Works Part 1, Part 1
CHRIST'S INTERCESSION, OR Sins of Infirmity: Opened in a Sermon at Pauls, Novemb. 19. 1654
1 John 2.1, 2.
My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not (now follows my Text) And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; And he is the Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whol world.
THe whol scope of the blessed Apostle in this Letter of his, is, as himself teacheth us, to confirm the people of God, to build them up in that great Article of their Faith, and their great priviledge which is, the Communion of Saints. He tels you in the beginning, he writes to them that they might have Communion with himself and the rest of the Apostles, whose Communion is with God the Father and is Son Jesus Christ; presently he proceeds to shew wherein this Communion stands, which he doth express,
First, More generally: It is to walk in the light; when all the world walks in darkness; they by virtue of their fellowship should walk in the light, And then,
Secondly, Explains this more particularly, in the subsequent discourse; and shews that by walking in the light he mainly intends walking in holiness, that is, to abominate and abandon the waies of sin, and to live as becomes those that are born of God in holiness and righteousness, and this is the plot of the whol Epistle. And then he begins with the first branch of it, and that is, to depart from the waies of sin, and sets down this conclusion, That if any man do pretend Communion with Jesus Christ and walk in sin, he is a meer Dissembler, he hath not one dram of Communion with God and Jesus Christ; That is a certain rule, no man that hath Communion with Jesus Christ can walk in a sinful life, but every branch of the great things that Christ bestows upon his people, the purport and intent of them all is, to make them leave sinning, that they wholly overthrow the very tenour of the Gospel, who talk of believing in Christ and walk in a Godless life. Now this first Branch the Apostle prosecutes at large, both in the first Chapter, & in this second Chapter, and begins the second Chapter thus, Now all these things do I write to you▪ that you sin not, and presently at the 3d verse takes it up again, (saith he) If any man know him he must walk as he walketh, and so proves it by many Arguments. Now (Brethren) you shal see the intent of my Text: The Apostle knowing what an uncomfortable Doctrine this would be if it were not explained, how uncomfortable it would be even to the best of Gods Saints and people, he prevents the sad objection that every gracious heart would be ready to make; for when he hath set down this for his Conclusion: He that is in Christ cannot sin, he cannot sin, he deceives himself if he talks of Christ and sins, Why? A poor Soul would presently come out and say, Then am I utterly undone, I have then no interest in Christ, for I sin, I sin dayly, I cannot live without it, I cannot perform one Duty but my corruption is intermingling it self with it; wo be to me if that Doctrine go for currant, that he hath nothing to do with Christ that sins. Now by way of Prolepsis the Apostle anticipates this objection, and cleers the mind of God about it, and then proceeds further to prosecute his Doctrine, and it is laid down in these words, But if any man sin, let him know that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the Propitiation for all our sins, and not only ours that are Jews, but throughout all the world if they be Beleevers: This he laies down to stay the hearts of Gods people in reference to that sadness, that they would be ready to be overwhelmed with. Now (Brethren) because there is but one main Doctrine that I intend to insist upon, I wil but briefly explain the words to you, and then I wil propound the Doctrine.
First, When the Apostle saith, If any man do sin, he thereby plainly implies, that there are certain sorts of sins, that even Gods Children though they dare not commit sin nor walk in sin, yet even Gods own Children (for them he speaks to, my little Children I write this to you, (I say) there are sins that Gods own people) are overtaken with, even after they have fellowship and Communion with Jesus Christ; that is the first thing that he takes for granted. Then,
Secondly, To that he adds, But (saith he) if any man sin, that is, when we do thus sin, when Gods people do thus sin, What then? We have an Advocate, (that you all know the meaning of,) one that pleadeth our cause, that is the office of an Advocate, to appear in behalf of another in his cause: We have an Advocate with the Father above in Heaven at his right hand, that is, Jesus Christ our Lord who died for us, and loved us, and gave himself for us, he appears in Heaven for us, yea, he is Jesus Christ the righteous; that is, though he be so righteous that he wil never plead an ill cause, yet this is a part of his righteousness, to intercede and appear in the behalf of his own people, even when they sin against him; Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins; that is, who once upon earth offered himself up a Sacrifice to satisfie for them, and now in Heaven pleads the benefit and virtue of it for ever in the behalf of his people. And not for ours only; that is, we that are Jews, but for the sins of the whol world, supposing stil he speaks of the same matter, of those that believe in Christ, that have Communion with him throughout the world, Rich and Poor, Yong and Old, Jew and Gentile, this is a truth to them all; When Gods people sin, Jesus Christ the righteous, at Gods right hand maketh mediation for them. So the words thus briefly paraphrased upon do afford us this Doctrine, (which is the only Lesson that I intend to handle this day,) namely,
Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christs intercession in Heaven, is the great dayly relief that al the Saints have upon Earth against their dayly sins.
A Doctrine which at the very first propounding Promiseth not only comfort to Believers, but carnal men they wil be ready to promise themselves liberty, (though I hope without cause (by that time I have done with it,) but Jesus Christs mediation in Heaven is the great relief to all Gods Saints upon earth, against the dayly sins that they are overtaken with. Now (Beloved) that I may handle this Doctrine for your profit, there are two questions which (God willing) I shal endeavor to cleer, (and that wil be the sum of all my work, the discussing of them.) First,
Quest. 1. What sins the Lords Children and People are liable to while they are in this world, what those sins are that the Children of God may be overtaken with while they live in this world. Secondly,
Quest. 2. I wil shew you how the Intercession of Jesus Christ is the great relief to Gods Children against these sins.
