.18, 19. Who says in his heart he shall have peace though he walk in the imagination of his own heart, adding drunknness to thirst. We have a Generation of this sort among us, who tush at all threatenings, (alas for them, O! that God would be graciously pleased to make a change on them, or if that may not be, that He would rid us of them,) Who will needs live sensually, and as they list, who will needs speak, and do as they please, and will not be controlled; and yet at the first hand, will boldly and confidently assert their hope of Heaven, as if they had never been Sinners; whence comes this? even from their supposing, that there is another way to Heaven, then God hath Chalked out; they think they may be saved, though they never betake themselves to Christ for Union with Him? but whether shall their Sentence or God's stand? There is a day coming, when ye shall know; ye say ye shall have Peace, but God says, No, Why so? Because ye never knew what it was to make use of Christ; ye had never so much as a Form, nor any the least Gust of Religion, but were, and are still as senseless as the Stones in the Wall: what do ye think will become of this? God urges as it wete, the offers of Christ upon you, and ye still slight Him; He tells you, that there is a necessity of Union with Him; else ye shall never see Heaven; and ye lie still at a distance from Him, and yet will needs hope for Heaven; but alas! it will not be so with you: either think on the right way, which is by putting Christ in in your Room, and laying of Religion to the heart in sad earnest; or dream not of coming to Heaven. A 2d Sort are they, who are not altogether so profane as the others, but will condemn them, (as indeed the practice of many is loathsome) they will, it may be Pray in their Families, and will not be Drunk, neither will they Swear nor Lye, and they will walk blamelessly; and upon these grounds, they promise Heaven to themselves, very confidently; and yet they come not through the sense of their sinful and cursed State, by Nature, to close with Christ by Faith, and to make use of His Sacrifice; such err on the other hand. Oh! when shall we be at this, not to neglect the study of Holiness, and yet not to rest on it, to the prejudice of this one Offering: This were a a practice suitable to, and worthy of Professors of the Gospel; to be seriously aiming at all Duties of Holiness that are called for; and yet to be building all their expectation of any good from God, on the Sacrifice of Christ alone; never coming to God without bring it along with them, and looking through it to be accepted before Him; there n eds no more, and no other thing that we can bring, will do our turn, nor be taken off our hand, if this be neglected. The Lord Himself teach us this way.

SERMON XXXVII.

WHat ever the Men of the World think of it, it is not an easy matter to get the Justice of God Satisfied for Sin, and to get the Wrath and Curse that Men, by Sin have drawn on themselves removed; Offerings of Bullocks, and Goats, thousands of Rams, and ten thousand Rivers of Oil, will not do it; the Redemption of the Soul is so precious, that it ceaseth forever that way, and by all such Means: Therefore the Lord in His wisdom hath found out the Means, and in His Grace and Love hath Condescended, that His own dear Son, His Fellow, shall as a Lamb without Spot, be a Sin-offering, to take away the Sins of His Elect World; and this is the great Consideration under which we should take up the Death of Christ, as making Himself therein an Off • ring for Sin; and interposing Himself to satisfy Divine Justice, that forgiveness might be made forthcoming to us.

The Doctrine which we proposed to be spoken to, the last day was this, That Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering, by which Sin can be taken away, and God so Satisfied, as to forbear the Punishment of the Sinner, and to admit him to Peace, and Friendship with Him; If we would Enumerat all things imaginable, and Invent Ways and Means without number to remove Sin, or to make a Sinners Peace with God; there is no other Means but this, that will do it, As we have it Heb. 10. Christ Jesus by his once offering up of himself, perfects forever these who are sanctified; and Act. 4. There is no other name given under heaven, whereby sinners can be saved, but the name of Jesus.

The Use is, To Commend, and to Demonstrat to us all, the necessity of the Use making of this one Offering of Christ; if He be the one Offering to take away Sin, and if no other will be accepted; then there is a necessity, that He, in His Offering of Himself be made use of; If all be under Sin, and if by the Law, Sin and Death, be knit inseparably together (as it is said, the wages of sin is death ) and if Freedom from Sin and Wrath, and Peace with God, be necessary; then there is a necessity, that Sinners be serious in this matter, to get a Title to, and Interest in this one Offering, and Sacrifice of Christ.

In the prosecuting of the Use, we shall speak a little to these four things. 1. To some Grounds. or Reasons, to show the Necessity of Sinners use making, of Christ's Sacrifice, or Offering. 2. To this, what it is to make use of this Offering. 3. We shall give a Word of Advertisement, as to some mistakes that are about it. 4. We shall give some Differencing Characters, or Evidences, of a Person that is making right Use of this Offering, for obtaining of Pardon, and for making of this Peace with God.

For the First, That is, the Reasons to evince the necessity of it, The 1. of them is, that which we hinted at just now, If Men were not lying under Sin, and obnoxious to Wrath, and if there were any other Sin-offering, or any other Way, or Mean, to escape the Curse and Wrath of God due for Sin; there were no such necessity: But seeing that all Men are under. Sin and under the Curse of God and His Wrath, because of it, and seeing there is no other thing that can take away Sin; then there is an absolute necessity, seriously to make use of, and to have an Interest in this Sin-offering. 2. Consider, that the great part of Men in the World, and even of them that hears this Gospel, do not indeed make use of this Offering, though they be some way under the Conviction that they are Sinners, and that this is the only Sin offering to take away Sin, and we suppose, if ye were all put to it, ye could not deny, but ye are Sinners, and that nothing can take away Sin, but Christ's Offering up of Himself as a Sacrifice to satisfy Justice; Though some be that grossly ignorant, that they will speak of some other thing; yet generally these that own and maintain the Truth of the Gospel, are under a Conviction, that no other thing can take away Sin; and yet even amongst these, there are many that never make use of Christ, and of His Sacrifice to take away their Sins, to remove Wrath, and make their Peace with God: There were many Jews, who by the daily Sacrifices, which Typed forth this one Offering of Christ, were taught, that there was no other way to come by Pardon, and Peace with God, but there use making of it; and yet the most part of them, in going about these Sacrifices, were slighters of this one Sacrifice; Therefore the Apostle says of them, Rom. • 0 • . • 3. That being ignorant of God's righteousness, they went about to establish their own righteousness and did not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God; It is as certain, that many that hear this Gospel, and profess Christ to be the only Sin-offering; will be disowned of Him on this account; Therefore, many are brought in, saylng, Luk. 13. did we not hear thee preach in our streets, have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence, to whom He will say, depart from me, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity; Because (as if He had said) what ever ye profesied ye never made Peace with God, through and by me; and what is the Reason, I pray, that so many perish un • er the Gospel who in Word acknowledge this one Offering, and that it is it only, which takes away Sin, but because that notwithstanding of that Conviction, and Acknowledgement, they are never brought actua • lie to make use of Christ, and of this His Sacrifice and Offering; and if ye think, and acknowledge, that there are many that go to Hell. tha have the Knowledge and Conviction of this Truth, ye must also grant, that it is, because they make not Conscience to make use of it, 3. Consider, that though there be many of the hearers of the Gospel, who do not rest on Christ, yet it is very hard to convince any of them that they are ready to slight Christ's Sacrifice: I am sure that both the former will be granted. 1. That nothing but Christ's Sacrifice can Satisfie Justice; 2. That many do not rest on it, and so perish, but if we come to the 3. Sarcely shall we find one that will grant (except it be a tender Body,) that they make not use of Him; they will easily be convinced, that Adultery is a Sin, and that they are guilty of it, if they be so indeed, that Drunkenness, and Sabbathbreaking are Sins; yea, possibly, (which is more) that vaging of the Mind in Duties of Worship is a Sin, and that they are guilty of it; but it is not so easy to convince them that they are guilty of the Sin of not making use of Christ, and of His Sacrifice; nay they are so puffed up with a good opinion of themselves, that they will laugh at such a Challenge; And hence it is, that so few make use of Christ's Sacrifice, and of His Righteousness, because so few are convinced, th • t they believe not on Him; Therefore, when the Spirit comes, John 16. It's said, that he shall convince the world of sin; not because they did Whor • Drink S ••• ar, &c. 〈◊〉 Convictio • s for these Sins will not be wanting; but because they believe not in Christ; And hence it is, Luke 13.25. That these will not take Christ's first answer, I know you not; what (as if they said) knows thou not us? we have eaten and drunken in thy presence, we have professed Faith in thee, and our hope to get Heaven by thy Righteousness; and yet He shall answer them again peremptorly, depart from me, I know you not, Not that there will be much to do, or any great difficulty to convince folk in that day, or any room left to debate the business; but He would tell us by this, that many die in this Delusion; And if it be a thing that Folks are so hardly convinced of, had they not need to be seriously solicitous, that they be not deceived, and disappointed? 4. Consider how sad the disappointment will be to Sinners, on day, when they shall be brought to acknowledge, that they knew that there was no other Name given whereby Sinners could be saved, but the Name of Jesus, and yet that they slighted and rejected Him; ye that never seriously minded compting and reckoning with God, do ye think on this; and that the passing of the Sentence will be upon this ground; to wit, whether ye have fled to Jesus Christ, and made use of His Sacrifice, or not? will it not be a sad disappointment, to meet with a doleful depart from me, on this ground; because though there was some Conviction, that this was the only Sacrifice, and Sin-offering, that takes away Sin; that yet it was not made use of, nor made the ground of your Peace with God?

But to the 2. What is it then to make use of this Offering? I know no better way then to explain it from the Typical Sacrifices, that were under the Law; and we may take it up in these three. 1. It implies a through Conviction of Folks lyablelenesse to the Justice of God for Sin, and in an utter inability in ourselves, and an utter emptiness, and impotency in all other Means to satisfy for Sin; thus they that brought the Sacrifice to the Priest, laid their hands on the head of the Beast, by which they acknowledged, that Death was due unto them. So then to have the lively sense of the due desert of Sin; that is, to have the Sentence of Death carried about in our Bosom, to have the through Conviction of the emptiness of all other Means of relief, is requisite to the right use making of Christ's Offering. 2. It implieth this, that there be a look had to the Institution, and Ordinance of God, appointing this Sacrifice to be the Mean of the Redemption of Sinners; Therefore in these Sacrifices that were Offered for Sin, there was a respect had to God's Covenant; wherein were not only Promises relating to External Cleansing, and to Admission to Church-privileges; but Promises also, relating to inward Cleansing, and to the Pardon of Sin, which was the great End of these Sacrifices; and the looking to the Institution of this Sacrifice, is the Ground that leads us in to take up the end of Christ's Sufferings, and is a warrand for our Faith, in the use making thereof; being the only Sacrifice that expiats Sin, and holds off Wrath; and if these two things be not carried along in the use making of this Sacrifice, to wit, the Conviction of Sin, and of the lyableness to Wrath; and God's Institution and Appointment of this Sacrifice, to take away Sin, and to avert Wrath, our Use making of it is, but Will-worship. 3. It implies this, that when the Sinner is walking under the sense of his Sin, and of the Emptiness, and Ineffectualnesse of all other things, to remove Sin and Wrath, (as David hath it, Psal. 51.16. Thou desirest not sacrifice, thou delightest not in burnt offerings; ) There must be a looking to the Worth of Christ, and of His Sacrifice, that is appointed to take away Sin, and hold off Worth; and the Soul's actual applying of itself to His Offering, and the applying of His Offering to it Self; as we may see, in the 4, 5, 6. and 16. Chapters of Leviticus, where there are several Sacrifices appointed to be Offered, for several Sins, and particularly that of the Scape goat; on the head whereof, the Priest for the People was to lay his hands: in which was implied, not only their acknowledgement of Sin; and of their deserving of Death; and of God's appointment of that to be a Typical Offering for the Typical taking away of Sin; but these two things • urder were implied. 1. That they did take the Burden of their Sins, which neither they themselves, nor any other could bear, an • laid it on Christ; when Justice did put at them for their Debt, (to speak so) they drew a Bill on Christ, as their Cautioner, to answer it; and as they did put the Debt in His hand, to be paid by Him; so they Lippened and Trusted the weight of their Souls to Him, and to no other: So that when God was pursuing them for their Debt; saying, as it were, I will have Payment of you, or else ye must Die; they brought the Sacrifice to the Priest, to please God Typically with an Eye to Christ Typifyed thereby; Even so for Sinners, to make use of Christ's Sufferings, is in the thorough Conviction of Sin, and of deserved Wrath; to fly unto Jesus Christ, and to put Him in their Room; being Content and Desirous, that He be their Cautioner, and undertake for them, and Satisfie for their Debt; yea, puting Him Actually to it, to pay their Debt, So that they have no other Answer to any Challenge for Sin, but this the Cautioner that I have betaken myself to, and put in my Room, will pay this Debt, and answer for it: The 2. Act of Faith, is, this, when they have betaken themselves to Him, and to His Sacrifice, they Acqui • sce in, and Rest upon it alone, for obtaining of the Sentence of Absolution; which was also implied in the People, their laying their Hands by the Priest, on the Head of the Sacrifice; For as it implied, their acknowledging that they could not Please, nor Satisfie Go • of themselves▪ nor by any other Way or Mean; so it Implyed, that according to God's Covenant, they expected His Absolving of them, because of that Sacrifice; and that, though they were Desperat by themselves to Satisfie, yet that they had Faith in God's Covenant, that the Sacrifice they Offered, would Typically Satisfie Him; Even so the Believer draws the Conclusion from Christ's Sacrifice, according to the Terms of the Covenant, that He hath Absolution; and rests on, and acquiesces in it; and this is called Trusting, or Confiding in Christ; when not only he casteth himself on Him; but hath Confidence, that the Bill which He hath drawn on him will be Answered by Him, which is founded on the Covenant; In which it's said, of all that come unto me, I will put none away; As it is, John 6.37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no ways cast out; and Zach. 13. There is a fountain opened in the house of David, for sin, and for uncleanness; On which ground, Believers expect the benefit of Washing, on their performing of the Condition of the Covenant: And when David, Psal. 51.7. Prayes, purge me, wash me, It holds out the Act of Faith, drawing the Bill on Christ; And when he says, I shall be clean, and white as snow: It holds out his Confident Resting on, and acquiescing in Christ for Cleansing; And this is the reason, why some express • aith, by cleaving to Christ; others, by confident resting on him, or by assurance; and there may be a Truth in both; because the one looks on Faith, according to the first Act of cleaving to Him; And the other takes up Faith according to the other Act, of assured resting on him, or confiding in him, and on, or in His Sacrifice offered up once for all: In a Word, to make Use of this once Offering for Sin; is so to make Use of Him, as to put Him in our Room, and ourselves some way in His Room; N • t to dare to Compt, and Reckon with Justice, nay, not to dare as it were, to Compt with Christ; but leaving Christ in the stour (to speak so,) and running away from Reckoning with Justice; to hide ourselves under Him, who can count to the utmost Farthing; Even as when God commanded Abraham to offer up his Son Isaac, and and when he was lifting his hand to slay him, there came a Voice from Heaven, Abraham hold thy hand, and a Ram is provided, • nd Isaac is loosed, and taken down from off the Altar, and the Ram is put in his stead and place; So there is here a changing of Rooms with Christ, according to that sweetest Word, 2 Cor. 5. ult. He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we who had no Righteousness, might be made the righteousness of God in him.

3. If it be so very difficult, and yet so absolutely necessary to make Use of Christ; and especially in His Offering up of Himself, for the Sin of His People; there is ground here for Warning, and Advertisement, to walk tenderly in this Matter, that this Sacrifice be not flighted, that this One Offering be not Neglected, as we would not have Sin lying at our Door. And here we shall point at three sorts of Persons, who may be counted slighters and neglecters of this Offering. The 1. Sort are these, who think to make their Peace with God, without minding the necessity of the intervening of anything betwixt Him and them; and these go on several Grounds, or are of several Sorts. 1. Some are utterly careless how their Peace be made, or whether it be made or not, they hope for it, and think to come at it, but cannot give an account whether they will come at it or not; and they are careless to know the way. 2. Others go upon their presumption; They think God loves them, because they love themselves; and though they know they have Sin, yet they think God will not be so ill as to Reckon with them; They think they are sure that God loves them, but they cannot give a ground for it. 3. Others think, God is merciful, and therefore they conclude, that they will be Pardoned; They cannot conceive God to be like Man in His Mercy; but to be far beyond Him (as indeed He is infinitely, in some respect) and therefore, because, when Man is merciful, he sometime seeks no Satisfaction; So neither will God think they; Not considering, that though God be merciful, That yet He will not show mercy to the prejudice of His Justice; but will needs have it Satisfied; Such think on the Matter at least, that they would have gotten mercy, though Christ had never died; It is true, if God had not been merciful, never a Sinner had gotten mercy; yet that is not the ground of His showing mercy; Otherwayes all the World might expect mercy; For He is, and ever was Gracious and merciful in Himself; and therefore there must be some other Ground and Way for obtaining of Pardon; else it cannot be expected, because of the alone Simple, and Abstract consideration of His Mercy; And yet many will needs expect it on this Ground, without respect to the Mediators Purchase. A 2. Sort, are they that take a Legal way for making of their Peace with God; Not, as if they thought to appear before God without Sin, and Holy, as the Covenant of Works requireth; but if they Sin, they will make a mends; and it's either something Negative, that they have not done, or something Positive, that they have done; or some Internal Qualification, that they rest upon. 1. Something Negative, they have not been so ill as other Folks, and if they go to Hell, they think few will go to Heaven; They have done wrong to none; and if they were about to Die, they think, and it may be say, that they will leave a good Name behind them, on the account of their harmless Walk; like that Pharisee they can say, Lord I thank thee, I am not like other men, nor like this Publican: They are no Drunkards, no Oppressors, they neither Curse nor Swear; and when they see any profane Persons, they are puffed up, with a good Opinion of themselves, because they are not as profane as they. Or 2. They will come a further Length, and positively do many Duties upon which they rest, and whereof they are ready to boast, with that same Pharisee who vaunted, I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all I possess; If any Duty be performed, or any good be done by them; their Fingers are ready (to say so) to stick to it: But 3. and especially, if there be any inward Work, as if there be any Liberty, or Motion of the affections in Prayer, if there be at hearing the Word, some Convictions sharper at one time then at another, if there be any sort of Repentance, Ruing, and Sadness for Sin, &c. These they think will do their turn: It is most certain, and might be cleared, both from the Word of God, and from Experience, that many hundreds of Professors Dash, and Perish on this Stumbling Block, Isaiah 48.1.2. Where the Lord is speaking of a People, that made mention of his name, and sware by him, but not in truth, nor in righteousness; of whom He says, that they call and count themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; and the Ground of it is, their resting on external Duties of Fasting and Prayer, and the like: expectations of Happiness, grounded on some feckless performances, cut the Throats of many Civil and Discreet Men, that are not grossly profane. A 3d. Sort, do not altogether slight and neglect Christ Himself, but they slight and neglect His Offering; as if they would in a manner make use of Himself, but not of His Sacrifice, as Matth. 19. and Mark 10. There is a Man spoken of, that comes to Christ, would fain be at Heaven; and asks good master, what shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life; and yet he was going on the Grounds of his own Righteousness; this is exceeding subtle and deceitful; And therefore ye would take the better Notice of it; and how it is fallen into: A man may come to Christ, as God for Pardon of Sin; (and some think though most Ignorantly, and Erroniously, that Christ the Son is more compassionat, and ready to Pardon then the Father) and may seek Pardon from Him; but not for His sake, or on His account; for there is a difference betwixt making Christ the object of our Worship; and making use of Him as Mediator; There are many that have prayed to Christ as God, and sought Pardon of Sin from Him; who never prayed to obtain Pardon, by virtue of His Offering; Folk may also desire help from Christ, to enable them to do Duties, that they may thereby work out the work of their own Salvation; and be helped this way to make their peace with God; who do not ground the making of their Peace with God on His Offering alone; These things are exceeding frequent in Peoples Practice; who will pray to Christ for such and such things, and yet not found their expectation of them upon His Offering, or His Righteousness; If we would make use Christ's Offering, Singly and Rightly we would eschew these, and all other wrong ways.

