The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 1
CAP. I.
THE Firſt thing which I ſtand bound unto, is the clearing of the truth of this Poſition, or Foundation of my diſcourſe, viz. That Chriſt Dying, did Die as a loving and careful Friend, conſidering the ſtate, and providing by Will for the future good of his kindred and people; Chriſt Dying, died as a Teſtator, as one ordaining his laſt Teſtament. Let therefore theſe things be conſidered. As,
Sect. 1.
1. That he died ſeized, and poſſeſſed of a great and vaſt eſtate of which he had the abſolute diſpoſal. He was Lord of Heaven and Earth; and could give what ever he pleaſed of the one or other unto his peculiar people. It is true, he acquired a new title and right by his death, but it is as true that he had an unqueſtionable title and right to all, both the Glory of Heaven, with the grace that prepares and fits for it, and to the goods of the Earth with power to give to beſt pleaſed him. He did veil his glory, and in the daies of his fleſh forewent the exerciſe of that glorious royalty which was his due equally with his Father; but he never did diſſeize, or diſpoſſeſs himſelf of that inheritance which by the right of eternal generation from the Father, and which by the right of creation jointly with the Father he was, and will be ſtill ſeized and poſſeſſed of, thus the Heavens were his, the Earth alſo; Heb. 1.2.He was heir of all things. Now could it be likely or indeed imaginable that ſo great an heir, ſeized of ſuch an eſtate, ſhould die and not dipoſe of it? had it not been wiſedom to diſpoſe of it to ſome or other, if he had had no dependances that needed it? the worth of the eſtate would have adviſed this if the indigency and want of the kindred had not perſwaded to it. But Indeed,
Sect. 2.
2. This great heir had a very great kindred and alliance, Pſal. 2.8.who were even poor enough; for the greatneſs of his kindred, they were ſcattered over all the earth, Rom. 15.11 Pſal. 110.3. Rev. 7.9. Heb. 11.12.he hath ſome of all Nations; they were as the dew from the womb of the morning, an innumerable company which no man could number; as the ſand on the ſea ſhore, ſo was his kindred to be. And as they were many, Rev. 3.17.ſo likewiſe were they exceeding poor; they wanted much, for they had by prodigality ſpent all; they had waſted their goods, God gave them a good portion, did ſet them up bravely furniſhed, but all was gone unleſs a little which the mercy of their Creditor ſpared to them to live upon. There was a Judgment taken out, only mercy forbore the Execution. Now could ſuch a mulof poor needy kindred be forgotten and neglected think you by ſuch a Dying Friend? and how ſhould he have ſhewed himſelf of the kindred, but by giving them legacies at his death? If their unworthy deportment was ſuch as would diſengage any other, yet it could not diſengage him, who would do what beſt became his affection, not what beſt ſuited with their deſerts. Take therefore this farther into conſideration.
Sect. 3.
3. That this great Heir had a moſt hearty and unparallel'd affection of pity and love for all his poor kindred. He loved them with a love greater than the love of women; he did bear the love of a friend, a father, of a husband; his love to his was ſo great, none could have greater; for it was that cauſed him to die for them. Now having thus loved his own, he loved them to the end; and love hath a good memory, it will not eaſily forget. I am ſure Chriſt did neither abate of his love, nor forget them he loved, which perſwadeth me to conclude, that this great Heir ſo dearly loving his poor kindred, would certainly provide for them, and leave a Will or Teſtament behind him, which they ſhould all be the better for; which I the rather incline to believe he would do, becauſe
Sect. 4.
