The Souls Exaltation, Text 2 (2 of 3)

The Souls Exaltation · Text 2 (2 of 3)

p. 1911Firſt, a beleever ſhould not in his judgement p. 192conceive, nor in his heart be perſwaded that any ſinne, nor all his ſinnes ſhall ever be able to faſten the guilt of ſinne upon him, ſo as to cauſe revenging juſtice to proceed againſt him to his condemnation, if he ſeriouſly repent, and amend, and forſake his old wayes: for hee muſt not in his judgement conceive, nor in his heart thinke that ever ſinne repented of ſhall be able to faſten guilt upon him ſo, as to draw out the execution of juſtice againſt him: It is one thing to be worthie of condemnation, and it is another thing to faſten guilt and condemnation upon him, as many poore creatures will ſay, I ſhall be condemned, and I ſhall one day periſh by the hands of Saul, and theſe ſinnes will bee my everlaſting deſtruction: take heed what you doe; for if you are beleevers, true penitents; you ſinne highly in ſo doing, and ſaying, walke as humbly as thou wilt, and lay thy mouth in the duſt, and ſpeake not a word more, and ſay, it is mercy that thou art not in hell; yet know this alſo, that all thy ſinnes, and all thy pride ſhall never bee able ſo to faſten guilt upon thee, as to draw out Gods juſtice againſt thee: ſinne hath a power to make us guiltie, and to condemne us, but it ſhall never faſten its worke upon thy penitent ſoule: remember 1that ſtory of Saint Paul, Acts 5.28. He went and gathered up ſticks with the reſt of the company to make a fire, (for hee tooke no great ſtate upon himſelfe, being but a poore tent-maker) and there came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand: by and by the Heathens they proclaimed p. 193him to be ſome notorious malefactor, ſome murtherer, whom though he had eſcaped the Sea, yet vengeance hath not ſuffered him to liue: but marke what the Text ſaith, Hee ſhooke off the viper into the fire, and had no hurt; this viper would have ſlaine him, being a deadly venomous creature, but Paul had a promiſe before, that if he touched any poyſonfull thing, it ſhould not hurt him. This is the admirable happineſſe of the Saints, and ſervants of God: oh that they were perſwaded of it. All thy pride, and envie, and malice, and covetouſneſſe, all thy ſinnes are of a poyſonous viperous nature, but if thou art a beleever, if a true penitent and convert, thou haſt the promiſe, that the ſting of the Serpent, ſinne, ſhall not hurt thee, it is taken off from thee, and laid upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore ſhake off the guilt of all thy abominations, and goe on cheerfully and comfortably to Chriſt, and yet humbly too, and praiſe his Name that hee hath beene pleaſed to take that guilt of ſinne upon him, which thou wert never able to beare: therefore, though all thy pride, thy rebellion and other ſins ſhould come in againſt thee; as the ſinnes of Manaſſes, if thou repenteſt and forſakeſt them, yet they ſhall never be able to faſten any guilt upon thee to condemne thee. Looke as it was with the three children, the fire in its owne nature was able to burne them; therefore they that put them in were conſumed by the flame, but the three children had no hurt: the Lord ſtopped the power of the flames, that it burnt onelyonly their bonds, but not one haire of p. 194their head was ſienged, nor there was no ſmell of fire upon them; it was not becauſe the fire would not, or could not, but the Lord ſtopt the acting of the fire. So every ſinne is able to faſten guilt upon thee, and to condemne thee, but upon thy repentance, the Lord hinders it in the act; and therefore though ſinne doth ſend the wicked and impenitent downe to hell to frie in torments, yet it ſhall never ſend thee downe, nor faſten guilt upon thee: Thus it was likewiſe with Daniel, Chap. 6.22, 23, 24. when he was put into the Lions denne, the Princes of the king Darius had a ſpleene againſt Daniel, becauſe he was a holy man, and had gotten ſome intereſt in the kings favour, and they could get no hold againſt him, but in the matter of his God▪ now hee that loved God better than himſelfe, He opens his window boldly towards Ieruſalem, profeſsing Gods truth when hee was called to it, therefore they went to the king to have him to be caſt into the den of Lions, according to the decree; now he was caſt into it, and though the Lions were hungrie, yet God ſhut the mouth of the Lions, they had power, and were able to hurt him if they had not beene restrained, but God had ſhut up their mouthes that they could not hurt him; but when the enemies of Daniel were caſt into the denne, the Lions did teare them all to peeces, before they came at the bottome of the denne they rent them in peeces ſuddenly: whats the reaſon of it? they had as much power before, and were as able and as hungry before, but the Lord ſtopt their mouths, that they could not devour Daniel: Juſt ſo it is with the ſinnes of the penitent, and the p. 195ſinnes of the impenitent; the ſinnes of the one, though they are of a killing, and a Lion-like nature, (for the wages of every ſinne is death, and there is condemnation in it) yet the Lord ſtops the mouth of the Lion, hee takes off the guilt and condemning power of ſinne, that though it hath power in it ſelfe to condemne yet it cannot doe it; but now when it meets with an impenitent unbeleever, the malice of the malicious ſhall kill him, and the pride of the ambitious ſhall one day rend his heart; but it is not ſo with the ſins of the penitent beleevers, their ſinnes have teeth indeed, and power to make a man worthy of condemnation, but they ſhall never faſten condemnation upon him; this is the meaning of that place, Romans 8.3. That which was impoſsible to the Law to doe, in as much as it was weake, becauſe of the fleſh, God ſending his onelyonly Sonne in the ſimilitude of ſinfull fleſh and for ſinne, condemned ſinne in the fleſh: It is an excellent place, and hath much weight in it, and howſoever there are many interpretations of the place, yet I will follow that interpretation, which I now expreſſe, that it was impoſſible for the Law to acquit a man of ſinne, becauſe he cannot keepe the Law, and therefore he cannot bee juſtified by it: but how comes it to paſſe then, that the Saints of God are delivered? The text ſaith, Chriſt tooke fleſh on him, and it was ſinfull fleſh by ſimilitude or imputation, not actually by commiſſion; the nature of our Saviour had no evill inherent in him nor committed by him, but hee was only a ſinner by imputation, p. 196and then he condemned ſinne in the fleſh, what is that? it is a law caſe, and Maſter Calvin hath it excellently, he damned ſinne, as a man will ſay when he loſeth the ſuit, hee fell from his cauſe, and from his plea which he made, he loſt it utterly; ſo Chriſt taking upon him our nature by imputation, he made ſinne loſe its claime which it would make to the ſoule in this caſe, hee that breaketh the Law of God is guiltie, and ſhall be condemned by it: but this man hath broken the Law of God, and therefore is guiltie of condemnation thereby: Now Chriſt takes off theſe, and ſaith, It is true, hee is guiltie of ſinne, and worthy of condemnation, unleſſe another be contented to be guilty for him, but I have undertaken the guilt for him, and have paid the debt for him; and therefore this ſoule is free from ſinne, thou haſt nothing to doe with this ſoule, neither ſhalt thou condemne him. Obſerve it, when all your ſinnes ſhall muſter in upon you, and come from Eaſt to Weſt, ſaying, thou art guiltie of pride, guiltie of malice, &c. and ſhalt be condemned for them; make anſwer and ſay it is true, Lord, I am ſo, but Chriſt hath taken away the guilt and condemnation, and I have repented of my ſinnes: therefore, ſinne, thou haſt nothing to doe with this ſoule of mine, Chriſt hath taken it and redeemed it, and therefore I leave it with him: This is the firſt concluſion.

Vſe 2 In the ſecond place wee heare what the Doctrine ſaith, that God the Father charged all our ſinnes upon Chriſt, and that they ſhall never p. 197condemne the penitent and faithfull; then what will become of the faithleſſe and unbeleevers thinke ye? This truth is like a thunder-bolt, and it is able to ſhake the hearts of all unbeleevers, and to daſh them all in peeces: Hence it is evident that every obſtinate unbeleever is deſtitute of all hope of ſuccour and pardon of his ſinne: conſider of this all you that are unbeleevers; you muſt pay your owne debts, and beare your owne burthens. I know your hearts cannot but teſtifie that the condition of ſuch poore ſoules is very miſerable; it is that which ſometimes comforts a man, that either hee hath good friends that will helpe him, or elſe hee hath means of his owne by which he is able to relieve himſelfe; but he that hath no reliefe of himſelfe, nor cannot expect no… hope for any, this man ſinks downe in ſorrow, becauſe hee knowes there is no way in the world to help him: This is thy condition right, thou that art an unbeleever; what to be caſt out of heaven and earth too, this is miſerable, to be for ſaken of God and man too, that no means in heaven nor earth will ſtand him in ſteed for his good, whileſt hee thus continues. Conſider of this you that make nothing of the ſinne of unbeleefe, though you have ſome care of other ſinnes; whither will you goe for ſuccour in that great day of accounts? will you goe to the Saint they dare not; will you goe to the Creatures? they cannot, will you goe to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? he will not ſuccour you: If you goe to any of the Saints to ſee if they will take the guilt of your ſinnes upon them, p. 198they ſay we have too many inabilities to procure pardon for any one ſinne, and never a Saint in the world dares to meddle with the guilt of anothers ſinnes, and therefore they dare not meddle with them; but they ſay as the wiſe virgins did to the fooliſh ones, Matth. 25.9. When the fooliſh virgins ſaid, give us of your oyle, for our lamps are gone out; not ſo, ſaid they, leſt there bee not enough for you and us too, but rather goe unto them that ſell, and buy for your ſelves: Even ſo, if you goe to the Saints, and ſay, I pray you undertake the pardon of my ſinnes, and rebellions, and beare you the guilt of my ſinnes, becauſe you are holy and righteous; no, ſay they, we cannot; ſo all the creatures cannot ſuccour you. If all the creatures in heaven and earth ſhould conſpire together to ſave you from the burthen of any one ſinne, they could not doe it: nay, the creatures become your accuſers; the bed whereupon thou haſt committed ſo many abominations, and the alehouſe where thou haſt beene drunke, and haſt blaſphemed, and the habitation where thou dwelleſt, and all the creatures groane againſt thee, under the burthen of thy abominations: as Rom. 8.22. Therefore they wil take no more guilt upon them, than what they have already, they are too weary of the weight of what they fele already; but though the ſaints dare not, and the creatures cannot ſave you, yet there is hope in heaven, & there is help to be had in Chriſt; well were it with thee, if thou hadſt any ſhare in that Chriſt; but this is that which will ſinke thy heart, that there is no hope for thee there: p. 199what doſt thou talke of grace and of mercy, when thou haſt oppoſed the Goſpell of grace, and of mercy, and thou continueſt in unbeleefe? this is the height and depth of the miſery of all unbeleevers, that there is no hope for them in heaven: This was that which the wicked ſaid, when they inſulted againſt David in Pſalme ….2. There is no helpe for him in his God: what they ſaid of David falſly, God ſaith it truly of thee, there is no help for thee in God; there is mercy in Chriſt, but thats thy miſery, for there is none for thee, being an unbeleever: Pſalme 18.41. David there expreſſeth the miſerie of the wicked, Becauſe the Lord leaves them in their troubles, they cried, but there was none to ſave them; yea, even unto the Lord, but he anſwered them not: Thats thy eſtate right, though thou calleſt to heaven, and to Chriſt, and to the God of mercy, and to the merits of Chriſt, yet they will not helpe thee: thou haſt many ſinnes, and thou ſhalt beare them every one: Now thinke what your ſinnes have deſerved, and how you will be able to beare them, when all fleſh ſhall appeare before God: then the Lord will charge all thy ſinnes upon thy ſoule, and thou muſt beare; and if every ſinne deſerves condemnation, then how wilt thou be able to beare all thoſe condemnations that are due to all thy ſins which thou canſt not number, even the dregs of vengeance, and the bottome of the cup of the Lords indignation. Chriſt in Iohn 17.9. ſpeaking of the faithfull, and how hee praies to the Father for them; he ſaith, I pray not for them of the world, but p. 200for theſe, whom thou haſt given mee out of the world: When a poore unbeleever ſhall come to Jeſus Chriſt, and ſhall intreat him to ſpeake a good word for him, when hee hath never regarded his perſon, not accepted of his gracious offers of mercy, and ſhall intreat Chriſt to pray for him, no, ſaith Chriſt, I never prayed for the obſtinately wicked: now if Chriſt will not ſpeake a good word for thee, doſt thou thinke that hee will pardon the guilt of thy ſinnes upon him? nay, he only pardons the guilt of the ſinnes of the faithfull; but as for thee, thou muſt beare thy ſinnes, and ſuffer for them for evermore.

