Exposition of Revelation 13, Part 10
Rev. 13. 8. latter part of the verſ.
The Lamb ſlaine from the foundation of the world.
THere remayns now the latter part of this verſ, which is a deſcription of Jeſus Chriſt: and he is deſcribed.
1. By the ſimilitude of a Lamb.
2. By his paſſion; He is ſlaine: And
3. By the antiquity of it; He is ſlaine from the foundation of the world.
The note is this:
The Lord Jeſus Chriſt was as a Lamb;Doctrine 2. and though a Lamb, yet was ſlaine: and though ſlaine in fulneſſe of time (about 4000. years after the world began) yet in effect he was ſlaine from the foundation of the world.
This is the ſum of this latter part of the verſe. Not to ſtay long in any of theſe things, and put to ſtay upon them, becauſe they are principles of our Chriſtian faith; and principles may not be paſſed over in haſt, eſpecially conſidering the handling of them is a ſpeciall branch of our calling. Behold the Lamb of God (ſaith John) that taketh away the ſinnes of the world, John 1. 29. 36. It was his particular office to point at Chriſt, and he doth it under the notion of a Lamb: So it is ſaid, A Lamb ſtood upon mount Zion, Rev. 14. 1.
Now why a Lamb? In a double reſpect (and I ſpeak of no more then what the Scripture hath reſpect unto:)
Firſt, in reſpect of his innocency.
2ly. In reſpect of his meekneſſe and patience.
1. His innocency.
1. In his birth: That holy thing which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the ſonne of God, John 1. 35.
2. Innocent in his life. It behooves us (ſaith Chriſt to Iohn) to fulfill all righteouſneſſe, Mat. 3. 15. And in 1 Pet. 2. 22. He did no ſinne, neither was guile found in his mouth.
3. Innocent alſo in his death. Pilate bare him that record, Mat. 27. 24. when he had heard all things that were born witneſſe againſt him, hee tooke water and waſh…d his hands before the multitude, ſaying, I am innocent of the blood of this juſt perſon.
And as he was thus innocent as a Lamb: So he was meeke and patient as a Lamb: and the holy Ghoſt hath reſpect unto it, Acts 8. 32. He was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, and like a Lamb dumb before the ſhearers, ſo opened he not his mouth. And therefore there is ſomething reſpected in his ſilence and quiet ſubjection to the ſlaughter knife: And his patience or meekneſſe doth expreſſe it ſelf in two things chiefly.
1. In ſubmitting not himſelf only, but his will to his fathers will. Father, ſaith Chriſt (in his agony in the Garden) if it be poſſible, let this cup paſſe from me, nevertheleſſe not as I will, but as thou wilt. And if this cup may not paſſe away from me except I drinke it, thy will be done, Mat. 26. 39. 42 And that is properly after Gods own heart, when a mans heart is ſubdued to the will of God; in which reſpect he did not murmure at his Fathers hand, nor did expoſtulate his being delivered into the hands of wicked men, 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not againe; when he ſuffered, he threatned not, but committed himſelfe to him that judgeth righteouſly: And ſo meek was be in this very kind, as that be prayed for his very enemies and perſecutors. Luk. 23. 34. Then ſaid Jeſus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
2. His patience and meekneſſe ſtood in keeping ſilence in his own juſt defence. As a Lamb dumb before the ſh…arer, keeping ſilence before his Accuſers, and Judges, and Condemners. He anſwered nothing before the high Prieſt; any thing that might tend to his crucifying, as he doth expreſſe: If they will make it a point to crucifie him, becauſe he ſaid, He was the ſon of God: Saith he, I came into the world to bear witneſs unto that. When Pilate did accuſe him, he anſwered nothing, and the Governour wondred at it, knowing that hee could tell what to anſwer: He marvailed that ſo juſt a man, in ſo juſt a caſe did not anſwer a word which did ſo narrowly concern him: But he did not know what the cauſe was, that he was as a Lamb dumb before the ſhearer, and before the ſlaughter alſo.