For the first,
First, What are those sins which the Lords people, his own Children are liable to while they live in this world? And to make you the more attentive to it, be pleased to note that there are two Conclusions about sin, laid down so cleerly in the Scripture, yea, in this very Epistle, that they almost seem to contradict one another, and therefore it is of great weight to have that cleared. First,
1. Nothing clearer then this, That he that is born of God doth not sin, nor cannot sin, and if a man say he hath communion with Jesus Christ and walkes in sin, he is a Liar and deceives his own Soul; Nothing clearer then this in this Epistle; So likewise in Romans, 6. How can we that are dead to sin Live any longer therein; Sin cannot have dominion over you, you are not under it, you are under Grace; This is a clear proposition, A Child of God cannot sin.
2. Yet on the other side it is as clear, that if any man that calls himself the Child of God say he hath no sin, he is a Liar, it is rather an Argument he hath no grace; In many things we sin all; Nothing clearer then that the people of God, his dearest Children do sin. Paul in the name of them all, talketh of being sold under sin, carrying a body of sin about him; now these two must of necessity have such an interpretation, as to justifie the truth of God in it. Be pleased then to know thus much, that when the Scripture speakes so positivly and clearly, of the Children of God not sinning, that they cannot commit sin, the meaning is this, That whereas the way of sin (mark it, the way of sin) is the only way that al men walk in before they come to Christ, as conceive it thus, when men first fel from God, while he stood in his integrity God was his end, God was his portion, God was his rule, but when man fel from God, the whol corruption of mans nature stood in these two things, That now he was turned away from God, and fallen into the Creature, and there he continues til a new life be communicated, let him do what he will, let him pray, let him read, let him hear, let him walk in workes of justice and righteousness, and stil he is but within the compass of injoying the creature, and living to the creature, making himself and the good that he can find in the creature his portion, which is a turning off from God and this is one way of sin, and thus all the men in the world walk, that although it be true, yet some of their sins are greater then others, and aggrauated by some circumstances, yet look as it is with a man that is in prison, though the prison may be very large, and he may somtimes walk East, West, North, and South, and do some things more clean, and some things more gross, yet they are al done within that compass of the prison; So take a man not in the state of Grace, the end he aimes at is himself, the rule he walks by is somwhat that may yeild contentment to him from the creature, and beyond al this no living man goes til God give him a new life. Now when the Lord vouchsafeth to cal a man home to Jesus Christ, and planteth in him a new principle of a new life, then the Soul returns home to God, now for time to come God is his portion, and the way that may lead him to the injoyment and knowledg of God, is his only way to which he resignes up himself, and makes it his daylie study and trade to walk in it: now here is his way, that as to an unconverted man the creature is his way, and al things that may make him injoy the creature, or setled in the creature is his way, but the new man he hath no way but approaching to God, aspiring up to him, drawing nigher to him, being made more like to him, this is his way, but now while he intendeth this way, (mark it) he being converted but in part, he knows his way but in part, and therefore somtimes misseth it for want of light, he somtimes likewise stumbles in the right way for want of strength, somtimes a violent temptation takes him and turnes him a little out of the way for want of good take-heed; these kind of sins Gods Children are liable to while they live in this world; So that the sume of it is this, no reigning sin, a sin that shal have dominion over him to carry him from God, and settle him upon the creature can be compatible with the state of a converted man; but yet frailties and weaknesses for want of strength those are his sins, and they and no other are the sins that Gods Children are liable unto. So that the thing I have brought you to is, to shew you, that the Saints while they live in this world are compassed with infirmities, and only with infirmities; concerning which (because it is a great Doctrine) I intend (the Lord assisting me) to open these three things, and that wil be the sume of this first Question, What the sins are.
Three things I will open to you about the sins of infirmities wherewith Gods people are compassed while they live; The first is,
First, I wil shew you the nature of them, the nature of a sin of infirmity.
Secondly, I wil shew you the kinds of them, what kinds of sins of infirmities Gods people may be overtaken with. And Thirdly,
Thirdly, I wil shew you how these may be known to be such, that no man may deceive his heart about them and these must needs be opened, because the latter part of our Question of Christs being a relief to them, is so ful of Consolation, that I would have no body have it that have not right to it, and therefore I would not have them flatter themselves about it. For the first,
First, To open to you the nature of an Infirmity: Take it thus, To enable a Soul to walk in the waies of God, (as all Gods people do in measure, but to enable a Soul to do it,) there is required a twofold strength, the one is,
