Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself, Part 1 (1 of 6)

Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself · Part 1 (1 of 6)

p. 1CHRIST DYING, AND Drawing Sinners to himselfe.

JOHN 12.

27. Now is my soule troubled: and what shall I say? Father, save me from this houre: But for this cause came I unto this houre.

28. Father, glorifie thy Name.

IT is a question whether these words of our Saviours Soule-trouble be nothing but the same words and prayer which Matthew chap. 26. and Luke 22. relate, to wit, O my Father, Opening of the words.if it be possible, let this cup passe from me, when his soule was troubled in the garden, in his agonie: Some think them the same, others not. It is like they are words of the same matter; for first, when Christ uttered these words, hee was neare his sufferings, and on the brink of that hideous and dark sea of his most extreme paine, and drew up against hell, and the Armies of darknesse; as the story sheweth. But that the Lord uttered these same words in the garden, and not before, is not apparent; because upon this prayer it is said, Then came there a voyce from heaven, &c. A voyce speaketh to him from heaven: now, Mat. 26. Luk. 22. no p. 2voyce is like to have come from heaven; for when hee prayed in his agonie, there were no people with him, as here, because of the voyce the people being present, Some said it thundered, others said, an Angel spake from heaven: there being now with Christ in the garden, when hee prayed, O my Father, &c. none save Peter, James, and John, the three famous witnesses of his extreme suffering, and of his young heaven, of his transfiguration on the Mount, when hee acted the Preludium and the image and representation of heaven before them, as is cleare, Mat. 26. vers. 37. And he was removed from them also, Mat. 26.39. Luk. 22.41. and they were sleeping, in his agonie, Mat. 26.40, 43, 45. But now there is a waking people with Christ, who heard this voyce. But I deny not but it is the same prayer in sense: even as suppose it were revealed to a godly man, that hee were to suffer an extreme, violent, and painfull death; and withall, some fearfull soule-desertion, as an image of the second death; it should much affright him to remember this, and hee might pray that the Lord would either save him from that sad houre, or then give him grace with faith and courage, in the Lord, to endure it: so here; Christ, God and man, knowing that hee was to beare the terrors of the first and second death, doth act over afore-hand (the time being neare) the sorrow and anguish of heart that hee was to suffer in his extreme sufferings:Its good in our mind to act our sufferings ere they come. as it were good, ere the crosse come, to act it in our mind, and take an essay and a lift of Christs crosse, ere wee beare it, to try how handsomely wee would set back and shoulders under the Lords crosse. I doe not intend that wee are to imitate the Martyr who put his hand in the fire, the night before hee suffered, to try how hee could endure burning-quick; but that wee are to lay the supposition, what if i… so fall out; (as Christ being perswaded his suffering was to come, acted sorrow, trouble of soule and prayer before-hand;) and to resolve the saddest, and antedate the crosse, and say with our owne hearts, Let the worst come; or to suffer our feare to prophecy, as Job did, chap. 3. vers. 25. yet suppose the hardest befall me, I know what to doe; as the unjust Steward resolveth on a way, before-hand, how to swimm… through his necessities, Luk. 16.4. The Lord acteth judgement▪ and what they shall pray in the time of their extremity, who now spit at all praying and Religion; they shall be religious in their kind, when they shall cry, Revel. 6.16. p. 3Mountaines and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. You cannot beleeve that a Lambe shall chase the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and every bond-man, and every free-man, into the dennes and the rocks of the mountaines, to hide themselves. But the Lord acteth wrath and judgement, before your eyes. Men will not suppose the reall story of hell. Say but with thy selfe, Oh! shall I weep, and gnaw my tongue for paine, in a sea of fire and brimstone? Doe but fore-fancie, I pray you, how you shall look on it, what thoughts you will have, what you shall doe, when you shall 2 Thes. 1.9. be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 1. Fore-seen sorrowes have not so sad an impression on the spirit. 2. Grace is a well-advised and resolute thing, and has the eyes of providence to say in possible events, What if my Scarlet embrace the Dunghill, and Providence turne the Tables. 3. It is like wisedome (grace is wise to see afarre-off) to fore-act faith, and resolve to lie under Gods feet, and intend humble yeelding to God; as 2 Sam. 15.25, 26.

In the Complaint wee have 1. the Subject-matter of it,Parts of the Text. The Lords troubled- soule. 2. The Time; Now, is my soul… troubled. 3. Christs Anxiety wrought on him by this trouble; What shall I say? or, which is the sense, What shall I doe? 4. And a shoare is seen at hand in the storme, a present rock in the raging sea: What shalt thou say? Lord Jesus, what shalt thou doe? Pray: and hee prayeth, Father, save me from this houre. 5. There is a sort of correction, or rather a limitation; But for this cause came I to this houre. The Lord forgetting his paine, embraceth this evill houre. 6. Going on in his resolution to embrace this sad houre, hee prayeth, vers. 28. Father, glorifie thy Name.

Touching the first, the Soule-trouble of Christ, Five Particulars touching Christs soule-trouble.wee are to consider, 1. How it can consist with peace. 2. How with the personall union. 3. What cause there was. 4. What love and mercy in Jesus to be troubled for us. 5. What use wee must make of this.

1. Pos. This holy soule thus troubled,How pure and heavenly Christs affections are. was like the earth before the Fall, out of which grew roses without thorns, or thistles, before it was cursed. Christs anger, his sorrow, were flowers p. 4that smelled of heaven, and not of sinne: All his affections of feare, sorrow, sadnesse, hope, joy, love, desire, were like a fountaine of liquid and melted silver; of which the bankes, the head-spring, are all as cleare from drosse, as pure Chrystall: such a fountaine can cast out no cl…y, no mudde, no dirt. When his affections did rise and swell in their acts, every drop of the foun…aine was sinlesse, perfumed and adorned with grace; so as the more you stirre or trouble a well of Rose-water, or some precious liquor, the more sweet a smell it casts out: Or, as when a summer soft wind bloweth on a field of sweet Roses, it diffuseth precious and delicious smells through the aire. There is such mudde and dregs in the bottome and banks of our affections,Our affections are muddie. that when our anger, sorrow, sadnesse, feare, does arise in their acts, our fountaine casteth out sinne. Wee cannot love, but wee lust; nor feare, but wee despaire; nor rejoyce, but wee are wanton and vaine and gaudie; nor beleeve, but wee presume: wee rest up, wee breath out sin, wee cast out a smell of hell, when the wind bloweth on our field of weeds and thistles; our soule is all but a plat of wild-corne, the imaginations of our heart being onelyonly evill from our youth. O that Christ would plant some of his flowers in our soule, and blesse the soyle, that they might grow kindly there, being warmed and nourished with his grace: If grace be within, in sad pressures it comes out: A Saint is a Saint in affliction; as an hypocrite is an hypocrite: and every man is himselfe, and casts a smell like himselfe, when he is in the furnace. Troubled Christ prayes. Tempted Job beleeves, Job 19.25. The scourged Apostles rejoyce, Act. 5.41. Drowned Jonah looks to the holy Temple, Jonah 2.4.

2. Christs affections were rationall; reason starts up before feare: reason and affection did not out-run one another. Joh. 11.33. when Christ sees his friends weep, hee weeps with them: and that which is expressed in our Text by a Passive Verb, foreign, My soule is troubled; is there expressed by an Active Verb, Hee groned in the Spirit, foreign, and hee troubled himselfe: Hee called upon his affections, and grace and light was Lord and Master of his affection's.The perfection of Christs af…ctions.. There was in CHRIST three things which are not in us: First, The God-h…ad personally united with a Man, and a Mans soule had an immediate influence on his affections. This was Christs p. 5personall priviledge; and to want this, is not our sinne: to have it, was Christs glory: But the nearer any is to God, the more heavenly are the affections. Secondly, When God framed the humane nature and humane soule of Christ, hee created a more noble and curious piece, then was the first Adam: It is true, hee was like us in all things, except sinne, and essentially a man; but in his generation there was a cut of the art of heaven in Christ more then in the forming of Adam, or then in the generation of men, suppose man had never sinned; as Luk. 1.35. The power of the most High shall over-shadow thee: never man was thus to be borne. Whence give me leave to think, that there was more of God in the humane nature of Christ, as nature is a vessel coming out of the Potters house, then ever was in Adam, or living man; though man had never sinned: And so, that hee had a humane soule of a more noble structure and fabrick, in which the Holy Ghost, in the act of sanctification, had a higher hand, then when Adam was created, according to the image of God; though hee was a man like us in all things, sinne excepted.

3. Pos. Undeniably, Grace did so accompany Nature, that hee could not feare more then the object required. Had all the strength of men and Angels been massed and contemperated in one, they should have been in a higher measure troubled, then Christ was: So how much trouble was in Christs affections, as much there was of reason, perfumed and lustered with grace. Hee was not as man in his intellectualls, wise, or desirous to be wise, (as Adam and Evah, and men now are taken with the disease of curiosity) above what was fit: So neither were his affections above banks; hee saw the blackest and darkest houre, that ever any saw; suppose all the sufferings of the damned, for eternity, were before them in one sight, or came on them at once, it should annihilate all that are now, or shall be in hell. Christ now saw, or fore-saw as great sufferings, and yet 1. beleeved, 2. prayed, 3. hoped, 4. was encouraged under it, 5. suffered them to the bottome with all patience, 6. rejoyced in hope, Psal. 16.9. Now our affections rise and swell before reason: 1. They are often imaginary, and are on horse-back and in armes at the stirring of a straw. 2. They want that clearnesse and serenity of grace that Christ had, through habituall grace following nature from the womb. 3. Wee can raise our affec… ons, p. 6but cannot allay them: as some Magicians can raise the Devill, but cannot conjure, or command him: or, some can make warre, and cannot create peace. It is a calumnie of Papists, that say, that Calvin did teach there was despaire, or any distemper of reason in Christ; when as Calvin saith, Hee still beleeved with full assurance. And this extremity of soule-trouble was most rationall, coming from the infallible apprehension of the most pressing cause of soule-trouble, that ever living man was under.

