Christ Crucified, Sermon 17
SERMON XVII.
ISAIAH LIII.II, III.
Verſe 2. For he ſhall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comelineſs: and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him.
Verſe 3. He is deſpiſed and rejected of men, a man of ſorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not.
IN the former Verſe the Prophet hath aſſerted the rarity and ſcarcity of Believing the Goſpel, and receiving of Jeſus Chriſt offered therein, Who hath believed our report? ſaith he, who hath made Chriſt welcome? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? to whom hath this Goſpel been made effectual by the Power of God for the engaging of their Hearts to him?
In theſe two Verſes he gives a reaſon as it were of this, which runs upon theſe two. 1. The low appearance of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in reſpect of his outward condition, it hath no outward beauty, ſplendor nor greatneſs to commend it, but is attended with much meanneſs, and with many afflictions. 2. The itching humour of Men who are taken up with worldly grandour, or greatneſs and glory, and make little account of any thing that wants that; as if he ſaid, it is no wonder that Chriſt get few to believe on him, and that few receive this Goſpel, for he will not come with much worldly pomp and grandour, which the Men of the World greatly affect and are much taken up with.
To open the words a little, we ſhall firſt conſider the matter of this reaſon, and then the conſequence of it; or what influence it hath on Mens offending at Chriſt, and continuing in their Unbelief; only we ſhall premit two or three words to both.
That which we premit firſt is this, That the He that is here ſpoken of, is our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who in the New Teſtament hath this Text applied to him, for albeit there be no He ſo expreſsly mentioned in this Chapter before, yet in the 13. Verſe of the former Chapter, to which this relates, the He that is ſpoken of here, is called the Lords Servant; and it's ſaid of him that He ſhall be exalted and extolled, and made very high; and it is not unuſual to ſpeak of Chriſt ſingularly by a relative without an antecedent, as Cant. 1.2. Let him kiſs me with the kiſſes of his mouth; becauſe Chriſt to Believers is ſo ſingular an one, that when ever he is ſpoken of by way of eminency and excellency, as here, they cannot miſtake him, or take an other for him. Secondly, This want of form and comelineſs, is not to be underſtood of any perſonal defect in our Lords Humane Nature, but in reſpect of, and with reference to the tract of his Life, and what accompanied his Humiliation, to wit, That it was low and mean, without that external grandour, pomp and ſplendour of outward things, which the world eſteem to be comlineſs and beauty. 3. Where it is ſaid, He ſhall grow up before him, &c. It relates to the hearers of the report of the Goſpel concerning him, or to the man that believes not the report ſpoken of before; And ſo relates to the words of the firſt verſ. Who hath believed our report? Which is certainly meant of the man that hears of him, and to whom he ſeems nothing worth, becauſe of his mean and low outward condition; for if we ſhould apply it to God, we cannot ſee how it will ſo well infer the ſcope, and be the reaſon of the unbelief aſſerted formerly, for which end it is brought in here.
We come now to open the words a little, and here we would know that Chriſts low condition is two wayes ſet down in theſe two verſes. 1. In the 2. verſ. In reſpect of his want of the abundance of the things of this world. 2. In the 3. verſ. In reſpect of the acceſſion of outward croſſes and afflictions; for not only doth he want credit, reſpect, and eſteem, but he hath contempt, deſpight, and reproach; Not only wants he great riches, but he hath poverty, and is in a poor and low condition: The firſt verſ. expreſſeth him negatively, to be no worldly great man; The ſecond verſ. expreſſeth him poſitively, to be a mean and deſpiſed man. 1. Then theſe words, He ſhall grow up as a plant out of a dry ground, are expounded by the words following, He hath no form nor comlineſs; For as Shrubs or Scrogs growing up out of dry ground cryn and wither, when trees planted in a fat ſoil, are freſh, fair, and beautiful. So ſhall it be with Chriſt when he cometh forth (ſaith the Prophet) to the eyes of the world, he ſhall, as it were, be like a Scrab in a Moor edge: Our Lord had perſonal and much divine comlineſs in him, as we may ſee, John 1.14. Where he ſaith that the Word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth: But the comlineſs here ſpoken of, is that outward ſtate, pomp, and ſplendour which great men in the world uſe to have, which Chriſt wanted: This is confirmed by the following words, And when we ſhall ſee him there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him; There is in men naturally a delight and complacency in that which is beautiful to the natural eye; But (ſaith he) there ſhall be no ſuch thing ſeen in Jeſus Chriſt when he cometh, and therefore no great wonder that few believe on him: And that he ſaith We, it is either according to the phraſe uſed in Scripture, to make ſome hard thing digeſt and go down the better with the hearers, whereof the ſpeaker is not guilty; or it is his expreſſing what is the humour generally in all men naturally; as if he had ſaid, had even we who are elect and godly no more but carnal eyes, we would think no more of Chriſt then other folk do, for we ſhould get no ſatisfaction to carnal reaſon.
