Several Works, Work 3 · Part (2 of 6)

Several Works · Work 3 · Part (2 of 6)

p. 4514. If we were never ſuch friends to it, if we would never ſo fain be healed, it is not in our power, it is above the ſphere of our activity; if the ſtripes had been laid upon us, which were laid upon Chriſt when he was whipped with Scorpions; alas, every p. 452blow would have cut us in ſunder, and given us our portion in that lake that burns with fire and brimſtone for ever. You ſee brethren, that they fetched blood at every blow of our bleſſed Saviour, who was equal with his Father, having an infinite Power and Spirit to uphold him; and yet, O how he ran down with blood, dropping upon the ground! when the world was to be drowned and overwhelmed, all the veins of the earth were, as I may ſay, opened; ſo now the Lord Jeſus, when his Spirit was overwhelmed and amazed, as I may ſay and the Lord in a manner Mark 14. 33, 34.Mark 14:33Mark 14:34would now ſwallow him up, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? all the voins, the channels of his body were opened: O how the blows did even almoſt fetch away the ſoul of our Saviour! witneſs that Out-cry: what had become of poor man i… this had been laid upon him? Beſide, who can pardon our ſins? is there any but God that can pardon ſins? and is not this a great Pſal. 85.Ps 85part of healing? who can ſpeak peace but he? He will ſpeak peace to his people, he can do it with one word of his mouth; he createth the fruit of the lips, peace, peace; aſſuredly he createth it peace: who can ſubdue a luſt? all the maceration of the body, that the frame of Nature will bear, will not do it; as it is ſaid of Hierom, though his hair did even ſtand upright with faſting and lying upon the ground, yet all would not do to ſubdue concupilcence; he ſhould have taken Gods way, and then his help would have come in; no, no, I will ſubdue their iniquities, they are too ſtiff-hearted for any but the Lord Jeſus; none M…c. 7. 18.could break the heart of ſin but he, by being broken himſelf for our iniquities; nor can any do it to death, though wounded, and bleeding, and the heart be broken, but he himſelf; it is above the creatures power: therefore we ſee what poor helpleſs creature we are there is need of the Sun of rightcouſneſs to ariſe with healing; all our influences upon our own hearts will not heal the leaſt diſtemper.

The third Uſe ſhall be then, to ſhew us the great neceſſity that we all of us have of Jeſus Chriſt; The whole need not the Phyſitian, but they that are ſick, but the ſick need it: now Luke 5. 3.Luke 5:3alas, what is the world but a great Hoſpital full of diſeaſed creatures? here lies one ſick of the Stone, another of the Palſie, a third of a Dropſie, ſome Lunatick, out of their ſenſes, ſome p. 453of the Gangrene of Error, which is dangerous for in a few hours it creepeth to the heart: men ſleight the Phyſitian while they are in health, but once ſick and wounded, then how welcome is he! what need had the poor Traveller, that fell among theeves, that left him wounded and half dead, of the Samaritan, that came and poured in wine and oyl; alas, what had become of him if Luke 10. 30.Luke 10:30God had not ſo ordered it for him? when a poor Iſraelite was wounded with the fiery Serpent, though he might not ſo much heed the Brazen Serpent before, yet now he ſeeth his neceſſity Num. 12.Num 12o… looking to him, that he might be healed, his neceſ…y would promp him to it▪ if the poor blind man do but hear of Chriſt paſſing, O how ſenſible he is of his neceſſity and cryeth out to him Jeſus thou ſon of David have mercy upon me; but here is the miſery of it, the diſeaſes and ſickneſſes of the ſoul are ſtupifying Luke 18 37. Ephe. 4. 19.Luke 18:37Eph 4:19they ſeize upon the vitals and ſpirits in ſuch a violent manner, that if not at firſt yet after a little while they are paſt feeling. and therefore our great work is to bring poor creatures to a…ſence of their condition, until then they will not accept of the glad tidings of life and ſalvation by Jeſus Chriſt; how ever this argues our neceſſity of Chriſt to be ſo much the greater; thou feeleſt not that thy hearti ſtony and hard, and therefore thinkeſt that when the ſad condition of ſuch a ſinner is diſplayed, it belongs not to thee at all▪ alas, thou art ſo much the harder; tell ſuch ſtony creatures they have need of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt to diſſolve this Adamant, he being the …oat ſlain for us as well as the Lamb; for the Paſſover might be either a Exod. 12. 5.Exod 12:5Goat or a Lamb, and the Lord Jeſus is our Paſſover; thou thinkeſt this concerneth thee not: alas, poor ſinner, thou haſt ſo much the more need of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt. How doth a tender-hearted Phyſitian pitty his patient that he ſeeth deſperately ſick, and yet ſo ſtupified as that he will not be perſwaded of his condition; and O that we could look upon you, and ſpeak to you ſinners with ſuch hearts! when we tell you of the plague of the heart, a moſt deadly diſeaſe; you know when the infection getteth to the heart, in that diſeaſe, there is ſcarce any remedy for it: ſo it is with ſinners: and yet alas, how hard is it to perſwade them of this! they are in as good condition as any, they have no more plague ſore upon them then another: dear friends remember it, the plague is in all our families, theſe diſeaſes p. 454are in all our families, and in many of our own ſouls; and whether we ſee, it or ſee it not, there it is, and our neceſſity of Chriſt is ſo much the greater, by how much the leſs ſenſible we are of it; he Ioh. 9 41.John 9:41that ſaith he ſeeth, when he is blind, had the moſt need of a care of all others; he had firſt need of a cure of his e…or, his miſjudging of his condition, and then a cure of his diſeaſe, what ſad moan would Parents make if they had all their children lying of the ſickneſs, what out-cries would there be as in Egypt when one in a houſe was dead? and yet alas poor ſinners ſee not that their children are born leprous, all over leprous, filthy, and yet they ſee it not: O brethren, what need there is of Chriſt to come to all our houſes, for Salvation to come to all our families, to heal and cure our ſouls, our children our ſervants that are all deſperately ſic of ſome diſeaſe or another!

Fourthly, …hen ſuch as to this day have never been healed, the Sun of Righteouſneſs hath never ariſen with healing in his wings, there is no healing to be had from under the wings of Chriſt: know men will be apt, either to play the Empericks upon themſelves, or elſe to go to ſome Mountebank or another; but alas, they are Phyſitians of no value, healing is not in them, the poor creature may ſpend all upon ſuch Phyſicians, and yet be never the near when he hath done▪ the poor woman in the Goſpel, ſince her bloody iſſue continued ſo long it argued ſhe Luke 8. 43.Luke 8:43never came to Chriſt all this while, if ſhe had, ſhe had been healed long ago: thy ſores run as violently as ever, and that continually polluting all thy ways truly …his is an argument that …hriſt hath not ariſen upon thee for when he ariſeth upon a ſ…ul, he doth it with healing in his wings; brethren. it may be you have lain at the waters a great while, but you have never been put into them; you ma… have lived where Chriſt hath been preached, but it is the Spirit that is the main thing that carrieth the healing vertue from the Lord Jeſus, and until he come and breathe in the Ordinances, they are nothing, brethren what ſhall I ſay to you, is it not the condition of the moſt of us? are not our luſts as ſtrong and lively as ever they were? are we not as blind wretches groping at noon day, ſome of us, as ever we were? are not our hearts as hard as ever? yea, harder, for the ſtone increaſeth and groweth day by day; are we not as licentious, as looſe, as proud as ever? why ſhould this p. 455be, ifyou had any thing to do with Chriſt? it is a ſign that ſuch a Mat. 9. 21.Matt 9:21ſinner hath never touched Chriſt to this day; for no ſooner did the woman touch him, but vertue came from him; the leaſt touch of faith doth it: O what a faithleſs generation are we then! O how many of us are in this condition! what a ſad thing is it that we ſhould thus throng upon Chriſt, and ſo few touch him? but one poor woman in a whole throng come and ſteal a touch of Chriſt, O if ſhe might but touch him, ſhe ſhould be healed; and ſo haply now in a Congregation, there cometh in one poor trembling ſinner, with his affections ſtirred, his deſires are up, O if I may but touch him, I ſhall be well; when for the moſt part that is not our error. Now dear friends, what have you been doing all this while, have you eat and drank in the preſence of Chriſt? have you heard his Word and Goſpel wherein he is lifted up, as the healing Serpent, ſo many years, and yet not healed? have you ſo often received the Lord his Supper, the outward part of it, and yet are not healed? what, have you been praying, and reading, and coming to hear, until you have one foot in the grave, and yet not healed? what have you been doing all this while, that you have never got a ſight of Chriſt, a touch of him to this day, that you might be healed? Ah, ſure you have ſpent your time, your money upon the Phyſitians that cannot heal you, you have gone to the Diſciples in ſtead of Chriſt, you have expected healing from the Ordinances themſelves, and expected it haply from us in whom healing is not; as they lookt upon the Apoſtles, Why look ye upon us, as if we had done Mat 7. 16. Act. 3. 12.Matt 7:16Acts 3:12this by our own power? O no, it is Jeſus Chriſt alone can heal, and therefore if you are not yet healed, he did never ariſe upon you to this day: It may be ſinners will be ready to ſay, what if Jeſus Chriſt hath never riſen upon us, is that ſuch a great matter? Indeed I doubt we make a light matter of it; but I will tell you what a great matter it is, you are yet in your ſins, and it is a very great hazard but you may die in your ſins; if he never riſe upon thee, thou ſhalt undoubtedly die in them; and is this nothing? O but you will ſay, God is merciful, it is his nature to be merciful, he triumpheth in exalting that perfection, and making it glorious: It is true, brethren, but it is in Chriſt, all light and healing is from the Father, but he hath filled the Son now with inlightning and healing influence, ſo that they who p. 456will have it, muſt have it from the Son, he hath all power committed Matth. 11. 27.Matt 11:27to him, all the medecines are his now, and the power of applying them is ſo, that he heals whom he pleaſeth; therefore dream not of it, you that are wicked tranſgreſſors, that have not your ſins healed, that God will be merciful to any but in Chriſt; O but we may have our ſins healed though it be not yet; It is true, thou maiſt be healed, and this is ſomewhat: but conſider what a cold comfort this would be to a man that had the plague ſeiſed upon him in a violent manner why, faith he, it may be healled, and yet alas, be never looks after the Phyſitian, nor …e Phyſitian after him, but groweth worſe, and worſe, and yet he may be healed: It is true, if the Lord do not cut thee off before, thou maiſt be healed; or if God ſwear not in his wrath thou ſhalt never enter into his reſt; or ſay to thee, thou ſhalt never be healed: O theſe ſecret things belong not to us; the Father hath put them in his own power, and we preſume upon our courſes of ſinning, as if we knew them, were privy to them, and knew certainly that we ſhould have a day of grace, an hour of mercy; this is deſperate, if thou die in this condition, with all thy running ſores upon thee, from head to foot, no ſound part, but loathſome wretches; what, do you think the Lord Jeſus will put ſuch into his boſome? Well conſider this for the fourth Application of the Doctrine: Such as are not healed of their luſts, they have never had Jeſus Chriſt ariſing upon them as yet, they never knew Chriſt to this day; let our knowledge be what it will, our parts be what it will, our ſeeming following Chriſt be what it will, and thronging upon him never ſo much, we never yet touched him, he never yet ſhined upon our ſouls; O how many ſuch poor▪ Chriſtleſs ſouls hear this Word this day!

