The Sincere Convert, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
THat the Lord Jesus Christ is the onelyonly means of Redemption and deliverance out of this estate, Eph. 1. 7. In whom wee have redemption through his bloud: which plainly demonstrates, that
Doct.Iesus Christ is the onelyonly means of mans Redemption and deliverance out of his bondage and miserable estate. And this is the Doctrine I shall now insist upon.
When the Israelites were in bondage and misery, he sends Moses to deliver them. When they were in Babylon, he stirreth up Cyrus to open the prison-gates to them. But when man is in misery, he sends the Lord Jesus, God and man, to redeeme him, Act. 4. 12.
Quest. Quest.How doth Christ redeeme men out of this misery?
Answ. Answ.By paying a price for them.
1. Cor. 6. ult. Gods mercy will be manifested in saving some, and his justice must be satisfied by having satisfaction or price made and paid for mans sinne.
Hence Christ sa…sfieth Gods Justice.
First, by standing in the roome of all them whom mercy decreeth to save. A Surety standeth in the roome of a debter, Heb. 7. 22.How men are redeemed. As the first Adam stood in the roome of all mankinde fallen: So Christ standeth in the roome of all men rising, or to be restored againe.
Secondly, by taking from them, in whose roome he stood, the eternall guilt of all their sinnes, and by assuming the guilt of all those sinnes unto himselfe, 2 Cor. 5. 22. Hence Luther said, Christ was the greatest sinner by imputation.
Thirdly, by bearing the curse and wrath of God kindled against sinne. God is so holy, that when he seeth sin sticking onelyonly by imputation to his owne Sonne, he will not spare him, but his wrath and curse must he beare, Gal. 3. 13. Christ drinks up the cup of all the Elect at one draught, which they should have beene sipping, and drinking, and swilling, and tormented with millions of yeares.
Fourthly, by bringing into the presence of God perfect righteousnesse, Rom. 5. 11. for this also Gods Justice required perfection, conformity to the Law,Dan. 9. 24 as well as (perfect satisfaction) suffering for the wrong offered to the Law-giver. Justice thus requiring these foure things, Christ satisfies Justice by performing them, and so payes the price.
II. Christ is a Redeemer by strong hand. The first Redemption by price is finished in Christs person, at his resurrection: the second is begun by the Spirit in mans vocation, and ended at the day of Judgement; as money is first paid for a Captive in Turkey, and then because he cannot come to his owne Prince himselfe, he is fetcht away by strong hand.
Here is incouragement to the vilest sinner,Vse 1. and comfort to the selfe-succourlesse and lost sinner, who have spent all their money, their time and endeavours upon these duties and strivings, that have beene but poore Physitians to them: Oh looke up here to the Lord Jesus, who can doe that cure for thee in a moment, which all creatures cannot doe in many yeares. What bolts, what strong fetters, what unruly lusts, temptations and miseries art thou lockt into? Behold the Deliverer is come out of Sion, having satisfied Justice, and paid a price to …anisome poore Captives, Luc. 4. 18. with the Keyes of Heaven, Hell, and thy unruly heart, in his hand, to fetch thee out with great mercy and strong hand; who knowes but thou poore prisoner of Hell, thou poore Captive of the Devill, thou poore shackled sinner mayst be one whom he is come for… Oh looke up to him, sigh to Heaven for deliverance from him, and be glad and rejoyce at his comming.
This strikes terrour to them,Vse. 2. that though there is a meanes of deliverance, yet they lye in their misery, never groane, never sigh to the Lord Jesus for deliverance; nay, that rejoyce in their bondage, and dance to Hell in their bolts; nay, that are weary of deliverance, that sit in the stockes, when they are at prayers, that come out of the Church, when the tedious Sermon runs somewhat beyond the hou…e, like prisoners out of a Jaile, that despise the Lord Jesus, when he offers to open the doores, and so let them out of that miserable estate. Oh poore creatures! is there a meanes of deliverance? and dost thou neglect, nay despise it. Know it, that this will cut thine heart one day, when thou art hanging in thy gibbets in Hell, to see others standing at Gods right hand, redeemed by Christ; thou mightst have had share in their honour, for there was a Deliverer come to save thee, but thou wouldst have none of him. Oh thou wilt lye yelling in those everlasting burnings, and teare thy haire, and curse thy selfe: from hence might I have been delivered, but I would not. Hath Christ delivered thee from Hell, and hath he not delivered thee from thine Alehouse? Hath Christ delivered thee from Sathans societie, when he hath not delivered thee from thy loose company yet? Hath Christ delivered thee from burning, when thy faggots, thy sins, grow in thee? Is Christs bloud thine, that mak'st no more account of it, nor feelest no more vertue from it than in the bloud of a chicken? Art thou redeemed, dost thou hope by Christ to be saved, that didst never see, nor feele, nor sigh under thy bondage? O, the devils will keepe holiday (as it were) in hell, in respect of thee, who shalt mourne under Gods wrath, and lament. Oh there was a meanes to deliver us out of it, but thou shalt mourne for ever for thy misery. And this will bee a bodkin at thine heart one day, to thinke there was a deliverer, but I wretch would none of him.