What peace Christ had with his soule-trouble.4. Pos. Christ had now and alwayes Morall peace, or the grace of peace, as peace is opposed to culpable raging of Conscience. First, Hee never could want faith, which is a serenity, quietnes, and silence of the soule and assurance of the love of God. Secondly, Hee could have no doubting, or sinfull disturbance of mind; because hee could have no conscience of guilt, which could over-cloud the love and tenderest favour of his Father to him. But as peace is opposed to paine, and sense of wrath and punishment, for the guilt of our sinnes, so hee wanted Physicall peace, and was now under penall disturbance and disquietnesse of soule. So wee see some have peace, but not pardon; as the secure sinners, 1 Thes. 5.3. Secondly, Some have pardon, but not peace; as David, Psal. 38.3. who had broken bones; and complaineth, vers. 8. I am feeble and sore broken, I have roared by reason of the disquietnesse of my heart. And the troubled Church, Psal. 77.1, 2, 3, 4. Some have both peace and pardon; as some, like Steven, that are so neare to the Crowne, as they are above any challenges of Conscience: It's like Sathan giveth over, and despaireth of these, whom hee cannot over-take, being so neare the end of the race. When the sunne riseth first, the beames over-gilde the tops of green mountaines that look toward the East, and the world cannot hinder the sun to rise: Some are so neare heaven, that the everlasting Sunne hath begun to make an everlasting day of glory on them; the rayes that come from his face that sits on the throne, so over-goldeth the soule, that there is no possibility of clouding peace, or of hindering day-light in the soules of such Some have neither peace nor pardon; as those in who…e soule hell hath taken fire. Christ never needed pardon, hee was able to pay all hee was owing; hee needed never the grace of forgivenesse, nor grace to be spared; God spared him not. God could exact no lesse bloud of p. 7him, then hee shed; but hee received an acquittance of justification, never a pardon of grace; 1 Tim. 3.16. Justified in the Spirit.

The third Point is, How a troubled soule can stand with a personall union. Can God, can the soule of God be troubled?A troubled soul consisted with the personall union. And how this must be; And how it can be. I shall shew, first, How this must be: Secondly, How this can be. It must be, first, Because the losse of heaven is the greatest losse. To ransome a King requireth more millions, then pence to ransome slaves. When wee were cast and forfeited, more than an hundred and forty foure thousand Kings (in the Lords decree they were Kings) were cast out of heaven: where 1was there gold on earth to buy heaven, and so many Kings? And yet Justice must have payment; a God-troubled Saviour, and a Soule-troubled God was little enough. Oh, saith Love to infinite Justice, What will you give for me? will you buy me? my deare children, the heires of eternall grace? A price below the worth of so many Kings, Justice cannot heare of; equall it must be, or more.

Secondly, Law cannot sleep satisfied with a Mans soule-trouble; for as sinne troubles an infinite Gods soule, so farre 2as our darts can flie up against the Sun, so must the soule-trouble of him who is God, expiate sin.

Thirdly, Heaven is not onelyonly a transcendent Jewel, deare in it selfe, but our Father would propine Rebels with a Sonship 3and a Kingdome, which is deare in our legall esteeme. What standeth my Crowne to God? Why it could not possibly be dearer; The soule of God was weighed for it: that not onelyonly freedome, but the dearest of prices might commend and cry up, above all heaven's, Christs love.

Fourthly, If my soule, or your soules, O redeemed of the 4Lord, could be valued every one of them worth ten thousand millions of soules, and as many heavens, they could not over-weigh the soule of God; the soule that lodges in a glorious union with God: and the losse of heaven to the troubled soule of this noble, and high and lofty one, though but for a time, was more, and infinitely greater then my losse of heaven, and the losse of all the elect for eternity.

Fifthly, I love not to dispute here, but God, if wee speake of his absolute power, without respect to his free decree, could 5have pardoned sinne without a ransome, and gifted all Mankind p. 8and fallen Angels with heaven, without any satisfaction of either the sinner,God exacted not satisfaction for sins by necessity of nature. or his Surety; for hee neither punisheth sin, nor tenders heaven to Men or Angels by necessity of nature, as the fire casteth out heat, and the sunne light; but freely: onelyonly supposing that frame of providence, and decrees of punishing, and redeeming sinners, that now is, the Lord could not but be steaddie in his decrees; yet this is but necessity conditionall, and at the second hand. But here was the businesse, God, in the depth of his eternall wisdome, did so frame and draw the designe and plot of saving lost man, as salvation was to runne in no other channell,The way of grace how lovely. but such an one, the bank whereof was the freest grace and tenderest love that can enter in the heart of Men or Angels; for hee drew the lines of our heaven through grace, all the way.

Secondly, Grace hardly can work but by choice and voluntary 2arbitration: choice and election is sutable to Grace. Hence Grace casts lots on Man, not falne Angels; and the eternall lot of transcendent mercy must fall on the bosome of Jacob, and some others, not on Esau and others. And our Lord contrived this brave way, to out his grace on us.

Thirdly, And hee would not have love to lodge for eternity 3within his owne bowels, but must find out a way how to put boundlesse mercy to the exchange or bank, that hee might traffique with love and mercy, for no gaine to himselfe; and therefore freely our Lord came under baile, and lovely necessity, to straine himselfe to issue out love, in giving his one Sonne (hee had not another) to die for man: Hee framed a supernaturall providence of richest grace and love, to buy the refuse of creatures, foule sinners, with an unparallel'd sampler of tender love, to give the Bloud-Royall of heaven, the eternall Branch of the Princely and Kingly God-head a ransome to Justice. You sinne (saith the Love of loves) and I suffer: You did the wrong, I make the mends: You sinne and sing in your carnall joyes, I sigh, I weep for your joy. The fairest face that ever was, was foule with weeping for your sinfull rejoycing. It was fitting that free-love, in the bowells of Christ, should contrive the way to heaven through free-love: wee should never in heaven, cast downe our Crownes at the feet of him that sits on the throne, with such sense and admiration, if wee had come to the Crown by Law-doing, and not by Gospel-confiding on a rich Ransom-payer. p. 9O that eternall banquet of the honey-combe of the Love-debt of the Lamb that redeemed us, for nothing, all the shoulders in heaven are for eternity on an act of lifting-up, and heightening Christs free-love, who has redeemed them, with so free a redemption; but they are not all able, though Angels help them, to lift it up high enough: its so weighty a Crown that is upon the head of the Prince-Redeemer, that, in a manner, it wearies them, and they cannot over-extoll it.

Now, this must be a mystery; for though the essence of God, and more of God then can be in a creature, were in Christ, Christ in soul-trouble an… the union not dissolved.and in the most noble manner of union, which is personall; yet, as our soule united to a vegetive body, which doth grow, sleep, eat, drink, doth not grow, sleep, or eat; and, as fire is mixt or united with an hot iron, in which is density and weight, and yet there's neither density nor weight in the fire; so here, though the God-head, in its fulnesse, was united, in a most strict union, with a troubled and perplexed soule, and the suffering nature of man, yet is the God-head still free of suffering, or any penall infirmities of the soule: The vigour and colour of a faire Rose may suffer by the extreme heat of the sunne, when yet the▪ sweet smell doth not suffer, but is rather enlarged by exhalation: Yet is there great halting in these comparisons; because, though the soule cannot be sick when the body is distempered, for there is nothing of the Elementary nature, nor any contemperation of Physicall humours in it, because of a more sublime and pure constitution; yet there is such alliance and intire society between the soule and the body, that the soule, through concomitancie and sympathy, does suffer; as the In-dweller is put to the worse, if the house be rainy and dropping: The soule findeth smoke and leakings of paine, in that its pinned in a lodging of sick clay, and so put to wish an hole in the wall, or to escape out at doore or window; as often our spirits are over-swayed so with distaste of life, because of the foure accidents that doe convey it, that they think the gaine of life not so sweet, as it can quit the cost. But the blessed God-head, united to the Man-hood, cannot so much as for companies cause be sick, pained, or suffer; nor can the God-head be weary of an union with a troubled soule: Wee conceive, in the grave and death, that glorious f…llowship was never dissolved.

Secondly, Many things may suffer by invasion of contraries; p. 10as, shoot an arrow against a wall of brasse, some impression may remaine in the wall, to witnesse the violence that has been there; and wee know that, They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevaile: But the blessed God-head in Christ is uncapable of an arrow, or of repercussion; there is no action against God; hee is here not so much as a coast, a bank or bulwurke, capable of receiving one spitting or drop of a sea-wave; onelyonly the Man Christ, the Rose of heaven, had in his bosome, at his root, a fountaine, Oh how deep and refreshing, that kept the Flower greene, under death and the grave! when it was plucked up, it was faire, vigorous, green before the sunne; and thus plucked up, and above earth, blossomed faire!

Thirdly, Not onelyonly the influence and effects of the glorious God-head did water the Flower, and keep strength in Christ, (so, I think, God can keep a damned man in the doubled torments of everlasting wrath, with strength of grace, courage, faith, the love of Christ for ever, as hee could not be overcome by hell and devils;) but there was the fulnesse personall of the God-head, that immediatly sustained the Man Christ; it was not a delegated comfort, nor sent help, nor a message of created love, nor a borrowed flowing of a sea of sweetnesse of consolation;Famulists teach that Christ is incarnate in beleevers. but God in proper person, infinite subsistence, the personality of the Sonne of God bottomed all his sufferings; the Man-hood was imped and stocked in the subsistence of the tree of life. Its true, God is a present help to his Saints in trouble; but his helping is in his operation and working; but hee is not personally united to the soule. Its abominable that some Famulists teach,Rise, reigne, of Antinom. er. 11. that as Christ was once made flesh, so hee is now first made flesh in us, ere wee be carried to perfection. Because, not any Saint on earth can be so united personally to God, as the Son of Man; for hee being made of a woman, of the seed of David, the Son of Man, hee, and not any but hee, is the eternall Son of God, God blessed for ever. The Child born to us, is the mighty God, the Father of age, the Prince of peace, Isai. 9.6. Rom. 9.5. Gal. 4.4. There is a wide difference between him the second Adam, and all men, even the first Adam in his perfection. 1 Cor. 15.47. If Christ suffered without dissolving of the union, God keeping the tent of clay, and taking it to heaven with him, in a personall union, then God can in the lowest desertion dwell in his Saints. We complaine p. 11in our soule-trouble, of Christs departure from us, but hee is not gone; our sense is not our Bible, nor a good rule; there is an errour in this Compasse.