5. Then, let us labour to raiſe our ſpirits in admiration of the riches of grace in Jeſus Chriſt, given to poor ſinners, to provide a healing for us; that when we had faln from the height of mercy, or rather grace and goodneſs, and ſo had all to be broken and bruiſed our ſelves, broken our b…nes, that he ſhould provide a healing for us, when we could never think of ſuch a mercy; what were we more to him then Angels? if he had let us all lye under our broken bones, under the wounds we had made in our ſelves, and diſeaſes we had contracted, who could have had p. 457any thing to ſay againſt him for it? this the Apoſtle maketh an argument of his love, and it is doubtleſs a heightening of it, to conſider how free it is, that their wounds ſhould not be cured, and ours healed, when both alike curable to him? and conſidering Heb. 2.Heb 2that they might have been much more ſerviceable to him, then we being creatures of a more glorious, active nature then we are; yet he took not hold of the nature of Angels.

But conſider we firſt the infinite diſproportion between the Phyſitian and the Patients: were it not wonderful condeſcention for a K…o come off his Throne, to buckle himſelf about the buſineſs …eal a worm that hath been trodden upon? O it pittieth him to ſee them bleeding, and therefore he maketh it his buſineſs to cure them; brethren, you would think this ſtrange, but this is the caſe; yea, this is but a ſhadow, Iacob is but a worm, and that the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings ſhould deſcend from his Throne, from heaven, diſrobe himſelf, as I may ſay, put Iſa. 44.Isa 44on rags, and all to have to do with the wounds and diſeaſes of poor ſinful duſt and aſhes, worms and no me… Brethren, my tongue is not able to expreſs it; we would thin… a great matter, ſuch of us as live in the higheſt honour, wear ſoft raiment, are delicate in all things, to take up a poor creature in the ſtreets, that is full of ſores, caſt out to the loathing of his perſon, to ſearch the wounds, have to do with thoſe loathſome ſores; O what love were this! it may be we could be content in pitty to give money for others to do it, but to do it with our own hands, there is the trial▪ and yet this creature is of our own kind: but what are we to the Lord, or to his Chriſt? who would do this for a Dog, for a Viper, a Serpent, a Toad, if wounded, if ſick and diſeaſed? can we conceive what tenderneſs it muſt be above what we have; it may be we would not kill or deſtroy ſuch a creature, but if otherwiſe hurt, would we heal them? O herein is the love of God to poor ſinners! high above our thoughts, as Iſa. 55. 8.Isa 55:8heaven is high above the earth: alas, we are more ready to tread upon Serpents and Dogs, we would caſt them out, put them away from us, it is but a dog. Ah, dear friends, what are we that are ſtrangers from the Covenant of Promiſe, as we are all, until he entereth into a Covenant with us? we are as dogs, as he ſpeaks to the Syraphinitian woman, all ſuch unclean creatures; yea, we are a generation of Vipers, as full of venom p. 458of ſin as a Toad is full of poyſon, and that is our nature as ſoon as we are born; yet alas, the Lord Jeſus would not have ſuch as we to periſh but rather then it ſhould be ſo, he himſelf would become our Phyſitian: O here is rich grace!

Secondly, In that the Lord Jeſus like a Son of righteouſneſs indeed, doth not ſtay until the poor ſinner, the patient do ſend for him, do come to him, but he is the firſt in the motion; you know Phyſitians of eminency and worth, do not uſe to go up and down to beſpeak their patients, to proclaim it up and down who hath any work for them; no, they are too hi… that: if any will have to do with them, let them find the …out, let them waite upon them; Mountebanks uſe to do ſo, they muſt hang out a buſh, elſe it will not be known that they profeſs they can do any thing; pardon the compariſon, for our Saviour compareth his coming to the coming of a Thief; and if a Mountebank be no better; yet the compariſon is tollerable by that of our Saviour himſelf, I ſay, he will rather come to ſinners then that they ſhall miſc…; he came to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt: for alas, the loſt creature never will ſeek him, but wander, and loſeth it ſelf more and more, therefore we are compared to wandring ſheep, we all like ſheep have gone aſtray, yea, the very Saints themſelves when once they have been found, yet will Luke 19. 10. Iſa. 53. Pſal. 119.Luke 19:10Isa 53Ps 119loſe themſelves again, as David, I have gone aſtray like a loſt ſheep, ſeek thy ſervant; elſe we ſhould never find the way to Chriſt again; dogs and ſuch kind of creatures, if loſt, will find the way home, again, but a ſheep will not; ſo when we are utterly loſt, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is come unto you. ſaith our Saviour; O repent and turn, for the Goſpel, and the grace Mat. 3. 12, 28.Matt 3:12Matt 3:28of the Goſpel is come to you; the Kingdom of heaven goeth a begging, as I may ſay, cometh and knocketh at this door, and that door; at this family and that, to ſee if they will give entertainment to Jeſus Chriſt, whether they will be healed, this day is Salvation come to thine houſe, ſaith the Lord to Zacheus; it came to him before he came to Chriſt; though he did indeed Luke 19. 5.Luke 19:5run a little for curioſity ſake before Chriſt, to ſee his perſon, yea, our Saviour inviteth himſel… to him, he invited himſelf to come to his houſe; ſo, did not the Lord Jeſus come to ſeek Paul, and where did he find him but in blood, up to the ears, even the blood of the Saints? may we not ſet to our ſeals to p. 459the truth of this? That he is found of ſuch as never ſought him; Iſa. 65. 1.Isa 65:1may we not ſay truly, that alas, our own ſouls, and our own families were poor, dark, ignorant, hard-hearted creatures, that never thought of Jeſus Chriſt, until he firſt came and brought healing to us the Son doth not ſtay until he be called up, but he riſeth of his own accord upon the world; Brethren, the Lord Jeſus Mat. 23. 4.Matt 23:4this day, though by the mouth of a Babe, and uncircumciſed creature in heart and lips, doth invite you, all is ready, and then he cals, this is a part of the meſſage I have from Chriſt this day, and it is a ſweet one, to invite every poor wounded Sinner, 2 Cor. 15. 19, 20.ev… poor diſeaſed creature to come to Jeſus Chriſt for healing; and O that I could beſpeak you, as he himſelf would beſpeak you, were he upon earth, with ſuch a melting heart and ſence of your condition. O why will ye die? is the expoſtulation Ezek. 18. 31.Ezek 18:31of the Lord Jeſus; why will you die of your wounds, of your plague-ſores? here is balm for you, here is healing for you, if you will but accept of it; O do not ſlight it, do not run away from the Phyſitian; Hath the Lord Jeſus been at all this pains to procure▪ a medicine, and ſhall we caſt it away, and ſlight it?

Thirdly, Here is the riches of the Grace of God toward poor Sinners, that though we cannot tell our Phyſitian what we ail, yet he knoweth our diſeaſes, and from him it is that we are convinced of our condition in this reſpect; Phyſitians are not able to ſee into the inward parts, into the veins, the arteries, the liver, the heart, but they judge according to outward ſymptoms, or according to the Patients relation of his diſeaſe, and how often do they miſcarry and miſtake? but here is ſuch a Phyſitian, he ſo heals, as that he knoweth all our diſeaſes, he needs not feel our pulſe to ſee how they beat, he can tell where there is a poor burthened ſoul, or a ſin-guilty ſoul, knoweth all the guilt, and ta…es notice of it firſt, and from his own notice of it, takes occaſion to heal it. I have ſeen his ways, though he was walking Iſa. 57. 17, 18.Isa 57:17Isa 57:18on in the ſtubborneſs of his heart, though he were ſmitten, he ſaw not his own ways, how froward they were, nor his own heart, how hard it was; but ſaith the Lord, I have ſeen his wayes▪ and I will heal him; Alas, how long might Paul have been before he had known his diſeaſe, except the Lord Jeſus had opened it to him, come and convinced him of it: and ſo in the caſe of David and Peter.

p. 460Fourthly, Yet further conſider the riches of Grace, Sinners, herein to you, herein held forth in that, notwithſtanding all our unkind dealing with him, yet he giveth not over the work; would not an able Phyſitian take it ill, that his Patient ſhould go away from him, and run to a cheating Mountebank, and prefer him before him? were not this enough to loſe a Phyſitian? Alas, do we not all do ſo? He ſtretched ont his hands all the day long to a gainſaying and rebellious people; one runs to one Iſa. 65. 2.Isa 65:2thing, another to another; The Prodigal to his husks, rather then to his Father; and the poor woman to her Phyſitian of no …lue, rather then to Chriſt; if Sinners can make a ſhift to lick over their ſores with a good tongue, a ſmooth tongue, crying peace, peace, where there is no peace; a ſad condition, when Conſcience is quieted upon miſtaken grounds; if they can quiet it with a little duty, they are well; if they can skin over their wounds, they are well enough; they will ſtick any where, rather then come to Jeſus Chriſt; and yet for all this, he is ready to heal them. O, how do Perſons beſide themſelves abuſe their Phyſitian? many times fly in their face, and ſo do Sinners; now the Lord Jeſus cometh with his cordials in one hand, his purgatives in the other hand, ready to purge, to cleanſe, to heal us, and we fly in his face, uſe him moſt unkindly; and yet for all this, he is not overcome, giveth us not over, until he hath healed us of this, and all the reſt of the diſtempers of our ſouls. O how do you think the Lord Jeſus can endure to be kicked in the very bowels, to have his blood trampled under foot by poor Sinners, that he cometh to heal! and yet he doth endure it, and for all this healeth them. Is not all this unkindneſs? what can move him to give us over? ſurely many of us are able to ſay it, that if his bowels had not been unſearchable, we have ſo often grieved him, and kicked againſt him, even ſince he had to do with our ſouls in a way of healing mercy, that we had been undone for ever. Oh here is unſearchable mercy, we wound him, and grieve him, and yet he heals us: we ſleightly eſteem of him, of his blood, of his mercy, of his love, even while he is pouring it out upon us, and he ſo dearly loveth us, that his blood is not too dear for us, no nor his Spirit, nor his bowels, nor any thing; O here is rich Grace indeed to poor froward-hearted Sinners!