Here likewise is matter of Reproofe,Vse 3. to such as seeke to come out of this misery from and by themselves. If they be ignorant, they hope to be saved by their good meaning and prayers. If Civill, by paying all they owe, and doing as they would be done by, and by doing no body any harme. If they be troubled about their estates, then they lick themselves whole by their mourning, repenting, and reforming. Oh poore stubble, canst thou stand before this consuming fire without sin? Canst thou make thy selfe a Christ for thy selfe? Canst thou beare & come from under an infinite wrath? canst thou bring in perfect righteousnesse into the presence of God? This Christ must doe, else he could not satisfie and redeeme. And if thou canst not doe thus, and hast no Christ, define and pray, that heaven and earth shake, till thou hast worne thy tongue to the stumps, endeavour as much as thou canst, and others commend thee for a diligent Christian; mourne in some Wildernesse till doomes day, digge thy grave there with thy nayles, weepe buckets full of hourely teares, till. thou canst weepe no more. Fast and Pray till thy skin and bones cleave together; Promise and Purpose, with full resolution to be better, nay reforme thy head, heart, life, & tongue, & some, nay all sinnes; live like an Angell, shine like a sunne, walke up and downe the world like a distressed Pilgrim going to another Countrey, so that all Christians commend and admire thee. Die ten thousand deaths, lie at the firebacke in Hell so many millions of yeares as there be piles of grasse on the earth, or sands upon the Sea-shore, or starres in heaven, or motes in the Sun: I tell thee, not one sparke of Gods wrath against thy sinne shall be, can be quenched by all these duties, nor by any of these sorrowes, or teares; for, these are not the blood of Christ. Nay if all the Angels and Saints in heaven and earth should pray for thee, these cannot deliver thee, for they are not the blood of Christ. Nay, God as aGal. 5. 2. Creator having made a law, will not forgive one sinne without the blood of Christ; Nay, Christs blood will not doe it neither, if thou doest joyne never so little, that thou hast or doest, unto Jesus Christ, and makest thy selfe or any of thy duties copartners with Christ in that great worke of saving thee. Cry out therefore as that blessed Martyr did, None but Christ, none but Christ.
Take heed of neglecting or rejecting so great salvation by Jesus Christ.Vse 4. Take heede of spilling this potion, that onelyonly can cure thee.
But thou wilt say,Ob. this meanes of redemption is onelyonly appointed for some, it is not intended for all, therefore not for mee, therefore how can I reject Christ?
It is true,Answ. Christ spent not his breath to pray for all, Iohn 17. 9. much lesse his bloud for all; therefore he was never intended as a Redeemer of all; But that he is not intended as a Deliver of thee. How doth this follow? How dost thou know this?
But secondly, I say; Though Christ be not intended for all, yet he is offered unto all, and therefore unto thee.The offer of Christ universall, and why. And the ground is this chiefly.
The universall offer of Christ ariseth not from Christs Priestly office immediately, but from his Kingly office, whereby the Father having given him all power and dominion in heaven & earth, he hereupon commands all men to stoop unto him, and likewise bids all his Disciples and all their successours to goe and preach the Gospell to every creature under Heaven, Mat. 28. 18, 19 For, Christ doth not immediat…lyMark. 16. 15. offer himselfe to all men as a Saviour, whereby …hey may be incouraged to serve him as a King. but first as a King commanding them to cast away their weapons, and stoop unto his Scepter, and depend upon his free mercy, acknowledging, if ever he save me, I will bles…e him; if he damne me, his name is right…ous in so dealing with me.
But that I may fasten this exhortation; I will shew these foure things.
I. The Lord Jesus is offered to every particular person: which I will shew thus.The offer of Christ universall, & wh…rein. What hast thou to say against it, that thou doest doubt of it? It may be thou wilt plead.
