Christ the Way and the Truth and the Life, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. How shall one make use of Christ, as the Life, when wreastling with an angry God because of sin?
THat we may give some satisfaction to this question, we shall
1. Shew what are the ingredients in this case, or what useth to concurre in this distemper.
2. Shew some reasons, why the Lord is pleased to dispense thus with his people.
3. Shew how Christ is life to the soul in this case.
4. Shew the beleevers duty for a recovery: and
5. Adde a word or two of caution.
As to the first. There may be those parts of, or … in this distemper▪
1. God presenting their sins unto their vieu, so as they shall cry out, our sin is ever before us, Psal. 51: 3. and say, as it is Psal. 90: 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance: and so cause them see the Lord contending for sin, as the Church did, Esai. 59: we roare all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment but there is none, for salvation but it is far off from us: for our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testifie against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them, &c.
2. Yea, God may bring upon them the iniquities of their youth, as Iob speaketh Cap. 13: 26. and so bring upon them, or suffer conscience to charge them with their old sins, formerly repented of and pardoned. And this is more terrible: David is made to remember his original sin, Psal. 51.
3. And, as Iob speaketh, Cap. 15: 17. God may seem to be sealing up all their sins in a bag, that none of them may be lost or fall by, without being taken notice of; and, as it were, be gathering them together in a heape.
4. He may pursue sore with signes of wrath & displeasure, because of those sinnes, as we see in David Psal. 4. & 38. & 51. and in several others of his people, chastened of the Lord because of their trangressions; whereof there are many instances in scripture.
5. Yea, and that for a considerable time together, and cause them cry out, with David Psal. 4: 3.—but thou O Lord how long!
6. And that not only with outward, but also with inward plagues. And strokes, as David's case cleareth, in the forecited Psalmes.
7. Yea and not only themselves, but even their posterity: as Davids childe was smiten with death, and the posterity of Manasses, who found mercy himself, 2 Chron. 33: 13. was caryed into captivity for his sin, 2 Kings 23: 26, 27.
8. Further, the Lord may deprive them of all their former joy and comfort, which made David cry out Psal. 51: 12. restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and grant me thy free Spirit.
9. And, which is yet more terrible, write their sin upon their judgment, as when He caused the sword and whoredom follow Davids house.
10. And finally, He may cause them feare utter offcasting as Psal. 51: 11. cast me not away (said he) from thy presence.
And this the Lord thinketh good to do (that we may speak a word to the second particular) for those and the like reasons.
1. To discover to them, and to all the world, how Just, Holy, and Righteous a God He is, that cannot approve of or beare with sin, even in his own children.
2. To make all fear and tremble before this great and holy God, who is terrible in his judgements, even when they come from a Fathers hand, that is not pursueing in pure anger and wrath, but chastening in love: Sure, all must think, that his dispensations with the wicked will be much more fearful and horrible, seing they are not yet reconciled unto Him through the blood of …esus.
3. To presse Believers more earnestly in to Christ, that they may get a new extract of their pardon▪ and their souls washen in the blood of Iesus.
4. To teach them to walk more circumspectly afterward, and to guaird more watchfully against Satans temptations, and to imploy Christ more as their Strength, Light and Guide.
5. To cause them see their great obligation to Jesus Christ, for delivering them from that state of wrath, wherein they were by nature, as well as others, and would have lyen-in to all eternity, had not He redeemed them.
6. To exercise their Faith, Patience and Hope; to see if in hope, they will beleeve against hope, and lay hold on the strength of the Lord, that they may make peace with him, Esai. 27: 5.
7. To give a fresh proof of his wonderful Mercy, Grace, Love, and Compassion, upholding the soul, in the meane time, & at length, pardoning them, and speaking peace to their souls through the blood of Jesus.
But as to the third particular. We may look on Christ, as the Life to the soul in this case, upon those accounts.
1. He hath satisfied justice, and so hath borne the pure wrath of God due for their sinnes: He hath troden the winepresse alone, Esai. 63: 3. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our sins, Esai. 53: 5, 10. And therefore they drink not of this cup, which would make them drunk, and to stagger, and fall, and never rise againe.
2. Yea, He hath procured, that mercy and love shall accompany all those sharpe dispensations; and that they shall flow from mercy; yea and that they shall be as a covenanted blessing, promised in he covenant, Psal. 89: 30, 31, 32, 33.