I. An habitual strength. The other is,
II. An actual strength.
1. The habitual strength that all Gods Saints have, it is nothing but the inclination and disposition of their hearts to the waies of God, and against the waies of sin, which is wrought in them by … Holy Ghost in the time of their first conversion … which hour the quickning Grace communicate… …o the Soul, doth once for ever make the bent of the heart stand to the waies of God, that now there is a complacency, a delight, a suitableness to them in the waies of God, and a displacency and aversion in reference to the waies of sin. This now is habitual strength, once given to Gods people, never taken away from them. But now though this habitual strength do give them a good wil, (as the Apostle cals it) a good mind to the waies of God, yet,
2. To enable them either to forbear any sin, or to perform any duty, there must be communicated an actual strength, and that actual strength is nothing but the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost, who dwels in them drawing out their Graces to work, and strengthening them in their working, and when this actual strength is communicated to them by the Holy Ghost, then if a temptation to a sin be propounded, the Saint is too strong for it, he overcomes the temptation, if a holy Duty be propounded to be done, by the help of this God (if need be) he can leap over a wall. Give a Child of God the inward inclination of his heart wrought by Grace, and the actual assistance of the Spirit of God, when he is called out to particulars, then he walketh as becomes a Saint in holiness and righteousness: but when at any time the Spirit of God (for reasons best known to himself) doth withold his immediate assistance from that Soul, then their habitual inclination is never able to make them do any thing that is good: If a temptation to a sin be propounded, and a corruption of their nature be a little excited, and Satan backing it, and the Spirit of God not joyning, down they tumble in every temptation, and sin against God though never so fouly; and if a holy Duty be to be performed, pressed with all the moral Arguments in the world, if the Lords spirit afford them not assistance and strength, immediately they are not able, they are unfit & unable to do that which they are required: and from hence ariseth all the infirmities of Gods people; and herein you may see there is a corrupt nature in part remaining. There are likwise external objects that would stir up this corrupt nature, temptations from the Devil that would inflame it, when these stir and Gods spirit doth not assist, then are all the Lords people so weak and feeble, that infallibly they sin against him; and this is the nature of the sins of infirmity, that is the first; The second thing I would cleer is this.
Secondly, What kinds there are of them, (because that will further acquaint you, for indeed my aim is that all the Saints of God may see the frame of their own spirits (as it were) in a Glass, that so afterwards you may learn how needful the Lord Jesus Christ is to us, then the second question is,) What kinds of infirmities are the people of God subject to?
To that I answer, They may all be brought to these two Heads, they are either,
First, Such as are not common to all the Saints, No, nor to any of Gods Children except upon special desertion; or else,
Secondly, They are such as all Gods people while they live in this world are dayly compassed about with: For the first of them,
I. There are Infirmities (I say) which are not common to all Gods people, No, nor to any of them unless when very extraordinarily deserted of God, and they are such as when the Servants of God do seem to pour their hearts out into wicked waies, and commit those sins that are publickly to the dishonor of the Lords Gospel, to the wasting of their own Consciences, to the defiling of their own holy waies, to the scandal of Gods people: as suppose, to live in Adultery, in Uncleanness, in wantonness, Cursing, Swearing, Drunkenness, false dealing and the like; Now two things I would say about this.
1. That somtimes Gods own Children for a season are left under such a condition; David you know even when he was the Child of God, took his neighbors Wife into his bosome, and most wickedly plotted to take away her Husbands life, and did take it away; Peter Cursed, and Banned, and Swore and counterfeited himsel… to be a prophane person, that he might not be thought to be a follower of Christ: So that such things & many other instances I might give you, that in the greatest the most flagitious way, wherein a man may seem to be turned from Christ, and betake himself into the Tents of his enemies, to fight against him, as if he would be a Ranter against him, such a thing may befal a Child of God: But then I adde,
2. But this is not the Lot of all, No, nor of any but when extraordinarily deserted, and that is cleer by this, because throughout all the tennor of the Gospel it is sufficiently declared, that these are not the spots of Gods Children, these are not the waies of the Saints, these are the waies in which whosoever walks cannot be saved, and therefore what their condition is I shal tel you by and by, (God willing) when I come to cleer it: But that is one sort, that it is possible the corruption may be so strong, the assistance of Gods spirit so wholly withdrawn, and the temptation so mighty, as that a Child of God for want of strength may fall into the foulest mire and filth in the world; That is one sort.
II. There are other sorts of Infirmities, which all the Saints are compassed about with every day that they live, and it is rare that any of them spend a day either without al of them or some of those infirmities, and if you wil know what they are, I answer, There are three kinds of them, and I think all the infirmities of the Saints wil fal under one of them, and I purposely open them that you might have a Glass to see your faces in.
1. Some and very many of the infirmities of the Saints of God, they are meerly the infirmities of their understandings, that is, sins of ignorance, that they do the things that are contray to God, contrary to his will, but do not know Gods mind about them, and from this sort no man upon earth is free; Who knows the errors of his life? and I think verily under this head fals those sins of the Patriarchs, of the holiest men that walked with God, whose hearts were perfect with God, they had their many Wives, they had their Concubins too, not knowing that this was against the Institution of God. And so likwise in the sin of omission, as you shal see there was from Joshuah's time to Nehemiah's time, one of the great solemn Feasts, that is, the Feast of Tabernacles was never kept, according to Gods institution for a thousand years together, that they were by Gods institution to keep it not in their own houses, but to go to live in Booths in the Fields for that time, & it is said expresly from Joshua to Nehemiah that that Feast had never been so kept, that either they had forgotten it or the generations were unacquainted: But now when Gods people do any of them in their speeches or actions, do the things that are indeed contrary to Gods wil, but especially not knowing it to be so, and yet their hearts prepared, that if the Lord would but discover his mind to them, they would follow him in all things, and yet this is one sort that all Gods people are liable to in the world: But I tel you (by the way) that were but this one thing understood, it would go a great way to make the Servants of God less harsh than they are one to another: The Lord give them so much light to own it, he sees such a thing as cleer as the Sun to be the institution of God, or the mind of God, or the way of God, in this or that Duty, of the first or second Table, and then because he sees it, he is ready to condemn all the world as rebelling against God, for not being of his practice, because the Lord (it may be) lets not them see it: But that is one sort, sins in the understanding when Gods wil is not known.
