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[Object.] But we are then discharged from our Sins, when they are charged on Christ, and they were charged on Christ, when he died for them.
[Answ.] True, when Christ died, then were our sins charged on him; but it doth not follow that we were then discharged: For there is a great difference between a man's paying of his Debt himself, and the payment of the Surety: If a man be arrested for a Debt of his own, and do pay it himself, he is then discharged from the Debt; but if the Debt be charged on the Surety, and he pay it, the Debtor is not presently discharged from the Debt, in regard of the Surety, but to be discharged when the Surety pleaseth. Now our sins were charged on Christ, as our Surety, and he did pay our Debt; look therefore, when he pleases, we are discharged from them, and that, saith he, is upon your believing not before, being justified by Faith, ye have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 5.1.
[ 3] Thirdly: Some think that Christ died to reconcile Man to God, so far as that Salva Justitia, or noti obstante Justitia Divina; God might have a power to show mercy to the Children of Men, which he was willing to do, but was bound from it by his Justice; and that by the Death of Christ, he was free to give unto man what Law he pleased; which Liberty, or Power of God, say they, was the next effect of Christ's Death.
But this cannot be, for then Christ died to redeem the Power of God, out of the hand of his Justice; for that which is delivered by the Death of Christ, is redeemed: but where do we find in Scripture, that Christ is said to redeem God; or anything of God's? 2. This doth suppose that God was willing to show mercy to man, and to do that for man which he could not do; but that cannot be with God▪ man may be willing to do that, which in Justice he cannot do, because his will may be unjust, but God's will cannot be unjust; and therefore he cannot will that which he cannot do in Justice. 3. This makes void the death of Christ, according to the Maintainers of this Opinion▪ for they say, That God could pardon the sin of man, without the death of Christ; and therefore if Christ died to procure such a power, and liberty to God, then he died for nothing, for according to themselves, he had this power before. 4. This Opinion doth suppose, that there is a velleity, and voluntas in God; an half, and a full Will; and if God's Will may be imperfect, and perfect; then his Knowledge also, may be Plena, et Semiplena, Perfect, and Imperfect; and so Imperfection will be charged upon God. 5. The Apostle Paul tells us, Heb. 9. That Christ died as Mediator of the New Covenant, therefore not to set God free to make what Covenant he pleased with the Children of Men. 6. What state shall redeemed man be in presently upon this account, not under the Gospel, for God is left free by the Death of Christ, they say, to appoint what Covenant he pleases, and not under the Law; for he was by Christ redeemed from the Law. 7. If the Confirmation of the New Covenant, were the next Effect of Christ's death (as appears by Heb. 9.14, 15.) then Christ did not die to procure such a power, and liberty to God, that he might appoint what Covenant he pleased. Surely therefore, this power or liberty in God is not an effect of Christ's Death, much less the next effect of it.
[ 4] Fourthly: Some think that the next, and immediate effect of the death of Christ, is the forgiveness of original sin unto all the World; none, say they, are damned only for original sin; this by the death of Christ, was immediately forgiven to all the Children of Men.
But this cannot be; for then all the World should be actually reconciled unto God, and justified; for according to their own Opinion, Justification, and forgiveness of sin, are one and the same thing: but the Apostle tells us, that whom God justifies, them he also glorifies, Rom. 8. 2. Then also, there should not only be an impetration of Redemption, and Grace for all; but an application unto all, which they deny. 3. Then the Children of Heathens, and Pagans, should be in a better state and condition, than the Godly, who live under the Gospel; for according to their Opinion, the Godly living under the Gospel, may fall away, and be damned; and so, though they be Godly, they have no assurance of their Salvation: but if a Pagans Child die, he is sure to go to Heaven, because his sin is pardoned, and he is justified. 4. The Apostle Paul tells us, 2 Cor. 7. That the Children of Believers, are clean and holy, and upon the account of the Parents Faith: but if original Sin be pardoned to all the World, then the Children of Infidels, and Unbeleevers also, are holy; and if so, why doth the Apostle tell us, that our Children are holy, upon the account of the Parents Faith? 5. The Apostle Jude tells us, That the Sodomites endured the Vengeance of Hel, surely there were some Children in the Town, and place: The Wages of sin is Death, saith the Apostle Paul; and Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even upon them, that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression. And if the Wrath of God do abide upon all, til they do believe, then surely, original sin is not forgiven unto all the World, by the Death of Christ.
[ 5] Fifthly: Others think that the obtainment of this Decree, viz. Whoever believes shall be saved, and whoever believeth not, shall be damned, is the next, and great effect of the Death of Christ.
[Answ.] But this cannot be the Effect of Christ's Death: For, 1. We read of no such general Decree of God in the Scripture. We read of this Gospel Truth, Whoever believes, shall be saved; and whoever believes not, shall be damned; but every Gospel Truth, is not a Decree of God. Christ is the Son of God, is a Gospel Truth; The Lord will write his Law in your hearts, is a Gospel Truth, and Promise; but this is not called God's Decree. 2. Such a General Decree doth exclude, and deny Election of particular Persons: The Scripture tells us plainly of the Election of particular Persons, Ephes. 1. Who hath chosen us. Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinated, them he hath also called; the Foundation of God standeth sure, he knoweth who are his: but now, if there were such a General Decree as this, Whoever believes, shall be saved, and whoever believes not, shall be damned, there would need no Election of particular Persons; but only an Execution of that general Decree. 3. By that general Decree, God doth will no more to one than to another; but Rom. 9. God doth will 〈◊〉 more to one, than to another; for Jacob beloved, and Esau be hated. 4. If there were such a general Decree, & none else (as some say) then the will of God should be undetermined as to the Salvation of this or that particular Man until he believed, and so should be determined by some act of Man: But the will of God, as Bradwardine demonstrates, is the first Agent (Primum liberum, primum agens et primum determinans) first free, the first Mover, and the first Determiner; the serious consideration whereof was (as he professeth) the first beginning of his Conversion to the Grace of God from the error of Pelagianism, and Manicheism.
[ 2] Neither can the Death of Christ be the cause of any such Decree; for the Decrees of God are eternal: The death of Christ was in time, and that which is in time, cannot be the cause of that which was from all Eternity: Surely therefore, this general Decree, is none of that Issue, whe • ewith our Lord and Savior Christ was in Travel.
[ 6] Sixthly: Some think again, That the next, and great Effect of Christ's Death, was to bring all the World into the Covenant of Grace; that whereas before they had broken the Covenant of Works by the first Adam, now all are brought into a Covenant of Grace by the Second Adam.
[Answ. 1] But this cannot be; for as the Covenant of Works, was made with the first Adam, and his Seed only; so the Covenant of Grace is made with the Second Adam, and his seed only: But the whole World are not the Seed of Christ; for the Lord promising him to see his Seed, doth not promise him to see all the World. 2. The Apostle Paul tells us, That the Ephesians before their Conversion, were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers to the Covenants of Promise, being without hope, and without God in the World, Ephes. 2.12. which could not be, if all the World were taken into the Covenant of Grace by the Death of Christ. 3. If God deal with all Man-kind in a Covenant of Grace, then all Man-kind should certainly be saved: for, if whatever God requires on man's part, God doth by that Covenant, undertake that man shall perform: then all must needs be saved, if the Covenant be made with all; but whatever by this Covenant God requires on man's part, he undertakes to perform. Doth God require that we should act from an inward Principle of Grace? I will write my Law in your hearts, saith he. Doth he require of us to know him? this he undertakes for us by this Covenant; Ye shall all know me, from the greatest to the least, Heb. 8. Doth he require us, to fear him? I will put my fear into your hearts. Doth he require Faith, and Repentance at our hands? I will take away (saith he) the heart of stone, and give you an heart of flesh; and I will circumcize thine heart, Deut. 30.6. Doth he require Obedience at our hands? he undertakes for us also, that we shall perform the same, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit into you, and cause you to walk in my ways. So that if God should deal with all the World of Man-kind, according to the Covenant of Grace, then all the World should be saved: but all the World are not saved, surely therefore, this is none of those effects which our Lord and Savior Christ travelled for.
[ 7] Seventhly: Some think that Christ by his Death, hath obtained a sufficiency of Grace for all men; so that all men may, or may not believe, if they will: and this obtainment of this sufficiency of Grace for all, they think is the great, and next Effect of the Death of Christ.
But this cannot be: for the thing is not true, viz. That all men have a sufficiency of Grace by Christ, to believe on him: for if all the men of the World have such a Power from Christ to believe on him, then, 1. The Jews had a Power to abstain from their Unbelief, in putting Christ to death, and yet they had this Power from the Death of Christ; and if so, then it was possible that Christ should not have died by the hand of their Unbelief, and yet possible by virtue of Christ's Death, for them to abstain from the putting him to death, which is a Contradiction: Neither can it be said, that they had this Power given them upon the fore-sight of Christ's Death; for the same fore-sight, did fore-see that Christ should be put to death by the hand of their Unbelief. 2. If all men have such a Power to believe in Christ, then either they must have an inward Principle of Grace and Faith; or they can act without an inward Principle: but they have no inward Principle of Faith and Grace, for then they should be Believers; for it is the inward habit, and principle, which denominates the man, and not this, or that act, for a man is a Believer, though he be asleep: Nor can any Creature put forth an act without an inward Principle suitable to the Act; the Eye cannot act in seeing, without an inward Principle of sight; nor the Ear hear, without an inward principle of hearing: the Herb cannot grow, without an inward principle of growth; nor the Beast move, without an inward principle of motion; nor any Creature act, without a precedent inward principle: But all the men of the World, have not an inward principle of Faith and Grace; and therefore all the men of the World have not a power to believe. 3. The Apostle Paul, tells us plainly, that a Natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he, 1. Cor. 3.1 • . but if he have a power to believe, then he can receive them; for receiving is our believing, 1 John, 12. Neither can it be said, that by the Natural man, we are to understand the weak Christian; for if the weak Christian cannot receive the things of God, much less the wicked, and the pure Natural man: nor doth the Apostle speak of a Natural Man, as he is merely considered in the state of Nature, abstracted from all Gospel Grace, and the means of Grace; for then he should speak to no particular case in the World, for (according to our Adversaries) there is no man in the World, but hath some Gospel Grace, or means of Grace. 4. Our Savior Christ tells the Jews, John 10.26. Ye believe not, because ye are not of my Sheep; it seems then, that all the world are not the Sheep of Christ; for saith he, ye are not of my Sheep; and the reason why some do believe, is because they are of Christ's Sheep; and why others believe not, is because they are not of his Sheep: Now if the reason why some believe, and others not, is because some are of his Sheep, and others not; then all the world have not a power to believe: for if all the world have a power to believe, then those that are not of the Sheep may believe; and if those that are not of the Sheep, can believe, why doth our Savior give this as a Reason why they did not believe, because they were not of his Sheep? 5. The Apostle Paul saith, Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent: But now all the particular men in the world, have not heard of a crucified Christ, by the preaching of the Gospel. And if it be said, Yes, but the Sun, Moon, and Stars, do preach Christ, as the Apostle saith in the same Chapter, Their sound, and words, is gone forth into all the Earth. I answer, It's true indeed, that the Apostle doth here allude to that 19. Psalm, where it's said, that the Voice of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, is gone forth unto all the Earth; but the Apostle doth not contradict himself; for he saith, How can they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how can they hear without a Preacher, and a Preacher sent? If men can hear of Christ, by the Preaching of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, then they can hear of Christ, without the preaching of one sent, which he denies, ver. 14, 15. And if the Sun, Moon, and Stars, do preach Christ crucified, then is the Matter of the Gospel no Divine Revelation: And then why might not Adam believe in Christ in the state of Innocency? the Sun, Moon, and Stars, preach the same Doctrine now, that they preached then; and then, the same that they preach now; if therefore, they do preach Christ crucified, now, then also they preached him in the state of Innocency; and so Adam in the state of Innocency had a power to believe on Christ, which the Maintainers of this Opinion deny: Neither can it be said, That if all men have not a Power to believe, then God should be unjust in punishing so many for Unbelief; for (besides that, all had a Power in Adam ) God doth punish and damn men for their will, not for their want of Power; for as Hugo observes well, when a man cannot, if he will, for the will, the impossibility is not imputed, but if he will not; for impossibility, the will is not excused.
[ 8] Eighthly: Some again, do think that Christ died to obtain a Power, Dominion, and Lord-ship over all things, especially a power to forgive sins, which he had not before his Death; and that the next Effect of his Death, was the obtainment of this Power, and Dominion.
But this cannot be; for if Christ had this Dominion, Power, and Lordship over all, by virtue of the Hypostatical Union, then it was not meri ed by his Death; but this he had by that mysterious Union, and therefore as soon as he was born, the Angel said unto the Shepherds, For unto you, is born this day, in the City of David, the Savior, which is Christ the Lord, Luke, 2.11. 2. Christ did not merit for himself (as the Protestants speak against the Papists) for if Christ should merit such a glory and Dominion for himself, then the Love of Christ (to man) in his Death, would be much lessened; it's said indeed, that upon his Suffering (as a Consequent thereof, or by way of Declaration say some) God gave him a Name above every Name, &c. Phil. 2. but that relates to the former words also, Who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet took on him the form of a Servant, verse 7. which notes the Hypostatical Union. 3. If Christ bought in this Power, and Dominion by his Death; then he purchased it with his blood, but his blood i • propitiatory, and satisfactory, not procuring Lordship and Dominion. 4. The Power, Lordship, and Dominion, which Christ hath, is either Essential, or Dispensatory, and • ediatorian: His Essential Power, and Lordship was not merited by his Death, for he hath that as he is God, and he had it before his Incarnation; for Isaiah saw his Glory, and did see him, chap. 6. verse 5. For mine Eyes (saith he) have seen the King; what King? Even the Lord of Hosts, verse 5. the holy, holy, holy Lord of Hosts, which the Evangelist John, doth apply unto Christ, and tells us plainly, that this Lord whom Isaiah saw, was Christ, Chap. 12.41. These things, said Isaiah, when he saw his Glory, and spake of him: His Mediatorian Power, and Lordship, could not be merited by his death, for he was Mediator before he died, and therefore had his Mediatorian Power before his Death. 5. We find him actually possessed of this Power, and Lordship over all, before his death, witness his casting out of Devils, commanding Winds and Seas, which obeyed him, and his answer to the Owner of the Ass, which he sent for; Say the Lord, hath need of him. And 6. As for his Power to forgive sins (as if he would on purpose, obviate the Doctrine of the Socinians) he doth declare it in so many words, But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on Earth to forgive sins, &c. Matth. 9. Now if he had this Power on Earth, then the obtainment of it was not the great, and next Effect of his Death; no, nor anything which his Soul travelled for in his Death.
[Quest.] If these things, be not the next, and immediate Effects and Fruits of Christ's Death, and Sufferings, what are? and what is that Issue of his Death, which he did presently see, and was possessed of?
[Answ.] Affirmatively: Look what the first Adam destroyed, that the Second Adam did build up again, for his Seed: the Second Adam, recovered, and gained that in a better Edition for his Seed, which the first Adam lost from his Seed. Therefore,
[ 1] First: As the first Adam, by his Sin, and Disobedience, did break the Law of God, affront his Justice, and provoked the Anger and Wrath of God, against his Posterity; so the Second Adam did by his Obedience, and Death, satisfy the Law and Justice of God, for all his Seed, whom he died for; which Satisfaction he did perform immediately: For, 1. When he died, our sins were imputed to him, and laid, and charged on him; for he was made sin for us, who knew no sin, 1 Cor. 5.21. that is, the guilt of our sin was imputed to him: The meaning of the words, is not, He was made a Sacrifice; for it's said, that he knew no sin. Now it cannot be said, that he who knew no Sacrifice, was made a Sacrifice for us; indeed it follows by Consequence, that he was made a Sacrifice for us, which he was on the Cross; For he offered up himself once for all, saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.26.28. which cannot be understood of his appearing in Heaven for us, for that he ever liveth so to appear for us, seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for us, Heb. 7. and when he gave himself unto God for us, then he was made an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor, Ephes. 5.2. But when he died for us, then he is said to give himself for us, Gal. 2.20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me; that is, who loved me, and died for me: yea, the very same word that is used for the Sin Offering, Levite. 16. is attributed unto Christ, Isai. 53.10. When he shall make his Soul an Offering for sin: The word is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Sin-Offering. Now the Sins of the People were laid on the head of the Sin-Offering, and Christ being our Sin-Offering, when he died on the Cross, our sins were then laid on him, and imputed to him. 2. As our sins were charged, and laid on him, so they were laid on him by the hand of the Father, Isa 53. It pleased the Lord to bruise him, and he hath put him to grief, verse 10. And the Lord hath laid on him, the iniquities of us all. verse 6. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth sometimes signify to pray, and intercede: but so it cannot be taken here, for then the words should be read thus; He hath made our Iniquities to pray, or intercede on him, or by him, or with him; but there is no good sense in that; neither can it be said, that the word here signifies to obviate, as if the sense should run thus; He hath made him to obviate our sins, or our sins to be obviated by him (which is that Interpretation which the Socinians do most adhere unto) for the word is in Hiphil, noting an efficiency, and causality, without any Preposition before the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sin; and therefore according to the Interpretation of the word, the words must be translated thus; He hath made our sins to obviate by him, or on him, which is no sense: but rather than men will lose their own sense and apprehension, they will make the Scripture to speak no sense: The true Translation, and reading of the words is thus; He hath made our sins to meet on him, and so our sins were laid on Christ by the hand of the Father. 3. As the Father laid, and did charge out sins on Christ on the Cross? so he laid them on him by way of punishment, our sins being the meritorious cause of his Sufferings, and his Sufferings being the Punishment of our sins; for what is a Punishment, but a just inflicting of some Natural evil, for some sinful evil: It is the inflicting of the evil of Suffering for the sinful evil of Doing. Now when Christ died on the Cross, He was wounded for our Transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, Isa. 53.5. And where do we read, either in Scripture, or any Author, that a man is said to be scourged, wounded, or afflicted for a fault, but it notes a punishment, and that such a fault is the meritorious cause thereof? When God threatens to punish men for sin, he threatens them with the bearing of their Sin. So Levite. 20.17. He shall bear his iniquity, is the same with, he shall be killed, verse 16. and he shall be cut off, verse 18. So Numb. 14.33. Your Children shall wander in the Wilderness, and shall bear your whoredoms, that is, the punishment which is due to them. So Ezek. 18.20. The Soul that sins, shall die, and the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father; that is, the Son shall not be punished for the Fathers sin. So that in Scripture Language, to bear the sin of another, is to be punished for another: So the Goat did bear the sins of the People, and Christ who was our Sin-Offering, did bear our sins on the Cross, Isa. 53. 1 Pet. 2.24. Who himself bare our sins, in his own Body on the Tree: Why so, but because he did bear the Punishment that was due thereunto? 4. As he did then bear our sins on the Cross, so he accepted thereof, and did willingly undergo this Task; for saith he, Lo, I come to do thy Will, thy Law is within my he • t, I delight to do thy Will; which he speaks in reference to these sufferings, Heb. 10. Psal 40.8. and John, 10. he saith, I lay down my life, no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, verse 17, 18. yea, and when our sins were thus charged on him, he did accept of that Charge, and calls those sins his, Psal. 40.12. Mine iniquities have taken hold of me, so that I am not able to lookup: which words are the words of Christ, as appears plainly, by the former Verses. And so again, Psal. 69.5. O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee: which Psalm, is a Psalm of Christ, who standing in our room and stead, speaketh thus, as being made sin for us. So that as the Father charged our sins on him, so he did accept of that charge. 5. As he did willingly accept of this great charge, bearing our sins for us. So when he died on the Cross, he did stand in our room, and stead; not only dying for us, that is, for our profit, good, and benefit; but for us, that is, in our room, and place, and stead; for he laid down his Life for us, as a Ransom: Now when one dies for another in way of Ransom, he doth not only die for the benefit, and profit of the Ransomed, but in the place, and room, and stead of the Ransomed. So did Christ die for us, as himself speaketh, Matth. 20.28. Mark 10.45. The Son of Man, came to give himself a Ransom for many: and if Christ did die for us, as only for our profit, then why should Paul say, 1 Cor. 1.13. Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized into the Name of Paul? It seems by this Speech, that none can die for us in that sense that Christ died for us, but such as whose Names we may be baptized into; but one man may die for another's profit and benefit (as the Martyrs have done) and yet the other may not be baptized into his Name: and the Apostle Paul saith in Rom. 5. Christ died for the Ungodly, verse 6. scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man, some will even dare to die, verse 7. Now Christ did so die for us, and in that sense that he saith, scarcely for a righteous man will one die; and in that sense did Christ die for the ungodly, that he saith, peradventure for a good man, some will even dare to die: But when the Apostle speaks of a man's dying for a righteous man, and for a good man, he doth not mean, that one will scarce die for the benefit, or profit of a righteous, or good man; but he speaks of dying in their place and stead; and therefore when he speaks in the former Verse, of Christ's dying for the Ungodly, he must needs mean for them, as in their room and stead; else he had not spoken ad idem in verse 6. to what he had spoken in verse 5. But the Apostle did certainly speak ad idem, and therefore when our Lord and Savior Christ died for us, he did not only die for our good, and profit, but in our room, place, and stead. And 6. As when he died for us, he did give himself a Ransom for us; so that price and Ransom was most sit, and suitable, being in itself sufficient to pay all our debt, a price beyond all compute; for saith the Apostle Peter, We are not redeemed with Silver and Gold, but with the precious blood of Christ; as if he should say, with such a price as is beyond all compute, in respect whereof, all the Silver and Gold in the World, are of no value; a price in itself infinite, and of infinite value; not only satisfying the debt by way of acceptation, but by that intrinsical worth and value that was in itself; for if Christ's Death and Obedience should only satisfy God for our sin by way of Divine Acceptation, then it should satisfy no more than the Blood of Bulls, and Goats might have done, for such Blood might satisfy by way of Acceptation: But the Scope of the Apostle in Chap. 9. of the Hebrews, is to show that the Blood of Christ, is more efficacious in itself, than the blood of all the Bulls and Goats; and therefore it was not satisfying in a way of Divine Acceptation only, but in a way of intrinsical worth and merit. Now, if the price that Christ laid down for us, was in itself sufficient to satisfy, and this was not wrested from him, but he did freely offer it up unto God for us, and he did pay, and suffer all this in our room and stead, as a punishment due to us, and inflicted on him by the hand of the Father, then God the Father must needs be satisfied with this great payment; which indeed he was, as appears by that entertainment which he gave unto Christ, when Christ came into Heaven, saying, Sit thou on my right hand: Surely therefore, the Satisfaction of Divine Wrath, and Justice, was an immediate effect of the Death of Christ, which he saw presently.