The third Particular was the Cause: What cause was there?Christ s…ffered in his soule kindly, and not by concomitancy onelyonly. Papists say there was no reason of Christs soule-suffering, except for sympathy with the body. Wee beleeve, that Christ becoming Surety for us, not his body onelyonly, but his soule especially came under that necessity, that his soule was in our soules stead; and so what was due to our soules for ever, our Surety of justice behoved to suffer the same. Isai. 53.10. Hee 1made his soule an offering for sinne. Sure for our sin. Nor must wee restrict the soule to the body and temporary life, seeing hee expresseth it in his owne language, And now is my soule troubled.

Secondly, There was no reason of Christs bodily sufferings, when, in the garden, hee did sweat bloud for us; nor had any 2man at that time laid hands on him; and all that agonie hee was in, came from his soule onelyonly.

Thirdly, Nor can it be more inconsistent with his blessed person, being God and Man, and the Sonne of God, that hee suffered in his soule the wrath of God for our sinnes, then that his soule was troubled, and exceeding sorrowfull, heavie to the deaths in an agonie; and that hee complained, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And the cause of this soule-trouble was for sinners; this was Surety-suffering. The choicest and most stately piece that ever God created, and dearest to God, Christs pre…ious soule liable to sufferingbeing the Second to God-man, was the Princely soule of Christ, it was a Kings soule; yet death, by reason of sinne, passeth upon it; and not a common death, but that which is the marrow of death; the first-borne and the strongest of deaths, the wrath of God, the innocent paine of hell, voyd of despaire and hatred of God. If I had any hell on me, I should chuse an innocent hell, like Christs: Better suffer ill a thousand times, than sinne: Suffering is rather to be chosen, than sinne. It was pain, and nothing but paine: Damned men, and reprobate devils, are not capable of a godly and innocent hell, they cannot chuse to suffer hell, and not spit on faire and spotlesse Justice; because Christs bloud was to wash away sin, hee could not both fully pay, and contract debt also. But if it be so, that death finding so precious a Surety as Christs Princely and sinlesse soule, did p. 12make him obey the law of the Land, ere hee escaped out of that Land, what wonder that wee die, who are born in the Land of death?W…e are to beare … patiently, because Christ …. No creature but it travelleth in paine, with death in its bosome, or an inclination to Mother-Nothing, whence it came. God onelyonly goeth between the mightiest Angel in heaven, and Nothing: All things under the Moone must be sick of vanity and death, when the Heire of all things, coming in amongst dying creatures, out of dispensation, by Law must dye. If the Lords soule, and the soule of such a Lord dye and suffer wrath, then let the faire face of the world, the heavens, look like the face of an old man, full of trembling, white haires, and wrinkles, Psal. 102.26. Then let man make for his long home; let Time it selfe waxe old and gray-hair'd. Why should I desire to stay here, when Christ could not but passe away?

No wonder all things be lyable to change, since Christ was in soule-trouble.And if this spotlesse soule that never sinned was troubled, what wonder then many troubles be to the sinner? Our Saviour, who promiseth soule-rest to others, cannot have soule-rest himselfe: his soule is now on a wheele sore tossed, and all the creatures are upon a wheele, and in motion; there is not a creature since Adam sinned, sleepeth sound. Wearinesse and motion is laid on Moon and Sunne, and all creatures on this side of the Moon. Seas ebbe and flow, and that's trouble; winds blow, rivers move heavens and stars these five thousand yeares, except one time, have not had sixe minutes rest; living creatures walk apace toward death; Kingdomes, Cities, are on the wheele of changes, up, and downe; Man-kind runne, and the disease of body-trouble, and soule-trouble on them, they are motion-sick, going on their feet, and Kings cannot have beds to rest in. The six dayes Creation hath been travelling and shouting for paine, and the Child is not born yet, Rom. 8.22. This poore woman hath been groning under the bondage of vanity, and shall not be brought to bed, while Jesus come the second time to be Mid-wife to the birth. The great All of heaven and earth, since God laid the first stone of this wide Hall, hath been groning, and weeping, for the liberty of the sonnes of God, Rom. 8.21. The figure of the passing-away world, 1 Cor. 7.31. is like an old mans face, full of wrinkles, and foule with weeping: we are waiting, when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, and shall come and wipe the old mans face. Every creature here is on its feet, none of them can sit or lie. Christs soule now is above p. 13trouble, and rests sweetly in the bosome of God. Troubled Soules, Rejoyce in hope. Soft and childish Saints take it not well that they are not every day feasted with Christs love, that they lie not all the night between the Redeemer's brests, and are not dandled on his knee; but when the daintiest piece of the Man Jesus, his precious soule was thus sick of soule-trouble, and the noble and celebrious head-Heire of all, the first of his Kingly house, was put to deep grones that pierced skies and heaven, and rent the rocks, why but sinners should be submissive, when Christ is pleased to set children down to walke on foot, and hide himselfe from them? But they forget the difference between the Innes of clay, and the Home of glory. Our fields here are sowne with teares, griefe growes in every furrow of this low-land. You shall lay soule and head down in the bosome, and between the brests of Jesus Christ; that bed must be soft and delicious, its perfumed with uncreated glory. The thoughts of all your now soule-troubles, shall be as shadowes that passed away ten thousand yeares agoe, when Christ shall circle his glorious arme about your head, and you rest in an infinite compasse of surpassing glory; or when glory, or ripened grace, shall be within you, and without you, above, and below, when feet of clay shall walk upon pure surpassing glory: The street of the City was pure gold: There is no gold there, but glory onelyonly; gold is but a shadow to all that is there.

It were possibly no lesse edifying to speake a little of tho Fourth, What love and tender mercy it was in Christ, to be so troubled in soule for us.

1. Pos. Selfe is precious, when free of sinne, and withall selfe-happy. Christ was both free of sin, and selfe-happy;What love is Christs undertaking for us. what then could have made him stirre his foot out of heaven, so excellent a Land, and come under the pain of a troubled soule, except free, strong and vehement love, that was a bottomlesse river unpatient of banks? Infinite goodnesse maketh Love to swell without it selfe, Joh. 15.13. Goodnesse is much moved with righteousnesse and innocency; but wee had a bad cause, because sinners: But goodnesse (for every man that hath a good cause, is not a good man) is moved with goodnesse: we were neither righteous, nor good; yet Christ, though neither righteousnesse was in us, nor goodnesse, would dare to dye for us, Rom. 5.7, 8. Goodnesse and grace (which is goodnesse for no p. 14deserving) is bold, daring, and venturous. Love, which could not flow within its owne channell, but that Christs love might be out of measure love, and out of measure loving, would outrun wickednesse in man.

2. Pos. Had Christ seen, when hee was to ingage his soule in the paines of the second death,Christ cast up his counts, and saw what hee was to give out, and what to get in, in his dying for us. that the expence in giving out should be great, and the in-come small, and no more then hee had before, wee might value his love more: But Christ had leasure from eternity, and wisdome enough to cast up his counts, and knew what hee was to give out, and what to receive in; so hee might have repented and given up the bargaine. Hee knew that his bloud, and his one noble soule, that dwelt in a personall union with God, was a greater summe, incomparably, then all his redeemed ones. Hee should have in little, he should but gaine lost sinners; hee should empty out (in a manner) a faire God-head, and kill the Lord of glory, and get in a black bride. But there's no lack in love; the love of Christ was not private, nor mercenary. Christ the buyer, commended the wares ere hee bargained, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all faire, my love, there's not a spot in thee. Christ judged hee had gotten a noble prize, and made an heavens market, when hee got his Wife that hee served for, in his armes, Esay 53.11. Hee saw the travell of his soule, and was satisfied: Hee was filled with delight, as a full Banquetter. If that ransome hee gave had been little, hee would have given more.

3. Pos. It is much that nothing without Christ moved him to this engagement. There was a sad and bloudy warre between divine Justice and sinners;Loves way of saving man. Love, Love pressed Christ to the warre, to come and serve the great King, and the State of lost Mankind, and to doe it freely. This maketh it two favours. Its a conquering notion to think, that the sinners heaven bred first in Christs heart from eternity; and that Love, freest Love was the blossome, and the seed, and the onelyonly contriver of our eternall glory: that free Grace drove on from the beginning of the age of God ▪ from everlasting, the saving plot and sweet designe of redemption of soules. This innocent and soule-rejoycing policy of Christs taking on him the seed of Abraham, not of Angels, and to come downe in the shape of a servant, to the land of his enemies, without a Passe, in regard of his sufferings, speaketh and cryeth the deep wisdome of infinite Love. p. 15Was not this the wit of free Grace to find out such a mysterious and profound dispensation, as that God and man personally should both doe and suffer, so as Justice should want nothing, Mercy be satisfied, Peace should kisse righteousnesse, and warre goe on, in justice, against a sinlesse Redeemer? Angels bowing and stooping downe to behold the bottome of this depth, 1 Pet. 1.12. cannot read the perfect sense of the infinite turnings and foldings of this mysterious love. O Love of heaven, and fairest of Beloveds, the flower of Angels, why camest thou so low down, as to be-spot and under-rate the spotlesse love of all loves, with coming …igh to black sinners? Who could have beleeved that lumps of hell and sinne could be capable of the warmings and sparkles of so high and princely a Love? or that there could be place in the brest of the High and lofty One, for forlorne and guilty clay. But wee may know in whose brest this bred; sure none but onelyonly the eternall Love and Delight of the Father could have outed so much love: had another done it, the wonder had been more. But of this more else-where.

Wee may hence chide our soft nature;Vse 1. the Lord Jesus his soule was troubled in our businesse,Our softnesse and selfe-wisdome in suffering. wee start at a troubled body, at a scratch in a penny-broad of our hyde. First, There is in nature a silent impatience, if wee be not carried in a chariot of love, in Christs bosome, to heaven; and if wee walk not upon scarlet, and purple under our feet, wee flinch and murmure.

Secondly, Wee would either have a silken, a soft, a perfumed 2crosse, sugered and honyed with the consolations of Christ, or wee faint; and providence must either brew a cup of gall and worm-wood mastered in the mixing with joy and songs, else wee cannot be Disciples. But Christs Crosse did not smile on him, his Crosse was a crosse, and his ship sailed in bloud, and his blessed soule was sea-sick, and heavie even to death.

