The Souls Exaltation, Text 2 (1 of 3)
THE SOVLES Iuſtification.
2 COR. 5.22.
For he hath made him to be ſin for us, which knew no ſinne, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him.
FOr our more orderly proceeding herein, you may remember that I ſhewed you before, for what a man is not juſtified. Now wee come to handle for what a man is, and may bee juſtified; and this I conceive, ſo farre as my light ſerves mee, to bee in the words of the Text; for the Apoſtle having ſhewed that God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelfe, and not imputing their ſins: Now in this Text hee ſhewes the reaſon how this comes to paſſe, namely God …aid their ſinnes to Chriſts charge, and made him ſinne for us, that knew no ſinne. Its no wonder then though God did not juſtifie a poore ſinner, for what hee had and did, and though hee did not expect perfect righteouſneſſe at their hands, for, Hee hath made him to hee ſinne for …, which knew no ſinne, that wee might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. For our more orderly proceeding, I will doe two things.
Firſt, I will diſcover the Doctrine of Iuſtification, in a deſcription:
Secondly, I will open the deſcription.
Quest. 1 For the firſt, If any man aske me what Iuſtification is, it is this briefly:
Anſwer. Iuſtification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever, whereby the debt and ſinnes of the beleever are charged upon the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and by the merits and ſatisfaction of Chriſt imputed to the beleever; hee is accounted juſt, and ſo is acquitted before God as righteous. There are foure particulars in the deſcription.
Firſt, it is an act of God the Father, upon the beleever.
Secondly, the debt of the beleever is charged upon our Saviour, God the Father followes (as it were) the ſuit upon the ſuretie, and not upon the debtor: both theſe are in theſe words of the Text, Hee hath made him ſinne for us, which knew no ſinne.
Thirdly, the ſatisfaction of Chriſt is put over to the beleever, and ſet upon his ſcore, as in theſe words, That wee might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him.
Fourthly, by this means, the debt on our ſides being laid upon the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and his righteouſneſſe being applied to us, God the Father acquits us, and pronounceth us righteous by a legall courſe of proceeding; as in theſe words, That we might bee made the righteouſneſſe of God in him: ſuch a righteouſneſſe as God the Father will worke in us, and will accept of us. As when the wife is betrothed and married to a man, all her old debts are laid upon her husband, and the law meddles no more with her: and ſecondly, all his lands, at leaſt the third part of them are made over to her. What ſhee hath in point of debt is put over to him: ſo all our ſinnes and debts of corruptions are laid upon Chriſt, and all the rich fefments of grace and mercy in Chriſt, are made over to a beleever, and hence a beleever comes to be acquitted and juſtified before God. From the firſt part of this deſcription, the point is this.
Doctrine. Iuſtification is an act of God the Father, upon the beleever.
It is an act that paſſeth from God the Father, upon the beleever. For the proofe of this point there are three verſes in the ſame Chapter, which make it good, the 18, 19, 20. verſes, and ſo on to the end of the Text; in the 18. verſe, hee ſaith, All things are of God, which hath reconciled us unto himſelfe by Ieſus Chriſt; of God, that is, of God the Father, and yet more plainly in the 19. verſe, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himſelfe, not imputing their ſinnes to them. Now what is meant by God in theſe two verſes? the old rule of Divines is this; that whereſoever you finde the Name of God put in oppoſition to Ieſus Chriſt, it muſt not be taken eſſentially, but perſonally, for the Father. For it were almoſt an abſurd thing, to ſay that Chriſt were in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelfe: therefore the Apoſtle implies thus much; God the Father was in Christ reconciling, and God the Father by Christ, reconciled the world unto himſelfe: and then in the 20. and 21. verſes, he ſaith, Now then we are Ambaſſadors for Christ, as though God did beſeech you through us; we pray you in Christs ſtead that yee be reconciled to God, that is, to God the Father; for he hath made him ſinne for us, which knew no ſinne: and another proofe is in the 3. of Saint Iohn, 14.15. and ſo to the end of the 18. verſe: it is an obſervation of wiſe Divines, and good Interpreters, when our Saviour comes to trade with Nichodemus about eternall life, hee doth not onelyonly content himſelfe to ſpeake of himſelfe alone, as he was Chriſt the Redeemer of the world, but he ſets him yet a little higher in the 14. verſe, hee ſaith, As Moſes lifted up the braſen Serpent in the wilderneſſe, ſo muſt the Sonne of Man bee lifted up, that whoſoever beleeveth in him ſhould not periſh, but have eternall life: A man would have thought that this had beene enough, but hee ſtayes not here, but he puts him one pin above all theſe, and ſaith, For God ſo loved the world, that hee gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne for it, that whoſoever beleeveth on him might not periſh, but have everlasting life: as if hee had ſaid, there is not only a Chriſt prepared and ſent, but God the Father alſo loved the world: here is the higheſt ſtaire to ſtay up the heart, ſo that the point is plaine and ſure enough. Now let us make it cleare, and that I ſhall doe by anſwering two queſtions:
Quest. 1 Firſt, why it is called an act of God the Father?
Quest. 2 Secondly, why an act of the Father upon the beleever?
Quest. 1 For the former, why doth the deſcription ſay, it is an act of God the Father?
Anſwer. I anſwer, it is an act of the Father, not excluding the Sonne, or the worke of the holy Ghoſt, which muſt both bee underſtood: it is an act of God the Father upon the beleever, but it is through Chriſt: there are theſe two grounds or reaſons, why it is given to the Father.
Reaſon 1 Firſt, becauſe the Father was the party that was properly offended: the Father is the firſt perſon in the Trinitie, and he was directly offended by Adams ſinne; it is true, the Sonne and the holy Ghoſt were offended too, as being friends with the Father, and having a relation to the Father, and a ſweet fellowſhip with the Father; but the ſinne was directly againſt the Father, and indirectly againſt the Son, and the holy Ghoſt. The groūd of the point is this, it wronged that worke of Creation, wherein the manner of the worke of the Father appeared in a ſpeciall manner, and the manner of the worke of the Son appeared in redemption, and the manner of the worke of the holy Ghoſt appeared in ſanctification: ſo that God the Father was the firſt in the worke of the Creation, the Sonne ſecond in the worke of redemption, the holy Ghoſt third in the worke of ſanctification: Now creation being the worke wherein the power of the Father did moſt ſhew it ſelfe, Adam falling away from this, did principally wrong the Father, for his manner of worke appearing herein: therefore Adam did herein goe directly croſſe to God. Excellent is that phraſe, 1 Iohn 2.1. Little children, theſe things write I unto you, that ye ſinne not; but ſome may ſay, what if we doe ſinne? why ſaith hee, we have an Advocate with the Father, even Ieſus Christ the Iust. Now no man ſaith, wee have an Advocate with an advocate, no, for that were abſurd: for no advocate pleads to another advocate, but he pleads to the partie offended, for the partie which hath offended: now in that the Apoſtle ſaith, We have an Advocate with the Father, even Ieſus Christ: It is plaine that God the Father was the Perſon directly offended; the iſſue then is thus much; The Father being the Creditor, and the Perſon directly offended, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt became our Suretie, and the creditor doth require the debt at the hands of our Suretie, and acquits the debtor; the creditor requires this, but the acquittance comes mainly and properly from the Father, becauſe the debt was due to him: ſo that God the Father is the Creditor, the Sonne is the Suretie, the poore ſinner is the debtor, the holy Spirit is the meſſenger, that brings the acquittance from God the Father, and ſaith, loe the Father hath accepted of thee in his Sonne, the Suretie hath paid the debt for thee, and ſee here is the acquittance for thee; ſo that though the holy Ghoſt doth bring the acquittance, yet the Father muſt give it: This is the firſt reaſon.
Reaſon 2 Secondly, wee ſay that Iuſtification is an act of God the Father, becauſe the Father is the fountaine in the Deity, as Divines uſe to ſay, in all the workes that are done by the Deitie, the Father is the firſt: for as the Perſons are in their being, ſo they are in their working: The Father in order workes before the Son and the holy Ghoſt; the Sonne workes not before the Father hath wrought, and the holy Ghoſt workes not before the Father and the Son have wrought. Hence it is that actions are given eſpecially to the Father, though not excluding the Sonne, nor the holy Ghoſt; but yet howſoever they are all equall in their working, in regard of time, yet the Father is firſt in regard of order. A malefactor is now arraigned and condemned, and the pardon is to be begged, and none but the Kings ſonne, the young Prince, can have a pardon, his abilities are onelyonly able to carry him through the worke; the Prince begs it, the Favorite brings it, but the King onelyonly grants it: ſo it is here, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is the Sonne of the everlaſting Father, and the Prince of peace, and hee it is that begs the pardon of his Father, hee ſends it to us by the hands of the holy Ghoſt, but only the Father grants the pardon. When the ſoule hath long beene humbled and ſelfe denying, and ſaid, Lord forgive the treſpaſſes of thy ſervant, and yeelds, and layes downe the weapons of deflance, and falls at the footſtoole of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and rowles it ſelfe upon his merits; then the Spirit comes and ſaith, thy ſinnes are pardoned, thy perſon is accepted, I bring thee this newes from God the Father; God is now reconciled to thee, in and by the Lord Ieſus Chriſt: now the Father is the King that grants this pardon, the Sonne is he that begs it, and the Spirit is the meſſenger that brings it. Now you ſee how it is an act of God the Father.
Quest. 2 Secondly, I come to ſhew why it is an act of God the Father, upon the beleever.
Anſwer. The reaſons of the queſtion are theſe, we muſt underſtand that the actions of God are of two ſorts.
Firſt, there are ſome actions which doe remain in God, which are confined within the compaſſe of his owne Councell, and goe no further, and they are immanent actions, they ſtay in God and goe no further. A man may conceive in his mind what hereſolves to doe in his heart; whether hee will doe ſuch a thing or no, and no man can tell what he intends to doe but himſelfe; but if a man will practiſe anſwerably according to his purpoſe, then he doth expreſſe the worke outwardly, which he intended inwardly, and now hee workes upon the creature, and makes it to receive ſome impreſſion of that good which hee kept ſecretly in himſelfe. There are ſome actions which remaine in God, as the decrees and purpoſes of God, before the foundation of the world, and they are confined within the high Councell table of Heaven, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt, and theſe never appeared to the eye of the world.
Secondly, there are actions alſo which paſſe from God upon the creature, and doe worke a change and an alteration upon the creature; and theſe wee call tranſient actions, or actions that paſſe, which are not onelyonly in God, but paſſe from God, and doe frame, and order, and diſpoſe of the creature, as God ſees fit; and of this ſort are all the actions that belong to a Chriſtian, except predeſtination: for the Lord doth not reveale thoſe ſecrets unto any by the worke of vocation, which is wrought upon the creature, for there the Lord quickens deſire, and ſtirres up hope, and kindles love and joy, and the Lord turnes the face of the ſoule God-ward, and in adoption, regeneration, and all the workes of grace and ſalvation, and of this kinde is juſtification: and this is the reaſon why I call it a tranſient action, becauſe it paſſeth upon the creature, but that muſt be warily underſtood with a graine of ſalt, as the Proverbe is: now what change is this? I anſwer, the Lord workes a change upon the creature two wayes.