Secondly: As he did satisfy the Law, and Divine Justice, for all his Seed; so he did by his Death, sanctify, and set them apart for God, consecrating them, even all those that he travelled with, to the use and Service of the Lord: for as the first Adam did profane, debauch, and defile all his Seed, by his Disobedience; so the Second Adam, did by his Obedience, consecrate, sanctify, and set apart his Seed for God; for says the Apostle, Heb. 10.10. By the which will, we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Christ: and again, verse 14. For by one Offering, he hath perfected (that is, consecrated, saith Calvin) forever, them that are sanctified. And saith our Savior, For this cause do I sanctify myself, that is (saith Maldonado, according to all the Authors that I have read) I do consecrate, and offer up my • elf a Sacrifice, that they also may be sanctified, or consecrated in Truth, and not in Ceremony, as the People were by the Sacrifices of the Old Testament, which were but a shadow of the great, and true Sacrifice Christ on the Cross. And if our Lord and Savior Christ, when he died on the Cross, was then offered unto God, as our first Fruits; then all the crop, and lump, must be sanctified thereby; but when he died, he was offered up unto God, as our first Fruits; and therefore says the Apostle, Heb. 2.11. For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are of one, as the first Fruits, and the Crop, or Lump were of one; plainly therefore, when Christ died for us, he did then sanctify, and set apart all those whom he died for: and so the consecration, and sanctification of his Seed, is another Fruit, and immediate Effect of his Death.
[ 3] Thirdly: As he did consecrate all his Seed by his Death; so he did merit Heaven, and Eternal Salvation for them, opening the Gates of Paradise (I mean the Celestial Paradise) for them again: for as the first Adam by his Sin, and Disobedience, did bring Death, and Eternal Condemnation upon all his Seed, and did cause the Gates of Paradise to be shut against him, and all his Posterity: so the Second Adam, did by his Death, and Obedience, open the Gates of Paradise, and Salvation, for all his Seed; and therefore when he was on the Cross, he told the Thief, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise; why did he not rather say, This day shalt thou be with me in the third Heavens? (for our Paradise, is the third Heavens, as appears plainly by comparing the 2d and 3d Verses of the 12. Chapter of 2 Cor. ) But because, as I conceive, he was performing his Obedience on the Tree, as our Second Adam, and so opening Heaven, and our Paradise, in opposition to that hurt and mischief the first Adam did by his Disobedience in eating of the forbidden Tree; and if ye look into Heb. 10.19, 20. ye shall find that the Apostle Paul saith thus: Having therefore, Brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new, and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. So that the opening of this way to Life for his Seed, was the proper, and immediate Effect and Fruit of Christ's Death and Sufferings.
[ 4] Fourthly: As he did merit Eternal Life and Salvation for his Seed, opening the Gates of Paradise again for them; So he did by his Death, recover the Image of God unto all his Seed: For as the First Adam by his Sin, and Disobedience, did then lose the Image of God, which loss he saw, as an immediate Fruit, and Effect of his Sin; so the Second Adam, Christ, did by his Death, and Obedience, merit the repair, and recovery of the Image of God, for his Seed; which Purchase he did then obtain presently, and did see the right thereunto, immediately settled upon his Seed, and Children, whom he died for; for saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.12. But by his own blood, be entered in once, into the holy place, having obtained Eternal Redemption for us. So that before he entered the holy place, he had obtained our Redemption: look therefore what that is, which we in Scripture, are said to be redeemed from, that he obtained presently for his Seed. Now we are not only said to be redeemed from the Wrath to come, but from all Iniquity, Tit. 2.14. or from our vain Conversation, and that by his blood, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. This purchase therefore, he obtained presently by his Death. Neither can it be said, that then all his Seed should be immediately freed from their vain Conversation; For as Parisiensis doth observe well, As the sin of the first Adam doth not hurt his Seed, but in that they are his; so the Grace of the Second Adam, doth not actually profit his Seed, but in that they are his: But the Seed of Adam are his, as they receive Flesh from him when they are born; so the Seed of Christ are not his, but as they receive the Spirit from him, and when they are born again; but though the Seed of Christ have not this Image actually stamped on them, til they do believe, yet they have a right, both to Salvation, and Sanctification, immediately settled on them by the Death of Christ, as a Child may have a right to a Land, by the Purchase of his Father, before he comes of Age, though he be not actually possessed of the Land til he do come of Age: This Right therefore, and the Settlement of it upon the Seed of Christ, is another fruit, and immediate Effect of his Death and Sufferings.
[ 5] Fifthly: As he did recover the Image of God by his Death; so he did spoil, and destroy the Power of Satan, which Satan had over all his Seed: For as by the Sin, and Disobedience of the first Adam, Satan got a Power over all his Posterity; so by the Death, and Obedience of the Second Adam, this Power was broken in reference to the Seed of Christ; for saith the Apostle, Heb. 2.14. He also, himself took part of the same, that through Death he might destroy him that had the power of Death, that is, the Devil: and again, Col. 2.15. And having spoiled Principalities, and Powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, that is, the Cross: So that when Christ died on the Cross, he did then break, and rout the Forces of Satan, insomuch as all the Forces that he can draw up together, against the Seed of Christ, are but some rallied Troops: then was his Field-Army broken, and Christ triumphed over them all upon the Cross. Surely therefore, this breaking of the Power, and Force of Satan, is another Fruit, and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ.
[ 6] Sixthly: As Christ did break the power of Satan, by the power of his Death; so he did thereby also sanctify all things to his Seed, insomuch as when they should come of Age, all things should be then clean unto them: For as the First Adam by his Sin, and Disobedience, did defile all things, insomuch as all things were to be unclean, and accursed to his Posterity; so the Second Adam, did by his Death, and Obedience, sprinkle, cleanse, and sanctify all things to his Seed; for saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.19. When Moses had spoken every Precept to the People, he took the blood of Calves, and Goats, and sprinkled both the Book, and all the People: Moreover, he sprinkled with blood, both the Tabernacle, and all the Vessels of the Ministry; and almost all things, are by the Law, purged with blood; but the Heavenly things themselves, with better Sacrifices than these, verse 21, 23. that is, with Christ's own Blood. And if you ask, why the Law, Tabernacle, and the Vessels of the Ministry, which were holy, should be thus sprinkled with Blood? Calvin gives Two Reasons; namely, Because though these things were in themselves holy, yet being used by man (in regard of that pollution that is in him) they might be profaned; and though the Book, and Word of the Lord be holy, yet it will not, it cannot be efficacious, and profitable to us, Nisi Sanguine Christi dedicata, unless it be sprinkled by the Blood of Christ. Now this sprinkling of the Vessels, Book, and all things; was performed when the Sacrifice was offered, and when the Testament was dedicated; but the New Testament was confirmed by the Death of Christ, his Blood being the Blood of the New Testament, and he was sacrificed on the Cross; and therefore though his Seed are sanctified with inherent Holiness when they do believe, yet there was a sprinkling of all things, Ordinances, Afflictions, Dispensations, and all Conditions to them, by the Death of Christ; so that this Sanctification, or sprinkling of all things, in reference to his Seed, was another Fruit, and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ.
[ 7] Seventhly: As Christ did sanctify all things to his Seed, so by his Death, he did confirm the Covenant of Grace: For as the first Adam, did break the old Covenant by his Sin, and Disobedience; so the Second Adam by his Death, and Obedience, did confirm the new; For (saith the Apostle, Heb. 9.16.) Where a Testament is, there must also of necessity be, the Death of the Testator; for a Testament is of force, after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all, whilst the Testator liveth, verse 17. And again, Gal. 3.15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's Covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disanulleth, or addeth thereto; and this I say, that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, &c. ver. 17. So that the Covenant of Grace was confirmed by Christ in his Death: Only the Question is, How this Covenant was confirmed by the death of Christ? The Socinians say, That Christ's death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony, or Declaration of the Truth of the Gospel; the Lord say they hath promised in the Gospel, that all those who repent and believe, shall be justified and saved. Now Christ preaching this Truth, and dying in it, hath confirmed this Truth, and the Gospel; and therefore say they, Christ is called the true, and the faithful Witness. 1. But though Christ by his death, did bear his Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel, yet where do we find in Scripture, that his death did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony? 2. Where doth it appear that the Covenant which he confirmed by his death, was this, If you repent, and believe, you shall be saved, and justified? The thing is true, and a Gospel Truth, but the Covenant which Christ confirmed, ye read of in Heb. 8. where the Lord doth promise both Faith, and Repentance also. 3. If the death of Christ did confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony, testifying the Truth of the Gospel; then the death of the Martyrs should confirm the Covenant, more than the death of Christ: for the Socinians deny the Deity of Christ; and if Christ were only Man, then the death of thousands (some dying more painful deaths than Christ did) should give a greater Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel, and so confirm the Covenant more than the death of Christ: but where do we find in all the Scripture, that the death of the Martyrs is said to confirm the New Covenant? The death of none, but of the Testator, can confirm the Testament; but Christ only (and not the Martyrs) is the Testator, Heb. 9.17. 4. Then also the Miracles that Christ wrought, and the Apostles preaching, with the Gifts that Christ gave to them upon his Ascension, should confirm the Covenant; for saith the Apostle, Heb. 2.3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation? which at the first, began to be preached by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, verse 4. It seems then, that the Truth of the Go • pel was confirmed to us by Miracles, and the Apostles preaching; yet the Miracles, and preaching of the Apostles, are not said in Scripture to confirm the Covenant, which yet might very well be said, if Christ's Death should confirm it by way of Testimony. 5. If the Death of Christ, doth confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony, then the blood of Bulls and Goats, might have confirmed the Covenant; for when God testified the Truth of his Promise to Adam, Gen. 15. He said to him, Take thee an Heifer of three years old, and a she Goat of three years old, and a Turtle Dove, and a young Pidgeon; and he took them, and divided them in the midst, ver. 9, 10. But the Apostle tells us plainly, Heb. 9. That the blood of Bulls and Goats could not confirm the Covenant. 6. The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, doth testify God's willingness to forgive sinners; That Cup is the New Testament in Christ's blood, shed for many for the remission of sins: But though the Lord's Supper be a Seal of the Covenant, sealing to us, evidencing, testifying, and assuring us of God's Love b • Christ; yet it is not a Seal of the Covenant, as Christ's blood was, which did not only • eal to us, but was a Seal of the Covenant itself, as it lay between God the Father, and him. But if Christ's death, did only confirm the Covenant by way of Testimony, then the Lord's Supper might as well be said to confirm the Covenant, which is nowhere affirmed in the Scripture. But 7. Look how the Obedience of the first Adam, should have confirmed the Covenant, in case he had stood; and look how he broke that Covenant by his Disobedience; so did the Death, and Obedience of Christ, the Second Adam, confirm the new Covenant. Now if the first Adam had stood and confirmed that Covenant, he had confirmed it by performing the Condition of it; and he brake it by not observing, and not doing the Condition of it: so the Second Adam, Christ, did confirm the new Covenant by his Death, and in that, by his Obedience, he did perform the Condition of the New Covenant for his Seed: Thus I say, he confirmed the Covenant of Grace, even by performing the Condition of it; and this confirmation of the Covenant, was the next, and most immediate Fruit, and Effect of his Death. And thus you have seen both Negatively, and Affirmatively, what are not, and what are, the next, and immediate Effects of the Death of Christ.
[ II] Secondly: As for the remote Effects of the Death of Christ, they are many: As 1. Freedom from the Law, Curse, and the Wrath of God, Gal. 3.13. 1 Thes. 1.10. 2. Our Effectual Vocation, or Calling, 2 Tim 1.9. 3. Our Justification, and actual Reconciliation with God, Rom. 5.1. Ephes. 1.8. 4. Our Sanctification, and holiness of Soul and Life, Ephes. 5.25, 26, 27. Heb. 9.14. 1 John, 1.7. 5. Our Adoption, and all those Spiritual Privileges wh • ch belong to the Sons of God, Gal. 4.4, 5. 6. Our Peace, Comfort, and Freedom from Fears, 1. Luk. 74.2. Heb. 14 And to name no more but this, 7. Our Salvation in the World to come, Heb. 9.15. Al which, I cal the more remote Effects of the Death of Christ; which though he did not presently see the obtainment of, yet he shall surely see them. And so I come to the Second thing propounded, to be cleared and evidenced, Viz. The Assurance of his Issue, and the sight thereof.
[Quest.] Having therefore seen, what are the Fruits, and Effects of the Death of Christ, How may it appear, that Christ shall certainly see the obtainment of these last Effects? and what assurance had, or hath he thereof?
[Answ.] He had the Assurance of the Pre-salvation of many thousand Souls: for when Christ died on the Cross, many thousands were in Heaven upon the account of his Death: God the Father took Christ's word, promising to die for sinners, and so saved many aforehand. As the Son died, and took the Fathers Word for the Salvation of many after his Death; so the Father took the Sons Word, and saved many before his Death upon the account thereof. Now when Christ died, this pre-salvation of so many thousands, was a great Assurance to him, of the accomplishment, and obtainment of all those things which he travelled for.
[ 2] Secondly: He had the Assurance also of his own Merit, and his Fathers Faithfulness. For 1. He did not only merit Heaven and Salvation for those whom he died for; but he merited Grace, Holiness, and Regeneration for them: for whatever God gives in time, he gives upon the account of Christ's Merit; but in time, he doth give Grace and Holiness, for he doth bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Now Grace and Holiness are Spiritual blessings, and therefore God doth bless us therewith in Christ. 2. Look what the Father promiseth, that he doth give out upon the account of Christ; for all the Promises are Yea, and Amen, in Christ; Grace and Truth comes by Christ, & the fulfilling of the Promise, is truth; but God the Father hath promised Grace as well as Glory; I will write my Law in your heart, I will take away the heart of stone, and give you an heart of flesh, I will give you a new heart, saith God. 3. Wha • ever Grace is derived from Christ, and communicated by him to us, he merited for us; But of his Fulness, we do all receive, even Grace for Grace. 4. We pray to God for the Conversion, and Regeneration of sinners, and we beg this in the Name of Christ; there • ore Christ hath merited, not only Glory, but Grace and Holine s. And 5. The Apostle tells us expressly in 2 Tim. 1.9. That we are called with an holy Calling, in, a • d by Jesus Christ; W • o hath saved us, and called us with an holy Ca • ling; not according to our Work • , but according to his own purpo e, and G • ace, whi •• he hath given us in Christ Je • us, before the Woe • ld began. As God doth work all Na • ural things by Second Cau • es, so he doth work all Supernatural things by Christ: By C • rist • e d • d make the old Creation, as he was the Ete • n • l Son of God; and by Christ he makes the new Creation, as our Mediator. Now look what the Father worketh by him, that did he merit for us; but our new Creation is wrought by him, and theretore he did not only merit Heaven, and happiness, but all our Grace and Holiness for us.
2. He did not only merit the impetration of our Redemption, but the application of it also, the application of the means of Grace, and the application of his own Merit; for his Death is made the Reason of this application, Isaiah. 53.11. By his knowledge shall my righteous Servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities: so again, Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered up himself, purge our Consciences from dead Works, to serve the living God; and for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant. Now if Christ shall therefore justify many, because he did bear their sins, then he did merit this application for all those whom he died for. 2. If Christ did not merit this application, then there is some Grace which is not from Christ, or this application is no Grace, but the application of Grace, and of Christ's Merits, and Redemption, is Grace, and there is no Grace which we have, but is all from Christ. 3. Our other Adversaries tell us, that no Child perisheth, or is damned only for Original sin, but that sin is taken off from all, by the Death of Christ; therefore the death of Christ, and his Merits, are applied unto all Infants; and if so, then he hath merited the application of Redemption for all, or else he did not die equally for all, as they say. 4. Look what God hath promised, that Christ hath merited; but he hath promised the application of Christ's death & Merits, for saith he, My Servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted, so shall he sprinkle many Nations, Isa. 52.15. And 5. If he did not merit the application as well as the impetration of our Redemption, then he merited no more for those that are in Heaven, than for those that are in Hel; no more for those that are saved, than for those that are damned: For he merited the impetration of Redemption for all the particular men of the World, say they. But he did merit more for the saved, than for the damned; else those in Heaven have no more cau e to praise God, and to be thankful unto Christ, than those that are in Hel. Surely therefore, our Lord and Savior Christ, when he died, did not only merit the Impetration, but the Application also, of our Redemption.
3. He did not only merit a sufficiency of Grace for us, but the efficacy of Grace also: For look what Grace the Father gives in time that the Son merited, for he blesses with all spiritual blessings in him; but the Father doth not only give forth a sufficiency of Grace, but the efficacy of it; for saith the Apostle, he worketh in us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the will, and the deed. 2. Look what Grace the Father promiseth us, that Christ merited for us; but the Father promiseth not only a sufficiency, but the efficacy of Grace, I will put my Spirit into you, and cause you to walk in my ways, saith God. 3. Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant, upon the account of his Death, Heb. 9.14, 15. therefore whatever Grace is promised in the New Covenant, his Death is the meritorious cause of; but the efficacy of Grace is promised in the new Covenant; I will write my Law in your hearts, Heb. 8. 4. The Death and Obedience of Christ, is more meritorious for us, than the Sin, and Disobedience of the first Adam, was against us, Rom. 5. But the Sin, and Disobedience of the first Adam, did not only merit a sufficiency of evil, but the efficacy of evil upon our Nature; and therefore the Death, and Obedience of the Second Adam, did merit the efficacy of Grace for us. And 5. If Christ did not merit the efficacy of Grace, he should merit no more for those that are saved in Heaven, than for those that are damned in Hel; for he merited a sufficiency of Grace, say the Adversaries, even for those that are in Hel: but that is an ugly Assertion, even in the Eyes of moderate Papists. But 6. Do we not pray for the Efficacy of Grace, and of Christ's Death? When David said, Incline my heart to thy Law, and not unto Covetousness; when he said, Open mine Eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy Law; did he only pray for the sufficiency of Grace? No, but the efficacy of it; therefore we may, and do still pray so, and that upon the account of Christ's Merits: Surely therefore, Christ hath not only merited the sufficiency, but the efficacy of Grace.
4. He did not only merit some Blessings of the Covenant, but that which is commonly called the Condition of the Covenant: He died to procure Faith and Repentance, he did not only die to merit a power for us to believe, but by his Death, he did also merit Faith and Repentance; for look what the Father worketh in us by him, that he merited; but the Father worketh Faith and Repentance by him; For he worketh in us, that which is well-pleasing in his sight by Jesus Christ, Heb. 13.21. Now Faith and Repentance, are well-pleasing in his sight. 2. Christ merited all that Grace which the Father hath promised, for all the Promises are Yea, and Amen in him; but the Father hath promised, not only to give us a powe • to believe, but to take away the heart of stone, that is, actual resistance, and to give an he • t of flesh; that is, a yielding he • rt, and what is Faith, but a yielding unto God? And ye shall all know me, saith God. 3. Christ merited for us, that which he works in us; but he works Faith in us, for he is the Author, and Finisher of our Faith, Heb. 12. 4. We pray to God for Faith, and Repentance; I believe, Lord, help my Unbelief; and Christ prayed for Peter, that his Faith might not fail. We also pray for the Faith and Conversion of Infidels, and that in the Name of Christ, do we only pray, that God would give them, and us a power to believe? that (it's said) we have already: we pray for Faith and Repentance, in the Name of Christ, therefore Christ hath merited Faith and Repentance. And, 5. The Apostle tells us expressly, that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the very work of Believing is given us upon the account of Christ; Unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe on him, but to suffer for him, Phil. 1.29. Some would read these words otherwise, being much pinched with the strength of them; but the old Siriack Translation reads them thus, though Grotius either consulting with the Latin Translation, or his own declined Judgment, makes these words, for Christ, to be a Pleonatine; but Council • , Fathers, and others, read them thus; Unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe on him, and so the words ought to be read; for the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is to be read in the first clause of the verse, as it is read in the last; but in the last part of the verse, it is read for to suffer for Christ; what is that? is that in the behalf of Christ? No, but for his sake. So therefore, the same words in the former part of the verse, are to be read, for Christ, that is, for the sake of Christ, to you it is given to believe for Christ's sake: Now look what the Father gives as an act of free Grace, that he gives upon the account of Christ's Merit; for free Grace, and Christ's Merits, go together in the Language of Paul's Epistles; but the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the work of Faith is given us as an act of free Grace; for says the Apostle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; and look what the Father gives for Christ's sake, that Christ hath merited; but as the Father hath given us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to suffer for him, that is, for his sake; so saith the Apostle, he hath given us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for Christ, that is, for his sake to believe. So that when Christ died for us, he did not only merit a power to believe, and repent, but he did merit Faith and Repentance. Now if Christ did merit all these things, then knowing that the Father is Faithful, in paying and performing what the Son purchased, he must needs know, and be fully assured that he should see, and enjoy all those effects of his Death, which he travelled for, when he died.