What might be the reaſon then of this Lamb lik innocency and meekneſſe of Chriſt? (They are principles, and ought to be incultated often:)
The firſt ground is,
To fulfill the types that went before of him,Reaſon 1. Exod 12. 5. The paſchall Lamb was without blemiſh. And Exod. 29 39. The daily Sacrifice was to be a Lamb without ſpot and blemiſh, therefore Chriſt muſt be ſuch.
The ſecond Reaſon is taken from his perſonal union with the ſecond perſon in Trinity:Reaſon 2. For in him dwelleth all the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, Col. 2 9. that is perſonally: So that Chriſt muſt be a ſinner, if in any thing Chriſt had failed either in doing or ſuffering (which were blaſphemy to ſay): And hence ſprings an utter impoſſibility of his manhood, acting any thing without the G…d head acting by him; for the Son can do nothing of himſelfe, but as he ſeeth the Father do.
Thirdly,Reaſon 3. there is a further neceſſity of his Lamb-like innocency: From our neceſſity of ſuch a Sacrifice, and ſuch an high Prieſt as was holy, and blameleſſe, and undefiled, Heb. 7. 26, 27, 28. Such an high Prieſt it behooved us to have: Yea, it was requiſite the Sacrifice ſhould be blameleſſe, Levit. 1. 3. And the Prieſt that offered it to be ſo alſo, Levit. 21. 18. For otherwiſe he could not make attonement for us, nor could his attonement be accepted.
But why was he thus patient, ſilent, and meek? a double reaſon of that.
Firſt,Reaſon 1. That his Sacrifice might be voluntary, and ſo accepted of the Father. Sacrifice and offering for ſinne thou wouldſt not, neither hadſt pleaſure therein, which are offered by the law; Then ſaid he, Loe I come to doe thy will, O God, Heb. 10. 8, 9. Whoever was to offer a Sacrifice, was to bring it himſelfe, and deliver it up, and himſelfe with it, and it muſt be offered willingly: Wheeher it was the Congregation that had committed a ſinne, or whether it were any particular perſon, they were to bring their oblation: Any Sacrifice that a man would have accepted, he muſt bring it to the door of the Tabernacle, Lev. 4. 4. 14. 23. The Prieſt muſt not fetch it: If any would bring their Sacrifice they might; but if they were extorted from them, they were not accepted: So the Lord Jeſus muſt come and freely offer up himſelfe, as one that was to be preſented in the ſtead of all the Elect: Hee offered himſelfe a Surety of the Covenant; we ſhould have brought it, but we had it not in our hearts: But hee brings himſelfe, and layes downe his life of himſelfe, and takes it up againe, John 10. 18.
And 2ly. why did he expreſſe his patience in that ſilence of his? The reaſon was from this very cauſe, even
From the want of ſufficient matter to give a juſt Anſwer in our behalfe by all things that he could alledg for us.Reaſon 2. If hee had ſtood in his own perſon, and had had nothing to do but to cleare himſelfe, he had had a world to have anſwered for himſelfe, and this Pilate ſaw; for he ſaid that he was a King, but a King of another world, and Pilate knew that there was no Ceſarian Law that did forbid a Kingdome in another world: but ſtanding in our perſons, hee knew not what to anſwer: What could there be charged upon Chriſt, but we have been guilty of it? Can it be ſayd that none of the Elect of God did blaſpheme? and that none of them did deſtroy the Temple of God? and can it be juſtified that all the Elect of God have been freed from commotions? Can any undertake that defence for the elect of God? What ſinne can you charge upon him, but ſome of the ſervants of God have been guilty of it? Therefore it is, that the Lord Jeſus anſwers not: He doth not deny, he doth not out-face them in the buſineſſe: It is not ſo with him; He is not ſuch an Advocate: He pleads with a good conſcience when he pleads, and he is clear, but he cannot clear his Elect ones from Church-cenſure, and Civill cenſure: Nor doth he plead with God about any kind of hard-ſhip, in putting upon him that extremity, he knew the elect of God had deſerved ſuch: And though he knew that they dealt wickedly, yet ſtanding in our room, hee had not a ſufficient plea, let them charge him with what they will: A man cannot charge him with any ſinne, but ſome of his Elect have been guilty of it, and therefore what can be anſwered? Therefore he was not willing to excuſe himſelfe: He doth neither deny nor extenuate any Crime that can be layd ag…inſt him; but take it in its full rigour, and the accuſation doth ſtand good: They ſtand not good againſt the Principall, but againſt the Surety, as hee is a Surety, they ſtand good againſt him; for as it is in Job 9. 2, 3. How ſhould man be juſt with God? If hee will contend with him, he cannot anſwer him one of a thouſand.