Firſt, the Lord is ſaid to paſſe a worke or an action upon the creature, when he puts ſome kind of abilitie upon the creature, either ſpirituall, or naturall: as when the Lord makes a wicked man, a good man; an adulterous man, a chaſte man; and of an envious proud malicious man, a patient meeke and holy man; and this we call a naturall change, becauſe there is a gracious frame put into the heart and ſoule which overpowers the creature, and all things are become new; new affections, new deſires: but this is not all, for here is the difficultie.
Secondly, the Lord is ſaid to make a change upon the creature, when he takes off ſome relations and reſpects which the creature had, and puts upon it ſome other reſpects, hee doth not put them into the ſoule, but puts the ſoule into another roome, and they are not naturally qualities, but onelyonly relations, which are imprinted upon the ſoule of man, and theſe are called morall, and of this kinde is juſtification, as thus: Take a Prentice that is bound by covenant and Indenture for ſo many yeeres, and he is now fallen into an ague, or a burning fever, hee hath two relations: Firſt, he is an apprentice: Secondly, hee hath a weake ſickly diſtempered body: now there may bee a double change wrought in this man, according to this double diſpoſition: firſt the maſter burnes the Indentures, and gives him his time, and ſets him free from his ſervice, and hee that was an apprentice before, is now a freeman, this is a morall change, for all this while he is as ſicke as he was before: but the former relation is quite gone, and the maſter cannot now command him to his ſervice; now the fellow ſervants cannot dominere over him, becauſe he is not now a ſervant: but now the wiſe Phyſitian he comes, and he by good means helps the man of his diſeaſe, and brings him to a faire, ſweet, and wholſome temper of body, and now there is a change in the very nature of this ſervant; before he was diſtempered, but now he is well ordered; before hot, but now finely coole: here is ſomething wrought in the nature of this man. Juſt ſo it is in this change of the ſoule: there is a morall change in juſtification, a man is bound to the Law, and liable to the penaltie of it, and guiltie of the breach of it: now God the Father in Jeſus Chriſt, acquits a man of this guilt, and delivers him from this revenging power of the Law, and thats not all, but withall hee puts holineſſe into the heart, and wiſedome into the minde, and puritie into the affections, & this is called a naturall change, becauſe there are new ſpiritual abilities put into the heart; not becauſe of the nature of it, but becauſe of the thing which it works: as to take the example of Scripture, 1 Iohn 3.14. Wee are tranſlated from death to life: As it is with a man taken priſoner in Turkie, or ſome other place, haply a Chriſtian of England, he is accounted a Traitor there, and is condemned as a Traitor: the man being weake of himſelfe, and not able to deliver himſelfe, he muſt bee dealt by as a Traitor: but now if this man bee reſcued, and finde ſome way of eſcape, and bee ſet upon ſome other ſhore, whereby he may be conveyed into England, then he is here accounted a good ſubject, and he is ſo far from being condemned, that hee is wonderfully advanced and honoured by the King: here is a change, in Turkie hee was condemned as a Traitor, but in England hee is counted a good ſubject, and is received into favour, and honoured; here is a morall change: but now here is no naturall change, here is nothing put into this man: If he were ignorant before, he is ignorant ſtill; if he were wicked before, he is wicked ſtill: but he hath a good relation as a ſubject, and is pardoned in England: he is in another roome and rank, this is a morall change: But now if a man were ignorant before, and ſince he came into England he were framed and made wiſe and holy, this is a ſpirituall change: before hee was ignorant, and now hee is learned; before graceleſſe, but now gracious: this is a naturall change, or rather a ſpirituall change. Juſt ſo it is with a faithfull ſoule, the poore ſinner as hee is landed here upon the ſhore of ſinne and corruption, take him as he is by nature, he is liable to divine juſtice, and a Traitor in Gods account, and as he ſtands liable to the Law hee is a damned man, hee is ſicke of ſinne. But now when the Father hath brought him home to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and landed him upon another Coaſt, hee is now ſure to partake of life, and of ſalvation in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: and he that before was attached of treaſon, is acquitted of all in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the reſpects of treaſon and condemnation are taken off, and other reſpects and relations are put on: this is done in juſtification, and afterward when hee is juſtified, then the Lord will honour and adorne the ſoule; ſo that though the ſoule before was ignorant, the Lord will now make him wiſe unto ſalvation; though before hee were polluted, yet now hee ſhall bee ſanctified. And thus much of the reaſons why I call it an act of God the Father upon the beleever.
Vſe 1 The proper fruit of this Doctrine is this; Is it ſo, that juſtification is an act of God the Father upon the beleever? then it is a ground of admirable comfort to beare up the heart of a poore ſinner above all the accuſations, and all the power and the policies of our enemies againſt us, or the intendments of the wicked to hurt us: remember but this, that God the Father juſtifies, and this will bee a cordiall to beare up the heart againſt whatſoever the world, or the devill, or the wicked ſhall lay to the charge of a beleever: If thou art juſtified before Gods tribunall in Heaven, why ſhouldſt thou care, or feare, or bee troubled or diſquieted, when thou art condemned by the wicked upon the earth? this juſtification on Gods part can wipe away and ſcatter all the clouds, and all the accuſations on mans part: 1 Cor. 4.2.3. It is required of the diſpenſers, that every man be found faithfull, but as for mee, I paſſe very little to be judged by mans judgement: the word in the originall is very excellent, I paſſe not to bee judged by mans day; men have their dayes of meeting and of judging, and their dayes of rioting in the alehouſe, and in the brothel-houſe, and there they can toſſe the names of Gods Servants up and downe, and they ſit upon their names, and lives, and liberties, and they raiſe what reports they will; theſe are the drunkards dayes, and the malicious mans dayes, there they ſit and give their doomes what they will doe to ſuch a Chriſtian, and to ſuch a Miniſter, but marke what Saint Paul ſaith, I paſſe not for mans dayes, it is no more to mee than the dust of the ballance, or the drop of the bucket; but hee alludes to another day, to the day of judgement; when the Lord ſhall judge all the world, when hee that is holy, ſhall bee approved of and acquitted, and hee that is vilde and wicked ſhall bee condemned, I looke to that day. Were he not worthy to be begged for a foole, that ſhould goe away troubled and diſquieted, becauſe a company of drunkards had condemned him upon the alebench, when the Judge had cleared him upon the bench of juſtice: therefore ſteele your faces againſt all the malicious accuſations of the wicked: let them ſit and condemne thee upon the alebench if they will, ſo long as thou art acquitted in heaven, herein bee for ever cheared through his mercy. It was that which made the holy Prophet ſo marvellouſly confident in Iſaiah 50.8.9. and to throw downe the gantlet ſaying, Hee is neer that justifies mee, who will contend with mee? ſee whether you can ſet your foot to mine, vow for vow, and word for word: who is mine adverſary, let him come neere: behold the Lord God will ſuccour me, who will condemne me? lo they all ſhall wax old as a garment, the moth ſhall eat them up, they ſhall vaniſh, and ſhall not be able to appeare at the day of accounts; nay the moth ſhall eat them up, nay the wicked ſhall ſay in hell as the wiſe man ſaith, We fooles thought this mans life madneſſe, and wee past our judgements upon theſe preciſe fellowes that must ever and anon bee in a corner to weepe for their ſinnes; but we finde now that wee are the fooles that have neglected grace, and ſalvation, and happineſſe, which now they enjoy for ever. If a man had a caſe to bee tried in the Chancerie, if the Lord Chancellour were his friend, hee need not feare any thing, for the Lord Chancellour would ſuffer nothing to come in againſt him, but would caſt them all out, and heare none of them: ſo you that are beleevers, and have a friend, and a Father that ſits in the high Court of Chancery in Heaven, howſoever there are many which would be medling with you, yet your Father is the Judge of the Court, and he will diſhonour all thoſe that ſeeke to diſhonour you: It is the ground of that bleſſed boldneſſe which the Apoſtle concludes with himſelfe, not onelyonly that the thing ſhould not bee carried againſt him, as Rom. 8.33. but that all ſhould be for him: Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods choſen? it is God that justifieth: Let the gates of Hell bee ſet open, and Belzebub and all the Devils come roaring out againſt him, and let the wicked come that beare him ill will, and let all his ſinnes come and his owne conſcience too, yet hee need not feare any thing: the ground is hence, becauſe it is God that juſtifies; hee doth not ſay, they ſhall never prevaile againſt Gods ſervants, but they ſhall not plead againſt them: and hee doth not ſay, they ſhall not condemne them, but they ſhall not accuſe them: as hee ſaid, Acts 19.38. The Law is open, and there are Deputies, let them accuſe … plead one against another; ſo that here ſhall not bee ſo much as pleading againſt a poore beleever, becauſe God the Father hath juſtified him. Now the ground of this comfort lieth in three particulars, or it affords a threefold conſolation.
Firſt, becauſe God the Father hath all things to doe with the ſoule of a beleever: all the ſuits that are to bee made againſt a poore ſoule, they come from God, and if hee will ceaſe the ſuit, who can follow it? if he will ſay hee is ſatisfied, and well apaid, then who can take any advantage againſt the ſoule? Looke as it is with the Lord of a manour, haply hee hath an ill neighbour lives under him, and doth him much damage many wayes, and the Noble man at laſt is reſolved to follow the law againſt him: therefore the poore man comes in and deſires pardon of all that hee hath done amiſſe, and promiſeth never to doe the like, and the Gentleman out of his noble diſpoſition acquits him, and forgives all: now imagine ſome of the ſervants come in and raiſe clamours and complaints againſt him, and all the ſervants of the family are againſt him: well, the poore man makes them this anſwer, I have wronged none of you, therefore if your Lord bee contented to acquit me, I care not what you ſay, I have not wronged you, neither doe I feare you: this is that which ſhould chear up our hearts infinitely, that God the Father is the Lord of the mannour, even the Lord of the whole world, and if there be any tranſgreſſion done againſt thy neighbour whatſoever, hee is the Lord of the manour, it were no offence to ſteale, but that he hath forbidden it; and it were no offence to be diſobedient to Parents, but that hee hath ſaid, Honour thy father and mother, &c. The goods of thy neighbour are the Lords, and the dammage that is done is againſt the Lord: Now if God the Father doe mercifully acquit you, and ſaith hee will pardon the breach of all his Commandements, if God acquit us, what need wee feare or care what the Devill ſayes againſt us? it may bee the Devill will come in and commence a ſuit againſt us, and ſay, what, you be ſaved? yes, thats a likely matter, are you not guiltie of this and that? well, brethren, we have done the Devill no wrong, against thee onelyonly have I ſinned, ſaith David, it was againſt the commands of my good God and his holy Spirit, it was againſt my Father and my Redeemer, and they will pardon my ſinne: God ſaith, I will forgive all that wrong done to me, then let the Devill goe and ſhake his ears: looke as it is with a creditor, if he hath gotten the ſuretie in ſuit, he will acquit the debtor, and if the debtor be acquitted, all the bailiffes in the world can doe him no hurt, and hee ſaith, I am out of your debt and danger: ſo it is here, God the Father is the Creditor, wee have wronged God moſt infinitely, wee owe unto God all that wee have, but yet hee hath blotted out all our iniquities: therefore if the Devill follow the ſuit, it matters not, The Lord ſaith, I will remember his ſinnes no more: therefore the Devill can purſue him no further.