Vſe 3 The third uſe, is a word of exhortation, and inſtruction, to all the ſaints and faithfull of God; if Chriſt were content to bee made ſin for all the faithfull, then what muſt you be contented to doe for your Saviour? was he made ſinne for thee? then be thou content to be made ſhame for him; be thou willing to beare the ſhame, and diſgrace, and reproach that comes unto thee for the Name of Chriſt; be content to be accounted the ſuch, and off-ſcouring of the earth; bee not evill doers, but be contented to bee counted as evill doers: 1 Cor. 4.13, Wee are perſecuted, and yet wee pray; we are reviled, and yet we bleſſe; we are accounted as the off-ſcouring of the earth, untill this time: So doe you, bee content to beare any ſhame that is unjuſtly laid upon thee, for thy Saviour which was accounted a ſinner for thee; Acts 24.14. S. Paul was reſolute in it, and ſaid, after the way that ye call hereſie, worſhip I the Lord God of my Fathers; p. 207nay, hee preſſeth this upon the hearts of Gods Children; Hebrewes 13.12, 13. ſpeaking in the 12. verſe, that Chriſt tooke our ſinnes upon him, and went out of the citie, and was ſlaine without the gate; he ſaith in the 13. verſe, Let us therefore goe out of the Camp to him, bearing our reproach; be not afraid to be ſeene in a Chriſtian cauſe, nor to be diſgraced for it, goe out boldly and reſolutely, harden your faces, and ſteel your hearts againſt all ſuch things, and let the dogs barke, and the winds blow, and the waves roare, goe you out of the Campe for his honour, bearing his reproach comfortably; he hath borne ſinne for thee, beare thou ſhame for him.

Vſe 4 Fourthly, it is a word of comfort and conſolation, to all the faithfull; be thy ſinnes never ſo many, and the guilt of them never ſo great, yet learne this skill to caſt it all on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, eaſe thy owne ſoule of it, and hurle thy care on him that careth for thee: This is that which I would have all the faithfull wary of, not to make their miſeries more than they ſhould.

Now Chriſt not onelyonly tooke our ſinnes by imputation, but alſo the payment of the debt was really diſcharged by our Saviour; he laid downe the payment of the debt, and ſuffered the puniſhment really: though I doe not conceive this to be directly intended, yet it may be inferred from the words of the Text, in the former point, Chriſt was charged with the ſinnes of all the faithfull; and now Chriſt did ſuffer their pains, and underwent the whole puniſhments which their ſinnes required, p. 202ſo the point of Doctrine from hence is this:

Doctrine. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſuffered fully whatſoever puniſhments divine juſtice required, or were deſerved by the ſinnes of the faithfull.

I ground this Doctrine out of the Text thus; the text ſaith, Chriſt was made ſinne, that is, he had our ſinnes imputed to him, and therefore hee muſt bee made a ſacrifice for ſinne, and beare the puniſhment of ſinne: If Chriſt became a debtor for us, then he muſt alſo lay downe the payment of the debt, onelyonly here remember this; conſider the bounds and limits of this mercy of the Lord, it is limited onelyonly to the faithfull, they onelyonly ſhare therein, and are partakers of that benefit that comes by the ſufferings of Chriſt.

To prove this Doctrine, looke Hebrewes 2.17. compare it with Hebrewes 4.15. In chap. 2.17. the text ſaith, Wherefore it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren in all things: and in chap. 4.15. He was tempted in all things like unto us, ſinne onelyonly excepted; for there were no puniſhments excepted, as appeareth in the former place; therefore in Eſay 53.5, 6, 7, 8. the whole chapter is a full deſcription of the puniſhments of our Saviour, and you ſhall finde theſe three degrees of it in the afornamed verſes, Hee was ſtricken, and ſo ſtricken that hee was wounded, and ſo wounded that hee was bruiſed for our tranſgreſsions; and then in the 6. verſe, it is very pithily laid downe, All we like ſheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquitie of us all; that is, the puniſhments of us all; p. 203they were laid, that is, God made all the ſorrowes, and all the puniſhments of all the faithfull to meet upon our Saviour. It is a terme taken from warre, when an army is levied out, every towne and countie ſets out ſo many men, and they all meet at ſuch a place ſuch a day: ſo every faithfull ſoule ſets out miſeries, and mans out afflictions, and they all levie out an army of ſorrowes, and they all meet upon our Saviour: all thoſe ſinnes and miſeries of the godly from one end of the world to the other, from eaſt to weſt, from north to ſouth, they run amain upon our Saviour, and beſiege the ſoule and body of him, and they lie heavie upon him, the chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him; that is, it overwhelmed him for the while, and made him cry out, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Another proofe of this point is, Gal. 3.13. The text ſaith, Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the law, being made a curſe for us; as it is written, curſed be every one that hangeth on a tree; He that was made ſuch a curſe for us as the Law did require, and ſuch a curſe as wherein the Law was ſatisfied, even he was made a full curſe for us, and bore all the puniſhment due to us; but hee was made ſuch a curſe as the Law prefigured, and wherein the Law was ſatisfied; and therefore he muſt needs beare whatſoever the Law required: and therefore I may ſay to the faithfull ſoule, as Paul ſaid to Philemon concerning Oneſimus, If he hath hurt thee, or oweth thee ought, ſet that upon my ſcore; ſo ſaith our Saviour, whatſoever puniſhments the faithfull have deſerved by their ſinnes, I will beare p. 200duplicate page p. 207duplicate page p. 202duplicate page p. 203duplicate page p. 210it and anſwer it: Now for the opening of the Doctrine, give mee leave to open theſe three queſtions:

Quest. 1 Firſt, what were the kindes of puniſhment which Chriſt did ſuffer, and how farre did he ſuffer them?

Quest. 2 Secondly, when did thoſe ſufferings begin, and when did they end?

Quest. 3 Thirdly, whether did he ſuffer them in ſoule, or in body, or in both?

Quest. 1 Firſt, what were the puniſhments that our Saviour ſuffered, of what kinds were they?

Anſwer. For anſwer hereunto, hee ſuffered the pains of the firſt death; by the firſt death, I mean the death naturall, when the frame of the body and ſoule was taken downe, and thoſe two old familiar friends were parted: this death our Saviour did ſuffer, but if you aske mee how farre he did ſuffer the death naturall, let me anſwer it in three concluſions.

1Firſt, whatſoever appertaines to the ſubſtance, and the eſſentials of the firſt death; that is, the deſolation of ſoule and body, that our Saviour Chriſt did ſuffer; for that onelyonly was threatned unto Adam by reaſon of his ſin, therefore Chriſt needed not to ſuffer any thing, but that which was threatned in Geneſis. 2.17. The curſe threatned was this, In the day that thou doſt eat thereof, thou ſhalt die the death: the curſe doth not mention many deaths, nor doth it punctually ſet forth any one death; but whatſoever death it is, it is left indifferently to the choyce of our Saviour: this I p. 211ſpeake to wipe away a carnall cavill that is caſt upon this truth, by ſome that would diminiſh the ſufferings of Chriſt. If Chriſt did ſuffer puniſhment for all, then why was hee not ſtoned with ſtones, as Steven was? and why was hee not ſawne in peeces, or burnt, or the like? The force of the argument followes not, our Saviour was not bound to ſuffer many deaths, nay, the curſe doth not intimate any one death in particular, but onelyonly death in the generall: Now, ſay they, if our Saviour ſuffered all the puniſhments of the faithfull, then hee ſuffered ſo many particular deaths: the argument is falſe, for looke how Adam being in the root of all mankinde, and committed ſinne; looke what death he deſerved, that death our Saviour was to ſuffer, and it was required of him, and this death our Saviour undertooke; but when Adam had committed ſinne, there were not many deaths denounced; nay, nor any one particular death, but onelyonly death in the generall; and therefore death in the generall being onelyonly threatned, death in the generall our Saviour was onelyonly bound to ſuffer.

2Secondly, though the curſe doth not require any one particular death, and ſay, thou ſhalt bee ſtoned, or ſawne in peeces, or the like; yet that the Lord might ſhew the hainouſneſſe of ſinne, which deſerves the worſt death of all, and to expreſſe the greatneſſe of the l…e of Chriſt that was contented to die in that manner, and that God the Father might ſhew his juſtice in puniſhing of ſinne: for this end God the Father appointed p. 206it, and Chriſt undertooke it to die the death of the croſſe, a moſt ſhamefull, and baſe death, onelyonly appropriate to the baſeſt malefactors; now Chriſt did willingly ſubmit himſelfe to this, and God the Father did lay this upon Chriſt, that ſinne might appeare to bee moſt hainous, and that ſinne might be hated, and Chriſt might appeare moſt mercifull and gracious, and holy in loathing ſinne, as Philippians 2.6, 8. Our Saviour being equall with the Father, and thought it no robbery ſo to be, yet he humbled himſelfe, and tooke on him the forme of a ſervant, and became obedient to the death, even the death of the croſſe.