5. Herein the riches of Grace doth appear to poor Sinners, p. 461that it is not the multitude, nor the depth, nor the loathſomneſs of our wounds, or deadlineſs of our diſeaſes, that diſcourageth him, to make him turn his back upon the work, and let us alone. O ſaith the Phyſitian, when he cometh to ſuch a Patient, he hath the plague, it is ſeized upon his heart, upon his vitals, it is paſt my ski…, it is but labour in vain, if the ſpots appear, there is no hope, no healing; but now the Lord Jeſus, he never m…dleth with a Sinner, but he hath the plague in his very heart, not only the ſores running upon their tongues, and upon their hands, but in their very hearts, and all the blood, and ſpirits poyſoned, and yet he is not diſcouraged, he takes it in hand: truly ſome of us, if we conſider how deeply rooted our …nſts were in our very hearts, it is matter of admiration, that ever we were healed; and though for the preſent there are, it may be, grudgings of the old diſeaſe, whereby we are a grief to him, and a grief to our ſelves, yet that the plague is cured at the heart, or curing rather; alas, do you think the Lord Jeſus did not know what a weary hand he ſhould have with us before he began with us? he knew what ulcerations would be continually breaking out that muſt be lanced and ſearched, and yet never turned his back upon his work upon this account; when the Chyrurgion meeteth with a Iſa. 1.Isa 1poor creature, that is full of wounds, and bruiſes, and putrifying ſores, that have never been opened, nor mollified, but a long time have feſtered and rotted; O, ſaith he, I am not able to endure to have to do with ſuch a Patient, the very ſtench of his wounds and …ores is ſuch, I am not able to bear it; Brethren, this is nothing to ſin, the moſt loathſom running ſores are nothing to the rottenneſs of ſin: O, it is the ſuperfluity of naughtineſs, Iames 1. 19.Jas 1:19it is the very ſcum of ſcums, the very excrement of the Devil: now how can we think that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould endure the ſtench of our loathſom ſouls, full of running ſores? and yet he doth it, when he cometh to heal us, he never yet gave over any that he undertook to heal, becauſe of the greatneſs, the multitude, the loathſomneſs of his diſeaſes; I know poor miſgiving hearts will be ready to ſit down and mourn, as poor creatures without hope, when they conſider how many their ſores are, their diſeaſes are. O what loathſom running ſores, bloody iſſues! and they are loathſom to our ſelves, that ſee little or nothing of them, and that have a ſtinking noſtril, their minds whereby they conceive p. 462of things, are impure themſelves, and ſo cannot apprehend them as ſo loathſom; but the Lord Jeſus that ſeeth them to the bottom, knoweth the venom of them, the loathſomneſs of them to the full. O ſure they are much more to him, ſure he will never have to do with ſuch a rotten ſoul as mine, ſaith one; ſuch a rotten heart, ſuch a wretch, ſo beſotted with the world, as I have been, ſo unclean a wretch as I have been; this is a miſtake, the riches of Grace in Jeſus Chriſt would never be ſo made manifeſt, the exceeding abundance of Grace, if he had not to do with ſuch ſinners as thou art in thine own apprehenſion; with a Paul, a Manaſſes, a Magdalen, with the chief of Sinners; O ſay not your caſes are deſperate, there is no healing for your wounds; nothing maketh a Sinners caſe deſperate, but his own deſpairing, his final unbelief, his deſpair of the mercy of Chriſt, the faithfulneſs of Chriſt in this great undertaking of poor Sinners.

Sixthly, O what tenderneſs is manifeſted in the manner of the cure! and it muſt needs be ſo, when bowels themſelves are the conſtitution of the Phyſitian; where love it ſelf, and compaſſion it …elf ſetteth the Phyſitian awork. Brethren, can you imagine when a Father is a Phyſitian, and hath a poor diſeaſed child, or wounded, cryeth out for healing; can you imagine with what an heart he goeth about it? if it would do the cure, he could be content to endure all the lancings, take down all bitter potions; O every grone and out-cry of his Patient goes to his heart, he is ſo tender; by theſe affections the Lord is pleaſed darkly to ſhadow out to us his heart toward us; Even as a Father pittieth his children, ſo the Lord Jeſus pittieth them that fear him; that Pſal. 103. 13.Ps 103:13are wonnded in any kind, either in their peace, or in their holineſs. But this will appear, if we conſider but a few particulars.

Firſt, In that he himſelf hath taken the bittereſt part of the phyſick; O the wormwood and the gall! they went into his bowels; the Lord Jeſus doth not delight to cure by lancings, by ſearings, and canterizings; no: but he took down himſelf the purge that ſet him upon ſuch a ſweat as you know; alas, it would have drunk up every drop of our blood, and moyſture, and marrow, that we ſhould never have ſeen through it; this he takes himſelf, himſelf is lanced you know by the Soldiers, p. 463and from thence came water and blood, the ingredients of the healing medicine for poor Sinners for ever, being rightly tempered: like a tender Mother, if the child be ſick, it muſt be purged; ſhe her ſelf takes the purge, endures the wrings of it in its working, that the effect may be ſuckt by the child who lies at the breaſt; this is but a reſemblance of this rich Grace in Jeſus Chriſt. Brethren, we ſee, if men were our Phyſitians, what they would preſcribe us, their purgations, and pilgrims, whippings, macerating our fleſh, until they bleed and die; but the Lord Jeſus doth not ſo; if either the Phyſitian or the Patient muſt die in this caſe, rather then the poor, diſeaſed, wounded Patient ſhall die, the Phyſit… himſelf dieth, that we might live, that his blood might be our cordial, his fleſh, our dyet, and his blood our dyet-drink, that continually by little and little might heal us; O what manner of love is this! Brethren, who would do ſo? let a Father but examine his heart and ſee, could he do ſo for his child? though a Mother may take down much bitterneſs for her child, yet would ſhe be content to open a vein, to bleed to death, to redeem its life when ready to periſh? I know David 2 Sam. 18. 33.2 Sam 18:33in his paſſion ſaid, Would God I had dyed for thee; but if Abſalom had been alive, and in cold bood he had been put to it, I queſtion, though his affections were ſtrong to his Son, but they would have been as ſtrong to himſelf; Self is a mans neareſt friend; but now the Lord Jeſus you ſee, did it for his poor ſinful people, yea for ſtrangers, for enemies: Brethren, conſider of it, If any of us were Phyſitians, here is a poor wounded creature lies in the way, as the poor man in the Goſpel, fell among thieves, left wounded and half-dead, which of us now could find in our hearts to open our own veins, and be emptied of all our blood and li…e, that ſuch a poor wretch might be ſupplied? now this the Lord Jeſus doth for ſuch Sinners as we are; Brethren, if there muſt be pouncing and pricking, he endures it: lancing, he endures it; contuſion, he endures it; For he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, bruiſed for our iniquites, the chaſtiſement of our Iſa. 53. 5.Isa 53:5peace was upon him, and through his ſtripes we are healed: his ſtripes are not the bodily buffetings, his crown of thorns, and 1 Pet. 2. 24.1 Pet 2:24ſuch things were nothing in compariſon: no, it is the laſhing of his ſpirit, the wounding of his ſoul, the travel of his ſoul, the agonies, wreſtlings with his Fathers diſpleaſure to an agony, p. 464when God laid on him ſo heavily, that he was ready to faint and ſink, and his ſoul almoſt fetched at every blow. O dear Saviour, that ever the cure of ſuch ſinfull duſt and aſhes ſhould coſt thee ſo dear, and we ſo little prize it! But,

2. That which he preſcribes to us, though there be ſome bitterneſs in it, yet no more then muſt needs; it may be a ſprinkling from the top of the cup of trembling, which may put us into a fear and trembling, ſo much as he ſeeth needfull to imbitter ſin to us: it is true, if love were perfect here below, while graces are imperfect, and our ingenuity perfect; the looking upon a crucified Chriſt for us, would be the greateſt imbittering of ſin to us in the world; but we are very dull an…ow of heart, and therefore a little taſte we muſt our ſelves, that we may gather from thence what the Lord Jeſus indured for us: we that never felt what a wounded Spirit meant, and what the clouding of the face of God from us meant, though we may hear of the ſufferings of Chriſt, we are not able to be ſenſible of them, and ſo not to prize that love as ſtrong as death; but when a poor creature hath had a drop or two of ſcalding wrath fall upon his conſcience, a laſh or two, though gently, upon his ſpirit, that maketh him roar in the diſquietneſs of his …oul: O thinketh he then, if a drop or two be ſo full of terror and amazement, what then was the whole Cup? what was the dregs? how ſhould I have born that, if my bleſſed Saviour had not taken it off for me? That which did ſo parch him who was the Green Tree, that he ſaid he thirſted, ſurely would have conſumed the dry: If he were as a Bottle dryed in the ſmoak, it would have conſumed us to aſhes: If it made Him ſweat in ſuch a manner, it would have altogether diſſolved our frame, that we ſhould have periſhed for ever: O Iſa. 54. 8.Isa 54:8if a little wrath, when God hideth his face be ſuch a Hell in many ſouls, What a Hell then had Jeſus Chriſt in his ſoul, when wrath was poured out to the utmoſt? for he was not ſpared a jot. And then to make us out of love with ſin, wherein doth lie the very heart of the core and of the cure, ſurely ſuch are the bowels of God in Chriſt, that as he delighteth not in the death of a ſinner, ſo neither doth he delight in bringing the creature to life, through ſo much bitterneſs and grief, if any other means would ſo effectually work us out of love with ſin as this; for the Wiſe God ſurely would take the moſt effectual courſe; it is all needfull, elſe he would never do it.

p. 465Why, but you will ſay, that hatred of ſin is never kindly, except the love to Jeſus Chriſt be the ground of it? ye that love the Lord hate evil; this takes the ingenuous ſpirit off from Omiſſions and Commiſſions.

It is true, but yet conſider brethren, wherefore do we love Him, but becauſe he loved us? when his love is revealed and manifeſted, this warmeth, melteth the heart, indeareth the ſoul to him; until the Lord Jeſus be pleaſed to open and unfold his bowels of love to a ſinner, he will never love him; now whereby ſhould we eſtimate the love of Jeſus Chriſt to poor ſinners, but by the unſearchably rich foreign he paid for them? O the price of every drop of that bleſſed blood that run trickling down to the earth, eſpecially if it be conſidered by what means it was ſqueezed out of him, this ſetteth a rate upon his love; it is not love in word, but in deed and in truth; if nothing elſe will be a price to redeem them but his blood, it ſhall go; he is not dear of it to the laſt drop; yea not to part with it by opening a vein, but to have it extract out of the veins by the pores of his body: O by the unſpeakable weight of wrath upon his Spirit! Now how can we judge of this, except we have had a little taſte of it our ſelves? when we are put into a little ſweat in our own wreſtlings with the diſpleaſure of God, O then we ſee what our Saviour indured for us: If a man would ſet the higheſt eſtimate upon love among men, this ſhould be the rate of it; would they willingly have the face of God in Chriſt hidden from them for a year or two for the deareſt friend they have in the world? you that have felt what this laſhing of your Spirit is, that your breath was even gone at every blow, and you were ready to periſh, and you had fainted except you had believed ſome ſecret undiſcerned ſupport. Tell me, would you redeem the life, yea the ſouls of your deareſt friends that you had in this world by lying under a wounded Spirit, having a Hell kindled in your ſouls that ſhould burn all your days? I cannot tell, I know dear Friends will do much one for another: O ſaith one, I could lay my hands under their feet to do them good: O I could redeem their lives with my own, Would God I had died for thee! and haply becauſe he ſaw he was in ſuch a ſad condition for his ſoul; but David, wouldſt thou have been content Pſal. 42 7.Ps 42:7to roar all thy days in the diſquietneſs of thy ſoul, to have his waves and billows to go over thee, not to wade in the ſhallows, p. 466but to be in the depths, to be overwhelmed with the diſpleaſure Pſal. 88. 6.Ps 88:6of the Lord, and that for Abſolom? if ſo, it is much, but it is nothing to this of Chriſt; therefore this is the trueſt eſtimate we can take of his love, and ſurely the higher our thoughts are, and deeper of the love of Chriſt, and the larger, the greater will be our hatred of ſin, our loathing of ſin, which when it is wrought, the cure is wrought; what, ſhall I play with the knife that hath pierced the heart of my Saviour? Shall I harbour that in my boſom that was the ſting of my bleſſed Saviour, the poyſon whereof-drank up his Spirits? ſurely no.