[Applic. 1] If the e be the Effects of Christ's Death, and he had such full assurance to obtain them all; then surely, Christ did not die for all the particular men of the World; for he did not only merit Eternal Life, and Salvation; but Grace, and Holiness, Faith, and Repentance, for all those whom he died for; and he shall u • ely obtain all the ends and effects of his Death; but all the particular men in the World shall not be • aved, n • r believe, and repent, and therefore certainly he did not die for every particular man in the World; but of this more in the next Exercise: Only as a concluding word.
[Applic. 2] Let Comfort be, to whom Comfort belongs, here is much much Comfort for all those that are • he •• ed of Christ, whom he died for, and travelled with. You shall • ee the travel of Christ's Soul accomplished in your Salvation, Sanctification, and Consolation; for he hath purchased, and merited your Glory, therefore you shall have the same; it was your Justification that he was in travel for, therefore you shall see the same; it was your Sanctification, and Holiness that he did travel for, and he shall not miscarry; it was your Comfort, and Consolation, and Salvation, that he was in Travel for, and therefore in due time you shall see the same.
[Object.] But I fear that I am none of his Seed, that he did not die for me.
[Answ.] He died for his Sheep; I lay down my Life for my Sheep, saith he; a Sheep is an harmless Creature, it can be hurt by any, but it can do hurt to none; it is a prey to all, but doth prey upon none. So are the Sheep of Christ, innocent, harmless, and without horns, as the word is, be innocent as Doves, or without horns as Doves, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; a Sheep is an useful, profitable Creature, nothing not useful in it; the Flesh, the Wool, the very Dung thereof profitable. So are the Sheep of Christ, and his Sheep hear his Voice, but know not the Voice of a Stranger; and if you be in your Life harmless, profitable, hearing the Voice of Christ in the Gospel, then are you his Sheep, and he did die for you. 2. If you can leave the b • some of your sweet Relations, and suffer for Christ, then did he leave the bosom of his Father, and suffer for you; for we love him, because he loved us first, all our Grace, is but the reflection of his. 3. If he intercedes for you in Heaven, then he died for you on Earth; now he ever liveth to make Intercession for all those that come unto God by him; you come unto God by him, therefore he goes unto God for you, and therefore died for you. 4. He died to reconcile God to us, and us unto God; if you be reconciled to God, and the things of God, so as you do now love the Truths, Waies, and things of God, • hich you once hated, then is God also reconciled to you. Now thus it is with you; you can say, through Grace I do love those Truths, and Waies, and Things of God, which I once hated; therefore you are reconciled to God, therefore he is reconciled to you, and therefore Christ died for you. 5. If you can fulfil the Law of Christ, then hath Christ died for you; for those that he died for, he satisfied, and fulfilled the Law for; and if you can fulfil his Law, you may safely say he hath obeyed, and fulfilled the Law for me: now the Law of Christ, is to bear one another's burdens; Bear ye one another's burdens, saith the Apostle, and so fulfil the Law of Christ: this you do, and can do; therefore he hath fulfilled the Law for you, and so hath died for you. 6. If you be the Seed, and Children of Christ, then did he travel, and die for you; the Children of Christ are such as are willing to be instructed by him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to instruct, comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Child, because it is the property of a Child to be willing to be instructed; a Child doth obey his Father, without why's and wherefore's, merely because the Father commands; his Command is the Childs Reason, for my Father bid me, &c. the Child is contented with the Fathers carving, goes to school about its business, and leaves its provision to the Father, living in dependence on him. Now thus it is with you; you do depend on Christ, leave your Co • dition to him, and obey, and do, because Christ, or God command • ▪ and are willing to be inst • ucted by him; Surely therefore you are the Seed of Christ, and therefore Christ died for you, even for you in particular; and therefore though the great effects of his Death, may yet be hidden from you, yet he shall obtain all his ends upon you in your Justification, Sanctification, Consolation, Salvation; for he hath merited all these at the hand of the Father, and the Father will surely give out what Christ hath purchased, for he is Faithful; wherefore comfort yourselves in these things, O all ye Seed of the Lord.
CHRIST IN TRAVEL. AND The Contentment, which he doth, and shall find in his Assurance of Issue.
Sermon III.
ISAIAH, 53.11.
He shall see of the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied.
HAving spoken to the Second Branch of the Doctrine, viz. Chri ts Assurance of Issue, and his • ight thereof; the Third Branch now follows, which is,
The Contentment, delight, and satisfaction which he doth, and shall find therein.
Satisfaction, or delight, is nothing else, but that Sabbath, or rest, which the Soul finds in the Fruition of the thing desired; and as the thing is less, or more desired; so the delight, and satisfaction in the Fruition of it, is less or more: now Christ did very much desire to see the Fruit of his Travel; I thirst, said he on the Cross, which is the strongest of desires: and what did he thirst after, but the Salvation of Man-kind, the Fruit and Issue of his Travel? The Bread of the laboring man is sweet, saith Solomon; and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used for the Travel of Christ, signifies such a toylsom labor, as the poor man doth exercise in the sweat of his Brows to get his daily Bread; it is much contentment, and satisfaction which the thirsty man doth find in his Drink, or the hungry man doth find in his Meat, or Bread. Now the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here used, and translated, Sa • isfied, is the same that is used in Psal. 107. The hungry he will satisfy with Bread; and is it not a great satisfaction, delight, and contentment, which the Woman finds in the sight of her Child, which she hath had a sore travel for? Our Savior tells us, that she forgets her Labor, and Travel, for joy that a Man-child is born into the world: Such a Travel was that of Christ's Sufferings, and such contentment doth, and will he find in his issue; and therefore as Jacob said, These are the Chi • dren which God hath given me; so doth Christ say, Behold, I and the Children, which God hath given me, Heb. 2. only ye know, that the delight and contentment, will be proportionable to the Travel; the greater the Conflict is, and the sorrow of it, the greater will the Joy be in the Conquest; and the lower Christ d d descend in his Sorrows and Travels, the higher he will, and shall ascend in his delights and satis • actions. Now when he • uffered, he did conflict with the Wrath of God, and did endure the torments of Hel: Surely therefore, as he did lie low in his Sufferings, so his heart doth, and shall arise to the highest contentment and satisfaction in the sight and Fruition of the Fruit of his Travel.
[Quest.] But wherein doth, or did Christ express this height, and greatness of Contentment in the sight of his Issue?
[Answ.] The Issue of his Travel, is either that which he travelled with, namely, his Seed; or that which he travelled for, namely, the Fruit and Effect of his Death.
[ I] First; As for the Issue that he travelled with, his Seed.
[ 1] Is it not a great expression of delight and contentment in them, to suffer such hard things for them? will a man suffer an ordinary death for ano • her, whom he doth not delight much in? It's an argument of the Martyrs delight in, and love to Christ, that they suffered such hard things for him with delight: O! said one, suffering for Christ; I am in Heaven already, before I come in Heaven; I have so much joy in my Prison, that I have found a nest of Honey in the Lions Body: Some sung in their Prison, and some clapped their hands in the flames; why? but to show their delight and great contentment which they did find in Christ? and did their cheerful suffering for Christ argue their satisfaction in him? and doth not Christ's cheerful suffering for them, argue his contentment in them? I delight to do thy will, thy Law is within my heart: said he when he came to this suffering work, yea, now this is my hour, The hour of the Son of man; and again, when he went out to suffer, now (said he) is the Son of man glorified. Surely he could never have born those sufferings with such delight, if he had not great delight, and contentment in those whom he suffered for.
[ 2] Is it not an argument of great delight and contentment in his Seed, that he doth draw them into communion and fellowship with him in his royal dignities? I do not say, that the Saints are by Christ Deified, Christed, or that they are made Christ's like him; there are some Excellencies, and Prerogatives of Christ, which are not communicated; for though we are made partakers of the Divine Nature, yet our Nature was never manifested in the Godhead, God was incarnate, and manifested in the Flesh; and so Christ is truly called Man, for the Word was made Flesh, but Flesh was not made the Word, nor was Flesh manifested in the God-head; and therefore Man cannot be called God, or Christ: but though the Seed of Christ are not drawn into this fellowship with him, yet he hath taken them into communion with him, in his blessed unctions, therein they are called Partners, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Heb. 1. He hath anointed him with the Oil of Gladness above his Fellows, or Partners. Is he the anointed of the Lord? so are they said to be anointed, Touch not mine anointed: Is he called a Prophet? so are they called Prophets, and do my Prophets no harm, Psal. 105. Is he called a King, and a Priest? so are they called also, a royal Priest-hood, 1 Pet. 2.9. Kings and Priests unto God, Revel. 5.10. Is he called Hephribo, in whom I am delighted, Matth. 3. • r my delight in him? so are they called Hephribah, in which I am delighted, or my delight in her, Isa. 62 4. Now what greater argument of true delight and contentment can there be, than thus to draw them into this Communion, and Fellowship with himself?
[ 3] Is it not an high Expression of his Love and Delight, to have communion with them in all their sufferings? Thus it is, they have communion with him in his Comforts, and he hath communion with them in their Sorrows; once he bare the Curse of their sin for them, & now he bears the Cross of their sin with them; they have Cedar Wood, and Gold and Silver from him, he hath dirty Cities from them, In all their afflictions, he was afflicted, Isa. 63.9. and as a tender Wife is afflicted with her Husband, and doth run up and down for him; so doth Christ also, and therefore if ye look into Cant. 7.10. ye shall find, that when the Spouse saith, I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me: it is the same word that is used for the Wife, Gen. 3.16. And thy desire shall be towards thine Husband? Why so? not because Christ shall be subject to the will of the Saints, as the will of the Wife is to be subject to the will of the Husband; but because (the Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , coming from the root 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifying to run up and down, to and fro, with solicitude and carefulness) as the Wife doth run up and down, looking to, and caring for her sick Husband, being afflicted with him in all his afflictions: So Christ doth carefully tender, and is solicitous for the Saints good, his heart as it were, running up and down for them, and being afflicted with them in all their afflictions, she saith here, and his desire, or his running up and down affection, is towards me. Now what greater argument of delight, and contentment can there be?
[ 4] Is it not an high expression of his delight, and satisfaction in them, to spend and lay out his time, and eternity for them, and on them? Thus it is, before he came into the World, he saith Prov. 8.31. I was by him, rejoicing in the Habitable Parts of his Earth, and my delights were with the Sons of Men: When he came into the World, he came to, and for them, Isa. 9. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: while he lived here, he lived for them, Behold thy King comes to thee, meekly riding on an Ass: when he died, he died for them; The Just for the unjust; he died for our sins: and when he rose again, he rose for them, who died for our sins, saith the Apostle, and rose again for our Justification: when he went to Heaven, he went for them; I go to prepare a place for you (saith he, John 14.) when he ascended, he did ascend for them, that he might give Gifts unto men; and when he appeared before the Father, he did appear for them, Heb. 9.24. and now he continues in Heaven for them; Seeing he ever liveth (saith the Apostle) to make Intercession for us, Heb. 7 there he negotiates for them still, and doth transact all their business; why should not we negotiate for him on Earth, who doth negotiate for us in Heaven? why should not we spend of all our time for him, who hath, and doth spend of the days of his Eternity for us? But if Christ do thus spend, and lay out himself, and day, and time, and eternity for his Seed; then surely he doth, and must needs take much contentment, and satisfaction in them.
[ 5] Is it not a great Argument of his delight and satisfaction, in his Seed, that he will not suffer a cold wind to blow upon them to hurt them? When a Mother is so render of her Child, that she will not suffer a cold wind to blow upon it, you say, see how she loves, and delights in that Child. Now Christ hath said concerning his People; He that toucheth you, toucheth the Apple of mine Eye, Zach. 2. The Eye of man, is the most tender part you know, and men are the most tender of that; but I pray observe what kind of men they were that Christ was thus tender of: in Deut. 32.10. it's said that God kept the People of Israel in the Wilderness, as the Apple of his Eye: There they were in a low and sad condition, yet there was the Love of their youth expressed in following God; but now these men were in Babylon, and they were that part of the People of the Jews, which did stay behind, when others were gone to re-build the Temple; and through Unbelief did this part stay behind; therefore saith the Prophet, verse 6. Come forth, and flee from the Land of the North; yet concerning these, even these rebellious, and unbelieving Residue, doth the Lord say, He that toucheth you, toucheth the Apple of mine Eye, verse 8. Surely then, if Christ had • uch tender care of the • e, in reference to all that might touch, or hurt them, I may truly say in regard of his Seed, he will not suffer a cold wind for to blow upon them: herein is his delight, and love manifested.
[ 6] The neglect of himself (whilst he lived) in reference unto their good and Salvation, speaks thus much also. If a Child be fallen into the fire or water, the Mother lays by all other business to pul it out, she lays by her very Meat, and Drink, and dressing; forgets and neglects herself, til she have obtained the safety of her Child, and this argues her delight in it. So it was with Christ in the days of his flesh, he forg • t and neglected himself altogether, til he had settled the great business of Mans Salvation; I have Meat to eat that ye know not of, saith he: he had not whereon to lay his Head, and did not mind himself, but was restless til he had set all things in safety, in reference to the Salvation of his Seed; why? but because of that great delight and satisfaction which he took in his work, and their good.
[ 7] And when he went away, and could no longer stay here on Earth, he left his Seed a blessed Token of Love, which he would have them wear in their Bosoms til he comes again, I mean the Lord's Supper: Do this as oft as ye do it (saith he) in remembrance of me. When a Man goes from a place, and doth leave his Friends, he bestows some token of Love upon his best Friends; or if he die, he gives his choice, and beloved Friend a Token of Remembrance; he doth not so by those whom he loves not, but by such as he loves much, and delights in: Thus did our Savior Christ, when he went away, and died, he left a Crucifix, as I may so cal it, this Ordinance of the Supper, to be worn in the Bosom of all the Churches, as a Memorial, or Remembrance of him. The Socinians, who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ, tell us that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Remembrance, should rather be translated Celebration; do this in the Celebration of me, and that the word doth signify Celebration, and not Remembrance: but if ye look into Heb. 10.3. ye shall find it's said, But in those Sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sin every year: it is the same word that is used for the Lord's Supper, and should it be translated a Celebration there? should the words be read thus but in these Sacrifices, there is a Celebration of sin every year? surely no: well then is the word translated in the Institution of the Lord's Supper, do this in remembrance of me, and in that Christ hath left such a remembrance for his Seed; what doth this argue, but that they should delight in him, as he doth delight in them?
[ 8] And lastly: Is it not a very great, and high expression of his Love, and delight in them, that he carried all their names upon his heart, into the presence of God the Father, owning and Interceding for them? When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate, and with the Blood of the Sacrifice, he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times, and prayed for them: So when our great High Priest went into Heaven, he did carry the Names of all those whom he died for, sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them, and doth yet pray, and intercede for such of them, as are not in Heaven; and as if all this were not enough, he did presently send the Comforter, another Advocate to intercede within them, Rom. 8. that a • he took their flesh upon him, and was made one with them, so they should take of his Spirit, and be made one with him. Now can • his, and all these things be, without great contentment, and delight in them? Surely, the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed, is exceeding great, and very full. Prov. 8. he saith, his delights (in the plural Number) are in them; and Psal. 16. he saith, all his delight is in them.
[Quest.] But why, and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ, take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed?
[Answ.] He hath travelled for them, saith this Doctrine, and will ye ask, why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child, which she hath had a sore Travel for? without doubt, this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered. But,
[ 1] They are his own, and men do naturally delight in their own. Now they are not his own only as a man's Goods are his own, but they are his own, as his Wife is his own, and his own Body.
[ 2] They are given him of the Father: a man loves, and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend: such is the Father; and saith Christ, Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me.
[ 3] They are related to him, with all the Relations of Love; they are his Brethren, He is not ashamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 2. They are his Children, Behold I, and the Children whom God hath given me, saith he, Heb. 2. They are his Spouse, Ephes. 5. A man loves, and delights in him that is related to him, but with one single Relation; but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love, he would be much delighted in: Thus it is with the Seed of Christ, when they believe (for so I speak of them now) they are related to him with all the Relations of Love; If any man (saith Christ) hear my words, and do them, he is my Mother, and Brother, and Sister.
[ 4] Yea, They are one with him, he with them, and they with him; one with the greatest oneness, of mutual In-being; I in you, and you in me, saith Christ.
[ 5] And they are very like him too, and suitable to him: all delight arises from a conjunction of suitables: Christ, and his believing Seed, are not only joined into one; but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables, Christ suiting with them, and they with him again, being of the same mind and affection: Doth Christ say unto his Spouse, Cant. 4.10. Thy Love is better than Wine? so doth the Spouse say to him, Cant. 1.2. Thy Love is better than Wine: Doth he say to his Spouse, Thou art all fair my Love, there is no spot in thee? Cant. 4.7. so doth she say of him, He is altogether lovely, Cant. 5.16. Doth he contemplate her Beauty? Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty, Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed, even as David exceeded Jonathan; yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ, and his Seed.
[ 6] By them also (I mean his believing Seed) he liveth, and his Name is continued, and born up in the World unto all Generations; He shall prolong his days, saith I • aiah, 53.10. But how so? He shall see his Seed, and so shall prolong his days: His Name shall continue forever, saith the Psal. 72.17. But how so? even by the continual filliation of his Seed, and Name. Now if he do yet live in them, and they only do hear up his Name in the World; then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ, doth take so much delight, contentment, and satisfaction in them: surely his delight in them, is beyond all expression; for saith he, Cant. 7.6. How fair, and how pleasant art thou, O Love for delights?
[ II] Secondly: As for the Issue of Christ, which he travelled for; namely, The Fruits and Effects of his Death, his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof. For,
[ 1] Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands, Isa. 53.10. He shall see his Seed, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands: a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands; and the greater the work is, and the more it prospers, the more delight he hath, and contentment; and when doth the Work of God prosper in a man's hands, but when it attaineth the ends, and due effects thereof: Now the work that Christ under took, was the greatest work in the world, and it was God the Fathers Work, insomuch as Christ is called his Servant; and saith Christ, Lo, I come to do thy Will: Whenever therefore, he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof, then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands, and so his heart is at rest.
[ 2] Thereby the reproach is rolled away from his Sufferings, great was the Scandal of the Cross, the greatest scandal that ever was, and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was. It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren, but when she brought forth a Child, her reproach was rolled away: So when the Cross, and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth, then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rolled away; and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof, his heart is at rest, and he is fully satisfied.
[ 3] And thereby also he obtains the ends of his Sufferings; as it is a dis-satisfaction to a man to miss his ends, so it is satisfaction to a man to obtain the end of his Labor. Now the effects of Christ's Travel, are the ends which he aimed at in his Travel; and therefore when he sees the Travel of his Soul in the Effects thereof, he must needs be at rest in his heart, and be fully satisfied.
[Quest.] But how may it appear that Christ shall certainly obtain all those Ends which he travelled for, and aimed at?
[Answ. 1] This hath been cleared already; yet further thus: The Will of Christ, and the Will of the Father, are one, I and my Father (saith he) are one: they are one in Nature, and therefore there is but one will between them. Now God the Father cannot be frustrated of his Ends, for he is a simple being, and a pure Act, nothing can come between his Executive Power, and his Will. The Soul of Man, is a compounded Being, his Faculties differing from his Essence, and his Acts differing from his Faculties, and therefore somth ng can come between his Will, and the Execution of it; but the Executive Power, and the Will of God being one, and his Will, and Act being one, nothing can come between his Will, and his Act; and therefore look whatever he wills, he shall certainly obtain, and cannot be frustrated of his Ends.
[Answ. 2] If you look in • o the Scripture, you shall find that the same things which are the Effects of Christ's Death, were the Ends of his dying, and the same things which were the e • ds • hat he ai • ed at in his Death, are the effects of his Death: For example, Did he aim at the Remission of our sins by his Death? Matth. 26.28. Remission of sin, is the effect of his D • ath, Ephes. 1.7. Did he aim at the washi • g, and sanctifying of the Church by his Death? Ephes. 5.25, 26. This cleansing, washing, and sanctifying, as the Effect of his Death, 1 Cor. 6.11. The Ends and Effects of his Death are the same, why so? but to show that he shall certainly obtain all those gracious ends, which he travelled for.
[Answ. 3] If there be nothing tha • can keep our Lord and Savior Christ from the obtainment of his Ends, then he must needs see the same. Now the Ends of his Death and Sufferings are many, he did not only die, and suffer, to deliver us from the Wrath to come, and to reconcile us to God; but he di • d and suffered, to bring us to God, and to deliver us from this present evil World, 1 Gal. 4 he died to sanctify, wash, and cleanse those that he died for, Ephes. 5.25 to destroy him that had the power of death, the D • vil, Heb. 2. and to redeem us from all Iniquity, Tit. 2.14. Now what can h • nder him from the obtainment of the • e his Ends? Can the Devil? he came to destroy him: Can the World? He came to deliver us from this present evil World: Can our Sin, or Unbelief, hinder him? he came to cleanse us, and wash us, and to redeem us from all Iniquity; why then are not those redeemed from all Iniquity that he died for? Will ye say, because they will not, or because they do not believe? he came to redeem us from those unbelieving won'ts for that Unbelief; and that would not is a Sin and Iniquity, and he came to redeem us from all, not from some, but from all Iniquity. Surely therefore, if he did die for all particular men, he should redeem them all from all Iniquity, and so from their Unbelief.