Secondly, there can bee no court in the world can alter our juſtification: if a man be righted in a lower court, a higher court may call it over againe and overthrow it, but this is admirable conſolation, doth God the Father acquit us in Heaven? then let the Devill goe and appeale where he will. A man never appeals from a higher court to a lower, but from a lower court to a higher: now all your ſinnes are pardoned, and you are acquitted in Heaven: therefore goe your way comforted, and let the Devill appeale where he will, no man can reverſe it: The mercy of the Lord and his ſentence endureth for ever: you know it was Saint Pauls plea, when hee ſaw that the Jewes were maliciouſly bent againſt him to have his life, he ſaid, No man may deliver me unto them, I appeale unto Ceſar: he ſaw hee ſhould have hard dealing there if hee were committed to them, therefore he appeals unto Ceſar: ſo we, we have had our caſe tried in Heaven, wee have Ceſars judgement ſeat to goe unto, the firſt perſon of the Trinitie is our Father, the Creditor hath made it good unto us by the witneſſe of the Spirit, that our iniquities are pardoned, and that he will heare no more of them: therefore goe away for ever cheared and comforted.
Vſe 2 Again in the ſecond place we have here a word of direction: Is God the Father the Judge of the Court? then let me ſpeak a word to all hūble broken hearted ſinners; when you have many Judges to ſit upon you in your owne heart, bee ſure that you bee not judged by them, but repaire unto God the Father, and get his ſentence upon them, and whatſoever hee ſpeakes, ſubmit unto it, and bee contented to judge your ſelves and your eſtates anſwerable by it. This is the great miſery of many poore creatures, that as many miſeries as they have, ſo many Judges they have: ſometimes their feare ſits upon them, and then they are damped: ſometimes their ſuſpition ſits upon them, and then they are marvellouſly diſquieted; and ſometimes hope ſits upon them, and then they are a little comforted▪ Oh brethren and beloved in the Lord, bee wiſe now for your ſoules, and put your caſe to be tried onelyonly by the Lord, and not by every one. Wee would count him a mad man, that having a caſe of weight to bee tried, ſhould commit it to an enemy that hates him, or elſe to an ignorant man that hath no skill at all in the buſineſſe, no wiſe man will doe it: but hee appeales to the Judge of the court, and lets him caſt the cauſe: juſt ſo it is here, there are many of you, ſome there are I am ſure, that have a ſight of your ſinnes, and ſometimes you thinke that God will certainly commence the ſuit againſt you: what, ſo many ſinnes within mee, and ſo many corruptions to follow mee, and oppreſſe mee? certainly my heart is naught, are you ſo ignorant to commit your cauſe to bee judged by them? your carnall reaſon is an enemie, and your owne hearts are weake, and not able to underſtand: therefore go to a higher court, and ſay with your ſelves, I care not what the world ſaith, and what carnall reaſon ſaith, I paſſe not▪ ſpeake thou, Lord, a word of comfort to my ſoule, and if his word bee for you, then bee for ever comforted and quieted, and looke onelyonly to the judgement of the Lord, and to none other; it is in his hands onelyonly to paſſe ſentence, and to condemne, as hee ſeeth fit in his righteous judgement: therefore ſtand to the ſentence of him, whoſe Word must ſtand, and ſhall ſtand for ever as mount Zion. If a plaintiffe have a caſe to be tried in the court of juſtice, he cares not what the diſpute of the lawyers be: One man thinkes thus, & another thinkes thus, & another would be paſſing ſentēce, and ſaith, thus it muſt be; he cares not what they ſay, hee knowes that they are not Judges, but hee ſtayes till the Judge comes, and he quakes and trembles till he heares what the ſentence of the Judge will be. Now therefore be as wiſe for your ſpirituall eſtates, as you are for your temporall eſtates: Pſalme 85.8. I will hearken what the Lord will ſay, diſputing there of the miſeries and troubles which were like to befall the Church of God, and himſelfe too: he lookes up to Heaven, and ſaith, I will hearken what the Lord will ſay, for hee ſpeakes peace to his people: looke not what ſenſe and feeling, and feare and ſuſpition ſay, for they will ſpeake killing words, and will tell you that your condition is naught and damnable: what, all this vildneſſe, and baſeneſſe, and ſtubborneſſe, and yet goe to heaven? that cannot be: Good brethren hearken not to theſe, for they are not the Judges of the court, the ſentence muſt come from God, and remember that God will ſpeake peace and comfort unto his people, hee will comfort your diſtreſſed conſciences: and therefore let not Satan, nor your owne diſtempered hearts be hearkned unto, for though they ſpeake never ſo much terrour to your conſciences, yet God will juſtifie you: it is the libertie which the law allowes, and every man will take it to himſelfe, if hee know the law, when a man is queſtioned for his life, he will not caſt himſelfe upon every Jurie, but hee will take the benefit of the law; and if there comes in one that is an ignorant perſon, or one that is an enemy of his, he may juſtly except againſt them, and put them out, and hee will ſay, Good my Lord, doe not caſt away a poore man for no cauſe at all, I except againſt theſe men of the Jurie, they are mine enemies, they have ſought my blood, many yeeres, and they have informed againſt me, and ſeeke to take away my life, and I can prove it, and the reſt are ignorant, and cannot underſtand the matter▪ good my Lord, let me have a good Jurie: this the court of juſtice allowes, and every man will bee ſure to take it to himſelfe, as occaſion ſerves: in Acts 28.19. Paul was conſtrained to appeal into Ceſar, and therefore hee ſaith, Chap. 2….10.11. I ſtand a… Ceſars judgement ſeat, where I ought to be judged. You ſee, beloved, how wiſe men are for the good and ſafetie of their bodies, oh be much more carefull for the good of your ſoules, and hazard not your ſoules upon every baſe Jurie; ſtand not to the triall of temptation, feare and ſuſpition, but appeale duplicate page duplicate page to the great God of Heaven, and ſay, Lord it is an unjuſt Jurie, you …eele not theſe abilities; and you feel not this aſſurance of Gods love, and when corruption beginnes to ſtirre in the heart; then carnall reaſon ſaith, if a man had grace, could he have all theſe corruptions? if I had any grace it would not, nor it could not be thus with mee: Oh complaine to the Lord that they are an unjuſt Jurie: looke up to the Throne of mercy, and have your cauſe heard there, and ſay, Lord, theſe have beene my profeſt enemies, the Devill, and this carnall proud froward heart of mine have beene deadly enemies both to thee, and to thy grace, and to the good of my poore ſoule: and as for feare and ſuſpition, they have betrayed my comforts, and …ut the throat of them, and many a time have taken away the hope of eternall life from me: and as for my weakneſſes and infirmities, they are too ignorant, they cannot paſſe righteous judgement becauſe they know not what belongs to grace here, or happineſſe hereafter: therefore appeale to the Lord, and ſay, you ſtand at Gods mercy ſeat, let mercy doe what it will with you, and mercy will certainly ſave you, and let mercy be for ever honoured, and be ſure to lie downe at the footſtoole of mercy. If thou art content to goe to God, and depend upon mercy, and let it doe what it will with thee, then mercy ſhall certainly ſave thee; if thou wilt come to beleeving, thou art ſure to bee acquitted: let the Devill come in againſt thee, and plead, and ſay, Lord wilt thou acquit ſuch a man that hath been a deſpiſer of thy grace and mercy; and the world ſaith, to my knowledge he hath cloſed with mee and hath forſaken thee; and then ſaith conſcience, I have told him of many ſinnes, but hee would never reforme them; therefore Lord give Juſtice againſt him: then the Lord makes anſwer, and ſaith, It skils not what he hath beene, If hee will come to me, and beleeve in me, and repent of his ſinnes, I will freely acquit him of all that he hath done amiſſe: therefore avoid the court, Satan, take this as an everlaſting rule, and you ſhall finde it by experience. If a man might have all the favour in the world ſhewed him, and have his owne friends to paſſe ſentence againſt him, and have his beſt duties and ſervices to plead for him, if hee ſhould commit his caſe to them to be tried by them, he would be for ever condemned by them; there is ſo much pride on the one ſide, and deadheartedneſſe on the other ſide, and ſo much wandring in your prayers, that they would cry to God for wrath and condemnation upon you: 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by my ſelfe, yet am I not thereby justified: you muſt appeale to the Father of mercies, or elſe you will never be acquitted by them: therefore ſtand to that judgement of God, whoſe judgement muſt and ſhall ſtand, when the ſentence of ſinne and Satan, and carnall reaſon ſhall be overthrowne.
The cauſe why many poore humbled broken ſelfe-denying hearts goe drooping and diſcouraged, it is becauſe they have a bad Jurie goes upon them, and they dead their owne hearts, becauſe they appeale not to that God, who is willing to acquit them through the mercy of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Object. But ſome may object and ſay, how ſhall I know whether God will juſtifie me or no?
Anſwer. For anſwer hereunto, looke what the word ſaith, if the word acquit thee, it ſhall ſtand; and if the word condemne thee, though all the men in the world acquit thee, yet thou ſhalt be condemned; to all that beleeve not in my Goſpell, ſhall be confuſion, ſaith the Apoſtle: and the words of Chriſt are, He that beleeveth not, is condemned already: therefore looke what the word ſaith, and cleave to that for ever.
