The Application of Redemption, Book 2
BOOK II.
Matt. 1. 21.
He shall save His People from their Sins.
APPlication was the Second Part of Mans Recovery, whereby all that Good which Christ hath purchased for His, is made Theirs. The Sum of this Description we resolved into Two Divine Truths, which take up the Nature of it.
1 First, Christ hath purchased all Spiritual Good for His. That we have finished.
2 The Second now follows, for which we have … these words; in which we shall attend only so … as serves our purpose in hand.
Christ puts all His into the Possession of all that Doct. …Good He hath Purchased for Them: So much the … letter of the Text sounds. Salvation we know … the substance and marrow of all that Good which we have or hope for, here, or in another world; it … the removal and absence of all evil, that might … the presence and confluence of all such …, which either we want or desire, or can receive to make us happy; they are all comprised in this word Salvation: And this our Savior … purchased, not to lay it up, and to keep it by him; but to lay it out in the behalf of his, not alone to provide it, but to bestow it actually upon them. It is his Name; it was his Office, and he doth the work, he doth …, actually save his People from their sins. 1 Cor. 1. 30. … is said to be made of God to us (not only so in …, and the sight of God, but he is made to us) wisdome, Righteousnes, Sanctisication and Redemption; and therfore the Apostle gives thanks to God who … blessed us with al Spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 1. 3. So that all the treasuries of all kinds of blessings withall advantages are by Christ Communicated to his. Hence the Prophet sets out the Particular inventory of those speciall favours which the Lord doles out unto all … servants and followers to suit them in their occasions and necessities Isay. 61. 1. 2. the Lord hath … me to preach good tidings to bind up the broken hearted, to proclayme libertie to the … the opening of the prison to those that are in bonds to give them the oyl of joy and Gladness for the spirit of …, that they may be clothed with the garments of praise. He not only hath made a … of gladness but he puts it on and cloathes all his servantsHeb. 7. 25. with it, In a word hence it is Christ is said to be a perfect Redeemer to save to the utermost not only to offer Salvation and redemption, to present it before them but to make it good to their hearts and consciences to their everlasting comforts. There are two branches of the Doctrine, the explication of them severally will shew the breadth of this truth.
1. The extent of this Application or the parties who do partake of ir; (Theirs Or Ours) namly, all such for whom these good things were purchased.
2. The manner how they come to be made partakers herof the Description told us (it was made theirs) the Doctrine, (they are put into the possession of them)…
First, Touching the Largness and breadth of this Application, its here to be attended according to the purchase by way of paritie and proportion; Redemption and Application are of equall extent. Christ purchaseth for his, and Christ applyeth unto his, and to his only; al they have this; but only they have this … of those that ever Christ purchased grace and life …, shall … of it, and none but those shall be made possessors of it: both these goe hand in hand: Those, … those, and those only for whom Christ … this, to them, and to all them, and only to them Christ applyes this: This is the paritie and proportion and equall extent of these two Redemption and Application.
See this made good by some few Arguments.Argu. 1.
Look we at the manner of the three persons working, that will give in Evidence unto this truth: this worke of application is attributed in a speciall manner to the spirit, because his manner of working doth therin Specially appear, he works from the father and the Son, and this is the last work. The Father as the Will Determines it, the Son as the wisdom of the Father he disposeth of this work, the holy Ghost as the power of the Almighty Consummates the action.
For whom the Father appointed this redemption for them Christ purchased it, to them the Spirit applies it; If the Spirit should not apply it to all for whom Christ purchased it that might argue want of power, if to any other but such that might argue want of tuth.
Application of the purchase is the end of purchasingArgu. 2. for therefore redemption was purchased for those for whom Christ had undertaken it: that as they needed it & he intended it for their good so they might partake of it for their everlasting good and benefit. thus the current of the Scripture runnes as a mightie stream, 1 Pet. 3. 18. for Christ also once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Titus. 2 14. He gaue himselfe for us that he … redeeme us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes, … 1. 4. who gaue himself for our Sinnes that he might redeem us from this present evill world: I add … more but that John. 17. 19. for their sakes I … my selfe, that is, he prepared himselfe on … for his death and …, that by virtue therof they also might have their corruptions subdued, and their hearts purified by the truth: and hence it is, the … of the … of Grace containes not only the manifestation of Gods mind and counsell, touching what is done for us, but what he will worke in us, and … to us by the power of his grace, Ezek. 36. 26. … … …will Power clean water upon you and clense … from all your filthines, a new spirit I will give you, and a new heart will I work in you, and Jer. 31. 33. I will write my lawes in their hearts, and … my spirit in their inward parts, and therfore … lives forever to Save Perfectly all that come unto … by him Heb. 7. 25. Iftherfore this be the end of … Purchase that it might be made good upon the souls … his children, either Christ must misse of his … and not have his end, or els they must of … have all this good which the Father intended to … and Christ purchased in their behalf, aud for … Speciall benefit.