The ſecond thing whereby his low condition is ſet out, is in theſe words, He is deſpiſed and rejected of men, &c. Not only ſhall he want that which carnal hearts and eyes ſeek and look after, but he ſhall be ſo very low, that men ſhall ſet him at nought, mock, and reject him: And what wonder then that he be not believed on? A man of ſorrows; As for the tract of his life, it ſhall be ſpent in ſorrows; And acquainted with grief; He ſhall not be a man that ſhall be a ſtranger to croſſes, griefs, and heavineſs, but he ſhall be familiarly acquainted with them, and they with him; And we hid as it were our faces from him; A conſequent of the former; As men will not give their countenance to them whom they deſpiſe; So, ſaith he, we ſhall think ſhame to ſee or look at him; He ſhall be the object of mens contempt and ſcorn, and we ſhall not ſo much as countenance him; He ſhall be deſpiſed and ſet at nought by Herod and the Roman Souldiers; And we eſteemed him not; That is, we the people of the Jews, who owe him more reſpect, eſteemed him not; And hence he concludes, that it is no wonder that but few believe on him: And ſo in the words following he goes on to deſcribe his Humiliation, and to remove the offence that might be taken at it, Surely he hath born our griefs, &c. As if he had ſaid, there is no ſuch cauſe to skar and ſtumble at Chriſt for his lowneſs and baſe outward condition; for it was not for himſelf, but for us that he became ſo low, and therefore it did not become us to think ſo little of him; His griefs and ſorrows are humane infirmities that he ſubjected himſelf to for our ſake; For the wrath of God which he ſuffered for us is ſpoken of afterwards. And becauſe there is great difference betwixt Chriſts bearing of infirmities, and our bearing of infirmities, He being like to us in all things, except ſin: I ſhall for clearing of this, name three diſtinctions given by Divines when they diſcourſe of this purpoſe.
1. They diſtinguiſh and put difference betwixt the taking on of infirmities, and the contracting of infirmities; The taking on of infirmities, is the aſſuming of the effect without the cauſe; of the infirmity without the ſinful defect: Contracting of infirmity is the drawing on of the defect, with, and by the cauſe; Now, we draw on the cauſe with the effect, Chriſt took on the effect, but he had no ſinful defect in him to draw on ſuch infirmities: He might have taken on the nature of man without the infirmities, if he had ſo pleaſed, but he took on the nature and infirmities without the cauſe. 2. They diſtinguiſh betwixt theſe infirmities which are ſimply natural, ſuch as man might have had though he had never ſinned, and theſe infirmities which flow from mans nature, as fallen and corrupted; The firſt ſort may be called Paſſive, and look to ſuffering, as to be hungry, thirſty, weary, ſenſible of that which hurts the body; The ſecond ſort may be called Active, and are ſinful, as flowing from ſin, and tending to ſin, as inclination to ill, and indiſpoſition to good, dulneſs as to the uptaking of Gods mind, &c. Our Lord took on the firſt ſort of infirmities that are ſimply natural, and may be without ſin; But he was free of the other that implyes corruption in the nature; He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without ſin ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 4.15. 3. They diſtinguiſh infirmities, in theſe that are called natural and common to all men, as men, and theſe that are perſonal and acquired, as flowing from ſome defect in generation, or are drawn on by ſome intemperance, groſsneſs in the life and converſation; As ſome Families are ſubject to Diſeaſes that come by Generation; Others draw on Diſeaſes by Whoredome, Drunkenneſs, and the like; Now our Lord was free of theſe laſt, becauſe being conceived by the Holy Ghoſt in the womb of the Virgin, there was no defect in His Generation; And being blameleſs in his life and converſation, he could acquire none of theſe infirmities; and therefore the infirmities which he bare are of the firſt ſort; that is, ſuch as are common to all men, and to men as men: And hence we think it probable which ſome ſay, That as our Lord was not ſick, ſo he was not capable of ſickneſs, being ſo perfect in his conſtitution or complexion; which makes for the glory of Grace, and ſaith, That our Lord behoved to die a violent death, there being no principle in him tending to a natural death, though notwithſtanding he did moſt willingly to ſatisfie Juſtice for ſinners. And this may ſerve to explain theſe words, That he was a man of ſorrows, and acquainted with griefs.