Vſe 3 In the third place from hence we have a ground of terrour to the wicked, and it is like a thunder-bolt to breake the hearts of all unbeleevers, and it is able to cut the ſinewes of all their comforts, and to ſinke their ſoules to Hell, to thinke that they are unbeleevers: I ſpeake not to thoſe that have ſome doubtings and troubles ariſing in their hearts, but to ſuch as never yet beleeved in Chriſt, howſoever a man may have parts, and gifts, and be advanced, yet that which will be as gall and wormwood to the ſoule is this thou ſhalt never bee juſtified. When Simon Magus would have bought the gift of the holy Ghoſt with money in Acts 8.21. Saint Peter anſwered him, thy money periſh with thee: and furthermore, he cuts him up to the quick, and ſaith, Thou art ſtill in the gall of bitterneſſe, thou haſt no ſhare nor portion in this matter: ſo you unbeleevers, you have no ſhare in this point of juſtification, 1 Peter 4.17. If judgement, that is, temporall judgement begin at the houſe of God, that is, at the Saints of God which beleeve in the Lord Ieſus Christ, then what will the end be of all that obey not the Goſpell of God, and beleeve not in the Lord Ieſus Christ? for it is all one in the phraſe of Scripture: If a beleever doe come to heaven with much difficultie and trouble, and perplexitie of heart, and the ſhip is all broken, and hee comes to heaven with much difficultie; then what will the ſhare of thoſe men bee that have no part nor portion in Jeſus Chriſt? they can ruffle it out with the beſt for a while, and the men of the world doe admire at them, and acquit them many times, the people of God being deluded with their ſmooth carriage, and fair ſhewes, and having a charitable opinion of them, they do acquit them: but marke the end of it, thou maiſt be admired and acquitted here, but thou ſhalt bee for ever condemned hereafter: the ſentence is gone forth, and it ſhall never be revoked: Heb. 3.18. To whom ſware hee that they ſhould not enter into his rest, but unto them that obeyed not? You muſt thinke the Lord is highly diſpleaſed, when hee ſweareth that ſuch a man ſhall never ſee his face with comfort, nor come to Heaven; hee ſwears, and when the ſentence is paſt, it is unchangeable, unalterable: So Hebrewes 6.17. God willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the heires of promiſe the ſtableneſſe of his Councell, bound himſelfe by an oath: When the Lord would eſtabliſh the heart of Abraham, he tooke an oath; as it is among men, an oath puts an end to all controverſies: ſo if the Lord once ſwears, it is done in Heaven, never to bee altered more, and therefore aske them this queſtion: What are they, and what may wee thinke of them that God ſwears againſt? certainly they are unbeleevers, God muſt make a new Goſpell, and muſt forſwear himſelfe, or elſe none of theſe unbeleeving perſons ſhall ever come to Heaven. Hence it is that the Apoſtle makes the thing almoſt impoſſible, That God cannot ſave an unbeleever: Rom. 11.23. And they alſo if they abide not in unbeleefe, ſhall be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in againe: as if he had ſaid, the poore diſperſed unbeleeving Jewes may alſo be ſaved, and receive ſap and ſweet from the grace of Chriſt, if they abide not in their unbeleefe: It is as much as to ſay, if they doe abide in their unbeleefe, God is not able to graft them in; and the Apoſtle ſaith, God cannot deny himſelfe, he will not croſſe the courſe of his providence, for never an unbeleeving wretch under Heaven: Hee hath ſaid it, and if there bee ever a Devill in hell, thou ſhalt be one, if thou continueſt as thou art: Therefore you that are convinced in your conſciences, that you obey not the Goſpell, nor ſubmit to the grace of God in Chriſt, conſider with your ſelves whether it be good continuing in that eſtate or no: when the wrath of God hangs over your heads ready to fall upon you: ſee your miſery therefore you poore ſoules, and take up that lamentation of Reuben, Gen. 37.29. when his brother Ioſeph was ſold to the Iſhmaelites, the childe is not yonder, and I, whither ſhall I goe? ſo ſay thou, my comfort is loſt, I am an unbeleever; and therefore I, whither ſhall I goe? and I poore ſoule, whither ſhall I goe? If I goe to the Law, that condemnes me; and if to the Goſpell, that I have abuſed; if I goe to God the Father of mercies, he will not acquit me: and therefore whither ſhall I goe? I can goe no whither but to hell, if I remaine ſtill in my unbeleefe, therefore bee any thing rather than unbeleever, for if thou art ſo, and continueſt ſo, the Lord hath ſworne thy miſery and deſtruction: Iohn 3. the laſt verſe, Hee that beleeveth not, the wrath of God abideth on him: If thou continueſt ſtill in thy unbeleefe, there is nothing to bee expected but the fierceneſſe of Gods wrath and indignation to be powred upon thee: Thus much for the firſt Doctrine.
Now before I come to the maine propoſition, let me take up one point by the way, to prevent all falſe and wicked ſurmizes: the Text ſaith, He hath made him ſinne for us, that knew no found: n…w when the Apoſtle ſaith, Hee hath made him ſinne for us, why, may ſome ſay, had Jeſus Chriſt any ſinne? no, ſaith the Apoſtle, abhorre ſuch thoughts for ever: therefore to prevent all ſur…izes that may prejudice the Holineſſe, Honour, and Primitie of Chriſt, let mee lay downe a point by the way, and the queſtion ſhall be this:
Quest. What is it to know no ſinne?
Anſwer. Knowledge in Scripture, implyes two things.
Firſt, a bare worke of the underſtanding, when wee are able to pierce into a thing that is offered to us, and are able to fathom what is offered to our view: and thus Chriſt did know ſinne, and thus to know ſinne is not evill: The Miniſter knowes ſinne, when hee preacheth againſt ſinne; and thus God himſelfe knowes ſinne, and thus Chriſt knew ſinne, and he was able to fathom the vildneſſe and loathſomneſſe of ſinne, but that is not here meant.
Secondly, there is another, namely an experimentall knowledge, that is, when from ſome good that we have or doe receive, or any good that we doe of our ſelves, or ſome evill that we doe commit, or fearing ſome miſery to come upon us, wee read the nature of the good and the nature of the evill: as when a man hath a ſinfull diſtemper of wrath and paſſion, and hee knowes the nature of his anger and pride, becauſe hee obſerves the venome of it in his owne ſpirit: this is experimentall knowledge, and they call it ſo becauſe we read our owne diſpoſitions, and thereby wee judge the nature of it, by judging our ſelves: The Phyſitian knowes the diſeaſe, and therefore he is able to apply medicines accordingly, but hee knowes it not experimentally; as wee uſe to ſay, ſuch a man never knew what povertie meant, and ſuch a man never knew what the gowt meant, that is, he never had it; and ſuch a man never knew what a priſon meant, that is, hee never was in priſon: This is the meaning of it in this place, Chriſt knew no ſinne, his heart never affected any, and himſelfe never practiſed any: therefore he knew no ſinne by his owne experience, yet by his infinite wiſedome being God, he was able to finde out the venome and …ildneſſe of ſinne: So the point which I obſerve by the way is this:
Doctrine. Our Saviour Chriſt never yeelded the leaſt improvement of heart to ſinne, neither did hee ever commit the leaſt ſinne in his life and converſation: our Saviour Chriſt knew no ſinne at all by experience; this is that which all the types and ſacrifices of the old Law did ſignifie, which were all as ſo many ſeverall teſtimonies of the holineſſe and puritie of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: therefore he was called the Lambe without blemiſh: and it was propheſied of him in Eſay 53.9. That he had done no wickedneſſe, neither was deceit found in his mouth: and his enemy Pilate ſaid, I finde no fault in him at all: and our Saviour himſelfe ſaith, the Prince of this world commeth and hath nought in mee, that is, no ſinne, Iohn 14.30. The arguments are briefly theſe.
Reaſon. Looke into the Nature of our Saviour, and the Office of our Saviour, looke into his Manhood, as he was perfect Man, for the ſeed of the woman was overſhadowed by the Holy Ghoſt, and was purged and ſanctified, and the courſe of originall ſinne was ſtayed, and when the body was framed, the Godhead dwelt bodily in Chriſt, and all the fulneſſe of grace was in him; then the point muſt needs bee cleere, that there was no evill in him, no mutabilitie to incline to any evil, nor no power could prevaile with him to draw him to any evill: Againe, looke into the Office of our Saviour, for he that came to be a ſacrifice for ſinne, muſt needs want ſinne, or elſe he could not be a ſacrifice for ſinne: ſo the point is cleere: we come now to the application.
Vſe 1 The firſt uſe is a word of exhortation, and it ought to provoke all you that are faithfull, and are beleevers, to conforme your hearts and converſations anſwerable to the heart and life of Chriſt: did not Chriſt give the leaſt improvement of heart to any ſinne, nor practiſe the leaſt ſinne in any meaſure? then goe thou and doe likewiſe, be thou like thy Saviour, that thou mayeſt have ſome evidence that thou haſt a title unto him: It is that which the Apoſtle makes as a ſpeciall collection, Have no fellowſhip with the unfruitfull workes of darkneſſe, but bee you followers of God as deare children: Epheſ. 5.1. Chriſt had no ſinne, nor fellowſhip with ſinne; let his courſe and practice bee thy copie: But ſome will ſay, what, would you have us to bee Saints here on earth … how can it be that we ſhould know no ſin, when we have ſuch a body of death hanging upon us? yes, we may know no ſinne, though it doe hang about us: the Apoſtle doth not ſay, equall God in holineſſe, but imitate him; and he doth not ſay, follow him fully, but even as deare children: Now though the childe cannot goe ſo faſt as the father, yet he will follow as faſt as he can, and when hee hath done what he can, then he cries to his father to help him, and carrie him to the journeyes end; and ſo ought we to doe, nay ſo we will doe, if we are true children and not baſtards: the Father is infinitely full of holineſſe: Follow God as deare children, doe what you can and then …rie to him to inable you to doe what you cannot doe. It was the practice of the Prophet David, Pſalme 63.1. My ſoule thirsteth for thee, and my heart longeth after thee: therefore in the 119. Pſalme, 4, 5. Thou haſt commanded to keepe thy Commandements diligently, oh that my heart me… ſo directed tha… I might doe it: as if hee had ſaid, I know the Law requireth it, and it is my dutie to doe it: helpe Lord, and take Lord, and carry Lord thy poore ſervant, and lead mee into the land of righteouſneſſe; it is an evidence of one that is borne of God: 1 Iohn 5.18. Whoſoever is borne of God ſinneth not, and the evill one toucheth him not: ſo if you are ſuch as have Chriſt Jeſus formed in you, you will labour to keepe your ſelves that the wicked one touch you not hee doth not ſay hee will not entertaine it, but he will not keep company with it. A man muſt doe by ſinne, as wee would do by a man whoſe cōpany we ſhun; if we would not have acquaintance with him, then we carry our ſelves ſtrangely to him; if he call, we will not anſwer; if he knocke, we will not open; we keep our ſelves cloſe, that wee may not change a word with him: ſo it will bee with every one of you that are borne of God, you will have nothing to doe with your old pettiſh luſts, and baſe humours and haunts of ſpirits, and whomſoever it be that hath had dalliance with you heretofore, you will avoid the place and preſence of them, and ſay, I know not thoſe diſtempers, nor the place not occaſions of them, I will meddle with them no more, I will not owne them, I have done it too too much already, if they come I will not yeeld; and if they follow, I will flee. I have read an old ſtory of a man that was carried away much by a harlot; at laſt the Lord meets him, and opened his eyes, and humbled his ſoule, and brought him out of his ſinfull condition: many a day after the harlot met him againe, and the man would not looke on her, and ſhee began to ſeft kindneſſe upon him, and ſaid, I am ſhe, you know wee have had much ſweet dalliance together: Oh, but ſaith he, bleſſed be God, I am not I; that is, I am not the man that I was before: ſo ſhould we, though wee are nothing but ſinne by nature, and know nothing but corruption, yet if the old ſluggiſhneſſe and ſtubbornnes of heart, and haughtineſſe that we have too too much received; if they come and ſay, we are the darlings that have had much ſweet fellowſhip and communion with you, make them anſwer and ſay, I am not the man, I will have no more to doe with you. Let every heart be here incouraged not to regard the baſe reſpects of ſinne, or of the world, they will ſay it is not good to bee too holy, and too preciſe; make anſwer and ſay, I cannot bee too holy, Jeſus Chriſt knew no ſinne; the heart and life of Jeſus Chriſt is that which wee ought to reſpect and imitate.