Oh, I am so ignorant of my selfe, God,Ob. Christ, or his will, that surely the Lord offers no Christ to me.
Yes, but he doth, though thou lyest in utter darknesse. Our blessed Saviour glorified his Father,Ans. for revealing the mystery of the Gospel to simple men, Prov. 9. 4.neglecting those that carried the chiefe reputation of wisdome in the world. The parts of none are so low, as that they are beneath the gracious regard of Christ.… Cor. 5. 20. God bestoweth the best fruits of his love upon meane and weak persons here, that he might confound the pride of flesh the more. Where it pleaseth him to make his choice, and to exalt his mercy,Pro. 1. 22, 23. he passeth by no degree of wit, though never so uncapable.
But thou wilt say;Obj. I am an enemy to God, and have a heart so stubborne and loath to yeeld; I have vexed him to the very heart by my transgressions.
Yet he beseecheth thee to be reconciled.Ans. Put case thou hast been a sinner, and rebellious against God, yet so long as thou art not found amongst malicious opposers, and underminers of his truth, never give way to despayring thoughts, thou hast a mercifull Saviour.
But I have despised the meanes of Reconciliation and rejected mercy.Obj.
Yet God calls thee to returne;Ans. Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers, yet turne againe to me, sayth the Lord, Jer. 3. 1. Cast thy selfe into the armes of Christ, and if thou perishest, perish there; if thou doest not, thou art sure to perish. If mercy be to be had any where, it is by seeking to Christ, not by running from him. Herein appeares Christs love to thee, that he hath given thee a heart in some degree sensible; hee might have given thee up to hardnesse, securitie, and prophanenesse; of all spirituall judgements the greatest. But he that dyed for his enemies, will in no wise refuse those the desire of whose soule is towards him. When the Prodigall set himselfe to returne to his Father, his Father stayes not for him but meets him in the way. If our sinnes displease us, they shall never hurt us; but wee shall be esteemed of God to be, that which wee desire and labour to be, Psal. 145. 19.
But can the Lord offer Christ to mee,Obj. so poore, that have no strength, no faith, no grace, nor sense of my povertie.
Yes, even to thee;Ans. why should wee except our selves, when Christ doth not except us. Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden. Wee are therefore poore, because we know not our riches. We can never be in such a condition, wherein there will be just cause of utter despayre. He that sits in darknesse, and seeth no light, no light of comfort, no light of Gods countenance, yet let him trust in the Name of the Lord. Weaknesses doe not debarre us from mercy, nay, they incline God the more. The Husband is bound to beare with the wife, as being the weaker vessell; and shall we think God will exempt himselfe from his owne Rule, and not beare with his weak Spouse?
But is this offer made to me that cannot love,Obj. prize, nor desire the Lord Jesus.
Yes, to thee,Ans. Christ knows how to pitty us in this case. We are weak, but we are his. A Father lookes not so much at the blemishes of his childe, as at his owne nature in him; So Christ finds matter of love from any thing of his owne in us. A Christians carriage towards Christ may in many things be very offensive, & cause much strangenesse, yet (so long as he resolves not upon any knowne evill) Christ will owne him, and he Christ.
Oh! but I have fallen from God oft,Obj. since he hath inlightned me; And doth he tender Christ to mee.
Thou must know that Christ hath married every beleeving Soule to himsel…e,Ans. and that where the worke of grace is begun, sin looses strength by every new fall. If there be a spring of sinne in thee, there is a spring o… mercy in God, and a fountaine dialy opened to wash thy uncleanenesse in. Adam (indeed) lost all by once sinning; but we are under a better Covenant, a Covenant of Mercy, and are incouraged by the Sonne to goe to the Father every day for the sinnes of that day.
If I was willing to receive Christ,Obj. I might have Christ offered to me. But will the Lord offer him to such a one as desires not to have Christ?
Yes,Ans. (sayth our Saviour) I would have gathered you, as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wings, and you would not. Wee must know, a creating power cannot onelyonly bring something out of nothing, but contrary out of contrary; of unwilling, God can make us a willing people. There is a promise of powring cleane water upon us, and Christ hath taken upon him to purge his Spouse, and make her fit for himselfe.
What hast thou now to plead against this strange kindnesse of the Lord in offering Christ to thee? Thou wilt say, it may be:
O! I feare time is past, Oh time is past.Obj. I might once have had Christ, but now mine heart is sealed downe with hardnesse, blindnesse, unbeliefe; oh! time is now gone.