Thirdly, Wee love to saile in fresh waters, within a step to the shoare, wee consider not that our Lord, though hee afflict 3not, and crush not, foreign from his heart, Lam. 3.33. yet hee afflicteth not in sport: punishing of sinne is in God a serious, grave, and reall work: no reason the crosse should be a play; neither Stoicks nor Christians can laugh it over; the Crosse cast a sad glowme upon Christ.

p. 164Fourthly, we forget that bloody and sad mercies are good for us: the peace that the Lord bringeth out of the wombe of warre, is better then the rotten peace that wee had in the superstitious daies of Prelats. What a sweet life, what a heaven, what a salvation is it, we have in Christ? and we know the death, the grave, the soule-trouble of the Lord Jesus, travelled in paine to bring forth these to us. Heaven is the more heaven, that to Christ it was a purchase of blood. The Crosse to all the Saints must have a bloody bit, and Lyons teeth, it was like it selfe to Christ, gallie and soure, it must be so to us. Wee cannot have a Paper-crosse, except we would take on us to make a golden providence, and put the creation in a new frame, and take the world, and make it a great leaden vessell, melt it in the fire, and cast a new mould of it.

5Fiftly, the more of God in the Crosse, the sweeter: as that free grace doth budde out of the black rod of God, to the soule that seeth not, and yet beleeveth, and loveth; the Crosse of Christ drops honey, and sweetest consolations. Wee sigh under stroakes, and we beleeve. The first Adam killed us, and buried us in two deaths, and sealed our grave in one peece of an houre; he concluded all under wrath. Now how much of Christ is in this? Omnipotencie, infinite wisedome, (when Angels gave us over, and stood aloofe at our miserie, as changed lovers) free Grace, boundlesse love, deepest and richest mercy in Jesus Christ opened our graves, and raised the dead. Christ died and rose againe, and brought againe from the dead all his buried brethren.

Sixtly, we can wrestle with the Almighty ▪ as if we could discipline 6and governe our selves, better then God can do; Murmuring fleeth up against a dispensation of an infinite wisdome, because its Gods dispensation, not our owne, as if God had done the fault,Our mis-judging of God, under the Crosse. but the murmuring man onelyonly can make amends, and right the slips of infinite Wisdome. Why is it thus with mee, Lord? (saith the Wrestler.) Why doest thou mis-judge Christ? he who findeth fault with what the Creator doth, let him be man or Angel, undoe it, and doe better himselfe, and carry it with him.

Seventhly, we judge God with sense, with the humor of 7reason, not with reason; the oare that God rolleth his vessell withall, is broken (say we) because the end of the oare is in the p. 17water: Providence halteth (say we) but what if sense and humour say, a straight line is a circle? The world judged God in person a Samaritane, one that had a devill, if we mis-judge his person, we may mis-judge his providence and wayes. Suspend your sense of Gods wayes, while you see his ends that are under ground, and instead of judging, wonder and adore, or then beleeve implicitly that the way of God is equall, or doe both, and submit, and be silent. Heart-dialogues, and heart-speeches against God, that arises as smoake in the Chimney, are challengings and summons against our highest Landlord, for his owne house and land.

Secondly, If Christ gave a soule for us, hee had no choiser thing: the Father had no nobler and dearer gift,Vse 2. then his only begotten sonne; the sonne had no thing dearer then himselfe, the man Christ had nothing of value comparable to his soule,Our coldnesse of love to Christ. and that must runne a hazzard for man. The Father, the Sonne, the Man Christ, gave the excellentest that was theirs, for us. In this giving and taking world, we are hence obliged to give the best and choisest thing we have for Christ. Should wee make a table of Christs acts of love, and free grace to us, and of ou… sinnes and acts of unthankefulnesse to him, this would be more evident; as there was (1.) before time in the breast of Christ an eternall coale of burning love to the sinner; this fire of heaven is everlasting, and the flames as hot to day as ever; our coale of love to him in time, hath scarce any fire or warmenesse, all fire is hot: Oh, we cannot warme Christ with our love, but his love to us is hotter then death, or as the flames of God: Wee were enemies in our minds to him, by wicked workes, Col. 1.21. Heires of wrath by nature. Christ began with love to us, we begin with hatred to him.

2. The Father gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne for us; how many Fathers, and Elies will not let fall one tough word to all the sonnes and daughters they have, for the Lord? God spared not his Sonne, but gave him to the death for us all. Earthly Fathers spare, clap their Sonnes, Servants, Friends; Magistrates, flattering Pastors, their people in their blasphemies for him.

3. Christ gave his soule to trouble, and to the horrour of the second death for you; consult with your heart, if you have quit one lust for him. Christ laid aside his heaven for you; his whole heaven, his whole glory for you, and his Fathers house; p. 18are you willing to part with an acre of earth, or house, and inheritance for him.

4. In calling us out of the state of sin, to grace and glory; oh I must make this sad reckoning with Jesus Christ. Oh, Christ turneth his smiling face to mee, in calling, inviting, obtesting, praying, that I would be reconciled to God, I turne my back to him; he openeth his breast and heart to us, and saith, Friends, Doves, come in and dwell in the holes of this rock; and wee lift our heele against him. O what guilt is here to scratch Christs breast? when he willeth you to come, and lay head and heart on his breast; this unkindnesse to Christs troubled soule, is more then sin: sinne is but a transgression of the Law. I grant it is an infinite But. But 'its a transgression of both Law and Love, to spurne against the warme bowels of Love, to spit on grace, on tendernesse of infinite Love. The white and ruddie, the fairest of heaven, offereth to kisse Blacke-Moores on earth, they will not come neere to him. 'Its a heart of Flint and Adaman…, that spitteth at Evangelike love:Evangelicke love it more then Law-love. Law-Love is Love; Evangelike love is more then love, 'its the Gold, the floure of Christs Wheat, and of his finest Love. Cant. 5.6. I rose up to open to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe, and was gone, my soule passed away when he spake. There be two words here considerable, to prove how wounding are sinnes against the love of Christ. Sins against Love are wounding.1. My beloved hath withdrawne himselfe; the Text is, foreign and my beloved had turned about. Ari. Mont. circumj…rat, Pagnin. in the Margen, verterat se, the old Version, declinaverat. Christ being unwilling to remove, and wholly goe away, hee onelyonly turned aside, as Jer. 31.22. How long wilt thou goe about, foreign O thou back-sliding daughter. This intimateth so much, as Christ taketh not a direct journey to goe away, and leave his owne children, onelyonly hee goeth a little aside from the doore of the soule, to testifie hee would gladly, with his soule, come in. Now what ingratitude is it to shut him violently away? 2. My soule was gone, the old Version is, My soule melted, at his speaking foreign my soule passed over, or went away; to remember his ravishing words, it broke my life and made me die: (so is the word elsewhere p. 19used) that I remembred a world of love in him, when he knocked, saying Open to me my sister, my love, my dove; to sinne against so great a bond as Grace, must be the sinne of sinnes, and amongst highest sinnes, as is cleare, in these that sinne against the Holy Ghost; then it must be impossible to give Grace any thing, we but pay our debts to grace; wee cannot give the debt of Grace to Grace in the whole summe.

It cannot then be a sinne intrinsecally and of it selfe to bee troubled in soule, if Christ was under soule-trouble,Vse 3. for sinnes imputed to him.

Hence let me stay a little on these two; First, what a troubled conscience is: Secondly, what course the troubled in soule are to take in imitation of Christ. What a Soule troubled for sinne is.A soule troubled for sinne must either be a soule feared and perplexed, for the penall displeasure, wrath, and indignation of God, or the eternall punishment of sinne, as these come under the apprehension of the evill of punishment; or, for sinne as it faileth against the love of God, or for both. In any of these three respects, it is no sinne to be soule-troubled for sinne, upon these conditions: 1. That the soule bee free of faithlesse doubting of Gods love. Now Christ was free of this, he could not but have a fixed, intire, and never broken confidence of his Fathers eternall love. If we have any sinne in our soule-trouble for sinne, it's from unbeliefe, not from soule-trouble; if their be mud and clay in the streams, it is from the bankes, not from the fountaine. Or, 2. if the soule feare the ill of punishment, as the greatest ill, and as a greater then the ill of sinne, there is more passion, then sound light in the feare, this could not be in Christ; the aversion of the Lords heart, from the party in whom there is sinne, either by reall inherence, Or by free imputation, and the in-drawing of rayes, and irradiations, and out-flowings of divine love is a high-evill in a soule that hath any thing of the nature of a sonne in him; now there was as much of a sonne in Christ, as a mans nature could be capable of: and the more of God that was in Christ, Christs being overclouded incom…arably the greatest Soule-trouble that ever wa…, be los…ng so much.as the fulnesse, the boundlesse infinite Sea of the God-head, overflowed Christ over all the banks, then for Christ to be under a cloude, in regard of the out-breathings of eternall love, was in a sort, most violent to Christ, as if he had been torne from himselfe, and therefore it behoved to be an extreame soule-trouble; Christ being deprived, in a manner▪ of himselfe, and of p. 20his onelyonly soules substantiall delight and Paradise. And this could not be a sinne, but an act of gracious Soule-sorrow, that sinne and hell intervened between the Moone and the Sunne; the soule of Christ, and his Lord; the more of Heaven in the soule, and the more of God: the want of God and of Heaven is the greater Hell. Suppose we that the whole light in the bodie of the Sun were utterly extinct, and that the Sunne were turned in a body as darke as the outside of a Caldron, that should be a greater losse, then if an halfe penny candle were deprived of light. Christ had more to lose, then a world of millions of Angels; Imagine a creature of as much Angelike capacity, as ten thousand times, ten thousand thousand of Angels, all contemperated in one, if this glorious Angel were filled, according to his capacitie, with the highest, and most pure and refined glory of heaven; and againe were immediatly stript naked of all this glory, and then plunged into the depth and heart of Holl, and of a lake of more then Hells ordinary temper, of fire and brimstone; or suppose, God should adde millions of degrees of more pure and unmixed wrath and curses, this Angels soule must be more troubled, then wee can easily apprehend; yet this is but a comparison below the thing; but the Lord Jesus in whole person, heaven in the highest degree was carried about with him, being throwne down from the top of so high a glory, to a sad and fearefull condition, an agony, and swearing of blood, (God knowes the cause) that shouting and tears of this low condition, drew out that saddest complaint, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? his losse must be incomparably more then all we can say in these shaddowes.