We come now to obſerve ſome things from the words, And 1. From the condition our Lord is deſcribed to come to the world in; Obſerve, That the Meſſiah the Lords Servant that was to redeem his people, was to become man, This is here ſuppoſed and Propheſied of, as the firſt ſtep of his Humiliation, He is called a Man; And it is an aggravation of it that he was to be a man of ſorrows; Or taking our Lord Meſſiah to be already come, we may take the Obſervation thus; That the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the eternal Son of the eternal Father is alſo a true and real Man, A common truth, yet a truth fundamental to the Goſpel, whereof we are not to think the leſs or the worſe, becauſe it is a common truth; When the fulneſs of time came (ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 4 4.) God ſent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law; Who, as it is, Philip. 2. Thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet took upon him the ſhape of a Servant, and was made in likeneſs of men, and being found in faſhion as a man, he humbled himſelf, and became obedient, &c. So Heb. 2.14. It's ſaid of him, That foraſmuch as the children are partakers of fleſh and blood, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part of the ſame, &c. And verſ. 11. Both he that ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified are all of one, for which cauſe he is not aſhamed to call them brethren; And verſ. 16. He took not on him the nature of Angels, but he took on him the ſeed of Abraham, wherefore in all thinge it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren; He was made even like unto us in all things except ſin: And if we look to the way of grace, there was good reaſon for this, that the Redeemer of ſinners behoved to be Man. 1. If we conſider the interpoſed or adjoyned threatning to the Covenant of Works, The day thou eats thou ſhalt ſurely die; There muſt be a ſatisfaction to Juſtice, and the curſe threatned muſt be born. 2. The curſe muſt be born by man, the Nature that ſinned muſt die, the Party offending muſt ſatisfie in his own Perſon, or in a Cautioner. And 3. By our Lord's becoming Man, 1. He came to have a right as being near of Kin to ſinners, to redeem them. And 2. By this the Law hath right to purſue and exact the Debt of him: And 3. By this, Grace hath acceſs to commend the Redeemer of ſinners to ſinners, Heb. 2.17, 18. And 4.15, 16. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to he made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Prieſt, &c. And that we have ſuch a Redeemer, it makes God, to ſay ſo, tryſtable, and Grace to have acceſs, 1 Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jeſus, and this gives man acceſs to ſtep in to God. 4. This makes the myſtery of Godlineſs to ſhine the more radiantly, and the wiſdome and love of God to ſhine the more conſpicuouſly thorow it, 1 Tim. 3.16. Without controverſie great is the myſtery of Godlineſs, God manifeſted in the fleſh: And John 1.14. The Word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, &c.
Uſe 1. It ſerves to be a prop and foundation to our Faith; We may ſay of this truth, as the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 1.15. ſayes, If Chriſt he not riſen, then our Preaching is vain, and your faith is vain; If Chriſt were not Man, our Preaching and your Hearing were in vain: 1. By this we have an evidence that our Lord is the true Meſſiah who was to become Man. 2. By this we ſee a clear way how he was lyable to our debt, and how his ſatisfaction is communicable to us. And 3. In this alſo we ſee a main and moſt attractive Argument to draw ſinners into Chriſt for the actual application of his purchaſe: Our Lord Jeſus is Man, our Brother, and made of a Woman, made under the Law; O! this puts a ſweetneſs and lovelineſs on the Mediator, to commend him to ſinners, for the ingaging of their hearts to him.