No,Ans. not so, see Isai. 65. 1, 2, 3. All the day long God holdeth out his hands to a back-…l…ding and rebellious people. Thy day of grace, thy day of meanes, thy day of life, thy day of Gods striving with thee, and stirring of thee, still lasts.
But if God be so willing to save,Obj. and so prodigall of his Christ, why doth he not give me Christ, or draw me to Christ?
I answer.Ans. What command dost thou looke for to draw thee to Christ, but this word, Come; Oh come thou poore, forlorne, lost, blind, cursed, nothing. I will save thee, I will enrich thee, I will forgive thee, I will enlighten thee, I will blesse thee, I will be all things unto thee, doe all things for thee. May not this winne and melt the heart of a Devill?
II.Quest. Upon what conditions may Christ be had?
Make an exchange of what thou art or hast with Christ,Ans. for what Christ is or hath; and so taking him, (like the wise Merchant the Pearle) thou shalt have Salvation with him.
Now this Exchange lyeth in these foure things chiefly.On what termes Christ may be …ad.
First, give away thy selfe to him, head, heart, tongue, body, soule, and he will give away himselfe unto thee, Cant. 6. 3. yea he will stand in thy roome in Heaven, that thou maist triumph and say, I am already in Heaven, glorified in him. I see Gods blessed face in Christ; I have conquered Death, Hell, and the Devill in him.
Secondly, Give away all thy sinnes to Christ, confesse them, leave them, cast them upon the Lord Jesus, so as to receive power from him to forsake them. And he will be made sinne for thee, to take them away from thee, 1 Ioh. 1. 9.
Thirdly, give away thine honour, pleasure, profit, life, for him; he will give away his Crowne and honour, life and all to thee, Luk, 18. Let nothing be sweet unto thee but him, and nothing shall be sweet unto him but thee.
Fourthly, give away thy Rags, forsake thine own Righteousnesse for him; he will give away all his Robes and Righteousnesse to thee, Phil. 3. 8, 9. Thou shalt stand as glorious in the sight of God, howsoever thou art a poore sneake in thy selfe, as an Angel, nay, as all the Angels, because cloathed with his Sonne Christ Jesus his Righteousnesse.
Now tell me, will you have Christ? He is offered to you. Yes, you will all say: Yea, with all mine heart. But will you have him on these termes? upon these IIII. conditions?
Now because men will flatter themselves, and say, Yes.
III. I will shew you foure sorts of people that reject Christ thus offered.Fouresorts of people that reject Christ.
First, The sleighty unbeleever; that when he heares of an offer of Christ, and should wonder at the love of the Lord in doing this; he makes nothing of it, but goes from the Church, and sayes, Wee must give Ministers the wall in the Pu…pit; and, poore men, they must have somewhat to say and preach for their living: There was a good plaine Sermon to day, the man seemes to meane well, but I thinke he be no great Scholler; and so makes no more of the offer of Christ, then of the offer of a straw at their feet. If a good bargaine be offered them, they will forget all their bus…nesse to accomplish that; yet they make light of this offer, Matth. 22. 5.
Secondly, The desperate unbeleever: that feeing his sinnes to be so great, and seeling his heart so hard, and finding but little good from God, since he sought for helpe, (like Cain,) flyeth from the presence of the Lord; like a mad Lion he breaks his chaines of restraining grace, and runneth roaring after his prey, after his cups, queanes, lusts, &c. and so will not honour Christ with such a great cure of such great sinnes, that he shall never have the credit of it, nor will be beholding to him for such a kindnesse.
Thirdly, The presumptuous unbeleever▪ that seeing what sinnes he hath committed, and it may be having a little touch and some sorrow for his sinnes, catcheth at Christ, hoping to be saved by him before ever he come to be loaden with sinne as the greatest evill, or Gods wrath kindled against him as his greatest curse; and so catching at Christ, hopes he hath Christ, and hoping he hath Christ already, shuts out Christ for the future, and so rejects him. Mich. 3. 11. You shall have these men and women complaine never of the want, but onelyonly of the weaknesse of their Faith, & they will not be beaten off from thence; let them heare never so much of their misery, nor see never so much of their sinnes, yet they will not be beaten off from trusting to Christ.
Fourthly, The tottering doubtfull unbeleever, one that is in a question whether he had best have Christ or no. He seeth some good in Christ that he would gladly have him for, as, there I shall have Heaven, and pardon, and grace, and peace, and yet he seeth many things he dislikes with Christ; as, namely, then farewell merry meetings, pastimes, Cards and Dice, pleasure and sinfull games; and hence they totter this way and that way, not knowing whether they had best have Christ or no, Iam. 1. 6, 7. these people reject Jesus Christ.