4. It may be asked then, what are the Evidences, that may give a Person some clearness, that he is making use of Christ's Righteousness aright, and that it is not his own Righteousness; nor the making use of Christ only as He is God; that sustains him, I answer, that this is indeed a Mistery; and will require searching, and watching to observe our own Condition; And moe things concur then one or two, to make a full discovery of it; In speaking to this, as we desire to strengthen the presumption of none; So we shall labor to shun the weakening of the Faith of any Sound Believer. There are then these Six or Seven Differencing Evidences, or Characters of a Person, that is rightly making use of Christ's Offering; which Difference Him from others; And 1. one that truly makes use of Christ's Offering hath not only been brought to see his need of It; but his Natural Propension, and Readinesse to misken it, and rest upon other things beside it, for the making of his Peace; Whereas another Man, who does not rightly make use of it, though he may see his Sin, and so his need of it; yet he sees not, neither will take with the Tendencie, Propensness and Inclination of his Heart, to rest upon some other thing beside it; See this difference in Paul, before and after Conversion, Phil. 3. Before he was Converted, he studied, as he thought all the Righteousness of the Law; and no doubt offered Sacrifices which implied the acknowledgement of Sin; and he thought that all was well with him; Therefore he says, touching the righteousness of the Law, he was blameless; and verse 6. These things that were gain to me; Or these things that I placed my Righteousness in; I thought the moe Sacrifices that I offered, I had the more to buy my Peace by; He sees, that in his studying of Holiness, he was seeking to make a Stock in himself: But after his Conversion, he casts all these, as to leaning to them, or making them any ground of his Peace with God, or of his Justification before Him; he betakes himself only to Christ's Righteousness, and counts them to be but loss; I would think it a good evidence for folks, not only to see the looseness of th • ir Hearts in Duty, and that to be a Sin; but to see when ought went well with them, the inclination of their hearts ready to account that to be Gain, and to rest upon it: There is such an Humour and Natural Inclination in all; and it is a good Token, when it is discovered, and becomes a Binder, and the ground of a Challenge; not only that they have sinned, in this and that, and the other Duty; but that they have gone a whoring after their fecklesse performances, to the prejudice of their esteem of Christ, and of His Righteousness; Before the law came, (saith Paul) Rom. 7. I was alive, I thought, I had a Stock to do my own turn; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. There are many that will be convinced of Sin in their performances; that will not be convinced of this sinful Inclination, to put these in Christ's Room; A 2d, Difference, or Evidence is this; One that aims to make use of Christ's Offering and Righteousness; not only their Sins will be an exercise to them; how to win over them to Christ, but it will be their exercise also, how to win over their Graces, and Duties to Him; It will be an exercise to them, not only to have such a Sin in their Duty taken away; but how to win over the Duty itself, that they stumble not on it, to the prejudice of their trusting to Christ; whereas another Man, when his Duties go well with him, it is easy to him to win over them as he thinks, because he rests satisfied with them. Paul, Phil. 3. Sees not only while he was in Nature, that he counted something Gai • beside Christ, but after Conversion, he finds an Inclination to it; and therefore in opposition to this Inclination, he doth with a doubtless cry down all things, and counts them but Dung and Loss, for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ; Taking in his Gracious Actions as well as others; For the Words in the Text, and Context tell us, that he is speaking of Duties performed by him even after Conversion, and that he found, a necessity to cast away the Good as well as the Bad; in the point of Justification; as a Man that is in a storm at Sea, hath a greater reluctancy to cast over Board Silks, Satines, Velvets, and other such fine things then that which is more base, and of less worth; So he found it more difficult, and was put to some harder exercise, to be quite of his Duties, that they should not stick to him, then to be rid of his Sins; is there any such exercise as this amongst Folks? to be put to wrestling with their Duties; not as being angry at them as such; but how to get them as it were cast over Board; to be Jealous of any good in them, or done by them; That it prejudge not their esteem of Christ; To be bussie in well doing all the Day, and in the evening to count all their doing but Loss; And to renunce it utterly, as to any puffing up by it, or as to the making of their peace with God thereby; A 3d Evidence is this, One that is Single in making use of Christ's Sacrifice, will be exercised and disquieted, when his Duty is done, till there be for acceptance, a Staying and Resting on Christ's Righteousness: There are two sorts that utterly fail, and fall short here. 1. Some that are content with Sin, and make lies their refuge. 2. Others that are satisfied with Duty, if it go well with them, and promise themselves acceptance on that alone Account neglecting Christ; but the Believer hath (as I just now said) on exercise of Faith, how to be quite of Sin; and another new exercise of it, how to be fred from resting on Duty; and how to be singly engaged unto, and to rest upon Christ: is mind is not quiet in all his Duties, till he come hither, even to be found in Christ, not having his own R • ghteousnesse, but His; It's a good token, when Folks are not only exercised to have Sin Mortified, and Duties going with them, but also to have their Peace with God grounded on Christ, and not on Duty; Hence it is, that a Christian will sometimes be taken up a whole day in Duty, and yet have but little, or no Peace, because he would be over, and through all Duties to resting on Christ, which he wins not at to his Satisfaction. 4ly. One that is single in use making of Christ, and of His Offering, hath a fear of mistaking this Offering of Christ; and that some other thing be put in His Room, and He miskent, or neglected: There will not be only a fear, least he Sin, and come short in the suitable performance of such a Duty; and least he fall under Wrath but also Fear and Jealousy, least in his Unbelief, and Selfyness, he going wrong in the use making of Christ, and of His Sacrifice; as is implied in the Word, Heb. 4.1. Where the Apostle having spoken of many of the Israelites their Unbelief in the former Chapter, says, in the beginning of this; Let us therefore fear, least a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it, to wit, through Unbelief; Be Holily Jealous (as if he had said) least, as it is Chap. 3.12, 13. There be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God; In a word, he will be suspecting the exercise of his Faith, as much as anything; a Natural Man will sometimes it may be, suspect his Duties, but hardly will he be brought to suspect his Faith, other ways he could not have the peace that he hath, such as it is: This may also be Confirmed, from that poor man's prayer to Christ, Mark 9. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. He dare not well trust his own Faith. 5ly. They that are single in their use making of Christ's Offering, not only see themselves Sinners, but they carry along with them the discovery of the naughtiness of everything that is best in them; when they see that to which others lippen to so much, so very unsuitable, and that they are far short of that which they should be at; they dare not own, nor look on it to boast of it; but it's a burden to them, to see so much Sin in it; It's nothing to see Sin in some outward Actions, and in that which is directly contrary to God's Law; but it's much to see Sin in our best things, as in our Faith in God; in our Love to Him; and in our ends in Holy Duties; A Legal Man will confess it may be readily, that he Sins in everything; but he covers all with this, that he hath a good heart to God, or a good end: The Believer on the contrary, sees all his good so naughty, that it is tasteless to him; He never gets anything to rest on, or that can bear his weight to confide in, till he come to Christ's Sacrifie:

6ly. Such as are aiming rightly to make use of Christ's Offering and Sacrifice, esteem, and think exceeding much of it; Therefore they adventure Heaven, and their Eternal Salvation on it; It's that which cheers and delights them most, that Christ hath stepped in and engaged to do that for them, which neither themselves nor any other Person or thing could do; The life (saith the Apostle, Gal. 2.) that I now live in the flesh, is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. And 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came to the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. And John heartsomlie, Rev. 1.7. To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, &c. But they that endeavor not, neither aim rightly to make use of Christ's Sacrifice, think little or nothing of it; They are not made glad, nor are their hearts lifted up with Spiritual Joy, because of it: The good and glad news of a slain Savior, are not the chief ground of their Consolation, as they are to the Believer: This evidence is somewhat general, yet sure as well as the former. O! but it's matter of much wonder, to the Believer, when he thinks how that when the Stroak of Justice was ready to come on him; Christ should have interposed betwixt him and that Fatal, and Deadly Blow; But others esteem not of it, and therefore cannot make use of it. 7ly. They that are rightly making use of Christ's Sacrifice, find it to be a difficult thing, and that which will cost them wrestling to get it made use of aright: they breath after it, and yet win not to that which they would be at in it; O! as David cries, Psal. 51. purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be white as snow. They know not well what way to make use of it to their Satisfaction, they would make so much use of it; or how to vent and exercise their Faith on it; and when it comes to Actual Believing, and to the Acting of their Faith, they find it to be like a smooth and slippery Stone, that they cannot easily hold their Feet on. So Paul says, Phil. 3. I count all things but dung, that I may win Christ and that I may be found in him: He cared not what he cast over board, that he might win to that Land, even to Christ and His Righteousness: Like Sea men in great hazard, who cast all over board, to win the Shoar; It's even so with the Believer, He sees that there is such hazard to go wrong, and that It's so difficult to be right, even to make the heart submit to the way of Faith, and to abide by it Singly, that he is content to suffer the loss of all things, if he may be right here: But on the contrary, a Man that rests on his own Righteousness, be a difficulty what will to him, Faith is no difficulty to him: He may have fear to come short of Heaven sometimes; but he thinks that he is always exercising his Faith: In a word, the Believer ordinarily believes best, when he hath the deepest, and most kindly impression of his Sin, as for the Legal Man, he can believe well, as he thinks, when he hath no challenge for Sin; but when he is challenged for Sin, his Faith faills him. Now from all that hath been said, ye may see the necessity of making use of this Sacrifice: And how warrily, and cautiously it should be done; that ye may steer a straight Course between gross Profanity, and Presumption, either of which will ruin and destroy the Soul: The Lord Jesus Himself be your Steers-man, and Pilot, that ye by His Skilfull Conduct may Stem the Port, and hold off these Rocks, on which thousands of Souls Split, and make Ship-wrack.

SERMON XXXVIII.

SIn was easily brought into the World, a little business brought in Sin, and the Curse and Wrath of God with it; and without any great difficulty, Men can continue in Sin, and lie under God's Wrath and Curse; but the taking away of Sin; and the Satisfying of the Justice of God for it, is no easy matter; (that if we may so speak,) did put Heaven and Earth both to it; There was such a contrivance of this way, and such a mean chosen, and made use of, that Sin might be removed, and the Curse taken away, as the like was never heard of.

The Intimation and Manifestation of this Way, is in the first part of this Verse, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; In God's Council, and by His Pleasure it was Contrived, and the Way found out; and the Mean is set down, in these Words, When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin; The Mediator, even he who was the Spotless Lamb of God, in whose Mouth was found no Guile, was bruised, and put to sad Suffering, to get this Effectuat; That the Curse might be removed from Sinners, He was made the Sin-offering.

We show that Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering, by which Sin is taken away; and that it is implied here; So that it is denied to all other Things, or Means to have any Effecacie, Virtue, or Merit in them, as to the removing of Sin, and the Curse brought on by it; this is, I say, so peculiarly applied to Christ's Offering; that it is denied to everything else; which shows 1. How much Sinners are obliged to Christ, who, when no other thing could do it, interposed Himself. 2. The necessity of making use of this one Offering, without which never Soul can be Perfected or Saved: He is the alone Foundation of Sinners Peace, and of all the Consolation that they can have in the Promises of God.

Now to proceed, and to hint at some few things more from the Words; wherein the End and Nature of Christ's Sufferings are set forth: He in His Suffering, and Offering up of Himself; did step into the Room of the Sinful Elect, that by Justice exacting of Him the Debt that was due by them; they might escape, and be set free; Hence Observe. 1. That when there was no other Thing, nor Mean, that could sufficiently satisfy Divine Justice, or be a Sacrifice for Sin; Our Lord stepped to, and undertook, and became the Sacrifice to take away Sin; according to that often cited Psal. 40.7▪ 8. Sacrifice, and offering thou didst not desire, in burnt offering thou hadst no pleasure: He is not speaking of what God required in the Law, as Typicall; for He required Sacrifices and Offerings in that respect; but not to be a Propitiation for the Sins of the Elect World, because they could not do it; and then follows, Lo I come, or I am here: mine ear hast thou bored, It is Heb. 10: A body hast thou given unto me: which sets out His being put in a Capacity to be a Sacrifice; I delight to do thy will, O my God. Here there are these Four Things implied. 1. A lyableness in the Elect to the Justice of God for Sin; and as to all other Means and Ways of Relief, but by this One Sacrifice, a Disperatness and Impossibility; and considering the Sentence, which God had Pronunced; The day thou eats, thou shalt surely die: And cursed is everyone that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them; No Sacrifice can be accepted but this only; Thousands of Rams, and ten thousands of Rivers of Oil have no access; He did not in that respect, require these, neither would He capitulat on these Terms. 2. That when no other Sacrifice could do the turn, Christ Jesus came in, and was content to interpose, and to be the Sacrifice for Sin, Lo, saith He, I come, I am here ready to Satisfie for my Elect People; For this is an Old Design, and He had undertaken from Eternity to carry it on. 3. There is implied here a great Willingnesse, a Delightsome, and Heartsome Condescending in the Mediator, to be the Sacrifice, He steps in affectionately, in the Room of the Elect, as the Sacrifice for them, to receive the Stroak of Justice, that they may escape and go free. I delight to do thy will, O my God: This is God's Will, as to the Work of Redemption, as it is, John 6.38. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And John 17.4. I have finished the work thou gavest me to do; That will and this work is all one; And Heb, 10. It's said by which (or by this) will we are sanctified. 4. The Fathers admitting and accepting of Him, to Interpose in the Room of them, for whom He Offered Himself, is implied here; for other ways His Offering up of Himself, could not have been a Sacrifice Satisfactory to Justice, if the Lord Jehovah had not been content so far, to • el • xe His Threatning, and Curse, in reference to the Partie Offending? as to admit o • a cautioner, in the Room of the Dyvour Sinners, to Satisfie for them; of which Satisfaction He accepted: All these things put together, make Christ's Interposing Himself as a Sacrifice, and Surity complete; I delight to do thy will, supposes not only God's pleasure, that He should Interpose, but His accepting of His Interposing: And this is, (to speak so) the Flooring, and Founda ion of the Work of Redemption; The S ntence stands over the Elect's Head, Cursed are the Guilty, Christ comes in and I • terposes Cheerfu lie to take on the Debt, and says, here I am, Let the Curse fall on me, and let Satisfaction be taken from Me; And this being Offered according to God's Will, it is accepted, and Christ's Satisfaction becomes an Offering in their Room.

Use. See here a desperate Condition wherein, by Nature, we are all lying; it sets us well, in speaking of Grace, to take a view of what we were: And it shows how much Sinners are in Christ's Debt and Common, that Interposed for us, in this condition. Could we suitably make inquiry what case we were in, under the hand of Justice, and it's Stroak ready to light on us; And could we behold our Lord Jesus Christ Interposing for us, and the Sword of Justice awaking against Him, and smiting Him for us; and the Lord Jehovah accepting of His Interposing, and making His Soul an Offering for Sin; And Him Willingly; and Delightsomly Offering up Himself in our Room; we would see our obligation to God, who was pleased to contrive, admit, and accept of this Way, and Mean of our Redemption; And could we consider, what a • vantages we have by this Redemption; and what it cost Christ to obtain it; we would see ourselves much, unspeakably much in His Debt: The day is coming, when it will be thought a favor, and when the Sweet Effects of it shall be made fully forthcoming to them, that now Cordially close with it; And when the Fruit of Dispising it shall be found to be bitter like Gall, and Wormwood.

2. From it's being said, when thou shalt make; Or, when His Soul shall make itself, or He Himself shall make Himself an offering for sin; Observe, That as Christ undertook, and by undertaking, Interposed to come in Sinners Room, to Satisfie for their Sins; So His Death and S • fferings are really the performing of that und • r • aking; And His Death an • Sufferings are so to be looked on, and considered by us. as an Offering for Sin; or thus, Christ's Death is the Sin- • ff • ing, that Satisfi • d▪ the Justice of God, in t • e Room of • lect Sinners; This is the Sum, or Compend of all that is spoken of His Sufferings; If then it be asked, what meaned they all? Here it is, He was made a Sin-offering; we shall clear it a little in these three, or four Parts, or Branches. 1. Christ is properly a Sin-offering, or a Sacrifice for Sin; He is properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin; That Satisfice the Justice of God for the Sins of the Elect. 2. This Sacrifice was especially Offered by • im, in His Death, and Sufferings, It's His Suffering, and Humiliation that is most properly this Sacrifice, for i • 's that which is related here. 3. That by Christ's Offering up of Himself, He was not only outwardly Pi • ched, but His Soul was deeply affected, and troubled; In Satisfyin • the Sin-revenging Justice of God, both His Soul and Body were Straitned, and Stressed. 4 By His Suffering, there is a Sufficient Satisfaction given to Justice, for the Sins of His People, a Propitiation, or Propitiatory Sacrifice, that makes God Propititious to Elect Sinners; as in Satisfying the Justice of God for Sin; all other things are denied to have a hand; So there is a sufficient Efficacy, and Worth in this • acrifice to do the turn: and by God it is accepted as such, And so there is a fair way m • de to them, for whom He Off • rs this Sacrifice to escape Sin, and the Wrath and Curse of God; and to be set free.

As for the First of these, to wit, That our Lord Jesus, in His Dying▪ and Suffering, was Properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice; or is Properly a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the taking away of Sin? To clear it a little, we would consider. 1. That Sacrifices are sundry ways taken in Scripture. 1. Sometimes they are taken improperly for Duties; as Alms, Prayers, Praises, &c. Psal. 51. The sacrifice of a broken heart thou wilt not despise? So also Heb. 13.15, 16. 2. They are taken more properly for such Sacrifices as were Offered under the Law; as of Bullocks, Lambs Rams, and Goats; yet none of these was the true Propitiatory Sacrifice, as is clear, Heb. 10.4. It was impossible that the blood of bulls, and goats could take away sin. But Christ's Sacrifice is properly the Propitiatory Sacrifice; It being by this Sacrifice, that Believers under the Old Testament became part • kers of Redemption, and obtained Remission of Sins, as well as Believers do now under the New; If it be then asked? What is necessary to a Sacrifice properly so taken? I answer these four things, (all which we will find to be in Christ's Sacrifice) 1. That there be something, or matter set a part to be Offered to God, in the Room of some other thing, as it was in the Typicall Sacrifices. 2. That there be some appointed to offer the Sacrifice; that there be some set a part for that very thing. 3. That there be a Killing, or Destroying of the thing that is Offered in a Sacrifice; which especially, in the Sin-offering was necessary; to wit, that it should be Kil • ed, or Destroyed; as we see in Exod. 29. and Leviticus frequently; This had a Signification, and the Lord would thereby point out Mans great guilt, and the necessity of a Mediator, in Order to the obtaining of Pardon; for there could be no Remission, or Pardon of Sin without Blood; as it is, Heb. 9.22. Therefore the Sinner behooved either to die himself, or to have another to die for him, and in his Room. 4. The Sacrifice behooved to be Offered according to the manner prescribed by God, as to all the Rites and Cerimonies enjoined. Now we may see all ••• se in Christ's Sacrifice; For 1. He Himself is the Sacrifice, Heb. 7.26. Heb. 9.26. Heb. 10.10. And • requently elsewhere, in that Epistle, and 1. Pet. 2.24. Who his own self bare our sins, in his own body on the tree; And when He had Offered up Himself as a Sacrifice, he sat down on the right hand of majesty on high; He is the alone Sacrifice, that comes properly in the Room of Elect Sinners. 2. As there behooved to be One, to Offer the Sacrifice, so Christ Jesus is the Priest, that Offered up the Sacrifice of Himself: He is not only the Sacrifice, but the Priest; And in this He differed from other Priests, Heb. 7.26. Such an high Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, separate from sinners, and made higher then the heavens; and then follows, who needs not daily, as these high priests, to offer up sacrifices; first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people; for this he did once, when he offered up himself. There are three things ordinarily Attributed to Christ, as to His Sacrifice, to wit, That He was the Sacrifice, the Altar, and the Priest; 1. He was the Sacrifice, in respect of His Human Nature, which we are not so to look upon, as Abstracting, and Dividing it from His Divine Nature; For though He Suffered in the Flesh, yet it was the same Person, that was God that Suffered. 2, He was the Altar, by which His Sacrifice received a special Efficacy, Virtue, Value, and Commendation; As it's said, The Altar sanctifies the offering: So Christ Jesus, according to His God-head, was the Altar, which did put an special excellency on His Sufferings, and made them to be of such Worth and Value; Therefore, Heb. 9.14. It's said, that he through the eternal spirit offered up himself without spot unto God; It was the Suffering of the Person that was God, that made the Sacrifice to be accepted. 3. He was the Priest, and that according to both His Naturs, each Nature concurring, and that jointly, as in one Person, to the making of the S • crifice Offered up to God acceptable. 3. We have in Him a real destruction, but do not mistake the Word; It is not so to be understood, as if He were annihilated, or had been utterly destroyed, and undone; but the meaning is this, That He was Killed, or put to Death, and His Soul separate from His Body: in which respect, He ceased to be what He was before for a time; having been really Slain; Dead and Buried. And 4. All this was according to God's prescription, and appointment, in the Covenant of Redemption; This commandment, (saith He, John 10.18.) have I received of my Father, to wit, that I should lay down my life for my sheep; And most emphatically, He says, John 14.13. as my Father gave me commandment, even so; (mark, even so, most exactly, in conformity to the Commandment) do I: It was all, as to every circumstance ordered according to the good pleasure of God, who was pleased thus to bruise Him and to put Him to Grief.