And therefore as a ſecond Uſe of it, ſeing there is a Man-Mediator, 1. We pray you, Men and Women, neglect not ſuch a Salvation as is to be had by his becoming Man, but let this Argument prevail with you to make uſe of him, that he is a true Man: And we may ſay, when this Son of Man comes in the Clouds to Judge the World, it will be one of the greateſt aggravations of the ſin of unbelievers, that he came thus low as to be a Man for the good of men, and yet was not made uſe of by them. 2. Sinners that would be at him, may on this ground be confident and chearful; The Steward of Grace is a Friend, he is a Man, their Brother, and claims Kindred to them that honeſtly aim to do the will of his Father; whoſoever ſhall do the will of my Father, ſaith he, Mat. 12. The ſame is my brother, ſiſter, and mother: Sinners wrong Chriſt and themſelves oft-times when they ſcar at this Cordial Conſolation that by Chriſts becoming Man is allowed on them; Indeed if we were immediatly to go to God, who is a conſuming fire, it were no wonder that we ſtood at a diſtance; but when God is in the Mediator Chriſt, God Man to reconcile the World to himſelf, as the word is, 2 Cor. 6. Let us, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 4. ult. come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. O! make this uſe of it, becauſe he is a friend that ſits on the Throne. —
2dly. Obſerve, That our Lord Jeſus did not only become Man, but a Man in an exceeding low and afflicted condition; It had been much to the Son of God to have come in the ſhape of man, though he had been Emperour of the whole World, but he thought not that meet; for ſince it was his errand in his firſt coming, not to judge, but to ſave the World, He came not to be miniſtred unto, but to miniſter; And therefore Joh. 13.12. He waſheth the fee… of his Diſciples: We may take both the branches of the Doctrine together, our Lord Jeſus not only became Man, but He was a Man without all worldly grandour and pomp, in a low and mean condition; And not only did he want that grandour, but he had much affliction ſhame and ſorrow in the place of it. Need we to prove this? Any who are acquainted with the Hiſtory of the Goſpel know it; He was for the whole tract of his life, not only in a low condition, but a man of ſorrows, griefs, and afflictions; under much perſecution, contempt and reproach; We might inſtance this, 1. In His Birth. 2. In His Life. And 3. In His Death, The meanneſs and lowneſs of his condition, and the afflictions he met with appear clearly in all theſe, wherein ye may behold the glory of grace and of truth; For the more low he became, the more doth the glory of grace ſhine, and the more alſo doth the glory of truth, in that he fulfilled all righteouſneſs.
1. Then for his low condition, And that 1. In his birth, he was not born of any of the greateſt Queens; However the birth of Mary was Noble, yet ſhe was in a mean condition, for the time eſpouſed to a Carpenter; He was not born in a great Palace, but in a common Innes, which too being taken up with Gueſts, His Mother was thruſt out, or conſtrained to betake her ſelf to a Stable, where our bleſſed Lord is brought forth, and laid in a Manger, Crib, or Stall, out of which the Beaſts eat their meat for his Cradle; There the Lord and Heir of all things is laid, and hath no other Cradle, neither was the Room hung with rich Hangings and Tapeſtry, as the Rooms of great ones uſe to be. 2. In his life he was low, for no ſooner is he born but his Mother is forced to flee away with him to Egypt; He dare not be ſeen; And when he returns, he co-habits with, and ſerves his ſuppoſed Father and his Mother, was obedient to them, ran their errands, and wrought their work; Therefore he is called, Mark 6. the Carpenter: There is no outward nor worldly pomp and grandour here; And thus he was for the ſpace of 30. years; And then when he came to his publick Miniſtry, he hath no great folks for his followers and Diſciples, but a few poor Fiſher-men; over and above whom he exalts not himſelf loftily, but humbles himſelf to waſh their feet, and to ſerve them: And to hold forth this a little further, ye may take notice of ſome Scripture-expreſſions to that purpoſe, as namely that of Luk. Chap. 9.58 Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have neſts, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head; That of John Chap. 1.10, 11. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not; He came unto his own, and his own received him not; Though he could have made a thouſand Worlds at a word, yet ſo low was he, that he had not a foot of ground to lay claim to, or to lean his bleſſed head on; And if we look to Luke 8. we will find that he was provided for in his neceſſity by ſome few Women, ſuch as Mary Magdalen; Joanna, Suſanna and others, who miniſtred to him of their ſubſtance; He lived upon the charity of others; And yet 2 Cor. 8. By his poverty he made many rich: And when he went from place to place, his diet was often a-ſeeking, neither do we read of any great cheer he had, but of ſome Barley Cakes and Fiſhes; And often the Diſciples were ſent to ſeek for meat to him. And 3. when it comes to his death, O! How very low is he brought there? When he is crucified, they hang him up betwixt two thieves, as the moſt notorious Malefactor of the three; And he could hardly come under greater reproach then was caſt upon him at his death; And as a dead man being really dead, he is laid in the grave and buried, as if death had gotten the victory over him; And ſo he dies a moſt ſhameful death, after he had lived a moſt mean and abject life.