IV. And now come and see the greatnesse of this sinne.The great evill in rejecting Christ.
1. It's a most bloudy sinne, it's a trampling under foot the bloud of the Sonne of God, Heb. 10. 21.
2. It's a most dishonouring sinne; for, as by the first act of Faith, a man glorifieth God by obeying all the Law at an instant in Christ: so, by rejecting him thou dost break all those Lawes of God in an instant, and so doest dishonour him.
3. It's a most ungratefull sinne, it's despising Gods greatest love, which the Lord takes most heavily.
4. It is a most inexcusable sinne; for what have you to cast against Iesus Christ? Oh, my sinnes are so great, thou wilt say. But take Christ, his Bloud will wa…h thee from all thy sinnes.
Oh! but mine heart is hard,Obj. and my minde blind.
Yea,Ans. but take me, and I will breake thine heart, open thine eyes. A new heart is Gods gift, and he hath promised to create it in us.
Oh! but then I must forsake all my pleasures.Obj.
Thou shalt have them fully,Answ. continually, infinitely in Christ.
Oh! but I cannot take Christ.Obj.
Oh! but Christ can give thee an hand to receive him,Answ. as well as give away himselfe.
5. It is a most heavy sinne. What sinne will gripe so in Hell, as this? Ioh. 3. 19. God the Father shall strike the Devils for breaking the Law of the Creation, but God the Sonne shall strike thee, and the Comforter himselfe shall set himselfe against thee, for despising the meanes and offers of Redemption. The Devils might never have had mercy, but thou shalt think with anguish, and vexation, and madnesse of heart, I might have had a Christ, he was offered unto me; mercy wooed this stubborne proud heart to yeeld. But, O Rocke of Adamant that I was, it did not affect me. Oh fly speedily to this Citie of Refuge, least the pursuer of bloud overtake thee.
Away then out of your selves to the Lord Jesus.Vse 5. Heaven and earth leave thee, and have forsaken thee; now there is but one more that can doe thee good, and deliver thy soule from endlesse sorrow: goe to him, and take hold on him, not with the hand of presumption and love to thy selfe to save thy selfe, but with the hand of faith, and love to him to honour him.
I am well enough already,Ob. what tell you me of Christ?
This is the damning sinne of these times,Answ. when men have Christ offered unto them, foretelling them else of wrath to come, they say they are well; hence feeling no judgement here, they feare no wrath hereafter; hence being well, they feele no need of Christ; hence till they dye, they never seeke out for a Saviour. Men will not come into the Arke already made for them, before the floud arise. The world makes so much of those it nurseth up, that they are unwilling to come to heaven, when they are called to come home.
But it may be Christ hath not redeemed me,Obj. nor shed his bloud for me, therefore why should I goe to him?
It may be it is true,Ans. may be not, yet doe thou venture as those, Ioel 2. who knowes but the Lord may returne? It is true, God hath elected but few, and so the Sonne hath shed his bloud, and dyed but for a few, yet this is no excuse for thee, to lie downe and say, what should I seeke out of my selfe for succour? Thou must in this case venture and try, as many men amongst us do now, who hearing of one good living fallen, twenty of them will goe and seeke for it, although they know onelyonly one shall have it. Therefore say as those Lepers in Samaria; if I stay here in my sinnes, I die: if I goe out to the Campe of the Syrians, wee may live, wee can but die however: if I goe out of Christ, I may get mercy, how ever I can but dye, and it is better to dye at Christs feete, than in thine owne puddle. Content not your selves therefore with your bare reformation and amending your lives, this is but to crosse the debt in thine owne booke, it remaineth uncancelled in the Creditors booke still: but goe, take, offer up this eternall sacrifice before the eyes of God the Father, and cry guilty at his barre, and looke for mercy from him; sigh under thy bondage, that as Moses was sent unto the Israelites, so may Christ be sent into thy soule. Rest not therefore in the sight or sense of a helplesse condition; saying, I cannot helpe my selfe unlesse Christ doth: sigh unto the Lord Jesus in Heaven for succour, and admire the Lord for ever, that when there was no helpe, and when he might have raised out of the stones children to praise him; yet he should send his Sonne out of his bosome to save thee. So much for this particular; The fifth Divine Principle followes to be handled.