This sheweth the cause, why there is not among troubles any so grievous, as the want of the presence of God, to a soule fattened, and feasted with the continuall marrow and fatnesse of the Lords house. No such complaints read you, so bitter, so patheticke, and comming from deeper sense, then the want of the sense of Christs love. It's broken bones, and a dryed up body to David; it's bitter weeping and crying, like the chattering of a Crane to Ezechiah; it's more then strangling, and brings Job to pray he had been buried in the wombe of his mother, or that he had never been borne, or his mother had beene alwaies great with him; it is swoning, and the soules departure out of the body, sicknesse and death to the Spouse, Cant. 5. vers. 6.8. p. 21it's Hell and distraction to Heman, Psal. 88.15. It is to Jeremiah the cursing of the Messenger that brought tidings to his Father, that a man-child was borne, and a wishing that hee never had being, nor life; it's death to part the lover from the beloved, and the stronger love bee, the death is the more death.

But in all that we yet have said,Christ was to bleed for sinne, as sinne. Christs greatest Soule trouble as a Sonne (for that he was essentially) was in that his holy soule was sadded and made h…avie even to death, for sinne, as sinne, and as contrary to his Fathers love. The Elect sinned against the Lord, not looking to him, as either Lord, or Father: but Christ payed full deare for sinne; eying God as Lord, as Father. Wee looke neither to Lord, to Law, nor to Love, when we sinne; Christ looked to all three, when hee satisfied for sinne. Christ did more then pay our debts; it was a summe above price that he gave for us; it is a great question, yea out of all question, if all mankind redeemed came neere to the worth, to the goodly price given for us.

So according to the sense of any happinesse,According to the fulnesse of the presence of the Godhead, so heavy was Christs losse under desertion. so must the Soule-trouble for the losse of that happinesse be, in due proportion. First, as we love, so is sorrow for the losse of what we love. Jaakob would not have mourned so, for the losse of a servant, as of his Sonne Joseph. Now no man enioying God, could have a more quicke and vigorous sense of the enjoyed God-head, then Christ▪ so his apprehension and vision of God must have been strong. 2. Because the union with the Godhead, and communion of fulnesse of Grace from the wombe, must adde to his naturall faculties, a great edge of sense; his soule and the faculties thereof were never blunted with sinne; and the larger the vessell be, the fulnesse must be the greater▪ What, or who, of the highest Seraphims, or Dominions, or Principalities, among Angels, had so large and capacious a a spirit to containe the fulnesse of God, as Christ had? When Salomons heart was larger the… the sand in the Sea-shore; and he was but a shaddow of such a soule, as was to divell personally with the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily; O how capacious and wide must the heart of the true Salomon be? it being to containe many Seas, and Rivers of Wisdome, Love, Joy, Goodnesse, Mercy, above millions of Sandes, in millions of Sea-shoares. What bowels of compassion and love, of m… nesse, p. 22gentlenes, of free grace must be in him? Since all thousands of Elected soules sate in these bowels, and were in his heart, to die and live with him, and withall, since in his heart was the love of God in the highest. Love must make a strong impression in the heart of Christ, and the stronger, purer, and more vigorous that Christs intellectuals are, the deeper his holy thoughts and pure apprehensions were, and more steeled with fulnesse of Grace; his fruition, sense, joy, and love of God, must be the more elevated above what Angels and M…n are capable off. Hence it must follow, that Christ was plunged in an uncouth, and new world of extreame sorrow, even to the death, when this strong love was Ecclipsed. Imagine that for one Spring and Summer season, that all the light, heat, motion, vigour, influence of life, should retire into the body of the Sunne, and remaine there, what darkeness, deadness, whithering, should be upon flowres, herbs, trees, mountaines, valleys, beasts, birds, and all things living and moving on the earth? Then what wonder, that Christs Soule was extreamly troubled, his blessed Sunne was now downe, his Spring and Summer gone; his Father a forsaking God, was a new World to him, and I shall not beleeve that his complaint came from any error of judgement, or mistakes, or ungrounded jealousies of the love of God: As his Father could not at any time hate him; so neither could he at this time, actu secundo, let out the sweet fruits of his love▪ the cause of the former is the nature of God, …s the ground of the latter is a dispensation above the capacitie of the reason of Men or Angels. We may then conclude, that Jesus Christs Soule-trouble, as it was rationall, and extreamely penall; so also it was sinneless, and innocent, seldome have we Soule-trouble sinneless▪ but it i… by accident of the way. For our passions can hardly rise in th…ir extremity, (except when God is their onelyonly object) but they goe over score, yet Soule-trouble intrinsecally is not a sinne.

Then to be troubled for sin, though the person be fully perswaded of pardon,Soule-trouble for sin, is intrins…cally no sin. is neither sin, no… inconsistent with the state of a justified person, nor is it any act of unbeleefe, as Antinomians falsely suppose. For (1.) To be in soule-trouble for sin which cannot, to the perfect knowledge of the person troubled, 1eternally condemne, was in Jesus Christ; in whom there was no spot of sin. And Antinomians say, Sin remaining sin essentially, p. 23must have a condemnatory power: so as its unpossible to separate the condemnatory power of the Law,Antinomians error touching the nature of sinne from the mandatory and commanding power of the Law. (2.) Because as to abstaine from sin as it offendeth against the love of God sh…wing mercy, rather then the Law of God inflicting 2wrath, is spirituall obedience; so also to be troubled in soule for sin, committed by a justified person against so many sweet bonds of free love and grace, is a sanctified and gracious sorrow and trouble of soule. (3.) To be troubled for sin, as offensive to our heavenly Father, and against the sweetnesse of 3free Grace and tender love, includeth no act of unbeleef, nor that the justified and pardoned sinner thus troubled is not pardoned, or that hee feareth eternall wrath, (as Antinomians imagine) no more then a sons griefe of mind for offending a tender-hearted father can inferre, that this griefe doth conclude this son under a condition of doubting of his state of son-ship or filiation, or a fearing hee be dis-inherited. Wee may feare the Lord and his goodnesse, Hos. 3.5. as well as wee feare his eternall displeasure. (4.) Sanctified soule-trouble is a sonlie commotion and agonie of spirit, for trampling under feet 4tender love, spurning and kicking against the lovely warmnesse of the flowings of the bloud of atonement; checks and love-terrors or love-feavers that Christs Princely head was wet with the night-raine, while hee was kept out of his owne house, and suffered to lodge in the streets; and feare that the Beloved withdraw himselfe, and goe seek his lodging elsewhere, as Cant. 5.4, 5. Psal. 5.9, 10▪ and that the Lord cover himselfe with a cloud, and return to his place, and the influence of the rayes and beames of love be suspended; are sweet expressions of filiall bowels, and tendernesse of love to Christ.

Libertines imagine,Antinomians errors touching doubtings, sorrow for sin, confession ▪ &c. if the hazard and feare of hell be removed, there is no more place for feare, soule-trouble, or confession: Therefore they teach, that there is no assurance true and right, unlesse it be without fear and doubting aaStory of the rise, reign, and ruine of Antinomians, error 41. pag. 8.. (2.) That to call in question whether God be my deare Father, after, or upon the commission of some hainous sinnes, (as murther, incest, &c.) doth prove a man to be under the covenant of works bbIbid er. 20. pag. 4▪ (3.) That a man must be so farre from being troubled for sin, that hee must take no notice of his sin, nor of his repentance ccIb. er. 64. p. 12▪. Yea, D^r. Crisp, vol. 3. Serm. 1. pag. 20, 21, 22. saith, There p. 24was no cause why Paul (Rom. 7.) should feare sin, or a body of death; because in that place Paul doth (saith hee) personate a scrupulous spirit, and doth not speak out of his owne present c…se, as it was at this time, when hee speaks it; but speaks in the person of another, yet a beleever: and my reason is, Paul in respect of his owne person, what became of his sin, was already resolved, Chap. 8.1. There is now no condemnation, &c. hee knew his sins were pardoned, and that they could not hurt him.

Answ. Observe that Arminius, as also of old, Pelagius, exponed Rom. 7. de semi regenito, of a halfe renewed man, in whom sense, which inclines to veniall sins, fights with reason; that so the full and perfectly renewed man might seeme to be able to keep the Law, and be free of all mortall sin. And Crisp doth here manifestly free the justified man of all sin: why? because hee is pardoned. So then there is no battell between the Flesh and the Spirit in the justified man, by the Antinomian way to heaven, which on the Fleshes part, that lusteth against the Spirit, deserveth the name of sin, or a breach of the Law: OnelyOnly its Asinus meus qui peccat, non ego; as the old Libertines in Calvin's time said, The flesh does the sin, not the man;D. Crisp his foule Libertinisme, that Paul Rom. 7. …sonateth a scrupulous conscience, and had no reall cause to confesse sinne, or complaine of it, or feare it.Rom 7 for the man is under no Law, and so cannot sin. But that Paul, Rom. 7. speaks in the person of a scrupulous and troubled conscience, not as its the common case of all the regenerate, in whom sin dwells, is a foule and fleshly untruth. (1.) To be carnall in part, as Vers. 14. to doe which wee allow not, to doe what wee would not, and what wee hate, to doe, is the common case, not peculiar to a troubled conscience onelyonly, but to all the Saints, Gal. 5.17. (2.) Paul speaketh not of beleeving, as hee must doe, if hee speak onelyonly of a scrupulous and doubting conscience; but hee speaketh of foreign, of working, vers. 15. doing, 17, 18. willing, 15, 19. not of beleeving onelyonly, or doubting: Now it is not like the Apostle does personate a scrupulous soule, of whom hee insinuates no such thing. (3.) A scrupulous and troubled conscience will never yeeld, so long as hee is in that condition, that hee does any good, or that hee belongs to God; as is cleare, Psal. 88. Psal. 38. Psal. 77.1, 2, 3, 4. &c. but Paul in this case yeeldeth, hee does good, hates evill, delights in the Law of the Lord in the inner man; hath a desire to doe good, hath a law in his mind p. 25that resisteth the motions of the flesh. (4.) Yea, the Apostle then had no cause to feare the body of sinne, or to judge himself wretched; this was his unbeleefe, and there was no ground of his feare; because hee was pardoned, hee knew that he was freed from condemnation. It was then Paul's sinne, and is the sinfull scrupulosity of unbeleevers to say, being once justified, Sinne dwells in me, and there is a law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sinne; and I am carnall, and sold under sin; and I doe evill, even that which I hate; for all these are lies, and speeches of unbeleefe: The justified man sinneth not, his heart is clean, hee doth nothing against a law. But I well remember that our Divines, and particularly, Chemnitius, Calvin, Beza, prove against Papists, that concupiscence is sin after baptisme, even in the regenerate; and it is called eleven or twelve times with the name of sin, Rom. c. 6. c. 7. c. 8. and they teach that of Augustine as a truth, Inest non ut non sit, sed ut non imputetur. So we may use all these Arguments against Libertines, to prove wee are, even being justified, such as can sin, and doe transgresse the Law; and therefore ought to confesse these sins, be troubled in conscience for them, complaine and sigh in our fetters, though wee know that we are justified and freed from the guilt of sin, and the obligation to eternall wrath. But sin is one thing, and the obligation to eternall wrath is another thing: Antinomians confound them, and so mistake grosly the nature of sinne, and of the Law, and of Justification. Some imprudently goe so farre on, that they teach,Mr. Archer. That beleevers are to be troubled in heart for nothing that befalls them, either in sinne, or in affliction. If their meaning were, that they should not doubtingly, and from the principle of unbeleefe call in question their once sealed Justification, wee should not oppose such a tenent; but their reasons doe conclude, That wee should no more be shaken in mind with sinne, then with afflictions, and the punishments of sin; and that notwithstanding of the highest provocation wee are guilty of, wee are alwayes to rejoyce, to feast on the consolations of Christ. 1. Because trouble for sin ariseth from ignorance, or unbeleefe, that beleevers understand not the work of God for them, in the three Persons; the Fathers everlasting decree about them; the Sons union with them, and headship to them, his merits, and intercession; the holy Spirits inhabitation p. 26in them, and his office toward them, to work all their works for them, till hee make them meet for glory. 2. Because such trouble is troublesome to Gods heart, as a friend's trouble is to his friends; but especially, because the Spirit of bondage never returnes againe to the justified, Rom. 8.15. (d)(d)M. Archer, Comfort for beleevers. pag. 5, 6, 7. on Joh. 14 1.John 14:1. But I crave leave to cleare our Doctrine, touching soule-trouble for sin, in the justified person.

