The Gospels Glory, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Containing the ſecond great Truth, which is, the fulneſſe of the ſalvation of ſinners by Jeſus Chriſt; proved, and ſet forth by many choice truths which the Apoſtle in this Text taketh for granted.
SECT. 1.
THe ſecond Doctrine is this. There is abſolute fulneſſe of ſalvation for ſinners in Jeſus Chriſt. In Doct. 2 There is fulneſſe of ſalvation in Chriſt for ſinners. Proved, 1 Cor: 1. 30.him there is a redemption plenteous, Pſa. 130. 7. and eternal, Heb. 9. 12. ſalvation to the utmoſt, Heb. 7. 25. in him an everlaſting righteouſneſſe, Dan. 9. 24. in him righteouſneſſe and ſtrength; he is made to us of God, wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification and redemption what can a ſinner need (and yet his needs are unſpeakable) but they are all exceeding abundantly in glory to be ſupplyed in Chriſt? A ſinner, a moſt imperfect nothing; yet if believing, he is compleat in Chriſt; in him it pleaſed the Father Col. 2. 9, 10. Col. 1. 19. Joh. 1. 16.that all fulneſſe ſhould dwell, that out of his fulneſſe poor needy ſinners might receive even grace for grace, grace anſwerable to that which is in Chriſt the head of his body the Church; grace upon grace, more and more ſtill; he it is who came by water and blood; all ſorts of taking away ſinne is in him, the whole of legal ablutions 1 Joh. 5. 6. Joh. 3. 34. Rom. 5. 21.and cleanſings, and he hath the Spirit not by meaſure. Grace reignes over ſinne and death, through righteouſneſſe unto eternal life, by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
To open this; that this fulneſſe of ſalvation Opened.may appear, I ſhall follow our Apoſtle in this Text. Two wayes it may be ſet forth.
Firſt, In the moſt excellent truths intimated, pre-ſuppoſed, and taken for granted, as bottome, ſubſtrate, and foundation, or ground truths, upon which his frame of declared Doctrine of the Goſpel here delivered is built.
Secondly, In the ſix ſpecial heads expreſſed, which before were pointed out.
SECT. 2.
The Truths taken for granted and intimated are theſe.
Firſt, That even the Elect of God, and 1. By five truths taken for granted here in the Apoſtles words.the Redeemed by Chriſt, are by nature in the ſame condemnation with all others of the children of Adam; for they are fleſh, weak ſinful fleſh; they are unable to keep the Law, unde… ſinne, and under the curſe; for whom God ſent his Sonne, the Law being unable to help them, and their deliverance being that thing which was impoſſible for the Law to do. Although all men are not Reprobates, yet all by reaſon of ſinne are reprobable. Man in himſelf hath no cauſe of glorying; and as to God, no cauſe of complaining. To the Elect man is there undeſerved grace; and to the Reprobate is there deſerved puniſhment▪ The Elect and Redeemed remain, till their effectual calling, in themſelves miſerable, carnal, alienated from Epheſ. 2. 1, 2, 3.the life of God, dead in ſinne and treſpaſſes, the children of wrath, even as othets. In them are no propenſions, inclinations, or fore-going diſpoſitions to receive grace, not one of them was ever able to raiſe up himſelf to meet God in the wayes of his grace. God never gave Chriſt to any becauſe he was better than others, nor ſent the Goſpel to any becauſe they would give it better entertainment. This only may be ſaid of him which is true of any other man, that being a reaſonable creature, and not a ſtock, or a brute beaſt, he is a ſubject upon which the glory of God and his Image may be reeſtamped; but for any goodneſſe, or leſſe guilt, God findes them all in their blood, and wallowing in their filth, none righteous, no not one; all altogether unprofitable and abominable.
Secondly, That condemnation, death and hell have their power from ſinne: and ſinnes ſtrength to condemn lyeth in the Law and in the righteouſneſſe thereof; for mark here, God to deliver from condemnation, condemns ſinne: and ſinne being the ſwerving from the righteouſneſſe of the Law, for which the Law ſentenceth the Tranſgreſſor thereof with the curſe, ſin is then utterly gone, when the righteouſneſſe of the Law is every way fulfilled. God therefore purpoſing to deliver, fetcheth out the very heart of ſinne, and taketh it quite away by providing that the Laws righteouſneſſe be fulfilled. Hence it is manifeſt that this is an undoubted and firſt truth, that the Laws righteouſneſſe is the ſtrength of ſinne. The ſting of death is ſinne, and the ſtrength of ſinne is the Law, 1 Cor. 15. 56. Full ſalvation can no other way be wrought, but by unſtinging death, and by fulfilling the Law; which is the only way to pluck out deaths ſting: let this be done, and the deliverance from ſinne and death is full and compleat.
Thirdly, That mercy in God cannot make him like of ſinne, or blinde him that he ſhould not ſee it, and the ſinfulneſſe of it; or cauſe him to diſlike the righteouſneſſe of the Law, and of the juſt ſentence thereof: becauſe God cannot forgo his holineſſe, juſtice and omniſcience. God condemned ſinne, that the righteouſneſſe of the Law might be fulfilled; he condemns ſinne, he provides that the Law be fulfilled, and ſo he ſaves the ſinner.
Fourthly, That the benefit of Gods ſaving love, and of the Redemption by Chriſt, and of the Goſpel, is never to any man actually, till it be in him; and if never in him, never was it to him intentionally. God and Chriſt never intended life and righteouſneſſe to thoſe in whom he never fulfills it. This is taught in the words [in us.]
SECT. 3.
And fifthly, As the ground of the whole work here declared, and as the foundation of the Apoſtles argumentation, this is taken for granted, that God of his infinite goodneſſe was reſolved to ſave ſome ſinnets out of fallen mankind, and to give unto them eternal life. Of this the beloved diſciple ſpeaketh, in 1 Joh. 5. 11. This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life; and the reaſon thereof is nothing in the creature, but it is that in them whom he ſhall ſave, Epheſ. 1. 6, 7. & 2. 7. Epheſ. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. Gen. 17. 1. Heb. 6. 18.he might ſhew forth the glory of his mercy, love and grace; the glory of his manifold wiſdome, of his power, of his holineſſe and juſtice, while his grace doth ſuperabound, Rom. 3. 24. and in all, the glory of his immutable counſels and decrees, which no length of time, wickedneſs and unfaithfulneſs of man, power and policy of Satan, cords of death, depth of the grave and hell can hinder from taking full effect and accompliſhment.
The ſumme is this; ſinne is ſinne: the Law is the Law; God is God; the perſons to be ſaved as miſerable, vile, filthy and guilty as any: and yet Gods mercy magnified, Chriſts grace exalted, the ſinner ſaved, and while ſaved, not left carnal; but all that is done for him, hath its holy and bleſſed work in him.
Theſe things premiſed, conſider now the ſix particulars expreſſed by the Apoſtle, and then you will ſee here omnimodas ſalutes, all ſorts of ſalvations, ſalvation from ſinne, the curſe of the Law, death, the grave, and the wrath to come, ſalvation of the ſoul, and of the body, ſalvation eternal, ſalvation to the uttermoſt, ſalvation full, and attaining its end.