And then Secondly, This will heighten our love to him, and we ſhall be loth to grieve him when we love him: O he hath indured enough already for me, he ha…h been wounded, yea ſo wounded, as to be all over gore for my-ſins, and ſo much, as to be but all one wound, and ſhall I grieve him more? I am perſwaded that the experiences of all our hearts that ever taſted of his love, will ſubſcribe to this, that this is the great reaſon of our ſo often grieving of Jeſus Chriſt, becauſe we have ſo little impreſſion upon our hearts of his love to us, and conſequently ſo little love to him; either we never had a ſtrong impreſſion, or elſe by degrees it doth wear out, and ſhould be renewed by a ſerious contemplation of theſe things which we neglect, and that is the reaſon; elſe we ſhould be very tender and fearful of grieving him after the manner we do daily.

But then Thirdly, our own ſmart under the ſence of his diſpleaſure will do ſomething: do you think that the remembrance …am. 3. …9.of the wormwood and gall will not do ſomething, make ſinners afraid to meddle with ſin, and all little enough too? ſo the Father, when the childe walks frowardly, takes him up, Ile make you remember my fingers a good while, ſaith he; ſo the Lord deals with his people, but this is nothing to what the Lord Jeſus indured for us; he had the brunt; he broke the waves of the diſpleaſure of his Father, who is the rock of our ſalvation; though we that are lifted up upon that rock, may be under water ſometimes by thoſe waves, yet the force of them is broken upon Jeſus Chriſt, elſe they would daſh us to pieces, having not co-aſſiſtance enough to break them. If ever Peter were ſolicited to deny Jeſus Chriſt again, do you think that the remembrance of this, O how dear it coſt me, was not an awe upon him? and ſo for David; p. 467after thoſe dolefull complaints from him, while under the ſenſe of his fathers diſpleaſure; do you think he was not more afraid of ſtollen waters, though ſweet, and bread eaten in ſecret, though pleaſant, after God had kept him awhile, ſhut him up, as I may ſay, in the Chambers of death, made him walk there awhile, to make him know what he had done in ſinning away the light of his countenance?

But Thirdly, That which he himſelf preſcribeth, even the bittereſt of it, it is no more then he enables the creature to bear; if he do lance our wounds, and put us to ſome grief, withall he giveth a Cordial that ſtays us from ſinking; it is true, a right hand cannot be cut off, nor a right foot, a man cannot be diſmembred, but there will be ſome anguiſh and trouble; nor a luſt mortified, but it will coſt us ſome heart-aking, but then he quickly ſtanches the bleeding, keepeth the heart from ſinking, fainting, he will not ſuffer us to be tryed above what we are able, but maketh a way to eſcape; he doth not leave us altogether without his preſence 1 Cor. 10. 13.1 Cor 10:13when we are in the dark, though we ſee him not; I ſay, if it were not for this, I know the lot of Judas and Cain would fall upon every ſuch ſinner, nor will he keep it a jot longer upon us then he will lengthen out our patience. But what is all this Brethren to what our bleſſed Saviour hath taken down for us? If darkneſs be ſo ſad to us, who never had but a glimpſe of the light of his countenance, what was it that the Lord Jeſus felt then, that had it in that fulneſs the creature was capable of, and proportionably greater, by how much the more iniquity was laid to his charge? So that in a word, it is our bleſſed Saviour that was wounded, and we healed; all that is done to us is but as a ſcratch with a pin to thoſe wounds of his; he felt all thoſe wrings and pangs, and we have the effects of the working of the Phyſick; is not this unſearchable riches of Grace, that we ſhould be healed after ſuch a manner as this!

Seventhly, He doth all this moſt freely, expecteth no reward, as Phyſicians you know do: the poor woman in the Goſpel ſpent all that ſhe had upon the Phyſicians, but when ſhe came to Chriſt, he asked her nothing, only willingneſs to accept of deliverance, to believe his power, his willingneſs to ſave, and this is nothing to a reward; yea, and it is he himſelf that giveth the willingneſs to be healed; he went up and down throughout the Synagogues p. 468and the villages, healing all their diſeaſes; was it not the freeſt gift that ever was given, to give himſelf, his life, his blood a ranſom for poor ſinners? alas, he knew we had nothing to give him, and yet he cometh nevertheleſs freely; for all he aimeth at is, that his grace may have the glory, and be made glorious, and the poorſinner may be ſaved; and therefore whether they have any thing or nothing, it is all one; yea, if there be any thing that the creature looks upon, as his money, the Lord Jeſus is ſo far from taking it as a reward, that there is nothing hinders him more then this; it is one of the great diſeaſes indeed of the ſoul, this holy ſelf, that Jeſus Chriſt cometh to heal; poor ſinners are full of ſores, wounds, and bruiſes, and putrifying ſores, full of corruption, every one hath his bloody iſſue: now our duties, I…aiah 64.or holineſs, which ſinners ſometimes ſo much ſtand upon, the Apoſtle thought them gain once; they are but as the filthy clouts upon our ſores, that are …ull of the runnings of our ſores, as menſtruous cloaths, defiled with our bloody iſſues: we think to plaiſter our wounds with them, to ſalve our conſciences with a few duties, but alas they come off like filthy clouts from running ſores, and are theſe a reward for the Lord Jeſus? When a Phyſician cometh to heal a perſon of the Plague, O ſaith he, I will reward you, you ſhall not take all this pains with me for nothing; you ſhall have the rags that come off my ſores, for your pains: Is not the Phyſician much beholding to him think you? So it is here, we have nothing but ſuch rags to give the Lord Jeſus, and alas they muſt be waſhed clean in his blood; our ſervices healed as well as our ſouls, before they be worth any thing: therefore I ſay, he himſelf freely prepareth the Lances to open the wounds, convinceth the poor creature of his condition; he himſelf takes the pains to open the vein, to empty the creature of himſelf, to cure him of that Plethory: He it is tempereth the Phyſick, is at the charge of it; O the richeſt Cordials in the world! tempered of his own blood and water, by his own Spirit, to ſupport the poor creature when ready to faint: he ſitteth over his people, even as a tender Father over a weak wounded childe, and with what a heart you may imagine; he provideth Meſſengers of his own to be with them, to miniſter to them, to watch over them, and himſelf is alway at hand. Ah dear Friends, that ever the Lord Jeſus ſhould ſet ſo high eſteem upon poor ſinners, p. 469when we were in ſuch a loathſom condition, as that he would dwell in fleſh, and take part of fleſh and blood, that ſo he might have ſomewhat to make a reſtorative of, a healing medicine of, that we might not periſh; one drop, every drop of his moſt precious blood, with reſpect to the value which the God-head put upon it, is more then if a world of pearl could be decocted into a cordial; and yet he ſpared it not: that he ſhould viſit ſinners with this ſalvation, with his corroſives, his cordials, with his healing vertue, and power, and his heart, ſo ready to put it forth from time to time; this is unſearchable riches of grace, to do all this freely. Yea,

Eighthly and laſtly, it will appear in this, that the Lord Jeſus brings his heart full, and his hands full of reward with him to a poor ſinner, ſo that he will be but healed; you ſee fooliſh children when they have fallen and wounded themſelves, they muſt be hired to let the Father or the Chyrurgion heal it, put a plaiſter upon it; but cryeth out as undone, had rather do any thing then be healed; but alas, who would do it to a ſtranger? it may be thou ſeeſt a poor leprous creature lie languiſhing at thy gates, and thou canſt heal him, but he is not willing; either he is in love with his diſeaſe, or diſtruſts your good will, or faithfulneſs, or ſomething, but he is not willing to be healed: now where is there a heart ſo full of tenderneſs as to be willing to offer him a reward? I will give thee thus much, or thus much, if thou wilt but let me heal thee, for I pitty thy condition: Brethren, a King and his ſubjects fall out, they rebel againſt the King in the war, the ſubject is wounded even to the death, except there be more then ordinary care taken of him; now the King, his heart relents, he cometh to him in the priſon, and doth not upbraid him with his unkindneſs, nor pride, nor ſtubbornneſs, but intreateth him he will give him leave to heal him, that he will but ſuffer his wounds to be ſearched, to be healed, to be cloſed, ſo that he may not periſh, he will pardon all that he hath done amiſs, begs of him to accept of him, he will make him the ſecond man in the Kingdom, he ſhall be near to him, if he will but ſuffer himſelf to be healed: Is not this rich mercy indeed, is there any ſuch Paragon to be found? Surely no: but lo, this is in Jeſus Chriſt, and more, for he not only promiſeth a reward upon our healing, but maketh the poor creature willing alſo, willing to part with his p. 470luſts; and to ſpeak the truth, I take this to be the greateſt part of our healing, when a poor ſinner that was in love with ſin before, loved his luſts as much as his life; O his merry companions were as dear to him as his very eye, or his right hand, he could no more part with one then the other, and ſo his gain of unrighteouſneſs. Now when the Lord by propoſing of objects, which have a great force, but that is not all, but by a ſweet and yet powerful bowing of the heart, maketh the poor creature willing to be healed; ſo that now he cryeth out with Auguſtine, How long Lord, how long? this man is in a great meaſure healed, and this is the work, and yet he rewardeth for this, promiſeth a Crown, giveth grace, and glory, glory with himſelf, fellowſhip with him, to lye in his boſom to all eternity. O here is unſearchable riches of grace! Brethren, I have only, if ſo much, brought you to the vein where theſe riches lie. O that you would dig a little by ſerious contemplating upon it. You will find more then I am able to ſpeak.

Sixthly, Another Uſe ſhall be this, to warn us that we do not upon this ſcore, becauſe that Jeſus Chriſt will ariſe with healing under his wings upon poor ſinners; therefore to make bold with ſin; it is no great matter, the healing vertue of Chriſt will be ſo much the more magnified. O how deſperate is this! would you not think that man were out of his wits, that upon preſumption upon the skill, and tenderneſs of the Phyſitian, ſhould without any care how, or where, wound himſelf, and gaſh himſelf, he hath a Phyſitian that will heal him; you that dare be ſo bold to ſin, that grace may abound, and make work for Jeſus Chriſt, know this, this day, you know not what the grace of Chriſt meaneth, Rom. 6. 1.Rom 6:1that make ſuch a uſe of it: how did this ſtir the Apoſtles ſpirit? God forbid: he doth, as I may ſay, recoil; as a man ſtartled at ſome horrid ſight. O the Lord forbid you ſhould ſuck ſuch poyſon out of ſo ſweet a flower! This concerneth two ſorts of perſons; Firſt, ſuch as yet never knew what this healing vertue of Chriſt is, only by the hearing of the ear, they hear the Lord Jeſus is able to heal the moſt deſperate wounds, and that he is willing, and therefore they make bold to continue in ſin, they may go on to inflame the reckoning a little higher yet, it is all one with Chriſt to pardon millions as mites, to ſwallow up mountains as mole… it is true, if thou reſpect his power; but how doſt thou p. 471know that he will do it for thee, ſinner? or what hope haſt thou, or canſt thou have while it is thus with thoe? Its true, if ſinners do not ſin away the day of grace, he is willing; but did ever Jeſus Chriſt tell thee that thou ſhouldeſt be healed particularly, though thou go on rebelling againſt him, wound upon wound upon thy poor ſoul? Surely no, be not deceived ſinners, theſe are the inſinuations of the wicked one, this is ſuch Goſpel as the Devil preacheth, when he preacheth Chriſt as an Angel of light, but in the cloſe, you will find the Law inſtead of the Goſpel; ſuch preſumption and ſecurity uſually endeth in diſpair, the time may come, that you that make ſo little a matter of it, may cry out and roar, O your wounds, you refuſed to be healed; what if the Lord then ſay to you, your iniquities ſhall never be healed, you ſhall dye in your ſins; what will become of your preſumption then?