[Object.] But when the Apostle saith, that Christ came to redeem us from all Iniquity, by that US, we are to understand Believers only, and not all the particular men in the World.
[Answ.] Very true: But if he came to redeem Believers only from all Iniquity, and not others; then he did not die equally for all men; for he died to redeem some from all Iniquity, and not others: But those that say Christ died for all, say also that he died equally, with equal Intentions of Love and Mercy for all; and if he did die to redeem all particular men from all Iniquity, why are not all particular men redeemed from all Iniquity? Will it yet be said, because they will not? why, that will not, is an Iniquity: Will it be said, Because of their Unbelief? why, that Unbelief is an Iniquity, and a Soul-disease. Now if a Physician come to cure all Diseases, and he doth not cure the most because they have Diseases, is this a good reason why he doth not cure them? You send a Servant to wash, and cleanse a pot from its filthiness, and he returns with it unwashed, unclensed, and he tells you that he did not wash it, because there was filth in it; will you take this for a good reason from him? Surely no. Now Christ came to wash us, and cleanse us from all Iniquities, and will he not do it because of our Iniquity? Surely this can be no reason; and seeing these are the Ends of his Death and Sufferings, there is nothing that can hinder him from the obtainment of them: Therefore he shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul in the obtainment of all those Ends which he suffered for. Now two things there are, which do give full contentment, and satisfaction to the Soul; The obtainment of ones End, and The knowledge of that obtainment; for though I have obtained my End, yet if I do not know that I have obtained it, I have not satisfaction; but where fruition, and knowledge of that fruition do meet, there is full contentment and satisfaction. Now Christ shall not only obtain his Ends, but he shall know, and set the Travel of his Soul, and therefore he shall have full delight, contentment, and satisfaction therein. And so the main Doctrine is now cleared, in all the three Parts thereof.
[Use, 1] If Christ shall thus see the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied, then here you may see the Reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Doctrine of Universal Redemption: How can we be satisfied with that which is dis-satisfying to the heart of Christ? Now according to that Doctrine, Christ shall see men damned for those very sins, that he hath died, and satisfied for: Corvinus is not ashamed to speak it out, and it, or worse, must needs follow from that Doctrine; for many shall be damned, not only for their Unbelief, and sins against the Gospel, but for their sins against the Law, Rom. 2.12. 2 Cor. 6.9. Either then Christ satisfied for these sins, when he died for them, or not; if not, then it seems that men possibly may have their sins against the Law pardoned, which Christ hath not satisfied for; for the Maintainers of that Doctrine say, That it's possible that all may be saved, and so have their sins pardoned; and if men's sins may be pardoned, which Christ hath not satisfied for, then is the Satisfaction of Christ made void according to the Doctrine of the Socinians: and if Christ did bear, and die, and satisfy for these very sins, which men are damned for, then shall God punish the same sin twice, which even a just man will not do; and then wherein doth our great Gospel Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, exceed the Sacrifices of the Old Testament? for the Apostle tells us, Heb. 10.3. That in those Sacrifices, there was a remembrance again made of sins every year; but here shall be a remembrance again of sins made, not every year, but unto all Eternity: O! how unsatisfying is this to the heart of Christ, that instead of seeing the Travel of his Soul, he shall see those damned that he died for, yea, damned for those sins that he satisfied for? all which must needs follow upon the Doctrine of universal Redemption: According to that Doctrine, Christ may miss the ends of his Death and Sufferings; for he died not only for the Salvation of those whom he died for, but for their Sanctification, Ephes. 5.26. 1 Pet. 1.18. Tit. 2.14. but all the men of the World are not sanctified, cleansed, and redeemed from their vain Conversation, and from all Iniquity. Surely therefore, if he should die for all particular men, he should miss his Ends; yea, according to that Doctrine, Christ may not obtain that which he hath merited and purchased; for he hath not only merited Salvation, but Grace and Holiness for those whom he died for, as hath been proved already; if therefore, he died for every particular man of the World, then all the men of the World must be gracious, and holy, or Christ must never come into his purchase, nor obtain what he hath merited; and can that be satisfying to the he • rt of Christ?
Object. But our Lord and Savior Christ did die conditionally, and merited the blessings of the New Covenant conditionally, to be given out upon condition of Faith and Repentance, which are the Condition of the New Covenant; and therefore though men do not obtain all the blessings of the C • venant, yet Christ shall not lose his Ends, nor the thing purchased by his Death; because if men do not perform the Condition, he never did intend they should have the blessing, or the thing purcha • ed.
Answ. But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness cond • tionally? the Question now is: not about Salvation, or Justification; but about our Sanctification. If you speak of our Salvati • n in remission of Sin, you speak not to the matter in hand; and if you speak of our Sanctification, what Condition can be performed before that? 1. And if Christ did merit, and intend that our Holiness, and Sanctification should be bestowed on us, upon condition of Faith and Repentance; then a man may repent and believe▪ before he be Sanctified, and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness. 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness, but a work of Nature; and hath Christ • erited that Grace shall be bestowed upon a work of Nature? the Apostle speaks directly contrary, 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our Works, but according to his own purpose and Grace. And 3. If Christ's Merits were thus conditional; then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional, for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ, and the Will of the Father; the Father wills that to us, which the Son hath merited for us; and as the Son merited, so doth the Father will the bestowing of the blessing: but the Father doth not will our Grace, Holiness, and Sanctification upon condition; for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption, say, That God's secret Will, and his revealed Will, are one and the same, nothing different; if therefore, God doth will our Sanctification, and Holiness, upon Condition, then, when he commands us to believe, repent, and obey, his Commandment must be Conditional: and when he commands us to forsake our sins, his Command (for that is God's Will) must be Conditional; and if those Commandments be conditional, then they cannot be resisted, nor his Will resisted, yea, then it will be no sin not to keep God's Commandment; for if his Commandment be to be observed upon Condition, then if I do not perform that Condition, I do not transgress his Commandment; as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will; if he will not, he doth not transgress your Commandment: Surely therefore, the Will of God, and his Commandments are absolute; such therefore is the Merit of Christ.
[ 2] But Secondly: If Christ's Merits were thus Conditional, relating to the performance of some Condition, as of Faith, Repentance; and Obedience; then Faith, Repentance, and our Obedience, were not merited by the Death of Christ: the contrary hath been proved already; look whatever Christ laid down his life for, that he merited; but he laid down his life to redeem us from our vain Conversation, and from all Iniquity; therefore from Unbelief, hardness of heart, and from all the Disobedience of our Lives, and therefore he merited our Redemption from these.
[ 3] Thirdly: If Christ's merits were thus Conditional, then the Will of God the Father must be pendulous, wavering, u • certain, and undetermined, til it be determined by some act of Mans; for if man do perform the Condition, then he is to give out the blessing, which Christ hath merited; and if man do not perform the Condition, he is not to give it out: When a Man therefore, doth perform the Condition, then is God's Will determined. But as God is the first Being, the first Agent, and the first Mover; so he is the first Determiner, and his Will cannot be determined by anything without himself; for as himself is the most perfect Being, than which, nothing can be imagined to be more perfect; so his Will is the most perfect, than which, no will can be imagined to be more perfect; but it is a greater perfection to be determined by itself, than by another; and to determine man's will, is more perfect than to be determined by m • ns will. Bradwardine observes well: A man, a King, or another, doth decl • re by public Edict, That he which doth such a good, or evil, shall receive this, or that, and so he remains indifferent, and indetermined in his will, until his indifferency be determined by some Fact of his Subjects: N • n sic autem Deus: but it is not so with God, who of himself only, begging nothing of following things, doth equally, and determinately will, or not will, what he wills, or not wills.
[ 4] Fourthly: If Christ did merit that the Blessings of the Covenant, should thus be bestowed upon Condition, then he did merit that we might merit at the hand of God, at least ex congruo; for what is Merit? Bellarmine is sufficiently able to tell us what Merit is; and saith he, Promises are of two sorts; either Absolute, or Conditional: Absolute, as suppose a Prince doth promise an hundred pound freely to a poor man upon no Condition, if the Prince give it, the poor man doth not merit at all: But then there is another Promise that is Conditional; as if a man do promise to give another an hundred pound for some work, now says he, though the Condition be short in worth of the hundred pound; yet if he give it upon that Condition, here is truly merit; for (says he) he doth merit ex congruo, cui debetur, unto whom the reward is due out of Grace. But no Protestant, unless tainted with Popery, will say that Christ did merit for us, that we might merit at the hand of God.
[ 5] Fifthly: When our Lord and Savior Christ died, he laid down his Life as a Ransom, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Now, where do we find in Scripture, that where any Ransom money was paid, there was any other condition of Deliverance, or of the Redemption, besides the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 itself, or the Ransom money? When the Morgage Land was redeemed, what was the condition of that Redemption, but the paying of the Ransom money, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ? Numb. 18.15, 16. ye read of the Redemption of the First-born, and was there any Condition of that Redemption, besides the payment of five Shekels? five Shekels was the Ransom money, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the payment of that alone, was the Condition of that Redemption, and the Privileges of that Redemption, were obtained upon the payment thereof: Now if our Lord and Savior Christ, did lay down his Life as a Ransom, a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , then all the Privileges of our Redemption, are to be given out upon his payment of this Ransom money: but to make another Condition of our Redemption besides the payment of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or Ransom money, is directly contrary unto all those Redemptions in the Old Testament, which were Types of this; yea, contrary to the Nature of all Redemptions whatever.
[ 6] Sixthly: If our Lord and Savior Christ, did merit the Blessings of the Covenant, to be given out Conditionally upon the Faith and Repentance of all those that he died for; then if he died for all the particular men of the World, this Truth should have been published to them, that they shall have Salvation by Christ, upon condition that they believe in him, and that if they do not, then they shall be damned; but this Gospel, or Truth, was not always published to all the particular men of the World; for says the Apostle concerning the Gospel, Col. 1.26. Even the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages, and from Generations: And saith the Psal. He showeth his Word unto Jacob; his Statutes, and his Judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any Nation; and as for his Judgments, they have not known them: He doth not say, they have not known them as Israel; but he saith, The Lord hath not dealt so with other Nations; as for his Judgments, they have not known them: neither can it be said that God was ready to have made known this Truth unto all the World, but did not, because of their sin; for then it should have been declared to them that such Truths of the Gospel should be made known to them, if they did not sin: but that hath not been declared to all the particular men of the World; and therefore Christ did not die for all men thus conditionally.
Seventhly: If Christ did die and merit thus conditionally for all men; then all the particular men in the world, are under a Covenant of Grace; for those that he died for, are to receive the Blessings of the new covenant upon the performance of the Condition, saith this Objection: But all the particular men of the World are not under the Covenant of Grace; for the Apostle saith of the Ephesians before their Conversion, that they were strangers from the Covenants of Promise, having no hope, and without God in the World, Ephes. 2.12. And God will write his Laws in the hearts of all those that are under the Covenant of Grace, Heb. 8. But all the particular men in the World, shall not have the Laws of God written in their hearts; therefore the Covenant of Grace is not made with them, and therefore Christ hath not merited that the Blessings of the Covenant shall be given out unto all the World upon Conditions.
[ 8] Eighthly: If all the Benefits of Christ's Death, and Blessings of the new Covenant, should be given out upon some Condition to be performed by us, as Faith, and Repentance; then our Faith should give us a Right, and Title unto all those Blessings and Benefits: As if I sel a thing upon Condition that a man pay me so much Money, his payment of the Money being the performance of the Condition, gives him a Right, and Title to the thing: Or if I promise to give a man an hundred pound, upon condition that he go of such an Errand for me; if he go, his very going gives him a Right, and Title to the hundred pound, because he performs the Condition. But though Faith be our hand whereby we receive the Benefits of Christ's Death, and Blessings of the Covenant, yet it doth not give us any Right, or Title to them; all our Right, and Title, is in Christ's Blood, his Death, his Satisfaction, and his Obedience, and in that alone.
[ 9] Ninthly: This Objection doth suppose the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional: but the Covenant of Grace, is free, absolute, and without all Conditions to be performed by us. For,
[ 1] The Lord hath delivered it without all such Conditions: We read of the Covenant of Grace in Jer. 31. in Ezek. 36. in Heb. 8. but where do we find any Condition annexed to it? And if God make no Conditions, why should we? Shall I hang my Pad-lock upon God's Door of Mercy?
[ 2] This Covenant, saish the Lord, is as the Covenant which he made with Noah: Did he promise Noah that the World should be drowned no more upon Conditions of our Faith or Obedience? No, but saith the Lord, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake, although the Imaginations of man's heart be evil, Gen. 8.21. It may be you will translate the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , because; but it comes all to one.
[ 3] In the Covenant of Grace, the Lord saith, He will write his Laws in our hearts, there is Converting mercy promised; and that we shall all know him, there is enlightening Mercy promised: both the Habit, and the Act of Grace promised, and he gives this reason; For I will be merciful to your unrighteousness; and your sin, and iniquity, I will remember no more, Heb. 8.11, 12. Now if forgiving mercy be the reason of sanctifying Mercy, if our forgivene • s be the cause of our holiness, then no act of our Grace or Holiness, can be the Condition of our forgiveness, or of the Covenant.
[ 4] The Spirit of God is promised in the Covenant; I will put my Spirit into you, saith God: but Faith and Repentance are not before the In being, or Gift of the Spirit: Surely therefore, all the Blessings of the Covenant, are not given out upon these Conditions.
[ 5] If the Covenant of Grace should be thus Conditional, then the Covenant of Grace should be harder than the Covenant of Works, made with Adam in Paradise; for, then the Condition was to be performed by our common Person, who was strong, and free from all sin; but now we are weak, and full of all sin, and therefore if the performance of the Condition lie upon our hands, the terms of this Covenant will be worse, and harder for us, than the terms of that Covenant of Works; neither can it be said, that if all men have a sufficiency of Grace, and power to believe, that the performance of the Condition of this Covenant, will be easier than of that; for who doth not know that it is an harder thing for one of us sinful Creatures to believe, than for Adam to abstain from eating the forbidden Fruit? But surely the Covenant of Grace, is easier, and sweeter than the Covenant of Works; and therefore the Condition thereof, was performed by Christ our Second Adam, and there is now no Condition of the Covenant to be performed by us: Yet it is our Duty to believe, and repent, and obey, which we are commanded to do by the Gospel; but all our Repentance, Faith, and Obedience, is a Fruit of that Covenant, not the Condition of it: As in case Adam had stood, his Seed should have obeyed; yet their Obedience should not have been the Condition, but the Fruit of the Covenant; and as his Posterity could not have had Life, unless they had obeyed, yet that their Obedience was not the Condition of that Covenant: So though we cannot be justified unless we believe, nor be saved, unless we repent and obey; yet our Repentance, Faith, and Obedience, is not the Condition, but the Fruit of the Covenant: Christ, and Christ alone, our Second Adam, did perform the Condition; as to us, the Covenant of Grace is free, absolute, and without all Conditions.
Obj. But all Divines say, That Faith and Repentance, are the Condition of the Covenants.
Ans. Not all: not so Luther, not so Zanchi, not so Junius, not so Dr. Ames, not so some of our own. And those that do say so, say also, That Faith and Repentance are also promised in the Covenant; which comes to the same in Effect, with what I now say: They mean also, That Faith is that Grace whereby we are justified, and that we cannot be saved without Faith and Repentance, which I grant: but they do not say, that there is any condition in the Will of God, moving, or determining it; but a Condition in the thing willed. But the Remonstrants make a Condition of the Covenant, in reference to the Will of God; which is the thing I deny, and have disproved all this while. I grant there is a Conditional Promise, but then God hath promised that Condition in some other Scripture, which they deny. I grant that we are justified upon our believing, but then God hath promised Faith too, which they deny. I grant a Condition may be rei volitae of the thing willed, but nulla est conditio voluntatis Divinae; there is no condition of the Divine Will, they affirm it. I grant that one benefit of the Death of Christ, doth follow another, and one may be the cause of the other: but our Lord and Savior Christ, did not die conditionally, nor merit anything for us conditionally; those that he died for, he merited Grace and Holiness for, to be given out to them without all conditions; and therefore if he died for all men, he must needs lose his Purchase, a thing most unsatisfying to the heart of Christ: yet this is the first-born of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption. Now therefore, as you desire to stand free from all those Opinions that are unsavory to the heart of Christ, take heed of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption. Yet further.
Use, 2.
Secondly: If Christ will certainly see the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied, then here you may see the reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Opinion of the Saints Apostasy: this also is unsatisfying to the heart of Christ: Can a man be satisfied in seeing, and feeling one of his own Members torn from his Body? Can a man delight in seeing that Leg or Arm, which was once the Member of his Body, burning in the fire? Surely Christ cannot; Christ's Love is not like to ours; Non amat tanquam osurus: Those whom he loves once, he doth love to the end; once in Christ, and forever in Christ; once loved by Christ, and forever loved by him: Whom God hath called, them he hath also justified; and whom he hath justified, them he hath also glorified, Rom. 8. This is the Fathers Will (saith Christ, John, 6.39.) that of all that he hath given me, I should lose none; and verse 37. he saith, All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me: It seems therefore, that there are some whom the Father hath given unto Christ, and that before they believe, their Faith being the Fruit and Consequent of this Gift; therefore there is a particular Election of some, and that Election is not upon a fore-fight of Faith, but a cause thereof. 2. Our Savior tells us here, That all those that are given him, shall come to him; that is, they shall believe: therefore it is not in our power to resist the Grace of God, with an overcoming resistance: the converting Grace of God, is irresistible. 3. He saith here, That all those that are given him, shall come to him; therefore all his Seed, and Children whom he travelled with, and died for, shall come to him, and b • leeve on him; for those that the Father hath given him, are his Children, Heb. 2.13. But all the men of the World do not come to him; therefore they are not his Seed and Children, therefore he never travelled with them, therefore he did not die for all particular men. 4. Our Savior tells us here plainly, that when men do come to him, he will lose none of them; but saith he, I will raise them up at the last day, verse 39. And lest any should doubt of this Truth, he speaks yet more plainly; tells us that those who do come, are such as believe on him, and then for more assurance, repeats the Promise, verse 40. saying, This is the Will of him which sent me, That everyone that seeth the Son, and I believeth on him, may have everlasting Life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Surely therefore, that Doctrine of the Saints Apostasy, is unsound, yea, all the four Doctrines of the Arminians, are by this one Scripture, plainly refuted; but especially that of the Saints Apostasy: It is a Doctrine not only uncomfortable to the Saints, but unsatisfying to the heart of Christ; For he shall see the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied: Seeing therefore that he travelled for their Salvation, he shall see their perseverance, and Salvation.
[Use, 3] But more practically: This Doctrine looks wishly upon both Godly men, and Ungodly.
[ 1] It calls upon those that are ungodly to delight themselves in the Lord, and to satisfy themselves in Christ, in the things of Christ, and in the Seed of Christ: Doth Christ delight in his Seed, and will you hate, despise, and scorn his Seed? Is he satisfied in seeing the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects of his Death, justifying, sanctifying, and comforting the Children of Men? and will you be displeased therewith? Will you be pleased, and satisfied in your sins, and vain Conversation, when Christ is satisfied in the Redemption of Men from their Iniquity, and vain Conversation? The Conversion of a Sinner, is the Fruit of Christ's Travel, wherein he rejoices, and is delighted with a great delight, and doth it grieve you to see a sinner turned from the evil of his ways? Take heed how you walk contrary to Christ; for if you walk contrary to him, he will walk contrary unto you; and either he will rejoice, and be satisfied in your Conversion, or he will be satisfied in your Damnation: and if you do not convert, and turn unto God, how can you think that you are the Seed of Christ, whom he hath travelled with? But,
[ 2] This Doctrine looks wishly also upon the Godly; such as are the visible Seed of Christ, and to you it saith, 1. Why should you not be contented, and satisfied with Christ alone? all his delights are in you, why should not all your delights be in him? Is he satisfied in you? why then should not you be satisfied with him, and with that Condition which he carves for you? Through him the Father is satisfied for your sins, and he is satisfied in your person, why then should not you be satisfied about your Condition? 2. Why should you not labor to convert, and draw others unto Christ? Thereby he sees the Fruit of his Travel, which is his delight; will you not do what you can to advance Christ's delights? And 3. If Christ be satisfied, and delighted in you, why should you not improve his Affection for the good of the Church? King Ahasuerus was taken with, and did delight much in Esther, and she improved his Affection for the good of the Church; have you gotten the heart of Christ, the affections of Christ, and will not you improve them for the good of the Church? surely it is your Duty. And 4. Upon this account, why should you not labor to excel in Virtue? his delights are in his Seed, and they are such, saith the Psalmist, as do excel in Virtue, Psal. 16. Now therefore, that you may in some measure answer the delights of Christ, O labor more and more to excel in Virtue.
[Quest.] What excellent things shall we (that are the visible Seed of Christ) do, that we may answer the delights, contentments, and satisfactions which he doth take in us?