Asser. 1. No doubting, no perplexity of unbeleefe, de jure, ought to perplexe the soule once justified,Propositions clearing the doctrine of a beleevers soul-trouble. and pardoned. 1. Because the Patent and Writs of an unchangeable purpose to save the elect, and the subscribed and resolved upon Act of atonement and free redemption, in Christ, standeth uncancelled and firme, being once received by faith; the justified soule ought not so to be troubled for sin, as to mis-judge the Lords by-past work of saving Grace.Trouble of unbeleefe for sin, i… sinfull. 1. Because the beleever, once justified, is to beleeve remission of sins, and a payed ransome: If now hee should beleeve the Writs once signed, were cancelled again, hee were obliged to beleeve things contradictory. 2. To beleeve that the Lord is changed, and off and on, in his free love and eternall purposes, is a great slandering of the Almighty. 3. The Church Psal. 77. acknowledgeth such mis-judging of God, to be the soules infirmity, Psal. 77.10. I said, This is my infirmity.

Asser. 2. Yet, de facto, David a man according to Gods heart, 1 Sam. 12.12, 13. fell in an old feaver, a fit of the disease of the Spirit of bondage, Some fits of the …gue of the Spirit of bondage may recurre, and trouble a beleever.Psal. 32.3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long. V. 4. For day and night thy hand was heavie upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. So the Church in Asaph's words, Psal. 77.2. My sore ran in the night, and ceased not: either his hand was bedewed with teares in the night, as the Hebrew beareth; or a boyl of unbeleefe broke upon me in the night, and slacked not. Vers. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever? will hee be mercifull no more? Then faith and doubting both may as well be in the soule, with the life of God, as health and sicknesse in one body, at sundry times; and it is no argument at all of no spirituall assurance, and of a soule under the Law or covenant of works, to doubt: as sicknesse argueth life, no dead 1corpse is capable of sicknesse, or blindnesse; these are infirmities that neighbour with life: so doubting with sorrow, because the p. 27poore soul cannot, in that exigence, beleeve, is of kin to the life of God: the life of Jesus hath infirmities, kindly to it, as some diseases are hereditary to such a family. 2. The habit or state of unbeleefe is one thing, and doubtings and love-jealousies is 2another thing. Our love to Christ is sickly, crazie,Love-jealousies and doubtings argue …aith. and full of jealousies and suspitions. Temptations make false reports of Christ, and wee easily beleeve them. Jealousies argue love, and the strongest of loves, even marriage-love. 3. By this, all acts of unbeleefe in soules once justified, and sanctified, should be 3unpossible. Why, then the Lords Disciples had no faith, when Christ said to them, Why doubt yee, O yee of little faith? It happily may be answered, that the Disciples Mat. 8. doubted not of their son-ship, but of the Lords particular care in bringing them to shore, in a great sea-storme. To which I answer, Its most true, they then feared bodily, not, directly,Doubtings may consist with faith. soule-ship-wrack; but if it was sinfull doubting, of Christs care of them, Master, carest thou not for us? the point is concluded, That doubting of Christs care and love may well inferre, a soule is not utterly void of faith, that is in a doubting condition. 4. The morning dawning of light, is light; the first springing of the child in the belly, is a motion of life; the least warmings 4of Christs breathings, is the heat of life: When the pulse of Christ new framed in the soule moveth most weakly, the new birth is not dead; the very swonings of the love of Christ cannot be incident to a buried man. 5. When Christ rebuketh little faith and doubting, hee supposeth faith: hee who is but a 5sinking, and cryeth to Christ, is not drowned as yet. 6. The Disciples prayer, Lord increase our faith; Christs praying that 6the faith of the Saints, when they are winnowed, may not faile; the exhortation to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, prove, the Saints faith may be at a stand, and may stagger and slide. 7. The various condition of the Saints; now its full moon, againe no moon light at all, but a dark ecclipse; 7evidenceth this truth. The beleever hath flowings of strong acts of faith, joy, love; supernaturall p…ssions of Grace arising to an high spring-tide, above the banks and ordinary coasts; and … gain, a low-ground ebbe. The condition in ebbings and flowings, in full manifestations and divine raptures of another world, when the wind bloweth right from heaven, and the breath of Jesus Christs mouth, and of sad absence, runneth through the p. 28Song of Solomon, the book of the Psalmes, the book of Job, as threeds through a web of silke, and veines that are the strings and spouts carrying bloud through all the body, lesse or more.

Asser. 3. The justified soule once pardoned, receiveth never the Spirit of bondage, Rom. 8.15. to feare againe, eternall wrath; that is, This Spirit in the intension of the habit, such as was at the first conversion, when there was not a graine of faith; doth never returne, nor is it consistent with the Spirit of Adoption. Yet happily it may be a question, if a convert brought in with much sweetnesse, and quietnesse of Spirit, shall fall in some hainous sinne, like the adultery and murther of D…vid, have not greater vexation of Spirit, then at his first conversion, but more supernaturall.

But yet this must stand as a condemned error, which aaStory of the rise, reign, error, 70. pag. 13Libertines doe hold, That frequency, or length of holy duties, or trouble of Conscience for neglect thereof, are all signes of one under a Covenant of Works. And that which another bbSaltmarsh Free Grace, art. 6. pag. 44 45. Dangerous and unsound positions of Antinomians touching trouble for sinne in the justifiedof that way, saith in a dangerous medicine for wounded soules. Where there is no Law, (as there is none in, or over the justified soule) there is no transgression, and where there is no transgression, there is no trouble for sinne, all trouble arising from the obligement of the Law, which demandeth a satisfaction of the soule, for the breach of it, and such satisfaction as the soule knowes it cannot give, and thereby remaines unquiet; like a debtor that hath nothing to pay, and the Law too, being naturally in the soule, as the Apostle saith, The Conscience accusing, or else excusing. It is no marvell, that such soules should be troubled for sinne, and unpacified, the Law having such a party, and ingagement already within them; which holding an agreement with the Law, in Tables and Letters of stone, must needs worke strongly upon the spirits of such as are but faintly and weakely inlightned, and are not furnished with Gospel enough to answer the indictments, the convictions, the terrors, the curses which the Law brings. And a third, ccMaster Archer if he be the Author. Serm. Comfort for bel…evers, pag. 19.And indeed, Gods people (saith he) need more joyes after sinnes, then after afflictions, because they are more cast downe by them; and therefore God useth sinnes, as meanes by which he leades in his joyes into them in this world, and al…o in the world to come, their sinnes yeeld them great joyes; Indeed, in some respects, they shall joy-most at the last day, who p. 29have sinned least; But in other respects, they have most joy, who have sinned most; (for sinne they little or much, they all shall enter into joy at last,) &c.