2. Another sort of these infirmities when the thing is known, it is known that such a thing is contrary to God and I ought not to do it, but yet by a sudden hurry of temptation, when the violence of temptation surpriseth the Soul, many times before ever it can recollect it self, it is carried down with the temptation even against a cleer light, yea, carried against it, as if a Cock-boat should be carried down a strong stream, & they have not so much time to cal themselves to an account, to think whether these things become them or no; And thus it was with Aaron that Saint of the Lord, he could not but know that to make a Calf, it was destructive to the Covenant of Grace that God had made with them, it was a kind of implicite renouncing of God, but a sudden temptation came, all the people came saying, make us a resemblance of God, Moses is gone, we wil have it, he was surprised before ever he could recollect himself. And so Moses that holy meek man, when a sudden temptation came, that the madness of the people had vexed him, that he could not recollect himself, he speaks so unadvisedly with his lips to Gods dishonor, and this no man is free from, but some in one part, some in one kind and some in another, all Gods people before they are aware are many times carried away and surprised before they can recollect themselves to know what their duty is; But yet there is a third sort, and that seems to go deeper, and that is,
3. When they do not only know it to be a sin, but deliberatly commit it, I mean, that the heart is tempted to such a thing, saith the soul it is abominable, it is against God, I will not do it, but betakes it self to prayer, prayes the Lord to assist and strengthen him, the temptation comes again and gathers upon him, that though he do resist it yet he hath not strength enough to overcome it, & the ground of it was, because the holy Spirit who is a free agent, communicates so much strength to him as to stir up his graces, and to draw them out into the Field in Gods Cause, and to oppose the Enemy, and gives him some strength to resist it, but not strength enough to overcome it, but leaves him unfit and without sufficient strength against that temptation; and of this I think the Apostle Paul mainly means in all his discourse in Rom. 7. where in the Person of a Regenerate man he saith, The thing I would not do, I do, and when I would do good, Evil overcomes me, I would not do the Evil, yet it is too strong for me, & then complains, Wretched man that I am, I am even sold under it: Now (I think) under one of these three fal al the common infirmities of all that love Jesus Christ in sincerity, they are either meer Ignorances that they know not Gods mind, or they are else sudden surprises, hurried away before they can cal their hearts and graces to act, and have strength to assist them, or else the Lord lets out a greater measure of the power of the Enemy to assault than he is pleased to communicate to the soul to resist; and under one of these (I say) do all the infirmities of Gods people fal in their ordinary course: Now the third thing (which when I have briefly dispatched then I wil go to the next, which is the great question,) is,
Thirdly, How this may be known; and I wil speak to it the rather because I find there is no man in the world that lives, (within the compasse of the Church I mean;) but is wonderous desirous to have all his lusts and corruptions to be adopted into the name of an infirmity, and when they have brought them under that Burrow, then they are wonderful safe in their own eyes; the man that Keeps a harlot, and nourisheth his wanton vain glory, or whatsoever it be, convince him of it, I (saith he) God helpe me it is my infirmity no man lives without his infirmities, and when they have once got them under that name of an infirmity then all that you say concerning Jesus Christ's relief against their daily sins, it is all their own, though God knows they are as far from it, as the East is from the West: And on the other side, I find many a real Servant of God, that if their corruption have any thing in it that carries horridness to the Conscience, any strange distemper that is more than ordinary, and assaults them, and buffets them, and treads them under foot, Then they are ready to think that all the world cannot satisfie them that these are but infirmities, these cannot be the spots of Gods people: And so that neither the Lords own Servants may be discouraged, nor wicked men get a Cloak, I would a little discover how you may cleerly know, what are the infirmities of the Saints, and wherein they differ from the rebellions of those that are the Lords Enemies, and for that I wil give you
1. One Rule that is Negative, and,
2. Another that is Positive.
1. Negative: You must take this, That an infirmity must not be judged of by the matter of the sin, not one whit judged of by the matter, but only from the disposition and qualification of the Person that commits it; my meaning plainly is this, We are ready to think that those sins that are but petty and trivial, they must all have the names of infirmities, and those sins the matter whereof are odious, those must not go for infirmities: Now this is a most false Rule, for a sin that is a very trifle, if it be but an idle word, vain thought, petty oath, any such thing, as it may be committed, may be a reigning sin, and a path of the way that leads to eternal damnation, according as the Person is that commits it, and on the other side even a great sin for the matter of it, should it be Murder and Adultery, (I instance in them because they both met in David) possible it is that the things may so fal out that these may be but infirmities, therefore remember that is a corrupt Rule, and all you that please your selves with this, that God keeps you from the great abhominations, you are no Whoremasters, you keep not a Harlot, and you are no Cozeners nor Cheaters in your Trade, though it may be your Oaths are Faith and Troth, and prittle prattle, and slighting of holy Duties, you wil have these things pass for infirmities, No, you wil see this is no Rule. That is one, remember you must not judge of infirmities from the matter but only from another Rule which I wil give you, and that is this,
2. Whosoever can but rightly judge of an infirmity of the body, hath a cleer Rule to direct him to an infirmity of the Soul: Now all infirmities of the body they have all of them these three things constantly go with them. The first is,
1. They never are our choyce, That that is our infirmity never is our Choyce, that I think I shal not need much to discourse of, I have such an infirmity, I want strength in me, I, strength in my Limbs, in so much as if any body say, Come pra'y, will you walk, If I walk I must halt every step I go, But would you have it so? Do you make choyce of it to be so? Now there is a mans infirmity, he never makes any choyce of it; Though it is possible in spiritual things there may be something of the wil in temptations, yet no man ever saith, Lord, give me leave to be a Deceiver, or a proud man and the like, No, if it be an infirmity we never make choyce of it. Secondly,