Secondly, it concerneth the people of God, that have had it may be ſome experience of this healing vertue of Jeſus Chriſt, that have a long time been groaning under the loathſomneſs and anguiſh of their wounds, and now at the laſt are healed through abundant grace. O take heed of returning to folly any more; will you make bold with ſin, that have known what it coſt our bleſſed Saviour, and what it coſt your ſelves? what it coſt him, when as he would himſelf purge our iniquities; he took the Phyſick, and thou enjoy…ſt the cure; but is it no more to us. Brethren? the heavineſs of his ſoul to the death; muſt he bleed to death, that we might not bleed to death, that our bloody iſſues might be ſtopt? did it coſt him an ecclipſe of the light of the countenance of his Father, and wilt thou make ſo light a matter of it? walk ſo watchleſly as we do, to go on to grieve him, as we do ſome of us? O it is the want of keeping that freſh upon our hearts, what the cure of it coſt, that is the great cauſe of our ſo often relapſing. And ſo we forget what it coſt our ſelves; it is ſtrange that the burnt child doth not dread the fire: doſt thou not remember when the Lord came to ſearch thy wounds, what it coſt thee when he went to the bottom of them? O doſt thou not remember the ſtench of them, when he came to pluck off the hard cruſt grown upon them, and let thee ſee and be ſenſible of the filthineſs in them? is this forgotten, that thou makeſt no more of ſin? O doſt thou not remember the time when thou waſt even p. 472weary of thy ſelf, a burthen to thy ſelf, thou couldſt not reſt many a weary day and night, it coſt thee many an aking heart, and yet now ſo ſoon art making wounds again, making work again for Chriſt? Surely this is very ill requital of all that riches of grace. Or what, can we heal the breaches we make upon our peace by our recidivations when we pleaſe? It is true, if a man had his panacea in his pocket, that whatever diſeaſe he fell into, whatever wound he ſhould make upon himſelf, he could cure it again when he pleaſed, it were ſomewhat like, there were ſome colour; but have you the treaſuries of grace in your own keeping? have you? or hath any man a pardon in a box, as the poor deceived Papiſts are grievouſly mocked? Surely no; Alas, we can make wounds, but we cannot heal them, we can make a ſhift to break our faces and bones, but we cannot heal them again, it is in his hand; and will it be for our comfort then, to grieve him by ſuch careleſs walking? what if he reſolve to grieve thee, and give thee enough of thy back-ſlidings? Will it not be bitterneſs in the latter end? though he may heal it, it may coſt thee many a throb and much ſmart for this wantonneſs; Brethren, take Prov. 14. 14.Prov 14:14heed of this: O ſickneſs is chargeable, it may coſt thee mourning all thy daies.

Seventhly, Then let it be for Exhortation to us all, that we get under the influence of this Sun of righteouſneſs. Sinners, we have all of us need of the Phyſitian, for there is never a whole ſoul among us, though to our own apprehenſion ſome of us think it is well with us, yet it is not, we are full of wounds, the whole head is ſick, the whole heart is faint, the Lord Jeſus hath Iſa. 1.Isa 1ſent me to tell you where you-may have healing, and to perſwade you to come to him; but alas, I am a child and cannot ſpeak. Where is there healing to be had you will ſay? you know that as well as you can be told; why then, how cometh it to paſs that you come not to Jeſus Chriſt, he hath ſet open the Store-houſe, the Treaſuries of pardoning-mercy, and healing-mercy, inviteth all that will to come, and yet you come not? Surely, either you do not believe this report, or elſe you do not believe your need of Jeſus Chriſt. O conſider what hath been ſaid to that part, and the Lord help you to believe, and perſwade you to come to him, for indeed it is he that muſt draw, and make poor ſinners willing to come, or elſe they will never come to him, only he doth draw; p. 473one way is by propoſing the object, by holding out a crucified Chriſt for them. And therefore let me a little propoſe ſomething to you to perſwade you to come to Jeſus Chriſt.

1. Your need of Chriſt you have ſeen; for we are all wounded, yea even to the death, bitten with fiery Serpents, the venom whereof inflames our ſouls, and therefore a Phyſitian we muſt have or elſe dye: Now there is no healing in any other, but through his ſtripes; if you know of any other Saviour that can deliver, can heal you, take him; follow after him; but I muſt tell you, when you have ſpent all, you muſt be fain to come to Jeſus Chriſt for healing; and is it not better to come before you have ſpent all upon other Phyſitians that cannot cure when all is done? O that ſinners could but believe this! I tell you truth, Brethren, a Plaiſter of any thing elſe; made of our own ſorrow, or tears, or righteouſneſs, or good works, or whatſoever, it is ſo far from being a healing, that it will venom the wound more, and maketh yet further work for Jeſus Chriſt, if reſted in as a cure. I ſay, you may make a ſhift to ſtop the Orifice of the wound with a balm of your own procuring, but all the while the ſore eats into the ſoul ſo much the deeper, wrankles within. O now the Lord Jeſus, he beginneth at the bottom, and ſo heals it up; ſay not then, Are not Abana and Pharpar, Rivers of Damaſcus, better then all the waters of Iſrael? when we muſt go and 2 King. 5. 12.2 Kgs 5:12waſh in Jordan if we be healed.

2. Conſider this, the longer you conceal your wounds and hold off, the worſe will it go with you; for either the Lord will let you go on and never heal you, but let you languiſh away in theſe waies of ſin you pleaſe your ſelves ſo much in; or elſe if he do, the longer the wound is wrankling the worſe it will be, the harder it will go when it cometh to be ſearched; when David had turned his back upon Chriſt for ſo long in the matter of Ʋriah, it coſt him ſomewhat, it made him roar when the Phyſick came to work, the Lord withdrawing from him haply as long. O that while you are called to day, ſinners, now while healing is tendered, you would accept of it! the Lord make you willing.

3. Do but conſider, what thronging there was to Chriſt for healing of their bodily diſtempers, they brought them from all Luk. 6. 19.Luke 6:19parts to him, ſuch as could not come themſelves; and would p. 474there not be the like now if he were upon earth? O how would poor Creeples ſet the beſt foot forward to come to him, and ſuch as had diſeaſed creatures, Lame, Blind, Palſie? &c. O how would they take themſelves bound to bring them to Chriſt for healing? and what, is the body more then the ſoul, Brethren? You would think you were undone if you were lamed, and could not ſtand upon your legs; why this is nothing to have a heart and a heart. Such a man is lame, one leg ſhorter then another, or walks with one foot in an higher way, and the other in a lower, and ſo halts, and is this nothing? O, what would a tender mother give now, if ſhe had all her children and ſelf under the plague at once, or lying of the ſtone or gout at once, one cryeth, and another cryeth, never pain like theirs. What would a mother give now for ſuch a Phyſitian, and how ready would ſhe be to carry them to him? what is this to the plague of the heart, and the ſtone in the heart? and yet no out-cries at all, nor care at all, nay the Lord Jeſus cometh himſelf, is firſt in the thing, viſits with his ſalvation, moveth, intreateth to accept of pardon, of healing, and yet you will not; what ſhall I ſay more, Brethren?

4. Conſider, that the Lord Jeſus is moſt freely willing to heal poor ſinners; do you think if the Lord Jeſus had not been in good earneſt, and hearty in the work of ſalvation of poor ſinners, he would have prepared ſuch coſtly cordials, made up of his own ſpirits and his own blood, that ſo no diſeaſe might be ſo deadly, but the ſoveraignty of the Medicine ſhould be as lively? Surely no; did he ever refuſe any that came to him for healing in the Goſpel, for healing of the body, but rather while they came for healing of their bodies, he did ex ſuperabundanti gratia, heal their ſouls; they came to ask crums of him, as the poor woman, and he giveth them the childrens bread, his fleſh and his blood to eat and to drink, to be food and Phyſick to heal and nouriſh them; you have heard at large, that none that come unto him he will in any wiſe caſt out.

Therefore, Brethren, let me beg of you to labour with the Lord, and with your own hearts, and never give it over until he hath brought you, and ſet you directly under the beams of this Sun of righteouſneſs: for the more direct they are, the more power they have, you know the reaſon: beams of the Sun in winter will not heal the earth of its barrenneſs and frozenneſs, p. 475but its bound up: and ſo ſome may have ſome glancing influence from Chriſt, ſome kind of taſts, and yet notwithſtanding not amount to an healing, though to an eſcaping of the pollutions of the world, outward acts, yet it is not healed to the bottom; there are ſome luſts indeed, that are like ſullen weeds, that will not live except it be in the ſhade and darkneſs, as in wells, and pits, and the like, where the Sun cometh not; and therefore, wherever the light of the Goſpel cometh, theſe are preſently done away. Some things are ſo groſs, as if there be but a glimmering of light diſcovered, they fly away, will not endure it; but there are ſome ſecret luſts lie ſo cloſe to the heart, have caſt out their roots ſo there, and are ſo faſtened in the ſpirit, that except the Lord Jeſus do ſhine in his ſtrength into ſuch a ſoul, they will never up, they will never wither nor dye, nor the ſoul be healed; but thus much for the Exhortation.

Laſtly, I ſhall ſpeak a word of refreſhing to ſuch as tremble at this Word, and every Word of God; are indeed ſenſible of their condition by reaſon of ſin, and many ſad complaints they make; I may imagine, but the Lord heareth the moan that every poor ſinner maketh over his wounds, and over his diſeaſes, before the Lord; as you ſhall have a poor creature that feels he is wounded, the heavy groans he fetcheth, one cryeth out of the broken arm, another of a wounded head, a third of the ſtone, a fourth of the plague: O how it throbs and ſmarts, when the Lord opens ſinners eyes to ſee what they have done, which they never ſaw before, thus it is with them: Why now poor ſinner, is this thy caſe, doſt thou ſee and know thy wound? know this day, there is healing for thee, caſt not away thy hope; for ſo poor creatures are ready to ſay, is there any healing for me? there was never wound ſure ſo deep as mine. O never was there diſeaſe ſo loathſom, ſo full of pain as mine! yea, here is a promiſe, the Sun of righteouſneſs ſhall ariſe with healing in his wings upon them that fear him; and now thou beginneſt to be afraid of him: though before thou kneweſt him, thou madeſt nothing of rebelling againſt him, yet now thou doſt: as they ſay, bring a man that is guilty of anothers murther before him, he will bleed afreſh. So the Lord Jeſus, when a poor ſinner, guilty of his blood, ſuppoſe the worſt, and this is that which wounds thee now, why his blood will iſſue afreſh to heal poor ſinners; what is it that thou art p. 476troubled with, is it in thine eyes, is the eyes of thy underſtanding darkened? he will heal this: how ready was he when the blind men cryed to his that they might receive their ſight? you know he healed them. What, wouldſt thou have thy memory healed of its ſlipperineſs and treachery? he will heal that, he hath done it for many a one in a ſtrange manner. What is it? thy thoughts it may be are wandering and vain, he will heal that; what is it? thy love it may be is full of diſſimulation, is not out of a pure heart, and not …ervent as it ſhould, he will heal that; and for thy will, of its pronneſs to ſin, this ſin, that ſin, thy own iniquity, he will heal that: and ſo for the Iraſcible part, he will heal thee of thoſe fears, and troubles, and inordinate paſſions, vanities, luſts, and vain deſires.