Let a man ſtand before the Tribunall of the juſtice of God, and he cannot anſwer one of a thouſand: And if Chriſt be to ſtand for all the elect of God, hee cannot anſwer one of a thouſand: And therefore when the King came to ſee the man in the room that had not on the wedding Garment, the man was ſpeechleſſe; which plainly ſhewes us, that if Chriſt ſtand in the room of Gods people, the caſe ſtands ſo, that Chriſt cannot anſwer for us, to excuſe us. Job could not anſwer one of a thouſand, though he was the perfecteſt man in his Generation (and I know not whether any man after him that was more innocent then he:) And what ſhall others of Gods called ones be able to doe? and what they are not able to doe, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hee doth carry it in the ſame manner, as one that cannot excuſe them from being guilty of thoſe ſinnes, no more then himſelfe can.
Thus you ſee the reaſons both of Chriſts innocency and patience.
The uſe of the point is,
Firſt,Ʋſe 1. to convince us of the guilt of all the elect people of God, and their guiltineſſe even of violent death, and unexcuſableneſſe under that death. If ſo be we had been innocent, what needed Chriſt to have been ſo patient as hee was, ſo Lamb-like in his innocency? His Lamb-like innocency is an argument of our guiltineſſe: The ſervants of God, eſpecially ſuch as take any more narrow ſearch of their own waves, they ſee themſelves full of blemiſhes, ſpots, and wrinckles, and many ſuch things, Iſa. 64. 6. We are all as unclean things, and all our righteouſneſſes are as filthy ragges. They are all as the clouts of a menſteruous woman, even all our beſt righteouſneſſe: This this the condition of us all, full of uncleaneſſe, and pollution, and deformity: And wh…ch is worſe then that, unexcuable in all: for if wee cou…d have told what to ſay, and to ſay juſtly, Chriſt would have ſayd it much more fully then we could; for he is our Advocate, and it were a ſhame for an Advocate, if the party of the cauſe could defend his cauſe better then his Advocate: Chriſt is more skilful in the Law then we; but his ſilence doth profeſſe, that he knows not what to ſay, to ſtand out in our defence. He might have excuſed ſome of Gods elect from this or that actual groſſe Sinne; but he could have excuſed none from a guilty proneneſſe to all manner of Sinne: There is a vicious proneneſſe in us to all ſinne, and therefore Chriſt could not tell what to ſay. And as there is a proneneſſe in us to all ſinne, ſo there is an actuall commiſſion of many ſinnes, And in many things we ſinne all, James 3. 2. And there are few or none of Gods elect; that if ſo be a man that is privy to all their dealings, were to give an account of them, he could not juſtifie them from the guilt, and ſtain of all ſinne. Now this is the caſe of Chriſt, he hath been acquainted with all our wayes; and if he be examined of what hath been done wickedly, before the Church, and before the Common-wealth, he is not able to deny, but both Church and Common-wealth might proceed againſt us all. And this may caſt a holy bluſhing upon us in the preſence of the Lord, and of this Lamb: Chriſt could have told what to have anſwered, if ought had been to be anſwered; but when he ſtands in our room, he ſtands ſilent: he could not with truth bear witneſſe unto any of us touching our guiltineſſe: knowing what he knew by us, it would make us unfit for both ſocieties, either of Church or Common-wealth. And it is a juſt humiliation for a man to know that he ſtands in ſuch a ſtate, of which no good account can be given: A man that is skilful indeed, and knows the Law as well as Chriſt did, ſtanding in our room, he hath nothing to anſwer for himſelfe, and the Lord knows it, and time was when this conſidered did muzz… his mouth, he was like a lamb dumbe before his ſhearer: you cannot rake up ſuch a baſe accuſation againſt him, but he knows where the dint of it will fall, and therefore he is very ſenſible of the truth of all that is laid unto his charge. Let God come upon us with ſpiritual diſſertions, we muſt know that it is juſt with God to diſſert us; and though the Church ſhould ſpue us out, and the Common-wealth cut us off from the land of the living, who can plead for us? If Chriſt ſtand in our perſons, he hath nothing to plead.