Now all this is but a turning of Faith into wantonnesse, whereas Faith of all graces, moveth with lowest sayles; for Faith is not a lofty, and crying, but a soft moving, and humble grace; for then Davids being moved,Doubting proveth not a soule to be under a covena…t of workes. and his heart smiting him at the renting of King Sauls garment, should be under a covenant of works, and so not a man according to Gods owne heart, for a smitten heart is a troubled soule. David, Abraham; Rom. 4. and all the Fathers under the Law, were justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ, apprehended by Faith, as we are Rom. 4.23. Now it was not written for Abrahams sake onelyonly, that it was imputed to him. Vers. 24. But for us also, &c. David ought not to have been troubled in soule for sinne, for his sinnes were then pardoned; nor could the Spirit of the Lord so highly commend Josiahs heart-melting trouble at the reading and hearing of the Law: nor Christ owne the teares and Soule-trouble of the Woman, as comming from no other spring, but much love to Christ, because many sinnes were pardoned; if this Soule-trouble for sinne had argued these to bee under the Law, and not in Christ; nor can it be said, that the Saints of old were more under the Law, then now under the Gospel, in the sense we have now in hand: that is, that we are to be lesse troubled for sinne then they, because our justification is more perfect,The Jewes justified, might be troubled in soule for sinne, as we, they and we justified by the same grace. and the blood of Christ had lesse power to purge the Conscience, and to satisfie the demands of the Law before it was shed, then now when it is shed: or that more of the Law was naturally in the hearts of David, Josiah, and the Saints of old, and so, more naturally, unbeliefe must be in them, then is in us, by nature, under Gospel manifestations of Christ. Indeed, the Law was a severer Pedagogue to awe the Saints, then in regard of the outward dispensation of Ceremonies, and Legall strictnesse; keeping men as malefactors in close prison, till Christ should come. But imputation of Christs righteousness, and blessedness in the pardon of sinne, and so freedome from Soule-trouble for eternall wrath; and the Lawes demanding the Conscience to pay, what debts none were able to pay, but the Surety onelyonly, was one, and the same to them, and to us; as Psal. 32.1, 2. compared with Rom. p. 304▪ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and Psal. 14. with Rom. 3.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.19.20. and Gen. 17.9. cap. 22.18. Deut. 27.26. with Gal. 3.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Heb. 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Who dare say, that the beleeving Jewes, dyed under the curse of the Law, Deut. 27.26? For so they must perish eternally. Gal. 3.10. For as many as are of the works of the Law, are under the curse: Then there must be none redeemed under the Old Testament, nor any justified, contrarie to expresse Scriptures, Psal. 32.1, …. Rom. 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Gal. 3.14. Act. 15.11. Acts 11.16, 17. Rom. 10.1, 2, 3. Now Acts 15.11. We beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we shall be saved as well as they. And as they were blessed, in that their transgression was forgiven, and their sinne covered, and that the Lord imputed no iniquity to them, Psal. 32.1, 2. our blessedness is the same, Rom. 4.6, 7, 8. and Christ as he was made a curse for them, so for us; that Gal. 3.14. the blessing of Abraham might come on us the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, through faith: And God sent forth his Sonne made of a Woman, made under the Law; for the Jewes who as heires were under Tutors, as we are under the Morall Law by nature, that we might be redeemed by him, That wee, who are under the Law, might receive the adoption of Sonnes, Gal. 4.1, 2, 3, 4. And God gave the like gift to the Gentiles, that he gave to the Jewes, even repentance unto life, Acts 11.16, 17. Then the Law could crave them no harder then us; and they were no more justi…ied by works, then we are, Yea following righteousnesse, they attained it not, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law; for they stumbled at the stumbling stone, that was layed in Sion, Rom. 9.31, 32, 33. And they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse, and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse, have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God, Trouble f…r sinne is, and ought to be in these, who are delivered from obligation to eternall wrath,Rom. 10.1, 2, 3. and so came short of justification by Grace, so doe we. If then to the justified Jewes, There was no Law, no transgression, and so no trouble for sinne; all trouble of Conscience arising from the obligement of the Law; as it must bee, because they were freed from the curse of the Law, and justified in Jesus Christ, by his Grace, as we are; then were they under no smiting of heart, nor wounding of Conscience more then we are; which p. 31is manifestly false in David, and in Josiah, and many of the Saints under the Old Testament. Hence what was sinnefull and unbeleeving Soule-trouble for sinne to them, must be sinnefull Soule-trouble to us in the same kind. The Law did urge the Jewes, harder then us, in regard of the Mosaicall burden of Ceremonies, and bloody Sacrifices, that pointed out their guiltinesse, except they should flee to Christ; (2.) In regard of Gods dispensation of the severer punishing of Law-transgression, and that with temporarie punishments, and rewarding obedience with externall prosperitie: (3.) In urging this Doctrine more hardly upon the people, to cause them not rest on the letter of the law; but seeke to the promised Messiah, in whom onelyonly was their righteousnesse; as young heires and minors are kept under Tutors, while their Non-age expire: but (1.) Who dare say, that the Saints under the Old Testament, who lived and dyed in the case of remission of sinnes, of salvation and of peace with God, Gen. 49.18. Psal. 37.37. Psal. 73.25. Prov. 14.32. Isai. 57.1, 2. Hebr. 11.13. Psal. 32.1, 2. Micha. 7.18, 19. Isai. 43.25. Jerem. 50.20. Psalm. 31.5. and were undoubtedly blessed in Christ, as we are, Psal. 119.1, 2. Psalm. 65.4. Psalm. 1.1, 2, 3. Psal. 144.14, 15. Psal. 146.5. Job 5.17. Psalm. 84.4, 5. and dyed not under the curse of God, or were in capacity to be delivered by Christ, after this life, from the wrath to come, and the curse of the Law? (2.) That they were to trust to the merit of their owne works, or seeke righteousnesse in themselves, more then we? (3.) Or that they beleeved not, or that their Faith was not counted to them for Righteousnesse, as it is with us? Gen. 15.5, 6. Rom. 4.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Psal. 32.1, 2. (4.) Yea, they beleeving in the Messiah to come, were no more under the Law, and the dominion of sinne, then wee are, Rom. 6.6, 7, 8, 9. Rom. 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Rom. 8.1, 2. Micha 7.18, 19. Isai. 43.25. Jer. 50.20. Psal. 32.1, 2. but under grace, and pardoned, and saved by Faith, as we are, Heb. 11.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Gal. 3.10, 13. Acts 11.16, 17. Rom. 9.31, 32, 33. (5.) Yea, the Law was no lesse a Letter of condemnation to them, then to us. Rom. 8.3. Rom. 10.3. Deut. 27.26. Gal. 3.10, 13. 2 Cor. 3, 7, 8.13.14, 15. (6.) They dranke of the same spirituall Rocke with u…, and the Rocke was Christ, 1 Cor. 10.1, 2, 3, 4. Heb. 13.8. and were saved by grace, as well as we, Acts 15.11.

p. 322. It's true, Josiahs tendernesse of heart, Davids smiting of heart, the Womans weeping, even to the washing of Christs f…et with teares, Peters weeping bitterly for the denying of his Lord, as they were woundings, and Gospel-affections, and commotions of love issuing from the Spirit of adoption, of love, grace, and nothing but the Turtles love-sorrow; so it is, most false, that they were no soule trouble for sinne, as if these had beene freed from all Law of God, and these soule-commotions were not from any sense of the curse, or the Law, or any demands of Law, to pay what justice may demand of the selfe-condemned sinner; yet were they acts of soule-trouble for sin, as sin: and it shall never follow, that the parties were under no transgression, and no law, because under no obligement to eternall wrath; for such an obligation to eternall wrath, is no chain which can tye the sons of adoption, who are washed, justified, pardoned; and yet if the justified and pardoned say, they have no sin, and so no reason to complaine under their fetters, and sigh as captives in prison, as Paul doth, Rom. 7.24. nor cause to mourne for in-dwelling of sin, they are liars and strangers to their owne heart, and doe sleep in deep security; as if sin were so fully removed both in guilt and blot, as if tears for sin as sin should argue the mourning party to be in the condition of those who weep in hell, or that they were no more obliged to weep; yea, by the contrary, to exercise no such affection, but joy, comfort, and perpetuated acts of solace and rejoycing; as if Christ had, in the threshold of glory, with his owne hand wiped all teares from their eyes already.

3. Nor see I any reason why any should affirme, That the Law is naturally as a party in the soule, of the either regenerate 1and justified, or of those who are out of Christ. (1.) For the Law's in-dwelling, as a party ingaging, by accusing and condemning, is not naturally in any sonne of Adam; because there is a sleeping conscience, both dumbe and silent naturally in the soule: and if there be any challenging and accusing in the Gentile-conscience, Rom. 2. as stirring is opposed to a silent and dumb conscience that speaketh nothing, so the Law-accusing is not naturally in the soule; a spirit above nature (I doe not meane the Spirit of regeneration) must work with the Law, else both the Law and sin lie dead in the soule:No …aw-wakeni…gs in … by n…ure. the very law of nature lieth as a dead letter, and stirreth not, except some wind blow more p. 33or lesse on the soule, Rom. 7.8, 9. (2.) That the Law wakeneth any sinner, and maketh the drunken and mad sinner see himselfe 2in the sea, and sailing down the river to the chambers of death, that hee may but be occasioned to cast an eye on shore, on Jesus Christ, and wish a landing on Christ, is a mercy that no man can father on nature, or on himselfe. (3.) All sense of a sinfull condition, to any purpose, is a work above nature; though 3it be not ever a fruit of regeneration. (4.) Its true, Christ teacheth a mans soule, through the shining of Gospel-light, to 4answer all the enditements of the Law, in regard that Christ the Ransomer stops the Law's mouth with bloud, else the sinner can make but a poore and faint advocation for himselfe; yet this cannot be made in the conscience without some soule-trouble for sin. (5.) Its strange that Gods people need more joy after sinne, then after affliction; and that in some respect, How the Saints need joy, rather after sinne, then after affliction.they have 5most joy, who have sinned most: Sure, this is accidentall to sin, this joy is not for sin; but its a joy of loving much, because much is forgiven. Forgivenesse is an act of free grace, sin is no work of grace: Sin grieves the heart of God; as a friend's trouble is trouble to a friend: the beleever is made the friend of God, Joh. 15.15. and it must be cursed joy that lay in the womb of that which is most against the heart of Christ; such as all sin is. Yea, to be more troubled in soule for sinnes, then for afflictions, smelleth of a heart that keeps correspondence with the heart and bowels of Christ, who wept more for Jerusalems sins, then for his owne afflictions and crosse. As some ounces of everlasting wrath in the Law, with a talent weight of free Gospel-mercy would be contempered together to cure the sinner; so is there no rationall way to raise and heighten the price and worth of the soule-Redeemer of sinners, and the weight of infinite love so much, as to make the sinner know how deep a hell hee was plunged in, when the bone aketh exceedingly: for that the Gospel-tongue of the Physician Christ should lick the rotten bloud of the soules wound, speaketh more then imaginable free-love. Nor doe wee say, that Gospel-mourning is wrought by the Law's threatnings, then it were servile sorrow; but its wrought by the doctrine of the Law, discovering the foulnesse and sinfulnesse of sin, and by the doctrine of the Gospel; the Spirit of the Gospel shining on both: Otherwise, sounds, breathings, letters of either Law or Gospel, except the p. 34breathings of heaven shine on them and animate them, can do… no good.