The 1. Use of it serves, To teach us, how to Conceive, and Consider of Christ's Death, and Sufferings rightly, to wit, even as a Sacrifice designed by God, to come in the Room of Elect Sinners; and how to look upon His Death; not as the ordinary Death of ordinary or mere Men; who by necessity of Nature Die; but to look on it, as being appointed of God, to be a Sacrifice properly so taken, for the Sins of His People.

2dly. This serves to clear some Truths, concerning our Lord Jesus His Sacrifice; For we must consider it, as satisfying to Justice, and Meritoriously procuring the escaping from Wrath, and Salvation of them for whom He Interposed: It is from the gross Ignorance, or from the wicked denial of this ground, that the damnable deniers of Christ's Satisfaction, do also deny the Propriety of His Sacrifice on Earth, and bound it to Heaven; whereas, it is bounded to His Death; though by virtue of this One Offering, He continues to intercede for us in Heaven.

3dly. It teaches Sinners what is the native Use which they should make of this Sacrifice; They should look upon it, as the only Sacrifice to prevent Eternal Death, and the Curse of God; an • so it demonstrats to us, that either Jes • s Christ must be received by Faith, and His Sacrifice rested on; or we must resolve to meet with Wrath, and the Curse of God ourselves in our own Persons.

4ly. It serves to clear us anent the Way and Tract of Grace; to wit, how it came to pass, that our Lord, who was innocent, and without Sin, was so bruised, and put to grief: He came to be a Propiti • tion for the Sins of His People, and sisted Himself in our Room, as our Cautioner, as a Sin-offering for us: It would doubtless gnash many Questions, and Doubts, that arise in the Hearts of Believers, if it were well understood: They may say, we should have been in such and such a sad condition; this and that terrible thing would have come on us, if He had not Interposed; never enough can these words be spoken and thought of, that we have, 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.

5ly. It serves for notable Consolation to Believers, who have betaken themselves to Christ, and have many Challenges for Sin to buckle with; That His Death was to be properly a Sacrifice for Sin; and was so accepted of God in their Room: So that ye see the right uptaking of Christ's Death, is a matter of no little moment; Christ crucified, being the very Substance of the Gospel: It helps much, to keep alive the Impression of our Sinfulness, and of the Goodness of God; and gives us Direction how to escape Wrath, by puting Him in our Room: There is nothing, wherein Folks more readily miscarry, in making of their Peace with God, then in not making the right use of Christ, and of His Sacrifice, and Death: Some praying for Pardon of Sin from Him, and not for Him, or for His sake, when they know not what they are saying, as we hinted at before; Some praying for strength from Him for Duty, that they may do for themselves, not considering that we are Justified by His Interposing in our Room, and by Faith's closing with Him, under that consideration, as fisting Himself at the Bar of Justice; and as being content to be a Sin-offering: and the Lord accepting of Him in the Room of Elect Sinners: This being well considered, gives to Faith much clearness how to take Him up, when the Soul honestly aims to partake of the benefit of His Sufferings.

2ly. For clearing this a little further, we would know, That there are (as Divines observe) Four or Five ways, how the Death of Christ is to be considered; or how Christ, in procuring by His Death Redemption, Peace, and Pardon to Sinners is holden forth in Scripture. 1. He purchases Redemption, and Pardon of Sin, Meritoriously, or He Merits it by His Death; this Respects the Value of Christ's Sufferings, and Satisfaction: So that if we consider Christ in Himself, and the Elect in themselves; His Death, and these Sufferings, are more; then if all the Elect had Suffered Eternally in Hell. 2: His Death is considered, as a Satisfaction; And this looks to the Wrong, that Men by Sin have done to God: That the finite and feckless Creature durst be so malapert as to break God's Command; It required a Satisfaction equivalent to the Wrong done; though the Word Satisfaction, be not in Scripture, yet the thing is: Christ Jesus, for the Restoring of God to His Honor, That was, as to the Manifestation of it, wronged by Mans Sin; comes in to perform the will of God, and to Satisfie, for the wrong done Him by Man; that it may be made known, that God is Holy and Just, who will needs avenge Sin on His own Son, the Holy and Innocent Cautioner; when He Interposes in the Room of the Sinner, which vindicats the Spotless Justice, and Sovereignty of God as much, as, if not more, then if He had exacted the satisfaction off the Sinners themselves: As it is, Rom. 3.16. To declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. 3 Christ's Death is considered as a Redemption of Man, from Sin, the Law, and the Curse, because liable to a Debt which he cannot of himself pay; and His Death was in this respect a paying of the Debt, that Man was owing, and a loosing of the Captive and Imprisoned Sinner; even as when a Piece of Land is mortgaged, and a Person comes in, and pays that for which it was Morgaged: So Jesus Christ comes in, and as it were, asks, what are these Men owing? and what is due to them? It's answered, they are Sinners, Death, and the Curse are due to them; well, saith He, I will take their Debt on my Self, I will pay their Ransom, by undergoing all that was due to them. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, (saith the Apostle, Gal. 3.13.) being made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles: And so Christ's Death in this respect is to be looked on, as a laying down of the same Price, that Justice would have exacted of Men: His Death is the paying of our Ransom, and Satisfying of the account that was over our head. 4. His Death is considered, as it furthered the Work of the Redemption of Elect Sinners, by a powerful annulling of the Obligation that was against us, and by a powerful overcoming of all enemies that kept us Captive: He grappled and yocked with the Devil, in that wherein he seemed to be strongest, and overcame him; He tore the Obligation that stood over Sinners heads, as it is, Coll. 2.14, 15. Blotting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us, and that was contrary to us; he took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it: In this respect, though His Death be one of the lowest steps of His Humiliation; yet considering Him, as in it, prevailling over the Devil, and other Enemies, He is to be looked on, as powerfully Working, and efficaciously perfecting our Salvation: In the former respect, He pays God the Debt that was due by Sinners; in the Latter Respect, considering the Devil, and Spiritual Enemies, as so many Jaylours, keeping Sinners Prisoners, He, by His Death, wrings, as it were the Keys out of their hands▪ and sets the Prisoners Free. 5. Christ's Death is considered (as it is in the Text, As an Offering and Sacrifice for Sin; In this respect, it looks to God as displeased with Man; and our Lord Jesus Interposes to pacify Him, and to make Him well pleased; and that by the means of His Death, God's Peace, Favor and Friendship may be recovered to poor sinful Men: All these Considerations of the Death of Christ, are but one, and the same upon the matter; Yet thus diversified, they serve to show, how inexpressibly much Sinners are obliged to Christ; what great advantages they have by Him: And what a desperate, condition they are in, who are without Him; having nothing to satisfy Justice, nor to pay their Debt with.

2dly. We said, that this Sacrifice was especially Offered by Him, in His Death; Therefore He is said to Offer this Sacrifice on the Cross. He himself, as Peter hath it, 1, 2.24. bare our sins in his body, on the tree: Heb. 9. at the close: And Heb. 10.14. It is said, that he once offered up himself to bear the sins of many, and by his once offering he hath perfected forever, these who are sanctified: So that this Offering is to be applied to that which He suffered on Earth, before He ascended; and it is in this respect, that He is a Propitiatory Sacrifice: though, as I said the Virtue thereof is still communicated by Him, now when He is in Heaven.

Use, This serves to remove two Errors, about Christ's Sacrifice. The 1. is that, which bounds and limits Christ's Offering, and Priest-hood to His going to Heaven, thereby to enervat the Efficacy of His Sufferings, and Death; quit contrary to this Scripture, wherein the Prophet explicating His Sufferings on Earth, calleth them an offering for sin. The 2. is that Blasphemous Conceit, and Fancie of the Papists, who account their abominable Mass, a Propitiatory Sacrifice, for taking away the Sins of the Quick, and o • the Dead; which as it is most horrid Blasphemy; So it is most expressly against this Text: for if Christ's Sacrifice, for the taking away of Sin, be peculiarly applied to His Humiliation, and Death; which brought with it such a change, as made H • m not to be for a time what He was before: Then certainly there can be nothing of that now, which can bear that Name; there being no other thing, to which the properties of a real Sacrifice can agree, but this only. 3. I said, that Christ's Offering up of Himself in a Sacrifice, was in His Soul as well as in Hi • Body; and that He was therein, obnoxio • s to the Wrath of God: That is, as He stood Cautioner for the Elect, and had the Cup of Wrath • u in His hand, He Suffered not only in His Body, but also, and Mainly in His Soul, which the Jews could not reach; and He is here holden out, as a Sin-offering in His Soul, yea, considering, that it was the Wrath of God, and His Curse due to the Elect, that He had to deal with, His Soul was more capable to be affected with it then His Body; Hence He says, when no hand of Man touched Him, John 12.27. Now is my Soul troubled, and what shall I say? and Matth. 26.38. and Luk. 22.44. Now is my soul exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; and being in an agony he prayed, &c. That which looked like strong Armies mustered, and drawn up against Him, was not the Soldiers that came to take Him, nor the Bodily Death, which was quickly to follow; but it was the Fathers coming with His awakened Sword, to exact of Him the Debt due, by the Elect: And to be avenged on Him for their wrongs, and His being to step in into their Room, and to be smitten with that awaked, and furbished Sword, and to Offer Himself the Sacrifice, as He had long before engaged: Here O! here was the heat and strength of the Battle.

Use, This shows, 1. What a Dear Price Christ paid for Sinners. 2. The severity of the Justice of God, in exacting the Elects Debt of the Cautioner. 3. How much we are obliged to the Cautioner, who, so willingly undertook the Debt, and was so ready to pay it, though it cost Him not only External and Bodily Sufferings; but Soul-suffering, and put Him to encounter with God's Curse and Wrath: We are persuaded, could we conceive, and speak aright of these Sufferings, that there is a great Mystery here: And really it is a wonder, that we are not more affected wi • h it, even to consider, that such miserable Creatures, should be pursued by Justice, that can do nothing to avert the Stroak of it; And that such a great and g • orious Person, as the Son of God, should Interpose Himself; And that the Father should spare the poor sinful Enemies, and make a way for them to escape, by the Diverting of His Justice from pursuing them, and by making it take hold of the Son of His Bosom, Exacting the Debt severely from Him, O! what a wonder is this? That the Lord should pass by the Enemy, and satisfy Himself of His own Son; Yea, that God should take on Himself the place of a Mid-man, and Satisfie Himself: That God should be in Christ reconciling the world to himself. This, this is the Wonder: Herein Infinit Wisdom, Pure and Spotless Justice, Holiness and Faithfulness, Grace and Mercy, to the Admiration of Men and Angels appear, and shine forth most Radiantly; It can hardly be known, in which of these the Glory of God shines most, in this Great and Glorious Work of Redemption. But of them all, we may say to you Elect, and believing Sinners, what could our Lord Jesus do more for your Salvation? I say, what, could He do more, then to Offer up Himself, a Propitiatory Sacrifice for your Sins? In the Gospel, He calleth upon you to make use of it, that by Virtue of His Sacrifice, your Peace may be made with God; as it is, 1 John 2.1, 2. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and then follows. He is the propitiation for our sins: This may give abundant ground to Sinners, to go upon, in their Application to God, for Pardon and Peace, even this, that He hath made Himself a Sacrifice, for setting of them free; For whom He Offered Himself a Sacrifice: O! Sinners admire Him, employ; and make use of His Moyen, and Court in Heaven; Improve, and Welcome these glad Tydings, and let it never be said, nor heard of, that He was Offered up a Sacrifice, and that ye would not admit of the benefit of it; that ye would not accept of Him, to be a Days-man, and Tryster betwixt God and you, to remove all grounds of quarrel; O! for Christ's sake, and as ye love your Souls, step to, and seek Grace to make the right of use His Sacrifice, in order to the obtaining of the Pardon of your Sin, and the making of your Peace with God: Let Himself powerfully persuade you to, and prevail with you, in this incomparably greatness of all concerns.

SERMON XXXIX.

WHere there is any Light and Knowledge of a God-head amongst Men; There is this impression on them, that it is a dreadful thing, to have a Contraversie lying over betwixt God and them unremoved: And upon this ground it is, that as naturally the Conscience doth challenge, for the provoking of God, so Men, according to the Light they have, are set on, to seek after this, and that, and the other Mean and Way, to get God appeased, and the Conscience quieted; and it's like that this hath descended to Men from Noah, that the most part of them have thought on the Mean of Sacrifices, by them to make their Peace with God; So the Lord taught the Family of Adam, after the Fail; and Noah renewed it, after his coming out of the Ark; and it is probable (as I said) somewhat of this hath abiden with, and stuck to Men, even when they Degenerated, and Apostatized from God, and offered Sacrifices to Devils, though not intentionally, but unto God in their account: And indeed it is no marvel that Flesh and Blood be here at a stand; and made to say, wherewithal shall we come before God? But we have this advantage by the Gospel; That in it, the Lord hath shown to us, what it is that satisfieth Justice, and takes away Sin, and the Curse; and that it is even this in the Text: Thou shalt make his foul an offering for sin: There is no other thing that a Sinner can bring with him, that can be accepted, or that can make him to be accepted of God.

We have hinted at some things from the Words already, and show, that Christ's Sacrifice is called an offering for sin, as excluding all others; and as expressing the Nature and Ends of it: We shall now speak to one thing more, which is the 4th, implied in this expression; And it is this, That though Atonement and Satisfaction to God can be made by no other Sacrifice, or Offering, yet there is an Atonement and Satisfaction, that may be made by Christ's Offering: Hence He is called an offering for sin: not only because it excluds all others, but also because he is accepted for that very end, as a Propitiation for the Sins of them, for whom He Suffered, and Offered Himself in a Sacrifice; as this is denied to all other things (as we just now said) so it is Applyed, and Appropriated to Him, and His Offering, as, Heb. 10. v. 10. By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. v. 12. This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God. And v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected forever, them that are sanctified: This is the great thing that the Apostle aims at, in that Dispute, not only to cast the Levitical Offerings, as to the removing of Sin and the Curse, and making of Sinners Peace with God; but to commend this one offering, as able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God through it: And according to this, we have that great Question answered to poor Sinners; wherewithal shall we come before the Lord, and bow ourselves before the most high God? He hath shown, O! man, what is meet, and what the Lord requireth of thee. That there is nothing but this one Sacrifice of Christ, that will do the turn; and this will do it most infallibly, and most fully, as to the procuring of Pardon of Sin, and the making of their Peace with God; So that by the right making use of this Sacrifice, a Sinner may most really expect • emission of Sins, and Peace with God, and His Friendship, as if Sin had never been; For other ways Christ could not be called the Sin-offering, or an offering for sin, If He were not accepted in Room of the Sinner that comes to Him.

To clear it a little, There are Four thing • , in and about this Sacrifice, to make out this, and to prove, That a Sinner, that makes use of this Sacrifice, may expect the Pardon of Sin, and Peace with God. The 1. Is the excellency of His Offering. He offered himself, As it is, Heb. 7.27. and Heb. 10.10.12.14. The Offering up of Himself, and of His Blessed Body on the Tree, was another sort of Sacrifice then all these Bulls, Rams, and Goats, Offered under the Law, that were but Types of Him. The 2. Is the excellency of the Person, that Offered up this Offering▪ which is in effect the excellency of the Priest: As the Sacrifice was excellent, beyond all other Sacrifices, so also, is the Priest above all other Priests, Heb. 7.26. Such an high Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners: A Priest, who is the Son, and is set over the House, as the Heir; and though the Human Nature was the Sacrifice, yet (as was said before) not as abstracted from the Divine Nature, the Person being but One, and so the Priest Offering commends the Sacrifice Offered, and makes, that it cannot but be accepted. The 3d. is, His Willing condescending, to be the Sin-offering, to Interpose Himself, and to become this Sacrifice, out of respect to the Honor of God, that His Justice might be Vindicated and Satisfied: And that thereby access might be made, for showing Mercy to the Heirs of Salvation; which exceedingly commends this Sacrifice; according to that of John 10.17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again; No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself, and take it again; It commends His Sacrifice, that He was not constrained to it, but did it most Willingly, and with Delight: It's true, if we look to Him, as the Eternal Son of God, and the second Person of the blessed Trinity, He could not but be Loved of the Father, as well before His Incarnation, as after; but that He says, Therefore doth my Father love me, It is to be understood, an account of His Voluntary condescending, as Mediator, to do His Fathers will; and out of respect to His Honor ingadging, and according to His ingadgement, satisfying His Justice for the Elect; And this cannot but commend His Offering, That such a glorious Person, who was Holy, Harmless, and Undefiled, should out of tenderness to the Honor of God, and that the wrong done to it by Sinners, might be repaired; and out of love to the Elect, should condescend to stoup so low, as to make Himself a Sin-offering: This regard for the Honor of God, and Willing condescendencie to Suffer for the Repairing of it, is abundantly Valuable, and (though it be a great Word) above the disrespect that Sinners evidenced to the Honor of God, by their sinning. The 4th, is the Covenant, which is the ground of this Offering, and that whereby it is regulated, and the Terms of it: It was not an undertaking, as a piece of Will-worship, but according to the deliberate Counsel, and Fore-knowledge of God; wherein it was Determined, that the Son should become Cautioner, and be made liable for the Debt of the Elect, and be an Offering for their Sin, by which Freedom from Sin and Wrath should accresce to Elect Sinners; and all this being concluded in the Covenant of Redemption, His Offering could not but be accepted for us: The Lord having condescended on the Articles of that Covenant for this very end.

This Doctrine is of mighty great and notable concernment to Sinners; and were there any such Wakening and Rouring amongst us, that Souls were put to say, and cry, What shall we do to be saved? The opening up of the Truth, to wit, That Christ is a Sin-offering for Sinners, and that by His Offering the Atonement is made; would be much more acceptable and refreshfull; And therefore let this be the 1. Use. That though there be nothing imaginable, that can be brought before God, which will be acceptable to Him, as a satisfaction to His Justice; yet here there is a Ransom found by the Offering whereof to God, a Soul that is lying under challenges for Sin, and apprehensions of Wrath may expect absolution; This is in effect, that which Elihu says, Job 33. If there be an interpreter, one of a thousand to show unto man his righteousness, then he is gracious unto him, and saith, deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom; here is the Ransom, our Lord Jesus Christ stepping in, in Sinners Room, and Offering Himself up a Sacrifice, to satisfy the Justice of God; So that a Sinner in making use of that, may come to be in good terms with God; and are not these glad Tydings of great joy, that an Offering is provided, a Ransom paid, and a way found out, how Sinners liable to the Curse may expect Freedom, It's no small matter, that God hath given this Subject to us to speak of, and to you to hear of; that the Torturing Anxiety of a Soul driven almost to Dispair, may have this for an answer; even the Blood of Jesus, that blood of sprinkling that purges the conscience from dead works; which, as it satisfies Justice, so it quiets the Conscience of the Sinner, that flies unto it and makes right use of it; It would become Sinners well, to think more of these Glad Tydings, and to study to have them always Fresh: There are many Parts of the World, wherein Men are Sacrificing Beasts; some Lambs, some Rams, some other Beasts, And some, it may be the First-born of their Bodies, for the Sin of their Souls; (and which is lamentable, Sacrificing these things to the Devil, on the matter at least, and not to God) and yet all that does not their turn; And not having hard of this Offering, they cannot make use of it; neither can their Conscienee ever be quiet: But our Lord Jesus hath sent these blessed News to us, and hath shown us what is the Sin-offering, the Atonement, and Propitiatory Sacrifice; We need not send our Children through the fire, nor bring any other Offering to God, to appease His Wrath; He hath given us His Son, and hath accepted Him for a Sin-offering, and hath told us, that this shall be as sufficient and satisfying, as if we had made the satisfaction ourselves; here, O! here is the wonder, even a wonder of wonders.