Secondly,Ʋſe 2. it doth teach us, where to look for all our juſtification and reconcilement with the Father. Truly brethren not in our own righteouſneſſe, for the Lord himſelfe that knowes it better then we do, he knows that it will not hold out before the judgement ſeat of God. He might have pleaded, that David was a man after Gods own heart; he might have pleaded the wiſedome of Solom…n; and the truth of Joſias heart, and the zeal of Phineas, and the patience of Job: but he knowing the Law well enough, and what th…y have been, (and we have all been) he hath nothing to plead; and therefore we muſt not plead our own righteouſneſſe: let no man think that his own pleading will reach his own juſtification, whereas Chriſt himſelfe could not reach it for him. All have ſinned, all have been out of the way, and there is none that doth good no not one, Pſal. 14. 1, 2, 3. he ſpeaks of us by nature, and we were natural, before we came to be ſpiritual: Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, What things ſoever the Law ſaith it ſaith to them who are under the Law, that every mouth may …, and all the world may become guilty b…fore God, Rom. 3. 19. … uſe the Apoſtle himſelfe makes of it, Verſ. 23, 24, 25▪ We have all ſinned, and come ſhort of the glory of God, being juſtified freely by his grace, through the redemp…ion that is in Jeſus Chriſt; whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteouſneſſe, for the remiſſion of ſinnes that are paſt, through the forbearance of God. So that (I ſay) this … of our juſtification; the Lord J…ſus hath borne, and ſuffe…ed for us when he was ſilent in our behalfe, and could not tell what to ſay. Papiſts can bring you many argum… … juſtifie themſelves; they will bring you many inſtances of this Saint, and that Saint, (and of the Virgin Mary above all others) of their purity, and righteouſneſſe, and how able they are to plead for others: They may be wiſe for themſelves, and do as Procters are wont to do, regard their fees, and not their Cauſe: but the Lord Jeſus is faithful, and yet he cannot plead as guiltleſſe: Nor muſt you think, as ſometimes poor chriſtians will do; I cannot ſay much for my ſelfe, but ſuch a brother, ſuch a ſiſter, they may indeed give a better account of me then I can do of my ſelfe; but truly, nothing to ſatisfie Gods juſtice, can any give account, for Chriſt himſelf could not do it: And indeed ſo marvellouſly did God accept this kinde of defence that our Saviour makes, that he hath crowned this faithfulneſſe of Chriſt with everlaſting honour unto all ages: he hath ſo fully, ſo gratiouſly accepted him, as that he hath for ever ratified it in Heaven, that no man ſhall ever paſſe away righteous from the judgement ſeat of God that can plead any righteouſneſſe of his own: Whoever he be that will not ſtand righteous before the judgement ſeat of God by any righteouſneſſe of his own, he muſt ſtand mute as Chriſt himſelfe ſtood: and if he be juſt, he muſt be juſt by his righteouſneſſe. Chriſt could plead nothing for us of our own, not our active obedience, nor any paſſive obedience of ours: but he having ſuffered for us, the puniſhment that all the wickedneſſe of the Elect have deſerved, Now he doth ever live to make interceſſion for us, Heb. 7. 25. Now he hath arguments enough to plead: If any man ſin now, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, 2 John 2. 