Remains of Joseph Alleine, Sacramental speech 2
A SACRAMENTAL Speech grounded on,
Isaiah. 9. 6.
And his name shall be called wonderful.
Quest. WHy is it that Christ hath given to him this name of wonderful.
Answ. There are so many wonders that meet together in Christ, that tis no wonder at all, that he should have this name, wonderful. Christ was every way wonderful. He was wonderful in his Person; wonderful in his Passion. Wonderful in his Conception, being conceived by the power of the holy Ghost: wonderful in his Birth, being born of a pure virgin: wonderful in his Life; wonderful in his death, and the effects of it: wonderful in his Resurrection, that a dead person should be raised and that by his own power: wonderful in his Ascension. In a word he was every way wonderful: wonderful in his Humiliation and Exaltation.
Ah Christians if you would see a wonder, look upon Christ, and here see a wonder, here is a wonder, above all that the world can shew. There are two sorts of wonders that God hath to shew, the wonder of his power; and the wonder of his grace.
First, The wonder of his Power. What a wonder is it, to see such a fabrick as heaven and earth, all come out of nothing by the power of God. Christians 'tis a great evil in us that we do no more wonder at this great power. What a wonder is the Sun, in its bigness and brightness, flying many Millions of miles in a minute of an hour!
Secondly, But all these wonders are nothing to what his wonder of grace is. In Christ you may see all these wonders swallowed up. Let me shew you a little of this wonder. In Christ are to be seen these following wonders. 1. God manifest in the slesh. 2, God suffering in the slesh. 3. Justice and mercy sweetly r…conciled. 4. The greatest good coming out of the womb of the greatest evil. 5. Perfect justice raging against perfect innocence. 6 Infinite wisdome at cost upon me…r worthlessness. 7. The Son of the blessing made to be a curse. 8. The Father of mercy forgetting his bowels to his own Son.
…irst, God manifest in the flesh, John 1. 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, &c. O brethren, this is a wonder indeed. The Apostle tells you, that without controversie this is a great Mystery, that God should be manifest in the flesh. Here we may cry out deservedly, with wonder and astonishment, God is come down to us in the likeness of man. God manifest in the flesh! why, what is flesh? all flesh is grass, that is, fading, withering, dying. What! the word made flesh! shall the immortal put on mortality? and incorruption, put on corruption? O what a wonder is this! O behold and wonder; see if Christ do not deserve the name of wonderful. Holy Abraham, was ashamed of his meaness in this respect, when he came before God, because he was but dust and ashes. Behold, I have taken upon me to speak to the great God, who am but dust and ashes. O then how is it to see God clothed with the flesh of man? This was the wonder of angels. O how did they wonder to see their maker clothed with flesh! O come to the cross of Christ, to the cratch of Christ, and there bow and worship. Let not the Humble abasure of Christ, hinder you from adoring him in his greatness. The wisemen found Christ in poverty & meanness; yet they knew what glory was vailed under this meannesse: and fell down and offered gold, frankincense, myrrhe, &c. go ye and doe likewise.
Secondly, God suffering in the flesh, well may he have his name wonderful upon this account. 'tis said that the Philosopher, observing the unnatural cclipse of the Sun at the suffering of Christ, cryed out, either the God of nature is suffering, or the world is at an end. When Christ was suffering, it was God that suffered, though he did not suffer in the Godhead, but in the Manhood. Beloved, if you should have seen the judgement, that befel, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, would you not have been astonished at such a sight as this was? much more if hell should have opened, and you have seen the torments of the damned, would you not have been astonished, and wonder at this? but in this that God should suffer, is more then if all the men in the world should have suffered to all eternity. O how did the angels stand by the Crosse, wondering, to see him whom they adored and worshipped, to be mocked and Crucified.
Thirdly, Justice and mercy sweetly reconciled. The Justice and mercy of God, seemed to be, as it were, at a controversie about fallen man.
Darius, you know, had made a decree, that he that did offer any petition to any God or man, except to himself, within such a time, should be cast into the den of Lions. Daniel comes within the danger of this decree: and what must be done now? either Daniel must be spared; and then, what would become of the Laws of the Medes and Persians? or, else Daniel must be devoured; and then the King would have been cruel to himself. Yet providence did so order it, that the Law was executed and Daniel spared.
So here, man had sinned; and God said that he should dye, and now either man must dye, or God must be false of his word. Now what shall be done? The wisdome of God steps in, and finds out a person that should dye, and so Gods truth be saved, and his mercy magnified. But where shall this person be found? the Angels could not do it: nor man could not do it. But God would take the humane nature upon him, and that should suffer, that God and man might be reconciled. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Mercy and truth are met together, how can this be? it seems they were at a great distance, & could not be brought together. Truth said, that man should dye: & mercy said that man should be saved. Truth said, if he dye not, I am a liar; and where then is the honor of my truth? but mercy pleaded, if he dye, where is the honor of my Grace and mercy? Why now, wisdome puts in a surety, and that …oes for the principal.