2. For his afflicted condition, it is clear if we conſider, what troubles did accompany him in his life, and at his death; No ſooner was he born, but (as I ſaid) he is perſecuted by Herod, ſo that himſelf and his parents muſt needs flee down to Egypt, and they being but poor folks, behoved in ſo long a journey to meet with many difficulties; That they were but poor, may be ſeen by Maries offering after her Purification: And when he came forth in his Publick Miniſtry, at his very entry to it he was moſt terribly tempted of the Devil, taking occaſion of his hunger after long faſting; And all along the exerciſe of it, what contradiction did he meet with from the Scribes and Phariſees? How did he travel on his feet from place to place? Often ſu…ject to wearineſs and fainting; ſometimes men will not ſo much as give him lodging, which he ſuffers patiently, and rebukes his Diſciples for their impatience and prepoſterous zeal, Luke 9. Many calumnies and reproaches were caſt upon him, He was called Beelzebub, a Deceiver, a friend of Publicans and Sinners; How did ſome of his fr…ends according to the fleſh ſnarl at him, and offer to bind him as a mad man? What plots and conſpiracies were laid and made to take away his life? And when it came to the upſhot of all, Peter ſhamefully denied him, and all the other Diſciples forſook him, and fled; Many other things befell him, as may be ſeen in the Hiſtory of his Sufferings, written by the Evangeliſts: We read that he wept thrice, to let us know that it was his frequent and familiar exerciſe, And a little before his death, we read that he was in a great agony, and did therein ſweat blood, and offered prayers with ſtrong cryes and tears; but we read not that he did laugh, or that ever any worldly mirth was found in him, which clearly makes out this truth, That he was a man of ſorrows, and acquainted with grief.
For Uſe, It would take the tongues of Men and Angels to ſpeak of it, it being the moſt remarkable and ſoul-refreſhing Subject that ever the world heard of, even that of which the Angels ſing, Luke 2.10, 11. Good tidings of great joy which ſhall be to all people, that unto you is born in the City of David a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord: And this ſhall be a ſign to you, ye ſhall find the babe wraped in ſwadling-cloaths, lying in a manger; Sure we ſhould not ſing leſs, but more then Angels, Men being more concerned then Angels in theſe things; And therefore, 1. Behold, believe and wonder, that he that was rich became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich; that he that was Lord of all, became ſervant to all; that he that was the infinite God, the expreſs image of his Fathers perſon, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God, yet humbled himſelf and became of no reputation, and took on him the form of a ſervant, &c. Behold (we ſay) believe, and wonder at this, 1. In reſpect of the cauſe it came from, to wit, everlaſting love, He did and ſuffered all this moſt willingly, there was no conſtraint on him; But as it is, Pſal. 40. He delighted to do his Fathers will; He had power to lay down his life, and to take it up again. 2. In reſpect of the end, it was not to add to his own glory; for as God, his Glory being infinit, it was not, neither was capable of diminution or addition, but he became poor that we might be made rich, He was a man of ſorrows, that we might be made to rejoice, he wept that we might laugh, he wanted that we might have: Is not this love ſtooping thus lo… to be wondered at? Was there ever the like heard of? That God the great Party offended ſhould come ſo low to recover the deſpicable Parties offending; and that even while they were rank enemies to him? God commendeth his love to us, ſaith the Apoſtle, Rom. 5.8. that while we were yet ſinners Chriſt died for us; And ſaith himſelf, John 15. Greater love hath no man then this, that a man lay down his life for his friends; But when we were enemies Christ died for us; Were it then an unſuitable uſe of this Doctrine, to be beholding, believing, and wondering at his love, and to be often thinking and ſaying, What is man that God ſhould be ſo mindful of him, as to ſend the Heir of all things his own Son into the world, as his great Ambaſſadour and Commiſſioner, to negotiat a peace betwixt himſelf and rebel-ſinners, which he was to purchaſe by becoming ſo very low, and by ſuffering ſo very much?