1. Why did he not plead before? Truly he could not open his mouth before, becauſe he had not yet ſuffered: but now he hath ſuffered, the juſt for the unjuſt, and now that he hath borne the cenſure of Church and Common-wealth, now he hath enough to plead in the behalfe of the pooreſt chriſtian. And if ſo be that any plead againſt his Saints and ſervants, and ſay that they are guilty of theſe & theſe ſins, God wil ſay, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ranſome, Job 33. 24. He now pleads ſatisfaction to the juſtice of his Father; and having ſatisfied for all, there is a ſufficient plea in his mouth for all the Elect of God: whatever our actual tranſgreſſions have been, the Lord hath aboundant plea for all his people: that ſo he may both obtain of the Father, the ſpirit to beſtow good things upon us; and having given us ſuch things, as faith, and love, and repentance, he may plead our ſincerity of heart, and that argues communion with himſelfe, and ſaith in his bloud: But that which doth make us ſtand righteous before him is this, that he himſelfe was a Lamb without ſpot, and yet did not plead his own innocency, but did bear all for us, and for us all, that we might ever be righteous in the ſight of God. And thus will God have all his ſervants plead, or elſe they ſhall not have ſalvation.
Firſt to plead ſilence; That then thou mayeſt remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, becauſe of thy ſhame, when I am pacified towards thee, for all that thou haſt done, ſaith the Lord God, Ezek. 16. 63.
Secondly to plead our iniquity, Pſal. 51. 3, 4. I acknowledg my tranſgreſſion, and my ſinne is ever before mee: Againſt thee onelyonly have I ſinned and done this evill in thy ſight, that thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt &c. But purge me with by ſope and I ſhall be clean.
Looke therefore unto this point mainly and principally, that if we come to plead before the Lord our God, hee doth require we ſhould examine our ſelves, and in the end be ſo ſurprized (when we have done) as not to have what to anſwer. Chriſt could not tell what to anſwer, and we muſt not wonder, if wee doe not finde what to anſwer: For here God magnifieth his love in ſetting forth himſelfe unto a believer, to be a God juſtifying him that cannot juſtifie himſelfe: He ſeeth there is the way of the grace of God, the Lord hath done this in Chriſt; and the manifeſtation and declaration of it doth ſo poſſeſſe the hearts of Gods children, that it cauſeth them to cleave unto him for all their righteouſneſſe and peace: And this is of great neceſſity, and of continuall practice for the Saints of God to attend unto, that we might not be at a loſſe in this great queſtion of our ſoules. Conſcience cryes out unto us, and wee know not in the world what to ſay, for wee are wicked beyond meaſure in the ſight of God, our own ſincerity will not plead our righteouſneſſe before God: But all it will do, will come to this end, that we ſhall be convinced, we have nothing to ſay: (Nay an Angel, nay the Sonne himſelfe could not tell what to ſay for us) but wee look to be juſtified freely by his grace: And the God of all grace doth ſo juſtifie Chriſts cauſe, that all the world that are juſtified, ſhall be juſtified by his plea, who hath done all things for us that concern our everlaſting ſalvation.