… the … of Salvation by the death and … …. 3.… of … be … than the Application therof so that Christ should die for manie that shall … … … by his death it would exceedingly … … the vertue of the merits of Christ, and the … … the worke of our redemption, for then it … follow.
The Sufferings and obedience of our Savior … … of lesse vertue and … to save men than the … … guilt of Adams transgression was to condemne …: For Adam did not onelyonly purchas the curse and … by the breach of Covenant, but convey it … that Certainly to all his posteritie, so the Apostle; …. 2. 3. wee were Children of wrath by nature … well as others. All in whose room Adam … and so sinned, all they had his sin imputed … … inflicted without fail; But if Christ fully … life and blessing for those in whose stead … … as a Suretie, but Leaves the Application of it … … Libertie of their owne wills, his merits should … of … power and efficacie for the recoverie and … of his, than Adams sin was for the … of his …. Which the … … … … and that in this point wherin he makes Adam a tipe of Christ …. 5. 14. 21. For if through … offence of one many be dead, nay death raigned … Adam to …, and that ovr Children also … sinned not after the similitude of him, much … … Grace of God and the free Gift by Grace … unto many to … and life that … Sin Raigned unto death So Grace might raigne … Eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Confutation: Learn wee in wariness and … Use 1.to hold this wholsome word of truth, this … which is according to …, wherby … may be fensed and have our hearts … … many dangerous errors; wherby the vain … … the carnal hearts of the sinful sons of men are easily … and taken aside; all which will vanish away … the evidence of this truth … the smoke … … wind, and the Snow before the Sun; And … we should with more care attend to … … Delivered because wee shall have so much use of it … … dayes when the Clouds of Errors have … the world. As men doe when the plague or some infectious Disease begins to Spread, if there … some choyce antidotes which are of Speciall … and virtue to preserve against such malignant … each man will be sure to have it alwayes in his … ever readie in his hand: Such is this Saving truth … once taken in and rightly understood and … will fortify both mind and heart from the infection … such false opinions which are exceding prejudicial … Gods free Grace, and the comfort and peace of … own souls.
Hold this truth then Redemption and Applycation are of equal extent. For whom Christ … to them Christ applyes.
First then: Hence that vain conceit falls to the Ground as Dagon before the Ark, that devised distinction wherby Satan and his instruments have darkned the power and … of Christs death viz. that Christ died for all in point of Impetration but not … Application; that is: he Purchased Redemption for all, but the Application is not unto all, the … he layed down, but the application in … he left to themselves and their owne free wills in the last resolution. As though God in Justice should exact a payment and that to the full of the Suretie and never let it redound to the benefit of the partie.
As though our Saviour should so fail in wisdom as to lay down his blood a full price for the redemption and reconciliation of men: when he well forelaw they would not or could not get any good therby; in a word, this device is dashed from hence: If for whomsoever Christ purchased, to them it is applyed the Impetration and Application are of equall extent.
Hence again it follows by undeniable Evidence, That Christ died not for all: For if he died only for those to whom the Vertue of his death is applied, then he died only for some, because the … of his … is not applied to all: some only shall be … saved by his Death, therefore he died but for …: Application is not to all, therefore … was not for all.
Hence again it's cleer: The Application of Mercy … Grace purchased, depends not upon mans will, … then our Savior had died at uncertainties, and it … been in the power and pleasure of man, to have … frustrate the death of our Savior, and the end of … Redemption purchased thereby: For Christ … it should be applied, and therefore purchased …; and the will of man would cross the will of our …, and say it shall not be applied, which is indeed … confound Heaven and Earth, and pervert the whol … of our Savior in bringing back lost man … God, to make Gods saving Grace serve mens … and humors, and the success of the death of the … Jesus to depend upon the sinful distempers of … hearts of men. Nay, hence the Vertue of Christs … should be lastly resolved into, and wholly … upon the will of man, though he intended to …, yet they might chuse, and so Christ might have … his blood in vain.