Use, 2. See here the way how we come to Life by Christ; It's imported in this Doctrine, to be by Christ's being made an Offering for us; It's not by our praying to Him, as God, nor by our Holy Living, nor by His working Holiness in us; (though these ought and will be, in some measure, where He is made use of aright) but by His Offering up Himself in a Sacrifice for us; and by God's imputing it to us▪ and considering that Christ Jesus in the Offering in our Room; And that thereby God is pacified, and Sin and Wrath removed; There can no other way be conceived, how we are made partakers of it, but by imputation; This will be the more clear, if we consider, that the same way, that our Sins became Christ's, the same way His Righteousness becomes ours; or the same way that Justice laid Clame to Him for our Debt; the same way lay we Claime to His Righteousness: Now it is Blasphemous to think, that our Sin became His any other way; but that Legally he entering Himself as our Cautioner, our Sin was reckoned on His Score; even so His Righteousness becomes ours, by being imputed to us: So the Apostle says, 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 have His Righteousness derived to us: It were good that we would learn how to win to this Righteousness, even by presenting Him to Justice, as Cautioner for our Debt, and by taking hold of His Righteousness to ground our plea upon, when we come to reckon with God for our Sins: And we think that there is here a clear ground, for refuting of that way of Justification, by anything inherent in ourselves: For if it be by His Offering, that we are Justified, then it is by nothing in ourselves. Now this Name that Christ's Sufferings get, bears out, that it's that which satisfies God, and absolves us, as the alone Meritorious and Procuring Cause; And therefore there is no other thing, that we can derive our Justification from, but His Righteousness only.

Use 3. Seeing by Christ's Offering there is a Ransom and Atonement to be had; And seeing it is offered in the Gospel, we pray you, in the Name of the Lord, take hold of, and improve this Offering; let every Body that hears tell that Christ is the Sin-offering, endeavor to get Him to be their Sin-offering; There are none that know, and find that they have Sinned, but they would think of an amends; and here it is: and there is ground to exhort you to make use of it, and to encourage you in it; because this is the very End of His Suffering, and He is fully furnished completely to accomplish it; If there were no access to Life by this Offering, He would not be called a Sin-offering, in opposition to all other Offerings; There is ground therefore to declare this to you, that by Christ Jesus Life, and Reconciliation is attainable, and that it is actually attained by accepting of this Offering: Such as accept of it, and rest upon it, shall find Acceptation with God, and Freedom from Sin and Wrath, by virtue thereof; It's a common Question, What shall we do? we do all we dow, or may; but if we were studying a long time to tell you; This is it, even to make use of Christ's Offering, This, and this only will do your turn completely, and no other thing will do it.

The 4th Use, Is of strong Consolation to all who betake themselves to Christ, He is the Sin-offering, that procures the taking away of Sin and Wrath, and that procures Friendship with God; and there is no imputation of Sin, nor condemnation to them who are in him, Rom. 8.1. And hence is that triumph v. 34. who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth who is he that will condemn? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, &c. If Justice were coming to execute the Sentence, what can it say to the Believer? Jesus Christ hath stepped in betwixt Wrath and Him; and as to God's acceptation, He alone is accounted the Sin-offering; and as these who under the Law Offered the Typical Sacrifices, had access to the Ordinances, and were Sanctified, as to the purifying of the Flesh: So much more is this Offering able to purify the Conscience, and to purge it from dead works; and to give fair access to the Promises of Life, and to the Favor of God, to all them who make use of it, as if they had never Sinned. I know much of the weight of this Consolation will lie on this, whether Christ's Offering be made use of; And some will say, How shall we make use of Christ's Offering? And others will ask, how shall we know, if we have made right use of it? And would to God, that Souls were beatten off from their Pride and Security, and brought under the conviction of a necessity of use making of Christ, He would discover both to them: But before we answer the Question, there are two things we would presuppose. 1. We presuppose that the Soul is made sensible of it's need of Christ's Sacrifice, from the apprehension it hath of a Quarrel bebetwixt God and it, and from the fear of His Wrath because of Sin; else the asking of such a Question is to no purpose; For as we hinted before, the Offering of a Sacrifice implies the Confession of Guilt: So the making use of Christ's Sacrifice presupposes sense of Sin; Err a Soul can make use of His Offering, it must know, it's due was utter Consumption, 2. We presuppose, That the Soul is desirous to be at God, and to have peace with Him, To which End Christ is the Midse; and there will be no respect had to the Midse, except there be a respect had to the End, as it is, Heb. 11.6. He that comes to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently; where there is implied in the Comer, a desire to be at God, and an expectation of some Benefit, to be had from Him, or as the Word is, Heb. 7.27. He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come to God by him; Which implies the Sinners being sensible of his lost condition; his desire to be at God; and then Christ's Offering comes in, as the Mids, to bring about, and to come by that End. But these being presupposed, The great thing wherein the Answer of the Question lies, How to make use of Christ's Offering for the attaining of that End, of Pardon of Sin, and Peace with God, seem • to be holden out in that Word, Heb. 7.25. He is able to save to the uttermost, them that come unto God by him; And therein we may consider Sinners desire to be at God, and the use making of Christ, in reference to that End, in these Three. 1. To have the Breach made up with God, in respect of their State. 2. For quieting the Conscience, in respect of Particular Challenges. 3. For the making up of their defects, in Grace, as well as for the removing of Sin: And as use making of Christ in these Three, points out the way of a Sinners coming to Christ; So a Sinners going on in this way, evidenceth his right use making of Him; which will serve to Answer both the Questions, to wit, how to make use of Christ's Offering? and how to know that we are making use of it a right?

For the First, to wit, Going to God by Christ. 1. It is opposed to stepping in to God, at the first hand. 2. It is opposed to the use making of any other thing in our coming to God, for making up the Breach. 3. It implies the Sinners betaking of himself to Christ, as the Mid-man, by whom he expects to come to Friendship with God; There are some Scriptural Similitudes, whereof, if we could rightly conceive, and apply them to this Purpose, they might serve much to clear it: There is a Distance, which, like a Gulf is fixed betwixt God and Man, a Soul then comes to God by Christ, as one goes over a Gulf by a Bridge; Hinted at by the Apostle, Heb. 10.19, 20. Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated to us through the veil, which is his flesh, We take the force of the Similitude to lie in this, That as one that hath a Vail betwixt him and another, whom he desires to approach to; must go through the Vailere he win to that other; So here Christ's Flesh being the Vail▪ He, by His Death hath rent it; that Sinners might step through that Rent, or Breach to God; That is, when all was before shut up, and close betwixt God and Sinners; Christ was content, that a Rent should be made in His Body, through which they might come to God; Coming to God by Christ in this Sense, is to walk, as 't were, on Christ's Sufferings as a Bridge, and to have no other Place, or Ground to Stand, or Walk on to God, but this: Again, John 10. Christ calls Himself the Door, I am the door, and John 14. To the same purpose, He is called the way: To tell us, That, as none can come in to a House, but by the Door, nor can come to the end of their journey, but by the way that leads to it; So Heaven being shut up, and closed upon Sinners, any that would have entry into it, must betake themselves to Christ by Faith; For by Faith in Him, the Door is opened, and the Way Paved to Heaven; It is a good token, when the way to Heaven looks on the Sinner, as a hard Wall, or like a sinking Moss or Boge; and Faith in Christ, gives him some little hold, whereby he wi • s over the Wall, and leads him to some little Hillocks, or hard Bits, or Spots of Ground, whereby he steps thorough the Moss, or Boge to Christ; Or, when the Sinner lays his Reckoning to make use of Christ's Satisfaction; for payment of his Debt: So that if he were to appear at the Bar of Justice, his answer would not be; that if he had done a Fault, he had made, or would make a Mends; nor that he Prayed, and Repented, and sought Mercy; but this, that he took with his Guilt, and made use of Christ's Sacrifice; So Paul speaking, when renewed, in opposition to what he was, while a Pharisee, says, Philip. 3. That he counts all things to be but loss and dung, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, that he may be found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is according to the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ: When he, even he thinks on the Day of Judgment, and where he will hide himself in that Day, when it shall be asked, (and every other shall be asked the Question) Where art thou? his Desire, and Resolution is, to give this Answer; I am in Christ, Lord; I have no righteousness of my own to lippen, or to trust to; I will never make mention of my painfulness in my Ministry, of the tenderness of my Walk, nor of anything else of that Kind; But I will betake myself to Christ's Righteousness, and will say, Lord, here is much Debt on my Score; but there is a Righteousness to which I am fled by Faith; And on this I will ground all my Answers: This Righteousness is in Christ, as the Purchaser thereof; And it is ours by Faith, when we betake ourselves to it, to make it the ground of our Claime; even as if a number of Men were Pursued for Debt before a Judge, and one should come in, and say; I have paid so much; And another should say, give me down a Part, and I will pay the rest; And a Third should say, give me a Day and Time, and I will Satisfie; And a Fourth poor Body should come in, and say, I have indeed nothing myself to pay m • Debt with; but I betake myself to the R • sponsall Cautioner, who hath paid all for such as betake themselves to H •• : This is Faith's Answering, and Arguing: It will neither shift the Debt, nor ye • admit of the final Sentence of Condemnation, though readily acknowledged to be deserved; But it Interposes Christ's Satisfaction, as that which will be acceptable, though the Sinner can do nothing of himself; In a word, this way of pleading, is upon the one side, an utter denying of the Mans self; And of all that is, or can be in him, for attaining of Righteousness; And upon the other side a crediting of himself to Christ, for the attaining of that which he hath not in himself; It's not only Faith (if it were possible to separate these two) to deny our own Righteousness, but by the exercise of it, there must be a stepping over on Christ, and on His Righteousness unto God.

The 2d. thing, wherein the exercise of Faith, in the use making of Christ's Sacrifice consists; is, in reference to particular Challenges; For even when a Soul hath fled to Christ, and made use of His Sacrifice for Pardon of Sin, and for Peace with God; it will not be free from Challenges, and from new Accompts; And therefore the exercise of Faith is to be continued in the use making of this Offering, in reference to these particulars, as well as in reference to the making of our Peace with God at first: In which respect, Faith is called a Shield, Eph. 6.16. When new Guilt is contracted, and drawn on, and when Tentation says to the Believer, Is this the Goodness of your Purposes, and Resolutions, which have been like Flaxe before the Fire? No sooner was thou Essayed, and Assaulted, but thou didst greatly Succumb; and wast much Foiled, and Prevailed over: The Soul runs to the same Targe, Buckler, or Shield; and though everyone of these Challenges, be like a fiery Dart, that would set the Conscience on a Flame; yet by Faith the Dart is kept off, or the Venome of it Suckt so out, that it burns not, and it makes the Soul to say, though I cannot satisfy for the Debt, yet there is in Christ's Righteousness whereto I betake myself, which can do it; And if we look to that, which entertains Tormenting Exercises, that speak evil of the Grace of God (for humbling Exercises are called for, and are Profitable) we will find it to be this; to wit, When Souls come to Dispute, and Debate with Challenges, and do not Interpose the Targe or Shield of Faith, taking hold of Christ's Righteousness, betwixt them and these Challenges; for sometimes a Soul will betake itself to Christ's Righteousness for Peace at first, and will look upon itself, as bound to keep, and maintain it's own Peace; and yet will, on the matter, think that it's but a sort of B • ffilling, or Prophaning of Christ's Righteousness, (to say so) to be making daily use of it, for answering of new Challenges; And such will be ready to say, should not a Believer be Holy? And we say, that he should, and that it were to abuse the Spiritual Armor, to take one Piece of it, and not another, yea, or not all the rest; but this we say, likewise, that when one makes use of the Sword of the Spirit, he may warrantably make use of the Shield of Faith also; Failling in this, that is, when Christ's Righteousness is not made use of, in reference to particular Challenges, mightily indisposeth many serious poor Souls, for use making of the rest of the Weapons of their Spiritual Warefare; And therefore, as ye would exercise Faith in general, for reconciiling you to God, as to your State, so ye would exercise Faith on Christ's Offering for doing away of particular Quarrells; and for silencing of particular Challenges; which is to be daily washing at the Fountain. In short, as to the other Question, This may be a mark of a Person, that is making right use of Christ's Offering for his Peace, if he be daily making use of Christ's Offering for his Peace, if he be daily making use of His Offering, for quenching and silencing of particular Challenges.

The 3d. Thing, wherein this exercise of Faith: in the use making of Christ's Sacrifice consists, is, in reference to the defects of our Grace; we have indeed much need of Christ, and He hath much forthcoming in Him, for the helping of Grace; for the amending of weak Faith, and Love, and other Graces; as well as for obtaining Pardon of Sin, and of Peace with God; and for answering of Challenges; And yet ofttimes, these who are making use of Christ in the former two respects, are in hazard, and ready to think, that they should Believe more, Love more, and exercise other Graces more, of themselves; But we are to make use of Him, for helping defects of Grace, as well as for these other things; By this, I mean not only the use making of Christ meritoriously; and so that we should look on Faith, Love, Repentance, and every other Grace, as purchased by Him, as well as Peace with God; and and that we should make use of Christ's Offering, for attaining of these; But I also mean, that we should make use of Christ, as a Priest, to make His own Offering effectual, for attaining all the Benefits of His Purchase: Considering, that he is able to save to the uttermost, all these that come unto God by him: The Apostle goeth on this ground, Heb. 10.19, 20. Seeing we have such an high Priest, and such an Offering, Let us draw near with full assurance of faith, &c. And if ye ask what this is? It is of largely extended use; It is even to make use of Christ, as a Priest, not only as the object of Faith, and as the Procurer and Worker of Faith, but also for the confirming of weak Faith; It's a looking to Him, to get the weak Faith, that we dare scarcely lippen to, made strong, and a lippening, or trusting of our weak Faith to Him, to carry us through, when we dare not well lean to it; In the first respect, we do by Faith lippen, and trust to Christ's Righteousness: in this last respect, we lippen, or trust our Faith to Him; And look to Him, not only for Pardon, but we lippen to Him for making Faith, to keep it's grips of Him; and as it was with that poor man spoken of, Mark 9. Who, upon the one side, betakes himself to Christ, If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us: And on the other side, being holily impatient, finding his Faith like to fail and misgive, when Christ says to him, If thou canst believe; all things are possible to him that believes; he cries out, in that his holy impatiency, Lord, I believe help thou my unbelief: he acknowledges his unbelief, as well as his Faith; and trusts Christ with the mending of his Faith, and holding together the Sheards of it (so to speak,) when it was like to crack, and fall asunder: Our doing thus, evidenceth a more full denying of ourselves, when we dare not trust our own believing, but as it is committed to Christ, and when there is a Crediting of Him, and Leaning to Him, both for the Benefit we expect, and for the Application of it; That Word of the Apostle, Phil. 3.12. Is apposit, and excellent to this purpose; That I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. As is also that of Pet. 1 Epist- 1 Chap. v. 10. Who are keeped through faith by the power of God. So then in answer to both the Questions. 1. How to make use of Christ's Sacrifice? And 2. How to know, if we have made, or do make use of it a right? We say in short, as to the First, That there must First be a Leaning to His Merit, for the Buying, or Procuring of our Peace, and a betaking of ourselves to it for that end. 2. When Tentations recure, and when new Challenges arise, there must be a constant daily betaking of ourselves to Faith, in his Sacrifice, as to a Shield, or as to a Store-house; which He Himself calleth an abiding in him, John 15.3. There must be an use making of Christ, as a Priest, not only to remove daily Contracted Guiltinesse, but also to heall the Infirmity and Weakness of our Graces; especially of Faith and Love; giving Him Credit to bring our Faith and Love to perfection; It is a sweet Word, which we have, Psal. 103. He healeth all thy diseases. As to the 2d: Question, we say, that Person may look on himself, as making right use of Christ's Righteousness, that is, daily making use of Him, in these fore-named Respects, who, if he were to appear before God, it is Christ's Righteousness only that he would build on; He is also daily making use of Him, to answer Challenges as they recur; and dare not lippen to his own Faith, but as it is committed to Him; Considering, that as Faith is in Himself, it is daily in hazard to be extinguished; And we may add, that he so makes use of Christ; as that he dare not go to God without Him; as the Word is, Heb. 7.25. Them that come to God by him; he comes unto God by Christ, in Prayer, in Praises, and in every other Duty of Worship: The Apostle, to this Purpose, says, Heb. 13.15. By him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God. The believing Soul is never right till it's all be put in His hand: Though all these be not distinct, and explicit in the Persons use making of Christ's Sacrifice; yet he expects, that the Application of the Benefits which Christ hath purchased to him, shall be made forthcoming to him, by virtue of that same Purchase; And that He who is the Author, will also be, the finisher of his faith: The sum and upshot of all, is, to show that as we have much Good, by and in Christ, if we could make use of it; So He calleth us to be Cheerfull, and Comforted, in the use making of it, and not to Minish our own Consolation, when he hath condescended Graciously thus to Extend, and Inlarge it, with so Richly Liberal, and Bountiful a Hand.

SERMON XL.

IT may be thought, and that very justly, that there must be some great and glorious Design driven in the contryvance of the Work of Redemption; That was executed by such a Mean, as is the Suffering of the Son of God; And that there must be some Noble and Notable thing following on it, that moved the Father to send his Son, and the Son to come for this Work. This part of the Text answers, and tells us, what is the Design, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, &c. He shall communicate Life to many that were Dead, and shall beget a Generation, that shall have Life deryved from Him, as a Seed have from their Parents: And so this is a third Answer, for removing of that stumbling Objection, proposed in the beginning of the Verse; to wit, How it came to pass, that the Innocent Son of God, who had done no violence, and who had no guile in his mouth, was put to such Sufferings? We show that there were three Grounds laid down, in Answer to this. 1. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, It was the Fathers good pleasure. The 2d. is, from the Nature of His Sufferings, which were to be a Sin-offering, or an Offering for Sin, not for His own, but for the Sins of the Elect. The 3d. Is, That His Sufferings should have notable Fruits, and Effects following them, set down in Three Expressions; which are partly Prophesies; telling, what should be the Effects of the Sufferings of the Mediator; partly Promises made to the Mediator; telling what should be His Reward and Hyre (to speak so) for His Sufferings. 1. He shall see his seed; that is, many shall get good of His Sufferings; 2. He shall prolong his days, That is, He shall outlive these His Troubles and Sufferings, and shall have a glorious Out-gate, and Reign. 3. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. That is, The Work that was given Him to do, and to finish shall thrive well; and no part of it shall faill, or miscarry. In the First Promise made to Him, or in the first Effect that should follow on His Sufferings, in these Words, He shall see his seed; We have these Three. 1. A Relation implied betwixt Christ and Believers; They are His seed; such as in the next verse, are said to be justifiea by Him; It is in short, many shall get Pardon of Sin, and Justification by His Death; In this respect, it's said, Psal. 45. penult verse, Instead of thy fathers, shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 2. A Prophesy, and foretelling of the event, that should follow Christ's Sufferings, and so it holds out this; That our Lord Jesus should not only have a Seed, but a numerous Seed, that should be made sure to Him, And it seems to be in allusion to that which is spoken of Abraham, and of others in the Old Testament, of whom it's said, that they should have Seed; That is, that many should descend of them; But there is more here; For, whereas others, while they are Living, or in their Life-time beget a Seed, which begetting, is interrupted by Death; The Death of our Lord Jesus begets His Seed, or His Seed are begotten by His Death. 3. Considering the Words as a Promise, they hold out this, That though our Lord Jesus Suffer, and Die, yet He sha l not only have a Seed, but He shall see His Seed. He shall outlive His Sufferings, and Death; And shall be delighted In seeing of them, who shall get the good of His Sufferings; As it's said of Job, that he saw his children, or s • ed of the third and fourth generation; That is, he lived long, and saw m • ny that came of him; even so though our Lord came to Death, and to the G ave; yet He should not only have a numerous Seed, many Children, but He should live, and see them; and that not only for three, or four, or for ten Generations; But for very many Generations: And His dying, should neither mar His begetting, nor the seeing of them: And this seeing of his Seed, is opposed to such Parents as are Dead; and who, though their Children, and Posterity be in want, yet they know it not. From the First of these, Observe, That Believers are our Lord Jesus His Seed; they are come of Him; whatever their Meannesse and Lownesse be, in the World; and though they could not clame Kindred to any of externally honest Rank and Quality; yet they are His Seed: To this purpose, the Apostle bespeaks the believing Corinthians, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28. Ye see your calling brethren, how that not many mighty, not many wise men, after the flesh, not many noble are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world, to confound the wise, &c. that no flesh should glory in his presence: Though ye be not of any high Rank or Quality in the World; yet of him are ye in Christ Jesus▪ who of God is made to us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption: In this respect Christ is called the everlasting father, Isa: 9.6. For He is the Father of all Believers; that ever had, or shall have Life; who are, Psal. 45. penult verse called, His Children.