Asser. 4. Sinnes of youth already pardoned as touching the obligation to eternall wrath, Sin is pardoned otherwise then in removall of obligation to eternall wrath.may so rise against the childe of God, as he hath need to aske the forgivenesse of them, as touching the removing of present wrath, sense of the want of Gods presence, of the influence of his love, the cloud of sadnesse and deadnes, through the want of the joy of the Holy Ghost, and ancient consolations of the dayes of old. Psal. 90.7. Wee are consumed in thy wrath, and by thy hot displeasure we are terrified. Vers. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, and our secret sinne in the light of thy face. This was not a motion of the flesh in Moses the man of God. Antinomians may so dreame, the furie of the Lord waxed hot against his people: so saith the Spirit of God: nor is this conceit of theirs to be credited against the Text that Moses speaketh in regard of the reprobate party; Moses by immediate inspiration doth not pray for the beauty and glory of the Lord, in the sense of his love to be manifested on a reprobate partie. Antinomian Preachers in our times confesse sinnes in publike,The double dealing of Antinomian Preachers in confessing of sinnes in publique, their confession being onelyonly in regard of the unbeleevers mixed with beleevers. but its the sinnes of the reprobate and carnall multitude, that are in the Society mixed with the godly; they thinke it a worke of the flesh to confesse their owne sinnes: this is to steale the word of the Lord from his people. So David, Psal. 25.7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth, nor my trangressions. The sinnes of his youth, as touching obligation to eternall wrath, were pardoned, I question it not; but in regard, God was turned from him in the flamings of love, and his sinnes sealed up in a bagge in regard of innumerable evils that lay on him: he prayeth, Vers. 16. Turn thee unto me. Hebr. Set thy countenance on me. Gods favour in the sense of it, was turned away; and Vers. 18. Looke upon mine affliction and paine, and forgive all my sinnes; the word foreign with a point in the left side of foreign. is to carry away. Jerome aufer, take away all my sinnes Isai. 53.4. hee carried, or did beare as a burden our iniquities. Vatablus, portavit. Pagnin. parce, condona, Spare or pardon all my sinnes: then sinne heere is pardoned onelyonly according to the present paine and griefe of body and soule that was on David, Psal. 3….4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden, p. 35they are too heavie for me. Wee have no reason to beleeve that David thought himselfe already a condemned man, and now in hell, though some sparkes of hell's wrath and fire, not in any sort as satisfactory to divine justice, or as a fruit of Gods hatred and enmity, can fall on the children of God; yet its not imaginary, but reall anger.A two-fold pardon of sin: 1. a relaxing from eternall, 2. from temporary wrath. God was really angry with Moses at the waters of strife. The thing that David did against Vriah displeased the Lord: not in David's opinion onelyonly. And though the hell for a time in the soule of God's children, and the hell of the reprobate, differ in essence and nature, in that the hell of the reprobate is a satisfactory paine, 2. and that i… floweth from the hatred of God; but the hell of the godly not so: yet in this materially they are of the same size; that the one as well as the other, are coales and flames of the same furnace; and neither are imaginary. Then againe, Sinnes of youth long-agoe pardoned, though sometimes dearly beloved, are like the ghost of a deare friend some yeares agoe dead and buried, that re-appeareth to a man, as dead Samuel did to Saul; look how loving and deare they were alive, they are now as terrible and dreadfull, when they appeare to us living out from the land of death: so are sins of youth, when they rise from the dead, and were pardoned in Christ long-agoe, they appeare againe to David, and Job, and the Saints, with the vaile and mask or hew of hell, and sealed with temporary wrath. Psal. 99.8. Thou wast a God that pardonedst, or forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. The same word foreign is given to God, when hee taketh vengeance on his enemies, Num. 31.2. Esay 1.24. I will be avenged of mine enemies. 2 King. 9.7. That I may avenge the bloud of my servants the Prophets. So is the word foreign vengeance used, Deut. 32.43. Hee will render vengeance to his adversaries. And if one and the same temporary judgement in the two Theeves that were crucified with Christ, be so differenced, that mercy is stamped on the same death to the one, and wrath to the other; wee may well say there is a temporary vengeance and wrath, that befalleth both the Saints and the Reprobate in this life; and the difference is in the mind and intention of God, in both. And that God pardoneth sin, when hee removeth temporary wrath: So 2 Sam. 12.13. Nathan saith to David, The Lord also hath caused thy p. 36sinne to passe away, why? Thou shalt not die. This is meant of temporall death especially; as the context cleareth, V. 10. The sword shall not depart from thine house. And V. 14. The child borne to thee shall surely die. Then the Lords putting away of Davids sin, was in loosing him from the sword, in his own person, not in his house and children; for by proportion of divine justice, (though tempered with mercy) the Sword was punished with the Sword. I doe not exclude relaxation from eternall punishment, but remission going for relaxation of punishment.Sinne is sometime put for temporary punishment, and to remove temporary punishment is to pardon sin, in Scripture-sense. Then as there be two sorts of punishmen…s, one temporary, and another the eternall wrath to come; so there are in Scripture two sorts of remissions, one from the temporary, another from eternall punishment. Therefore sin is put for punishment, Gen. 4.13. Mine iniquity (saith Cain) is more then I can beare; or, My punishment is more then I can bear. Levit. 24.15. Hee that curseth his God, shall beare his sinne. Ezek. 23.49. And yee shall beare the sinnes of your Idols. Num. 9.13. The man that is cleane — and forbeareth to eat the Passe-over, — that man shall beare his sinne. So when God layeth sin to the charge of the sinner, in punishing it, hee is said to lay a burden on the sinner, 2 King. 9.25. And to remove this burden, is to pardon the sin. 2 Chron. 7.14. If my people humble themselves, then will I heare from heaven, and will forgive their sinne, and will heale their land; by removing the locusts and the pestilence. See, the pardoning of their sin is exponed to be the removing of the locusts and pestilence. And to call sins to remembrance, is to punish sin: The Shunamite saith, 1 King. 17.18. Art thou come to me (O man of God) to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my sonne? Job complaineth, c. 13.26. Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth. Now though out of unbeleefe hee might apprehend, that hee was cast off of God, and a man rejected of God, and that his sins were never pardoned, and hee himselfe never delivered from the wrath to come; these legall thoughts might keep Job in a distance from God, to his owne sinfull apprehension; yet it shall be unpossible to prove, that Job in all these complaints had no other but a meere legall esteeme of Gods dispensation; and that 2. God stamped not temporary wrath, and the paine of a hidden and over-clouded God, the substraction of the sense of divine manifestations of love, (the Lord standing behind the p. 37wall) in all these afflictions. Now its known, that as these are often trialls of the faith of the Saints, yet are they soure fruits of our fleshly indulgence to our carnall delights, and of our not opening to our Beloved, when hee knocketh, Cant. 5.2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And though the godly doe stedfastly beleeve their salvation is in a Castle, above losing; yet in reason, sin bringing broken bones, Psal. 51.10. a sad cloud, the damming up of a spring of Christs love spread abroad in the heart, a temporary hell in the soule, it must be sorrowed for, hated, mourned for, confessed; and yet in all these there is no necessity of such a Law-spirit of bondage to work these, nor is faith in any sort diminished; but put to a farther exercise. And the same sad fruits follow from the sins of the Saints under the New Testament, as may be cleared from Revel. 2.5, 16, 22. Revel. 3.3, 17, 18. 2 Cor. 1.8, 9, 10. 2 Cor. 2.7. 2 Cor. 7.5, 6, 7. Revel. 3.20. Joh. 14.1. Nor can wee thinke, that the strictnesse of the Law gave those under the Law an indulgence not to be a whit troubled in soule for sin, as it over-clouded the influence and slowings of divine love, suppose they had assurance of freedome from the wrath to come, as is evident in the Spouse, Cant. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and chap. 2.16, 17. chap. 4.7. Nor is it true, that Gospel-grace and liberty entitleth the Saints now to such wantonnesse of peace, as that persons fully assured of deliverance from the curse of the Law, are never to be troubled for sins committed in the state of free justification; nor are they any more to mourn, nor grone under sins captivity, nor to confesse sin, in regard that Christs bloud hath washed soul, & eyes, and faces from all tears; and the salvation of the Saints in this life is not in hope onelyonly, as wheat in the blade, but actuall, as in the life to come; and therefore, holy walking and good works can no more be meanes or the way to the Kingdome, (as M. Towne and other Antinomians say) then m…tion within the City can be a way to the City, in regard the man is now in the City, before hee walk at all.

Asser. 5. If Jesus Christ had soule-trouble, because of divine wrath, for our sin, and was put to a sweat of bloud, God roasting Christ quick in a furnace of divine justice, though every blobe of sweat in the Garden was a sea of free grace, not his eyes onelyonly, but his face and body did sweat out free love from his soule, Luk. 22.44. Heb. 5.7. what must soule-trouble be in a fired conscience? Its no wonder that wicked men, wrestling p. 38with everlasting vengeance, cannot endure it. The Devill's predominant sin being blasphemous despaire,Soule-trouble in devills and men must be extreme. hee tempts most to his owne predominant sin; the issue and finall intent of all his temptations is despaire: because Devills are living and swimming in the sphere and element of justice, they cannot beare it; they cry to Christ, the whole company and family making the despiting of Christ a common cause, Art thou come hither foreign, to torment us before the time? Mat. 8.29. Pro. 18.14. The spirit of a man will beare his infirmity, the spirit is the finest mettall in the man, but a wounded spirit, who can beare that? So the Hebrew readeth. Any thing may be borne, but breake the mans soule,Conscience the sorest enemy. and breake the choycest peece in the soule, the conscience, who can then stand? As conscience is the sweetest bosome-friend of man, so it is the sorest enemy. David is persecuted by his Prince, and hee beareth it; Jeremiah cast in the dungeon by the Rulers, Priests, and Prophets, and hee overcometh it; Job persecuted by his friends, and hee standeth under it; Christ betrayed and killed by his owne servants and kinsmen, and hee endureth it; the Apostles killed, scourged, and imprisoned by the Jewes, and they rejoyce in it. But Judas is but once hunted by a Fury of hell in his owne brest, and hee leaps over-board; in a sea of infinite wrath: Cain, Saul, Achitophel, cannot endure it; Spira roareth as a Beare, and cryeth out, O that I were above God; though wee may hope well of his eternall state.The terrors of an evill conscience. Nero after to his other blouds hee had killed his Mother Agrippina, hee could not sleep, hee did often leap out of the bed, and was terrified with the visions of hell. Eternity, the resurrection, and the judgement to come, are virtually in the conscience. 2. What is feare? A tormenting passion. To hang a living man, by an untwisted threed, over a river of unmixt, pure vengeance, and let the threed be wearing weaker and weaker, what horrour and palenesse of darknesse must be on the soule? 3. What sorrow and sadnesse, when there is not a shadow of comfort? But 4. positive despaire, rancour, and malice against the holy Majesty of God; when the soule shall wish, and die of burning desire, to be above and beyond the spotlesse essence of the infinite Majesty of God; and shall burne in a fire of wrath against the very existence of God, and blaspheme the Holy One of Israel, without date. Job saith of such, (chap. 27.20.) in this life, Terrors take hold of him as waters, p. 39and a tempest stealeth him away in the night.