3Thirdly, thoſe diſhonourable infirmities which befall men becauſe of the infirmitie of the fleſh, becauſe they cannot avoid them, and thoſe diſhonourable cruelties which are laid upon ſome men, as to bee torne in peeces with wilde horſes, our Saviour had no need to ſuffer theſe.

1Firſt, thoſe diſhonorable infirmities, as the rotting of the body in the grave, and returning to its own proper elemēts, the body of Chriſt did not ſo

2Secondly, ſome againe are maliciouſly maſſacred with diſhonourable cruelties, they are puld the fleſh from the bones, and burnt to aſhes, &c. None of all theſe did fall to our Saviour, theſe are perſonall things, they belong not to the nature of man, and therefore it was no way requiſite that Chriſt ſhould undergoe thoſe kinds of death: marke theſe two paſſages to open it a little, Acts 2.27. quoted out of Pſalme 16.10. Thou wilt not leave my ſoule in hell, neither wilt thou ſuffer thine p. 207holy one to ſee corruption: Now the Saints of God doe ſee corruption, but this was a diſhonourable infirmitie; for Chriſt though he ſuffered for us, yet hee raiſed up himſelfe from the vildneſſe of the grave, and ſaw no corruption, and therefore it was no diſhonour to him: Iohn 19.33, 36. When the ſouldiers found our Saviour dead, they brake not his legs, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which ſaith, not a bone of him ſhall bee broken: Whatſoever diſhonour our Saviour Chriſt did ſubmit himſelfe unto, he was willing to ſuffer; but what was not by Law required, and what was not fit for him to ſuffer, that Chriſt would not ſuffer the Jewes to doe unto him, for the Law did not require this in the curſe, that his legs ſhould bee broken, and therefore Chriſt would not undergoe it: this is the third concluſion.

Vſe 1 From the former truth that our Saviour Chriſt did die this naturall death. I gather thus much; it is a marvellous ſweet cordiall to all the Saints of God upon their ſicke beds; it is a ground of ſtrong conſolation (as the Apoſtle ſaith) to beare up the hearts of Gods people in the day of death, that they may lift up their heads with comfort, and looke grizzeld death in the face with courage and boldneſſe; for the death of Chriſt hath taken away the evill of thy death: therefore be not thou troubled with it, nor diſmaid by it; there is no bitterneſſe in that pill, nor no venome in that cup to thee, for the poyſon is gone, therefore bee not you troubled with it whenſoever God ſends it upon you; for the ſharpeſt death p. 206duplicate page p. 207duplicate page p. 214of a Saint of God, is like a humble Bee that hath no ſting in it, which a childe may play withall, and not be hurt: and thus Saint Paul plaid with death, 1 Cor. 15.55. Oh death, where is thy ſting? as if he ſhould ſay, the wicked feare death, becauſe the ſting is in it to them; but that ſting is taken away from mee, by the death of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: when Chriſt went downe into the grave, he ſugered it, and made it ſweet, and eaſie as a bed of Downe for beleevers to reſt upon. There are three privileges which every beleever may challenge upon his deathbed: the firſt is this:

1Firſt, every beleever may and ſhould under the authoritie of mercy, challenge mercy, and in the vertue of the death of Chriſt he ſhould boldly lay downe his life. 1 Theſ. 4.16. The dead in Chriſt ſhall riſe firſt; that is the value of the phraſe, in the vertue of the death of Chriſt wee die alſo; that as he died, & by his owne power roſe againe: ſo alſo wee die, that wee may riſe againe. The Saints of God die that they may bee like to Chriſt, and be raiſed againe, and ſo bee for ever happy with Chriſt; this is the particular good that the death of Chriſt communicates to the faithfull ones, 1 Cor. 15.36. Thou foole, that which thou ſomeſt, it is not quickned, unleſſe it die; it muſt firſt be corrupted, that it may grow againe into an eare of corne: the meaning is, a man therefore dies, that he may riſe againe, the body muſt lie downe in the duſt: 1 Cor. 15.53. This corruption muſt put on incorruption; and this mortalitie muſt put on immortalitie: Now corruption cannot put on incorruption, p. 209nor mortalitie cannot put on immortalitie, ſo long as wee are here: the body of Adam could not be made immortall of it ſelfe, the frame of it would not affoord ſo much, for Adams body needed meat, and had it; but immortall bodies need no food, but live by the power of Gods Spirit: therefore Chriſt tooke downe the frame of this nature, that hee might make it a more excellent frame. It is therefore ſaid, that a Chriſtian dies rather in the authoritie of mercy, than juſtice; that as Chriſt died and roſe again, ſo Chriſt will have all his ſervants die, that hee may of a corrupt nature, and a mortall body, make an immortall body; he will make it immortall, which nature it ſelfe, no not in its perfection, could not doe: this is the firſt privilege.

A ſecond privilege which beleevers receive is this, the death of the beleever puts an end to all his ſinnes, and miſeries, and ſorrowes; that when the ſoule and body ſhall part in ſunder, then ſin ſhall depart from both; and when they goe out of this life, they ſhall goe from all the miſeries of this life: we ſhall never bee more peſtered with luſts, and corruptions, we ſhall never bee drawne from the Lord more, Satan is now buſie, but when the Saints of God die, there is a ſeparation from all ſinnes, from all ſorrowes, from all temptations, never to be aſſaulted more: this is the meaning of that place, 2 Cor. 4.10. Everywhere we beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Ieſus, that the life alſo of Ieſus may be made manifeſt in our mortall bodies: the meaning is this, Chriſt by his p. 210death did ſubdue ſinne, and now by the ſorrowes and troubles he ſuffered, and by the power of his death, there is a totall ſeparation made from ſin in ſoule and body: therefore when as in the power of Chriſts death, we can lay downe theſe bodies, then are we ſeparated from ſinne; this is to beare about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jeſus: this is quite contrarie in every unbeleever, for death naturall in an unbeleever is but the very beginning of all their other plagues; they ſip of Gods vengeance now, but they ſhall have the full cup then: ſinne in them now is reſtrained, but then their ſinnes ſhall take full poſſeſſion of them: Satan now doth but tempt them, but then …e ſhall take poſſeſſion of them; as it is ſaid of the rich foole in the Goſpell, This night ſhall they fetch away thy ſoule, and then as they ſhall bee for ever plagued, ſo they ſhall be for ever ſinfull: nothing but ſinne ſhall be in them, they ſhall be altogether proud and for ever proud, they ſhall be altogether malicious, and for ever malicious, and the devils ſhall drag the ſoule of the wicked out of the body downe to hell for evermore, and there ſhall tyranize over it for ever: but on the contrary it is not ſo with the Saints, the end of their life is but the beginning of another; they goe from a vale of teares, to a haven of happineſſe.

3Thirdly, the death of the beleever is a mean to bring and eſtate them into the full poſſeſſion of all that happineſſe and glory, which heretofore hath beene expected, and Chriſt hath promiſed; now it ſhall be attained: the time now comes, p. 211when the Saints of God ſhall have no more tears in their eyes, nor ſin in their ſoules, not ſorrow in their hearts; when they die, then their ſins and ſorrowes die too; you ſhal never be dead harted more; then you ſhal have holine… in ful poſſeſſion which ſo long time you have longed for; it is now only in expectation, and you hope and looke for it, when the Lord will put wiſedome into your blinde mindes, and holineſſe into your corrupted hearts, but when death comes it will bring you to the fruition of all that holineſſe and happineſſe, and this is done by the death of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Iohn 3.2. Wee are now the ſonnes of God, but it doth not appeare what we ſhall bee, and we know that when he ſhall be made manifeſt, we ſhall bee made like him: that is, like to him in all holineſſe, and happineſſe, as hee is altogether holy, and altogether happy: now you are children, but onelyonly in nonage, now you are onelyonly wives betrothed, and you goe up and downe in your rags of ſinne, but when the ſolemnization of the marriage ſhall be in the great day of accounts, then we ſhall be like him; and hee will make us altogether holy, and hee will fill our blinde mindes with knowledge, and poſſeſſe our corrupt hearts withall puritie, holineſſe, and grace, ſo far as thy ſoule ſhall be capable of it, and ſhall bee needfull for thee: what, are you unwilling to goe to your husband? the wife ſometimes receives letters from her eſpouſed husband, ſhee welcomes the meſſenger, and accepts the tokens kindly, and reads the letter gladly, and will not part with his tokens above p. 212any thing: but oh, how ſhe longs to injoy himſelfe in his owne perſon, this is her chiefeſt deſire, to be poſſeſſed of him, and to have his company alwayes: ſo the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is your huſband, he died that ye might live; he is aſcended up into heaven; and hath made paſſage for you; you have many intimations of his mercy, and many ſweet ſmiles from heaven, ſaying, well, goe thy way, thy ſins are pardoned, and thy ſoule ſhall be ſaved; theſe are his tokens, and I hope you will lay them up by you, & make much of them, but when will the time come that I may injoy my Saviour? Now I have a little mercy, and a little holineſſe, and a little pardon of ſinne; but oh that I might injoy my Saviour fully: Now it is quite contrary with the wicked; the death of the wicked is a means to ſhut them out of all the hope they had of receiving mercy, for when death parts ſoule and body, then there is no more cards and dice, no more luſts; the adulterer ſhall no more ſatiſfie himſelfe with his unclean luſts, the drunkard ſhall not then bee drunke, the blaſphemer ſhall not then blaſpheme ſo as hee was wont to doe for nothing, but he ſhall be and blaſpheme God for ſomething, and his ſoule ſhall bee full of Gods vengeance; this is the death of the wicked: the death of the Saints is like a ferriman to convey them over to eternall happineſſe; but the death of the wicked is as a hangman to bereave them of life and ſalvation too: death to the ſaints is as a guide to convey them to happineſſe, but to the wicked, death is as a Jailor to carry p. 213them away to the place of execution. And thus much briefly of the former part of the anſwer, namely that our Saviour ſuffered the death natural.

Now our Saviour did not onelyonly ſuffer in his body, but he ſuffered in his ſoule alſo: you may conceive of it in two particulars:

1Firſt, there is a reall withdrawing of the ſenſe and feeling of the mercy and compaſſion of God, a ſtoppage, as I may ſay, and a taking off the ſweet operation of Gods love and favour from the ſoule, when that ſenſible refreſhing and conveyance of the mercy and kindneſſe of Gods countenance is turned away from the ſoule: this is a part of the ſecond death, and this is the paine of loſſe, that is, the poore ſinner loſeth that ſweet influence of that abundant mercy, and compaſſion, and that ſweetneſſe that is in all thoſe glorious attributes which ſhould fill the ſoule with ſatisfactory ſweetneſſe and content; as thus ſometimes it pleaſes God to diſcover thoſe pain of hell unto his ſervants here on earth, and hee brings them by the ſuburbs of hell, that they may know what it is to bee in heaven, and alſo what it is to commit ſinne ſo againſt a gracious God, Pſalme 31.22. I ſaid in mine haſte, I am caſt out of ſight: As if hee had ſaid, God hath taken away the ſweet ſmiles of his countenance from the heart of David, and … is … a part of the ſecond death; yet thou …he art …eſt the voyce of thy praier David was now in ſome diſtreſſe, by reaſon of the withdrawing of the favour of God from his p. 214ſoule: this is the firſt part of the ſecond death.