4. His poor kindred needed ſome ſuch due, lawful, and valid Act or Deed to convey his eſtate unto them. For Chriſt knew, and he hath given us to know, that we were not his Heirs at Law; nor could we have claimed or recovered any part of it by the Law; we had loſt all our right, made forfeiture of all we once were poſſeſſed of, and God the great Governour and Lord of all, had (as we know Kings ſometimes do) given all the eſtate of the condemned Traitors to his Son, and by eſpecial gift had eſtated him in it. Ask of me, Pſal. 2.and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the earth for thy poſſeſſion. And we are bleſſed with all ſpiritual bleſſings in him. Our ſin was our death, and cut off all our claim and title to every deſirable good. Peccatum abolevit Naturalem eam communionem quae Creaturam cum Creatore conſociabat. Theſ. Salm. de trib. Foeder. ſect. 33.Sin aboliſhed that Natural Communion which joined the Creature in friendſhip with the Creatour; as the Learned Profeſſors of Saumur obſerve. And God hath ſet forth this emblematically in the diſpoſſeſſing and ejecting Adam out of Paradiſe. Whatever God beſtow's now, he beſtow's it in, and through Chriſt with him he giveth all things alſo. This being the caſe of Chriſt's poor friends, what more likely way of befriending them than by Will? what ſurer way than by ordaining his laſt Will and Teſtament? ſince they had no title by Law preceding his gift; nor could they have any title any other way. He gave it therefore by Will, that it might be ſure to come to them.
Sect. 5.
5. This great Heir died in perfect memory, and with wiſedom that excelled the meaſures of the wiſeſt men who ſet and keep their houſes in order; he died not (as ſome men do) of a diſeaſe that ſhould diſable him to ordain his laſt Teſtament, but was his own man unto the laſt; he manifeſted this in his care of his mother, his charity towards the ſinful murtherers, for whom he prayed &c. I would add more proofs, but that it would wrong your Chriſtianity, and call that into queſtion. He is not worthy the name of a Chriſtian, that is ſo much a ſtranger to the Death of Chriſt. In a word, he as well knew his friends needed he ſhould give to them, as he knew his enemies needed he ſhould forgive them; as he did in pity pray for the one, ſo he did in love and care provide for the other. And dying friends uſually do provide in their laſt Will or Teſtament, eſpecially if they have what Chriſt had.
Sect. 6.
6. Time enough to diſpoſe of his eſtate. Some wiſe men leave their friends whom they dearly loved ill provided, becauſe the ſurprize and ſuddenneſs of death preventeth them. But our Lord, this great Heir of all things, could not be ſurprized; he knew when his hour was, how it approached; he knew all that concerned others; he knew what was in Man, and therefore could not but know all that concerned himſelf, and his Death. Out of all which circumſtances I do adventure to conclude, That Chriſt did before his Death ordain his laſt Will and Teſtament, and in it provide for his poor kindred, out of that vaſt eſtate which he was ſeized of, which he poſſeſſed and inherited in the right of his infinitely Excellent Nature, his Primogeniture, his Powerful Creation, and the Donation of his Father, when Man had forfeited all, and all eſtreated unto God the King and Soveraign of Man. In ſum, Chriſt had time enough wherein to do this; he had good will enough to move him to it; he had eſtate enough to furniſh and enrich them, and his poor kindred had need enough. And what then think we could hinder him from making his Will; or what ſhould diſſwade us from believing it?