We may hence see the reason of that miraculousUse, 2 Dispensation of the Lord Jesus in the work of his Grace upon the sinful … of men, whose salvation … hath … in his everlasting Counsel and … which he made with his Father: here lies the … of the wonderful mysteriousness of that …; That it prevails most powerfully for the good … sinners when they do most of all oppose it: when … seem to be … in their wretched courses, … down in their sinful distempers, and furthest … from the waies and hopes of life, intrenched … dayly custom and long continuance in the strong … of their prevailing corruptions and lusts of their … and lives: when there is many times no … bility, nay, not appearance of any possibility in … that ever they should receive any spiritual good, … being so opposite against it; and yet suddenly, … unexpectedly, and that by very weak means (… times) the Lord Christ most effectually applies … Word and Work of his Grace to their souls. … we to sit down in silence, and look at the … power of the purchase of Jesus, the precious … of the … blood of Jesus, which, though … and unseen to the eye of the world, yet in its … will undoubtedly accomplish the end intended. … very man should observe it, and say, such a poor … wretched creature, that out … God and his … and all the means of his own good, that then the … should meet with him, and stop him, and turn … and call him home to himself; O the Vertue of … Blood of Jesus! the power whereof nothing can … pose, the efficacy and success whereof nothing … hinder; he hath purchased the good of this … creature, and therefore nor Hell, nor Sin, nor … nor … can ever prejudice it. It's the … which our Savior usually gives of the powerful, … wonderful communication of himself to sinners, … in that 17. chapter of John, …. 2. That he … give … life to as many as thou hast given … vers. 6. I have manifested thy Name to those … thou hast given me: …. 8. I have given unto … thy words, and they have received them: and … 12. Those that thou … me I have …, and … of them … lost: i. e. Those whom the Father … mended to the care and keeping of Christ (as if … should say I will have all these to be … and … fied) our saviour he undertakes to purchase and … fect redemption for them, and it therfore … he gives them his word and gives them … to … he will not loose them and they cannot … … they are given into the hands of Christ, nor… … …, nor temptations, nor Delusions shall ever … to take them out of his hand. Upon this … it is our … puts the necessitie of the … of sinners that belong to him. John 10. 16 … other sheep, which are not of this … (not … called yet … up in the … … of mercy when the Lord Jesus undertooke for …) them also I must bring and they shall hear my …. And let it be observed by any whom the … hath effectually brought home to himself if … Look into their first … in all the dealings of … Lord the … of him self in the wayes of … ordinances … … towards them … shall generally and easily observe some impressions … power of the prayer and the vertue … the blood … purchase of Jesus, by all judgments corrections, … … their faylings or performances what … good or … hath … them what ever good or … hath been done by them: the Lord hath either … or restrayned, reformed convinced quickned to … endeavours, and overwrought all, and never left … till the stroke was struck indeed to the full.
Hence … a Saint of God can say that the Lord … been … with him from the time of his …, and all along in the places where he lived … strange horrors and strokes of conscience, … strange sins that he fell into … and then … … and … for them, Grace … wrought yet thats true, but its working, the … … of the blood of Christ is now at …, and will never leave the Soul for which Christ … … there be a full and effectuall application of … saving good: see all this and in a holy … … wonder at the … and … of the … of Jesus Christ.
To direct the hearts of distressed and … Use, 3sinners, how to demean themselves in the work … Application for their own succour and relief; look … to this purchas and blood of Christ if ever you … have the work goe forward.
When some times the means of Grace are … and leave some sad impressions and remembrances … their owne conditions upon them, what they are … what they should be how far short they fail of … which the Lord requires, the rule and their … Comforts may justly call for at their hands; … their consciences are struggling within them, … present them with Direfull apprehensions of the … of their sins and the punishments which they … diserved; when they feel the Lord also striving … them by the Convictions of his spirit, and the … expression of his heavie Displeasure by reason of the sins, and yet are at a stall and a stand in their … spirits, they can make no worke of it, forward … cannot goe, and backward they dare not goe, … they have that cannot repent, they cannot part … their sins, nor give way and welcome to the … tie of the truth that might worke upon them, nor … power of the promises of the gospell which might … their soules to the Lord Jesus: and here the … may stand long. And it's hard but one time or … God meets with every man that lives under the … there are many knocks that men have in their … that all the town knows not of: I must not do … nor be thus, I must either be another man or a … man, and then the man is at a set backward he … not forward he will not. What will you doe now O Looke to the power of the blood and purchase … Christ that is the effectuall meanes to attaine this … it never fails to bring application with it as suits … … good pleasure of the Lord: no … but this can … it and this never fails to attain this end, … let the eye of thy soul look thither still. Doe not … trouble thy selfe, to pry into Gods counsells, … suffer thy self to be bewildred in such curious … as to search the depths of Gods everlasting … whether thou wert elected or no: thou wilt … thy selfe there because that way is unlawfull … thou medlest with that which belongeth not to … Secret things belong to God. But this is … Deut. 29. 29.that as the blood of Christ hath purchased all good … the end of this purchase is the application of it which … will never fayle to attain; Thou wilt say, O that I … that the blood of Christ had purchased for me; … with that; for thou shalt never have the work of grace or the knowledg of grace but by the vertue of this blood therfore you must look to this to worke …, if you would have both. What God will do … that to him, this is the means he hath appoynted … the attainment of this end, therfore look thou to that As the Leaper said to our Saviour if thou wilt Matth. 8. 2.… canst make mee clean, here onelyonly cleansing … is to be had thither he looks, there he waits and Submits, that's his Dutie, whether God will give it or no that's in the libertie of his owne free will, that … Leaves to him, So do thou; whether God will do … for thee or no, that's his prerogative, if he give thee nothing he ows thee nothing, but that Christ hath purchased it for this end, and that I should expect it from hence thats his will and my dutie.
Wee have doné with the extent of this applicationBranch to whom it appertaines, we are now to enquire into the second branch of the Doctrine.