To clear this a little, ye shall take it in these Four or Five respects, or Considerations, in which believers are said to be Christ's Seed, or be descended of Him. 1. In this respect, that as Believers they have their being of Him, as Children descended from off their Parents, as to their Natural being; So Believers, as they have a Spiritual Being, descend from Him; and hold their Being of Him; without whom they had never been Believers: And in this respect they are His Seed. 1. Because He Meritoriously Purchased Life to them; which is the thing here mainly understood; as following immediately an the back of His Sufferings. 2. Because they have Life from Him efficiently, as He works it in them, and by the Gospel begets them; Therefore He is said 1. Tim. 1.10. To have brought life and immortality to light, through the gospel, which was not known in many parts of the World, till Christ brought it forth; In this respect, Believers are Christ's Seed; we are not born Believers of our Parents, nor have the Faith which we have, of the Ordinances, nor of Ministers, as efficient Causes thereof; But it is from our Lord Jesus, who is Believers Father, Thus Believers have an Affinity, and near Relation to Christ, even to be His Children: And any that would lay claim to Faith, or Spiritual Life, would see well, that it be this way kindly, and (as we use to say) leill come, from Jesus Christ, and that they be in His Debt, and Common for it. 2ly, They are His Seed, in respect of the likeness that is betwixt Him and them, or in respect of the Qualifications that are in them; as they are said, 2 Pet. 1.4. By the exceeding great and precious promises, to be made partakers of the divine nature; They have of the same Spirit, for the kind that He, as Mediator, hath in Him; And it's in this respect, that Cant. 7.1. The Believer is called the Princess daughter, which especially looks to the Spiritual Generous, and Noble Qualifications, that are deryved from Christ, to the Believer; Hence, Believers are said to have the Spirit of Sons, when all others, though they be the greatest in the World; have but the Spirit of Servants, and their Generosity, is nothing to that of Believers; who are made partakers of the divine nature; We have not, says the Apostle, received the spirit of fear, but of faith and love, and of a sound mind; Ah! there are many that claim Kindred and Relation to Christ, that are very unlike Him. 3ly. They are called Christ's Seed, in respect of the care that He hath of them. Never Mother was more tender of the Sucking Child, then He is of His Believing Children; Therefore, saith the Lord, Isa. 49.15. A mother may forget her sucking child; but I will not forget thee: Hence, is that Phrase, even as to visible Professors in the Church, who refuse to listen to the call of the Gospel; which is much more eminently verified in Believers; Matth. 23. How often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens under her wings? So tender and respective is He to His Children; as the Mother is, tender to the Sucking Child, or as the Hen is of her newly hatched, and young Chickens; for they are, in some respect, come out of His own Bowels; His Blood was shed to Purchase them; So it is said, Isa. 40.11. He gathered the lambs with his arm, he carries them in his bosom, And gently leads those that are with young. And, O! what Massy Consolation have such Words as these, in them; And what confidence may Believing Sinners have to come to this Mediator; That is a Mother, a Father, a Brother, and a Parent, that hath begotten us out of His own Bowels; and in some respect, (as we are Believers) hath as a Mother conceived us in His own Womb. 4ly. They are called His Seed, in respect of the Portion which they get from Him; The Apostle says, that Parents provide for their Children; It's indeed eminently so here, Believers come under His Care, oversight, and Tutory; And as a Man provides for His Household, His Children, and Servants Meat in due season (And the Apostle says, he is worse then an infidel that provides not for them of his own house ) even so our Lord Jesus, as He gives Believers their Spiritual Life, so He entertains that Life; provides for them, and trains them up, and on, till he enter them in to the Possession of Eternal Life; they are made by Him Princes, Psal. 45.16. Intituled to a Kingdom; yea, all His Children are Kings, and sit with him on his throne, Rev. 2. last Verse, and are made partakers of His Glory; and (to speak so) they Fair as He Fairs, they Dwell as He Dwells, and behold His Glory; O! is not this much; That the poor Dyvour, that hath nor a Penny left him, nor to leave to another, should be thus Dignified, as to have a claim to Christ's Kingdom, to be an Heir, and a joint Heir with Him, who is the Heir of all things? For so we come to be Retoured, (to speak so) and so be served Heirs to all things; As it is, Rev. 21.7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; And it goes on this ground, Heb. 1.2. That the Mediator, is appointed heir of all things; with whom, being joint heirs; we are Heirs too, and are made to Inherit all things. 5ly. They are called His Seed, because of the manner of their coming to the Possession of that, which through Him they have a Claim to; For they have Claim to nothing, but by being Heirs to, and with Him; And by believing in Him; They are Heirs of the promise, in some respect, as Isaac was: So then briefly to recapitulat all these, would ye know the way that Believers are Christ's Seed. 1. He begets them, and they have their Spiritual Life of Him. 2. He is tender of them, as of His own Children. 3. They are furnished with Qualifications, and Dispositions suitable to Him. 4. They have a rich Portion from Him, and are well provided for. 5. What good they get, is for His sake, who is their Father; Here we may allude to that Word, Rom. 11. They are beloved for the Fathers sake, by a Right and Title to Him; they come to have a Good and Goodly Portion; They claim not their Portion; because of this or that thing in themselves; but by their being served Heirs to Christ, being come of Him, they come to get a Right to what is His.

Use, As all Relations betwixt Christ and Bellevers, speak out much Consolation; So doth this, if we were in Case to apply it; This one Word hath in it, and holds forth a good Condition, and is a very broad Chartour.

See here then. 1. What we are in Christ's Common and Debt, who are Believers; It's much to be made a Friend, to be fred from the Curse of God, and to have all our Debt paid; But this is more to be His Seed, to be His own Children; to have our Life of Him, to have our Provision and Portion from Him; It's really a wonder, that we wonder not more at this, and other Relations, that are betwixt Him and Believers; as namely, he is the Believers Father, and takes them to be His Sons and Daughters; He is the Believers Brother, and is not ashamed to call them brethren; He is the Believers Husband, and they are His Spouse; He is their Bridegroom, and they are His Bride; Such Relations as these are pitched upon, and made choice of, to fill (If I may speak so) the Faith of the Believer, and that the Believer may feed sweetly and delicately on them, till the time come that the Vail of Similitudes betaken away; and they be brought to see Him as He is, even Face to Face; and that thereby they may be helped to win to read their advantages and privileges, which they have in Him: What can be the reason then that so few think, and esteem suitably of the Excellent, and Desirable Condition of Believers, and that words of this kind relish not? Here is the Reason, He of whom they hold all these Privileges, and by whom they are put into this Notable, and Non-such Condition, is not suitably Esteemed of, and accounted Precious; Therefore, Believers in Him, are thought the less of. Our hearts should melt in love to Him, and in sorrow for offending Him, at the Reading and Hearing of such expressions, wherewith the Scriptures of God are stuffed full.

2ly, Are there any that would have a Good and Happy Condition summed up, and compended; Here it is; even to have our Lord Jesus to be a Father; and to be His Seed; to come in as Sons and Daughters to Him: I appeal to you all, if any Condition can be put in the Ballance with this; Is there any Honor and Dignity like it, or comparable with it? Who can claim to be come of such a Parent as is He, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords, the Prince of the kings of the earth; The Father of Glory, His eldest and only begotten Son, by an Eternal and unspeakable Generation, who, in all things hath the preeminency; What is your Pedegrie, who will say, and boast, that ye are of such a Laird's or Lord's House, and of such an Ancient Family and Stock; yea, though ye were of Blood Royal, what is it to this? what will become of Men's Gentility or Nobility of Birth, yea, of Royalty of Birth, in that Day, when Christ shall set His Throne in the Clouds? To have this Relation to Christ, will be more Valuable, and Honorable in that Day, then to have been great Commanders, Lairds, Lord's, Marquesses Dukes, Princes, and King's; who will all in that Day stand upon the same Level, with the Poorest Peasants, and when all Honors and Dignities, which are now so much thought of, and thirsted after, will be laid in the Dust. Therefore learn to think of this, as the Noblest Birth and Descent, which is through Faith in Christ Jesus; And Covet, and be holily Abitious, to have the Qualifications of His Children: Look to the Qualifications, Parts, Induements, and A • complishments that use to accompany, or • ol • ow any Houses of the Braven of Natural Men; Are there any of them comparab • e to the Qualifications of B • lievers? Is there a Stock or Race of People in all the World, so truly Generous and Noble as Believers are, who are come of Christ, and are made valiant, through the exercise of Faith in Him, against all occurring difficulties; Regardlesse of worldly things; And taken up with, a • d bussied about high and noble Projects and Designs; even to have Heaven, and Glory, and God Himself; who undervalue, and holily disdain the things of the World, which earthworms so much seek after; Their Qualifications kyth especially in this, that their designs are Heavenly, their minds elevated to, and set on the best things, and that they have a truly magnanimous and a valerous way of prosecuting them; by studying the mortification of Sin, and conformity to God, when others cannot endure to cast out with, and abandon a lust; They holily scorn, and account it below them to have their Peace standing, or falling with the ebbing and flowing of Creature Comforts, which the Men of the World place their happiness n; Their study is to be Pure, as Christ is Pure; O! is there any Por • ion like theirs? many or you think but little of it now, but ye will think more of it in that Day, when the Earth, and all things in it shall be burnt up with Fire; What will the Earth-portion signify then? Ye that now have your variety of Fine and Delicat Meats with your Ale and Wine at every Meal, who shall be found out of Christ, shall not get a Drop of cold Water to cool your Tongue, under • our exquisite and Hel ish Torments; when the Poor Body that believed, and had a hard Life of it here, shall be in Abraham's Bosom, and with Christ at His Table, yea, and on His Throne with Him; And it is upon the account of their having a Title to Christ, that they come to all that Glory, and Happiness: O! is there any Right and Title like the Believers; which is founded on Christ's Right and Title, which is, or may be called the Original Right of the Believer, who is keeped by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. If these be the true and faithful sayings of God, what is the reason that Men think so little of them? Why is an Interest in Christ to undervalued? Believe ye, that such and so much good is to be gotten, by being Christ's Seed and Children? If ye say that ye believe it, how comes it to pass that so few have it for their Design, and that your Designes are so much for this and that in a present World; and that this is so much slighted, and that there is so much boasting, and glorying in other things, and so little holy Boasting, and Glorying in this?

There are two or three Marks, which we may gather from the Words, that may help to show, when this Claim is warrantably made, and which may evidence the groundlessness of the Claim of many. And 1. Christ's Seed have another Original, then that which they bring with them into the World; There is in them a change o • the ground of their hope; And that on a new account; Folk comes into the World sinful, Chi dren of sinful Parents; but when they come to be Believers they get a new Life, which Men cannot give; and this new Life hath new Actings and Fruits; Ah! How many dream of a Right to Christ; who know no other Birth or Being, but that which is Natural? 2. They who are Christ's Seed carry all •• g with them the impression of an Obligation, to and an acknowledgement of Him, in whatever good they have gotten; they think themselves much obliged to Christ, and they acknowledge Him for their Life, As it is, Malachi 1. If I be a father, where is my honor? and if a Master, where is my fear? a son honors his fathe, &c. A natively and Genuinly disposed Child, acknowledgeth his Father, As his Father, and reverenceth, and loveth his Father as his Father, But there are many that pretend to a Being from Christ, who think not themselves in His Debt, and Common for it, and, who know not what is is to walk under the Conviction of their Obligation to Christ, for their supposed spiritual Life and Being. 3. They who are Christ's Seed, have in them a likeness to Him, as they did once bear the image of the earthly; so now they bear the image of the heavenly Adam: Not that they come up in all things to be exactly like to the Pattern, but it is their aim, and other things that disconform them to Him are deformed, loathsome, and ugly in their sight; Their old Inclination is burdensome to them; And is the continual ground of an inward Contest and Wrestling; and in a manner, they are troubled at the very heart, how to keep down what is opposit to Christ; And when their Corruption Over-masters them, they are the more discomposed, and disquieted; They discern something in them, that is not like to Christ, and they abhor that, though it be never so near and dear to them, their very Self; they see something also like to Christ in them; And they Cherish, and make much of it; they would fain be at more of it, and to have His Image more deeply impressed on their Spirits, which they reckon their greatest, yea, their only Beauty.

The 3. Use, is for Direction to Believers; if ye be Christ's Seed, ye must be other sort of Folks in your Designs, and in your Deportment and carriage; King's Children ought not to carry as others; It would be highly unsuitable; yea, even abominable to see them walk so trivially, and lightly as every Base, Ill-bred Beggers Child doth; It's no less Incongruous, and Unbecoming, that Believers should be taken with this and that Vanity, that mere Worldlings are taken with, and hunt after.

The 4th Use, Speaks a Word of Consolation to Believers; And holds forth the greatness of the Privilege of being Christ's Seed; It will be much to persuade a Poor Sinner, duly sensible of Sin, to believe this; And that the Lord is in earnest, when He speaks thus; That such an one, who hath betaken Himself to Christ for Life, and humbly Claims Right to nothing, but by Verture of Christ's Right (the main thing, that our Union with Him is bottomed upon) who is content to be in Christ's Common for Life, and goes not about to establish his own Righteousness, but leans to His Righteousness, for Life, and Salvation, should be His Seed, and have all the Privileges of Sons derived to Him; And yet it is the Lord's faithful Word; Neither hath Eye seen, nor Ear heard, nor hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive, what good things are laid up for such a Person; and that are stuffed up in these Expressions of our Relation to Christ Jesus.

Use 5. It may be also a quieting and comforting Word to some Believers, who are in Affliction, Poverty, and Straits in the World; That our Lord Jesus is a Kindly Affectionat Parent; more kindly and tender hearted, then the tenderest Father or Mother; and indeed it may sufficiently quiet them, that they have such a kindly Overseer, and Provisor, who is also a Cordial Sympathizer with them, what ever their Condition be, He will not deny His Off-spring, and Seed, whom He laid down His Life to Purchase.

The 6th Use. May be for Incitement and Provocation to all that would be Happy, to place it here; Interest in Christ Jesus, by Believing on Him, brings us to have Interest in the enjoying of Him, and all that is His; and can there be anymore sought after, or wished for? Are there any, but would think it a good Life, to be here? And who are they, of whom He speaks so? It is not of some sort of strange and uncouth Folk, that were once in the World, but are now all out of it; And of whom there are none now in it; It is not such as want Sin, and derive their Life from their own Works; but it is such as are, 1. As considered in themselves dead in Sins and Trespasses, and without Spiritual Life and Being; And who know that all the pains that they can take, will not acquire it; And who it may be, are quite Dead to their own apprehension and sense oftentimes; And who have Judged themselves, and have the Sentence of Death in themselves. 2. It's such as look to Him for the obtaining of Life, and who acknowledge Him for any Life, or Livelinesse they have; And who expect it, and bruike it, by virtue of His Purchase; which is that on which all their Plea, for Life is founded.

Now I know, that all this will not readily clear some; There are so many things that look counterfit like; But I am now speaking to them, who have some sticklings of Spiritual Life, which yet are not so Lively, as they, can discern them to be the Stirrings and Sticklings of Life; And they have a Body of Death in them, which is ready to extinguish that Life; and often they think it is extinguished already; They have Convictions of their own Deadness, and that things are wrong in their Condition, and are quite out of all Hopes of Righteousness, from and by themselves, or from anything that they have done, or can do; And they have some confused looks to Christ; but they cannot Rid their Feet in the Matter of their Faith; and Duties go not so with them as they expected, and would have them. To such I shall speak a Word or two and close. 1. I would a •• , whence comes that Stickling of Life or Feeling of that Body of Death? What is the Original of it? will Nature discover the Corruption of Nature, and bring Folks to be out of Love with Corrupt Nature? Certainly, where this is, it's not like Nature, but is the Life of Christ; especially, when it puts Folks to discern, and take up their own Deadnesse; to quit their own Righteousness▪ and to be content to lay their Mouth in the Dust and to betake themselves to the Righteousness of Christ, if they could win to be distinct in it; This looks to be from Christ, whose Spirit convinces the World of sin, and of the sin of unbelief in particular; And of righteousness, as being only to be had in Christ; and of judgment, that is, of the reasonableness, that He should have a Dominion over them, and that they should walk in Holiness: Yet, notwithstanding of all this, they are hanging in a kind of Suspence and hover; and know not whether to look on themselves as Believers or not; They wot well that it is not right with them; that they are lost in themselves, and that no other way will do their turn, but Faith in the Righteousness of a Mediator: The thing whereat they Stick and halt, is, that they know not how to through, and maintain the consent that they have given; and they cannot think, that their Faith is true Faith, because they know not how to follow forth the exercise of it; though they have renunced their own Righteousness, And laid their Reckoning, to be in Christ's Debt and Common, for Righte usnesse and Life; if ever they come by them; All their difficulty, is, how to through their Believing. Now it is not to the founding of Life, that we are here speaking, but to the exercise of Life, and to the finding out of Life; And we say, that such an exercise suppons Life to be, though it be not descernable in it's exercise, to the Soul itself; There are many Poor Creatures born and brought forth into the World, that can neither Talk nor Walk, but must be carried and keeped Tenderly, and that are some way, as if they were not brought out of the Womb: So is it with many Believers, and it were good to be in Christ's Common, as for Life, so for bringing Life to exercise, and by diligence and waiting on Him, in the use of His own appointed Means, to seek to come to some Distinctnesse in Neating, and Exercising of any Life, that He hath given; And it is no small encouragement to this; That Christ shall see his seed, That He must have Saints and Believers in Him; which should make Poor Souls, that have no Life in themselves, with the more confidence to commit themselves to Him, upon this very ground, that the Father hath engaged to Christ, that He shall have many such for His Seed; The which Promise is performed to Him, in the gathering in of Poor confused, and Mind-perplexed Sinners, to be in His Debt, for Life, and to hold their Life of Him forever; It will sure be no small part of the ground of Saints praise in Heaven, that He not only bought Life for them, but that He made Application of Life to them; And trained them on, till He got them fitted to speak to His Pr • ise; Wherein the Body of Death makes many a sad stop, and makes poor Believers to Stammer, as it were, while they are here. But it's good News that Jesus Christ hath bought Life, and brought it to Light; And that by this Gospel, He is making Application of it, and declaring that He is content to bestow it freely, on all them that will be in His Common for it.

SERMON XLI.

IT was once a Riddle, how, out of the strong could come forth Meat, and how, out of the Eater could come forth Sweet; It's here most clearly Unridled, and that in a most Wonderful and Comfortable Manner; Our Lord Jesus, the strong Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, it put to grief and bruised, and his soul is made an offering for sin, and here is the Sweet Meat that comes out of it. He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, &c. The substance of the Words is, That by His Death many shall be brought to Life; It's the same Death that hath given us the hope we have of Life; And all the ground that we have to speak of it to you; which had never been, had He not been bruised, and put to grief.

We show, that here is holden forth the Lord's great design in the Contrivance of the Work of Redemption; And that these Words are a further answer to the Stumbling Objection proposed before; to wit, How the innocent Son of God could Suffer? It pleased the Father to bruise him; when he should make his soul an offering for sin, &c. Which Justifies God, in that proceeding and serves to weep away that Reproach, that might seem to stick to Him; In sum, it is this; If we consider the notable and noble Fruits, and Comfortable Effects, that followed on His Sufferings, and Death; there is no ground to stumble at God's giving His Son, or at the Sons Condescending as Mediator, to Suffer, to be Dispised, and put to D • ath; And this is the first Fruit, and Eff ct thereof, that He shall see his seed; Whereby is meaned, that by His Death the Elect, who are given to Him do by Faith in Him rec • ive a new Life from Him, a • d are taken in under a most sweet and kindly Relation to Him by their being begotten again, to a lively hope, through His Resurrection from the Dead.

We spoke to •• is Point. That Believers are Christ's Seed; which shows the great Privilege, that they are admitted to, and their great Obligation to Christ on that account; they are obliged to Him, for their Spiritual Life and Being; as Children are obliged to their Natural Parents, for their Natural Life and Being; And Infinitely more obliged, in as much, as the one Life is Infinitly Preferable to the other.