O but ſaith one, my diſeaſe is a Relapſe, I have found ſtrength againſt ſuch or ſuch a luſt, but I have fallen back again! Be it ſo, he will heal their back-ſlidings: though it be true, if any ſins be Ho…. 14. 4.talents, theſe are they. Yea, he will forgive an hundred talents as well as thirty pence; back-ſliding is a kind of compound of all ſins; ſo much the ſadder it is, by how much there is a ſlighting and undervaluing the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, wherewith we have been purged and cleanſed; but is this thy trouble (as this Novatianiſm is in every poor troubled conſcience) to queſtion, Whether ever God will pardon or heal, if they fall after repentance? though I muſt tell you, uſually it coſts them more ſmart; yet the Lord will heal even ſuch as theſe; what, was not Davids ſin a back-ſliding, and Peters a back-ſliding? the moſt fearful ſin; and the moſt remarkable ſins pardoned and healed, were back-ſlidings, only thou muſt be content to endure ſomething for the healing of thoſe fearful wounds thou haſt made in upon thy ſoul, for there is no wound cured in a moment, nor without any anguiſh; and all that he laies upon thee is nothing, the ſmart is nothing, though the plaiſter lie long upon thee before it be healed, to draw the ſore to a head, to break it, to draw it, to heal it, there▪ will be ſome time, but he will heal thee poor ſinner; if he have made thee weary of this ſin, deſirous of healing indeed.

And for you that are crying out of broken bones, it may be there are ſome whoſe condition this is, that do fear the Lord, and obey the voice of his ſervants; it is the greateſt fear of thy ſoul to p. 477Pſal. 5….Ps 5diſpleaſe the Lord, to grieve him, happy ſoul with whom it is thus; but thou art over-caſt, thou art clouded, thou ſeeſt no light, thy bones are broken, thy ſpirit is wounded, O who can bear a wounded ſpirit? Be of good chear man, remember this, hath he not promiſed it, that he will ariſe upon them that fear the Prov. 18. 14.Prov 18:14Lord with healing in his wings? he will heal thoſe broken bones, and the fleſh wherein there is no ſoundneſs by reaſon of thy ſins, he will heal it, and he is doing of it, though thou art not ſenſible of it; he pittyeth thee, and knoweth how to pitty thee, for himſelf was ecclipſed, though the Son of righteouſneſs, that he might know how to pitty them that ſuffer in the like kind for the time to come; he knoweth thy frame, what thou canſt bear, and he will not let thee ſink O thou of little faith… though he may fright thee, as he did his Diſciples, the cloud will be over again, only thou muſt wait for him; he knoweth what it is to be without the light of his Fathers countenance as well as thou, and he knoweth what thou canſt bear; therefore be not diſcouraged man: and beſide, thou haſt his promiſe for it, only look to it, that thou fear him, that thou put not forth thy hand to iniquity, that thou ſay not with that wicked King, Why ſhould I wait for the Lord any longer? he that ſhall come, will come, in the beſt ſeaſon. When the mercy will be moſt ſweet and ſeaſonable, himſelf may have moſt glory by it, and thy ſoul moſt refreſhing.

O but ſaith another, I am not healed I doubt then, for alas, I find, though haply I break not out as before, to uncleanneſs actually; yet I have eyes full of adultery ſtill, I find the diſpoſitions, and inclinations, and yieldings of my heart ſtrong to mine own iniquity ſtill, ſome to one and ſome to another. …or anſwer to this: Is this thy burthen, thy grief that it is ſo? doſt thou loath thy …elf for it? doſt thou hate it? wouldſt thou fain have it rooted up? thou art healed in the greateſt part, there is the core fetched up from the bottom, though the wound be not altogether healed up, it is the work of longer time then haply God hath been dealing with thy ſoul; but be of good chear man, lay thy ſelf under the Sun of righteouſneſs, labour to improve the Covenant of grace, wherein he ſhines moſt gloriouſly; he hath promiſed he will circumciſe thine heart, and thou ſhalt be able to love the Lord with all thine heart, and that he will ſubdue all iniquity Deut. 30. 6.Deut 30:6for thee; and ſee if he be not as good as his word in his own time, which is the beſt time.

p. 478We have already endeavoured to open the main promiſe in this bundle, and apply it, with what advantage the Lord and your own hearts can tell; you have heard at large that Jeſus Chriſt is a Sun of righteouſneſs, and that he will ari…e with healing in his wings upon them that fear him. So that there is Chriſt promiſed, light, and heat, and healing, reviving and quickning promiſed, and through him. And now we are come to ſpeak to the liberty which is promiſed with Chriſt, which is none of the leaſt conſiderable Appendices of our juſtification through his blood, and though you have not long ſince heard ſomewhat upon this ſubject, however, if you hear but the ſame things, the Spirit of the Lord may breath where and when it pleaſeth, we may meet with him ſometimes in hearing the ſame things, that at another time he hath not been found in.

—And ye ſhall go forth: This is principally, as I told you, ſpoken to the Jew; to the Jew firſt, but alſo to the Gentile; as all the Goſpel promiſes, they were firſt preached to the children of the Kingdom, when the Gentiles were ſtrangers from Eph. 2. 13. 2 Cor. 1. 20.Eph 2:132 Cor 1:20the Covenant of promiſes; but now the Lord hath made them nigh in the blood of his Son that were afar off; in Chriſt all the promiſes are Yea and Amen to them, as well as to the Jews; I told you at the firſt, that we are not to confine promiſes made to times and perſons, except by unavoidable nece…ſity, where the matter promiſed is ſuch, and the promiſe ſuch as can agree to no other time or perſon; no perſons or peoples condition can become like to theirs to whom the promiſe is made, or are not capable of the thing promiſed, as the promiſe of the Meſſiah to come of David; and that in Abrahams ſeed all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed, &c. therefore this is a promiſe concerning all the people of God, as their conditions become alike, yea all that fear the Lord in any of theſe ſenſes we have already ſpoken to.

By going forth here, ſome underſtand, a going forth of this life, or a going out of the grave, which is a priſon indeed to ſome, though not properly ſo to the Saints, but a place of repoſe until the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt; So Alap. citing Tert. and Jer. the reaſon is, becauſe they took that which is ſpoken of the day of the Lord in the foregoing verſe, of the day of Judgement, That day which ſhould burn as an Oven; but I do rather conceive that it is not meant of the day of the laſt Judgement, p. 479but the day of the fearfull deſolations of Jeruſalem, out of which yet the Lord did deliver and ſave his own people; and the rather I conceive ſo, becauſe of the growing up like Calves of the Stall, promiſed afterward: now if that be the day, there is no room then to grow any higher, to ſpread any further, but as the tree is cut down ſo it lies; there is then in the words a promiſe of an inlargement from under reſtraint, wherewith their ſpirits were bound up, as I may ſay, and were impriſoned, and this we ſhall ſee (I hope) is very great; only take here the note of obſervation from the words.

The Lord Jeſus riſing upon a ſoul, brings inlargement to that ſoul Doctrine.or people, ye ſhall go forth. For the proſecution of this I ſhall propoſe this Method. Firſt, give you the foreign, the quod, that it is ſo, Secondly, the quid, what this inlargement is which cometh▪ along with Jeſus Chriſt to a Believer. Thirdly, the quare why it is ſo: And Fourthly, the Ʋſe of the Point.

Firſt then for proof of this, peruſe a Text or two in that Evangelical Prophet, who doth very eminently hold out Jeſus Chriſt, I the Lord have called thee in righteouſneſs: there is the Call of Chriſt: And I will hold thee by thine hand, or, hold thine hand: there is the ſupport of Chriſt in that great work: and will keep thee, and give thee for a Covenant to the people; for a light of the Gentiles: He is indeed the Spirits of the Covenant; the marrow of the Goſpel; the very Spirits of all the promiſes is Chriſt; the ſpeech is …igurative. Well, but what is he to do? To open the blinde eyes; to bring out the priſoners from the priſon, Iſa. 42. 7.Isa 42:7and them that ſit in darkneſs out of the priſon-houſe. Minde you therefore, the Lord Jeſus was willing, as I may ſay, to be impriſoned in our body, if I may ſo ſay; or if not, in other reſpects he was in priſon, that he might ſet his people free, bring them out of the priſon: even as Paul when he might, would not go free, except they came and fetched them out of priſon. So here, ſinners would never go out, except the Lord Jeſus came and fetched them out. A Prince for Rebellion caſts his Subjects into priſon, in the dungeon, there they lie, and would lie and rot there, their ſtomack is ſo great, they will not ask for deliverance; nay, if they would, they cannot ſet themſelves free; the p. 480Prince cometh with his own hands, knocks off the bolts, breaks the bars & gates, and bids them follow him: ſo the Lord Jeſus doth for ſinners. So again, in that place of John, If the Son make you Ioh. …. 32.free, ye ſhall be free indeed: there is much liberty and freedom, and you will not hear of your being in bondage; but ſaith our Saviour, to ſet at Liberty is not the work of every one: it is the Son that only can make you free; and if he make you free, you ſhall be free indeed. The Lord Jeſus you know came into the world, not only to work out ſalvation for his people, but to preach the ſalvation he did work out: not only to ſhed his blood, but to preach remiſſion of ſins through his blood, as the Apoſtle hath it, How ſhall we eſcape, if we neglect ſo great ſalvation? Heb. 2. 3.Heb 2:3Which at the firſt began to be ſpoken to us by the Lord, and afterward by thoſe that heard him: ſo that he himſelf preached ſalvation; he himſelf did work it out, for no other name is given under heaven: now he preacheth this as a main part, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath ſent me to binde up the broken hearted; He was anointed, there is his Office; and becauſe anointed as a Prophet to preach it, therefore the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, poured out without meaſure, he was gifted and fitted for it; which though ſome underſtand of Iſaiah, as well as of Chriſt, yet of Iſaiah but as the type: Well then, to proclaim Iſa. 61. 1.Isa 61:1liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Priſon to them that are bound. Now ſurely if this be the ſubſtance of his preaching, where he cometh and revealeth himſelf inwardly to a ſoul, in a ſoul, giveth himſelf to a ſoul, there muſt needs be a going forth out of the priſon, out of the bondage, wherein the poor ſoul was held: ſo we have it in that place, ſaith the Lord again, even as in chap. 42. ſo chap. 49. of Iſaiah, I will preſerve thee, and give thee for a Covenant of the people, &c. That thou mayeſt ſay to the Iſa. 49. 8. & 9.Isa 49:8Isa 49:9priſoners go forth, to them that ſtand in darkneſs, ſhew your ſelves: and it is no more with God but dictum ac factum, his words are operative words; mark you, they ſhall Go forth when the Sun of righteouſneſs ariſeth upon them; his Commiſſion is his work, for to ſay to the Priſoners, Go forth; if he bid Lazarus come forth, he cometh forth; he calls the things that are not, as if they were; commands light out of darkneſs, and ſo commands Deliverance and Liberty for his poor people that are bound: I p. 481hope none will ſay this is all Old Teſtament proof; for this is Goſpel as clear as the Sun, and to take away all ground of a cavil, read but Luke, and you ſhall finde this is the very Text our Saviour preacheth upon to the Jews; tells them, that day this Text was fulfilled, that is to ſay, that he was the anointed of the Lord; the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, becauſe he was appointed to preach the Goſpel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of ſight Luk. 4. 18. & 21.Luke 4:18Luke 4:21to the blinde, and to ſet at liberty them that are bruiſed; but I may not waſt any more time, it is but burning day light to hold a candle to the Sun: It is written with a Sun-beam, except you ſhut your eyes you muſt needs ſee it.