Now I come to the main propoſition, and that is this; that the debt of the ſinner is charged upon our Saviour: ſo ſaith the deſcription, and ſo ſay the words of the Text: conceive here thus much, that our Saviour had the debt of a ſinner charged upon him, partly by imputation, and partly by perſonall performance, he did performe the payment perſonally, the debt was by imputation, but the payment was by reall and perſonall performance: and as our ſinnes and debts were made his by imputation, ſo the payment was his really laid downe, and ſuffered for us: Two things I muſt lay downe before I can open the point:
Firſt, what is meant by ſinne.
Secondly, why Chriſt is ſaid to be made ſin.
Firſt, what is meant by ſinne?
Anſwer. I anſwer, ſinne ſo farre as it concernes our purpoſe, is taken two wayes.
Firſt, the breach of the Law, as any guilt when a man is ſubject to the Law.
Secondly, it is ſometimes taken for the ſacrifice of ſinne; for ſo the puniſhment in Scripture is ſometimes called by the name of ſinne, as Leviticus 5.15. If a man ſinne and treſpaſſe through ignorance, hee ſhall then bring unto the Lord for a treſpaſſe offering, a ramme without blemiſh: If any man offer a gift for the ſinne which he hath committed, for ſo the word is in the originall; if hee offer a ſacrifice, becauſe of the guilt of ſin which is upon him: and ſo Gen. 4.7. If thou doest not well, ſinne lieth at the doore; that is, puniſhment lieth at the doore: now in what ſenſe it is taken here in this place, it is a point of great difficulty amongſt many Divines ſome that have had a new way for juſtification, they have had alſo a new way for to interpret this place: but in my judgement it is to bee taken in the firſt ſenſe, though the ſecond alſo muſt bee included, and cannot but be collected from the former, and not onelyonly the former, but alſo latter Divines carry it this way: the argument here in the Text ſeemes to bee cleare, and the reaſons out of the Text are three:
Firſt, looke at the oppoſition that is here betweene ſinne and righteouſneſſe; God made Christ ſinne for us, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in Christ: that ſinne is here meant which is oppoſite to that righteouſneſſe which is here mentioned; but the ſacrifice of ſinne is not oppoſite to the righteouſneſſe here meant, but the breach of the Law that is oppoſite to it: therefore righteouſneſſe doth imply the profeſt oppoſition to ſinne in this place, ſinne being profeſtly oppoſite to righteouſneſſe.
Secondly, if wee looke at the compariſon and proportion betweene the firſt part of the verſe, and the laſt part, For as Christ was made righteouſnes to us; not that righteouſnes which we have, but that which hee had, and which is made ours by imputation: ſo Chriſt alſo was made ſinne for us, not that Chriſt had ſinne, but hee tooke our ſinne by imputation: ſo that I reaſon thus; That ſinne is here meant, which is ſo imputed to Chriſt, as his righteouſneſſe is imputed to us: but not the ſufferings or puniſhments of ſinne is imputed, but the guilt and the breach, Chriſt did really and perſonally ſuffer; and therefore hee needed no ſuch imputation for ſuffering, but for the breach of the Law which hee never did, that onelyonly is imputed to him.
Thirdly, let us take what they give, and grant that Chriſt is our ſacrifice for ſinne, that very grant infers that Chriſt alſo muſt have ſinne imputed to him; for hee that did really pay that which was due on our parts, and which the juſtice of God exacted as a due payment for what we had committed, hee muſt alſo have the debt imputed to him; for otherwiſe to make a man pay the debt which hee hath no relation to, and cannot be charged withall, this ſtands not with juſtice; but God the Father exacted payments and ſufferings from our Saviour for our ſinne; and therefore hee charged our Saviour with our ſinnes: As for example, a creditor ſues the ſuretie, and forceth him to pay the debt; why? becauſe hee ſtands charged with the debt, for when hee entred bond with the creditor, hee became ſuretie, and a debtor to pay the debt, and the debtor was acquitted: but now he that never was bound for the money, cannot bee forced to pay the debt: ſo that all things conſidered, it is evident that our Saviour was made ſinne, that is, that the ſinnes of the whole world were ſet upon his ſcore.
Secondly, what is it to bee made ſinne? It is not to be meant, that Chriſt had any ſinne of his owne, no more than we had righteouſneſſe; neither that God the Father did make him ſinfull, theſe are helliſh and devilliſh blaſphemies: but we muſt underſtand it ſo, as may ſtand with Gods Juſtice, Holineſſe, Chriſts puritie, &c. God the Father charged all our ſinnes upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt by imputation: but if you aske me, why doth the Text ſay, that he made him ſinne and not a ſinner; the reaſon is this, becauſe our Saviour did not beare the ſinnes of any one man in particular, but he bore the ſinnes of all the world: all the evils which they had committed, were charged upon our Saviour, and God the Father followes the ſuit upon the ſuretie, and accounted him as the debte…, and as one that was guiltie of all thoſe ſinnes, becauſe hee had taken them upon him; ſo the point of Doctrine hence is this:
Doctrine. God the Father did impute all the ſinnes of all the world to the charge of our Saviour.
All you that are debters to the Lord, conſider of it; if a man had forfeited his bond, and had great payments to make, if hee knew any friend that would become a debter for him and would pay the debt, oh how would he rejoyce! Now we are all debters and ſtand bound to God, therefore take notice of the point, God the Father charged all the ſinnes of all the faithfull upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: if you aske mee why I ſay the faithfull; becauſe the Text ſaith, Hee was made ſinne for us ſaith the Apoſtle, for us that beleeve: he would be ſure to have ſome of that mercy, as he ſaith in another place, Chriſt came to ſave ſinners, whereof I am chiefe: hee, ingroſſeth mercy to himſelfe; therefore you hard hearted and unbeleeving wretches bee packing, for Christ was made ſinne for us, that is, for us beleevers: ſo that none of the faithfull are exempted from the benefit of this Doctrine; Christ was made ſinne for every beleever, for every beleeving creature in the world that can but reſt upon Chriſt, and can touch the hemme of his garment: it is not the greatneſſe of your faith, but the ſinceritie of your faith, that helps you to come within compaſſe of this point. For the proofe of this Doctrine conſider thus much: this is a truth of the Scripture undeniable, and that which hath from age to age beene delivered to the people of God, all the offerings and ſacrifices of the Law doe ſhew ſo much, and all the types of the Law doe teſtifie ſo much, as in Leviticus 1.4. compare it with Leviticus 5.5. in Chap. 1.4. he ſaith, The offender ſhall bring the burnt offering without blemiſh, and hee ſhall put his hands upon the head of the ſacrifice, and it ſhall bee accepted of the Lord to bee an attonement: and in Chap. 5.5. When he hath ſinned in any of theſe things, then he ſhall come and confeſſe that he hath ſinned therein; this was the legall ceremony: now what is the ſubſtance of it? the ſacrifices were types of Chriſt, hee is the ſacrifice without blemiſh, without ſinne, and the offering up of the ſacrifice was the beleeving upon, and the tendering of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to God the Father by faith, and this muſt bee done at the doore of the Tabernacle: the meaning is, he is a common Saviour to all beleevers, that as it is in a common ground, every one hath a ſhare in it, and every borderer though never ſo poore, may come and put on and feed his cattle as well as the beſt: ſo here every poore beleever may come and feed upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: therefore the Apoſtle in the 3. verſe of Iude cals it the common ſalvation; not common to all the wicked and unbeleevers, but to all the faithfull that border upon the promiſes, and doe beleeve in them, it is common to them all; and the man that offered the ſacrifice was to lay his hand upon the head of the ſacrifice, and there to confeſſe all the ſinnes of the children of Iſrael; this was the unburthening himſelfe of his ſinne, and laying it upon the head of the ſacrifice the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; that ſo what wee are not able to beare, hee may beare for us, and anſwer divine juſtice for us; and ſo there was another ceremony, Leviticus 16.21. Of the ſcape goat, there were two ſacrifices to bee offered, the one was to bee a burnt offering, and the other was to eſcape; Aaron was to put his hand upon the head of the live goat, and to confeſſe over him all the iniquities of the children of Iſrael, and their treſpaſſes, putting them upon the head of the live goat, and ſhall ſend him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wilderneſſe; ſo the goat ſhall beare upon him all the iniquities to a land not inhabited: and the other was to be offered up for a burnt offering: this was the type; now the intendment of the ceremony was this; the goat was the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and when Aaron did put his hands upon the head of the goat, and confeſſe over him all the iniquities of the children of Iſrael, and did put them upon the head of the goat; it was thus much, God the Father did charge all the ſinnes of all the world upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, even of all, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, and did put them all upon the Lord Chriſt; and howſoever he was a ſacrifice for ſinne, yet hee was a ſcape goat, and hath eſcaped out of the hands of hell and death, and is now in Heaven, and with him all beleevers ſhall eſcape from hell and death, by the power of his merits. Further ye ſee how the Prophet expounds the Law, Eſay 53.4, 5. We thought him afflicted and buffetted for himſelfe, but he was wounded for our ſins, and broken for our iniquities; hee was neglected amongſt the wicked, and they judged him as ſmitten for his owne ſins, but he was wounded for our ſins imputed to him, that wee through him might bee eaſed thereof; and therefore the Text ſaith, Hee bore our iniquities: and me thinkes it hath reference to the ſcape goat, and it is that which the Apoſtle doth peremptorily ſay, Heb. 7.22. He was made a ſuretie of a better covenant: Now the ſuretie hath not onelyonly the payment to make, but hee is accounted as the debtor; the debt is laid to his charge, as well as the payment is required, thus the point is proved: Now for the better diſcovery of this Doctrine, let me doe two things:
Firſt, I will ſhew after what manner God did this, and what is the behaviour of the Lord, when hee chargeth the ſinnes of the faithfull upon Chriſt.