2Secondly, when the fierce indignation of the Lord ſemeth upon the ſoule of a poore creature, when the Lord ſets open the floodgates of his anger and wrath, and fils the ſoule unſupportably with his vengeance: Pſal. 43.…. Why haſt thou caſt mee off? and Pſalme 51.11. Caſt me not away out of thy preſence, &c. The Lord ſeemed to caſt him away, and to ſend him packing, and hee ſeemed to bee caſt away in his owne apprehenſion; both theſe you ſhall ſee concluded on in Iob 13.24. Thou r…eſt bitter things againſt mee, and hideſt thy face away from me, and takeſt mee for thy enemy: The Lord not onelyonly went away and hid him, but he made Iob a But, that ſo his arrowes might come againſt him pell mell, and he let all his diſpleaſure fall upon him with might and maine: ſo then there is firſt a reall withdrawing of the ſweetneſſe of the mercy of God from the ſoule: and ſecondly, a reall inflicting of the indignation of the Lord, and that fils the ſoule of a poore creature.

Quest. 2 Now the ſecond queſtion is this, how far our Saviour ſuffered theſe paines: To this I anſwer, that ſo I may carry the cauſe with as much plainneſſe and nakedneſſe as may be, that each poore creature may get ſomething, give mee leave to anſwer the queſtion in theſe concluſions, one will make way for another▪ onelyonly here let mee tell you thus much, that I mean onelyonly to make declaration of the truth of the point, and the argument ſhall be afterwards.

p. 2151Firſt, it is poſſible that ſome paines of Hell may be ſuffered in this life, and therefore the living and being of our Saviour in this life, is no hindrance, but that he might undergoe them. This I ſay to prevent a weak plea of ſome that deſire to tie and intail all the pains of Hell to another life, and the place to be Hell, and they thinke that no man can ſuffer the pains of Hell, except he bee in the very place of it; againſt which cavill, this truth doth profeſly ma…ch, for the time and place are but common circumſtances: the main ſubſtance of it, is not in regard of time or place, but in regard of the fierce diſpleaſure of God, which ſeizeth upon a creature, and the veine of vengeance which is let into his ſoule, if God would be preſent with a man by his favour, though hee were in the place of Hell, yet he ſhould bee as it were in Heaven: as Eſay 30.33. Tophet is prepared of old, the burning thereof is fire and much wood, and the breath of the Lord as a ri…r of brimſtone doth kindle it: ſo that whereſoever the ſtreame of the brimſtone of Gods wrath ſeizeth, there is Hell: againe, the place is no part of debt, and therefore it is no part of the payment, but the paiment of the mony that makes the ſatisfaction: This is that which is ſpoken concerning Adam, Thou ſhalt die the death: hee doth not ſay, thou ſhalt goe to Hell: the wicked goe to Hell becauſe they cannot pay, as the debter goes to priſon, becauſe he cannot pay the debt: all that juſtice requires is this, to have payment; hee doth not ſay thou ſhalt goe to Hell, but becauſe the p. 2161wicked cannot ſatisfie the juſtice of God, and anſwer the Law, therefore they are impriſoned, and cooped up in hell, and it may be more plain thus; there are many reprobates in this life, that have not onelyonly hell in expectation, but they have it ſo far in fruition; when the Lord wounds the ſpirit, and the terrours of the Almightie incampe a man and ſtab him to the very heart, and they are in the very beginnings of hell. Now becauſe the wicked cannot beare the wrath of God, but they would breake under it; therefore they muſt die, that they may …e made immortall, and be able to ſuffer all the wrath of God forever: but our Saviour may as well pay the debt in mount Golgotha, as in the priſon of hell.

2Secondly, ſome paines of hell were endured, and may be endured, by our Saviour, and yet the union of the manhood with the Godhead might ſtill be untouched, and no way in the world bee blemiſhed, though there were a ſeparation, and a withdrawing of the ſenſe of the ſweetneſſe of the favour of God, yet this was not the ſeparation of the union, but onelyonly of the loving countenance of the Lord, the humane nature ſaw not nor felt not thoſe gracious ſmiles which formerly it did, yet hee was ever united to the Godhead, and ever ſupported by the Godhead, and hee did ever reſt upon God, this doth cut in ſunder the cavils of Bellarmine, as it was with Iob, he was able to grapple with a great deale of Gods wrath by faith; and therefore he ſaith, Though thou kill me, yet will I truſt in thee; Gods killing anger, and Iobs truſting p. 217ſtood both together in this in the meaſure of it: Now if a poore ſaint of God can doe it, and is able to beare the intimations of Gods wrath, then much more Chriſt, being God and Man, might doe it, and yet truſt in him, and never bee ſeparated from him in regard of the union of the ſoule of our Saviour; for as it is with the death naturall in the body of our Saviour, as the body of our Saviour died, and in dying, ſuffered death naturall, as an effect of Gods wrath, God ſmote him; howſoever the body died the death naturall, yet the Godhead was ſtill united to the body of our Saviour in the grave, and brought ſoule and body together againe; ſo that the union with the Godhead is ſtill maintained; ſo it is here, the ſoule of our Saviour might be ſeparated from the ſenſe and ſweetneſſe of Gods favour and mercy, and yet the union betweene the Godhead and the Manhood bee ſtill maintained; as God might leave the body to the death naturall, ſo he might leave the ſoule to a kinde of ſupernaturall death, and the ſoule might want the ſenſe of the ſweetneſſe of the favour of God, and yet the union not be broken off: for why could not our Saviour beare this curſe, as well as any other part of it, and not be blemiſhed? this brought puniſhment upon our Saviour, but it puld not away any grace which hee was poſſeſt withall: obſerve theſe three particulars herein:

1Firſt, the Godhead in the death of our Saviour was faſtned and united inſeparably to the manhood, and did ſuſtaine and ſupport the manhood.

p. 218Secondly, the Godhead did preſerve the manhood from corruption, and did ſuſtaine and ſupport the Manhood.

3Thirdly, the ſenſe and ſweetneſſe, and the feeling operation of Gods mercy, and favour unto the ſoule, was reſtrained from both, and the wrath of God ſeized upon both.

3Thirdly, our Saviour ſuffered paine in his ſoule as he was our Mediatour in our roome, and in our ſtead, and as he had our ſinnes imputed to him: The Manhood bore the ſufferings, and the Godhead ſupported him in the ſufferings: this concluſion I thought good to adde, to meet with a ſtrange dream of Bellarmine, and that is this, ſaith he, if the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did ſuffer the wrath of God the Father, then the guiltleſſe ſhould have beene condemned, and the innocent puniſhed; and how can God doe this? or how can our Saviour ſuffer this? Is not God the Father unjuſt to puniſh the juſt? and Chriſt unwiſe, to ſuffer as unjuſt, being juſt? I anſwer, it is a ſilly weake cavill, therefore take but theſe two reſpects with you, and you ſhall ſee it will bee plaine, for as Chriſt was in himſelfe conſidered, he was guiltleſſe, and therefore approved of, and beloved of the Father: but as hee tooke our ſinnes, and our guilt upon him, hee was accounted as a ſinner, though he was not a ſinner, and he tooke our ſins on him by imputation; and therefore no reaſon, but he ſhould ſuffer them, and the puniſhment of them, not in regard of any ſinne that hee had or did; but becauſe it was imputed to him; therefore p. 219God the Father condemned him as guiltie: ſo runs the phraſe of Scripture, Hee ſuffered for our ſinnes, and the chastiſement of our peace was upon him, and by his ſtripes we were healed: he ſuffered not for any ſinnes that he had committed, but for the condition of all ſinfull nature imputed to him, and theſe divers reſpects wee doe practiſe, for ordinarily we are bound to love a creature as God made him, and then to hate him as hee makes himſelfe ſinfull, the Judge goes to the triall of a Niſi prius, and his ſonne comes before him in the perſon of the debter: now though the Judge love him as a ſonne, yet he will condemne him as a ſuretie; the Judge loves and pitties him in one regard, but yet hee paſſeth ſentence againſt him in another regard: So it is here with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, when God the Father ſtands upon the tribunall of juſtice, and was pleaſed to follow the ſuit againſt the partie offending, our Saviour ſteps into our roome, and ſubmits himſelfe to the cenſure of the Father, and as we were accounted, ſo he was content to bee accounted; and as we were to ſuffer, ſo he was content to ſuffer for us: God the Father loved him as he was God, and holy, and innocent; yet he condemnes him, and lets in his wrath upon him as he was to beare our ſins; for God the Father might love Jeſus Chriſt, and yet give his body to death naturall: ſo God the Father might love the ſoule of our Saviour, and yet give it over to paine ſupernaturall: all the world confeſſeth that it was without anger that Chriſt died, and yet the Father p. 220ſlew him: this concluſion helps us to the interpretation of that place, Matthew 27.46. My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee? He was a Father to our Saviour: and our Saviour a Son to him.

4Fourthly, whatſoever puniſhment proceeded from the Father, our Saviour tooke it upon himſelfe; yet ſo, as neither his ſins deſerved it, neither did he ſinne in bearing of it, nor yet was hee overwhelmed in bearing of it, as the wicked are which are damned, but hee wreſtled with it, and overcame it; hee firſt tooke upon himſelfe that ſhould have come upon a beleever; when the wrath of God comes out like a Lion to take the ſinfull ſons of men from off the earth, and the ſea of his indignation flowes in amain, then the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſteps in between the wrath of the Father, and the ſoule of a beleever, and hee bears all, Iohn 18.11. when Peter would have reſcued our Saviour from the high Prieſts, Our Saviour ſaid, ſuffer it to bee ſo, put up thy ſword into its place; ſhall I not drinke of the cup which my Father giveth me to drinke of? hee doth not ſay, ſhall I not ſip or taſte of the cup, but, ſhall I not drinke of it? that is, he drinkes the cup of wrath which was prepared for poore ſinners, cleane off; therefore Eſay 63.3. hee is ſaid to tread the wine-preſſe of the Fathers wrath alone, he did ſqueeſe it all out▪ obſerve theſe explications in this kinde, and know thus much, that the want of the ſenſe and feeling, and operation of Gods love, and the feeling of the indignation of Gods wrath in it ſelfe conſidered, p. 221it is not a ſinne, but ſo far as our ſinnes deſerve this wrath of God, and deſerve this ſeparation, and ſo far as we out of our infidelitie daſh the ſweetneſſe of Gods love, we ſin in this kinde; but none of all this befell our Saviour, the bare want of the one, and the ſenſe of the other is not a ſinne, but we ſin in bearing it. It is a ſweet obſervation of the Schoolmen, that our Saviour cried, my God, my God, even in the loſſe of the ſweetneſſe of Gods favour; and when Chriſt complaines, and ſweat water and blood, yea clods of blood, ſo that his heart broke within him under the fierce indignation of the Lord: this fierce indignation may be attended two wayes, or there are two things in it: I ſay in the ſeparation of God from the ſoule, there are theſe two things to be attended: Firſt, a want of that grace, and holineſſe, and confidence, whereby the ſoule ſhould cloſe with God, that howſoever God goes away, yet the ſoule ſhould follow him, as Iacob did after the Lord, when hee ſaid, I will not let thee goe, unleſſe thou bleſſe mee: Now it is one thing when God goes away, and it is another thing when we puſh him away: therefore that want of grace, and holineſſe, and confidence, whereby the ſoule ſhould cleave to, and cloſe with God, this is one thing which cauſeth the ſeparation of God from us: this is on our part.