The ſecond thing, Is the quod, what this inlargement, or freedom is that is here promiſed? and truly this is a large queſtion, and wherein moſt of our work will lie: each of us in the general acknowledge a ſlavery, a bondage we are under, from which the Lord Jeſus doth ſpeak to his people to go forth, yea brings them forth; but we have not a diſtinct underſtanding of it: and alas, I am the meaneſt of them, who make it their work to preſerve knowledge; yet as I have received, I ſhall endeavour ſomewhat this-way to open the nature of this liberty.

That we may the more clearly proceed, we muſt diſtinguiſh of freedom or liberty into Civil and Spiritual; Civil, is a freedom of ma…s perſon from ſervitude of men, ſo that he ſhall no more be under …he yoke; and thus the Jews miſunderſtood our Saviour when he ſpake of freedom; If the Son do make you free, you ſhall be free indeed: why ſaid they, We are the ſeed of Abraham, Ioh. 8. 33.John 8:33we are free-born, and we never were in bondage to any man; they meant ſure they were never particularly ſold for ſervants to any, elſe bred in bondage to any to be their ſervants, not meaning their publick ſtate, but private, elſe they much did forget themſelves; for they had often been in captivity and bondage, as in Egypt and Babylon, and at preſent under the Romans; but this is not the liberty we chiefly aim at, nor may we extend it to this bondage, any further then it is a curſe: now we know the Apoſtle tels us, that if a man be called, being a ſervant, care not for it, for ſuch an one is the Lord his Free-man, neither bond …or free: is there any difference? they are all one in Chriſt; therefore our Saviour did not come to break all yokes off the p. 482neck of Servants, or to deliver all ſuch relations; no, but it is meant here ſurely of a ſpiritual Liberty, a freedom of the ſoul from its thraldom; nay himſelf cometh to be a ſervant; did he not rather ſanctifie ſuch a condition and relation then aboliſh it?

Secondly, Then taking it for ſpiritual Liberty, that is to ſay, a freedom from Spiritual evils, the ſubjection whereunto is a bondage to the poor creature; we muſt know yet further, that we may take it either in a larger, or in a more reſtrained ſenſe; in a more reſtrained, only for that liberty and freedom which the Saints have ever had through the Lord Jeſus, ſince the Covenant of Grace was preached to them, and they cloſed with it; for we muſt know that ever before Chriſt came in the fleſh, Believers believed in him to come; they had a liberty through him as to the main parts of it, and neceſſarily to ſalvation, though haply not in that degree that now ordinarily Believers indeed have that freedom: but there were ſome yoaks upon them then, which now we are delivered from, they are broken from off the necks of the Saints; yea, and ſuch as were pinching yoaks indeed, but yet leſs conſiderable by far, then thoſe from which they were delivered and ſet free; ſo that now we ſee there is a larger liberty, and more glorious, which the ſons of God have; which will better appear when we come to ſpeak to the parts of it, only this I thought good to premi…e, loſt any ſhould think that liberty began only when Chriſt was revealed in the fleſh; for it was the ſmalleſt part that then was added, though, I ſay, the other liberty from the ſore condemning, deſtroying bondage of the ſoul they had before, haply is now heightned to believers; and ſo much by way of premiſe.

For the opening of this ſpiritual Liberty, we ſhall conſider, 1. Its Subject. 2. Its Cauſes. 3. Its Parts, extenſive and intenſive, if we may ſo ſpeak, that is to ſay, the degrees of it.

Firſt then for the ſubject of this Liberty, they are all Chriſtians that are ſo indeed; therefore it is called Chriſtian Liberty, not only from Chriſt the Author, but from the Subjects, they are Chriſtians, Believers, both Jews and Gentiles, Bond or Free, Male or Female: Jeruſalem, ſaith the Apoſtle, which is above, is Gal. 4. 24.Gal 4:24free, which is the Mother of us all; all ſuch then as receive the Goſpel, as the poor are ſaid to do, all thoſe upon whom the Sun p. 483of righteouſneſs doth ariſe, they are ſet free, they do go forth: for the partial ſubject of this liberty, that will better appear when we come to ſpeak of the parts of this liberty; ſome are for the freeing the minde, ſome the will, ſome the conſcience, ſome the whole man, but of this afterward.

Secondly, Then for the cauſes of this liberty which is here promiſed, we ſhall ſpeak to ſome of them.

Firſt then, The principal efficient cauſe is, the Father, Son, and Spirit; the work of the Trinity ad extra, are individed: the Father it is that cals us to liberty; Ye are called to liberty, (ſaith the Apoſtle) uſe it not as a cloke to the fleſh. I marvel Gal. 5. 13. c. 1. 6.Gal 5:13(ſaith the Apoſtle) that you are ſo ſoon removed from him who hath called you into the Grace of Chriſt unto another Goſpel. The Apoſtle meaneth the calling to liberty, which he cals the Grace of Chriſt; and that Doctrine of the falſe teachers that would ſubject them again to the Law and Ceremonies, and to that bondage, ſubvert their liberty, he cals it another Goſpel. And for the Son, we have it: If the Son make you free, you ſhall be free indeed; and ſtand faſt in the liberty wherewith Chriſt hath made you Ioh. 8. 36.John 8:36free: falſe Brethren came to ſpy out our liberty, which we have in Chriſt Jeſus, that they might bring us into bondage. And for Gal 5. 1. c. 2. 4.Gal 5:1the Spirit, it is as clear: The Law of the Spirit of life in Jeſus Chriſt hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death: the Rom. 8. 2.Rom 8:2mighty, powerful working of the Spirit, is called the Law of the Spirit, as the powerful operation of Sin, is called the Law of Sin; and ſo in that place, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty: and ſo the Spirit of Adoption it is, that ſuccedeth the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. Rom. 8. 15.2 Cor 3:17Rom 8:15of Bondage, and ſetteth us free from that Bondage.

Secondly, The impulſive cauſe is meerly his foreign, his good pleaſure, yea, his tender mercy, his bowels: So it is in the Original, The bowels of our God, whereby the day-ſpring from on high hath viſited us: there is the ariſing of the Sun of rightouſneſs upon Luke 1. 74.Luke 1:74us, and the effect of it you have before: That we being delivered from the hands of all our enemies, might ſerve him without fear in holineſs and righteouſneſs, &c. It is not miſery is the motive only, elſe he would do it for all as well as ſome, for we are all of us in the ſame bondage naturally, one as well as another.

Thirdly, The meritorious cauſe is the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, p. 484no leſs then the blood of the Kings ſon is the price of the liberty of poor Slaves in bondage: this muſt needs be tender mercy indeed, rich love indeed: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, That through death he might deſtroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the Devil: Heb. 2. 14.Heb 2:14no leſs then a Kings ranſom is paid for the liberty of every poor creature that is made free, and therefore he took upon him fleſh and blood; becauſe the children were partakers of the ſame, that he might die for them, and to deliver them that for fear of death were in bondage all their life-time, of which more afterward; we are now ſpeaking to the meritorious cauſe the price of his pretious mercy, even the blood of Jeſus Chriſt.

Fourthly, The means of conferring or conveiging this liberty to poor Sinners, is the Goſpel of liberty, the Covenant of Grace held out in the Goſpel is the means; and this is plain in many places; As in that of Iſaiah, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; Iſa. 61. 1.Isa 61:1therefore he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives: if Iſa. 42. 7.Isa 42:7ever any preaching was the Goſpel, Chriſts preaching was, and the Covenant, who himſelf was given to be the Covenant to the people: ſure he would preach nothing but that, or in ſubordination to that, as he doth preach the Law too, as would eaſily appear: but we may not digreſs: and ſo in tha… other place of Luke, Luke 4. 18.Luke 4:18where either that or ſome of the fore-cited places in Iſaiah are quoted: Ye ſhall know the truth, (ſaith our Saviour) and the Ioh. 8. 32.John 8:32truth ſhall make you free: by truth there, I take it is not meant indefinitely, any truth whatever, no, nor a ſcriptural truth, but the Goſpel of truth, which is called the truth: Grace and Truth came by Jeſus Chriſt: it is ſuch a truth, ſo pure and precious: For his word is like Silver tryed and purified ſeven times: (that is Pſal. 12. 6, 7.Ps 12:6Ps 12:7to ſay) his Promiſe, therefore he concludeth, That the Lord will keep them, he will preſerve them for ever: and ſo pretious, ſo confirmed by miracles, that all other truth ſcarce deſerveth the name of truth in compariſon of it: either it is not ſo pure, but hath ſome droſs, or elſe not ſo pretious. O they are pretious Promiſes indeed! as the ſoul knoweth right-well, when he cometh to ſtand in need of a Promiſe, and the ſweetneſs of it he ſucks out, and it letteth down the ſweetneſs of it upon the ſoul; but take a parallel Scripture to ſhew that Goſpel is called the truth: The Apoſtle ſpeaks plainly, For the hope which is laid up p. 485for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the Goſpel: and again to the Epheſians, In whom alſo ye truſted, Col. 1. 5. ver. 13.Col 1:5after that ye heard the word of truth, the Goſpel of your ſalvation, in whom alſo after ye believed, ye were ſealed with the holy Spirit of Promiſe. So that this is the truth then, the knowledge whereof ſhall make us free; where the Spirit of Chriſt is, there is liberty; that is clear, as you heard before; Now how is the Spirit given but by the Goſpel? Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? which is that hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2.Gal 3:2by the Word of Truth; the foregoing Verſe, even that which held forth a crucified Chriſt to them, hearing of Faith, not the rumour of Faith, but hearing is ſuch an hearing, as whereby a man believeth; and Faith by a Metonymie, is put for the Word of Faith, as the Goſpel is called ſometimes, becauſe Faith thereby is begotten; now by this the Spirit is received, and therefore liberty cometh; and therefore the Goſpel is called the miniſtration 2 Cor. 3. 8.2 Cor 3:8of the Spirit, in that place of the Apoſtle, becauſe therewith the Spirit is given and miniſtred to poor creatures; whereas the Law works Bondage and Wrath, Therefore Jeruſalem is free, which is above; (that is to ſay) the Church builded upon the Rom. 4. 15.Rom 4:15Covenant of Grace is free, is the Mother of us all, but enough of this; The Goſpel is the outward inſtrumental cauſe.

Fifthly, the inward inſtrumental cauſe or Con. as ſome will have Gal. 3. 2.Gal 3:2it, which I ſhall not now diſpute; that is faith, whereby we cloſe with this Covenant; it is the Word of Faith and hearing of Faith, (that is to ſay) of the Goſpel, ſo as to work Faith, whereby the Spirit is given which brings liberty to the ſoul. Alas, many hear the Goſpel of liberty which we preach, and few do receive it, few believe it; for it appeareth by woful experience, we are yet in bondage, we have never gone forth to this day, many of us, though we have had as much preaching of the Goſpel as any other; Jeruſalem that now is, (as the Apoſtle cals it) was in bondage Gal. 4. 25.Gal 4:25then, though they had the Goſpel preached among them a great while, they believed not; except the Spirit therein be conveyed, the Goſpel is but a dead letter as well as the Law, and a deadly letter alſo: and ſo much for the cauſes of this liberty or freedom which cometh by Jeſus Chriſt.