2. See in this the great evil and hurt of ſin, and the difficulty of making peace betwixt God and a ſinner who hath provoked God; Is it a little matter that made our Lord condeſcend and ſtoop ſo low? O! if folk knew the evil of ſin; And that ere Juſtice could be ſatisfied, the Son of God behoved to become Man, and a deeply humbled Man; The Sword of his avenging Juſtice behoved to awake againſt him, and ſmite the man that was his fellow, rather then that ſin ſhould go unpuniſhed, and Juſtice ſhould want ſatisfaction: Beware lightly to boaſt and brag of mercy, or to think it eaſie to make your peace with God; And remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
3. See in this, much condeſcending in our bleſſed Lord Jeſus, and a motive as well as a copy of patience in him, who is content to be made of a woman, made under the Law, who ſubmits himſelf unto the Law, and takes on a mean and afflicted ſtate of life in the world; It's a wonder that Chriſts members ſhould take ſo ill with a mean, ſuffering, and hard lot, ſeing their lot is far, very far from the contempt, reproaches, ſorrows, weights and griefs that accompanied their Head and Lord; And it's a ſhame that believers minds and hearts ſhould be ſet ſo much on theſe things, that he who was and is their Lord and Maſter, and the Heir of all things, poſſeſſed ſo little of; or that they ſhould place their happineſs in whole or in part in the injoyment of theſe things, or their miſery in the want of them; More patience under the Croſs, under watchings, wearineſs, reproaches, &c. would become us much better, our bleſſed Lord Jeſus had a great many moe.
4. See this to be not only a motiv… to patience in reſpect of outward things, but a ſt…pping ſto…e and ground of encouragement to go forward to Chriſt with every want ſpiritual and temporal; It's much that our Lord became Man, but it's more that he became a man under griefs, afflictions, ſorrows, and temptations, and was ſubject to death it ſelf; And that he hath bowels of ſympathy from experience of theſe temptations, vexations, and ſorrows, as they are ſinleſs, as is clear from Heb. 2. and 4. at the cloſe; He knows what hunger, thirſt, poverty, contempt, reproach, and perſecution are; He knows what it is to be ſet upon with the violence of a temptation, though there was no ſin in him to comply with it.
5. See here a moſt real Saviour, ſince he is a ſuffering Saviour; Why did our Lord become thus low? But that he might come under the curſe, in the ſeveral degrees of it, for the ſatisfying of Juſtice for our ſins; And ſee in every piece of Chriſts ſuffering a reality of the grace and love of God; A reality in the Covenant and bargain of Redemption; A reality in Chriſts ſatisfying of Juſtice, and performing his ingagement according to the tenor of that tranſaction: And ſeing there is a reality in this Saviour, and in his ſuffering and ſatiſfying of Divine Juſtice, and in the price that he payed to the full; Put not this Saviour again to open ſhame, as the word is, Heb. 6.6. Trode not the Son of God under foot, neither account the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing; Do not deſpite to the Spirit of Grace, as it is, Heb. 10.29. He hath ſuffered enough already, let him not be a ſufferer again; O! grieve him not by your unbelief, but give him credit by adventuring your ſouls on him upon his own terms; your ſelves will have the advantage and he the glory; This is the pure ſimple truth of the Goſpel; Do not only receive it as a truth, but receive him that it holds forth, and let your hearts cloſe with him, and your Faith feed upon him, w…o bec…me poor, that ye through his poverty mig…t be made rich; Happy they for evermore who are made rich through his poverty, and miſerable are they, and muc… more miſerable eternally will they be whoſe practice ſaith that they think they have another way to be happy then by his ſufferings and ſatisfaction, and ſo diſdain and rej…ct both him and it.