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. How can this be? Gods justice and righteousness did require that man should give satisfaction: but this is all reconciled in Christ, he reconciled God and man together.
Fourthly, The greatest good coming out of the womb of the greatest evil. Sin, is the mother of all evil. You will say, can any good come out of such a womb as this? It is true, it cannot naturally come; but God did so order it, that it should be the occasion of it. Were it not a wonder, to see grapes come of thorns? and Olives of thistles? such a wonder you may see in Christ. You may see, out of the sin of man, comes great glory to God, and good to man.
First, Great glory to God: for had not man sinned, neither Gods justice nor mercy had been so magnified. His justice had not been seen at all, in a manner, in punishing the offenders; but 'tis eminently seen in punishing of Christ, who dyed for sinners. This is a louder demon. stration of the Justice of God, than if God had turned all heaven and earth into confusion upon the sin of man.
Again, hereby is way made for magnifying Gods mercy. The sin of man, as God hath ordered it, hath given way to God in the demonstration of his mercy in forgiving, and his justice in punishing It could not have bin thought, that God had been of so gracious a nature, able to put up such great affronts as man had given him, had not sin given him occasion to magni… his mercy.
Secondly, Again, as the sin of man hath given occasion to the advancing of Gods glory, so for the promoting of mans good. By this man is raised to a higher state of happiness and felicity than ever he should have been. Now there is a nearer conjunction between God and man, than ever was before the fall, or ever should have been had it not been for the sin and fall of man. Before it was said, that man was made a little lower than the angels: but now it may be truely said, that he is so much higher than the Angels: more nearly joyned to God. Had man continued in innocence, he had had onelyonly a lengthening out of his temporal life in paradise but now by his sin Christ hath opened the door of heaven to him. O then wonder at the power of Christ!
Fifthly, Perfect justice, raging against perfect innocence. You know that God is perfect in his Righteousness and justice. A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. And yet notwithstanding, his perfect Justice was set against his own son, in whom there was nothing but perfect innocence. He was the Lamb of God: a lamb without spot and blemish; full of grace and truth. No guile was sound in his mouth; and yet you know how the wrath of God brake out upon him. It brake out upon him to the very uttermost: that if he would but put himself into the room of man, he must dye for it, tho Justice it self said I find no fault in him, yet he must dy: all could not save him: but if he will stand between God & offending man, and take our sins upon himself, though he had none of his own, yet justice takes hold of him. Let me say as the Apostle behold the goodness & severity of God. Goodness to thee, but severity unto Christ. O what had come upon you, if you had been to bear the blow! you see how Justice runs upon the Son of God, and fals upon him, and tears him to the ground, and lets out his blood, and would not spare him, though he were the only belovedSon of God. O consider, how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God!
You read, how when Daniels enemies were cast into the Lions den, that they brake all their bones before they came to the bottome of the den. O how wouldst thou have been torn, had the Justice of God taken hold of thee!
Sixthly, Insinite wisdome at cost upon meer worthlessenesse. God expects the blood of his own Son, which was of insinite value, to redeem worthless man. Would you not wonder to see a wise man to be changing Pearls for pebbles? yet here it is a greater wonder: the wise God, redeeming by the death of his own Son, sinful man out of the hands of his own justice. Why what is man? are not all the nations of the world as nothing before him? and yet upon this nothing, this vanity, is Gods insinite wisdome at this cost, that he might save us from eternal death.
Seventhly, The Son of the Blessing made to be a curse, Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. Observe it, 'tis not said he was ACCURSED for us, but a CURSE for us. Christ hath delivered us from the curse: but how? by taking the curse upon himself. You know the curses of the Law that were denounced against sinners: all these curses met together upon one Jesus Christ. How is the book of Gods word full from one end to the other with Curses against sinners! what a load then was there upon the back of Christ, when all these curses met together upon him? what a wonder is it that God should be cursing of his own Son! to hear God say, all my curses shall meet upon thee: cursed shalt thou be in thy body; and cursed shalt thou be in thy soul. To hear the great God speaking thus to his own Son, go thou Cursed, I will engage my Justice and wrath against thee, to torment thee and put thee to death. O what a sight was this! yet thus it was with Jesus Christ. He had as many torments as members: and all the torments that he endured had the curse of God in them.
Eighthly, The Father of mercy forgetting his Bowels to his own Son. VVe read of a very strange thing that was done by the King of Moab, 2 Kings 3. 27. When he saw that the Battel was too sore for him, &c. he took his own Son that should have reigned in his stead, and osfered him for a burnt offering, what a strange sight was this? yet there is a greater wonder than this to be seen in Christ: to see God sacrificing his own Son, and offering him up for a burnt-offering, to appease his wrath against sinful man: O shall not your hearts stand a wondering at this! to see, he that was a God of mercy to have no mercy for his own son? he that had bowels of pity for you, to have no pity for his Son; O behold and wonder. By this time I hope you are convinced that Christ is wonderful.