2. If it be an Infirmity, it is perpetually a burden, and according to the nature of it, so the burden is greater or lesser; And so a man that hath an infirmity in his body, if it be in a noble part his Eye, Oh! it is a great burden to him, if his infirmity be in a very useful part, in his Foot, every step he takes goes to the heart of him, if it be an infirmity in his breast where the Lungs lie, Oh! that is a wonderful burden; According as the part or faculty is useful, so a weakness there is accordingly a proportionable burden: So now wheresoever any Child of God hath any passions, any corruptions stirring in him to hinder him in his enjoyment of God, or walking with him, they are his greatest burdens in the world, no affliction goes so neer to a man that hath given up himself to walk in the way to Heaven, as that that keeps him from walking in the way to Heaven, that interrupts his peace, and disturbs him in that way: So if it be thy infirmity the Soul chuseth it not; Secondly, It is a burden unto it. And then the third is,
3. That in an infirmity alwaies there is a desire of curing it, that though beforehand I may know I can never cure it totally, yet if I can but cure it so as to be less burdensome; if I could cure it wholly whatsoever it cost I would, yet, if not cure it wholly yet to keep it under: So here every Child of God whose end is God, whose way is Gods word, he finds his flesh that that hinders him he cannot walk in it, doth he make nothing of it? No, it is his dayly practice to crucifie it, to put off the Old man with all the lusts of it; No Chyrurgion more desirous to mortifie a member that must needs be cut off, than a Saint is to draw out the life blood of every corruption he bears about him: And truly because I see the time hath so prevented me that I shal be hindred I would else have stopped here, and made some Application of this, but I wil only beg of you (because I am in the next question to open a great deal of comfort to every Child of God I beg of you) for the Lords sake deceive not your selves about it, think not that all that shal be spoken of Christs being a relief against the corruptions of his people wil reach you, you that sel your selves to unrighteousness, you that would not be made clean, and have no mind that the Lord should rend your Harlot from you, but your credit and reputation you must have, whether it wil stand with Gods or no: Flatter not your selves to think that the Blood of Christ wil be your Propitiation, and that he appears for you, No, you have nothing to do with him, you choose your waies of sin, and the Text hath told you a little before, That if any man talk of Communion with God and with Christ, and walk in darkness, that man is a Lyar and hath no truth in him: But if any of you your Consciences bear witness to what I have delivered, that your heart is in Gods way, Gods word is your way, your aim is at it every day in every thing, only you are surprised, you want light, and strength, and ability to stand it out when you are put to it, Now for that come we to the second Question, and that is,
Secondly, To shew you how the Lord Christs Intercession in Heaven is a sufficient relief to al his Children, against all their corruptions they bear about them: And I know (before I enter about it) I may say in so great an Assembly, all those that are the Lords they wil much more desire to have a relief about their corruptions, than about the greatest afflictions that betide them in all the world. For I know no such evil that the people of God lie under as their sins in their own apprehensions. Now then the Question is. How doth the Lord Jesus Christ's being in Heaven serve as a relief to Gods people under their many infirmities? And to that I shal bring my Answer to two Heads, according as I laid down two sorts of infirmities, I told you there is one sort of infirmities that is not common to all, nor to any of Gods people unless when wofully deserted. Now the Question to that is,
Quest. 1. What is the Intercession of Jesus Christ unto the Saints under such abhominable fals? What Relief is the Intercession of Christ to David when he lies in Adultery? To Peter when he denies his Master? and to others when they fal into the like sins, What is the interecession of Christ to them?
Answ. That I shal dispatch very briefly, and I will lay you down what I have found to be the Lords mind in these two Conclusions. First,
1. That during the time that any of the Lords people do rant, after that maner against him, fal in that way against him, the intercession of Christ is so far from affording comfort to them, that it is the greatest aggravation of their sins, and Christs being related to them and so their being related to him, doth make their sin beyond al measure sinful▪ that is the first. Now, a child of God turning rebell against his Father while he lies under this rebellion, (the intercession of Jesus Christ indeed our selves know upholds him and grace wil bring him home as I shal speak by and by but during that time) he is interdicted al communion with God through Jesus Christ. Many are the evidences I could give you of it in the Scripture, what was Ephraim? God saith he is his dear Child, but if he joyn himself to Idols, let him alone (saith he) let him alone, he is joyned to Idols let him alone, I wil meet him as a Bear robbed of her whelps, I will meet him as a Lion or as a Leopard, I wil tear the very Caul of his heart. And the Prodigal all the while he had run away from his Father, and wasted his goods amongst his harlots, his Father lets him alone, let him starue and giuegive up the Ghost, he never inquires at al after him; and had I time I could shew you abundance of particulars to make this good, that the Lords People when they fal into flagitious scandalous waies, they make them so abominable, that in regard of Gods glory & the good of the Church, it had bin better they had never bin born then commit them, they do so harden the wicked, so dishonor God, so deeply defile their own Consciences, that here is nothing can be said for any men that they have any part in Christ, while they are given up to such waies; No, (saith God) Know you not that no Whoremonger, nor Adulterer shall come into the Kingdom of Heaven? they are as it were interdicted from all right of entring into Heaven, while they are in that condition, That is the first: But then Secondly,
2. When the Spirit of God awakens them to repentance, that they grow sensible of their unworthy and unchild-like walking; then the intercession of Christ so far is for them, that there is a free access to come to the Lord, to be in his Book, and to enjoy Peace with him, as if never any such thing had been committed by them at all. Though the sins of Gods people, when they are thus egregious, are beyond al measure sinful, and do exceeding mischief to others, notwithstanding all this if once the soul be but humbled, and that they consider what they have done against God, and how they have provoked him and injured him, Christ in Heaven prevails that there is no bar in the world against their acceptance, but the Lords Arms stand open to receive them as freely, as if the things had never been done by them; and of this you have a world of Evidences. I wil give you but two instances of it, and one is that of Ephraim, The Lord saith to him he was his dear Child, but all the while he walked after that manner the Lord spit in his face and would not own him, but you shal read of him in Jer. 31.18. saith the Lord, I saw Ephraim bemoaning himself; mark there, Ephraim was come home by weeping Cross, What did he do? (saith he) I saw him bemoaning himself: Oh! I have been an untamed Heifer, the Lord hath chastised me and I was chastised, but I was like a Bullock that would not bear the Lords Yoke, Turn thou me, and I shal be turned, for thou art the Lord my God, surely after that I was turned I