2Secondly, there is another worke on Gods part, that howſoever the ſoule ſtands Godward, and Chriſtward, and it cleaves to him as Iob did that would truſt in him, though he kild him; yet p. 222God may withdraw the ſweet refreſhing operation, and the ſenſible conveyance of his mercy and compaſſion from his ſoule, and he frownes upon him, and plucks away the hold, and lets in his indignation upon him: the firſt of theſe two can never bee without ſinne, and it is a hainous ſinne when our ſoules ſit looſe from God, and when we ſhall ſeparate our ſelves from the mercy and goodneſſe of God, and are weary of Gods preſence in his ordinances, as many wicked men are, and are weary of the promiſes, and ſay as thoſe in Iob did, Depart from us, for wee deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes: this is a curſed ſinne, and this never was, nor could not be in our Saviour: but now that the Lord may plucke away the ſenſe of his love and favour, and take away the operation and conveyance of his mercy; this God may juſtly doe as he ſeeth good: this was not a ſinne in Iob, that God did take away the ſenſe of his love and mercy, and ſeemed to be his enemy, but if Iob had gone away from God, as God did from him, then he had ſinned, but hee held God ſtill: this was not a ſinne in Iob, that God did thus forſake him, though haply it was through his ſinne deſerving it: all this did befall our Saviour Chriſt, and yet he was full of holineſſe, and hangs upon God, and ſaid, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? And God was angry with him, becauſe he had our ſinnes upon him; but the firſt of theſe was not in Chriſt, hee did not depart from God: the ſecond was inflicted upon our Saviour, and that might be juſtly; this ads much p. 223light to thoſe paſſages; thoſe two ardent petitions of thoſe two worthy lights, Moſes and Saint Paul, Exodus 32.32. Moſes perceiving that the Lord was ready to deſtroy the Iſraelites for their ſinne, he ſaith, Now if thou pardon this ſinne, thy mercy ſhall appeare, but if thou will not, then raſe mee out of the booke of life which thou haſt written: and in Rom. 9.3. Saint Paul foreſeeing the rejection of the Jewes, and that God would throw them away for ſixteen hundred yeeres together; the good man ſeeing the diſhonour that was like to come to God, & the utter deſtruction of the people of the Jewes, he ſaith, I could even deſire to be ſeparated from Chriſt, & to be cut off from the Nation of the Iewes, that they might not be forſaken of God: Now ſhould a man pray to be removed out of Gods preſence, and to be ſeparated from God for ever, and to be cut off from God, and to be ſeparated from Chriſt Jeſus? no, for this were ſinfull; either it ſignifies that Paul ſhould have his heart looſened, and ſit looſe in his affections to God, and to Jeſus Chriſt: this Paul did not pray for, for it is a horrible ſinne, and it is an argument he hated Chriſt and himſelfe too. Now ſo farre as it implies our want of love to God, and our want of depending upon God, it is a fearfull ſinne, and theſe holy men did not deſire it: but this is the meaning, they were willing to have ſuffered the want of the ſenſe and feeling of Gods love and favour for the preſent: though they would have loved and cloſed with God ſtill, yet they would have beene content to want the ſenſe of Gods love, that p. 224Gods glory might have beene advanced, and the ſalvation of the Jewes furthered: ſo it was here with our Saviour Chriſt, for howſoever according to his humane nature hee did feare the death naturall, and the wrath which hee ſaw comming upon his nature, and therefore he ſaid, if it be poſſible, let this cup paſſe from me; he might doe it, and God by reaſon required it, that a man be ſenſible of miſery, yet according to the holineſſe of the will of the Father, hee did not pray againſt theſe, but prayed for theſe, and for the bea…ing of the puniſhment: for he was ſent for this end, and it was a part of the Mediatourſhip: this is the meaning of that place, Iohn 12.27. What ſhall I ſay, Father ſave me from this houre? no, but therefore came I unto this houre; that is, the houre of death; He came into the world for this end, and therefore, he ſubmits himſelfe: Thus much for the opening of the firſt part of this concluſion; that whatſoever wrath ſhould have come forth from the Father upon the faithfull, Chriſt did beare it all.

2Now the ſecond part is this, Chriſt ſo bears it, that his owne ſinne never deſerved this wrath of God, nor hee never ſinned in bearing it, neither was he overwhelmed in bearing it, but he wreſtled againſt it, and overcame it: it implies two things, and it prevents another cavill.

1Firſt, the paine of the ſoule comes either from a cauſe without, or a cauſe within, or from both: If a man were to goe to hell, it came either from his owne ſinne deſerving it, or from Gods wrath inflicting it, or from both; now Chriſt did p. 225ſuffer puniſhments in his ſoule, but not ſo farre… they came for his owne ſinne; the cauſe from within is ſinfull and deteſtable, but the cauſe from without is holy and righteous; therefore all that which came from Gods wrath inflicting puniſhment, all that Chriſt did ſuffer was ſo; but the wicked have a cauſe of ſinne within them, and that Chriſt having not, hee needed not to ſuffer, and becauſe he had no ſinne in him, he did not ſuffer all pains of hell; hee ſuffered the diſpleaſure of Gods wrath, but yet ſo much of the puniſhment as came from ſin committed, that our Saviour did not ſuffer.

2Secondly, a poore creature bearing Gods anger, he hath not onelyonly Gods anger ſe…ing upon him, but alſo it overwhelms him, becauſe hee is not able to beare it: the plague prevails againſt him, not onelyonly the wrath of God lies upon a ſinner in hell, but it cruſheth him there, that he can never goe from it: and this Divines call the abſolute damnation, ſuch a damnation as overturn… a ſinner in hell, and cruſheth him there for evermore. The reaſon why a ſinnes never comes out of hell, is this; becauſe his ſufferings are not infinitely ſatisfiable, according as his ſinnes have beene infinite to provoke God; for as Adams ſin was infinite and provoking becauſe it was againſt his Godhead, ſo the ſufferings muſt bee infinite; now the ſufferings of Chriſt were of infinite value, but Adams ſufferings were not of an infinite nature: Chriſt bore the wrath of God and wreſtled with it, and overcame it, and came out from under p. 226the … diſpleaſure of God, and why? becauſe the… were able to ſatisfie an infinite God, who was thus infinitely wronged by the ſinne of man; therefore the ſufferings muſt be of an infinite ſatisfying nature, as you ſhall conceive thus: a finite ſinne of Adam committed againſt God, was infinitely provoking, but the ſufferings of Chriſt were infinitely ſatisfying, and ſo anſwerable in proportion to what divine juſtice required; this was the meaning of that place i… Acts 2.24. Whom God raiſed up and looſed the ſorrowes of death, becauſe it was not poſſible that hee ſhould bee holden downe of death; and it is the meaning of that place, 1 Cor. …5.54. Death is ſwallowed up in victorie, Chriſt endures … and overcomes it; and Iohn 1….20. Chriſt will convince the world of ſinne, and of righteouſneſſe; why of righteouſneſſe? for I goe unto the Father; and why doth hee goe to the Father? becauſe hee hath paid the debt to the uttermoſt: hee did ſatisfie juſtice to the full, for had he not ſatisfied juſtice, he had beene kept in the gra…e till this day, and wee had beene condemned; but now hee hath borne and ſatisfied all, therefore hee muſt come forth to immortalitie and glory. Remember theſe concluſions, and think thus, hath my Saviour done all this for me? well, I will remember it, and thinke upon it, and I will lay it by mee for ever.

5The fift concluſion followes, and that is this:

The deſperation of a damned ſoule in hell, and the eternitie of torments, they are no eſſentials of the ſecond death, and therefore they could not, p. 227nor ought not to be ſuffered by our Saviour: this I ſay to ſtop the mouths of all Popiſh Jeſuites, and eſpecially of Bellarmine, who thinke to eaſt a great ſcandall upon Calvin and others in this kinde: let me open both he parts of it; firſt, the damned in hell deſpaire, therefore, ſaith Bellarmine, if Chriſt ſuffered the pains of the ſecond death, he did deſpaire, and did ſuffer the paines of hell for …vermore. Oh fooliſh creature, who will be ſo wicked as to ſay thus? Therefore that you may ſee this curſed opinion, conſider two particulars in this deſperation;

1Firſt, the nature of deſperation, what it is:

2Secondly, I will ſhew that this deſperation is no part of the ſecond death.

1Firſt of all, for the nature of it, what it is: deſperation as the word carries i…, is to caſt away all hope and expectation of any good, this is properly to deſpaire: For if there be any good things with us, then we are ſaid to have them in poſſeſſion, and fruition: but if good things are abſent from us, then we are ſaid to expect them, and to hope and wait for them; and hope ſaith it may be otherwiſe: this is that which beares up the ſoules in the moſt heavie brunt▪ But for hope, the heart would breake, ſaith the Proverb: and it is true indeed, in the greateſt miſeries that can befall …, and when we feele nothing, nor finde nothing, nor have nothing in ſenſe, ye… hope ſaith it may be otherwiſe, and though now I am ſinfull and miſerable, yet I may bee pardoned, and though now in the gall of bitterneſſe, yet I may be purged p. 228and ſanctified; and though now I am a damned creature, yet I may bee ſuccoured and delivered. This is that which ſometimes bears up the heart, and it is that alſo which beares up the hearts of the wicked many times here upon the earth: when the Lord lets in the horrour of heart, and fils the ſoule with his indignation, his heart would ſinke, but that a little leane ſtarved hope ſupports him, and he ſees than Gods will is not yet fully revealed, but that he may be ſaved: and he ſaith, this conſcience may bee quieted, and this ſoule may be ſaved, and theſe ſins may bee pardoned; now deſpaire is the quite contrary, when the ſoule hath no good in expectation, and that which cuts the heart ſtrings of a mans conſolation, and plucke a mans comforts up by the roots, as hee hath nothing for the preſent, ſo all means and wayes of getting any good are cut off, and then he caſts off hope, and never lookes to God more, becauſe he never lookes for mercy from God; and then hope goes out and ſaith, Oh when will it once be, cannot theſe ſinnes bee pardoned, &c? And at laſt hee ſees there is no way of getting any good, and therefore hee never lookes for mercy more, but expects hell and damnation, and cries out, I am damned, I am damned: This is deſpaire, and this is the nature of it.