[Answ. 1] Many: First, in reference to Christ himself, and his Service: It is an excellent thing to have, and bear the same mind to Christ, that he had, and bare unto us: he did neglect his own Glory, to procure our Comfort; so, for us to neglect our own Comfort, to procure his Glory, is excellent; in time of Temptation, to look upon Christ as our Gift; and in time of presumption, to look upon him as our Example; to trust in Christ as if we had no works, and yet to work as if we had no Christ; I mean, for a man to be so obedient to the Commandment, as if he would be saved by the Law; and yet to rest on the Promise, as if he would be saved by Grace; and in all our Service to God in Christ, to walk by a Law without us, and yet by a Law within us; by a Law without us, as our Rule; and by a Law within us, as our Principle. These are excellent things in regard of Christ, and his Service.
[ 2] As for the Ordinances, and means of Grace: It is an excellent thing so to use the public Ordinance, as we may be more fit for private Exercise; and so to use our private Exercise, as we may be the more fit for public Ordinances; to wait upon God in the use of all means, yet not to tie the workings of the Spirit unto any one particular; to observe what that Ordinance is, that is most decried, and despised by the World, and to advance, and honor that; to worship Christ in a Manger. These are excellent things in regard of the Ordinances, and Means of Grace.
[ 3] As for your Graces, Gifts, and Comforts: An excellent thing it is, for a man so to exercise one Grace, as he may be fit for another; so to exercise his Faith, as he may be fit for Repentance; and so to exercise his Repentance, as he may grow up into more Assurance; to make all your Graces, Parents to your Comforts, and your Comforts, Hand-maids to your Graces; that your Gifts may beautify your Graces, and your Graces sanctify your Gifts; to be of high Parts, and a low Spirit; to know much, and yet to love, respect, and honor those that know less. These are excellent things in regard of our Gifts, Graces, and Comforts.
[ 4] As for your Condition: It's an excellent thing for a man to be thankful for his present Condition, and yet not to be in love therewith, nor to live thereon: it's ill to murmur in any Condition, it's good to be content in some, but in every Condition to be thankful, is excellent: To fear the Lord in Prosperity, and to love him in Adversity, never to think that my condition is extraordinary; to trust God with my condition by Experience, and yet to trust in God for my condition, over and beyond all experience. These are excellent things in reference to our Condition.
[ 5] As for your Converse, and dealing with men: An excellent thing it is, to use no Company but such as you may receive s • me good from, or communicate some good unto; to take no offense, and to give none, being very unwilling to give offense, and very back • ard to take it; to rejoice in another's Graces, and to grieve for another's sins; to be a Lamb in ones own Cause, and a Lyon in God's; of a sweet, and meek disposition, yet zealous, and active for God; and in all our dealings with men, to deal with God through men; saying, if they curse, or bless, God hath bid them do it; and in case that any man offend you, to be more ready to forgive, than he is to acknowledge his offense; that your forgiveness may rather draw out his acknowledgment, than his acknowledgment draw out your forgiveness: These are excellent things in regard of our converse, or dealings with men.
[ 6] As for your Callings, and outward Estates: It is an excellent thing for a man so to use his particular Calling, as he may be fit for his General; and so to use his General, as he may be fit for his particular: To make your Sail fit for your Vessel, that your heart may not be too big for your business, nor your work too big for your heart: But yourself par negotio, being like the Ant, or Pismire, that doth rather abound in Pectore, in the Breast, ubi animus est, where the mind lies, than in Ventre, in the Belly, ubi stercus est, where the dung lies; and if your Estate be great, to account yourself God's Steward, not his Treasurer; and if it be little, to study rather how to give an account of your little, than to increase unto much. These are excellent things in regard of your Callings and Estates.
[ 7] As for your Recreations, and outward Mirths: It is an excellent thing for a man so to be merry, as he may not grieve for his Mirth afterwards; to have your part and share in the Saints breakings, as well as in their rejoicings; so to rejoice in the Creature, as not to forget the Creator; so to rejoice in the Servant, as not to forget the Master; so to rejoice in your Inn, as not to forget your Home; so to recreate yourself, as you may not take pleasure in your pleasure; but to rise from this Table with an appetite, not with a glut; and to be a bungler at the best Recreation; and to make all your Recreations as so many Engagements to serve God the more freely and cheerfully. These are excellent things in regard of your Mirths and Recreations.
[ 8] As for the Works of God, and his Dispensations: It is an excellent thing for a man to know what God's Design is, yet to admire where you cannot understand; to praise God for his Judgments, as well as for his Mercies; for his Hel, as well as for his Heaven: and though the vial be poured out upon your Relation, yet to bless God, and at least to be silent; remember Aaron. And in all God's dealings, still to make a good, and candid Interpretation, for that will argue your Love to God, which will argue his Love to you; for that which ends in your Love to him, came from his Love to you. These are excellent things in regard of God's Works, and Dispensations.
[ 9] As for Truth and Error: It's an excellent thing for a man so to mind the Truth of the Times, as he do not neglect the Power of Godliness; and so to mind the Power of Godliness, as he do not neglect the Truth of the Times: an excellent thing for a man so to mind new Truth, as not to lose old Truth; and so to keep the old Truth, as not to neglect new Truths. And in all times to stand free from the Monopoly of an Opinion; for it is the property of an Error, to monopolize the man, and to engross his thoughts, words, and actions: but he that placeth his Religion in one Opinion, hath no Religion in Truth, though his Opinion be true: Good therefore it is, to stand clear, and free from these Monopolies. These are excellent things in regard of Truth and Error.
[ 10] As for your Death: It is an excellent thing for a man to desire to die, and yet be contented to live; to desire Death for the enjoyment of God, and to be contented to live for the Work of God; to give up your days to God as an act of your Faith, which you have received from him as an act of his Love; to say in truth, if my Father have anymore work for me to do, I shall live longer; if his work be done, I am willing to go home to my Father, though I ride home behind the worst Servant that he keeps in his House: An excellent thing it is to die standing, or kneeling; to die on that ground where I should live, and to live on that ground where I would die. These are excellent things in regard of Death. Now excellent things do become those that are the Seed, the visible Seed of Christ: Are you therefore, the visible Seed of Christ? then these excellent things do become you: for his delight is in the Saints, and such as excel in Virtue. Now therefore as you do desire to answer unto Christ's delights, O labor more and more to excel in virtue.
And thus I have done with this great Argument, Christ in Travel; the greatness of his Travel, his Assurance of Issue, and his delight and satisfaction in the sight thereof. Christ shall certainly see the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied; and if you do not yet see the issue of his Travel accomplished on your Soul, yet stay, wait, and expect; for saith the Text, He shall see the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied; and in due time you shall see it too, and be satisfied. Wherefore wait on the Lord, and again I say, Wait on the Lord.
M R Bridge's New Works: viz.
- 1. Scripture-Light.
- 2. Christ in Travel.
- 3. A Lifting up for the Down-cast, &c.
THE GOOD MAN'S PEACE.
Sermon I.
IN these Words, ye read of the sad Discouragements of a gracious Spirit, with those Remedies that he applied and used against them. The Discouragements are expressed in Two Words, under Two Similitudes; Cast-down, Disquieted. As a man is bowed or cast down, under the weight of some heavy burden; so art thou cast down, O my soul, says David. And as the Sea in the time of a storm, is much disquieted; so art thou also disquieted wi • hin me, O my Soul. The Remedies that he useth against these Discouragements, are Two: Self-Reprehension, and Self-Admoni ion. First, He doth chide himself for his diffidence and distrust in God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? He chides, and rebukes himself for it. Secondly, He doth admonish and call upon himself for to wait upon, and hope in God. Hope thou in God. Why? First, Because I shall yet be delivered: For I shall yet praise him. Secondly, Because Salvation belongs unto him alone: He is the health of my Countenance: Or, the Salvation of my Countenance. Thirdly, Because he is in Covenant with me, and I with him; He is my God: The health of my Countenance, and my God.
I begin with the former part of this Verse; wherein you may observe these Three things.
- First, That there is an inward Peace, and Quietude of Soul, which the Saints and People of God, ordinarily are endued with. This is implied.
- Secondly, It is possible that this Peace may be interrupted, so far, as God's People may be much discouraged, cast down, and disquieted.
- Thirdly, That the Saints and People of God, have no reason for their Discouragements, what ever their Condition be. Why art thou cast down? and why art thou thus disquieted within me? thou hast no reason for it.
The latter of these being the main, is that indeed which I specially aim at: But because the two former will give the better rise unto this last, and they are also profitable for us to consider, I shall take them in their order, and speak only unto the first at this time; which is this:
Therefore David says here, Why art thou cast down, and why art thou disquieted within me? It seems then that this was not his ordinary temper, his Pulse did not always beat thus high in this way of Discouragement; but ordinarily he had Peace and quiet within. So that I say, There is an inward peace, and quietness of soul, which the Saints and people of God ordinarily are endued withal. Ordinarily they are arrayed in white, so they are brought in. Rev. 7.13.14. verses, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? (at the 13.) They are such as have washed their robes, and made them White in the blood of the Lamb, verse 14. this book of the Revelat • on, doth attend much unto the Jewish customs, and among the Jews, they had their Mourning, & their Rejoicing garment; the Mourning garment, was a black garment: and therefore when a man is brought in, in a mourning way, he is brought in, in a black garment as ye find in the next Psal. the 43. & the 2. verse. why go ye in mourning? the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Signifies Black. Why go ye in Black, because of the oppression of the enemy? So that the mourning garmen • was the Black garment; the Black garment, was the mourning garment. And the white garment, was the Reioycing g •• meant; therefore Eccles. 9.8. it is said, let thy garments be always white and, let thy h ead lack no ointment. Upon which • ccount the nobles amongst the Hebrews were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 becan • they were clothed with white raiment. Eccles. 10.17. b • essed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the • on of princes, or of those that are in white. I confess this phrase do • h sometimes note the purity and holiness of the person, so Rev. 3.4. Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy; but ordinarily it notes the joy fullness and comfortableness of our state, so in: Rev. 7. the Saints are brought in, in white, not only because of their purity and cleaneness but because of their rejoicing. I say then ordinarily the Saints and people of God go in white, they have a peace, and a rest within. Great peace, have they that love thy law (says the Psalmist) and nothing shall offend them. Rom. 2.10. But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. Let him be what he will be, if he be godly, if he work that which is good; Glory, Honor, and Peace, shall be upon him: not only an outward, but an inward peace he shall have.
And indeed, how can it be otherwise? For the Saints and people of God, do walk with God, they converse with God, they do acquaint themselves with God. Now if ye look into Job, 22.21. ye shall find, that this acquaintance bringeth rest & peace. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. The Saints and people of God, are (as I may so speak) of God's special acquaintance, and so they have peace, for they do walk with God, and have communion with him. They have communion with the Father; and he is the God of all consolation; they have communion and fellowship with the Son; and he is the Prince of peace; they have communion and fellowship with the Spirit, and he is the Comforter: they have communion with the Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, in and by the Gospel; and that is the word of peace, the Gospel of peace. How can it therefore be, but that the Saints and people of God ordinarily should have peace within?
But to make out this more fully unto you. Consider I pray, How the Father, the Son, and the Holy-ghost (with whom the Saints and people of God have communion and fellowship) are engaged for their peace.
[ 1] I. The Father is engaged to give peace unto them. He is engaged by his Prerogative, by his Commandment, by his Promise, by Christ's Purchase, and by the Saints Chastisements.
[ 1] He is engaged by his Prerogative. Kings and Princes will stand (ye know) for their Prerogatives. And this is the great Perogative of God the Father, to give peace, inward peace. I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace. And he is called, • he God of peace; the God of Consolation: not the God o • Indignation, not the God of War, but the God of Peace. This is the great Prerogative of God the Father, to give peace unto his people.
[ 2] He is engaged also, by virtue of his Commandment. And therefore if ye look into Isaiah. 40.1.2. Ye shall find, that he commands the Prophets and Ministers, to preach comfort, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God: verse. 1. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Suppose a man's Affliction, or Temptation, be very great or much; he hath commanded us to comfort, and comfort twice; Comfort ye, comfort ye: not once, but twice, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people saith the Lord. But there are divers comforters, that are indeed like Jobs comforters, like Jobs friends, they speak hard words unto poor distressed souls. Well, says he therefore at verse. 2. speak ye comfortably, so ye read it; but in the Hebrew, speak ye to the heart, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 speak soft and sweet words, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. O! but my Temptation is so great, that I am not able to hear those that come to comfort me. Mark what follows; Speak ye to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry unto her, lift up thy voice and cry, if a poor soul be distressed, tempted, and cannot hear easily; you that are Ministers, lift up your voice and cry: not only speak to the heart, but cry; lift up your voice and cry unto her. Well, but what are they to speak and cry? There are three things which will comfort a poor distressed soul, and they are here to be spoken. Say, 1. That her warfare is accomplished; Affliction and Temptation is at an end, it shall be no more. 2. That her iniquity is pardoned. Her sin is forgiven fully and freely, 3. That she hath received at the Lord's hand double for all her sins, God hath no more against her, no quarrel, no controversy, no further Punishment to inflict upon her, she hath sufficiently born the punishment of her iniquity. thus the Lord hath commanded Ministers for to preach peace, and to preach Comfort; And what God hath commanded us to speak, he hath engaged himself to work. Thus I say, the Father is engaged by virtue of his Commandment.
[ 3] He is engaged also, by virtue of his promise. And therefore if ye look into Psal. 29. ye shall see what the Lord hath promised. verse. 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace. Here is the promise, the Lord will bless his people with peace. Yea, if ye look into Isa. 26. ye shall find there, that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them, verse. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. So ye read the words, but according to the Hebrew, • hey ought to be read thus; Thou wilt keep peace, peace; twice peace. Thou wilt keep peace, peace, for him whose mind is stayed on thee. So that the Lord is not only ing • ged to g • ve peace unto his people, but he is by promise also engaged to keep their peace for them
[ 4] Yea, the Lord is engaged by Purchase. Christ hath purchased peace for his people: and what Christ hath purchased for them, God the Father is engaged to give unto them. Read the purchase in Eph. 2.13.14. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, for to make in himself of twain, one new man, so making peace. verse. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace unto you that were a far off, and to them that were nigh. So that thus ye see its the purchase of Jesus Christ: this inward peace and quietness of soul, it is Christ's purchase; and what Christ the Son hath purchased, God the Father is engaged to give.
[ 5] Yea, the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people, by all those Chastisements that they do meet withal. And therefore in Isa. 40. (which I named before) The Lord commands us to comfort, and speak comfortably unto his people, upon this account, For she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Even because a fullness of Chastisement had been upon them. Thus I say, God the Father, by virtue of his Prerogative, by virtue of his Commandment, by virtue of his Promise, by virtue of Christ's Purchase, by virtue of Chastisements that are laid upon his people, is engaged to give peace unto his children.
[ 2] II. But now proceed a little, and ye shall see, That as the Father is engaged, So the Son also is engaged to give peace, inward peace, and quietude of soul unto his Servants.
[ 1] He is engaged by those Qualifications, and endowments that he received from God his Father, for this end and purpose. The spirit of the Lord is upon me (says he) and he hath anointed me; Why? that I might comfort those that mourn. That is one end. But I pray look into Isa. 50. and consider the 4. verse. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. They are plainly the words of Christ, as will appear to you, if you read but the following words, The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned I away the back; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spit •• ng. So that these are the words of Christ. Well, what do • h Christ say hear? He tells us, that he hath received the tongue of the learned, to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience, for to help poor wearied souls. Why doth he say, the tongue of the learned? The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned. All men desire to hear the Learned: and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world, to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary; this is the greatest piece of Ministerial learning, and saith Christ, he hath given me the tongue of the learned. Well, but all learned men have not Wisdom to speak in season. Mark what follows. He hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. But hath Jesus Christ such skil at this work, in comforting those that are troubled? Yes! He wakeneth morning by morning. As a Master is early up in the morning to teach his Scholars, So hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from all eternity this great skil, morning by morning. He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. This is the piece of learning (says Christ) which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity and this is that great learning which he had attained unto. So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father, he is engaged to give peace unto his people, for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose, that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary.
[ 2] He is engaged also, by his own Disposition; his sweet, loving, and tender disposition. He is a Lyon (indeed) of the Tribe of Judah; but not that roaring Lyon, seeking to devour. He is a King (indeed) but he comes meekly, riding upon an Asses Colt. He doth not lift up his voice in the streets. When our Lord and Savior Christ left the world, he says unto his Disciples, My Peace I give unto you; my Peace I leave with you: not as the world gives Peace, but my Peace I give unto you. And as soon as ever Christ rose from the dead again, and met with his Disciples, what doth he say unto them? When they were all met together, Peace be unto you. As it was his last words when he left them, so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth • hem again. But, O Lord, we have sinned greatly since we saw thee. Be it so, yet Peace be unto you. But, O Lord, here is Peter among us, that hath denied thee since thou sawest us. Be it so, I know it very well, yet Peace be unto you. Peace when he went away, and Peace when he came again: this is his Language, and this is his disposition still. Thus he is engaged.
[ 3] Yea, He is engaged by Office to give Peace unto his People. Ye know the Apostle calls him our great High Priest. It was the work of the High Priest in the Old Testament, to bless the People; and when he did bless the People, What did he say? But, The Lord bless ye, and give ye Peace. Now then, If Jesus Christ be our great High Priest, and it be the Office of the High Priest to bless, and to give Peace; then Christ by virtue of his Office also, is engaged to give Peace unto his People. Take all these Three together; Christ the Second Person is engaged: By his Endowments he received from the Father: By his own Disposition: By his Office. And it appears plainly that there is a great engagement upon Jesus Chri • t to give Peace unto his Servants.
[ 3] III. As the Father and the Son are engaged to give Peace, and quietude unto the Saints and People of God: So also the Spirit, the Holy Ghost is engaged to give peace unto them. For (as I may so speak with Reverence) he is, as it were, the great Executor of Jesus Christ When Christ died, he made his Will, and gave a Legacy to his Disciples, My Peace I give unto you: and then he sent the Comforter, the Spirit from Heaven on purpose to beget peace within their souls.
Yea, The Holy Ghost is not only this Executor, to see this Will of Christ fulfilled; but he is, as it were, our Advocate. Indeed we have but one Advocate, that is Christ: But I say, we have, as it were, two Advocates; One in Heaven above, and one in our bosom. When a man sins, a godly man sins, Satan accuses him in Heaven: And therefore says John, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. But if a godly man sin, Satan doth also accuse him to himself. And therefore says the Apostle, We have the Spirit within us, making intercession. And says our Savior Christ, I will send another Comforter: So ye read it; but it is the same word that is translated, Advocate; I will send you another Advocate. Yea, the Spirit of the Lord is our Witness also: For the Spirit shall bear witness with our Spirits, that we are the Children of God. Now when the Spirit bears witness with a man's spirit, that he is • he child of God, then he hath peace and quiet. So that, if you consider all the • e Engagements; the Father engaged, the Son engaged, the Holy Ghost engaged, for the peace and quiet of God's Children, Must you not needs conclude this Point and Doctrine, and say, Sur • lie, there is an inward peace and quietness of soul, which ordina • ily God's People are endued withal?
[Object.] But our Experience seems to speak the contrary: for • here are many of God's own People, that have not Peace and Quiet within them; but are full of Doubts and Fears about their everlasting condition.
[Answ.] The Second Doctrine therefore speaks to that, It is possible this peace may be interrupted.
[Object.] But some never had Peace all their days; O! says one, I have been a long while afflicted, troubled, two, four, six years, and never yet had Peace and quiet within me: Either therefore this Doctrine is not true, or else I am not Godly.
[Answ.] All that may be which you speak of, and yet this Doctrine may be true. General Rules have always some exceptions. Though the Garment that the Saints do ordinarily wear, be white, yet here and there some do go in black, and go so a great while. But that there may be no stumbling concerning this matter, I shall desire you to consider with me, some few Distinctions.
[ 1] First: Ye must know, That there is a Fundamental Peace, which the Saints and People of God have; and there is an Additional Peace. A Fundamental Peace, which does Naturally arise and slow from their Justification: Being justified by Faith, we have Peace with God; Rom. 5. And then there is an Additional Peace, which arises from the sense of their Justification. Possibly a Child of God may for a long time lose the latter, but the former he shall never lose. As a Woman that hath a great Jointure, goes abroad some Journey, and meets with Thieves, and they take away all the money that she hath about her; but yet (says she) though they have taken away my spending Money, they cannot take away my Jointure, I have not lost my Jointure. So now the Saints sometimes, may lose their spending money, they may lose the peace that arises from the sense of their Justification; but as for the Peace that ariseth and issues from their Justification itself, the first Peace, that they shall never lose. Peace is the Churches Jointure, and that Peace they shall never lose.
[ 2] Secondly: Ye must know, That there is a great difference between Peace, Comfort, and Joy. A man may have Peace that hath no Comfort; a man may have Comfort that hath no Joy: one is beyond the other, one a degree above the other. As now, it may be day-light, and yet the Sun may not shine forth; the Sun may shine forth, and yet not noon-day. Possibly a man may have Peace, and yet not much Comfort, only stayed upon God; possibly a man may have Comfort, and yet not much Joy. But now, many a poor soul thinks, because he hath no Joy, therefore he hath no Comfort; and because he hath not much Comfort, therefore no Peace. Labor to know the difference between these.
[ 3] Thirdly: Ye must know, That there is a Peace, which lies in opposition to what one hath been; and a Peace, that is in opposition to what one would be. A godly man, a weak Christian, when he considers what he would be, and what he would have, he hath no rest nor quiet: But now, come unto the same man, and say thus, You remember what a wicked life once you led; ye were a Drunkard, or ye were a Wanton: What say ye? would you be in that condition again? Oh no, saith he then, I would not be in that condition for all the world. Here now the Soul hath Peace in opposition to what it hath been, though it hath not Peace and Quiet in opposition to what it would be.