repented, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my Thigh, I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth; When this Spirit had seized upon him, mark what follows, The Lord stands behind the Curtain and hears his Child thus bemoaning, and what saith he? Ephraim is my dear Child, he is a pleasant Child, for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him stil, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord; He breaks out, he can bear no longer, when once he had a Christ and Mediator in Heaven, and when once he was but sensible of it, the Lords bowels yerned towards him presently: And that other Instance is the example of the Prodigal in Luke 15. that the Lord intended to be the Pattern of those Children that should run away and be brought home again by Grace, all the while that Wretch ran away and spent his goods, his Father regarded him no more than his elder brother did when he came home, but when the man was broken, I have a Father (saith he) And I wil go to my Father and confess I am not worthy to stand before him, and when he came tattered and lousie home, the Text saith his Father ran to meet him, as if he should have said, No more of that (Son) come bring him in, kill the fatted Calf, and put a Ring upon his Finger; and quiets his Elder Brother, and it is fit it should be so, thy brother is come home again; I speak this the rather because if there should be any one here to hear me this day that hath run away from God, and the Lord hath touched thy heart and thou beginnest to think how thou hast wronged him, the Lord Jesus Christ hath made thy peace, the door is open that thou maiest come freely to him, as if there had never any such thing been. As in Hosea 14. the latter end, When Ephraim shal say, Come take words and say, Father receive us gratiously: I wil heal him freely (saith he:) There is the first Question answered. I was the shorter in this because I would gladly hope there are none such here so wofully deserted of God, as when they have received a new life that they should give up themselves desperately to walk in waies contrary to him.
Quest. 2. But now for the other question which is the lot of al the Saints of God, I know there is no man heares me this day that hath any thing of the life of Christ in him, but he carries a body of death about him, whereby he is surprised one way or other; or for want of sufficient strength he is overcome, now such an one must know that when it is thus with him he hath a great reliefe by Christ Jesus his appearing at the right hand of God for him; wherein lies that, I wil open in four or five particulars with a very short application added. Four conclusions I would set you downe about Christs being a reliefe to his Children against their daily corruptions their infirmities, The first is.
1. That Jesus Christ doth pitty in heauen, he pities his Children under their sinful infirmities, as much as any Parents pity their Children under their bodily infirmities; that is the first. That the Lord Christ who is their high Preist, their suretie? he hath compassion upon them in their infirmities, and pitties them under them, as Parents use to pittie their Children that lie under bodily infirmities; no body I hope wil mistake me, when I say pity, I mean not such workings of bowels and passions in Heaven, which we poor men are subject to upon earth, but somewhat that is like to it, somewhat that carries the thing in it and that you wil find cleerly in Scripture, the Psalmist saith, in Psalm. 103. when he cals up himselfe to blesse the Lord there for al his goodnesse, and tells us the Lord heals his infirmities, surely he means his spiritual infirmities, and there he blesseth God that pities them even as a Father pities his own Children. And we have an high Priest (saith the Apostle) that cannot but compassionate our infirmities, though he was without sin himselfe, yet he hath a compassionate heart And there is one passage which if you will but read when you come at home, it would give you abundance of satisfaction, it is in Ezekiel 34. in the midst of the Chapter, the Lord there quarrels with the wretched Shepeard that goared some of his Sheep, and trod others under foot, and killed some, and fleeced some, and when he comes to reckon with him, he tels him that he would send the Lord Jesus, and that he was the good Shepeard, and what he would do, and there he sets down all the infirmities that Sheep are subject to, I seek them that are lost, some of them wander, I seek them that are lost, others of them are driven away, by a violent temptation, I wil fetch back that which is driven away (saith the Lord,) then others of the Lords Sheep are wounded, I will heal that that is wounded, wounded in their Consciences with guilt, the Lord wil heal them, others of them their very Limbs are broken, I wil bind up that that is broken; and compare that with another place where some of them are unable to stir, I wil lay them upon mine own Shoulders and bring them home; Mark, If they wander, be driven away, wounded, broken, lamed and spoiled, he hath a heart sutably compassionate to them all; that is One, Jesus Christ compassionates us under our sinful infirmities, as we Parents do our Children under their bodily infirmities, we are far from loving them the less for them: But if any one (by the way) should ask, If he do so, Why doth he not heal them? Stay but while I come to the last Conclusion and that wil satisfie you; that is the first. Secondly,
2. Jesus Christ at his Fathers right hand prevails that the sinful infirmities of his People, make no breach in the league of love that is betwixt God and them; mark what I say, his Intercession prevails for them, he bearing their names, and pleading their cause, prevails that there is no breach made in Gods good will towards them: But even as it is with us that have a poor Child that goes about to do our work, and oftentimes spoils it when he would fain do it, and somtimes forgets to do it when yet he had a mind to do it, we knowing the frame of the Child, we kiss it notwithstanding; So God is such a gracious Father through Jesus Christ to his people, that notwithstanding al our infirmities the Lord never breaks his league of love, but we may go to him and pray to him, and call him Father, leave our supplications with him, and make that use of him as the Covenant of Grace holds him out to all his people, as freely in the midst of all our infirmities, as if we were quite delivered from them: Now this the Scripture is wonderful plain in, I could turn you to a great many, That Speech of Micah is admirable, Who hath such a God as we have? Why, what is our God? He passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his Inheritance, he never looks after them, or if any one shew him them, he casts them behind his back, drowns them in the depth of the Sea, never laies them to the charge of them that fear him: Thou art a dead hearted Creature and canst not pray without wandring, and do nothing as becomes thee, but thy own flesh rangles with it, that al is an abhomination in thy own eyes that thou doest, thou hast a friend in Heaven that presents all to God as if there were no blemish in them: Thou art all fair, my Dove there is no spot in thee. Is not this good news to all those that endeavor to walk with Christ in sincerity? The first is, He pities them under them; The second is, He prevails that there is no breach made betwixt God and the Soul because of them; Thirdly, Another which is a very great one, and that is.