2Secondly, this deſpaire is not any part or eſſentiall property appertaining to the pains of the ſecond death, whether we looke at the withdrawing of the ſweetneſſe of Gods love, or whether wee looke at the inflicting of the wrath of God p. 229upon the ſoule, this is no part of them; for beſides that which Divines will obſerve, namely, that all puniſhments are paſſions, and they ſuffer them; but deſpaire is a worke of the creature, and it iſſues from himſelfe, and the creature doth it, and therefore it cannot properly bee a puniſhment, nor any part of the ſecond death; but beſides all this which they obſerve, this deſperation ſo opened, it is ſo farre from being any part of the ſecond death, as that it is not a conſequent which nextly followes from the ſecond death, but from the weakneſſe and ſinfulneſſe of the creature. Deſperation is not any effect flowing immediatly from the wrath of God upon the creature, but it proceeds and comes directly and immediatly from the weakneſſe and ſinfulnes of the creature. Imagine that yee ſaw the Lord Ieſus Chriſt comming in the clouds with thouſand thouſands of his holy Angels, and the thrones were ſet up, and all fleſh appeared; the ſheep on the right hand, and the goats on the left hand, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt paſſeth the doome, and the ſentence againſt them, ſaying, Goe yee curſed into everlasting fire: Now when a poore damned creature ſeeth that the ſentence is gone, and ſeeth the good wil of God paſs'd upon him, and the power of his wrath now to bee expreſt to the full againſt him, and he apprehends the will of God now fulfild never to be croſt more, and the decree of God is now expreſt never to bee altered more, and hee ſeeth the gates of hell now ſealed upon him, and that the Lord hath caſt upon him the tombſtone of his wrath, and that he is buried under the power p. 230of the ſecond death, and now he ſeeth the time is gone, and the juſtice of God can never bee ſatiſfied more, and this power of the Lords wrath can never be removed: Oh the time was, that I had the word and the power of into quicken me, and to informe me, and the Spirit of God to ſtrive with me, and then there was ſome hope; but now the decree of God is ma…e unrevokable, and this wrath I ſhall never beare, nor never remove. There is now to word, no praying, no hearing, no conference, no mercy, nor ſalvation to bee hoped for, and ſo the ſoule lookes no more for any good, becauſe the Lord hath ſo peremptorily ſet downe his do…me; thus the ſoule breaks under the wrath of God, and is not able to ſatisfie, and the wrath of God can never bee removed, the fire will ever burne, and the worme will ever gnaw, and now the ſoule caſts off all hope; and this is the meaning of thoſe phraſes, 2 Pet. 3.7. and in the 6. verſe of the Epiſtle of Iude, where ſpeaking of the devils, the text ſaith, They are reſerved in everlaſting chains under darknes, to the judgement of the great day: the devill is hopeleſſe, he hath no hope of good, nor ſhall never receive any good: but our Saviour Chriſt that was able by the power of his God-head to ſuffer this wrath of God, and to ſatisfie juſtice, and to ſupport himſelfe under this wrath, and to come out from it, he hath a certaine hope to pleaſe God the Father, and to have everlaſting bliſſe and happineſſe with him; there is hope with our Saviour, becauſe he can beare and ſatiſfie, and come from under this wrath. Take a baſon p. 231of water, and caſt it upon a few coales of fire, and it will put them clean out, but throw the ſame boſon full upon a great fire, and though it may damp it a little at firſt, yet it cannot quench it, but rather increaſeth the flame, and makes it burne the faſter: whats the reaſon of this, that it quenched the little fire, and not the great f…re? it was not firſtly and nextly becauſe of the coldneſſe and croſneſſe of the water to the fire, for the ſame water was as cold upon the great fire, and as croſſe… the nature of the great fire; but the little fire was rob weake of it ſelfe to beare the coldneſſe of the water, and therefore it was quenched; but the great fire was able to beare the coldneſſe of the water, and therefore it was not quenched: ſo it is here, the wrath of God is like this water, as David ſaith, All thy waves and billowes have paſſed over me; that is, the waves of Gods indignation, and the ocean ſea of Gods wrath: …hen this fals upon a poore weake ſinfull creature that cannot beare this, but breakes under this wrath, and cannot take off the vengeance of the Lord, but ſinkes under it; this creature deſpaires of all helpe, not becauſe of the wrath of the Lord firſtly, but becauſe of the weakneſſe, and the ſinfulneſſe of the creature that could not beare the wrath of the Lord: and hence he deſpaires, and the ſoule ſaith, alas, I am weake, and a poore ſinne creature, and this wrath of the Lord is of an infinite vigour, I ſhall never be able to beare it, nor to get from under it: therefore I deſpair and caſt away all hope of helpe; but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt being perfect p. 232God, and perfect man, having a great flame of holy affections kindled in him by the ſpirit of the Father, this did aſſiſt him hereby to beare the wrath of God in his ſoule, and not onelyonly was hee able to beare it, but to overcome it; and although hee were toſſed up and downe in the ſea of Gods wrath, yet he was not drowned; and though hee ſipped of the poyſon, yet he was not poyſoned: therefore he bore the paines of the ſecond death, and overcame them, and did not deſpaire; he expected to receive good, becauſe he knew he ſhould have good: thus our Saviour, Iohn 19.30. when he had ſo deeply drunke of the cup of affliction, he ſaid, now it is finiſhed; that is, now the fierce indignation of the Lord is over. Take a little childe or infant new borne, and lay it in a little ſtreame, if no man come to ſuccour it, there can be no hope that it will live, not properly becauſe of the water, but becauſe the childe is weake, and not able to keepe it ſelfe from being overpowred by the water: and therefore there is no hope to have reliefe for it; but let a ſtrong man come, and he will not be drowned by the ſtreame, for hee is of height and ſtrength either to wade thorow it, or elſe to ſave himſelfe by ſwimming: ſo there is the ſtreame of the indignation of the Lord: Now God will not help a poore ſinfull creature, and he cannot help himſelfe, therefore the ſtreame will deſtroy him, and there is no hope, for he is never able to free himſelfe, becauſe God will not, and he himſelfe cannot; but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt that hath skill and power, becauſe he is God, as p. 233well as man; therefore though he beare the wrath of God, yet becauſe hee is able to wade thorow it, and to beare it: therefore it is that he will deliver himſelfe, and all us with him. Thus ye ſee that deſperation is a conſequent that followes from the ſinfulneſſe and weaknes of the creature, and that it is no part of the ſecond death. The ſecond part of this concluſion followes, and I deſire it may bee attended to by all you that are weake ones; for this objection doth put many Divines themſelves to a ſtand, and yet the caſe is very cleere ſo farre as my light and line ſerves me.

2Secondly, the eternitie of the puniſhments, ſay they, for if Chriſt ſuffered the pains of the ſecond death, then hee muſt be in hell for ever. It is a weake and a ſinfull plea; I ſay our Saviour might and did ſuffer the ſecond death, and yet not the eternitie of it: I beſeech you to take notice of two things herein.

1Firſt you muſt take notice of the difference betweene the death threatned, and the death denounced, and betweene the torments of hell: alſo betweene the eternitie of time, and the circumſtances of time, that may bee altered and changed, as the debt or puniſhment is fully ſuffered or not ſuffered: As for example, the time of a mans lying in priſon is no part of the payment, but he doth lie in priſon becauſe hee cannot pay the debt: as thus; A man is in priſon for a thouſand pound, & he muſt lie in priſon ten years, becauſe he can pay but a hundreth pound a year; but now let a rich man come that can diſcharge the p. 234payment within ten moneths, or ten dayes, or ten houres; it is as well if he doe it in ten houres, as if he did it in ten years, nay it is better done: Juſt ſo it is here, the debt is this; In the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt die the death: the puniſhment is death, and every poore creature muſt die the firſt and ſecond death: Now becauſe a poore creature cannot ſatisfie Gods juſtice … this life, (for if God ſhould but let in the power of his wrath in this life into the ſoule, and fill the ſoule with his fierce indignation, it would kill a man even in this life) therefore the Lord by death takes away a poore creature, and drags him downe to hell; he doth arreſt him by conſcience here, and ſaith, Thou haſt ſinned and deſerved wrath, and thou canſt not beare my wrath here; therefore thou ſhalt die and be made immortall, that thou maiſt beare it for evermore; becauſe a man cannot pay it now, therefore he is paying of it to all eternitie, for hee is never able to pay and ſatisfie for the whole ſumme: but now the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath caſh ready at hand, and is able to lay downe the payment for all the faithfull to the full: hee layes downe the life naturall, and hee alſo ſuffers the paines of the ſecond death: therefore hee is able to deliver himſelfe, and all thoſe that are his.