For a third uſe of the point,Ʋſe 3. it may be for reproof to unconſcionable Advocates (but I have not I thinke ſo much cauſe to ſpeak of it here, but in moſt places of the world I might ſpeak of it) It might teach all Advocates to take heed of bolſtering out a bad Caſe by qui…ks of wit, and tricks and quilets of Law, the Lord abhors ſuch things. If you will have the Lord to ſmell a ſavour of reſt, plead the cauſe of the faithful, and of the widow, but thou ſhalt not accept the perſon of the poor, nor of the rich. And for men that profeſſe Religion (as many Lawyers do) to uſe their tongues as weapons of unrighteouſneſſe unto wickedneſſe, it is a profeſſed practice againſt the doctrine of mortification; For a man to give his tongue (his glory, as David calls it) to become a member of unrighteouſneſſe, to plead in corrupt Cauſes, and to ſtrain the Law to that purpoſe, were I to ſpeake in place where, I ſhould think it meet to ſpeak more. But I ſhall not be accounted a good Lawyer, may ſome ſay: No, Chriſt was the beſt Advocate that ever was, and yet he could not anſwer: Let the cauſe be what it is, where the tree fals, let it lye: If Chriſt do keep ſilence in point of our righteouſneſſe, let us keep ſilence alſo in point of our own.
Fourthly,Ʋſe 4. It may be a uſe of inſtruction unto all thoſe that profeſſe fellowſhip with Chriſt, and the ſaving knowledg of Chriſt Jeſus: You ſee here how Chriſt is deſcribed, a Lamb ſlaine from the foundation of the world; None more innocent, and yet none more me…k and pa…ient.
If you ſpeak of Chriſt as a Miniſter, the ſpirit of a Dove doth come upon him. For the Sacrifice, he is a Lamb. The wolfe ſhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard ſhall lye downe with the Kid; and the Calfe, and the young Lyon, and the Fa…ling together, and a little child ſhall lead them. And the Cow and the Beare ſhall feed, their young ones ſhall lye down together; and the Lyon ſhall eate ſtraw like the Oxe, and the ſucking child ſhall play on the hole of the Aſpe, and the weaned child ſhall put his hand on the Cock-atrice den. They ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all my holy mountaine, Iſa. 11. 6. to 9.
Doe you ſee a man boyſterous in his ſpirit, and in his own will and wayes, and will not be willing to ſee a difference in himſelfe from the ſpirit of Chriſt Jeſus (as it is poſſible that a child of God may be rough in his way, yet hee dare not allow himſelfe long in it, it is a body of death: But) if you ſee a man that doth allow himſelfe in a paſſionate frame of ſpirit, that a man will have his owne will (and will not be croſſed in it) whether it be right or wrong, doubtleſſe this is not the ſpot of Gods children; It is not the ſpirit of thoſe whoſe names are written in the Lambs b…ok of life. God did not indeed elect us, becauſe either we are ſuch, or would be ſuch, but he did elect us to be made ſuch firſt or laſt, before we come to enjoy the everlaſting Inheritance which this book hath written us downe unto. And therefore it muſt cut off all our boyſterouſnes and churliſhnes of ſpirit; all this ruggedneſſe and churliſhneſs it muſt be taken off; The wolf ſhall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard ſhall lye downe with the kid, and a little child ſhall lead them: Therefore all bitterneſſe of contention, and pangs of paſſion that prevaile, that are farre from the ſpirit of love, muſt be removed: But this will prevaile in all Gods people, that God will carry an end your ſpirits, in conformity to the ſpirit of his own. Be of that ſpirit therefore in all your Tranſactions, that is to ſay, mild, and patient, and innocent: And ſo it will require all the children of God in the ſame kind, to keep Lamb-like ſilence, when you are charged with any fault whereof you are guilty.
It is a dangerous ſinne when men are found in a fault, they have a thouſand excuſes for it, and utter denyal of ſuch things, ſo as they will cut you a Weavers beame unto a very moate: But you ſee the ſpirit of Chriſt Jeſus will not doe it, nor will he confeſſe it, for they charged it upon him in his own perſon, and ſo he could not confeſſe it: Hee could not deny it, becauſe then he ſhould not have ſtood in our room as he did. And therefore it behooves thoſe that are young or old; if you be innocent, then you may excuſe it; if you be guilty, beware of denying, for if you do, you ſhall leave a difficult travayl upon Jeſus Chriſt to plead your cauſe: He that knoweth the heart, and the truth of the thing, he is aſhamed of ſuch a proud ſpirit, that ſo defends himſelf as you doe.