3. Jesus Christ gives his Spirit unto his People to relieve their infirmities; The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities, you have that expression in Rom. 8. That the Lord Christ our Mediator doth give his holy Spirit to help us against our infirmities, What is that? I humbly conceive that Christ helping his Saints against their infirmities signifies these three things, possibly it may signifie more, but these three (me thinks) are very cleer, The one is,
1. The Lords Spirit helps the Lords People so about their infirmities, that they shal not be quite overrun with them; I, he doth as he said to the Sea, the proud waves of it when they come roaring, hitherto you shal go; there you shal stop; So the Spirit of God keeps our corruptions in bounds, otherwise he whose corruption is gotten loose and taints his understanding with a speculation, that would carry him on to action, and so to an habitualness; No, (saith the spirit of God) here I wil stop you, you shal go no further; that is one. It is through the help of Gods Spirit only, that the strength of every corruption that assaults us, makes us not act it to the very height of it; As when I walk with a man that hath overthrown me, then I am in his power, he may cut my Throat if I had not some friends to succor me; Gods Spirit succors us that Satan and our corruptions should not totally subdue us. Secondly,
2. He raiseth us up again when corruption hath brought us down; for you must know (Brethren) and that you wil easily understand, that the nature of sin is such that when a man is committing it, that he would rol down to the bottom of the Hil, and when he is there the waight would lie upon him that he should never rise again: Now the Spirit of God doth like the friend of a Wrastler by him when he hath thrown a man down, he plucks him up again and sets him upon his feet again: So when any thing hath overpoured the Soul, it would never rise again were it not for the Spirit of Christ, but Christs Spirit that is sent to relieve us, sets us again upon our feet; Yea, Thirdly (which is more)
3. The Spirit of Christ so assisteth all his people, that notwithstanding their corruptions be too strong for them, they shal again oppose it, yea, and by degrees get strength against it, Crucifie it, and Mortifie it all. As the Apostle expresseth it in Rom. 8. that when our corruptions are most potent, by the help of the Spirit you shal mortifie and crucifie the deeds of the Body; thus doth Christ for all his people, he doth not only compassionate, and keeps peace with God for them, but keeps their corruptions in some bounds that they do not quite over run them, or when they have prevailed in part; sets them up again, yea, and gives them strength to get up again: And then Fourthly and Lastly, (and then I draw to a Conclusion,) which is the Mystery of all the rest, and that is this,
4. The Lord Jesus appearing in Heaven for his People doth not only thus succor them, but like a Heavenly Physitian maketh Treacle of these Bites, he doth his Children Good by their Corruptions, and helps them more on in their way to Heaven, even by the opposition of their corrupt natures. This I acknowledg to flesh and blood is a mystery not to be opened, but you will see it cleerly to be so, only understand me thus, When (I say) the Lord wil do his people good by their sinful infirmities, I mean not that there is any thing in the nature of a corruption that can contribute to it, No, all that is in a corruption is deadly and poysonful, and dishonorable to God; but as one of the Fathers said of Adams fall, Oh! happy fall that did obtain such a Redeemer! So (you will say) happy are the People of God in the midst of their corruptions, when the Lord Jesus doth them so much good by them: Now if you will know what is the good he doth to them, I acknowledg I want strength and time, and you would want Patience if I should discourse of them at large, I wil name but four Particulars and the naming of them wil confirm you in the truth of them, if you compare them with the experiences of all Gods people. The first is this,
1. By the Corruptions that the Saints of God carry about them, the Lord keeps them in a continual self-abhorrency, which is the most excellent frame on this side Heaven. I know what I speak, that there is no frame of Spirit in this world so excellent as a self-abhorring Spirit, taken but with the next branch that you shall hear of presently, now nothing laies all Gods people so low as their corruptions; I tell you if the Saints of God had all the afflictions in the world lay upon them, were it not for their own corruptions they would rather be proud of their afflictions, they are ready oft-times to murmur against God, as David and Job were tempted to it, I have walked with God in my integrity and simplicity, and yet I must thus be made worse than others; Oh! that would be grievous; but now when the Soul is sensible of its own corruption, dead heart, unprofitable Spirit, and the like, then wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from it? I say again, nothing in the world keeps Gods people so low as their corruptions, and that is a great gain; Augustin had a Speech That God would rather allow Lust to keep his Grace humble, than Grace to make his heart proud; Oh! nothing so abasing as the relicks of corruption, which exceedingly advantages Gods Children; The Second Advantage is, That as it makes us very low in our own eyes, so,