from his humiliation unto death. He humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto death, &c. Wherefore God hath given him a name, &c. that every tongue ſhould confeſs that Jeſus Chriſt is Lord. Chriſt who died, and becauſe he died, hath this title given him, He is Lord, and this title is given to him of God himſelf, (foreign) God hath exalted him, and given to him a glorious Title: Now this is not a ſwelling Title without power, or riches to befriend and help his people; ſuch vain Titles are ſometimes given by man to man, but never unto any by God himſelf; for he ever inveſts power with the Title he conferreth; and ſuch a power or Authority as became both the greatneſs of the giver, and the greatneſs of the receiver could not be leſs then a full uncontrolled, and lawfull power of making a Will or Teſtament, giving out legacies to his indigent kindred and friends; ſuitable to all this is that of John 10.17. Therefore doth my Father love me, becauſe I lay down my life &c. Note well how Chriſt's laying down his life, i. e. Dying for his ſheep, is is ſet down as one cauſe why the Father did ſo love him. Now becauſe the Father loved him, he hath given, or put all things into his hand, John 3.35. Left them all to his diſpoſal. Theſe two places of St. John do in effect ſpeak this very language, That the voluntary Death of Chriſt ſhould procure his Father's love to him, and this love of his Father ſhould beſtow a power and right on Chriſt to diſpoſe of all things. All which was exactly, and punctually performed to Chriſt after his Death, as well as largely promiſed, and contracted for, upon condition that he ſhould die; the promiſe was made on condition he would die, and the right to all contained in the promiſe, was conferred upon him, becauſe he died, and this right is expreſſed by St. John thus, he hath put all things into his hand, becauſe he loved him, and he loved him becauſe he laid down his life. Thus Chriſt acquired a right over all by his Death, and at his Death diſpoſed of it for the good and benefit of his people, whom he made his Heir by Will or Teſtament, which is yet farther confirmed by theſe two places, viz. Luk. 22.29. I appoint unto you a Kingdom. I appoint (ſo we read it at large) but the Greek doth point out an appointing by Will or Teſtament: on which paſſage the Learned Beza hath this Note (beſide what is cited in the Margent) Theſe words being the words of Chriſt, foreign vulg, diſpono, alii, Lego. Ex illa formula d…, Lego in Teſtamentis uſitatâ. Nomen enim foreign, peculiariter de Teſtamento dicitur. Beza in loc. Haec Chriſti ad mortem proporantis verba ſpeciem habent Testamentariae cujuſdam diſpoſitionis quo alluſit Apostolus, Heb. 9.17.approaching now to his Death, do carry the form and ſhew of a certain Teſtamentary Diſpoſition, to which the Apoſtle alludeth, Heb. 9.17. More might be added to clucidate and clear the word in this its moſt proper and native ſignification but I forbear that now. Vox Testamenti Latina, Graecam vocem foreign reſtringit ad Foederis gratiae oecononiam Teſtamentariam — &c. Joh. Cloppenb. de V.T. Diſput. 1. ſect. 2. foreign, notat declarationem voluntatis ultimae, &c. Joh. Cocceius de Foeb. c. 13. ſect. 470.Let it ſuffice that Chriſt uſeth a word in this place, which naturally imports the making of a Will, and ſo leadeth us to conſider him as a Teſtator, as one before his each appointing and ordaining his aſt-Teſtament.
The ſecond place is that of St. Paul, Latinis auribus nota erat. (Vox Teſtamentum) ſignificare—in rebus oivilibus extremam voluntatem de rebus quas poſt mortem quis fieri velit, &c. Bened. Aretius in prologum. ad Nov. Teſt.Heb. 9.16, 17. For where there is a Teſtament, there muſt of neceſſiity be the Death of the Teſtator: For a Teſtament is of force after men are dead, otherwiſe it is of no ſtrength at all whilſt the Teſtator liveth. In which words the Apoſtle doth argue the certainty and perfection of the Covenant or Promiſes in Chriſt, and proveth it by this known Argument. They are the Teſtament or laſt Will of Chriſt, which Chriſt the Teſtator hath by his death confirmed beyond poſſibility of a change. Eſt Oeconomia Teſtamentaria cui confirmandae mors intercedit Teſtatoris, Heb. 9.16, 17. Joh. Cloppenb. de Teſt. Vet. diſp. 1. ſect. 2.That look how ſure and firm the laſt Will is when he who made it is dead; ſo ſure and firm are the Promiſes to us; Voluit Foedas ſuum— babere rationem Teſtamenti propriè dicti — Jacob. Cappellus in ſoc.for they are the Teſtament of our Lord confirmed to us by his Death. For Chriſt would have his Covenant caſt into the mould of a Teſtament or laſt Will properly ſo called.
On theſe places I conclude this firſt point; Chriſt did not die inteſtate, but did ordain his laſt Will ere he died; and ſo his Death may be conſidered by us as the Death of a Teſtator, who being our friend, made his laſt Will for our good and benefit; for by Will he hath bequeathed very great things to us.