There are three things more to be Observed, from the Words, And 1. Considering them as they stand in Dependence on the Former; That God's Design, in sending His Son into the World, and the Mediators D • sign, in coming so low; is to have a Seed begotten to the Hope of Eternal Life, and to have • oor Souls dead in themselves, shareing of Life in and through Him; even to have many partaking of Life through His Death. 2. Considering the Words, as foretelling the event of Christ's Death, and Sufferings, We have this Observation from them, That Our Lord's Dea • h shall certainly procure Life to many; Or thus, it cannot be, but His Death must have true •• , to the saving of Souls from Death, and to the making of them partakers of Life. 3. Looking on the Words, as a Promise made to the Mediator; We Observe from them, That the Seeing of a Seed, is exceeding much thought of, by Jesus Christ; It pleased Him wondrous will; Therefore this Promis • of a Seed is m • de to Him, to encourage H • m to lay down His Life.

We shall speak a Word to each of these; And shall leave the consideration of the Words, as they hold out, not only our Lord's out-living his Sufferings, but His seeing a Seed on the back of them, to the Second Effect that follows; He shall prolong his days.

For the First Doctrine, we suppose, It will be clear, if we consider how the seeing of his seed is Subjoyned to, and Dependeth upon the former Words, anent His making His soul an offering for sin which holds out this, That the great Design of God, and of Christ the Mediator its His Sufferings, is, to beget a People to • ternal Life, And to make way, that Sinners Natural D • ad in Sin, may partake of Spiritual and H • avenly Life, and may be begotten to the Hope of Eternal Life, through Him: And what other Design, I pray, could there be then this? For the Lord had nothing to procure to Himself; To speak simply, there could be no addition made to the Glory of God thereby; Therefore, it's said John 6.39, 40. This is the Fathers will that hath sent me, that of all that be hath given me, I should loss nothing, but should raise it up at the last day: And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone who seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation; and what is it? That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners: and that John 10.10. I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

There are two things that we would speak a Word to, for clearing of the Doctrine, And then make Use of it. The 1. is, How this can be God's Design in Christ's Humiliation, to beget many Sons to Life? 2. How Christ's Death Contributs to this Design? For the First, When we speak of God's Design h • re, we mean not His last and ultimat Design, but His immediate Design in the Gospel, which is subservient to that His last and ultimat Design; to wit, The Glorif • ing of His Grace and Justice, in giving the Mediator, to Satisfie Justice for Dyvour Sinners, who are not able to Satisfie for themselves; and He having chosen this, as the Midst, to that highest end, we may well say, that this is His immediate Design in the Gospel; that thereby the Glory of His Grace and Justice might be manifested. For the 2d. Which is, How Christ's Sufferings contribute to this end? It may be soon cleared, if we consider, that there is a twofold Let in the way of Sinners, partaking of Life, which Christ's Suff rings do remove. The 1. Let, is a stand • ng Quarrel, betwixt God and the Elect, they having Sinned, and having nothing to pay their Debt; This our Lord Jesus, by His Death removes; He pays the Debt, and tears the Obligation, called, the hand writing that was against them, nailling it to his Cross, Col. 2. And in this respect, His Death is called a ransom for many; And in the Words before, He is said to have made his Soul an offering for sin, On the same account; to wit, That the Principal Deb • or might be set free. The 2d. Let, is Mans utter unfitness to walk with God: For though the Debt were taken away, yet they have no Life; But Jesus Christ, by His Death, hath laid down a ground, how a Sinner may be reconciled to God, and may partake of Grace here; And so be in case to walk with God, even while sojourning in the World, in some good measure; and of the Life of Glory hereafter; His Sufferings are not only a Ransom for their Debt; but also a Bridge (to speak so) to step over the Gulf of the distance th • t is betwixt God: and them, unto Glory, whither He, as the Fore-runner is gone before them; In this sense, we have our Graces, as the Fruits of Chri • tos Suff • rings; the Life of Grace, Faith, Love, Perseverance, &c. We have also Protection, Preservation, and Guiding in the way, till we be brought through to Eternal Life: As that Word is, John 6.39, 40. cited before, That of all whom the Father hath given me, I should loss nothing: In the First respect, Christ is surity for our Debt; In the Second respect He is surity for our Duty, In the First Respect, we are admitted into Covenant with God; In the Second, we are entertained in it, by Him, who lives forever, to make Intercession for us.

Use 1. See here, Believers, what ye are in the Fathers Debt, for sending His Son; And what ye are in the Sons Debt, for coming to die for you; Ye behooved to have born the Curse yourselves, if He had not born it, but He took it on H mself, that ye might be Freed from it; Thus it stood with you, ye deserved to be shut out forever from God, to have the Sword of His Justice awakened against you: And he gave his back to the smitters, and his cheecks to them that plucked of the hair; And was content that the Sword of Justice should awake against Him, and smite Him, that He might, by His strips heal them, and by His Death, procure Life to them; Yea, it stood thus with you, and it could not be other ways; The Justice of God being provoked, and the Elect being under the Curse, as it is, Gal. 3.10. Cursed is everyone, that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them: Ezek. 18.4. The soul that sins shall die. Either they behooved to die, or the Cautioner; and our Lord was content to be a Sin-offering, thereby to set Sinners free: To be lifted up on the cross, that he might draw all men after him, to pay their D bt, which all the Creatures could never have paid: And therefore, we would as • you, if ye think Heaven and Glory to be of Worth, and if ye think it to be a great mercy, to be free from the Wrath to come, and from the Damned State and Condition of Reprobat Angels, and of Reprobat Men and Women in Hell, And to be admit • to enter with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdom of God, and into these H • avenly Mansions? Are ye not much in Chris • 's Debt, that procured this for you, and at such a Rate, that thereby Life might be communicate-to you, who were Naturally Dead, in Trespasses and Sins? whatever the rest of the World think of it, if any of you be Born again, as you ought, in a special manner, to think much of it, so ye will do, in some measure; for ye are as much in Christ's Common as all that is worth; who was content, that Poor Sinners should partake of Him, and of the Life that is in Him; to taste of H • mself, and who hath said, Because I live, ye shall live also. In a • most wonderful way, His D • ath is the Price, by which Life is Communicated to Us: And it would become B •••• verse well, to be often reckoning, what they are in His Debt. It's an of God's great Ends in the Work of Redemption, even to have Sinners esteeming highly of, and much Ravished with His Grace, and with His Love, brightly shinning in the way thereof; yet less Conscience is made of this, then of many other Duties, by Believers; We will send an Ear to a Practical Point of Doctrine, and will some way aim to mind it; If we be bidden pray, we will pray; if we be commanded to Mortify Sin, we will endeavor it, and so in other Duties: But who minds this as a Duty, when we are called of God, to Admire, and Praise His Grace, and Love, and Humbly to Glory in Him, so, as seriously to set ourselves to fall about it? And yet this were a most Native, Proper, and Kindly Exercise for Believers; even like the Work of those, who say, Salvation to our God, that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, Rev. 7.10. To him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, &c. Rev. 1.5. To be taken up, with such sweet Soliloquies in ourselves about this Subject, and with such Songs of Praise to Him, who hath given us so noble a Being, and Life which is convoyed to us, by His Blood, is sure a suitable Use of this Point; For if our Life be of much Worth, He must be of Infinitly much more Worth in Himself, and should be so to us, who purchased it at such a Dear Price.

The 2d. Use, is to exhort you whom we suppose to be renewed, (as some of you now hearing me are, and O! that all of you were) that when ever ye think of enjoying of Heaven, and Glory, ye would think also, whence it came to be thus with you; O! think on that Rock, out of which ye are hewn, as ye are Believers, and are intitled to Life; And this will lay the Natural Pride, which, Alas! too often Believers have going along with their Hope of Life; as if they were something better by Nature then others, because they have hope to come to Heaven; but think this also with yourselves, that there are no thanks to you, but to Him, who loved you, and washed you from your sins, in his own blood; which should make you walk softly, and with a stop • d mouth; and in this Case, every thought of your Title unto, and of your Hope of Heaven, would be both singularly pleasant, and profitable to you.

Use 3. See here, that which maketh the Glad Tydings of Christ's Death wonderfully Comfortable; It's much that Christ came, and Suffered; but if ye add this, that His Design in Suffering, was to beget Sinners to a New and Spiritual Life, t • raise and quicken them that were Dead in in Sins, and Trespasses, to pay their Debt, and to Cancell their Obligation; It makes it to be much more wonderful; Alas we have great want of Spiritual Affections, that are not more Affected with this; even with this; That the Father should send His Son and that the Son should come into the World, and wherefore? That He might have a Seed; that poor Bodies that were Dead▪ and without Life might be quickened; and that such as had no hope of Heaven might have it; That in such a way an entry into Heaven should be made to Sinners; this is the wonder; do ye Believers, indeed believe this, that the Lord's Design, in all the Work of Redemption, was to bring Dead Sinners to Life? This is it that makes Christ get the Name of a Savior, That the Shepherd being smitten, God might turn his hand on the little Ones. And therefore, as a 4th. Use, See here a good ground, whereupon to Preach to you by the Death of Christ, the Offer of Life, and the Remission of Sin, as the Apostle hath it, Act. 13.39, 40. Be it known therefore to you men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you, the forgiveness of sins, And by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not he justified by the law of Moses; And there is never a Text, that speaks of the end of Christ's Sufferings, but readily, it some way lays a ground, how a Sinner may get Life; And it is, as it were a Proclamation to Sinners, to make the right use of what is offered to them: If our Lord Jesus had not Suffered, there had not been a warrand for us to speak of Life to you; There had been no Treaty with Sinners, no Door opened, for access to Heaven, no ground for any to call God Father: But on the Contraire, Christ having Suffered, and Satisfied Justice, it give • s us Ground to make this Proc • amation to you: Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sins: And these two, put together. 1. That there is a sufficient Price laid down, for the Satisfying of the Justice of God, for the Debt of Elect Sinners. 2. That this is the Lord's D • sign, in laying of the Pr • ce down, even to Procure, and to Communicat Life to them, according to that of John 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. And that of John 12.32. And if I be lifted up, I will draw all men after me: This demonstrats, that there is a Sufficient-Warrand, to make use of Christ, for pardon of Sin, and for obtaining of Life, through Him; For readily the Exception is One of Two; Either 1. That the Price will not • o the Turn; and that cannot be said; for the Death of Christ is a Price Sufficient: or, 2. That Sinners know nor what is the Lor • 's Purpose in it, This Text holds out that, and tells us, I • is, that he may have a seed. This is the Sum of the Covenant of Redemption; sa • eth the Father, Son if thou wilt lay down thy Life, Thou shalt see a seed, that shall have Life, through thy Sufferings; and the Lord would never have given His Son to die, if He had not minded the Salvation of Sinners, and to beget, and promove Life in them, through His Suffer • ngs; And to what end is the Gospel Preached, by which Life and immortality are brought to light; But that what He hath bought, may be app • yed to Sinners?

And therefore, as a 5th. Use, We beseech you to concur with Christ, in the Design of His laying down of His Life; Is it not, think ye, great Ingratitude to Him, and great Cruelty to yourselves, that when the Lord hath Designed such a thing, by the laying down of His Life; That ye should, as far as ye can, stand in the way of it? Now His Design is, to have many in His Common for Life; • hat He may have a Seed, and to have Poor Sinners, that are Dead, and Lifelesse in themselves, taking with their Sin, and coming to Him, to get Justice Satisfied, and a Right to Life, by His Offering: And is this a Prejudicial Design, or Unprofitable to Sinner • ? Why then should ye stand in the way of that? When Our Lord hath Designed Sinners good, and hath been content to lay down His Life, to make Life possible to you, when all His D • sign in dying, is, to have Sinners saved, by their betaking themselves to H • m, and that, by their betaking themselv • s to Him, the Second Adam, They may get a R • ght to Life Transferred to them? • s i • not Fol • y and Madness, for Sin • s, to obstruct what they can this His Design? The Apostle makes use of this Argument. 2 Cor. 5. • 8, 19. He hath given us the word of reconciliation, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; we therefore, as ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Ch • ist st • ad; be ye reconciled to God: And what is the reason? For he was made sin for us, who knew no sin: And or this • nd, That we might be made the righteousness of God in him: And is not • his the sam • Argum • nt that • s in the Text? Our Lord was made 〈◊〉 Sin-off • ring; that H • might see a Seed. And 〈◊〉 • o, then we would int • eat you if the Bl • e • i • g Bowels of Chri •• , can have any we • ght with you, and if you would do Him a Pleasure, not to mar His Design, as f • r as ye can (for He will infrustrably accomplish His Design.) And that is, to have Souls brought in, to make Sinners Peace with God, and that they may make use of His Sufferings for that End: Need we use Arguments, to persuade you to this? Wh • ch is so much for your own good and welfare, even to save your Souls; To come, and be Reconciled to God; to make use of Christ for Life, to prevent the Wrath that is to come, and to make Heaven sure to yourselves; Which is impossible for you, honestly to aim at, but God shall have the Glory of His G ce and Wisdom from you; And if this be not your aim and endeavor▪ God will not have the Glory of His Grace in you; Though Passively, He shall have the Glory of H s Justice, in pun shing you, E • ernally in Hell; but that is not His great, and proper Design, in the sending of His Son; For H • could have had H s G • ry that way, though He had never sent Him into the World: And therefore, in His Name, and in His stead, we do again, and again seriously beseech, and solmnly obtest you, to give Our Lord Jesus Satis • action in this Particular; ye that are going to Hell, or are in hazard of it, come to Christ Jesus the Prince of Life, The Purchaser, and Giver of Life, and get Life from Him; Come as Dead-Sinners in yourselves, and by the Law, to get a new Gift of Life, by His Right; And we propose this Suit, and Request in His Name, who tells us, that He laid down His Life, to get a Seed; This Gospel comes to everyone of your Doors, and says to you, will ye be obliged to Christ for Life? will ye be His Children? If the Heart be honest, and ye can sincerely say, content Lord, and will creep in under His Wings, that ye may be found in Him; and may be covered with His Righteousness; There is good ground to expect a closed Bargain: For our Lord purposely Died, that He might have a Seed; and is calling upon you for this very End; and will not go back of His Word, if ye be content to Bargain with Him; And therefore I would again say unto you, shift not His call; It is His Design, to have a Seed; and it should be yours, to seek to be of that Seed: O! let Him have His Errand among you; The Offer comes (as I just now said) to everyone of your Doors, and your answer will be, and must be, either yea, or nay, either that ye are content to be His Children, that His Grace may be Glorified in you; Or that ye are not content, and that ye will not come to him, that ye may have life; As it is, John 5. That ye scorn to be His Seed, and Children; But, Ah! the day comes, when ye would be glad of such an Offer, and will not get it.

But to come a little nearer in the Application of this Use, 1. Are there not many of you without Life, Yea, hundreds of you? Not one among many, is renewed; If ye think yourselves to be Dead, this Word of Life, and Salvation is sent unto you, and sure ye have need of it. 2. There is Life in Christ to be had, a Fair Purchase made, and a way laid down, to bring Sinners to have a Right to Life; And are not these two, think ye, well met and trysted? on what ground then is it bottomed? upon one of these two or rather on both of them, implied in this phrase, of being Christ 's Seed. 1. It implies, That there be a coming to Christ, as void of Life; and an actual trusting to Him for the attaining of Life, That Sinners pricked with the fear, or feelling of the Wrath of God, acknowledge Christ, as the Father of their Life, and Credit Him with the Application of Life to them. 2. It implies, not only the Credi • ing Him with the Application of Life; but that we commit ourselves to be alone, i • His Debt and Common for it, which is implied in that Word, John 5. Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have Life; The use making of Christ, for the attaining of Life, is implied in the Word coming, And that is for slain and dead Souls to go to Christ, for Absolution, and Life, called, Heb. 7.25. A coming to God by Christ; and again, It is not, ye will not come unto me that ye may buy or procure Life, or Work it to yourselves; But ye will not come to me, that ye may have it: ye will not be in my Common for it: The first Word expresses, where we get our Life, and that is in Christ's Sufferings; The Second Word, how we get it, even as the Child gets Life from the Parent, we get it fully and freely conferred on us by Him: So that the Similitude says this much, come to Christ, who hath procured your Life; and trust your getting of Life to Him, on the Terms of Grace: And since this is all that Christ seeks of you, Not to make your Performances the ground of your Pleading for Life, but His Purchase; and that having need on your side, and fullness on His side, ye should come and have; What hinders your closing of a Bargain? This is the very thing your Salvation will stand, or fall on; even on your yielding to come to Him, and to be in His Common for Life, and on your leaning to His Righteousness, or not; and according at ye Act Faith, or not on Him, in this respect; So will the Sentence of your Absolution, or Condemnation pass in the Great Day: And therefore, let me beseech you yet again, above any th • ng, to make this sure; And when I speak of making it sure, it is not only to have a Glance of the thing in your minds: as many may have, to whose Door Christ comes, when yet they will not go out of doors to Him: Nor is it only to have a Conviction in your Judgment and Conscience, of the Reasonablenesse of it, as many of you have, so many Convictions of Sin, and of the necessity of Faith, in your Judgment, a • will make you Inexcusable; ye are Convinced, that such a thing should be; And there it holds: The Lord draws you by His Word, to give assent to the Reasonablenesse of the Offer; but ye smuther the Conviction: Ye come Aggrippa his length, in assenting to the Truth; but come no further; ye laid your account, it may be, that ye could not save yourselves, and that your Salvation was only in Christ, and ye took that for Faith: But believe me, there must be something more • hen that, even a laying of yourselves over on Him, and a making of Application to Him, to fi l the empty Room in the Heart: I remember of a dying Person, that had a good Word to this purpose, who, when it was asked at him, how his F • ith did now differ from that which he had in his health? Answered, when I was in health, I was convinced that I should believe, but now, my Soul act • ally casts itself on Christ. The many Convictions that Men have, that they should believe, will stick to them, and go with them to He • l; and make them the more inexcusable, that they held there, and went no further.

6ly. And lastly, It serves to be a ground of Expostulation, with many hearers of th • Gospel, who have heard of this noble Design, and yet make no use of it; O! Hypocrites, Formalists, and Profane Persons, what a Reckoning will ye have to make, when this shall be found on your Score; ye were dead in Sin, and the Lord contrived a Design to save lost Sinners, in sending His Son to be an offering for sin, and the Son came and laid down His Life; and ye were called and invited to come to Him, and to have Life in Him; The glad Tydings of Redemption were Preached, and made Offer of to you; and ye would not be content to close with Christ, but would, so far as ye could, thuart with Him, in His Design, though it cost Him His Heart-blood, to bring it about: What will come of this? or what will ye Answer Him for it? ye will say, it may be, that ye were content to concur with Christ, and stood not in the way of it; but it will be replied; why then did ye live and die in your Sin, and bring your Soul to this dreadful hazard and loss? your Conscience and God will bear 〈◊〉 upon you, and ye will not get it shifted; that your destruction was of yourselves, because ye would not be saved; And will that, think ye, be a Suitable and Satisfying Answer? That though Christ would have saved my Soul, I would not be saved by Him, and then to go to Hell for that? What a tormenting thing will it be in the Conscience, that Life was Offered to me, on Condition of believing in Christ, but I Refused▪ or Scorned to take it on that Condition? Think on it, what ye will think to be sent to Hell, because ye would not be saved freely by Christ, And to perish, because ye would not be Christ's Seed; Because ye would not take with your guilt, that ye might have Life from Him; What, do ye all think that ye have Life, are there none sensible of their need of Life from Christ? Alas! that we should be put so often to repeat these Words; we may almost speak to stones, with as great hope of Success, as to many Consciences among you, that are habitually obdured, and blinded with Presumpt • on, by the god of this World, who hath put out your Eyes: But th • day comes, when ye will find yourselves greatly mistaken; I shall insist no further; only, seeing that ye are Naturally Dead in Sins and Trespasses; and seeing that Christ's Design in dying, is, to have a Seed, As ye would not prejudge yourselves of Life, As ye would not be found to be dispisers of His Sufferings, and such as have trode the Blood of the Covenant underfoot; study to make sure eternal life to yourselves, by betaking yourselves to Him for it; or lay your reckoning to be reputed guilty of this horrible crime with all the aggravations of it.

SERMON XLII.