Secondly, I will ſhew the reaſons of it, why God the Father did ſo, whereby it ſhall appeare, that it is reaſonable, and it doth wonderfully magnifie the Juſtice, and mercy of God.
Quest. 1 For the firſt, if a man aske me what God the Father doth, when hee chargeth the ſinnes of the faithfull upon Chriſt;
Anſwer. I anſwer, this act carries three things in it, or God brings about the worke by a threefold act.
Firſt, God the Father, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt made a mutuall decree and purpoſe, that ſo many ſhould beleeve, they ſhould bee ſaved: And they did not only purpoſe this, but they did make a mutuall agreement betweene themſelves, that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhould take the care of thoſe ſoules to make them beleeve, and to ſave them by beleeving, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt undertooke the worke according to their compact, God the Father ſaid, I will have theſe children ſaved, and Chriſt ſaith, I will take the care of them: Iohn 10.14, 15, 16. Its ſtrange to ſee, how our Saviour there ſpeakes of his Office, in the 14. verſe, he ſaith, I am the good Shepheard and know mine, and am knowne of mine, that is, I know thoſe that are committed to my charge and knowledge, even as the ſhepherd knowes his ſheepe: but how doth the Lord Chriſt know, who God the Father will have to be ſaved? looke verſe 15. As the Father knoweth me, ſo know I the Father. and wee have agreed amongſt our ſelves, that ſo many ſhall bee ſaved: The Father hath ſaid, I will have ſo many ſoules ſaved, and Chriſt ſaith, thoſe ſoules ſhall bee my care and charge: and in the 16. verſe, hee ſaith, Other ſhee… I have alſo which are not of this ſold, them alſo muſt I bring, and they ſhall heare my voyce: when the Father hath revealed, that ſo many in ſuch a place, and ſo many in ſuch a place ſhall bee ſaved, then the Lord Chriſt undertakes the care of them, and he calls at ſuch a doore, and ſaith, I muſt have that poore drunken creature, and he muſt be humbled and broken hearted, and he muſt beleeve, and he calls at ſuch a doore, and findes the adulterer in the armes of the harlot, and hee ſaith, I must have that unclean wretch, I must humble him for his ſinnes, and I muſt make a ſeparation betweene him and his ſinnes: A good ſhepheard will have a care of his ſheep, and will fetch them whereſoever they be; as it was with David, He did fetch his prey from the mouth of the Lion: ſo though there were never ſo many baits to allure a man, yet if the Lord Chriſt intend to ſave him, hee will fetch him out of the mouth of the Lion; and he ſaith, that poore ſoule is mine, I have taken the charge of him, and therefore I muſt have him, and he muſt heare my voice, nay he ſhall heare my voyce: Many times you have turned the deafe eare upon Chriſt, and hee calls and knocks, and yet that will not ſerve the turne, untill hee breakes in upon the ſoule by horrour of heart: therefore God the Father commits the care of all thoſe wandring ſoules to the charge of Chriſt, and hee will have them by one means or other: As it is with a Husbandman that hath a great flocke of ſheepe, and he ſaith to his ſonne, loe, I commit the care of them to thee, loe here they are, I would have thee to be carefull of them, the number thou knoweſt, and the marke thou feeſt, then the ſonne concludes with the father, and they enter into agreement, and the ſon ſaith, I will feed and keep thoſe ſheep: ſo it is with God the Father, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; God the Father gives all the names of all the faithfull from the beginning of the world to the end of it▪ and ſaith, all theſe are my children, there is a poor creature in ſuch a blinde corner of the countrie which I muſt have ſaved, and in another place there is another baſe drunkard which I muſt have ſaved, that I may make the world to wonder at it; the foundation of the Lord ſtandeth ſure, and hath this ſeale, the Lord knoweth who are his, the Lord hath elected and called them, thats his marke; and therefore our Saviour Chriſt undertakes the care of them, and God the Father looks that all thoſe that are committed to the care of Chriſt, ſhould bee ſaved; as in Iohn 17.12. Of all that thou haſt given me, have I loſt none, but the childe of perdition, that is, he was a wolfe, and no ſheep, and a lion, and a cunning fox, and none of my charge, but of all that thou hast given mee hove I loſt none: all you poore ignorant and weake Chriſtians, little lambes, that cannot helpe your ſelves, Chriſt will not loſe one of you; but though you are never ſo mean and poore, the Lord will carry you in his armes, and bring you to everlaſting life: 1 Cor. 15.24. Then ſhall the end be, when the Lord Ieſus hath delivered up the Kingdome to the Father; and ſhal ſay, Father, thou haſt given me the charge of ſo many in England, ſo many in Spain, ſo many in Aſia, ſo many in the Palatinate, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhall deliver up the whole number to God the Father.
Secondly, our Saviour having undertaken to keepe theſe, he addreſſeth himſelfe to the worke, to uſe thoſe means by which hee may keepe and ſave them, and that he doth thus: he puts himſelfe into the roome and place of all thoſe poore loſt ſheepe of his, and this is the difficultie to open this to you that are weake. Now what is it to be put in the roome and place of another? Chriſt doth willingly ſubmit himſelfe to the power of the revenging juſtice of the Father, that whatſoever the Law and Juſtice of God required at the hands of the faithfull, that doth Chriſt ſtand unto and will anſwer it all, as thus: the debter is taken and impriſoned, and they that are his friends deſire ſome releaſment for him; how upon conſultation, and conference with the creditor, it is agreed that ſuch a man ſhall undertake to help him, and to free him from all the extremitie that he lies in for the debt, and hee muſt doe it by one of theſe two wayes, either hee muſt breake the priſon, and ſo reſcue him by ſtrong hand, or elſe he muſt yeeld and ſubmit to what the Law requires, and is due to the creditor; and the creditor ſaith, if you will bee content to become debtor, and acquit him of the debt, if you will enter bond with me to become a pay-maſter of the whole debt due to me, then I am content to free him: Now the man that thus yeelds himſelfe, to what the power of Law and Juſtice can do againſt the debtor, that man becomes a ſuretie for him, he will bee as one that owes the money, and that muſt pay, and the Law proceeds as fully againſt him, as againſt the debtor: the debtor did perſonally owe the money, and lay in priſon for it, but the ſuretie is as one that hath forfeited and muſt pay; hee ſubmits himſelfe to the power of Law, and Juſtice, that looke what the Law requires of a man forfeiting and owing, hee is content that the Law require it of him. Juſt ſo it is here, the ſinner is this debtor, and Chriſt undertakes for him by a mutuall conſent betweene the Father and him, and hee yeelds and ſubmits himſelfe to all the power of Juſtice, that looke how the Law accounts of a ſinner, it ſhould account of him: Now the Law of God accounts of this man as one that hath broken the Law, and deſerved eternall death, and Chriſt ſubmits himſelfe to theſe, the Law requires doing and ſuffering, and Chriſt is contented to undergoe all theſe for all that ſhall beleeve: as Gal. 4.4, 5. When the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent forth his onelyonly Sonne made of a woman, and made under the Law, that he might redeeme them which were under the Law: the meaning is this, looke how we were under the Law, ſo was Chriſt under the Law for us, that ſo he might redeeme thoſe that were under the Law; the Law laid guilt to our charge, and the Law did condemne us, and the Lord Chriſt was content to be under all that commanding, revenging authority, which the Law had over us, ſo that now Chriſt is come into the roome of all the faithfull: hence is that ſpeech of Luther, which the Papiſts ſo much cavill at; hee ſaith our Saviour was the greateſt ſinner of all the faithfull that ever was upon the face of the earth, not that he had any ſin of his owne inherent in him, or committed by him, but becauſe all the ſins of all the world were charged upon him, and Chriſt put himſelfe into the roome of all the world, that looke whatſoever the Law required of any, the ſame it required of him; and what the Law accounted of any, it accounted the ſame of him.
Thirdly, our Saviour having put himſelfe into the roome of a ſinner, the Law now proceeds with full ſcope againſt him, and God the Father may juſtly proceed according to rule, and may juſtly expreſſe the power of his revenging Juſtice upon him: and hence it is that God the Father accounts of Jeſus Chriſt as a ſinner, and proceeds againſt him, and condemnes him as a ſinner, and doth require of him whatſoever hee requires of a ſinner, a ſinner muſt doe or die, and ſo muſt the Lord Chriſt, becauſe hee hath put himſelfe into the roome of a ſinner. As it is with a creditor, haply the debtor growes a bankrupt, and flies his countrie, the creditor cares not, for, ſaith hee, I will lay the debt upon the ſureries backe, ſuch a man was bound for him, I have him ſtill in my cheſt, and it is as good to mee, as if the debtor himſelfe were able to pay me: ſo it is here when poore ſinners wrong God, and wound his Spirit, and diſhonour his Name, and tranſgreſſe his Lawes, and they are not able to anſwer him one of a thouſand, though they ſhould goe to bell for it; now God the Father ſaith, I muſt be righteous, I will lay all their ſinnes upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he became a debtor, and undertook for them, and therefore I will require it of him, as well as of them. Thus much of the firſt part of the diſcovery of this point, that God the Father charged our ſinnes upon our Saviour, and that Chriſt charged them upon himſelfe, they both make a compact, that poore loſt man ſhall be ſaved, and Chriſt ſubmits, and is contented to beare their ſinnes, and to have the Law proceed againſt him.
Now I come to the reaſons why God the Father doth charge the ſinnes of all the faithfull upon Chriſt: the reaſons are three, and I reaſon from the explication thus:
Reaſon 1 Firſt, that which the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did willingly yeeld and ſubm… …imſelfe to without ſinne, that God the Father might lay upon him without any wrong, and might charge it upon him as due debt; I ſay, what the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did willingly ſubmit himſelfe to, without any diſhonour to himſelfe, that God the Father might juſtly charge upon him; but our Saviour did willingly ſubmit himſelfe to the divine Juſtice of God the Father, to take their ſinnes, and to beare their ſorrowes, and to bee in the roome of a ſinner, he came voluntarily in our roome, and therefore being under the Law, and being our ſcapegoat, the Father might juſtly lay and charge our debts upon him, becauſe hee had taken them upon himſelfe: he that will enter into bond with the creditor, and free the debtor, it is very equall that the creditor proceed againſt him, as againſt the debtor.