[ 4] Fourthly: Ye must know, That there is a Secret, Dormant Peace; and there is a wakened and Apparent Peace: Peace in the Seed, and Peace in the Flower. As it is with many a wicked man, for the present he hath great Comfort; but when affliction comes, and the day of death comes, then he hath trouble; trouble in regard of sin; Why? the sin, and guilt was in his heart before, only it lay sleeping there, but now it is risen. So with a Godly man in regard of his Peace: possibly for the present, he may be full of trouble; but when affliction comes, and the hour of death comes, then he hath Peace and Comfort; Why? it was there before, it was at the bottom, only he was not aware of it, he did not know of it. For now, ask such a weak Christian who is thus full of fear for the present (ye see there is a Drunkard, a Swearer, a Wanton) Would you be in his Condition? would you be contented to be in that man's condition? O no, says he, I would not be in such a condition for all the world. And why doth he say so, but because there is a peace and quietude at the bottom, although he be not aware of it? It is true, the Saints grieve, but then, dolent et de dolore gaudent; they rejoice that they can grieve: they are troubled for sin; and they have rest and quiet in this, That they can be troubled for their sin: they have no Peace in their sin; but they have peace in this, that they can have no peace in their sin. For say now unto them, are ye troubled that ye are troubled; you are in some measure grieved for sin; and are ye troubled that ye are grieved? No, will they say, I am glad that I am grieved for sin; and the Lord knows, it is my trouble that I can be grieved no more; I have quiet and peace in that I am troubled. Some have peace in the direct act, and some have peace in the Reflex act, Some have it more at the first hand, and some have it more at the second hand. But consider all these distinctions, and you will find, that there is no godly man, but more or less in some of these respects, he may be said to have peace within. But suppose it be so, What is the issue of this Doctrine? what doth it tend and lead unto?
The issue is thus much. Then behold! what a blessed condition the Saints and people of God are in? Is it not a bl • ssed thing to have peace within; to have quiet, peace, and rest within? If ye have peace within; though ye want peace without, you will be able to hear all your burdens, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities. But a wounded spirit who can bear? Some bear Agues and Fevers; some bear Stones, and Collicks, Rackings and Tormentings; but a wounded spirit who can bear? O but the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities, if he have peace within; if he be Heart-whole, as they say, if he have peace within then will he be able to bear all his burdens. Ye see into what times we are now fallen; we cannot promise ourselves peace for a day together; suddenly a cloud may arise, in a night, and all our comforts laid in the dark; How good a thing is it then, to have peace within, to have rest and quiet within! If I have peace within, I can relieve myself here against all calamity. What though I have trouble from my friends? yet I have peace within: what though I am thus reproached? yet I have peace within; I am wet indeed, my garment is wet; but I am not wet to the skin, I am dry within, I have peace within. Blessed (says our savior) are those that mourn for they shall be comforted. Are those blessed for the present that shall be comforted? how blessed are those then that are comforted, and that have peace, and quiet already.
This Doctrine looks wishly, both upon the ungodly, and upon the Godly. It looked once so wishly upon a great man in Germany, that it was the beginning of his conversion and turning to God: I mean Galeacius Carracciolus. He was a Papist, a profane person; and coming occasionally to hear Peter Martyr preach, he heard this expression or similitude, When ye see men at a distance skipping, leaping and dancing, ye think the men are mad; but when ye draw near to them, and hear what music they have then ye do not wonder; but ye rather wonder at yourselves that ye should wonder at them. So (said Peter Martyr) when ye look upon the Godly at a distance, and see them • unning after Ordinances, and frequenting the means and rejoicing in the ways of God, you think the people are mad, and ye say they are mad, but if you draw near to a Godly course, and perceive what music these people have within, you say not they are mad, but you rather wonder at yourselves, that you should wonder at them. Hereupon the Marquess hearing this similitude, was so stric •• e • withal, that he began to look into his condition, and it was the first occasion of his conversion. I say no more. You that are ungodly ye hear what music the Saints have within, peace and quiet within, ordinarily, though here and there, there may be some exception; yet ordinarily, • hat music they have within; O! who would not be Godly.
[Object.] But this Doctrine also, looks wishly upon you that are Godly. And it calls for your thankfulne • s, that you should praise the Lord for the peace and quiet that you have. You will praise God for your outward peace, especially if it be a peace after War, especially if the war were a Civil war, and ye have felt the smart of it, then ye will praise God • or peace. You that are Godly, and have peace, have had a war within, a Civil war within your own bosoms, and ye have felt the • mart of trouble of conscience, and now ye have peace; and will ye not be thankful? will ye not pray • e the Lord, that hath given you this peace, and rest.
I confess indeed, it is the Duty of all those that have rest, and peace, and quiet within to be very thankful: but there is one thing that hinders my thankfulness, that I cannot praise the Lord for the peace and quiet that I have, and that is; I fear my peace is not right; for there are many that have a counterfeit, and a false peace, and I fear that my peace is such, and therefore I cannot praise the Lord, or be thankful for it.
[Answ.] First, I grant ye, there is a false and counterfeit peace, that wicked men have; even an inward peace. And if ye look into Deut. 29.19. ye may read as much. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse, that he blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to ad drunkenness to thirst. So that a man may be in a most cursed way, adding drunkenness to thirst, and yet he may have peace, and say in his heart, it shall go well with me. Questionless, there is a peace of security; there is a peace and a rest of sleep, as well as of health. A man that is wounded and full of aches and pains, feels them not when he is asleep: but the reason why he doth not feel them, is not because of his health, but because he is asleep. So a man may be freed from the trouble of aches and pains within, because he is asleep, as well as because he is in health. But there is also a peace that is the fruit of the Holy-ghost; as ye read in Gal. 5. The fruit of the spirit is Love, joy, peace. Questionless, there is a false and a true peace. But shall I say, that all my money is counterfeit, because there is counterfeit gold abroad?
But to help a little in this; I will speak something of the difference of true and false peace; and yet very briefly, thus.
[ 1] True saving peace is the child of Grace, and the mother of Grace. There is a peace th • t arises from the apprehension of God's common goodness; which is common peace. And there is a special peace, that arises from the apprehension of God's special favor, and free Grace, true peace is the Daughter of that Grace, yet it is the Parent of inherent Grace, or of Gracious actions, I should rather say the Nurse, for says the Apostle, The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep, or guard your minds and hearts. This saving peace, is a Guard unto all our Graces. As fall • e peace is a guard to our sins; so true peace is a guard unto all our Graces.
[ 2] True saving peace, is such a peace as is wrought by faith. Being justified by faith, we have peace. Rom. 15. The Lord give you peace in believing, (says the Apostle) It comes in a way of Faith: true saving peace, is wrought by faith. False peace, is such as is either born with us and was never interrupted, being the offspring of nature only: or the Emanation of a natural Conscience; or such as is wrought out by time, time working out ones trouble.
[ 3] True saving peace, will live in the sight of sin. False peace doth not endure the light of sin; A Godly man, the more he doth see his sin (unless he be under temptation,) the more peace he hath: a wicked man, the more he doth see his sin, the less peace he hath; and all his peace arises from a not sight of his sin.
[ 4] True saving peace, loves to be examined, is willing to be examined, it loves to be tried. But false peace, cannot endure examination, it flies from the light, it doth not love to be tried.
[ 5] True saving peace, is spoken by God. I will hear what the Lord will say, for he will speak peace; says the Psalmist. When God speaks peace, he speaks it to a soul under or after temptation. When God speaks peace, he speaks it with a strong hand: giving such peace, as no creature in the world is able to give. When God speaks peace, it is a peace beyond all expression; The peace of God that passeth all understanding, it cannot be uttered. Now though a wicked man have peace, and much peace and quiet within, yet God doth not speak it; for it was not spoken to him in or after temptation, it was not spoken by a strong and unresistable hand; it is such a peace, as may be wrought by time, time working off the trouble; or the pleasures and contentments of the world may beget the like; it is not a peace that is beyond all expression, a peace beyond all understanding, but a low peace, which you may easily express. But now as for you that are Godly, that make this Objection, and have this fear and scruple in your hearts; I will here appeal unto your own souls; you know and remember your former trouble; now ye have peace, and ye have rest within, I appeal to you (I say) whether yea or no, when ye were in that trouble, suppose I, or another Minister, or ten others of your own choosing, suppose a hundred should have come to you with one promise after another; had we been able to have spoken comfort to you? O no, if the Lord had not spoken comfort to me, it had not been in the power of all the Ministers in the world, to have spoken comfort unto my soul, but the Lord certainly hath done it. Yet I appeal to you; Are you not willing to have your peace examined? are you not willing to have your peace, your inward peace • ryed? yes, withal my soul I would have my peace tried: and truly, I could not hope that my peace were right, if I were not willing to have it examined. Well, yet I appeal to you further; And do not you find that you have peace, even then when you do see your sins? and the more you see your sins upon the back of Christ, the more peace you have? yes; And do not you find this, that your peace came in, in a way of Believing? from the sight of Christ? laying hold on the Promise? by the prospect of free Grace? yes, I must needs say so, Had I not had a promise to stay my soul upon; had I not had a view of tree Grace; had I not seen the Lord Jesus, I had never had any peace in my poor soul; but the Lord knows, that thus I attained my peace. Well then, be of good comfort, Man or Woman, I tell thee from the Lord, thy peace and quiet is right. I know what the danger is of sewing pillows under men's Elbows, and speaking peace, where none ought to be spoken: but (I say) if it be thus with thy soul, notwithstanding all thy sins and fears; from the Lord, I say unto thee, thy peace is right; go in peace, and the God of peace tread down Satan under thy feet.
[Object.] But I fear that my peace, my inward peace is not right because it doth not last and continue.
[Answ.] The Second Doctrine answers to that Objection; for the second Doctrine saith, That a Godly man's peace may be interrupted.
[Object.] But one thing yet troubles me, and makes me fear, that my peace and quiet it not good, and that is because I came so lightly and slightly by it, I see how it hath been and it with others of the people of God; some that have been long afflicted and wounded and have lien troubled a great while, and so they have had peace: but as for me it is not so with me, I came lightly, and slightly by my peace and quiet, and therefore I do even fear that the Lord never spak peace yet unto my soul.
[Answ.] Doest thou say Lightly? how lightly? hast thou stolen thy peace? or have others bought their peace? for you say, others have been much afflicted and troubled, and had a great deal of heart-smart. But I pray tell me, did those who have had all this trouble, did they purchase, or buy their peace at the hand of Christ withal this trouble? or did Christ give them that peace and comfort freely? Buy it! no surely, they did never purchase it, never buy it, but Christ gave it them freely. Why, if Christ gave it them freely after all their troubl • ; why may he not give it thee freely after less trouble? I have read, and so have you, in the Gospel, a Parable of two that came into the Vineyard to work; the one in the beginning of the day, who bare the heat of the day; and the other at the latter end of the day: and both had a penny; When they were both paid, he that was there at the beginning of the day, murmurs, saying I have been here all this day, and I have born the heat of the day, and I have but a penny; and the other that came in at the latter end of the day, hath a penny as well as I: the man that had been there working at the beginning and heat of the day, he murmurs; but he that came at the latter end, he did not murmur; nor say, surely, my penny is naught, because I have a penny given me, as well as he that hath born the heat of the day. If any should complain, those that have born the heat of the day, that have been so much troubled should in reason be the persons, but hath the Lord taken you, and given you a penny, the same peace with him who bare the heat of the day; and will you complain and say, surely, my penny is fall • e coin, and my peace naught, because, I have not born and endured so much trouble as another hath? you know, some children are born into the world with more pain than others, some with less pain: should the Child that is born with less pain, say, I am a Bastard, because I was not born with so much pain as the other was? When Christ is formed in the souls of men & women, some are regenerate and born again with more pain, some are regenerate and born again with less pain: should he that is born with less pain, say, I am a Bastard, and not a true Son, because there was not so much pain at my first regeneration as such a one had? you know how it was with Zacchaeus; Christ comes unto his house, and the same day that he came, he said to Zacchaeus, This day it Salvation come to thy house. He had assurance the first day. But Paul is converted; and he lies troubled, and is three days blind. Should Zacchaeus now say, Surely, I am not Converted, for I never lay three days blind, nor was so much troubled as Paul was? No surely, no more may you say, that your Peace is false because you have not such abundance of trouble as others have; you are not to make another's Measure, your Rule: God goes several ways with his People, as well in regard of Peace, as in regard of Grace. This therefore I say unto you; Look unto your Peace itself: Have you peace and quietness of soul? Then bless and praise the Lord for that peace of yours: Yea, do not only praise the Lord for your peace and quiet; but praise the Lord that ye came so sweetly by it, in a way of Free-grace; and if for anything you are to be troubled, it is for this, That you should nick-name the Grace of God, and call it little, or false: Christ calls it free, and you call it false. O be humbled for this, and praise the Lord for any measure of quiet and peace that he hath given unto thee.
[Object.] But (will another say) All this doth not come up to my case; for I have no Peace, nor Quiet in my soul to be thankful for: Some there are that have Peace and Quiet indeed, and they (no question) ought to be very thankful for it; but my poor soul hath been long afflicted, troubl • d, and I never yet had assurance of God's Love in Christ; I have not this Peace and Quiet within: What shall I d • , that I may attain unto it? or what should a poor soul do, to get and attain this Peace and Quiet within?
[Answ.] Ye know what the Psalmist says, I will hear what the Lord will say, for he will speak Peace unto his People, Psal. 85.8. It is not in my power, or in the power of any poor Creature, to speak Peace unto you; but it is the Lord only that must speak Peace unto thy soul; and the Lord speaks Peace in the way of an Ordinance.
[Quest.] But what does the Lord say? what does the Lord speak from his Word in the way of an Ordinance, that I who was never yet settled, may attain unto this inward Peace and Quietude of soul?
[Answ. 1] First, He wills you to study and consider much the Death, Sufferings, and Fulness of the Satisfaction made by Jesus Christ; Go down into the Grave of Christ; Christ's Blood is the Object of Faith, and Faith brings Peace: Unbelief is a painful sin, and Faith is an easing and quieting Grace. Being justified by Faith, we have Peace, &c. Rom. 5.1. The more you see the free and infinite Love of God, the more will your heart be at rest and quiet within you. And where shall you see the Love of God, but in the Death of Christ? By seeing Christ on the Cross, you see Divine Love in triumph. All true Peace within, arises from sight of Peace made without: Where shall you read of that, but in Christ's Death? And therefore says the Prophet, The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him. In Psal. 41. ye have a Promise 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 made of great Blessing unto him that considereth the Poor, Blessed is he that considereth the poor. Who is this poor? Tarnovius tells us, from the 10. verse, That it is Christ in his Sufferings: for (as he observes) this Psalm, is a Psalm of Christ, verse 9. Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me. They are the words of Christ, and Christ speaks this Psalm; and this poor to be considered, is Christ in his Sufferings: Saies he, I will not here debate the truth of this Interpretation; but if true, the Lord promised here a blessing to him that doth wisely consider the Death and Sufferings of Christ: And wherein doth that blessing he and consist? The Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : In the evil day, or in the day of evil, saith the Chaldee Paraphrase: In the day of vexation, saith Symmachus. Now the day of Temptation, Doubts, and great Fears, is an evil day, and a day of vexation: This Day will God deliver him from, who doth wisely ponder on the death of Christ: Could we see the heart of Christ, we should doubt no more, and in his death you may see his heart, in his Blood you may see his heart. Ye know what the Prophet Isaiah says, Lord, wilt thou not ordain Peace, who hast wrought all our works for us? And where shall ye find that God hath wrought all our works for us, but in Christ's Grave and Death?
[ 2] Secondly: Ye must not only go unto the Grave of Christ, and study his Death; but you must go unto Christ Himself for Peace, He is the great Peace-maker, hath a Commission to take up all Differences without us, and within us. Ye know his words, The Lord God hath given me the Tongue of the Learned (says he) that I may speak a word in due season to him that is weary. Go then to Christ, and press this engagement, and say, Lord, thou hast therefore received the Tongue of the Learned, that thou mayest speak a word in due season to him that is weary. And O Lord, I am one of those wearied souls; wearied with my Temptations, wearied with inward trouble; now Lord speak a word in due season to this poor, wounded, and wearied soul. Thus go to Christ.
[ 1] Only in your Addresses to Christ; Be sure that ye go in Uprightness. Take heed that you do not desire peace merely for the comfort of it, but as an help unto your Grace: He will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he with-hold from him that walks uprightly. Good men seek Peace for Grace sake; but wicked men, and Hypocrites, seek Grace for Peace sake. When you do make your Addresses for Peace, be sure you come to Christ in uprightness; and take heed that you do not desire peace only for the Comfort of it, but as an help unto your Grace.
2. And when you go unto Christ for peace, Carry the Promise with you, go in the way of the Promise. 3. Go and wait long on Christ, wait upon him only, and k • ep his way. Some say they do wait on God, but they do not keep his way, they throw up their Duty if they have not comfort presently: but in your addresses to Christ, go and wait long on him; and in case that peace and comfort doth not come presently, lay by that great question a little, Whether you be in Christ or no, whether you be the child of God or no. The great trouble is this, O! I am afraid I am not the child of God, if I did but know that I am the child of God, I should have peace. If peace and comfort therefore do not come presently, lay that question aside a little, and in due time, Christ will answer that question too, only now for the present wait on him, and keep his way.
[ 3] But, because it will be said, should not we be humbled for sin committed? and is not Humiliation a good means to get peace within? therefore in the Third place. In all your Humiliation, carry Christ along with you. When you go to mourn for sin, begin aloft with Christ: and do not always think to begin below with sin, and so to come up to Christ; but begin aloft with Christ, and so by your Humiliation, fall down upon sin. You say, O! but, I would be first Humbled before I do go to Christ, but I pray tell me, Can ye be Humbled and not see your sin? and where can ye have such a prospect of sin, as in the death of Christ? is there anything in the world, that can show you the misery, ugliness, and damning nature of sin, as the death of Christ? If you begin with Christ, then you will certainly come down to your sin and be Humbled for it; but if you begin with sin you will not certainly come up to Christ. There is many a poor soul that hath said, I will be first humbled for my sin, and then I will go to Christ; but he hath stuck so long in the legal work that he hath never come at Christ. And if you be humbled before you do come to Christ, you will have no great peace and comfort in your Humiliation: but if you first come to Christ, and then carry Christ along with you to your Humiliation, then you will have much comfort and peace therein, would you therefore be so Humbled as you may have peace thereby; Be sure of this, that you carry Christ with you unto that work, do not begin always with sin to go up to Christ, but rather begin at Christ, and so fall down upon sin.
[ 4] In the Fourth place, labor to Mortify your affections, and to get your will melted into the will of God: As the winds are to the Sea, so are the affections to the soul of man; so long as the Sea is hurried with the wind, it hath no • est or quiet; and what is the reason that our hearts are no more calmed and quieted, but because we have not yet resigned up our wills to the will of God? tis our own will that troubles our peace; get but your will Mortifyed into the will of God, and you will say, Lord, I would fain have peace; yet not my will, but thy will be done; I would have peace presently, yet I have no will but thine; therefore Lord when thou wilt, and as thou wilt, not my will, but thine own will be done. Thus do, and you are at rest presently.
[ 5] Fifthly, Doest thou want peace and comfort and quietude of soul? Take heed how you walk with doubting company; take heed how you walk with those that are full of fears and doubtings. As one drunkard doth make another, and one swearer doth beget another, and one opposer of Godliness doth draw on another, and one adulterer doth make another; So one doubting Christian doth make another. You that are weak, and full of doubtings, should go and lean upon those that are strong and have full assurance; and you that have assurance, should give the shoulder to those that are weak, and say, come, and lean upon me, and I will be an help unto you. You know how it is with the Ivy and the Vine; the Ivy leans upon the Oak, and the Vine upon the Posts or the house-side; the Ivy and the Vine, do not lean one upon another; if the Ivy and the Vine, should come and lean one upon another, what twisting would there be; and both would sal to the ground: but the Ivy leans upon the Oak, and the Vine upon the Posts or the house-side. So a weak Christian should go and lean upon a strong Christian: but if one doubter leans upon another doubter, both will fall to the ground. I have read, of a woman that was under great temptations; and meeting with another in the same condition said to her, I am afraid I shall be damned, so am I too, said the other, O but said she again, I do not only fear, but I am sure of it, certainly I shall be damned; I but said the other, yet my condition is worse, for I am damned already. Here was damned, and damned: O! said one, I shall certainly be damned; O! said the other, I am damned already. O! what communion is here; is this to build up one another? Do you therefore want Comfort, and peace? You that are weak, go and lean upon those that are strong, and have full assurance; and you that have assurance, be not unwilling to give forth your shoulder unto those that are weak, and are full of doubtings.
[ 6] And to end all. Doest thou want peace, and inward quietude of soul? Whensoever the Lord then doth but begin to speak the least peace unto thine heart, take heed that you do not refuse it, but rather improve it, and stir up yourselves then in a way of believing; praise God for every smile, and rejoice in the least: If a bowed sixpence (as it were) be sent you from Heaven, lay it up, even every love-token. Peace is a tender thing. Doth the Lord begin to speak peace to any of your souls? now stir up yourselves in a way of believing; and then Christ will give you more.