THere is not one reading of these Words, but it might put us to this wondering Question; For what is it, that th • s great Design of all Christ's Sufferings hath been driven, and what hath been the great End of this Covenant of Redemption, that hath such Sharp, Sore and Sade Sufferings following thereon, to the Mediator, who engaged in it? This World was made with little noise, (to say so,) There was no ingadgment on God, for bringing about of that Work, though very great, as there is in bringing about this; This th • n certainly must be a quite other thing that hath an Offering and • uch an Offering, as had in it the bruising and d • ing of the Person, that was the Son of God, interposed for the obtaining of it. But this answers the Question, He shall see his seed, &c. Which, in sum • s this; His Life shall procure Life to ma • y dead Sinners, and they shall get it certainly applied to th m; And the Work of the Mini •• ry (to speak so) and of the Mediatory Office of Christ shall thrive well in His hand; So that there is not one Soul, that is Designed to Life, and Glory; but it shall be brought to the Possession of it, in due time.

There are two things, which we hinted at the last Day, that we shall now speak a Word to, and the first of them is this.

That it is an agreed upon, and a concluded Article, in the Covenant of Redemption; that our Lord Jesus shall, and must have a Seed: This is a most certain and infallible Truth; It is an effect laid down here, as a necessary consequent of His Offering up of his Soul for sin: It's a determined thing, if we look, 1. To the certainty of the event; Our Lord Jesus Christ must have a Seed to wit, Believers in Him; That is concluded on, and promised to Him. 2. If we look to the Seed that He shall have; They are particularly determined upon, to wit, how many Children He shall have; and who they shall be: That was both a Promise in the Covenant, and a Prophesy, as we have it, Psal 22. Where the Psalmist speaking before of Christ; Sa • es, verse 30. A seed shall serve him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation: And this is laid down as a solid Conclusi n, John 6.37. All that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me; Which suppons, both a determinat number given, and the certainty of their coming: Become of the rest of the World what may, they shall undoubtedly come: And indeed, if we look to the nature of this Transaction, we will find it to be a Promi • e, and a Promise of God to the Mediator, that can neither be altered, nor unaccomplished; yea, it's a Covenanted Promise, made on a Condition, to wit, the laying down of His Life; as the stipulation on His Syde; And that which he hath for so d • ing, from the Father, on His side, is this, That He shall see his Seed; And when this is, not only a Promise, but such a Promi e, as is grounded on a Transaction; bearing a Con • ition, which the Son hath performed; As He Himself saith, John 17.4. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; There is a Justice, and Faithfulness, in the Performance of this Promise on the Fathers side to Him; That he shall have a Seed. 3. It's clear also, if we consider the End of this Transaction, which is, to glorify the Grace of God, by Christ's Purchase, in the Salvation of Elect Sinners; In respect of this End, it cannot fail, but Christ must have a Seed, that that End may be attained: So then, our Lord Jesus must have, and certainly shall have, many that shall partake of Eternal Life by Him.

The 1. Use of it serveth, to let us see the unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine, that leaves the Fruit of Christ's Death, as to the seeing of a Seed, to an uncertainty, laying the weight of it, on ma • s Free Will; a thing, that is very taking with Natural Men; and with conceaty Carnal Rea • on: But if it were left to M • ns option, to receive Christ, or not, then the • x cution of the Work of Redemption, and the performance of such a Promise, as • his is, behooved to have the certainty of it su • jected to Mans Will, and should be made eff • ctuall, or not, as He ple • sed; But it's God's great mercy to us, that we know it is not so; And that there is an • quity here, (to speak with Reverence of the M • jesty of God,) that seeing our Lord Jesus hath done His Part, the Promise • hold be made effectual • o Him, and that He should have a Seed.

Use 2. It layeth a ground, serving greatly to quiet us in the Reelling of Times, when the World is going through other, and turned up-side down; and when we are disposed to wonder, what will become of the Church, that is now sorely Assaulted, and made to Stagger, what by the Old Enemy Anti-christ, who is bestirring himself, mightily, what through abounding Security, and Formality, whereby Satan is seeking to draw away many: Some to Error, and some to Profanity; but though Anti-christ, and the Devil, with all their Emissaries, and Agents, had said the Contraire, Our Lord Jesus shall have a Seed; It may be they are not the Plurality of a Kingdom, or Nation, of a City, or of a Congregation, but they shall be so many, as shall serve to the making out of the Promise; Our Lord makes use of this; John 6.37. and 44. Where, when a number are running away f om Him; He says, Murmure not at this, No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me, draw him, and all that the Father hath given me, shall come unto me, I will get as many (as if He had said) as are appointed to receive my Word from myself; or from my Servants speaking in my Name; as for others, I look not for them: It is true, we would beware of having any sinful Accession to the marring of the Progress of the Gospel, and be suitably affected with any such thing in others; but withal we would reverence the Lord's Sovereignty, who knows how to have a care of His Church, in the worst of times; And let this quiet our • earts, amidst all the Reellings and Confusions of these times, that our Lord sh • ll h • ve a Seed, and that He shall not want one of all these that are given Him of His Father, but shall raise them up at the Last Day.

Use 3. Seeing this is the Lord's Design; It would commend to the Hearers of the Gospel, a study to Concure in this D • sign, (if we may speak so) in their Public and Privat Stations, in reference to themselves, and in reference to others; As it is the Lord's Design, that Chri •• shall have a Seed, So we would make it our's: We may most s • fely Syde, and Strick in here, with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, whose Design runs on this; and (to speak so) they have, must have, and shall have a Poor and Cold Game of it, who thuarts with the Lord, in this His Design, whoever they be, and in whatever Station, or Capacity, Public or Privat; As it is no Wisdom, so it will be no Advantage, to strugle, or strive with God: But here is matter of great encouragement, to any that would have the Gospel prospering, Religion Coun • enanced, Error Suppressed, the power of Godliness promoted, and Profanity born down; That our Lord Jesus Christ does concur with them in the same Design; I know not any other Design, that a Man can strick in, without fear, to come short in it, but this; and whosoever strick in with this▪ it shall not misgive them, for Christ shall have a Seed; and though we cann • t, nor ought not absolutely and peremptorly, to Design particular Persons; yet in the General, we ought to concur, to have the Promise m • de to Christ, of a Seed performed to Him; And indeed it is no small Privilege, and Prerogative, that we are admitted by Prayer, or other ways to concure with Him, in this Design; according to that memorable Word of Promise, concerning this matter, Psal. • 2.15. Prayer also shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised.

Use 4. There is here great encouragement to Sinners, that are in their own apprehension, void of Life, and have some sense of th • ir deadness, and would fain be at Christ for Life, and have Him for their Father; such I say, are by this Doctrine, encouraged to stop to; For it's a thing Determined an • Promised; and since it is so, we may, and ought to essay, and endeavor, that He may have a Seed, and may be sure, it will not displease Him, that we • ndeavour to offer ourselves to be of His Seed; It's a Foolish, and yet often a Pu • ling an • Perplexing Doubt, that comes in the way of Serious Souls, when they offer to come to Christ, that they know not, but they may be presuming; If there be any Acquaintance with God's, and Christ's D • sign, manifested in the Gospel; There is no ground for such a Doubt; and such a Soul may as well question, Whether will God and the Mediator be pleased, that the Promise made to Him of a Seed be performed? Certainly it will be displeasing to neither of them, but well pleasing to both; And therefore, the Sin • er would be strengthened on this ground, and take it for granted, in it's addresses to God, that such a thing is Designed; to wit, that Christ shall have a Seed.

Use 5. It shows, what must be the condition, that others stand in, who do not come and make Offer of themselves to be Christ's Seed; They do, in so far as they can, thuart with God's Design; And this will come on their Account; That if Christ should never have a Seed, they would not, for their parts, betake themselves to Him, nor be of His Seed; but as far as they could, would stand in the way of the performance of this Promise to Him: And this will be ground of a sad Challenge from God; I D • signed, that Christ my Son should have a Seed, and I engaged by Promise, to give it to Him; and ye Scorned and Disdained (to speak so, with reverence, in such a Subject) to satisfy God that far, as to yield to Christ, to be of His Seed, that, that Promise might have it's accomplishment in you. 1. From the Words complexly considered, Observe, that Christ's having and obtaining of a Seed; His getting of Souls to believe in Him; is a thing most Welcome, a • d Acceptable, both to Jehovah, that makes the Promise, and to the Mediator, to w • om it is Promised; There is nothing that pleases God, and the Mediator better, then for lost Sinners to bet ke themselv • s to Christ, and His Righteousness, for Life; It's • he Satisfaction • hat He hath f • r the • ravell of His S • n; It's the Recompence here Promi • ed to Him; It's (to sp • ak after the manner of M • n,) as if the Son were saying, What shall I get, if I lay down my Life for Sinners? Here the Father Promiseth. Thou sh • lt see thy Seed, That is, many shall believe, and • e Justified through thy Death; And this is so acceptable to the Mediator, That He says, Lo, I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; And Heb. 10. the Apostle sa • es, By • his will we are sanctified; He sought no more but this, for all His Sufferings, and Soul travel; and that it is no less acceptable to Jehovah, that makes the Promise, is as clear: Therefore, in the last part of the verse, It is said, The pleasure, (the Will, or the Delight) of the Lord, shall prosper in his hand; That is, the ingadgeing of Souls to believe, (which is God's delight, as well as the Mediators) shall Thrive, Succeed, and Prosper Well, It's this, that John 17. Christ call • the finishing of the work, which the Fathe • gave him to a • ; What is that, Thine they were, and thou gavest them me; It's even His s • epping in betwixt Justice and them, to make way for their Reconciliation through His Blood; And this is very delightsome, and well pleasing to Jehovah. It is true, this delightsomeness, is not to be so understood as if there were such Affections, and Passions in the Lord, as there are in us; But it is Attributed to Him in these Respects. 1. It's called Pleasing and Delightsome to Him, as it agrees with His Revealed Will, and Command; And so, it c • nnot be conceived, but to be pleasing to God, as that which He commandeth, calleth for, and approveth; in which respect, the Holiness of them that will never be Holy, and the Faith of them, that will never b • lieve, is, or may be called Pleasing to God. 2. It is called Pleasing to the Lord, in respect of the End, and as it is a Midse to the Glorifying of His Grace, and the performance of His Promise to the Mediator; For by this, His Grace comes to be Glorified, and He hath access, to perform what He hath Promised to the Mediator. 3. It's pleasant to Him, Because in this, the Lord hath a special Complacency; And hath Evidenced in His Word, Comparatively a greater delight in Sinners clo • ing with Christ, and in their accepting of Life through Him, then in many other things: Therefore it is, that He calleth for this so pressingly; And when Christ is not thus made use of, He declares Himself to be grieved; and that there is a sort of dispit done to Him; whereas, upon the other side, He takes it (dare I • p ak it with reverence) as a courtisie, and honor put upon Him; when a Soul gives up itself to Christ; and dare hazar • the weight of it's Immortal Soul on His Word, in this respect, Abraham is said, Rom. 4. To give glory to God; When he Trusted himself, his Soul, and all his Concerns to Him; And we will find, that believing is accounted to be an honoring of the • ather, and of the Son, if we compare the 24. and 25. Verses of John 5. together.

The 1. Use, Serves, To let you see, That not only do the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ call Sinners to believe, do warrand them to believe, and lay down grounds, whereupon they may found their Faith; But they also declare, that it is well pleasing to them; And that they shall be very welcome that come; The carriage of the Father of the Prodigal, Luke 15. Is but a little shadow of that welcome, that a Sinner, in returning to God, by Faith in Jesus Christ may expect; though indeed that Parable shows plainly, how h • arty a welcome returning Sinners may expect, It was meet (saith he) that we should mak • merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive, and was lo •• , but is found again.

Use 2. It serves to ban • sh away that unworthy apprehension, that is in the minds of too many, that there is greater Rigidi • y and Austerity in God the Father, then there is in the Mediator towards poor Sinners; If we look to God, as God, His Grace abounds in the Person of the F there, as it doth in the Person of the Son; And if we look to the Son as God, He is the same Just God, that will not acquit the Guilty, more then the Father will do; So that there is no ground for this apprehension, which Fosters a sort of Blasphemous Conception of the blessed Trini y; as if they were of different Natures and Dispositions, most unbecoming Christians: H • nce is i • , that many who are ignorant of God, w ••• speak of Christ, as b • ing easier to be dealt withal then the Father is; a most Derogatory Conceit to the Divine Majesty, and un • orthy of Christians; Indeed, if we abstract God from the Mediator, there is no dealling with Him; but if we look on God, and come to Him, in the Mediator, there we find Him easy to be dealt with; Therefore, that which is called the Satisfaction of the Mediator, Verse 11. Is called here, the pleasure of the Lord; Because He delights in the performing of His Promise to the Mediator, in reference to His having of a Seed: It is from this also, that some Folks will pray to Christ, as if He were a different Thing, or Being from God; And they would first make their Peace with Christ, and then by His Moyon, bring themselves in good Terms with God; The Mediator, indeed considered as Mediator, is different from God who, without Him, or out of Him is a Consuming Fire; But considered as God, He hath the same Properties, and gives Pardon on the same Terms; And in this Respect, we are to make use of His own Righteousness, for obtaining of Pardon from Himself; there being but one God: There is occasion too frequently to meet with this Error: And I know not how many inconveniences it hath following upon it; Some think that they are always sure of Christ's Friendship, but they doubt of God's; As if the Father had not the same delight to save Sinners, that Christ the Son hath: And another abuse follows on the form • r, that there is no more use made of Christ, but by a Word of Prayer to Him, without exercising Faith on His God-head; If there ere no more to Rectifie this gross mis • ache, This one Text might do it; If ye make use of Christ's Righteousness, ye may expect Friendship from the Father, and from the Son; And if ye do it not, ye have no ground to expect Friendship from either of them.

Use 3. There is here Ground of Glad Tydings to Sinners, And that which makes the Covenant of Redemption, to be diservedly called the Gospel, and that made the Angels to Sing Glory be to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good will to men; That there is such a Covenant laid down, for bringing Life to Dead Sinners; And that the Father, and the Mediator are Delighted, Comforted, (to say so) Satisfied, and well pleased with Sinners, making Use of the Mediator for Life: Is there then any Sinner here, whose Conscience lays open to Him, His hazard, applies the Curse to Him, and passes Sentence on himself, and hath some desire to be at Christ; and yet wots not if He will hold out the Golden Scepter? Behold this Text doth hold it out to such, and bids them come in boldly, for Christ makes them welcome; yea, the Lord Jehovah makes them welcome; It's the Fathers, and Christ's delight, that thou come foreward. If there be a Doctrine in all the Scripture Sweet, it's this; and without th • s, no Preaching, nor point of Truth would be Sweet; I say, without this; to wit, That God hath not only provided a Price, and makes Offer of it, but is well content, that it be made use of; yea, and is delighted, that a Sinner dead in himself, Trust, and Concredit himself to the Mediator, for obtaining of Life through Him: And can there be any Question of this? For, 1. If it had not been the Lord Jehovah His delight, why then did He make such a Covenant? Why did He (as it were) part and su • der with the Son of H • s Love? Why did He accept of a Cautioner? And why Tansferred He on His own Son, and exacted of Him the Debt, that was due by • lect Sinners; and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him? If He had not had a great delight in the Salvation of Sinners, would He have taken that way, to Smite the only Son of His Love, to spare them? And if it had not been the Sons Pleasure, would He, with such delight have undertaken, and done the Fat • ers will, in Reference to their Salvation? Lo I come, (saith He) I delight to do thy will, O my God; It was the Fathers will, and He had a delight in it; And it was the Sons will and delight, and He came, and according to His undertaking, laid down His Life. 2. Wherefore else, are all the Promises, and Encouragements that are given to Sinners to believe? as that of Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy loaden &c. And that, 2 Cor. 5.20. W • ere both are put together, We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God; Ministers press you you, in the Name of God, and by virtue of a warrand from Him, to be Reconciled; and they have Christ's warrand, in a more peculiar manner, as the great Prophet of His Church, to tell you, it's a thing the Lord Jehovah, and the Mediator have Pleasure in, even in this, that ye should be reconciled. 3. Wherefore are the many expostulations with Sinners, that they will not come unto Christ, for Life, That they will not be gathered, that, when he streatches out his hands all the day long, they will not behold him? &c. Do not all these Confirm this Truth, that there is nothing He is better pleased with, then with a Sinners coming to Christ for Life? Let me therefore beseech you, by the Love that ye pretend to Jesus Christ, and in His Name, and in the Name of Jehovah obtest you, be ye Reconciled to God in Christ, let Him have Satisfaction; Let this pleasure be done to the Lord, even to receive Life from Him: This is no hard, nor hurtful, no unreasonable, nor rigid Request, I am sure; all that He requires of you, is, that ye would come to Him, and get Life: O! if we could but suitably apprehend this, to be that which the Lord aims at, in this Preached Gospel; that we might, (to speak so with Reverence) put an Obligation on the Majesty of God, in making sure in this His own way, the Salvation of our own Souls; and that we could not do Him a better turn (But I pray take the Expressions Right, for we cannot set forth His Love, but in our own Language, which comes infinitely far short of the thing) we could not find in our hearts, to refuse to grant such a loving, and highly rational a requist; As it is sure then upon the one side, that we cannot do that which will please Him better; So it's as sure on the other side, that we cannot do that which will displease Him more, then to slight His Counsel in this; Though we would give our Bodies to be burnt and all our Goods to the Poor; He will not count it a pleasure done Him, if this be not done; We would look upon this, as low Condescendencie, and great Grace in the Lord, that He seeks no more of us, but the making sure Eternal Life to ourselves, as that which will be most pleasing to Him; It's even as if a Son should say to his Father, Father, what will please thee? And as the Father should say to his Son; Son have a care of thyself, and that will please me; Because, by our so doing, He reacheth His great End; to wit, the glorifying of His Grace and Love, which Sinners, by their unbelief, do what in them lieth to mar and obstruct: If we could speak seriously to you, in this matter, it might be a Text to speak on every day: Always seeing He hath purchased Redemption to Sinners at a dear Rate, And all that He requires of you, is to close with Him, and to seek after the Application of His Purchase; We again earnestly pray you, be ye reconciled to God, and take heed that ye receive not this Grace in vain; What can ye do that will be pleasing to God, or profitable to yourselves without this? Or, what Fruit of the Gospel can be brought forth, when this Fruit is not brought forth, If Jesus Christ, in His Offices get not employment, and if His Offering be not fled to for making of your Peace; We may, in Consideration of this great and grave Subject, go from the Congregation partly Refreshed, that there is such a Doctrine to be spoken of; though we cannot, Alas! speak of it suitably, And partly afraid, least we be found, as far as we can, thuarting with, and running Cross unto God's good Will, and Design in it, notwithstanding, all the Favor and Grace He hath made Offer of to us; It were good that we carried serious Meditation on this Subject, along with us.

SERMON XLIII.

THis is a great Work that the Mediator hath to do; a great Price that He hath to lay down for the satisfying of Divine Justice, and for redeeming of the lost Elect: Now, what shall He have for all the travel of His Soul; Here it is answered, and the Terms of the Covenant of Redemption again compended; as for the Effects and Fruits of His Death, spoken of in the close of the former Verse, He shall prolong his days, That being spoken to, on the matter: from Verse 8. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Being spoken to, by another lately, in your hearing, and in part by us, John 17.4. And from verse 10. Now read over again; we shall forbear further speaking to them, and come to that which follows in the 11. Verse.