Laſtly,Ʋſe 5. it is a ground of ſingular comfort to all whoſe names are written in the Lambs booke of life, and brought on to this Lamb-like frame of heart, in the greateſt horrour of ſpirit, whereas the ſoule in this or that man is confounded, and he knows not what to ſay: Here is comfort for ſuch a ſoule laid up, for here is a ſufficient plea before Gods Judgment ſeate, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath been ſilent at it, he hath born and ſuffered for it. It will come unto this paſſe with a ſoule under ſpiritual confuſion: Wee ſhall lye downe in our ſhame, with our confuſion upon our faces, as in Jer. 3. 24, 25. Wee cannot deny it, nor excuſe it, and therefore we are ready to conclude, woe to us that ever we were born; That is not a juſt concluſion though, for truly this we muſt come unto, if ever we come unto Chriſt: And therefore it is a way of juſtification, and of life for a man to be confounded in himſelfe for his ſin, for the Lord doth never juſtifie a ſinner, untill hee hath confounded him.
Many a man many times will ſay, it is true, godly friends have had a good opinion of me, but they are deceived by my expreſſions, performances, and outward carriage; Here the ſoule is mady times apt to ſinke, and would ſink, if the Lord Jeſus ſtood not at a non-plus in his room; for Chriſt could not tell what to ſay, till hee had made ſatisfaction; neither could he acknowledg the faults that were layd to his charge, becauſe himſelfe was guiltleſs; not deny them, leſt he ſhould falſly juſtifie us.
We cannot tell now what to ſay to our owne eſtates ſometimes; The Church complaines, all our Prophets are gone, and our ſignes are gone, the caſe is now deſperate, when wee are in a deſperate taking: But though wee cannot tell preſently what to ſay, yet the Text and the Goſpel tels you, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins of the world. He himſelf could make no words about our juſtification, it was a caſe paſt words, excuſes would not heale us, then there was ſomething to be ſuffered, and that to the utm…ſt: This he hath ſuffered, wherefore he is able to ſave them to the utmoſt that come unto God by him, Heb. 7. 25. He is now able to do it; but when he ſtood before Pontius Pilate, he could not tell what to ſay, but now he hath ſuffered in Family, C…u…ch and C…mmon-wealth. In his family, they forſook him, and denyed him, and forſwore him; therefore now having made perfect ſatisfaction unto the exact juſtice of his heavenly Father, by being condemned to death, crucified upon the Croſſe, dead and buried, now his mouth is ever open to make interceſſion: There is a ſtay and ſtaffe unto a Chriſtian: Looke unto me, and be yee ſaved all the ends of the earth, Iſa. 45. 22. Now here is the brazen Serpent lifted up, That whoſoever believeth in him, ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life, John 3. 14, 15.
Reſt not now in a naked knowledge of this, but look up to Heaven with your inner man, be confounded becauſe of your ſhame, and yet ſee the Lord offering you Chriſt, and giving you grace to receive him and to reſt there, that whatever cavils and temptations the Devil may make, and your own conſciences may make, yet there is hope in Iſrael concerning this: The Lord is righteous, but I and my houſe are wicked, may a man ſay, my wayes are corrupt, and my heart worſt of all: But the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and by his ſtripes we are healed, Iſa. 53, 5, 6, 7.
There is nothing that will cleare him before God, when he ſtands in our caſe, but he muſt ſtand aſhamed and confounded for us all: And though wee be thus and thus guilty in our owne apprehenſions, and culpable in the ſight of men, yet the Lord hath made ſatisfaction for us, and therefore ſaith, Deliver him, for I have received a ranſome: And where there is any ſeede of God, there will be a ſecret quieting of the heart upon this very ground, which the Lord doth dart into the ſoule, by cauſing it to reſt upon him, and cleave to him, and hang about him, where onelyonly Redemption, Reconciliation, and Attonement for us are to be found.