Firſt of all,Vſe 1. hath our Saviour thus ſuffered, and hath he ſtepped in betweene the wrath of God the Father and the faithfull? Juſtice ſaith, that foule hath ſinned, and muſt be damned, and anger ſaith, I muſt breake out againſt that poore ſoule; then the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſteps in and p. 235ſaith, I will beare all, and undertake the ſatisfiing of all; I will beare all thoſe puniſhments due unto them: you that are beleevers and have a ſhare in Chriſt, unto you I ſpeake; labour thou from hence to ſee the hainouſneſſe of ſinne, and to hate it, becauſe it hath brought all this evill upon thy Saviour, and would have brought the ſame upon thee, had not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſtepped in betweene thee, and the wrath of the Father. Oh looke what thy ſin hath done unto the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and ſee if you can love it, & take contentment in the cōmiſſion of it: Let me teach you how to do it: ſend your thoughts afar off, and ſee our Saviour in the garden crying out, and ſaying, My ſoule is exceeding heavie unto the death, my ſoule is even beſet with ſorrowes; oh watch and pray: And alſo when he was in that bitter agonie in the garden, And he prayed yet more earneſtly, and hee ſtretched out his prayers, that it broke his heart almost; behold the teares in his eyes, and the clodded blood that came from him, and his ſoule was almoſt broken within him, under the fierce indignation of the Lord: and he fell upon the ground, and yet all this would not doe the deed: follow him to the croſſe, and ſeeing him attended with the ſouldiers, and pierced thorow with a ſpeare; ſee then if thou canſt love thy ſinnes that have done all this; and further, when you have ſeene him thus nailed to the croſſe, and pierced thorow with a ſpeare, then if you have any hearts of men, (I doe not ſay of Chriſtians) liſten a while, and here thoſe hideous cries, My God, my God, why haſt p. 236thou forſaken me? Oh brethren it went very heavy with our Saviour: Now imagine that you heard thoſe heart breaking ſighes which broke the heavens, and let them breake thy heart too: Oh goe your wayes home I charge you in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, and anſwer your owne hearts, or rather anſwer the petitions of our Saviour, and ſay, Lord, why haſt thou forſaken? Oh Lord, it was for my pride, and my contempt of thy word, and my deſpiſing of holy duties, and for the reſt of my ſinnes, I ſhould have beene forſaken, and thou waſt contented to bee forſaken for me. Oh can you conſider of this and love your ſinnes ſtill, which have brought all this miſery upon a Saviour? if you can love your ſins now, doe; and if you can harbour that pride and ſtubbornneſſe in your hearts which would have pluckt the heart out of Chriſts body, and his ſoule from his body, then doe; can it bee poſſible that men ſhould harbour ſinne in them, if they did but know what it hath done to them, can you ſee it and not ha…e it. Oh behold that ſinne which hath cauſed God the Father to be angry with thy Saviour, and doe thou hate it, and let thy ſoule for ever loath thy ſinne which hath cauſed Chriſt thus to doe, to come downe from heaven, and to bee tortured by wicked miſcreants, and to cry out My God, my God; why haſt thou forſaken me? and as ſin hath cauſed God the Father to puniſh thy Saviour, ſo goe thou and be revenged upon thy ſin, and ſay, Oh my pride, and my ſtubbornneſſe, and my looſeneſſe, and uncleanneſſe, and baſe drunkenneſſe; p. 237theſe were the nailes that pierced his hands a… his feet, they pierced his ſacred body, and … the wrath of God the Father upon his ſoule; therefore let mee bee for ever revenged of this proud ſtubborne and rebellious heart of mine, and let mee for ever loath my ſinne, becauſe it brought all this ſorrow upon my Saviour.

To preſſe this uſe a little more, I charge you brethren, as ever you had any tender love unto Jeſus Chriſt, or any regard of your owne comfort, goe your wayes, and bee for ever caſt downe and humbled for thoſe evill waies of yours, which have brought our Saviour to ſuch a gulfe of miſery, and to be angry with thoſe ſinnes that have made God the Father angry with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and take thou revenge upon that proud ſtubborne heart that brought all this miſery upon thy Saviour: This is the courſe of humanitie amongſt men; if a man knew of any one which had murthered his father or his friend, whom he highly regarded and honoured, nature ſhewes us thus much, that our hearts would riſe againſt the man, and you would not bee able to brooke the ſight of him, and you cannot endure to ſee him in your companies; and if law and conſcience did not forbid it, you could be contented to give him his deaths wound, and to bee his bane, and you would cry out againſt him, Oh he hath murthered my father, or my deere friend, and though you would not run upon him and kil him, yet this every one would doe, he would follow the Law p. 238to the uttermoſt, and if all the law in the land will do it, he will have him hanged; and if he might have it put to his choyce what death hee ſhould die, hee would chuſe him a death as bad as hee could deviſe, and if he might be his Executioner, how would he mangle him, and ſay, thou waſt the death of my father, and then hee would give him one blow for this, and another blow for that; and ſay, thou wretch, thou haſt taken away the life of my father, and I will have thy life: Now is a man thus inraged, and is the heart of a man carried with ſuch violence unto him that hath murthered his father, or his friend, and that for the loſſe of the naturall life; Oh then how ſhould your hearts bee tranſported with infinite indignation, not againſt the man, but even againſt the ſinne, which is the cauſe of all this, and which is wholly oppoſite againſt God; and not onelyonly becauſe it hath taken away the life of the body of our Saviour, but alſo made him undergoe the wrath of an everlaſting father; your ſinnes are they that have thus ſlaine the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Lord of life: Therefore follow thou the law againſt theſe ſins, and raiſe hue and crie after them, and bring them to the Seſſions, and ſet them before the tribunall of God, and crie juſtice Lord, juſtice againſt theſe ſins of mine; theſe ſlew my Saviour, Lord ſlay them; they have crucified my Saviour, Lord crucifie them; let me have life for life, body for body, and ſoule for ſoule: theſe are the ſins that have taken away the life from the body of our Saviour, and tooke away all comfort from his p. 239ſoule, Lord take away their life: thus purſue thy ſins, and never leave them, untill thou ſeeſt them bleed their laſt: never thinke that thou hast power enough againſt corruption, nor never thinke that thou doſt enough againſt them, but give thy corruptions one hacke more, and confeſſe thy ſinnes once more, and ſay, Lord, his pride, and this ſtubbornneſſe Lord, and this looſeneſſe of heart Lord, theſe are they that kild my Saviour, and I will be revenged of them, and herein conſider this, when your hearts are inclining to any corruption, or to any temptation of Satan; and when thou findeſt thy ſoule drawne aſide to any ſin, and when thou findeſt ſome temptings unto corruptions and ſtirrings of curſed luſts, it is good then to have an actuall conſideration of what ſin hath done to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and reaſon thus with thy ſelfe and ſay, theſe ſins were the death of my Saviour; and ſhall they be my delight? theſe ſins did pierce his hands, and wounded his ſoule, and ſhall they give contentment to my ſoule? the Lord forbid, did theſe ſinnes plucke teares from his eyes, and blood from his heart, and ſhall I make them the delight of my heart? the good Lord in mercy forbid it: were it ſo that our hearts were fully and throughly perſwaded that all the vanities of our mindes, and all the luſts of our hearts, and all the diſtempers of our affections were thoſe that ſtabd the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and wounded him to the heart; it could not be that we ſhould ſo delight in them, and laviſh out our ſoules and affections thereupon, nay, not onelyonly Chriſtianitie will doe p. 240it, but nature and reaſon will even compell a man to doe the contrary, could hee but reaſon thus with himſelfe, when corruptions tempt him, and occaſions call him, and ſay thus with himſelfe; was it not enough, and more than enough, that the Son of God came downe from Heaven, and ſuffered ſuch grievous pains, but ſhall I againe crucifie the Lord of life, and ſhall I againe pierce thoſe bleſſed hands of his, and pierce that bleſſed ſide of his, and all goare his ſacred body with my uncleane ſins, and force him to crie out againe, by reaſon of my ſinnes which I have committed? this is more than brutiſh, and more than ſavage; I beſeech you in the bowels of the Lord to conſider well of it: you know what Chriſt ſaid when Saul perſecuted the poore Saints at Damaſcus, Saul, Saul, why perſecureſt thou mee? It pierced the Lord Chriſt, when any of his members were pierced, Acts 9.4. but now for ſuch as beleeve in Chriſt, and looke for mercy from Chriſt, conſider how neerly it will touch him, and trouble him; not onelyonly to have his members pierced, and perſecuted, but alſo to have his good Spirit grieved, and himſelfe to be wounded. Imagine you heard the Lord ſpeaking, as the Church did in Lamentations 1.12. Is it nothing to you all, oh yee that paſſe by, is there any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow? have you no compaſſion at all upon a Saviour? what, will ye ſpit in my face? what you? what and to a Saviour too? and will ye pierce my ſoule by the corruptions of your hearts, and by the actions of your hands? thus the Lord Jeſus Chriſt p. 241perſwades you to ſee ſin, and to abhorre and … it upon all occaſions; and therefore let us anſw… the requeſts of our Saviour, and not ſhew our ſelves deſperately wicked to pierce him againe, and to renew his ſufferings.

Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, did our Saviour ſuffer theſe paines? then ſee here the ſtrictneſſe of Gods juſtice: Oh that exact preciſe ſeveritie of Gods proceedings without exception of any mans perſon; God puts no difference, although hee were his Sonne, but hee layes puniſhment upon him. This is the reaſon of that exact dealing of God, in Rom. 2.9. Tribulation and anguiſh ſhall bee upon the ſoule of every one that ſinned, and why? … God is no reſpecter of perſons; as verſe 11. that the ground of it; and it is not onelyonly expreſt but it … alſo proved undeniable, Rom. 11.22. Behold therefore the bountie and ſeveritie of God; towards them which have fallen, ſeveritie, but towards that bountifulneſſe: remember Gods juſt proceeding againſt the Jewes, and therefore it is, that the Apoſtle citeth all the proceedings of Gods judgements, not onelyonly againſt the heathens that never knew him, or his enemies that alwayes oppoſed him, but even to his friends ſuch as he had ſhewed much favour and mercy to: if they ſinne, they ſhall be deſtroyed for their ſinne. But oh the juſt exactneſſe of the juſtice of the Lord, how ſeverely juſt he is! for this exactneſſe is not onelyonly upon the wicked, and open profane, but upon his owne deare children, and they that have had his ordinances, as in Amos, the Prophet ſhewes what favours p. 242they had received, in regard of the means; but yet feel how ſeverely; the Lord puniſheth them: but he hold the miracle of juſtice in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt his onelyonly Sonne, in whom his ſoule delighted: our Saviour that had but the ſhado…s of ſinne, had all puniſhments laid upon him in thick …. Now anſwer me whether God the Father bee not a ſtrict God or no, and a juſt and righteous God that would thus deale with his onelyonly Sonne. A man would have thought if any thing in the world could have ſtopped the hand of Divine juſtice, that it ſhould not proceed from God the Father, then Chriſt he might have done it, for her had all that ever any one in the world could have: If the excellency of the perſon of our Saviour could have done it, or the holineſſe of the ſoule of our Saviour, then he might have beene exempted from puniſhment, yet all theſe were not able to doe it, becauſe hee was a ſuretie; but yet a man would have thought that thoſe teares of blood might in ſome meaſure moderate the matter: could not thoſe ſervent petitions of him, have had ſo much as ſome abatement of the puniſhment, when he cried out ſaying, Father, if it be poſsible, let this cup paſſe from me? and then againe the ſecond time, Father, if it bee poſsible, let this cup paſſe from mee; nay the third time; Father, if it bee poſsible, let this cup paſſe from me. The Son of God was now upon the racke with it, if it be poſsible, let this cup paſſe from mee; let mee onelyonly have a ſip and away, and ſo let it paſſe from mee. Surely if any thing could have p. 243ſtopped the hand of divine juſtice, then Chriſt might have done it, but God would not, nor did not abate our Saviour one drop of his indignation, but God inflicts it all, and Chriſt ſuffers … all: behold therefore if thus bee not a juſt God; heare and feare all you that heare the good word of the Lord this day, you that thinke that Chriſt is made all of mercy, it is a God of your owne imagination, and your owne deviſing; it is not that God which is the Lord of heaven and earth, it is not the God of ho…ſts, the Father of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Oh ſay poore ignorant people, he is a very mercifull God, and full of compaſſion; it is true, hee is mercifull indeed, but know this alſo to thy terrour, that God is ſtrict, and preciſely righteous: you thinke to put off God with a few good words and lazy wiſhes, and with a Lord have mercy upon us; and if you can have but an houres time before your death to cry God mercy, oh their you thinke all ſhall be well and God will goe away with anything; and becauſe you ſuffer a little puniſhments and afflictions in this life, therefore you thinke to bee freed from them altogether hereafter: no no, know thou ſhalt not carry it away ſo: indeed thou haſt troubles and afflictions here, but thou ſhalt have eternitie of torments for ever in the life to come: if thou ſtill continueſt to bee a ſinfull wretch, and an unbeleeve, there is no way with thee, but to beare thy owne plagues and miſeries hereafter: when thou ſeeſt the Sonne of God himſelfe corrected, doſt thou thinke to goe free? p. 244if God would not bare oils Saviour any thing of it, doſt thou thinke he will abate thee any thing? againe, our Saviour had our ſins onelyonly imputed to him; but thy ſins thou haſt committed them thy ſelfe, and canſt thou thinke to eſcape, that are proud, and ſtubborne, and malicious, and lieſt and liveſt be thy ſins, and doſt wallow in them, and allow of thy ſelfe in the commiſſion of them? no, ſurely God will not ſpare any blaſphemer, nor unclean wretch, nor profane perſon under heaven; if he did not ſpare his owne Son, he will not ſpare thee, but hee will inflict upon thee the ſharpeſt puniſhments that can bee imagined: therefore now if God bee ſo ſevere againſt ſinne, then let your affections be anſwerable thereunto, doe you pitie none that are ſinfull, not onelyonly ſlaves, but in a childe, a ſon, a husband; let us labour to get a hearefull of hatred againſt ſin in any of theſe, nay though ſhee were the wife of thy boſome, or thy childe, or thy deere friend, if thou ſeeſt ſin in them, bee ſure to puniſh it; eſpecially you that are in places of authoritie, into whoſe hands God hath committed the ſword of the Magiſtracie for the execution of juſtice: You that are Gods vice-gerents upon earth, doe you as God himſelfe hath done, and walke in his way, and ſo bee bleſſed in whatſoever you doe: I ſaid ye are Gods ſaith David; every Magiſtrate, every Juſtice in the countrie, and every Maſter of a family; ye are Gods, that is, ye have the Image of God put into you, and therefore ſay thou with thy ſelfe in this manner; would God ſuffer p. 245a ſwearer, or a blaſphemer, or a prophane perſon, or a drunkard, or an adulterer, to goe unpuniſhed? and would God ſuffer a prophaner of his Sabbath, and would not reforme him? then whatſoever is amiſſe in thy owne ſoule, or in thy wife or childe, or ſervant, if it be in thy place puniſh, if not, then hate it to the uttermoſt: If God doth hate ſin even in his owne deare Son, though aſſumed onelyonly, then let thy heart bee alſo carried with a hatred for evermore againſt it: Thus much of the firſt queſtion, what the kindes of puniſhment were which our Saviour ſuffered, and how far he ſuffered them.