Reaſon 2 Secondly, the juſtice of God requires this at the hands of Jeſus Chriſt to wit, that he ſhould not onelyonly ſuffer for ſinners, but alſo take the very guilt of ſinners upon himſelfe by imputation, and bee in their roome. And that the juſtice of God doth require this at the hands of Chriſt, may thus be conceived:
The anger, juſtice, and ſeveritie of God, were manifeſted in the fall of man; for when man back ſinned and fallen, then anger and juſtice began to worke, and now Adam ſaw God to bee an angry and a juſt God; now the glory of thoſe attributes appeared, and now all the complaint ſtands upon mercies ſide; and therefore mercy appeals to the great Court in Heaven, and then it ſaith, wiſedome, and power, and goodneſſe, have all beene manifeſted in the Creat…on; and anger and juſtice, they have beene glorified in the fall of Adam: but I have not yet beene manifeſted; Oh let ſome poore ſoules bee comforted and ſaved, that they may know there is a mercifull God, and then the caſe is debated, onelyonly juſtice ſteps in, and takes it ſelfe as wronged: It is true, ſaith juſtice, it is fit that mercy ſhould bee honoured, yet it is not fit that I ſhould bee wronged: muſt my glory be injured? would you have a company of ſinfull rebels pardoned and forgiven, when they have thus abuſed holineſſe, and goodneſſe, and reſiſted the Will of God? nay, except they be puniſhed, I cannot have my due: mercy muſt be honoured, but yet juſtice muſt not be wronged. Now God is a juſt God, and hee muſt give every one their due; glory to whom glory belongs, and juſtice to whom juſtice belongs: juſtice muſt not be offended, but muſt bee appaid, and have its right: this is the controverſie, therefore the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſteps in, and makes up all even on both ſides; and there is a way deviſed whereby juſtice may bee fully ſatisfied, and yet mercy magnified, and ſo much the more is mercy magnified, by how much juſtice was wronged: Then Chriſt comes in and ſaith, that juſtice ſhall puniſh all unbeleevers, and ſo it ſhall be ſatisfied for all the wrong done to it, and mercy ſhall bee magnified upon the beleeving ſoules, becauſe the beleever is not able to beare divine juſtice himſelfe: therefore Chriſt Jeſus is contented to bee accounted guiltie, that juſtice may inflict puniſhment upon him as deſerving it; for otherwiſe, to puniſh the innocent, and to acquit the guiltie, will not ſtand with juſtice: Now therefore that juſtice may have his due from him, and yet doe him no wrong; therefore he was content to be accounted guiltie; and though hee were innocent, yet he was contented to bee accounted noce…. Now if God in juſtice require puniſhment of our Saviour, then the ſame juſtice muſt account our Saviour as guiltie, otherwiſe, hee ſhould puniſh the innocent, which he cannot in juſtice doe: but God the Father did puniſh Chriſt Jeſus, for juſtice is ſatisfied by the puniſhment, therefore it is requiſite that he ſhould bee under the Law: alſo God in juſtice muſt account him guiltie, that in juſtice he may be puniſhed: ſo the iſſue is this; If God the Father doe in iuſtice puniſh Chriſt, then it is required that he… ſhould bee accounted as guiltie, and under the Law; but the Father did doe it; therefore he did account him as a ſinner, and as guiltie, and did lay their ſinnes unto his charge.
Reaſon 3 Thirdly, the third argument is taken from the love and mercy of Jeſus Chriſt, which abundantly is magnified herein, in taking upon him the roome of a ſinner: for whatſoever the Lord Jeſus Chriſt could doe for a poore ſinner without ſinne, that he did doe, in the pardon of ſinne; but this Chriſt might doe without ſinne; and is doing thereof, might expreſſe abundance of love, not onelyonly to lay downe his life for us, but to vaile his innocencie for us: hee was accounted a malefactor and a ſinner for us, this is the higheſt pitch of admirable love that can bee; for the lower the degree of his abaſement was, the greater was his love: for it is one thing to die, and it is another thing to vaile his honour and holineſſe, and he that was God equall with the Father, to be accounted as guilty of ſin, this argues marvellous mercy and love, therefore it was fit that it ſhould be taken.
Vſe 1 The firſt uſe is a word of inſtruction to all the faithfull of God: they are to learne this point of wiſedome. Is it ſo that God the Father hath laid thy ſinnes upon Jeſus Chriſt? doth the guilt of them lie there, and hath Chriſt taken them, and the guilt of them upon himſelfe, and the condemnation due unto the ſame; then doe thou not take them from him to thy ſelfe. Therefore what the Jewes did with the ſacrifice, ſo doe you with a Saviour, Leviticus 16.21. When Aaron came to offer up the ſcapegoat, he laid both his hands upon him with all his might, and he put all the ſinnes of Iſrael upon the head of the live goat. The Hebrew Writers obſerve three things in the words: Firſt, hee laid on both his hands with all his might: Secondly, there was nothing betweene the hand of the offerer and the ſacrifice which was made: Thirdly, he muſt confeſſe his ſinnes, and the ſinnes of all the Iſraelites over the goat, and ſay, Lord, I have tranſgreſſed, and have committed this and that iniquitie, but now Lord I returne to thee, and bring an offering of attonement, and I beſeech thee good Lord to accept it: So let this bee the guiſe of the heart of every faithfull Chriſtian, when hee would have quiet and eaſe, if ever you would have acceptance with Chriſt, then carry him with thee to the Father, and let your ſoules reſt upon him with all your ſtrength, and unburthen thy ſelfe of all thy ſinnes, and the guilt of them, and put them upon the Lord Chriſt: commit thy ſoule to him, and then for ever expect grace and mercy from him, and reſolve of this, that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt which was made guilty for thee, will make thee guiltleſſe; and hee that was condemned in thy roome, hee will acquit thee in his mercy and goodneſſe.
But ſome may here object and ſay, is not this a ground of comfort, and a ground of looſeneſſe, for drunkards and carnall libertines: for they may ſay, why ſhould wee not live in our ſinnes, ſeeing Chriſt hath take… the guilt of them upon him, and will deliver us from them; they thinke they may be careleſſe of whatſoever they doe, and ſing care away, never to be troubled for, nor affected with the burthen of their ſinnes and rebellions any more, becauſe Chriſt ſtands charged with their ſinnes, therefore they may throw away the care of them. Thus, as I may ſay with holy reverence, they make Chriſt a ſtale for all their ſinnes: therefore let mee ſhew all ſuch looſe libertines of this laſt age of the world, what fond conceits they have: I meane the Anabaptiſts, but ſpecially the Familiſts, who thinke it is unprofitable for a beleever to trouble himſelfe for his ſinnes, and to goe up and downe with his heart full of griefe, and his eyes full of teares; and they thinke it unwarrantable and unlawfull, and therefore they grow careleſſe of ſinne, and fearleſſe when they have committed ſinne: hath Chriſt undertaken for ſin, ſay they, then why ſhould a beleever take ſinne to himſelfe? This is the curſed opinion of the Familiſts. There is an unſpeakable, and an unmeaſurable meaſure of comfort in this Doctrine for all the people of God, and the other ſucke as much poyſon from it. I have borne a ſecret grudge againſt this doctrine of theirs many a day, but I could not tell how to meet with it, neither doe I love to meddle with it, till I meet at in my diſh: therefore to prevent the cavils of the wicked, that a carnall heart may not preſume of the mercy of God in Jeſus Chriſt, and alſo that the poore ſinner may not burthen himſelfe with needleſſe …ea…es, nor with his ſinne more than God requires, ſuffer me to cleare the Doctrines by laying open two things:
Quest. 1 Firſt, how farre a ſinner may and ought to charge himſelfe with his ſinne, and how farre hoe may goe.
Quest. 2 Secondly, how farre a ſinner ſhould not lay his ſinne upon himſelfe, nor charge his folly upon himſelfe; and this will touch and diſcover the bounds and limits of the free grace of God, and will open the way that wee may walke therein with comfort.
For the former:
Quest. 1 The queſtion here growes how farre a beleever that hath an intereſt an Chriſt, may charge himſelfe with his ſinne.
Anſwer. I anſwer for the manner of it, it ſhall appeare in theſe particular rules or concluſions.
Firſt, every beleever under heaven, both the weakeſt and the ſtrongeſt, even hee that hath the ſtrongeſt meaſure of grace, is bound to this, to the uttermoſt of his power to ſee and examine the ſinfull carriages of his ſoule: whether diſtempers inwardly, or ungodly practices outwardly: he is bound to conſider of them, and to judge of theſe his ſinnes, and every of them, knowing that even the leaſt of them is ſufficient to make him guiltie of eternall death, and to bring condemnation upon him; as hee muſt ſee what his ſinne is, ſo he muſt judge that it hath the power to make him guiltie, and alſo to condemne him, ſhould not the Lord by the power of his grace prevent it. Every ſinne in his owne nature, and power, doth and will procure guilt and condemnation to the ſoule, by the ſinne committed, unleſſe the Lord in mercy doe prevent it, and Chriſt by the power of his merits ſtop the power and condemnation of ſinne, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 1.31. which men though they knew the Law of God, how that they which doe theſe things are worthy of death: that is, that in the leaſt ſinne which a man commits, there is a fitneſſe in it to make a man guiltie, and it hath a power to condemne him, unleſſe the Lord did marvellous gratiouſly ſtop the power of corruption: as the Text ſaith, the repenting Church ſhall judge themſelves worthy to be condemned: every ſinner may ſay of every ſinne he commits, that there is enough in it to damne him, if God ſhould deale with him after his owne deſervings; If I ſhould be left to the power of my pride, and malice, & hatred, & dead heartednes, it were enough to condemne me for ever. The wife Phyſitian that ſees his Patient is in a plurifie, will ſay, here is enough in this man to kill him, if I ſhould neglect him but a few dayes, it would kill him: but now if the Phyſitian lets him blood, hee ſtops the power of it, that ſo the corrupted blood cannot bring death upon him: ſo every ſinne that a man commits, both the diſtempers of the heart inwardly, and the abuſe of the means of grace and the practice of ſinne outwardly, there is enough in that pluriſie of ſinne to take away a mans comfort and happineſſe, unleſſe the Lord be pleaſed to hinder the condemning power of them, that they cannot hurt us: therefore the ſumme of all is this, as every beleever muſt examine his owne heart and life, ſo hee muſt judge the nature of ſinne, and judge himſelfe worthy to be condemned: 1 Cor. 11.31. If we would judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged, that is, if wee condemne our ſelves, and judge our ſelves worthy to be condemned for them: I ſay not that a man ſhould ſay, that the Lord will condemne him, but that he is worthy to be condemned for them, and he deſerves condemnation. Every fiery Serpent in the wilderneſſe had a killing nature in it, and if it did not kill, it was not for want of power in it, but becauſe the vertue and power of the braſen Serpent (which was a Type of Chriſt) tooke away all the killing power of the fiery Serpents: this is the practice of the ſoule whom the Lord hath truly brought home to himſelfe: as Ezekiel 16.36. after they were juſtified in Gods ſight, then ſhall they remember their evill wayes, ſaith the Text, and be aſhamed, and never open their mouths more, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou haſt done: Though God hath accepted of a poore beleever, yet hee muſt ſee his ſinnes, and lay his mouth in the duſt, and never pranke up his heart more, but walke humbly before the Lord; and though hee is accepted and pardoned, yet hee ſhall judge himſelfe worthy to bee condemned: This is the firſt concluſion.