Ye know how it was with Nathaniel: When Nathaniel believed upon what Christ had spoken, says Christ unto him, Believest thou, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the Fig-tree? I will show thee greater things; thou shalt see the Angels of God ascending, and descending upon the son of man. So will the Lord Christ say to a poor soul, I have spoken a word unto thee, and I gave thee a little peace, and doest thou believe because of the word I have spoken unto thee? thou shalt see greater things, and I will give thee abundance of peace. Look into Isa. 48. verse. 18. and there you shall find the Lord speaking thus, O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea. When the Lord speaks, and calls upon people to believe, if then they do hearken to him, then shall their peace be like a river. And when does the Lord cal in a special manner upon people to believe? When he gives out a word, and when he gives them a little peace, then he is calling upon them to believe, now return, and now believe, says the Lord. Ye know how it was with Elijah; when they wanted rain, and had wanted rain for a long time, Elijah sends his servant towards the Sea, to see if he could perceive any rain coming, and Elijah falls down upon his face in prayer, his servant goes, but no sign of rain, he goes again, and no sign of rain; and the seventh time Elijah's servant perceives a cloud, of the bigness of an hand, and he comes down unto his Master, and tells him, he had seen a cloud, the bigness of a man's hand: Whereupon Elijah concludes and says, Come, let us up, I hear the noise of many waters. So say I, you have been upon your face, and have been much discouraged, yet if you have been at prayer, and a little refreshment comes, though it be but the bigness of an hand: yet conclude and say, surely, there is more rain a coming, Come, O my soul, Why art thou cast down? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God, and wait on him, I hear abundance of rain a coming. When our Savior Christ sometimes speaks peace, he doth at the first speak by a small word, and if that be improved, then he speaks more. Ye know how it was with Mary; she was at the Sepulcher, and had been enquiring after her Lord, and says she to the Angels, they have taken away my Lord: and the Angels, talked • o her and could not comfort her. But at last comes our savior Christ, and he speaks to her and then she was comforted. But what does he say to her? only one word, Mary, so when a man is in trouble, the Lord comes sometimes and speaks but a word, he takes a promise it may be, and sets on a word thereof upon the soul, and the heart answers Rabboni, my Lord. Doth the Lord therefore speak but one word unto thee, yet stir up thyself in believing and hearken to him, for he will speak yet more fully and plainly, only when he speaks listen, hearken diligently unto him and improve what he saith, so shall your peace be as a River and your righteousness as the Ocean.
TRUE PEACE MAY BE INTERRUPTED.
Sermon, II.
[Doct. 2] IT is possible that the Saints, and People of God, may be much discouraged, and cast down: Though there be an inward Peace and quietness of Soul, which they are ordinarily endued with, yet possibly this Peace may be interrupted, and themselves much discouraged, and cast down.
Here are two words in the Text speak as much; Cast-down, Disquieted. And three times in this Psalm, the Psalmist saith, His Soul was cast down within him; yet this David was a man of great Peace and Comfort ordinarily.
And as with David; so it was, is, and will be with other Saints. This is so ordinary a case, that • he Holy Ghost hath provided a standing Psalm, or Prayer, on purpose for such as are in this condi •• on: Psalm, 102. the Title, A Prayer; or Psalm, of the afflicted, when he is over-whelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. In Psal. 119.25. he saith, My belly cleaves to the dust; and that is low indeed. And verse. 28. My soul melteth for heaviness: I am not only sad, and heavy, but my soul melteth for heaviness. Canticles 5. The Spouse saith, Her heart was gone; or, my soul failed within me. And if we look into Psalm, 143. we find (at the 4. verse.) that the Psalmist saith, My Spirit is over-whelmed, and my heart within me is desolate. What do all these expressions, high, great and many, speak, but this Truth that is now before us?
For the more full clearing, and opening of it, I shall labor to show,
- First, How far it is possible for a good man to be discouraged, or cast down?
- Secondly, How it doth come to pass that he is so discouraged?
- Thirdly, How those Discouragements can stand with his Grace and goodness?
- Fourthly, How they may be healed and cured?
[Quest. 1] And First. If you ask, How far the Discouragements of the Saints may reach? For (will some say.) I know it is possible that the most gracious, holy man, may be much discouraged, but not with such discouragements as mine are.
[Answ. 1] I Answer. What are yours? Are you so far disquieted, discouraged, cast down, as to refuse the word, promise, or consolation that is brought unto you? So far may the discouragements of the Saints extend: Psal. 77. verse. 3. I remembered God, and was troubled. He doth not say, I remembered my sin, and was troubled, but God; Yea I was not only troubled, but I did complain, and my spirit was overwhelmed within me. But when the promise came, and mercy came, and comfort came, did he refuse that too? yes verse. 2. my soul refuseth to be comforted.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, Are you so far discouraged, disquieted, cast down, that your very body feeleth the smart of your discouragements? that you do not only refuse the promise, and all comfort for your soul, but even for your body? Then look into Psal. 102. and see if your case may not be paralleled, verse. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. verse. 5. By reason of the voice • f my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin. verse. 6. I am like a Pelican of the wilderness, and I am like an Owl of the des • rt. verse. 9. I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. verse. 10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. verse. 11. My days are like a shadow that declineth: and I am withered like grass. O! but I am not only so far discouraged, as to refuse comfort for soul and body: but my soul refuseth Duty, and casts off Duty too for the present.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly therefore. It is possible, that a good, and gracious man's discouragements may extend thus far too. You will think it strange that I find an instance for this in that holy man Jeremiah: yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8. and 9. verses, you find it made good. Indeed (saith he) The word was as fire in my bones, and I could not forbear: But for the time he did resolve to forbear preaching in the name of God, which was his duty, which he had commission to do: for (says he) I will not make mention of him; nor speak anymore in his name. This Holy, Gracious man, was under temptation, he was much discouraged, and thereupon he said so. Yet (verse 13.) he saith, Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers. But then mark the next words, Cursed be the day wherein I was born; let not the day wherein my mother bare me, be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father, saying, A man child is born to thee. What a sudden change was here, even in the best of the Saints, from incouragments, to discouragements. O! but I have not only cursed the day of my birth (as Jeremiah ) and wished that I had never been born; But I am weary of my life, and have sought after mine own death: and was there ever any Godly, Gracious man, that was thus discouraged, and cast down?
[Answ. 4] Yes. What think you of Job? I was weary of my life: Job, 10.1. And in the 3. Job, pouring out his complaint in regard of himself he saith, verse. 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul? verse. 21. Which long for death, but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hid treasures. Now ye know, that those which dig for Gold and Silver, dig industriously, and earnestly. Thus it is with me, says Job, I am so afflicted, and distressed; and in such bitterness of soul, that I long for death, and dig for it as for hid treasures.
O! what a mighty deep of discouragements, may the Saints, and people of God fall into, and yet be Godly, Gracious.
[Quest. 2] But why doth God suffer his own people, and dearest children, to be thus discouraged, and their peace to be interrupted? I know (will some say) that all our present joy, and comfort, is but a creature, and so may be eclipsed; and that Satan is near unto the best of God's children, thrusting, and pushing them forward into these discouragements, that they may be like unto himself who is a discouraged Spirit: but why will God suffer it to be so?
In General: It is for their good, for their good they have, and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort: The Star which led the wise men to Christ, did not always go before them, but sometimes it appeared, sometimes it was hidden from them; but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit: its first appearance invited them to Christ, and its withdrawance made them more diligent in seeking after him. So when Christ hid himself from his Mother Mary, she sought him the more, and when she found him, she rejoiced the more: but both his absence and his presence, her fear and her comfort, was for her good; for his absence did increase and draw out her desires, and his presence did increase and draw out her joys. When God is absent from us, then we have testimonies of our Love to God (by our desires after him,) and when he is present, then we have testimonies of his Love to us, by the shines of his Countenance; so that whether God shines or not, whether we have comfort or not, both is for our good. Thus in the General, but yet more Particularly.
[ 1] First, Ye know it is God's way and manner to deal with the Children of men, according to their own dispositions, to stoop and condescend unto their infirmities: Therefore says the Prophet Hosea, He draws us with the Cords of a man. Now it is man's disposition to come to God at the second hand: So long as man can find a fullness in any Creature, he comes not to God; but first he sees an emptiness in the Creature, Duty, and Ordinance, and then he says, O what a fullness is in God himself, in Christ himself! The Widow that is desolate, trusteth in God: though a Widow, yet if not desolate (sometimes) she would not trust; and therefore God suffers a desolation to come upon her Widdowhood. When David's men took up stones to have stoned him, then (the Text says) He encouraged himself in the Lord his God: So long as man hath encouragement else-where, he doth not encourage himself in the Lord his God. This being man's Nature, and God having a design of Love upon his own Children, he suffers a damp and discouragement to pass upon all their Comforts; their Peace to be interrupted, their hearts disquieted, and their souls discouraged, that so they may encourage themselves in God alone.
[ 2] Secondly: This inward Peace and quietness of soul, is so great a Commodity, that God would have the price to be enhanced and raised. Common and ordinary blessings once lost, and found again, are extraordinary: It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man sits in his Shop, and walks up and down in his Trade; but if he be sick a while, lose his health, and not able for five or six weeks to look into his Shop; if then he can get down but one day, O says he, what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is it, that I should go down again: Thus the interruption of an ordinary blessing, does raise it to an extraordinary. So long as a man hath his health and strength, though he be able to travel forty, fifty, three-score miles a day, he is not much affected therewith; but if he be sick a little, and at deaths door, and then begins to recover, though he can but put forth his Hand, or stir his Leg, he blesses God, and says, O Friends, I can stir myself in my bed, I can move my Hand, or my Leg; what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is this! So in this caie, So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietness of soul, without interruption, he looks upon it as a common mercy and blessing; but if his Peace be a little interrupted, and his soul buffeted by Satan, and then he recovers his Peace, O says he, what an extraordinary blessing and mercy is this! Now God will sometimes raise the price of this Commodity from an ordinary, to an extraordinary blessing, and therefore he doth suffer his own Children, and dearest Servants to be thus discouraged, and their peace to be interrupted.
[ 3] Thirdly, God is a tender Father, and he would have all the Love of his Children; he would not have his Children to love their Nurse more than himself: Our Joy, and Peace, and Comfort, is but the Nurse of our Graces; now when God sees that his Children fall in love more with the Nurse, than with himself, then he removes the Nurse, and causes their Peace to be suspended and interrupted: he will not have the Nurse to be loved more than himself.
[ 4] Fourthly, Somtimes God doth suffer this cloud to arise upon the Peace and Comforts of his People, that he may train them up unto more perfection; Comfort is the Children's Milk: ye may observe therefore, that the weaker Christian hath sometimes more lively, sensible Comforts, than the stronger Christian hath; Why? but because this inward Joy, and Peace, and Comfort, is that Milk, and sweet Honey whereby they are drawn off from the pleasures and sweetness of the world; and as these Comforts do wean us from the worlds comforts, so we have need to be weaned again from these weaners, which God doth sometimes by restraining of them, and so we grow up unto more perfection.
Fifthly, Somtimes again, God sees his Children do grow vain, and light, and frothy, and wanton, and secure under their Peace and Comfort, and then he withdraws himself, hides his face, and so they do lose their Comfort. This was the case in Canticles, 5. where the Spouse saith, My soul failed within me, at verse 6. But why? I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself: And why had he withdrawn himself? He comes and makes a tender of Love and Mercy, verse 2. and she would none, verse 3. I have put off my Coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? that is, I am now laid to sleep; they are words that import security, and upon her security he withdraws himself, and being withdrawn, her soul fails within her. And thus it is many times with the Children of God in their particulars; the Lord sees that they grow secure, vain, frothy, and wanton under their peace and comfort, then he withdraws himself, and their peace faileth.
[ 6] Sixthly, Our Lord and Savior Christ is a tender Surgeon, who hath set all our bones which we ourselves have broken by our sins. You know that a wise and an honest Surgeon, though he desire his Patient may be quickly cured, yet if he sees the Plaister doth not lie right, he takes it off again, for it is not laid right saith he: So doth Christ do, he sees that the Comforts of his People sometimes are not right laid, and therefore (saith he) though I desire this poor wounded soul may be quickly cured, yet because this Comfort, this Promise, this Experience doth not lie right, it must be taken off again. Now the Comforts of the Saints are so laid sometimes, as the very laying of them doth breed discomfort. As in the sowing of Seed; it is not enough that the Seed be good, but it must be well sown, else the very sowing thereof may cause weeds: So though Light be sown for the Righteous, yet sometimes it is so sown, as that the very sowing thereof doth breed these weeds of fears, and discouragements, that you may say, and that without Prophesy, Here is a poor soul that ere long will be much discouraged, though for the present full of comfort.
[Object.] But this is hard to say, Can ye foretell a man's Discouragements, even in the time of his Comfort? who is there among all the Saints so comforted, concerning whom you may say, surely this man will be much discouraged again?
[Answ. 1] First, When a man, a good man doth lay his Spiritual Comfort upon outward Blessings, you may say beforehand, this man's Comfort will never hold, but ere long he will be much disquieted; and this was the reason why the Saints in the time of the Old Testament, labored under so many Discouragements, even because they measured the Love of God so much by these outward blessings. Psal. 143.4. Therefore my Spirit is over-whelmed within me, Why so? Verse 3. Because the enemy prevailed: He measured God's Love too much by these outward things, and therefore when the Enemy broke in upon him, he thought God did not love him, and so he was over-whelmed, thus in regard of all outward blessings. Seest thou therefore a man who raiseth his persuasion of God's Love from the smiles of any Creature; say of such a man beforehand, O this poor soul ere long, will be in the dark, and under some discouragements.
[Answ. 2] When a man is unthankful for true Peace, and unhumbled for false Peace, he cannot hold his Peace long. Before a man is converted, he hath Peace within; For when the strong man keeps the house, all is at Peace; but it is false Peace: after a man is converted, he hath Peace within, and it is true Peace; God expecteth that a man should be humbled for his former false Peace, and thankful for his present true Peace; Now when God sees one both unhumbled for false Peace, and unthankful for his present true Peace, the Spirit of the Lord is grieved, so it withdraweth, and the soul is comfortless.
[Answ. 3] When a man doth raise his Comfort only from somewhat that he doth find within himself; from Grace that he doth find within, and not from Grace without; from Christ within, and not from Christ without; then his Comfort will not hold; Perpetuum est quod habet causam perpetuantem, that is perpetual, which hath a perpetuating cause: Grace without is perpetual, Christ's own personal Obedience in the merit of it, is perpetual; but the actings of Grace within us, are not perpetual, or not perpetually obvious to sight, and therefore cannot perpetually comfort. Indeed our Grace within, and obedience, is in some respects a cause of our Peace: First, a Causa sine qua non, a cause without which we can have no Comfort; for a godly man can have no comfort, if he have no obedience. Secondly, A cause which doth, removere prohibens, remove what hinders our Comfort, namely, our sin. Thirdly, A Cause witnessing; for there are three that bear witness, The Spirit, Water, and Blood; Water which is our Sanctification, is one. Fourthly, A Cause confirming; for by our Obedience and Sanctification, our Justification is confirmed, and the sense thereof; so that Obedience is one cause, but not the only cause of our Peace, nor the principal: When therefore you see the streams of a man's Comfort run in this Channel, raising all his comfort only, or principally from his obedience, or acting of Grace within, then you may say, though the stream be now full, stay but a little, and ere long you will see it dried, and this man will be much discouraged.
[Answ. 4] When a man, a good man doth lay his comfort, rather upon the impression, or comings in of the Word, than upon the Word itself. For example, Suppose a man take the Bible, and upon the opening thereof doth pitch on some Promise; for the present he is much refreshed and comforted; or suppose that he doth not open the Bible, nor read the Scripture, but sitting down in a dark condition, some Promise doth come to him which before he thought not of; now at the coming of this Promise, his heart is much raised, warmed, and comforted, insomuch that he concludeth, saying, Now I am a child of God, now I know that God loves me, that I have a share in Christ: either this man raiseth his comfort from the Word itself, or from the comings in of the Word; if from the Word itself, how can his comfort die? if upupon the bare coming in of the Word, how can his Comfort live? For when a Word comes not, then his Comforts fail. We read in Psal. 16. That he shall multiply sorrows that hasteneth after another: your Translation reads it thus, Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God; but the word God is not in the Hebrew. The whole Verse are the words of Christ, what saith he, at verse 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord, my Goodness, Holiness, or Righteousness, is not for thee, but for the Saints that are in the Earth, and for the excellent in whom is all my delight: But O Lord our Savior, what if we do not go to thy Goodness, Holiness, and Righteousness, resting upon that alone? He answereth, Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another: And is not this to hasten after another, when men rest upon the bare coming in of the Word, or the impressions on the heart that are made thereby? Where do we read in all the Scripture (turn from one end of the Bible to the other) and where do we read that Christ hath appointed any such way of Comfort as this, that a man should raise his Comforts from pitching, or by an opening of the Book? If I pitch upon a Promise today, and so have comfort, may I not pitch upon a threatening tomorrow, and so have no comfort again? Where hath Christ appointed any such way as this, that I should measure God's Love, or cast my everlasting condition by the coming in of a particular word? Indeed God doth sometimes by his Providence, upon the opening of the Bible, cause our eye to fall upon some Promise, which is a Providential Comfort, he doth sometimes send a particular word to stay and bear up ones soul in a particular distress or affliction, but not that I should measure his everlasting Love, or cast my condition by the coming in of every word; this therefore is to hasten after another, and how many sorrows are multiplied upon the hearts of God's People hereby? How many poor souls are there that walk in this way? God our Father sees it, that the Plaister is not right laid, and so he is fain to take it off, but all from a design of Love, to lay it right; and for these reasons God suffers his own People to be much discouraged.
[Quest. 3] But how can all this stand with Grace? Can a man be thus comforted, and discouraged? discouraged, and then comforted again? thus to and fro in his comfort, yet in Christ, yet gracious, yet holy?
[Answ.] Yes: For though there be much evil in this traversing up and down, yet in the Saints there is still a mixture of some Grace withal, some Grace mixed with their discouragements. Take the Saints and people of God, and though they be much discouraged and cast down, yet still they mourn after God, and though they cannot wait so patiently as they would, yet they say in truth, if they did but know that God would come at last, they would wait all their lives, here is Grace; and though they cannot mourn for sins past, for which they are most disquieted, yet they dare not put forth their hand willingly unto any sin present. I have read of one that was so troubled and cast down, that he said and thought, I find so little comfort in my soul, that I would willingly suffer my body to live in burning fire until Christ's coming, so that I might but have the assurance of God's love and favor, and though I am persuaded I shall go to hell, yet my hope is, that my pains here will be mitigated there, in all which trouble (saith my author) nothing in the world could persuade him to do anything willingly that was displeasing to God; this man was at the last comforted, and then he would often say, the Devil took advantage of my sorrow for evil things, to make me unthankful for good things. But I speak this to show, that the Saints are never so discouraged, but still there is a Grace that is mixed withal, they dare not sin. Yea and though by their very discouragements, they do sin against the Gospel in unbelief, yet by the same discouragements they are kept from their sins against the law, these discouragements being as the lees that do keep the wines.
Yea and though they do rest too much upon their righteousness whereby their feet sink into divers sloughs yet it is because they would be the more obedient to God their father, and in the midst of all their discouragement profess in truth, I would give all the world for the presence of God, here is Grace, a mixture of Grace withal, no marvel therefore, that these discouragements may be in a Godly Gracious man.
[Quest.] But is there no evil in this to be thus fluctuating to and fro, comforted and then discouraged, is there no evil in these discouragements?
[Answ.] Much, very much, I shall not enter into the particulars. But how can they improve Christ as they should in this condition? So long as a man's title for his land is in question, he cannot sow his ground, nor build houses; and if you ask him, why do not you sow your ground, and repair your houses? his answer is ready, I dare not lay out much cost, because my title is in question: So here, so long as a man's title to Christ is in question, he cannot improve Christ as he should. If a man be going a journey, and know not his way, he loseth much of his way and of the comfort of it in inquiring after the way, and thinking whether he be right or wrong; when he comes at three or four turnings, there he stands whilst he might ride a mile, and when he comes above in the field, and sees a shephard at a distance from him, he rides up to him to inquire whether he be in his way or not; yea and all the day long he is thinking of his way, whether he be right; whereas if he knew his way, he might have many precious thoughts of God and of the word. So in this case, while a man is doubting and fearing, and knows not whether he be in the way to Heaven or no, how much precious time is lost? thoughts of Christ lost? thankfulness for Mercy lost? of all hearts the scripture saith an unbelieving heart is an evil heart, and when men's hearts are discouraged and cast down, are they not unbelieving? Who would not therefore take heed of these discouragements, and of the interruption of their peace?
[Quest. 4] But suppose now that I have lost my comforts, times were heretofore when my soul was full of joy, but now I am quite discouraged, what should a poor soul do to recover his peace and comfort again that interrupted peace may be restored?
[Answ. 1] Some things by way of Question, some things by way of direction.
First, Hast thou quite forgot the years of the right hand of the most high? hast thou lost all thy former experiences too? I know that usually when our comforts fail, our former experiences fail, yet not always; for the Psalmist saith here, my soul is cast down, yet at the same time verse. 6. he saith, Therefore I will remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Missar. So Psal. 77 The Psalmist having said at the 7. verse. Will the Lord cast off forever? and will he be favorable no more? is his mercy clean gone forever? and doth his promise fail for evermore? hath God forgotten to be Gracious &c? he addeth in the same breath, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high. Ye know what the disciples said. Did not our hearts glow within us while he opened the scriptures to us? Beloved! you have no comfort now, well, but you remember at such a time, when you were all alone in your chamber, and no soul was near you, how the Lord came and opened the scriptures, the promise to your soul, wherewith your heart did glow within you. Have you quite forgotten the openings of those scriptures to you? (I speak not of the Glowings, for I suppose they are now gone) but are the scriptures gone that were then opened to you? did not you say in your last trouble and down-cast condition, if ever the Lord appear to me again, I will never doubt of his mercy more? And did he not appear unto you and open the promise unto your heart? and have you now forgotten these things? this is your infirmity, why should you not remember the days, and times, and works, and experiences of the right hand of the most high?