The third thing under this head, is the parts of this liberty or freedom, which we ſhall conſider two ways. Firſt, Extenſively, p. 486in their latitude… And ſecondly, Intenſively, in the degrees of each of theſe parts in its latitude. But that we may the better underſtand it, we muſt know that liberty is a relative, and reſpecteth ſome bondage, ſome impriſoning or ſhutting up, from which this liberty is a deliverance, ye ſhall go forth: and therefore to ſet off the luſtre of this glorious liberty, it may not be amiſs to run a parallel between them. That there is ſuch a bondage under which every poor creature without Chriſt, is held, we ſhall at preſent preſuppoſe, though afterward haply I ſhall come to prove it: I would not here too far digreſs before we come to ſpeak of the parts of the bondage, to which the parts of liberty will be oppoſite and correſpondent. I ſhall ſay in a few words, ſomething to the Author of this Bondage and Tenure of it, and but a word or two.

For the Author of this bondage under which poor creatures are without Chriſt altogether; and in part alſo many times when they are under Chriſt, and under Grace.

Firſt, Some part of it is to be aſcribed to the Lord, ſo far forth as it is meerly vindictive, or an inflicting of a juſt penalty upon Sinners for ſin, ſo far we may aſcribe it to God, as will more plainly appear in the following Conſiderations. The Law Gal. 4. 24.Gal 4:24which genders to Bondage, it is his Law, and holy, and juſt and good, though it gender to Bondage: nor will it follow, becauſe we are delivered form it, therefore it was an evil in it ſelf, but only per accidens, by reaſon of our corruption, and ſo the Spirit of Bondage which in ſome is vindictive, when he binds and hampers a Sinner with the cords of his ſin, haply never intending that he ſhall ſee through thoſe terrors to his comfort; this is from him, and juſtly; or elſe if it be in order to a ſettlement, to a peace, to an Adoption, a Sonſhip through Chriſt, as preparative to the receiving of Chriſt, this is from him; and ſo ſeveral other parts of it are from him under this Conſideration.

Secondly, But ſo far forth as any part of it is ſinful, there it is from Satan, and from our own evil hearts: for darkneſs cannot come from the light, nor can any thing unclean come from that which is altogether pure, no more then a clean thing can proceed from an unclean, as the bondage under ſin, which more at large afterward we ſhall diſcuſs.

Secondly, For the tenure: for being in bondage, we are in p. 487bondage to ſome perſon properly; to ſome thing improperly, and by a kind of Proſopopeia we are ſaid to be in ſuch a bondage; now there is ſome Tenure (as I may ſay) wherein they do hold us in bondage, there are three or four tenures (if I may ſo call them) whereby we are thus held under Bondage, until Jeſus Chriſt come to ſet us free. Firſt, A Sale▪ Secondly, By Birth. Thirdly, By Captivity or Conqueſt. Fourthly, By Tyranny and reſignation of themſelves up to ſuch a vaſſallage: but a word or two to each of them.

Firſt then, There is a Bondage by Captivity, when People are taken Captives; this is ſo common, there is none can be ignorant of it. What are the Turks Gally-ſlaves but the prey of their piracies? all is fiſh that cometh to the net; ſo it is in this caſe; This is one Part of the Tenure, we are taken captive by Satan even at his pleaſure; Of whom a man is overcome, of the 2 Pet. 2. 16▪2 Pet 2:16ſame is he brought in bondage; this is the military Law, the Priſoners were ever the Conquerours ſlaves; we have ſeen it but too evidently with our own eyes, we have born witneſs to it in our dayes, wherein there hath been ſo much leading into captivity, and ſo much complaining in our Land; So Satan he Pſal. 144. 14.Ps 144:14hath overcome us in our firſt Parents, we were overcome, and ever ſince he holds faſt his hold he had of us; and though he let Sinners enjoy a little chain ſometimes, ſo that they are ready to think they are at liberty, yet alas he takes them alive at his pleaſure; 2 Tim. 2. 26.2 Tim 2:26you ſee a beaſt of prey ſometimes ſo ſportful as to play with the prey, and, let it go a little, it runs, and thinketh it is free; but alas all this while it is under the command of the beaſt of prey; as Pharoah would let Iſrael go, ſo they would not go far, he fetcheth them in when he pleaſeth.

Secondly, There is alſo a Bondage by Sale, as you know Joſeph was ſold into Egypt for a ſervant; and nothing more ordinary then ſelling and buying of ſervants; he is bought with thy money, ſaith God to Abraham, Gen. 17. 12. & 13. (diſtinguiſhing of ſervants) he muſt needs be circumciſed, whereby it appears, they had a more abſolute power over them, then they had over other Servants bought of any ſtranger, which is not of thy ſeed; thy bond-men and thy bond-maids ſhall be of the Heathen, not of thy brethren, Of them ſhall ye buy bond-men and bond-maids, Levit. 25. 44. Theſe were to be even as a Poſſeſſion p. 488to them, ver. 25. and their power was ſo abſolute over them, that though they ſmote them with the hand or a rod, ſo Exod. 21. 21.Exod 21:21that they died, if they continued a day or two before, they muſt not be puniſhed for it, for they were their money, which was ſomewhat an hard bondage to them; truly brethren, thus it is, We are ſold under ſin, (as the Apoſtle ſaith) ſpeaking of himſelf, who Rom. 7. 14.Rom 7:14was not altogether freed from this bondage, he was ſold under ſin, being carnal, (that is to ſay) in part, as in that firſt of the Corin…hians, They are called carnal, that were as Babes in Chriſt; ſo far as ſin prevailed, ſo far the bondage did appear, he was ſold in the firſt tranſgreſſion. Now there is another ſelling whereby a man doth ſell himſelf to commit wickedneſs, as you know Ahab did. Paul did not now ſell himſelf, but was under the former ſale, and in ſuch a bondage he could by no means altogether 2 King. 21. 20.2 Kgs 21:20free himſelf from; he could not ſhake off his chains and weights that did hang upon him by reaſon of this bondage; but now Sinners, they ſell themſelves. Such as Ahab, Haſt thou found me, O mine enemy? ſaith he to Elijah: I have found thee, becauſe thou haſt ſold thy ſelf to work wickedneſs in the ſight of the Lord; and ſo the Iſraelites are ſaid to ſell themſelves to do evil in the ſight of the Lord, making their Sons and Daughters paſs through fire, &c. Now by this Sale, the Sinner paſſeth himſelf over into the power of him that buyeth him, yet more and more fully. Quod venditur, tranſit in poteſtate ementis: The Devil knew the meaneſt of his, the price he pays, a little pleaſure of ſin, a little profit; he cares not how often there be a bargain between him and the ſoul of a Sinner; a man that for a little pelf will venture and hazard his ſoul, he ſhall have it, or elſe it ſhall coſt the Devil a fall; I ſpeak not of Witches ſelling themſelves to Satan, for the accompliſhment of ſome luſt, to ſatisfie ſome diſcontent, but of every lew and wicked Sinner; he little knoweth what he doth, that goeth on in a courſe of Sin; every new tranſgreſſion and ſatisfaction to the fleſh is a new price, (as I may ſay) laid down in your hands for your ſouls to become ſlaves to the Devil. O how many times hath he bought many of us! and have we ſold our ſelves to do evil in the ſight of the Lord? the ambitious man for the ſatisfaction of his luſt, ſels himſelf to commit wickedneſs; as the covetous you ſee in Ahab, to have his deſire, would not ſtick to murther, to p. 489ſuborn witneſſes to ſwear falſly; the ambitious perſon would not care to ſwim through a Sea of blood to the Throne, they are ſlaves to the worſt of Tyrants, a luſt; it would make a man tremble to read the fearful things that are done upon this account, ſpecially by the Ottomans, the great Turk, who rivits himſelf in the Imperial Throne, with the bones of his murthered brethren, as one expreſſeth it. O how dear a rate do men give, who ſell their precious ſouls for a ſpurt of pleaſure, for the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, they are not alway in ſeaſon neither; or a little profit of ſin, a little unjuſt gain, they pay not twenty, nor an hundred years purchaſe, but if the Lord do not intervene with the purchaſe of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, they pay eternity for it, and when they have ſo ſold their ſouls to commit wickedneſs, what can they give, or what would they give in exchange for their ſouls again? a world full of honours, and pleaſures, and Mat. 16. 26.Matt 16:26profits then, alas, would be nothing to part with, if they might but have them redeemed, when it is too late; this is another way whereby ſinners come into bondage.

Thirdly, By brith alſo there is a bondage; as you know the children of them who were taken captives were captives, they were ſold themſelves, that were ſold, and with them their children, therefore ſuch ſervants as the Iſraelites bought with money, Gen. 14. 14.Gen 14:14how many ſo ever they did beget in their families, they were all ſervants and bond-men; ſo Abraham had ſo many ſervants trained, born in his own houſe, 318. I had ſervants born in mine houſe, ſaith Solomon. The Iſraelites indeed, if they did ſell themſelves through poverty, or became ſervants, they did continue Eccl. 2. 7.Eccl 2:7until the year of jubilee, but muſt not be ruled over with rigor, as they might rule over ſtrangers, nor muſt be kept as bond-men for ever; but the ſtrangers they might buy of them, and leave them as a poſſeſſion for ever to their children, that is to ſay, both them and their children; they might buy, and ſo ſell them again, and leave them to their children, and therefore all born in ſuch a condition were bond-ſervants; ſo we find in that place when our Saviour told them they ſhould be free indeed, if the Son made Lev. 25. 46.Lev 25:46them free; why ſaid they, We are Abrahams ſeed, and never were in bondage by birth; we are free, not as the ſeed of the Canaanites, Ioh. 8. 33.John 8:33who were bond-men, and they never were in bondage to any, they were not ſold as ſervants; poor blind creatures could ſee no p. 490Eph. 2. 12.Eph 2:12further then a civil bondage or liberty. Now truly Brethren, thus we are all of us bond-men and women by birth, being all ſtrangers from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and Covenant of promiſes (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) they are the children of the promiſe only, that are free. We are all the children of wrath by nature, not a mothers child of us free-born; if any by nature ſhould have been free-born, ſurely the ſeed of Abrah…m according to the fleſh; but our Saviour tells them their liberty was but imaginary; if the Son did make them free, they ſhould be free indeed; this is the third.

Fourthly, by tenure and uſurpation there is a bondage alſo; as we ſee it in the caſe of Iſrael in Egypt, they were bond-men in Egypt, and they made them ſerve a hard bondage, it is called Exod. 1. 13.Exod 1:13the houſe of bondage; they made them ſerve with rigour, ſo ſaith the text, in all manner of ſervice; the deſign of the King being to weary them out by degrees, and yet to advantage himſelf by their ſervice, while they were wearying out, this was their wiſe dealing with them, leſt they ſhould be too hard for them; and truly of this nature is the bondage wherein the people of God themſelves are in part, though the Devil have no title to them, the price being paid for them to the juſtice of the Father, yet he as a tyrannical …aylor, loath to let them go, and therefore he loads them with chains, laies heavy temptations upon them, and ſin rageth to loſe its ſervant, and therefore tyrannizeth, and the Law in the members carryeth captive to the Law of ſin, and this is one great grief to the poor child of God, that though ſin do not raign in their mortal bodies, yet it tyrannizeth over them, and with a ſtrong hand many times holds them down, ſo as that they are not able to ſtir hand nor foot: but more of this afterwards.