Secondly, every beleeving ſoule juſtified, and having an intereſt in Chriſt, ought thus farre to acknowledge his ſinnes, as that it were righteous with the Lord to execute his wrath againſt him, and to take all the advantages againſt him: and howſoever the Lord will not condemne him, yet to let out his wrath againſt him; though not to condemne him, yet to diſtract him: This is that which Iob makes to be the ground of that bitter complaint of his, and made him ſit downe in diſtractedneſſe of heart, under the heavy diſpleaſure of the Lords wrath, that though God would not damne him, yet when the Lord takes away his loving countenance, and lets in his indignation into his ſoule, to his humiliation, terrour, and vexation; this ſunke him infinitely, and this God might doe to every beleever under Heaven, Iob 13.24, 26. Why hidest thou away thy face, and takeſt mee for thine enemie? God ſeemed to bee diſpleaſed with him, and to frowne upon him, and carried himſelfe to Iob as an enemy: and in the 26. verſe, Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest mee to inherit the ſinnes of my youth: The old luſts, and the old bruſes of his youth, whereby he had diſhonoured God, though theſe were pardoned before, yet God renewes them, and puts in the ſuit againſt him the ſecond time, and makes the ſinnes of his youth to bee inherited by him; that looke as the land deſcends to the heire, ſo the Lord made the ſinnes and vanities of his ſoule to be poſſeſſed by him, and brought out all his abominations out of record, Thou writeſt bitter things against me, that is, the Lord tooke all the advantages againſt him that might be, and ſaid, Remember the old lusts of thy heart, and the vanities of thy youth; and this made him like a drie leafe toſſed too and fro: as verſe 25. Oh how eaſie were it for God, if hee ſhould but report to a mans conſcience any little ſinne, that was committed the night before, and ſet it on, and ſeale it to the heart, it would drive the ſtouteſt heart under heaven to deſpaire: Pſalme 88.15. Thy terrours have I ſuffered from my youth upwards, and I have beene distracted with them; Lord, why casteſt thou off my ſoule? I am afflicted, and ready to die. It is certaine, and I have knowne it, that the moſt ſtouteſt heart, and rebellious lion-like diſpoſition, that ſets himſelfe againſt God and his grace; if God let him but ſee his ſinne, and ſay, this is thy pride, and thy ſtubbornneſſe and rebellion, it would drive the ſtouteſt heart under heaven beyond it ſelfe; nay, to utter diſtraction of minde, Pſalme 40.12. Innumerable troubles have taken hold upon me, they have ſo compaſſed me about, that I am not able to looke up: Every ſinne is like a great bandog that is muzzeld, and if hee bee once let looſe, he will teare all in peeces: ſo the Lord ſometimes muzzels a mans corruptions, and keeps them under, and if the Lord doe but now and then let them looſe, then they pull a man downe: and hence comes all thoſe pale lookes, and diſcouragements of ſoule, theſe are they that will thus worry a man: Thus every beleever muſt acknowledge that it were juſt with the Lord to let looſe his ſinne, howſoever not to condemne him, yet to make him live at little peace or quiet; and hence it is that the Prophet David praies ſo againſt it, Pſalme 51.9. when he had committed thoſe two great ſins of adultery and murther, though God after his confeſſion had ſealed to his ſoule the pardon of them, yet hee went with broken bones; and therefore he ſaith, Hide away thy face from my ſinnes, and put away all mine iniquities; as if he had ſaid, looke not upon my ſinnes as a judge, doe not follow the Law againſt me, let not my ſinnes, or my perſon bee once brought into the Court, or bee once named, but looke upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt for mee, and for his ſake blot out all mine iniquities.
Thirdly, every beleever accepted and juſtified in and through Chriſt by the Father, yet hee is bound thus farre to charge his ſinne upon his owne ſoule, and lay them ſo much upon himſelfe, as to maintain in his owne heart a ſenſe of the need that he hath of Chriſt, as well as to continue our reſpect and acceptation with God, as to bring us at firſt into the love and favour of God: Indeed if we could quit our ſelves, and cleare our hands of any ſin committed by us, it were ſomething, then we would be ready to ſay as the people to Ieremie, We are holy, we are lords, we will come no more at thee: No it is neceſſary, ſeeing Chriſt is yet in the worke of the mediatourſhip, that we ſhould ſee a dayly need of him; this is the reaſon of that great complaint of David, Pſal. 51.1.2. a man would thinke that hee would have beene comforted, and gone away cheerfully, having the pardon of his ſinnes: but marke how hee cries, Have mercy upon me oh God, according to the multitude of thy compaſsions, waſh away all my tranſgreſsons: waſh mee throughly from all my tranſgreſsions, and purge mee from my ſinne. Hee had not onelyonly need of Chriſt before his converſion to juſtifie him, but he had need of Chriſt now to continue the aſſurance of his juſtification; it is not a drop, but a bucket full of mercy; not a little mercy, but a whole ocean: Lord, I have had a great deale of mercy for the ſinnes of my youth, and I have need of a great deale of mercy ſtill to waſh away the guilt of my ſinnes: this the Law required of every man that did offer ſacrifice, as they were to offer their dayly ſacrifice, ſo wee have dayly need of Chriſt, and therefore wee muſt have a dayly recourſe to Chriſt: therefore the ſacrificer was to lay his hands upon the head of the ſacrifice: Even ſo doe thou lay thine hands upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and reſt upon him, and thou ſhalt finde acceptance with him, this is that which ſometimes chears up the drooping heart, and bears it up in the midſt of all the waves of wickedneſſe, when he ſees the vanitie of his mind, and the deadneſſe of his heart, and frothineſſe of his ſpeech, and now ſinne, and then ſinne, and in every thing ſinne, as you cannot but ſee and confeſſe it: this ſtands the poore ſinner in ſtead when hee conſiders this, and ſaith, though I am dayly ſinning, yet there is a Saviour in Heaven, and mercy and grace in him, that I may be comforted therein for ever, Hebrewes 7.25. Hee is able to ſave to the uttermost, thoſe that come to God by him: It implies theſe two things, not onelyonly from all ſinne, but alſo at all times; not onelyonly from the ſinnes of your youth, but alſo to the uttermoſt of your dayes: the reaſon is, hee lives for ever to doe it; this is the chearing of a poore ſinner, and this wee ſhould labour to maintain, and to keepe the ſight and ſenſe of our ſinne, though our ſinnes endure for ever, our living and ſinning goe together, and we ſtill continue to be as ſinfull, and lazy, and idle, as ever; yet ſee a need of a Saviour that lives for ever, and hee is able to ſave for ever: He hath not onelyonly beene a Saviour in times paſt, but hee is ſtill; you may haply live many daies, and therefore goe to Chriſt which liveth for ever, to pardon and to intercede for the comfort of the ſoule. The wiſe man ſaith, Proverbs 28.13. He that confeſſeth and forſaketh ſhall finde mercy: the originall runs thus, confeſſing and forſaking findeth mercy, the beſt of Gods people have their ſinnes, their pride, and other diſtempers: therefore labour to ſee thy ſinnes, and to ſee thy need of Chriſt, that thou maiſt finde pardon for them.
Fourthly, thus farre the Saints of God ought to goe in charging their owne ſoules with their ſinnes; ſo farre ſee them, and bee affected with them, as to bring thy heart to be truly carried with hatred againſt them, and with reſolution to get power and ſtrength againſt them; lay thy burthen upon thy owne ſoule, that thou maiſt be affected with it, and be carried with a hatred to it, and a reſolution to get more ſtrength and power againſt it: Famous is that example of David herein, and this was the cauſe of his practice; it is a conceit of the Familiſts, that if he had once gotten the aſſurance of Gods love, he might have gone away cheared, but though the Lord had pardoned his ſinne, yet he would not pardon ſinne in himſelfe: the Lord ſhewed mercy to his ſoule, but yet he would not ſhew any pittie to his ſinne, but ſhewed all the hatred and revenge againſt it, that poſſibly he could: As the Apoſtle ſaid concerning the inceſtuous Corinth, Ye ſhould rather have ſorrowed, that the ſinne might have beene removed; had you ſorrowed for your ſinnes, then you would have reſisted them; And when hee had ſhewed them their tranſgreſſions, and convinced them of their ſinnes, ſee what fruit it wrought in them, in 2 Cor. 7.10. For this thing that yee have had godly ſorrow, what great care it hath wrought in you; yea, what clearing of your ſelves; yea, what indignation; yea, what feare, what zeale, what revenge, &c? The Familiſts ſcornfully and ſinfully inquire and ſay, why ſhould a beleever goe drooping, and mourning under his ſinnes and corruptions, and have his eyes full of tears, and his heart full of griefe, ſeeing Chriſt hath pardoned all, as though a man did become a Mediatour to himſelfe? their demand is weake, and their ſcorne is helliſh, and therefore I anſwer them thus: If there be a daily need that every beleever ſee a neceſſitie of Chriſt, then there is a daily need to repent and ſorrow for ſinne; for if he muſt be more ſanctified, then he muſt bee more mortified; therefore he muſt daily ſee his ſinnes or elſe hee will never ſee a need of Chriſt, nor repent, nor bee more ſanctified nor mortified: Againe, if every beleever muſt expreſſe his love unto God daily, then he muſt hate every thing that is evill. I hope you will confeſſe that every beleever is bound to love Jeſus Chriſt, therefore he muſt hate ſinne; and if hee muſt hate ſinne that hee may not commit it, then hee muſt mourne for it when it is committed. If a man have any good nature, it will worke trouble in his heart, to thinke that hee ſhould ſinne againſt ſo good a God; thus farre a Chriſtian ought to goe, and muſt goe in the charging himſelfe with his ſinne.
Quest. 2 Now in the ſecond place the queſtion is this, how far may not a beleever charge himſelfe with his ſinne; this is that which hath bred all theſe vaine conceits in the ſpirits of thoſe Familiſts: I ſay no more therefore but this, they make Chriſt not a King of Saints, but of ſinne; there is great weight in it, and admirable comfort, if Chriſtians would but be perſwaded to make conſcience of the word of God. You that are weake not onelyonly be perſwaded to liſten to the word, but alſo make conſcience of what is revealed out of the word: now how farre hee may not charge himſelfe with his ſinne, may bee conceived of in theſe concluſions.