In this Verse then, There are these three. 1. An offer and promise made to the Mediator; That if He will accept of the proposal, and lay down His Life for Redeeming of the lost Elect; it shall not be fruitless, He shall see of the travel of his soul, and shall be satisfied. 2. The way how this satisfaction shall be brought about; By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. That is, by Faith in Him, His Purchase shall be applied to all these for whom He should suffer, who thereby should be justified. 3. The ground of this, which also shows the way, how He shall justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities, That is, by His undertaking, and paying of their Debt, He should meritoriously procure their Absolution, and the setting of them free. In the first part, we have these three things implied. 1. A supposed condition, or restipulation on the Mediator's side; That His Soul shall be put to travel, which expresses both the Nature of His Sufferings, that they shall not only be Bodily, but also, and mainly, Soul-sufferings, and Conflicts with the Wrath of God; which the Elect's sins deserved, as the main and principal thing Articled, and that wherein the Price of their Redemption lay; And the Greatness, and Extremity of His Sufferings, here called Travel, from the similitude of a Woman in Travel, and the Travel of his Soul; This being the way foretold, how Christ should be used; He should Travel in His Sufferings, to procure Life to His People. 2. A Promise made to Him; That He shall see the travel of his soul, That is, He shall not bring forth wind, but shall have a large Off spring, which in the 2d. part of the verse, is called a Justifying of many by his knowledge; This is the Fruit He shall have of His Soul-travel. 3. The extent of this, which is His being Satisfied, and quiet; Which looks to two things. 1. To the certain and infallible success of His Sufferings; Not one of the Elect shall be amissing; None that He hath bought Life to shall want it, He shall get as many Justified and Saved, as He conditioned for. 2. To the great delight, and complacency that our Lord hath, in performing the Work of Redemption, and in Sinners getting the benefit of it; He shall think all well bestowed when they come to get the Application thereof, and by Faith in Him to be Justified. From the first of these, Observe That the Mediator, in performing the Work of Redemption, and in satisfying the Justice of God, for the Debt of Elect Sinners; was not only put to External and Bodily, but also and mainly, to Inward, Spiritual, and Soul-sufferings; Or the Redeeming of lost Sinners cost our Lord Jesus much Soul-travel and Suffering; we have hinted at His Sufferings often before, but this place especially, speaks out His Soul-sufferings, and the Inward Anguish, and Agony that He was brought under; We shall therefore speak a little to this, it being most useful, and extensive in the Fruits and Benefits of it to the People of God; And shall 1. confirm it by some places in the Gospel, where we have the fulfilling of this Prophesy clearly holden out to us; And 2dly. By a fourfold Reason: Only take this for an advertisement, that when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Our Lord, we do no mean of any Sufferings after Death (as Papists falsely calumniat us) but of these Sufferings, especially that were about the time of His Passion, when He got the full Cup of the Fathers Wrath put in His hand towards His approaching to the Cross, and when He was upon it, when He was araigned, and when He was exacted upon, for the Elect's Debt: The first passage to confirm it, is that of John 12.27. Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour; Here His Soul-suff • rings begin clearly to show themselves when there was no Cross, nor Suffering in His Body, yet He is put to such a pinch, considered as Man, that He is, in a manner, non-plussed, and put to say, what shall I say; the horror of that which was begun, and was further coming on Him, being beyond all expression, whereupon follows that prayer, Father, save me from this hour; His Sinle • s Human Nature scarring some way to enter on it. The 2d. passage is that of John 13.21. where it's said, That He began to be troubled in spirit and testified, &c. But let us come forward, and put Matthew Mark, and Luke together, and we shall see what an inexpressible and inconceivable, hight and heap of sorrows, His Soul-trouble and travel will amount to; Matthew says, Chap. 26.37, 38. That He began to be sorrowful, and very heavy; And in the next words, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; and what made Him so sorrowful? The next words, Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, show that it was the Cup of His Fathers Wrathfull Justice put in His hand; Mark says, Chap. 14.33. Thar when He came to the Garden, He began to be sore amazed, and very heavy: A wonderful expression to be used of the Son of God; that the Person that was God should be amazed, yet being considered as Man he was so; Luke says, Chap. 22.44. That being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; There is a sore Exercise and sad Soul-travel indeed, when the Sword of God's Justice awaked against the Man that was God's fellow; and when He hath the Curse that was due to all the Elect, to encounter and meet with; This was such a Combat, the like whereof was never in the World, And the effect of it is; His sweat as great drops of blood falling down to the ground; when there was no hand of Man stirring Him, nor any Man to trouble Him by Him; but God as a severe, and holily rigid exactor, puting Him to pay the Debt, which He had undertaken to pay, according to His Obligation; The inward pressour of His Soul presseth great drops of Blood from His Body: And if we will yet look a little forward, to Math. 27.46. we will find Him brought to that extremity on the Cross, that He cries, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Which though it say that there was still Faith in the Mediator, in adhering to the Father as His God; yet it sets out that great horror which He had inwardly to wrestle with; when there was some restraint on the sensibly comforting influence of the God-head: Now when all the Evangelists concur so massilie, emphatically, and significantly to express this, wealing out, and pitching upon such weighty Words to set it forth by; We may see it to be designedly holden forth, as a special Truth, th • t the Faith of the People of God may be strongly confirmed therein.

To confirm it yet further, put these four together. 1. The estate that the Elect are naturally lying in for whom Christ undertakes, they are naturally under Sin; liable to the curse of God, for the transgressing of His Law; which had said, The soul that sins shall die, and curs • d is everyone that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elects Cautioner, and to satisfy for their Debt; whereby he steps into their room, takes on their Debt; And (as the word is 2 Cor. 5. ult. Becomes sin for them. ) Is content to be liable to, and to be pursued by Justice for their Debt, and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the Persons of the Elect for whom the Cautioner stands good, yet in respect of the Curse and Death due to them, there is no relaxation; but the same thing due to them is laid on Him; as it is, Gal. 3. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. In everything He was put to pay the equivalent, for making up the Satisfaction due to Justice, and these two being put together, that Elect Sinners were obnoxious to Wrath, and that our Lord came in their Room, He behooved to be put to sad and sore Soul-suffering. 3. Consider God's end in the Work of Redemption, which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending Grace and Mercy, in exacting of satisfaction from the Cautioner, and in setting the Sinner free; that His Grace may be so Glorified, as their shall be a proof given of His Justice, and Sovereignty going along with it, and Infinit Wisdom being set on Work to glorifi • infinite Grace and Justice; there is a nec • ssity for the promoving of this end, that the Mediator shall thus satisfy, and the more full the Satisfaction be, the more conspicuously do the Grace and Justice of God shine forth, and are Glorified, according to that word, Rom 3.26 To declare his righteousn • ss that he might be just, and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus: This is the end of Christ's being made a Propitiation, that God may be manifested to be Spotlesse and Pure in His Justice, as well as Free and Rich in His Mercy and Grace; who, having given a Law to Man, will not acquit the transgression thereof, without a condign Satisfaction. 4 Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfy Justice for Sin; that it's more to satisfy Justice for all the Sins of one Person, which all the Angels in Heaven, and Men on Earth cannot do; and therefore the punishment of the Damned in Hell is drawn out to Eternities length, and yet there is never a Compleat Equivalent Satisfaction made to Justice; but it is most of all to satisfy Justice, for all the Sins of all the Elect; who, though they be few in comparison of the Reprobat World, yet simply considered they are many; yea, even innumerable; And our Lord having taken all their Sins on Him, He is peremptorly required to satisfy for them all; And if this withal be added, that He is to satisfy for all the Sins of all the Elect at once, in a very short time, and hath the Curse and Wrath of God due to them, Mustered and Marshaled in Batallie against Him, and as it were in a great Body, in a most formidable manner, marching up towards Him, and seriously charging Him; and all the Wrath which they should have drunken through all Eternity (which yet would never have been drunk out, nor made the less) put in one Cup, and propined to Him; as the Word is, Psal. 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way: The Wrath of God running like an impetuous River, must be drunk up at once, and made dry by Him: These being put together, do clearly, and convincingly show, that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable Soul-travel and Suffering, that our Lord Jesus was put to.

The Use of this Doctrine is large, and the 1. Use is this, T • at ye would take it for a most certain Truth, which the Scriptures doth so Frequently and Significantly hold forth; That our Lord Jesus, in performing the Work of Redemption, had much sad Soul-travel and sorrow; The Faith of this is very useful to demonstrate the great love of God, and of the Mediator; For doubtless the more Suffering be undergone by the Mediator, the more love Kythes therein to the El • ct. 2. It serves to hold out the Sovereignty and Justice of God, and the horribleness of Sin. 3. In respect of God's People, it's useful, that they may be through, and clear in the Reality and Worth of Christ's Satisfaction; He having no other End in it, but to satisfy Justice for their Sin. 4. It's useful to show the Vanity and Emptiness of Men's Supposed, and Fancied Merits, and of anything that can be alleged to be in Mans Suffering, or doing for the satisfying of Divine Justice; seeing it drew so deep on Christ the Cautioner; And here two gross Errors come to be Refuted, and Reprobated; One of the Socinians▪ who seek quite to overturn Christ's Satisfaction; And another of the Papists, that minish His Satisfaction; and Extenuat and Derogat from the great Privilege of the Pardon of Sin, as if anything could procure it, but this Satisfaction of Christ by His Soul-travel; both which are abundantly refuted by this Text.

But to speak a word more particularly to the First, For clearing of which ye will ask; What could there be to affect the Holy Human Soul of our Lord? Or what was that wherein His Soul-sufferings did consist? But before we speak to this, we would premit this Word of Advertisement in the entry, That there are two sorts of Punishments, or Penal Effects of Sin; The 1. Sort are such as are simply Penal and Satisfying, as proceeding from some extrinsic cause; The 2d. sort are sinful; One Sin in the Righteous Judgment of God drawing on another; And this proceeds not simply from the nature of Justice, but from the nature of a mere sinful Creature▪ and so from an intrinsic cause of a Sinful Principle in the Creature: Now when we speak of the Soul-sufferings of Christ, which He was put to in Satisfying for the Sins of the Elect; We mean of the former, that is, Sufferings that are simply Penall; For there was no intrinsic Principle of Corrupt Nature, nor ground of Chal • enge in Him; as there is in Sinful Creatures; And therefore we are to conceive of His Soul-sufferings, as of something inflicted from without; and are not to conceive of them as we do of Sinful Creatures, or that have Sin in them, whereof he was altogether free.

Having premitted this, we shall speak a little to these two. 1. To that wherein this Soul-suffering did not consist. 2. To that wherein it did consist. For the former wherein it was not. 1. We are not to suppose, or imagine any actual separation betwixt His God-head, and His Man-head; as if there had been an interruption of the Personal Union; not so for the Union of the two Natures in one Person remains still, He was God and Man still, though, (as was hinted before) there was a Suspension of such a Measure, at least of the sensibly Comforting Influence of the Divine Nature, from the Human, as had wont to be let out thereto; And yet there was even then a sustaining Power flowing from the God-head that Supported Him, so, that He was not swallowed up of that which would have quite, and forever swallowed up all Creatures, as is evident in this crying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Which shows, that though the Union, and Relation stood firm, yet a comfortable Influence was much restrained. 2. There was no sinful Fretting, no Impatiencie, nor carnal Anxiety in our Lord, all along His Sufferings; for He did most willingly undergo them, and h • d a kindly submission in them all; As is evident by these Words But for this cause came I into this hour, And not my will but thy will be done. 3. There was not in H m any distrust of God's Love, nor any unbelief of His Approbation before God, neither any the least D • ffidence, as to the Out-gate; For in the Sadest and Sharpest of all His Conflicts, He was clear about His Fathers Love to Him; that the Relation stood firm, and that there would be a Comfortable Out-gate, as His Prayer before shows, wherein He styles God, Father, And these hardest like Words uttered by Him on the Cross, My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me▪ do also show, wherein twice over He confidently as •• rts His Interest, My God, my God, Though He was most terribly Assaulted, yet the Tentation did not prevaill over Him. 4. Neither are we to conceive, that there was any inward Confusion, Challenge, or Gnawing of Conscience in Him, such as is in Desperat Sinners cast under the Wrath of God, Because there was no inward cause of it, nor anything that could breed it; yea, even in that wherein He was Cautioner, He was clear, that He was doing the Fathers will, and finishing the Work that was committed to Him; and that even under the greatest Apprehensions of Wrath; Therefore all such things are to be guarded against, in our Thoughts, least other ways, we reflect upon our Innocent and Spotless Mediator. But 2. To speak a Word to that wherein it doth consist? 1. It did consist (as we hinted before) in the God-head's Suspending it's Comfortable Influence for a time from the Human Nature; Though our Lord had no Culpable Anxiety, yet He had a Sinlesse Fear, considering Him as Man; and that the infinite God was Angry, and Executing Angryly the Sentence of the Law against Him, (Though He was not angry at Him considered as in Himself, but as He stood in the room of the Elect, as their Cautioner, of whom He was to exact the Payment of their Debt) and could not but be in a wonderful amazment, as the Word is, Mark 14.33. He was sore amazed, And Heb. 5.7. It's said, when he had offe • ed up prayers, and supplications with strong cries and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, he was heard in that which he feared. Which looks to His wrestling in the Garden, 2. He had an inexpressible sense of grief; not only from the petty outward Afflictions that He was under; (which may be called petty comparatively, though they were very great in themselves) but also from the Torrent of Wrath flowing in, on His Soul; That Cup behooved to have a most bitter Relish, and an inconceivable Anguish with it, when He was a drinking of it, as appeared in His Agony. O! • s He was Pained and Pinched in His Soul? The Soul being especially sensible of the Wrath of Go • . 3 It consisted in a sort of wonderful Horrour, which no question, the marching up (to say so) of so many mighty Squadrons of the highly provoked Wrath of God; and making so Furious and Formidable an Assault on the Innocent Human Nature of Christ (that considered simply in it's self, was a finite Creature) behooved necessarily to be attended with; Hence He prays, Father, if it be possible let this cup depart from me; Intimating, that there was a Sinless Loathness, and a holy Abhorrence to middle with it, and to adventure upon it. Though we have not Hearts rightly to conceive, nor Tongues suitable to express those most exquisite Sufferings, yet these things show, that our Lord Jesus was exceedingly put to it in His Holy Human Soul.

The 2, Use Serves to stir us up to wonder at the Love of God the Father, that gave His own Son, and exacted the Elect's Debt of Him; and made the Sword of His Justice to awake against Him; And to wonder at the Love of the Son, that engaged to be surety for them; And humbled Himself so Low to lift them up; It was wonderful that He should stoup to become M • n, and to be a poor Man, and to die; but more, that He should come this length, as to be in an Agony of Soul, and to be so tossed with a Tempest of Terrible Wrath, though He was not capable of Tossing as mere Creatures are: This being well considered, would heighten exceedingly the praise of Grace in the Church; and very much warm the Hearts of Sinners to Him: And for pressing this Use a little and for provoking to Holy Wondering at this Love; consider these Four, 1. Who it was that suffered t • us? Even He that was without guile, He that was God's delight, His Fathe • s Fellow▪ the express image of his person, He th • t made all things, and who will one Day be Judge of all; I • 's even He that thus Suffered. 2. Wh • t He Suffered, even the Wrath of God, and the Wrath of God in such a Degree and Measure as was equivalent to all that the Elect should have Suffered Eternally in H • ll; which presseth forth from Him these expressions which we hinted at before. 3. For whom all this was, which makes it appear to be yet more wonderful; It was for a number of lost straying sheep, That were turned everyone to his own way, as it is verse 6. For Dyvours and debauched Bankerupts, that were Enemies to, and in Tops with Him; Some of them Spitting in His Face, some of them upon the Consultation of taking away His Life, as may be gather • d from Acts 2. Yea, take the best of them, for whom He suffered; even those whom He took to the Garden with Him, to be Witnesses of His Agony; and we will find them sleeping, when He is in the hight of it, and is thereby cast into a Top Sweat of Blood; and out of Case to Watch, and bear Burden with H • m, but for an hour; It had been much for Him to have Suffered for Righteous Persons; but as it is, Rom. 5. God commends his love to us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 5. The manner how He Suffered, to wit, most Willingly and Patiently; though He easily could h • ve commanded more then twelve legions of Angels to rescue Him, yet He would not; but would needs be Apprehended by a number of Poor Worms; that will with many moe, one day craul at His Foot-stooll; That being the Over-word of every Article of the Covenant of Redemption on the Mediators part, both as to the undertaking, and the performance, I delight to do thy will, O my God: And now, for what End are all these things spoken? Is it think ye only, that we should speak, and that ye should hear of them, and no more? Surely no, It's a wonder that this which concerns us so nearly, is not more affecti • g to us: Are there any here that have any hope of benefit from Christ's Sufferings; or that have win comfortably to apply them? do not ye behold a depth of Love here, that cannot be sounded? Is it suitable, think ye, that Sinners, who have the hope of Heaven through Christ's Sufferings, should be so little moved at the Hearing and Reading of them? He suffers much by Sinners, when His Love shining forth in His Sufferings is not taken notice of; I would pose you, when was your heart suitably aff • cted with thinking on them? Or; when did ye make it an Errand to God, purposely to bless Him for this, that He sent His Son to Suffer, and that the Mediator came and Suffered such things for you Sinners? This is a Part, and a considerable Part of your Duty; And Gratitude should constrain you to it, and you should not Minch, nor Derogat from the Ju •• Esteem of His Love, though, through your own Fault, ye be not sure of your Interest in it, yet His condescending Grace is not the less.

Use 3. Behold here, as upon the one side, the exceeding severity of Justice, and terribleness of Wrath; So upon the other side; The exceeding Abominableness, and Desperatness of Sin; Would ye know what Sin is, what Wrath is, how Just and Severe the Law is? Read all these here; even in what is exacted by Justice, off the Cautioner for the Elect's Sins, the most part of Men and Women, alas! do not believe how evil and bitter a thing Sin is; and therefore they Dally and Play with it; They know not what Wrath is, and therefore they dar hazard on it; they know not how strict the Law is, and therefore they promise themselves Peace, Though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts; and add drunkenness to thirst; But, O! secure Sinners, what mean ye? Have ye, or can ye have any hops, that God will deall more gently with you, then He dealt with His own Son, when He was but Cautioner, and the Sinner only by imputation? Ye are finite Creatures, and drink in Sin, as the ox drinks water, and havean inward Sinful Principle, and an evil Conscience, filled with just grounds of many Challenges, consider with yourselves, what a desperate condition, under inevitable and intolerable Wrath ye have to look for; who have no ground to look other ways on God then as an Enemy; when Wrath was so ho • rible to Innocent Jesus Christ, who had no Sin▪ no Challenge, no Doubt of an Interest in God, what will it be to you? Certainly the Day is coming, when many of you will think ye have greatly beguiled and cheated yourselves, in thinking that Justice would be so easily satisfied as ye did: O! then ye will be made to know to your coast, the Nature of Wrath, and Justice; and the Nature of Sin; who would never suffer these things to Light before: The Case of the Rich Glutton in Hell may persuade many, that the Law is strick, and that Sin is an ill and bitter thing, and that Wrath is sore to bide: Therefore let me entreat you, as ye would eschew the Wrath of God, and the Lash of His revenging Justice, bewar of Sin, dally not with it, as ye would not have it aggravated by this Circumstance, above many, that ye hazarded to commit it, upon the consideration of God's Goodness; that in Reason should have led you to Repentance.

Use 4. See here the absolute necessity that lies on Sinners, who hear this Gospel, to receive Christ by Faith; and to improve His Satisfaction for obtaining of Life through Him; For one of these two must be resolved on, either to come to this Reckoning with Justice yourselves, or to endeavor the removal of Wrath, by the Satisfaction of Christ; their being no other way to come to freedom from Guilt, and from the Wrath that Guilt draws on: That Christ Jesus Suffered thus, as Sinners Cautioner, it says, that where ever Sin is, God will exact satisfaction; and where He exacts, He does it Severely, though most Justly; and if He exact it Severely of the Cautioner, what will He do with the Dyvour Debtor, especially, when He hath slighted the Cautioner, and despised the Grace offered through Him? And therefore not only, in respect of the ommand, but of the Consequent that will follow the Disobedience of it: Be txhorted, if ye mind not to take your hazard of Wrath, to endeavor, in God's way to get your Interest in this Satisfaction which the Cautioner hath made well secured: Ther is here a solid ground for Faith, to expect that this Satisfaction will do the turn, of all them who will make use of it; And a most pressing Motive to engage them that are lying under Sin, to embrace, to close with, and to rest upon this Offered Salvation; That, this Grace be not received in vain; Is there not a Testimony in your Consciences of the Former, and why do ye not make use of the Latter? Will ye but once be prevailed with, to put yourselves to it thus, What if I be made to Reckon for my own Sins? What horrid Wrath will I meet with, when the Mediator had such sore Soul-travel; even when there was a Covenant-relation standing still, not doubted of, betwixt • he Father and Him; when formidable Wrath shall be seen palp • bly pursuing me, the Sinner, having no Covenant-relation to support me? We would not put it • o your choice; Not whether ye will count or not; for that must be, and shall be, whether ye Choose or Refuse; It's appointed for all men once to die, and after to come to judgment; And we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; But that which we would put to your Choise, is the ways of coming to this Judgment, and Reckoning, and there are but two ways; either ye must step to, at your own hand, or ye must betake you to Christ's Righteousness, as being thoroughly convinced of the necessity of it; and that it will do your turn: The Day of the Lord will discover, that many have spoken of their Faith, and Repentance, that never really exercised the same. I shall now say no more, Only remember, that