3. And sometimes He is pleased to let them see this clear difference betwixt the strokes they lye under, and the judgments of pure wrath, which attend the wicked: and this supporteth the soul: for then he seeth, that those dispensations, how sharpe so ever they be, shall work together for good to him, and come from the hand of a gracious and loving Father, reconciled in the blood of Christ.
4. He is a Prince exalted to give repentance and remission of sins to Israel, Act. 5: 31. Yea, He hath procured such a clause in the covenant, which is wel ordered in all things and sure, that upon their renewing of faith and repentance, their after sin shall be pardoned; and besides the promises of faith and repentance, in the covenant, His being … Prince exalted to give both, giveth assurance o… their receiving of both.
5. He cleareth to them their interest in the Covenant, and their right to the promises of the Covenant; and through their closeing with Christ▪ b… faith, He raiseth up their heart in hope, & cause… them to exspect an outgate, even remission of the… sins, and turning a way of the displeasure in due tim… through Him: and this is a great part of their life▪
6. Being the author and finisher of faith, … … Prince to give repentance, He, by His Spirit, worketh up the soul to a renewing of its grips o… Himself, by faith, and to a …uning to the death and blood of Christ for pardon, and washing: and worketh godly sorrow in the heart; whereupon followeth Pardon, according to the gospel constitution, though the beleever as yet perceiveth it not. And sin being pardoned before God, conforme to the tenor of the covenant of grace, the man is a living man, whatever feares of death, he may be keeped under for a time.
7. He helpeth also the soul to a justifying of God, and to a holy submissive frame of Spirit, under that dispensation; so that they are willing to beare the indignation of the Lord, because they have sinned against Him, Micah. 7: 9. and to waite for an outgate in God's own time: and to kisse the rod, and accept of the punishment of their sin.
8. When He seeth it fit for his own glory, and their advantage, He speaketh peace at length to the soul, and sayeth, Son or daughter, be of good cheer, thy sinnes are forgiven thee. And then is the soul restored to life.
As to the fourth particular. The soul that is wreastling with an angry God for sin, and would make use of Christ as the life, would do those things,
1. He would look to Christ, as standing under God's curse in our room, and as satisfying justice for all the elect, and for all their sinnes.
2. He would eye the covenant, wherein new pardon is promised, upon the renewing of faith and repentance.
3. He would eye Christ, as the great Lord dispensator of both Faith and Repentance, and hing on Him for both; and thus beleeve, that he may beleeve and repent, or lay his soul open to Him, that He may work in him both Repentance and Faith.
4. He would flee to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than the blood of Abel, that he may be washen, and sprinkled with hysope, as David did Psal. 51: 7.
5. He would eye Christ as a prince, to pardon, and give remission of sins, and as exalted for this end, and would fix his eye upon Him, as now exalted in glory for this end.
6. He would close with Christ of new, as his only alsufficient mediator; and, having done this, and repented of his sins, whereby God hath been provoked, he would conclude through faith, that a pardon is past in the court of heaven, conforme to the tenor of the gospel, and waite on Christ, until the intimation come.
As for the cautions, which I promised to speak to, in the last place, take those few
1. Do not conclude there is no pardon, because there is no intimation thereof made to thy soul, as yet. According to the dispensation of grace, condescended upon in the gospel, pardon is had immediatly upon a souls beleeving and repenting; But the intimation, sense, and feeling of pardon, is a distinct thing, and may, for several ends, be long …eeped-up from the soul; Sure, they go not alwayes together.
2. Do not conclude, there is no pardon, because the rode, that was inflicted for sin, is not as yet taken off▪ God pardoned Davids sin, and did intimate the same to Him by Nathan, and yet the sword did not depart from his house till he died: God can forgive, and yet take vengeance on their in ven…ions, Psal. 99▪ 8.
3. Do not upon this ground, question God's Faithfulnesse, or conclude that God's covenant doth not stand fast: He is the same, and the covenant abideth fast and firme; but the change is in thee.
4. Do not think, that because thou hast once received Christ, that therefore, without any new act of faith on Him, or of repentance towards God, thou should immediatly be pardoned of thy sinnes, as soon as they are committed: for the gospel methode must be followed, and it should satisfie us.