2· It wonderfully magnifies Christ, Oh! it maketh Jesus Christ most precious nothing makes Christ so precious to the Saints of God, as the Corruptions that they bear about them: Nay, I will add more, that had Jesus Christ forty years ago done the work, satisfied for sin, and made me stand in Gods favor, and now I had no more need of him, I should quickly forget him; As suppose a man had forfeited his estate, and his Life forty years ago, and some dear friend buys all, and gives him all, and sets him up again, now forty years after he hath traded and grown Rich by his own Wit and strength, surely he cannot but remember how he was beholding to that friend, forty years ago; I, but he would never remember him so well, as he would that friend that should do that every day for him, I live upon his Table and Almes every day, and yet he Loves me never a whit the less: So when a Soul remembers I was a dead Man, an enemy, and Christ brought me, and not only so but every day I forfeit all, and grieve God, and shall bring ruine upon my self, mark how Paul concludes it in Rom. 7. when he said, Oh wretched man! Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death? I thank God through Jesus Christ; Oh! Christ Jesus his appearing it was dear to Paul. Now here is a wonderful gain beyond all the Righteousness of this world, if the Saints of God had in their course as much Righteousness as the glorified Saints in Heaven, and the Angels in Heaven have, it were not so glorious to God in this administration, as a spirit that magnifies Christ and abaseth it self, and this is wonderfully advanced by the reliques of corruption that we bear about us; Thirdly, Another great benefit is,
3. Hereby doth the Lord temper his People, to make them submit quietly, to every bitter Cup the Lord gives them to drink; Nothing makes the Soul so Patient under affliction, so quiet in the loss of all other things, nothing doth it like to this, Oh! had I my deserts, should the Lord mark mine iniquities, it would not be the loss of a Child would serve my turn, it would not be the clipping off of a piece of my estate, it is mercy I am not destroyed, nothing makes the Soul lay its hand quietly upon its mouth, and quietly submit to every dispensation of God though never so bitter, as the sence of corruption we daily bear about us; And in the last place.
4. Hereby doth the Lord, wonderfully make his People long to be dissolved and get to Heaven, where they may leave sinning against him; for whatsoever carnal People may think, there is nothing so grievous to the people of God as sinning against him, and when they shal come to die, when they shall put off mortality and leave off dishonoring his name it is more welcome to them then to be rid of afflictions, and that made Paul long to be in Heaven, because I know while I am in this Body I shal never be with the Lord as I should be, but I long til that day shal come; Now here is gain, when that corruption, those reliques of it abase thee, and magnifie Christ, and fit thee for every dispensation, and make thee long to be at home with the Lord, and (I might add) in the mean time make thee attend conscionably upon all the means that may bring thee to him, and is not here wonderful gain? So that you may see of what use the intercession of Christ is to al the Saints in the middest of all their sinful infirmities that they bear about them; I will now dismiss you presently with two short Uses of it. First,
USE, 1.
This Lesson if truly understood (for I know it wil be a hard thing to keep wicked men from laying hands upon it: but I think Gods mind is, that his own Servants should have their portion whosoever abuse it, but) here they may have a constant relief against that which is their greatest burden, I am sure of it, if thou beest the Lords, no burden like thy corruptions, and thy other afflictions would be easily born by thee if so be corruptions did not aggravate them in thy own apprehensions; Now if the world were given thee, it would not be such a succor as this to thee, when thou canst say in all thy wandrings, Oh! I have talked with many a Soul, Oh! never such an unprofitable wretch as I (saith one,) I think no one hath such a forgetful head as I (saith another,) and none have such impetuous affections as I (saith another,) Oh! but doest thou remember that he is at Gods right hand that gave himself for thee, and in an acceptable day carries thee home, and carries thee stil in his bosom, how he appears for thee every day in the midst of all thy corruptions, if thou didst know it, it would engage thee to joy, and to every thing that is Holy and Good, the Lord set it home to the hearts of his people, and teach them to apply it to their own Souls in secret. And then Secondly,
USE 2.
2. I say to you all from hence: All of you learn what need there is of getting an interest in Jesus Christ, for that is the end of my Sermon, To perswade you to see the need that you have of getting an interest in Jesus Christ. Would you know why? I wil tel you, Al the sins that you commit (as you wil commit sins every day you live, but all the sins that you commit) are all writ down in Gods Book, he numbers your steps though you number them not your selves, he hath your iniquities in a Bag, and the day is coming when he wil cal every one of you to an account, and now (Friends) what if you have not a Daies-man or a Mediator to appear for you? I remember Ely said, Oh my Sons! if men sin against men, men shal speak for them, but who shall speak betwixt the Soul and God? So you have committed innumerable sins, and your own hearts and Consciences tel you more than any man can charge you with, How wil you do to appear before God? What if you have not a Mediator, the Lord Jesus that is a Propitiation for our sins? What a woful case are you in? Take heed you do not imbrace a Cloud, but study Christ and get found Faith in him, and if Christ be yours, you are secure: but look to it or your case is dangerous, I dare not stay you any longer: The Lord give us understanding in all things.
FINIS