[Answ. 2] Secondly, Do you not use the means for the restoring of your comforts in such a manner, as thereby you do lose them more? A man may have great desire after some preferment, and place, which many ride for, but one is so hasty that he rides over hedge and ditch, and thereby falls, and hurts himself, so others get before him, and by his too much hast, he doth lose his place. Thus it is sometimes with good people, they make so much hast to their comfort, that they lose it by their hast, they would have it sooner, if they went on in an ordinary way of waiting on God without such posting hast, but they must have it today, O! let me know my interest in Christ today (saith one) or else I am undone forever. Thus by stinting, and limiting God to a time, they tempt the holy one, and so are more distant from their comfort; the more the child cries, and is froward under the rod, the longer is the rod continued.
Some seek comfort in a way of reason, and think to reason out their temptation, and to reason in their comfort, but as one saith well; dispute not with God lest you be confounded, dispute not with Satan lest you be deceived.
Some again tire themselves in duty, neglecting of their calling; the truth is, prayer is a friend to comfort and more than ordinary time is to be used in prayer for those that are troubled in conscience, but when men under temptations, and without comforts throw up their callings, thinking that nothing is to be done but prayer, by throwing aside their calling, they lay themselves open to more temptations of Satan, they do so tire out their natural spirits in duty, that they are flat and dead in duty, so their temptations are the more increased, and their comforts more distanced. Wherefore consider, if you would have comfort restored again, whether you do not use the means of comfort in such a manner, as to set you at a further distance from it.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly, Whether have you not strained, and reached for some outward comfort so far, as to lose your inward comfort? I read of Francis Spira, that when he was in horror of conscience, he could not with peace and quietness behold his wife and children, for, to get an estate for them he denied the truth, and therefore when they came before him in his trouble, he cried out in much horror, How terrible is the sight of these to me! they had been comforts to him before, yet now he could not away with the sight of them, O! thought he, for your sakes, and for your provision, I have denied the truth and yielded to these superstitions, and therefore says he, How terrible is the sight of these unto me? What peace or comfort had Judas in the sight of his thirty pence? look what outward comfort a man strains his conscience for, that will be death unto him to behold. We read of David that when his men had ventured for the waters of Bethlehem, he would not drink of it, but poured it out before the Lord, for (saith he) why should I drink the blood of these men? he did not sin in desiring of it, nor did he command his men for to venture through the enemies quarters, for those Hebrew words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quis dabit who will give me? are but words of wishing, who will give me to drink of the waters of Bethlehem that is, O! that I had the waters of Bethlehem: according to the hebrew language, but though he sinned not in his desires, yet when he had the waters he poured them forth before the Lord, and said, God forbid that I should drink the blood of these men; and will you drink the blood of your own conscience? Time was heretofore when you had peace and comfort, and by straining and stretching your conscience for your outward comfort; now you have lost your inward, will you not then take that outward comfort, and pour it forth before the Lord? and say, God forbid that I should drink the blood of mine own peace and comfort, how can any of you have peace, while those stolen, and unrestored goods lie by you?
[Quest.] But alas! all my comforts do lie prostrate at the feet of my fears, that now I have no peace at all, What shall I do that my peace and comfort may be restored?
[Answ. 1] By way of direction Three things.
First, Look what you would do if you were to be justified, and do the same now: if I were to be justified, (having a sight of my own sin & nature) I would through Grace, come to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and leave the weight of my poor, guilty soul upon it; which act of faith would justify me, and give me peace; for being justified by faith, saith the Apostle, we have peace with God.
And as faith doth justify and give peace at the first, so the renewing of this act of faith doth renew our peace, and what is my justifying faith, but in time of temptation to leave myself and condition upon Christ alone, saying, whether Godly or ungodly, whether in Christ or not in Christ, now I do not dispute, but leave myself upon Christ alone, this do again, and this will bring peace again.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, You have now lost your comforts, and the shinings of God's face: either God hath withdrawn himself for your sin, or not, if not for your sin, he will return again, and that quickly too; if for your sin, labor more and more for to find it out, and to be humbled for it.
I know you will say, O! but now in this condition I cannot be humbled.
But withal remember, that in this condition, that goes for humbling which doth not before, and God will take that for humiliation now, which he would not take before. Psal. 32. saith David, I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Dixit non fecit, saith Austin, he said he would do it, but did not do it fully, yet thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, God took his humiliation although it was very low. Why? verse. 3.4. we find him under temptation, and in much discouragement, for (saith he) My bones waxed old with my roaring all the day long, day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer, yet how ready was God to receive an acknowledgment, and a little humiliation from him, at this time.
O! But what is all this to us? this was David's case. Nay saith David, this is not my case alone, for verse. 6. For this shall everyone that is Godly, pray unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be found: God will receive a little when you are much discouraged. Either therefore God hath withdrawn for your sin, or not, if not, wait but a while, he will return again; if for your sin, labor more and more to be humbled for it, for he will receive that measure of humiliation now, which he will not do at another time.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly, Are all your comforts gone, and would you have them fain restored? Then read and read the scripture much; if you cannot read yourself, get some others for to read them to you. When a man's mind is empty, as in temptation and want of comfort, it is empty of Christ, and full of fear, then it doth grind itself, as a quern or mil when empty of corn, one stone grinds another: the more full a man's mind is, the more free from temptations and fears, now scripture matter is the most filling matter, the more ye see Christ walking in the sweet shades of divine love toward poor sinners, the sooner will your faith revive, and your comforts be restored; and where can you see Jesus Christ walking, and taking his turns with poor sinners under the shades of divine love, but in the scriptures? stand there a while, and you shall see him, and your heart will say, and why not one turn of love with me, O! my Savior? Study, read, and read much the scriptures.
[Object.] But if I do read the scriptures, and read them much, I shall then meet with some promise, possibly many, and now I cannot apply them being thus discouraged as I am, I shall see the promises indeed, and say, there is such and such an old friend of mine, but it is now mine enemy, the promise will not own me, and I cannot apply it, and so it will do me no good.
[Answ.] Ye cannot tell what the promise will do til you come to apply it; the promise never gives down its power and strength til it be applied, it doth then work when it is put to work, and not before. When Moses saw his rod turned into a Serpent, he was afraid of it, and fled from it, but when he put forth his hand and took it by the tail, it was a rod in his hand again, as it was before; it may be you look upon such and such a promise at a distance, and you say O! there's my enemy, now it will not help me, it will sting me, it will undo me, but put forth your hand again to it, and it will become a promise, a rod in your hand, as comfortable as ever it was before.
And doth not the promise come to you? go you to it. Somtimes the promise doth come to us, sometimes we go to it, when the promise doth come to you, you have joy, when you go to it, you have peace, and this peace may last longer than the other joy, but remember this as an everlasting rule, That, your very relying upon the promise doth make it yours.
[Object.] But if I do read the scriptures much in this condition of my discouragement, I shall not only meet with the promise, but with a threatening, and that will discourage me more.
[Answ.] Not so, for i • a threatening make way to the promise, and doth therefore come forth to meet you, that it may lead you to the promise, have you any hurt thereby? now as the law was a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ, so sometimes the threatening is a Schoolmaster to bring you to the Promise.
Yea, and God doth therefore sometimes send the threatening, that it may lead you to the promise. You know how God appeared to Elijah, first in a wind that did shake the Mountains and Rocks, but God was not there, then in an Earthquake, but God was not there, then in a fire, but God was not there, then in a still voice, and there was God. So when God appears to a soul, sometimes he doth first send a threatening, and shakes the Rocks, and Mountains, and hard hearts, and his converting Grace may not be there, but there is a still voice behind, the voice of the promise, God is there, and all this shaking of the threatening, is but to make way unto the still voice of the promise that is behind.
[Object.] O! but if I should read the scriptures much in this condition, I should meet with many other things which concern not me, there are many histories in the scripture which suites not with my condition, and so I should get no good or comfort.
[Answ.] Say not so, Christ cures, per modum divertentiae, by way of divertency, as you do those that are grieved. If a friend have lost a husband, or wife, or child, you do not speak of the lost person, and say O! what a sweet friend, or husband, or wife, or child you have lost; but you speak of something else, and then afterwards you are able to speak of the person lost, but first you divert his mind from the matter of his grief, and so you do cure his grief. Thus doth Christ also when he cures a poor, wounded, grieved soul, he doth not always speak to the subject matter of grief in hand, but leads the heart sometimes into the consideration of other truths, and then afterwards doth speak unto the matter that is now concerning, he cures by way of divertency.
Study therefore, O! study the scriptures much, for thus the Lord will pour wine and oil into your bleeding wounds, and in due time you will say, as David did, In the multitude of my thoughts, O Lord, thy comforts have comforted my soul.
But suppose the Lord do restore to me the joy of my Salvation, that the bones which I have broken may rejoice, suppose there be a return of peace and joy, what shall I do then?
[Answ.] I shall not need to tell you what then, you will tell me what then, for you will say, O! now I must be thankful, now I must believe, now I will never doubt of mercy and of grace again. Only take these few words of advice.
[ 1] First, Be sure that you understand your comforts rightly, be not mistaken in them, labor to distil and refine your comforts. As there was a mixed company came out of Egypt, which set the Israelites a murmuring: so there is a mixed company that comes with your comforts. Every creature is born into the world with some filth; when you have comfort, labor to find out and separate the dross and filth, put away that mixed company: Rose leaves keep not long in the leaf, distilled comforts keep the longest.
[ 2] Secondly, If you would be rid of Satan from coming into your quarters, fall you upon his; the way to keep the enemy out of our country, is to fall into his: so deal with Satan, do him all the mischief you can, be not barely offensive, up and be doing against him.
[ 3] Thirdly If you would keep your comforts, put them all into the hand of Christ to be kept for you, a child that knows not how to keep his money, if he get a penny from any friend, he brings it to his father or mother, and saith, mother pray keep this penny for me. You have experience that you cannot keep your own comforts, you will lose and spend them quickly. As Jesus Christ is the Lord Treasurer of all our Graces, so he is the Lord keeper of all our comforts, and therefore when God is pleased to give in any comfort to you, go to Jesus Christ, and say, Lord keep my comforts for me, keep my evidences for me, keep my assurance for me, ye must not only depend upon Christ for Graces, but for comforts, and as well for the keeping, as for the getting of them.
[ 4] Fourthly, As you have any spiritual comfort from Christ, spend all for Christ, for though in temporal things, the way to have little, is to spend much; yet in spiritual things, the more you spend, the more you have: and therefore whatsoever comfort you have, spend it with the Saints. Do as Moses did, when Moses was in Pharaoh's Court, and in great preferment, standing in the presence of the King, he went out to visit his brethren, and to comfort them under their burdens, I will see (saith he) how it fares with my brethren, under their Burdens. So do you also, hath the Lord spoken peace and comfort to your soul? and do you now stand in the presence of the King of Kings, having his face shining on you, with your comforts all restored unto you? now then go out unto your brethren, and inquire who they are that labor under any burden, and with the same comfort wherewith you have been comforted yourselves, comfort others, knowing this for certain, that the more you spend, the more you shall have, and the longer you shall keep your comforts, yea, and this Christ expects, that what comforts we have from him, we should spend for him.
SAINTS Should not be DISCOURAGED, Whatever their Condition be.
Sermon, III.
HAving spoken of the two first Doctrines, the third followeth, which is this.
David had as much cause and reason for his discouragements here as any other, for he did want ordinances, yea he was kept from the ordinances, therefore saith he, verse. 1.2. As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God, my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God? yea after he had known the sweetness of them he was deprived of them, verse. 4. For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God. And in this condition he had many enemies, he was in the state of affliction and persecution, his enemies reproached him, they reproached him in the matter of his God, and that daily, verse. 3. and 10. While they continually say unto me, where is thy God? As a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me, where is thy God?
And he was now under great desertions: though the enemies did reproach him in the matter of his God, yet if God had been present with him, he had been well enough, but they said, where is now thy God? and his own heart said so too, that God had left and forsaken him, (which was his failing) verse. 9. I will say unto God my rock, why hast thou forsaken me? yet for all this he saith, why art thou cast down, O my soul? As if he should say, Thine enemies do not only reproach thee in the matter of thy God, but thine own heart, thou art now kept from those precious ordinances which once thou didst enjoy, yet why shouldst thou be disquieted, or cast down? there is no reason for it. So that the words speak plainly this truth, A Godly, Gracious man hath no true scripture-reason for his discouragements whatever his condition be.
It was a sad condition that the prophet Habakkuk did present unto himself, yet saith he, Chap. 3. I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salva ••• n. verse. 18. But O thou servant of God, thou art now under a threatening, and not under a promise, which makes thy very belly to tremble, and wilt thou, canst thou now rejoice? yes saith he, verse. 16. When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, yet will I rejoice in the Lord &c.
But it may be thou thinkest this threatening will never be fulfilled. Yes saith he, verse. the 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the Olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no meat in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord &c.
But a man may rejoice though he have no wine to drink, or olive to eat, because these are but creatures which are for our refreshment; but wilt thou rejoice (O Prophet) if thou wantest thy daily bread, and such creatures as are for our daily nourishment?
Yes (saith he) Although the field shall yield no meat, and the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stall, yet will I rejoice in the Lord. So that whatever a Godly man's condition be, he may rejoice, and there is no true reason for his discouragement.
Indeed, there is no sin so unreasonable, but the sinner thinks he hath reason for it, and so the Saints and people of God may think, that they have reason for their discouragements, hence it is that they have so many why's and wherefores, Why hast thou forsaken me? why go I mourning?
Yea, they may not only seem to have some reason, but in a way of nature, they have reason for their discouragements: and therefore saith David, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked, I said, I have cleansed my hands in vain, til I went into the house of the Lord. So that, so long as he was in the house of nature, and natural reason, he did see reason for his discouragement.
Yea, not only so, but take things asunder, and consider things by pieces, one from another, abstracting the means from the end, and so the Saints may have a true and real reason for their discouragements, for every affliction is Grievous. If the husbandman look only upon the breaking up of his ground, without respect to the harvest, he may well be discouraged, but take both together, and so he will not: thus if the Saints consider their breakings apart from their harvest, they may see cause for their discouragements: but if they do consider their breaking up, and their harvest together, the means and the end together, I say take altogether, and then, whatever their condition be, they have no reason to be cast down, or be disquieted.
[Quest.] What is there in or for the Saints, that may be a sufficient bulwark against all discouragements?
[Answ. 1] A Godly, Gracious man, hath propriety and interest in God himself. Some special men and women there are in the world, whom the great God of heaven and earth doth make over himself unto, and they that have him for their God and portion, have no reason to be disquieted whatever their condition be: thus it is with the Saints, and therefore the Psalmist doth not barely say, that he would rejoice, but that God was his exceeding joy: Psal. 43. Satan may darken this light and joy for a time, but he can never put it out, all the Saints and people of God are possessed of this. It's written of Antoninus the Emperor, one of the persecutors in the Primitive times, that being environed, and compassed about by his enemies, (whereby he and all his army in the field were like to be lost for water) he commanded the Christians of his army to pray for rain; Whereby present relief came to him, his army was preserved, and his enemies destroyed; whereupon he wrote a letter to the Roman Senate in favor of the Christians, and gave this commendation of them in it, that they were a people which were, Deo contenti, content with God, quem circumferunt secum in pectore, whom they did always carry about with them in their bosom: yea saith he, in that same letter, It is very credible, that although we think them wicked men, Deum pro munimento habere in conscientia, that they have God in their conscience for their bulwark. Thus a Heathen, thus an Enemy, thus he who was once a Persecutor confessed, and shall not we say as much?
O! but say some, tolle meum et tolle Deum, take away that word My, and take away the comfort of that word God; no God to me unless he be my God, and there are many of God's people that cannot say, God is my God, for they do want Assurance; and therefore how can they have comfort in this?
Yes, If my very resting on God doth make him mine, I may have comfort in him too, now the Saints and people of God may always, and do rest on God, and though Satan saith by way of temptation, you have not believed, you have not rested on God, yet they may say, O! but now I do rest on God, and so may always have comfort in their propriety and interest in God.
[Answ. 2] God doth always know them, and their conditions. I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and thy poverty, saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna: and this Christ speaks as a relieving comfort to that Church in a sad condition; for saith Christ, Satan shall cast some of you into prison ten days. Yet be of good comfort Smyrna; I know thee and thy tribulation, and poverty; whatever thy condition be, I do know thee in it: and it seems this is a general cordial, for its given unto all the Churches, I know thy works, O Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Phyladelphia: it is spoken as a terror indeed to Laodicea, for that which is most comfortable to the good, is most terrible to the wicked, as the presence of God, the omniscience of God &c. But to the Godly this is a great comfort; whatever my condition be, yet God my Father knows it, and doth know me in it.
[Answ. 3] God would not have his people be discouraged, and if God their Father, and Jesus Christ their Savior would not have them discouraged, then there is no true reason for their discouragements: now God and Christ would not have his people to be cast down, or disquieted, whatever their condition be. John. 14. verse. 1. Let not your heart be troubled, saith our Savior to his disciples. As if he should say, I am now to dy, to leave you all, to go to my Father; and when I am gone, you will meet with many troubles, but I would not have you discouraged, Let not your heart be troubled,
But now if thou diest, we shall then lose thy presence, and what greater trouble or affliction can there be, than the loss of thy presence? Well (saith Christ) yet I would not have you troubled at heart, Let not your heart be troubled. But if we lose thee, O Lord, we shall lose all the ordinances, and those many sweet opportunities of receiving good for our souls which we have enjoyed by thy presence. Be it so, saith our savior, yet I would not have you troubled at the heart, Let not your heart be troubled. But Lord, if we lose thee, we shall be as sheep scattered, some will deny thee, all will forsake thee, and when the shepherd is smitten, we as sheep shall be all dispersed, and fall into sad temptations, afflictions and desertions. Well, saith he, however it be, yet I would not have you troubled at the heart, let not your heart be troubled however, this is Christ's mind, will, and pleasure concerning his disciples.
And if you say, how may it appear that God the father would have his people to be of the same mind and disposition never to be discouraged?
It appears plainly, because God hath provided promises of comfort, succor, and relief, suitable to all conditions: I dare boldly challenge all men, to show me any one condition, which God hath not provided a promise of comfort, mercy, and succor suitable unto it.
Yea, and if you look upon the promises, and mark them well, you shall find they are so laid, worded, and molded, as that all discourag •• g objections may be fully answered, and taken off as the rise. For example, suppose the Church of God be under perse ution of enemies, Isa. 54.17. No weapon that is formed a •• • i • h • e shall prosper. But you will say, our enemies, O Lord, are • any, they rise up against us, and gather into bodies, and con •••• rate against thy servants. verse. 15. he takes off that thus, b ••• d they shall surely rather together, but not by me, whosoever shall ga • her together against thee shall fall for thy sake. But, O Lord, they have go ten instruments of death, and the whole power o • the Militia and Ammunition into their hands. Be it so, saith the Lord, verse. 16. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coles in the fire, and tha • bringeth forth an instrument for his work, and I have created the waster to destroy: no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. But, O Lord, they have got authority on their side, and they rise against us in judgment: Mark then what follows, verse. 17. And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. But this is a promise made unto the Jewish Church only, and not to us. Not so, this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, verse. 17. So that if you be the Servants of the Lord, this promise tells you it is made to you. But we are in an unbelieving condition, and are not able to lay hold on this promise. Well, but saith this promise, this is the heritage or the servants of the Lord: Children shall have their inheritance, though for the present they are not able to sue for it, it falls up • n them in course. O! but we may sin against the Lord, & cut ourselves off from this promise, & this inheritance, Mark then what follows, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord, not only this promise is of me, but the righteousness, whereby they shall believe, and lay hold on it, and walk under it, is of me, saith the Lord. O! how Graciously is this promise laid, whereby all unbelieving objections may be taken off: so it is in all the promises, do but observe and mark them, they are so molded, ordered, worded, as that every word of the promise doth hold forth a distinct answer unto your objections. Now if God have so laid his promises, that all unbelieving objections may be taken off as they rise, what doth this argue, but that God our Father would not have his people discouraged, whatever their condition be? therefore they have no reason for it.
[Answ. 4] There is no matter of discouragement, which the Saints do, or can meet withal, but there is a greater encouragement bound up therewith, or comes along with it: God doth never more Graciously appear to his people, than when there is the greatest matter for their discouragement. John lay some years in the bosom of Jesus Christ, whilst Christ lived, but, then he had not the revelation given him; Christ dies, John is afflicted, persecuted, driven into the Isle of Patmos, there an exile, and there Christ appears to him, and gives him that blessed book of comfort, the book of the revelation. We read of Jacob, that at one time especially he did so see the Lord, that he called the name of the place, Peniel, for I have seen the Lord, saith he, and when was that? but when Churlish Laban, was on one side of him, and his rough brother Esau, coming out against him in an hostile way on the other side. Once he had a vision of a Ladder, the top whereof was in heaven, and the foot on earth, Angels ascending and descending upon it; which in John, 1. Chap. Christ interprets to be himself. You shall see the Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man,