Quest. 2 Secondly, when did our Saviour begin theſe ſufferings, and when did be end them? To this I anſwer thus:

Anſwer. Our Saviour Chriſt begun the pains of the naturall death from his cradle, to his grave: I am not ignorant of the diverſitie of the judgements of Divines in this point; but that which I conceive to be moſt ſeaſonable is this, hee begun to die; as ſoone as hee begun to live, and that upon this ground; looke to the curſe that God hath threatned, Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou ſhalt die the death; ſo that Adam began to be a debter, and muſt bee a ſufferer from the very beginning of his ſin; and ſo all the ſons of Adam, they have no ſooner an entrance into life, but they are dying: The meaning is this, as thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt die; thats the meaning of the text as it is in the originall; die, die, die, even from the beginning of thy life. Now when p. 246our Saviour became… debter, hee muſt alſo become a paymaſter, and he muſt keepe the … of the payment: juſtice requires this, and they … are faithfull doe and will keepe this: now … Saviour was a good paymaſter, therefore the day of his humiliation was the day of his diſſolution; hee had ſorrowes and miſeries even untill his departure out of this life: nay, not onelyonly the curſe required it, but alſo daily experience makes it good; looke upon our Saviour as ſoone as ever he w… borne, there was no roome to bee had for him … …nne, but bee was laid in a manger in the ſtable; …d not in a cradle neither, but in a cratch: and Herod; he fought his life too, and in his riper years, he ſuffered hunger, and cold, and backbitings; and all theſe were but as harbengers to make way for all that deſolation and wrath which came upon him. There is never a childe of Adam, but ſo ſoone as hee is borne into the world, hee falls to crying, and ſo he continueth in ſorrowes all the dayes of his life, and all theſe are but dyings: when the tyles begin to fall, and the thatch to moulder from off the houſe, wee uſe to ſay the houſe will fall ſhortly: ſo all the ſorrowes and the diſgraces that were caſt upon our Saviour, ſo ſoone as he was perſecuted, they were all preparations to his death. Againe, looke to the end why our Saviour came into the world, as in 1 Iohn 3.8. Christ came to destroy the workes of the devill, that as Satan brought ſinne into the world by Adam, and ſo death and condemnation by ſinne; ſo Christ through his ſufferings, brought in life and p. 247ſanctification; ſo that the plaiſter ſhould be applied to the place from whence the … the diſ…e came: As Satan brought ſin into the world, … puniſhments by ſin, ſo the plaiſter muſt bee laid there, that all may be fully cured,

Againe, when did our Saviour ſuffer paines in his ſoule? To this I anſwer, our Saviour did ſuffer theſe paines, partly in the garden, and partly upon the croſſe this will be plaine if you compare Matthew 26.37. with Iohn 19.30. in Saint Matthew he ſaith, that Christ tooke with him Peter and the two ſonnes of Zabedeus, and hee began it … ſorrowfull, and to be grievouſly troubled: hee began to be ſorrowfull, this ſorrow and heavineſſe was the paines of his ſoule: here he did begin it; and in Iohn 19.30. when Ieſus had received of the vinegar, he ſaid, now it is finiſhed: what is that? there are many interpretations upon it, but I will follow that which I conceive to bee moſt ſeaſonable, as thus; it is finiſhed, that is, the cup is …ver, the heavie indignation of the Lord that did purſue wee, and lie upon mee, is now over; and remember this blo…d finiſhed, doth argue that it had a beginning. There was a time when our Saviour begun to crapple with this wrath of God, and now it is finiſhed: this is the meaning of it, for it could not bee meant of all the Propheſies that were of Chriſt all which were not fulfilled, and though ſome were fulfilled, yet ſome were not; and therefore it could not be meant of them, as namely of this Propheſie: as Ionah was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly, ſo ſhall the Sonne of man be three dayes p. 248and three nights in the heart of the earth: therefore, the text ſaith, that he began to bee in an againe in the garden, and when he cried, now it is finiſhed, the… was ended: that is, now the fit is over, and the indignation of the Lord is paſt: this ſhall bee made good in the third queſtion wherein it ſhall appeare that hee did ſuffer grievous paines in his ſoule: But before I come to the third queſtion, give me leave to promiſe ſome cautions, that ſo you may ſee how the way lies; and the cautions are three

1Firſt, that whatſoever the Scripture doth ſpeak concerning the ſufferings of Chriſt, it means them really; they were not ſhewes nor ſemblances, but in ſubſtance. This I ſpeake the rather to avoid a cavill of ſome which thinke that Chriſt did onelyonly ſay ſo, and did not ſuffer them really; this is a meere doring deluſion, and for ever to be abhorred; for unleſſe we yeeld it that Chriſt did ſuffer theſe really, wee ſhake off the truth of the whole ſtory, and ſo we can have no true foothold for our comfort.

2Secondly, I ſay that whatſoever is expreſt in the Scripture, wee muſt conceive of it without the leaſt ſuſpition of ſinne in our Saviour: therefore evermore maintaine a holy reverence, and a holy regard of the actions and the nature of our Saviour Chriſt, that you may not charge him with the leaſt inclination to any diſtemper.

3Thirdly, our Saviour was not compeld properly to ſuffer, either out of the neceſſitie of nature being weake and ſinfull; for indeed ſorrowes p. 249doe come properly out of our corruptions, and flow out from thence; and as heat and fire goe together, ſo ſin and miſery goe together; but there was no ſuch matter in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; nay, there was no outward cauſe in our Saviour, that could compell him to ſuffer miſeries, whether he would or no: but hee did moſt willingly ſubmit himſelfe to divine juſtice, her tooke our place and became our ſuretie, and promiſed the payment of the debt freely; yet aſide he had done thus, it was neceſſary upon condition promiſed, and hee did alſo willingly make it neceſſary, that before he did ſuffer theſe puniſhments, he ſhould undertake them; and then having thus undertaken, and upon certaine conditions promiſed, it was very fit and neceſſary that he ſhould make good what he had promiſed, and performe what hee had undertaken: theſe cautions I thought good to adde to ſtop the mouthed of all cavils that may ariſe in the hearts of thoſe that are weake; for the ground of Chriſts ſufferings was freely and willingly according to the promiſe and agreement which was betweene the Father and himſelfe.

Quest. 3 The third queſtion followes, and that is this: whether our Saviour did ſuffer in body alone, or in ſoule alone, or in both:

Anſwer. The anſwer apparantly and punctually is this: Chriſt did properly and immediatly ſuffer the wrath of God in his ſoule, as well as hee did the paines of death in his body; hee did not onelyonly p. 250ſuffer by communion and conſent betweene the ſoule and the body; as namely, therefore the ſoule is pierced, becauſe the body is pierced, no, but he did properly and immediately receive and ſuffer the wrath of God in his ſoule, as well as his body did death. The Scripture doth expreſſe it this way, and the Prophet foretold this in Eſay 63.10. God ſhall make his ſoule an offering for ſin: you know every offering implies a full payment; they did uſe to confeſſe their ſinnes over the ſacrifice, and then to ſlay it, intimating that the ſacrifice was to undergoe whatſoever puniſhment was due unto their ſinnes: and ſo did Chriſt doe in bearing our ſinnes, nay Chriſt himſelfe ſaith ſo: Matthew 26.38. My ſoule is very heavie and ſorrowfull, even unto the death: and that this muſt needs be the meaning of the text, it ſhall appeare by further explication, and therefore give mee leave to handle all the particulars of the ſufferings of our Saviour: and for our proceeding herein, that I may be plaine, and that this doctrine may drop as the dew, and that every ſpire of graſſe may receive ſome ſap and ſweetneſſe, and ſpirituall moiſture there from, let me doe two things, wherein I will ſhew you that the ſufferings of our Saviour were done partly in the garden; and partly upon the croſſe; and for his agony in the garden, let me doe two things: